WorthyNewsBot

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

By Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square (Worthy News) – While California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a FBI-reported national decline in violent crime for 2023, the same report shows violent crime in California is up 3.6%, and the value of cars stolen in California was over $2 billion last year. Aside from rising motor vehicle theft, reported property theft overall declined 2.6%. “NEW: Violent crime DROPPED across America last year,” said Newsom on X. “Can’t wait to see the Fox News coverage of this. The 3.6% annual increase in violent crime was largely driven by increases in robberies and assaults outpacing declines in homicides and rapes, while motor vehicle theft increased 6.7%. While 183,629 cars were stolen in California in 2022, 195,875 were stolen in 2023, pushing the value of stolen vehicles past $2 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 2022. Only around $1 billion of stolen vehicles, or about half, was ever recovered. A large portion of the increase in violent crime has been driven by the doubling of violent crime in Alameda County, which includes Oakland. In February, Newsom offered to deploy California National Guard and Department of Justice attorneys to expand criminal prosecution, and later publicly shared Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s months of delays in accepting the offered aid. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post FBI Reports California Violent Crime Up 3.6% as Newsom Touts National Crime Drop appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Unpopular Chancellor Olaf Scholz was offered a rare political lifeline as his Social Democrats (SPD) narrowly defeated the fiercely anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Sunday’s elections in the eastern state of Brandenburg. The final results, released by the German state’s electoral administration, showed that the Social Democrats received 30.9 percent of the vote, while the AfD trailed closely at 29 percent. Yet the AfD’s share of the vote worried SPD voters, who view it as a “dangerous far-right party” and the first such grouping to win a previous state election in Germany since World War Two. Yet the AfD could not repeat its September 1 election success in the eastern state of Thuringia. On Sunday, about two million voters in Brandenburg decided to stick with the SPD, an important political force in Germany for decades. The outcome gave some hope for Scholz, who has faced the lowest approval rating of a German chancellor in the history of the research group Infratest Dimap poll, which has been tracking monthly sentiment since 1997. His approval rating stood at just 18 percent, according to a survey published by Infratest Dimap this month. PRESSURE MOUNTING Analysts said pressures os mount on Scholz as state elections mirror concerns nationwide about issues such as mass immigration from mainly Muslim-majority nations after several Islamic attacks in recent weeks. German police said that a man who opened fire near the Israeli consulate and a Nazi-era documentation center in Munich this month before being shot dead by police was planning a “terrorist attack.” Separately, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for last month’s attack in the western German city of Solingen, where authorities said a Syrian man armed with a knife killed three people and injured eight others. The public prosecutor accused the suspect of being motivated by “radical Islamist convictions.” Besides concerns about mass immigration fueled by extremism, voters also expressed concerns about ongoing arms deliveries to Ukraine – and related security concerns. They also fear these policies will add to ongoing economic problems in Germany: The European Union’s largest economy faces an exodus of major industries, a rapidly worsening demographic picture, crumbling infrastructure, and a lack of innovation. COMMUNICATIVE ISSUES It doesn’t help that Scholz, 66, isn’t known for his communicative skills and that his three-party coalition has been compared to a kindergarten due to ongoing infighting. His SPD, the environmentalist, traditionally left-leaning Greens, and the pro-business Free Democrats take different approaches to the economy and other issues. Such was the apparent concerns over the negative impact of association with Scholz and his SPD-led government that the Brandenburg SPD avoided campaign appearances with the chancellor. This was remarkable, as he lives a stone’s throw away from Brandenburg’s regional state parliament in Potsdam. Yet Sunday’s election outcome made him dodge a political bullet for now. However, the AfD said it is now a force to be reckoned with, and it remained unclear whether the narrow victory would improve Scholtz’s re-election chances. For now, Scholz appears somewhat happy with the Brandsnburg results. “It’s great that we won,” Scholz said from New York, attending a United Nations gathering. Yet commentators were quick to point out that the SPD’s success in Brandenburg was mainly due to the efforts of state governor Dietmar Woidke, who distanced himself from Scholz during the campaign. The post Germany’s Unpopular Chancellor Dodges Political Bullet In State Vote (Worthy News Analysis) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Archaeologists excavating an ancient fort in northern Egypt have uncovered a bronze sword inscribed with the name Pharaoh Ramses II, the pharaoh believed to have opposed Moses according to the Biblical record in the Book of Exodus, the Washington Times reports. A limestone block bearing hieroglyphics about the rule of Ramses II was also found at the fort site. Egypt Today reports that archaeologist Ahmed Said El-Kharadly from the Supreme Council of Antiquities led the excavation at the Tel Al-Abqain archaeological site in Egypt’s Beheira governorate. While the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has not specified the age of the fort or the sword, Egyptologists generally agree that Rameses likely ascended to the throne in 1279 BC, over 3,200 years ago, and ruled for 66 years. Concerning the fort, Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Mohamed Ismail Khaled told Egyptian newspaper Ahram Online: “It is an important discovery highlighting the strategic role of Tell Al-Abqain area as a crucial military outpost on the Western military road, protecting Egypt’s northwestern borders from potential invasions by Libyan tribes and Sea Peoples.” Other artifacts were discovered at the fort, including weapons, hunting tools, personal adornments, religious items, Ivory kohl applicators, carnelian and faience beads, and protective amulets, Egypt Today said. The post Egyptian Archaeologists Uncover Sword Inscribed with the Name of Moses’ Pharaoh Rameses II appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – A federal judge last week issued a temporary injunction blocking Tennessee from enforcing a new law that bans adults from helping minors get an abortion without parental consent, the Associated Press reports. Earlier this year, Republican-led Tennessee approved new legislation (dubbed an “abortion trafficking ban”) that makes it illegal for an adult to “intentionally recruit, harbor, or transport” a pregnant minor within the state for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without the consent of the minor’s parents or guardians. Under this law, adults found guilty of “abortion trafficking of a minor” are charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. Tennessee has banned abortion with exemptions in cases of molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, and to remove a miscarriage unless the woman’s life is in danger. Expressing concern that the new law does not protect child victims of parental rape, Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn and Nashville attorney Rachel Welty filed suit to block the law. In a 49-page ruling issued on Friday, September 20, US District Judge Aleta Trauger wrote: “The Tennessee General Assembly determined that, when the topic at hand is ‘abortion trafficking,’ the best interests of the pregnant child are not merely a secondary consideration, but unworthy of particularized consideration at all,” Trauger added. Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary (R-TN), who helped craft the law, called the ruling incorrect. “The law in question is about parental rights, period,” he said, adding that it “prohibits an adult who is not the parent/guardian of a minor from facilitating an abortion for that minor without the parent’s consent. This is common sense.” The injunction holds while the case makes its way through the appeals process. The post Tennessee: Federal Judge Blocks Law Prohibiting Adults From Helping a Minor Obtain Abortion appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, multiply your talents! Matthew 25:26-29 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, and on my coming I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Reading this parable, we are struck by the serious consequences of failing to produce Kingdom fruit. But there's something I want to particularly point out. Many of the great heroes of the faith -- people like Moses and David, were not given great responsibilities immediately. Each of these men first served as a lowly shepherd, tending sheep. Having tested them first in this humble vocation, God then felt confident to elevate them to positions of greatness -- but it all started with a small step! God is testing his saints in the little things -- as we pass our early tests, the Lord will promote us to greater things. Don't despise the day of small things -- a single talent invested wisely can produce a bountiful harvest! And remember that it begins with faithful stewardship of whatever gift or talent that God has allocated to you. Friend, let's be wise stewards in these last days, using our divinely given abilities for His glory and purposes so that we can produce an abundant return on the Lord's investment in our lives. Let's heed the warning and the encouragement that Yeshua (Jesus) gives us in this parable, multiplying, rather than hiding our talent. Amen! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (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 this Thursday 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’s ‘Satan 2’ Missile Fails (Worthy News Focus) 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. Germany’s Unpopular Chancellor Dodges Political Bullet In State Vote (Worthy News Analysis) Unpopular Chancellor Olaf Scholz was offered a rare political lifeline as his Social Democrats (SPD) narrowly defeated the fiercely anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Sunday’s elections in the eastern state of Brandenburg. Egyptian Archaeologists Uncover Sword Inscribed with the Name of Moses’ Pharaoh Rameses II Archaeologists excavating an ancient fort in northern Egypt have uncovered a bronze sword inscribed with the name Pharaoh Ramses II, the pharaoh believed to have opposed Moses according to the Biblical record in the Book of Exodus, the Washington Times reports. A limestone block bearing hieroglyphics about the rule of Ramses II was also found at the fort site. Israel-Palestinian Conflict U.S. Rushing Extra Troops To Middle East 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. Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Major Waves of Airstrikes Throughout Lebanon Israel conducted two major waves of airstrikes on Monday, targeting over 300 Hezbollah sites. This came just a day after Israeli forces eliminated a senior Hezbollah leader and an entire class of top commanders from the terrorist organization's elite Radwan force in Beirut. Inside the United States FBI Reports California Violent Crime Up 3.6% as Newsom Touts National Crime Drop While California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a FBI-reported national decline in violent crime for 2023, the same report shows violent crime in California is up 3.6%, and the value of cars stolen in California was over $2 billion last year. Aside from rising motor vehicle theft, reported property theft overall declined 2.6%. Tennessee: Federal Judge Blocks Law Prohibiting Adults From Helping a Minor Obtain Abortion A federal judge last week issued a temporary injunction blocking Tennessee from enforcing a new law that bans adults from helping minors get an abortion without parental consent, the Associated Press reports. Christian News Burkina Faso: Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Insurgents Slit Throats of 26 Christians at Church Service Amid intensifying attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso, al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist insurgents last month stormed a Christian Alliance Evangelical church service in the town of Sanaba and murdered 26 worshippers by tying them up and slitting their throats, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Syria: Church is Flourishing Despite Devastation of War, Report The International Christian Concern (ICC) humanitarian organization has reported that a small community of Christians in Syria is flourishing even amid the devastation of a civil war, which, despite giving way to fresh disasters in world news headlines, has been raging with extreme violence since 2011. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – Amid intensifying attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso, al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist insurgents last month stormed a Christian Alliance Evangelical church service in the town of Sanaba and murdered 26 worshippers by tying them up and slitting their throats, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Local sources and videos released by the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) terror group which carried out the attack on the church show that the insurgents murdered around 400 other civilians during a campaign of slaughter that took place in the towns of Barsalogho in the north and Sanaba in the west on August 25, CP reports. The deadly insurgency in Burkina Faso began in 2012 and has displaced more than 2 million people amid rampaging violence: Burkina Faso ranks 20 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. The insurgents are intent on destabilizing the government and establishing their version of extremist Sharia law. “We are witnessing an incredibly concerning surge in Islamist violence in Burkina Faso,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement last week. “The Islamist armed groups’ massacres of villagers, worshipers, and displaced people are not only war crimes but a cruel affront to human decency. “The leaders of the Islamist armed groups should immediately end these deadly attacks on civilians,” Human Rights Watch said. The post Burkina Faso: Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Insurgents Slit Throats of 26 Christians at Church Service appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent (Worthy News) – The International Christian Concern (ICC) humanitarian organization has reported that a small community of Christians in Syria is flourishing even amid the devastation of a civil war, which, despite giving way to fresh disasters in world news headlines, has been raging with extreme violence since 2011. While all Syrian civilians are vulnerable to violence and displacement, the country’s Christians suffer persecution on religious grounds, too, in areas where Islamic jihadist militants are active: Syria ranks 12 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted. Nevertheless, the Church in Syria is going forward, ICC reports. “Although the Christian population in Syria has dwindled, those who remain are insistent on seeing God’s kingdom advance in their homeland. At the start of the conflict, Syria was solidly 8% Christian. Today, only 2% remain,” ICC said in its report. “During the war, International Christian Concern (ICC) staffers have witnessed the flourishing of the remaining church in Syria amid the war. The church may be small, but it is vibrant and determined. ICC has invested in training for priests, offering a chance for them to encourage one another while learning more about the Bible,” ICC said. In a statement to ICC, a local priest said, “Thanks to God that you are here, so we are learning new things to help our parishes and stand next to our brothers and sisters.” The post Syria: Church is Flourishing Despite Devastation of War, Report appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

(Worthy News) – Israel conducted two major waves of airstrikes on Monday, targeting over 300 Hezbollah sites. This came just a day after Israeli forces eliminated a senior Hezbollah leader and an entire class of top commanders from the terrorist organization’s elite Radwan force in Beirut. On Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they had carried out “widespread” airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. They also issued a warning to civilians, urging them to quickly evacuate homes used by the Iran-backed terrorist organization for weapons storage. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 100 people were killed and over 400 injured, but the released details did not specify whether the casualties included members of the terror group or civilians. Over the weekend, Hezbollah announced that the death toll among its fighters from Friday’s airstrike had risen to 16, including top military commander Ibrahim Aqil and several senior commanders of the elite Radwan force. The strike on the leadership followed two large-scale attacks on the group’s rank and file, during which thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, rigged with explosives, detonated almost simultaneously across the country. According to Hezbollah’s own death announcements, the past week’s attacks have accounted for around 10% of the 500 Hezbollah fighters killed since the terrorist organization began launching rockets across the border, following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, which ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The past week has exacted a heavy toll. Lebanon’s health minister announced on Saturday that doctors had performed over 2,000 surgeries on individuals injured in the attacks, many of them due to explosions from pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members. Over the past week, these airstrikes on Monday marked the fifth and sixth rounds of large-scale attacks on Hezbollah since last Thursday, particularly targeting southern Lebanon, with some strikes reaching farther from the border than in previous instances. Before the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly sent text messages to southern Lebanese citizens, urging them to avoid Hezbollah structures. “If you are in a building containing Hezbollah weapons, move away immediately until further notice,” the message to civilians read, according to Israeli media. DF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee earlier warned that strikes on houses in Lebanon where Hezbollah was storing weapons were “imminent.” In an Arabic message to Lebanese civilians, Adraee stated, “Hezbollah is lying to you and sacrificing you. Its missiles and drones are more valuable and important to it than you are.” Additionally, Israel took control of local radio broadcasts shortly before 8 a.m., instructing residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate areas where Hezbollah weapons were concentrated. The post Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Major Waves of Airstrikes Throughout Lebanon appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – As Americans struggle with high inflationary costs, paying record high grocery costs and energy bills, Congress continues to allocate billions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund services for illegal border crossers living in U.S. cities. Prior to the last budget funding showdown in March, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said in January that “any bill that does not secure the border is not acceptable.” He also identified 64 examples of ways he says the Biden-Harris administration “worked to systematically undermine America’s border security.” In February, House Republicans impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas arguing he was derelict in his duty and violated the public trust by creating a border crisis. One month later, the majority of Republicans who voted to impeach him, passed a spending bill that funded programs he created they maintain are illegal. While Americans complain about escalating crime caused by illegal border crossers who’ve inundated their communities, Congress funded the programs that brought them there – and are keeping them there – including DHS’ Shelter and Services Program grants funneling billions to primarily Democratic states, counties, cities as well as nonprofits. Likewise, the U.S. Senate’s “strongest border security bill in history” the White House, Senate and House Democrats keep touting, co-authored by U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-OK, allocated “an additional $1.4 billion in SSP funds, and provide additional needed tools and resources to respond to historic global migration,” DHS says – to fund caring for illegal border crossers released into the US. DHS recently announced the latest round of SSP funding of $380 million—a drop in the bucket to overall spending authorized by Congress. This round “augments the $259.13 million in SSP grants that DHS distributed in April 2024 … which was authorized by Congress to support communities that are providing services to migrants,” DHS says. The April DHS grant money was distributed after Congress in March passed a $1.2 trillion spending package to avoid a so-called government shutdown, despite Johnson’s and others’ claims, about requiring border security as a condition for passing it. More than $780 million worth of SSP and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Awards grants were awarded in fiscal 2023 “which went to organizations and cities across the country,” DHS says. That’s after DHS awarded $640.9 million in fiscal 2024 “to enable non-federal entities to off-set allowable costs incurred for services associated with noncitizen migrant arrivals in their communities,” also authorized by Congress. Here are examples of fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024 grant recipients and the amounts they received. The SSP grants are awarded in phases. One round in fiscal 2024, totaling $40.8 million, was awarded to: City/County of Denver, $5.9 million; District of Columbia, $2.7 million; City of Chicago, $3.8 million; Commonwealth of Massachusetts, nearly $4.9 million; NYC Office of Management and Budget, $20.4 million; City of Philadelphia over $3 million. That’s after $275 million was awarded to 55 recipients in the attached spreadsheet. Top recipients in one round of funding include: New York City’s Office of Management and Budget, $38.8 million; Pima County, Ariz., $21.8 million; Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego of $19.5 million; Maricopa County, $11.6 million, among others. Democratic-led cities also received large payouts in one round of funding: Atlanta, $10.8 million; Chicago, $9.6 million; Denver, $5.8 million. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also cashed in, receiving nearly $7 million; the District of Columbia received $8.7 million; Illinois, $9.6 million, all in one round of funding. Democratic controlled El Paso County has long received federal money to coordinate transporting illegal foreign nationals north to New York City, Chicago and Denver, The Center Square reported; Austin and San Antonio followed suit flying north “guests coming from the border,” to “proactively manage the flow of people” out of their cities. These grants exclude others awarded through numerous other federal agencies, including FEMA, U.S. Health and Human Services and others. Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-FL, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, and several House Freedom Caucus members argue Congress has a constitutional requirement to stop funding the border crisis. DeSantis, a Freedom Caucus member when he served in Congress, has asked, “How many congressmen rail against Biden’s transgressions yet still vote to fund them?” Massie said in January that “in March, when funding expires, we can put a rider in the next bill that says none of the money hereby appropriated can be used to countermand border security measures of the states.” This didn’t happen. The majority of Republicans voted to keep spending taxpayer money on these programs. By July, a U.S. House Judiciary Committee report highlighted examples of how Congress was still funding the border crisis. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post How Congress Allocates Billions to Fund the Border Crisis Nationwide appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor (Worthy News) – The U.S. House passed a bill last week to deport and make inadmissible criminal foreign nationals convicted of domestic violence and sex-related offenses, including sex crimes against children. It passed with bipartisan support but with the majority of Democrats, 158, voting against it. The bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act “to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed sex offenses or domestic violence are inadmissible and deportable.” This includes stalking, child abuse, child neglect, child abandonment, violation of protective orders, including credible threats of violence, repeated harassment, and conspiracy to commit a sex offense as grounds for deportation, according to the bill language. It also includes crimes defined in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006: child sex offenders, sexual predators, child sex traffickers, using minors in a sexual performance, soliciting a minor to practice prostitution, producing or distributing child pornography, transporting with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, among others. The greatest number of Democrats by state who voted against it are 36 from California, 13 from New York, 12 from Illinois, and nine from Texas, according to an analysis of the vote by The Center Square. In Massachusetts and Maryland, where violent offenders are being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, eight and seven Democrats, respectively, voted against deporting such offenders. These Democrats voted against some current practices of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who under the Biden-Harris administration are arresting sex offenders thousands of miles from the border in major cities. In Boston, Baltimore and New York, for example, ICE ERO agents are arresting foreign nationals who illegally entered the country after being previously deported and who were convicted of crimes in other states. In Massachusetts, ICE ERO Boston officers recently arrested a Brazilian national charged with indecent assault and battery against a Nantucket resident over age 14. They also arrested a Salvadoran national charged with numerous sex crimes against a child on Nantucket Island, including child rape and indecent assault and battery. They also recently arrested a Guatemalan national convicted of molesting a Missouri minor. He was previously deported, illegally reentered the country and has an extensive criminal history, according to ICE. In another case, they arrested a Guatemalan national charged with raping a Massachusetts resident. This is after he was convicted of assault and battery on a family or household member and arraigned on two counts of rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. ICE said, “he posed a significant threat to the members of our community.” In another case, they arrested an 18-year-old Haitian national charged with indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 in Massachusetts. In Maryland, ICE ERO Baltimore officers apprehended a Mexican national in Gaithersburg convicted of sex crimes against a minor. He illegally entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location and has an extensive criminal history. They also arrested a sex offender from Honduras who was convicted of sex crimes against a minor. He was previously deported and has an extensive criminal record. They also arrested a Honduran national illegally in the U.S. who was convicted of raping a Maryland resident. His “landmark arrest” was the 153rd noncitizen sex offender arrested in Maryland this fiscal year, ICE reported. ICE-ERO-New York officers recently arrested a Honduran man and sex offender who was previously deported four times. He was most recently convicted by a court in Philadelphia for unlawful sexual contact with a minor, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old, among other charges. He also has an extensive criminal history. Several House Democrats said they voted against the bill claiming it would hurt victims. Others said it was a political bill in an election year and attacked its author, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC. Others claimed the bill didn’t close a loophole in the law that Mace and others claim it does. Despite their claims, ICE field office directors repeatedly argue it is necessary to deport sex offenders. In their press releases, they repeatedly describe the violent crimes committed against Americans and against migrants, including children. Their focus as law enforcement is “on prioritizing public safety by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders” who present a “significant threat to our youngest residents and the community as a whole.” ICE agents will “relentlessly pursue heinous predators who prey on our children and remove them from the United States,” they maintain. The 158 Democrats voting against the bill “shows the American people they care more about illegal aliens than our women and children,” Mace said. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post 158 House Democrats Voted Against Deporting Sex Offenders appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, be careful to take credit! Isaiah 10:15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! One constant pitfall we must watch for is taking credit for something that God does in or through us, or using the gifts and callings of God for self-exaltation. In that light it may be easier to handle poverty, weakness, or insignificance, than wealth, ability, power or authority, since poverty and frailty are not normally things we boast about, and they cause us to recognize our need for God. Prosperity, gifting, and anointing, on the other hand can be powerful temptations, leading to pride, covetousness, and self-sufficiency. Saul, who came from a humble background, was anointed king of Israel, yet his heart was revealed when the Lord exalted him, but he exulted in his own position, eventually coveting it so severely he became a fierce enemy of God. The Lord then removed His spirit from Saul and the true condition of the man became apparent to everyone. Even the great Solomon whose gifting, anointing, and prosperity were unsurpassed in some ways, seems to have taken for granted his abilities and wealth, and, somehow, rationalizing his blatant disobedience to God's law, he fell into idolatry and brought disaster to the Kingdom of Israel. This seems amazing, given the fact that Solomon's most precious gift was his wisdom. (Those with this gift should take note). Friend, be careful how you handle the gifts and successes that God gives you! Enjoy His blessings as you serve in your family, business, or ministry – but never forget where it all comes from, and to whom the glory belongs, cause if you do, He will be sure to remind you. Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (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 this Thursday 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 ‘Superbugs To Kill Nearly 40 Million By 2050’, Study Warns “Superbugs,” the strains of bacteria resistant to several antibiotics, could cause more than 39 million deaths by 2050, a new study shows. China Preparing For War With US From Space (Worthy News Focus) China’s military is preparing for a potential war with the United States by rapidly building up its space capabilities, including more than 970 recently deployed satellites that would support attacks on U.S. aircraft carriers, several sources say. Papua Rebels Release New Zealand Pilot After 19 Months Phillip Mark Mehrtens, the New Zealand pilot who’s been held hostage for more than a year in the troubled Papua region, has been freed by separatist rebels, Indonesian authorities confirmed Saturday. Gas Explosion In Iranian Coalmine Kills Scores Authorities say a gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran's South Khorasan Province had killed at least 51 people and injured 20. France Has ‘Most Right-Wing’ Government Over two months after the parliamentary elections, France has a new government. UN Pushing For ‘Pact for Future’ At Summit (Worthy News In-Depth) A summit was underway in New York this weekend that critics say will give the United Nations even more powers to create a new world order through a Pact for the Future. 70,000 Russian Soldiers Killed As Fighting Escalates Well-informed investigators say over 70,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed killed in Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its invasion more than two and a half years ago. The news came amid reports of more fighting and attempts by the Ukrainian president to meet his U.S. counterpart and the presidential candidates. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Over 100 Rockets Fired Into Israel From Lebanon Israel’s military says over 100 rockets have been fired into the country from Lebanon, with some landing near the northern city of Haifa. Israel Kills Key Hezbollah Leader After Missile Barrage Israel’s military said a strike on a suburb of Lebanon’s capital killed Ibrahim Aqil, a prominent Hezbollah leader. Inside the United States How Congress Allocates Billions to Fund the Border Crisis Nationwide As Americans struggle with high inflationary costs, paying record high grocery costs and energy bills, Congress continues to allocate billions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund services for illegal border crossers living in U.S. cities. 158 House Democrats Voted Against Deporting Sex Offenders The U.S. House passed a bill last week to deport and make inadmissible criminal foreign nationals convicted of domestic violence and sex-related offenses, including sex crimes against children. It passed with bipartisan support but with the majority of Democrats, 158, voting against it. Top Dem Donor Processor Act Blue Faces U.S. House Investigation A top Democratic donation processor, Act Blue, is facing an investigation over concerns that the donation processing service is being used to circumvent campaign finance laws. Christian News Indian Christians Fear No End To Manipur Conflict Indian Christian leaders are skeptical about the federal government's “road map” for peace in India’s conflict-torn Manipur state, where scores of Christians were killed and hundreds of churches and other properties were destroyed. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s military says over 100 rockets have been fired into the country from Lebanon, with some landing near the northern city of Haifa. Israeli first responders say the early morning barrage on Sunday wounded at least three people near Haifa, damaged buildings, and set cars on fire. Anticipating retaliation, the Israeli military had restricted gatherings and raised the alert level for residents of northern communities. The alert went as far south as the coastal city of Haifa, signaling Israel thought Hezbollah could strike deeper than it had since the war with Hamas began, observers said. Saturday’s barrage came after officials in Lebanon said an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed at least 37 people, including one of the Hezbollah group’s senior leaders as well as women and children. The Iran-backed Islamic group is also reeling from a sophisticated attack using thousands of explosive personal devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies just days earlier that reportedly killed nearly 40 people and injured thousands. DEADLIEST ATTACK However, Saturday’s strike was described as the deadliest single attack since Hezbollah-Israel clashes began following the October 7 attack by Hezbollah’s ally Hamas in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people. Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed group, said 16 members, including senior leader Ibrahim Agil and another commander, Ahmed Wahbi, were among those killed. Israel’s army said it hit an underground gathering of Aqil and leaders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces and had almost completely dismantled its military chain of command. Witnesses said Saturday’s Israeli strike destroyed a multi-story residential building in the crowded suburb and damaged a nursery next door, a security source said. Three children and seven women were among those killed, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. It came as cross-border clashes continued on Saturday as Israeli warplanes carried out the heaviest bombardment in 11 months of fighting across Lebanon’s south, and Hezbollah claimed rocket attacks on military targets in Israel’s north. 180 TARGETS The Israeli army said it hit around 180 targets, destroying thousands of rocket launch barrels. Hezbollah pledged it would only halt attacks on Israel if it agrees to a ceasefire in its war against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led rampage in southern Israel on October 7. U.S. officials say that is unlikely anytime soon. Israel wants Hezbollah to cease fire and withdraw forces from the border region, adhering to a U.N. resolution signed with Israel in 2006, irrespective of any Gaza deal. Thousands of people in northern Israel and southern Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing fighting. The post Over 100 Rockets Fired Into Israel From Lebanon appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK (Worthy News) – “Superbugs,” the strains of bacteria resistant to several antibiotics, could cause more than 39 million deaths by 2050, a new study shows. Some 70 percent of these deaths likely result from infections resistant to medications that could have treated them, warned the study published by the The Lancet, a leading weekly medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. Besides the nearly 40 million deaths directly linked to “superbugs,” the study also predicts that drug-resistant infections will play a role in 169 million deaths over the next 25 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called antimicrobial resistance (AMR) “one of the top global public health and development threats.” The WHO links these threats to “the misuse and overuse” of antimicrobial medications in humans, animals, and plants, which may help pathogens develop a resistance to them. The researchers base their forecasts on analysis of recent deaths and the impact of measures to curb AMR deaths over time. DRUG-RESISTANT They found that more than 1 million people died each year as a result of drug-resistant infections between 1990 and 2021, a figure that is expected to increase over the following years. The Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, which carried out the study, saw over 500 researchers collect and analyze data from 204 counties over 30 years in the first global analysis of AMR trends. Based on that data, the researchers forecast that South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean will have the highest AMR mortality rates by 2050. However, the GRAM study found that millions of deaths could be averted through better infection prevention, improved healthcare access, and new antibiotics. The WHO says the main drivers of AMR are the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials. The study’s results come ahead of a United Nations high-level meeting on AMR, which will convene in New York City on September 24, when medics are expected to focus on preventing more “superbugs” deaths. The post ‘Superbugs To Kill Nearly 40 Million By 2050’, Study Warns appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Casey Harper | The Center Square (Worthy News) – A top Democratic donation processor, Act Blue, is facing an investigation over concerns that the donation processing service is being used to circumvent campaign finance laws. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee launched the investigation, citing “reports of potentially fraudulent and illicit financial activity” in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The lawmakers ask Yellen for copies of financial suspicious activity reports related to ActBlue, which serves as an online catch-all processor for online donations to Democratic candidates. From the letter: Recent reports have raised the specter of fraud and evasion of campaign finance law by individuals exploiting online contribution platforms, especially ActBlue. For example, ActBlue had not implemented standard procedures to guard against identity theft and fraud such as requiring a Card Verification Value (CVV) to process online transactions until it received criticism for not doing so. ActBlue is also being investigated by several states’ officials in relation to contributions allegedly made via the platform fraudulently without the reported contributor’s awareness. In Virginia, reports of contribution activity facilitated through the ActBlue platform included “some cases in which single donors made tens of thousands of separate donations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said in August that he is investigating reports of misuse of ActBlue after reports of “dummy” accounts being used to make thousands of donations, allegedly by criminal sources. Donating in the name of someone else is illegal and can be used to circumvent oversight and caps on contributions. “These bad actors could include foreign nationals not lawfully admitted for permanent residence who are prohibited by statute from contributing to campaigns or political parties,” the letter adds. Since allegations of Russian involvement and voter fraud has escalated in recent federal elections, oversight and scrutiny of possible foreign interference in U.S. elections has increased for both Republicans and Democrats. Act Blue did not respond to a request for comment. “We can’t tolerate shady practices, foreign interference, and blatant exploitation of our campaign finance laws,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The American people deserve to know who’s really behind these contributions. ActBlue has been funneling questionable donations into Democrat campaigns for far too long, raising serious concerns about fraud and illegal contribution…” Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Top Dem Donor Processor Act Blue Faces U.S. House Investigation appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – China’s military is preparing for a potential war with the United States by rapidly building up its space capabilities, including more than 970 recently deployed satellites that would support attacks on U.S. aircraft carriers, several sources say. The warning comes in a United States Space Force (USSF) intelligence report, monitored by Worthy News and first published by The Washington Times newspaper. The USSF, the U.S. military’s space service, also warned that “China and Russia have been monitoring U.S. efforts to protect its space assets.” Both countries “are trying to devise ways to counter them, to include a potential large-scale attack,” it warned in comments reviewed by Worthy News. Beijing and Moscow blame the United States for the rising tensions. The latest USSF report said China’s military deployments include 20 satellites launched between March and June, designed to enable “long-range precision strikes against U.S. and allied forces.” MORE SPACE WEAPONS Other space weapons include anti-satellite missiles, electronic jammers, and robot grappling satellites. Additionally, according to U.S. sources, the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military, can use an orbiting space plane to attack and disrupt space-based information systems used by the U.S. and other militaries. The intelligence report comes amid growing U.S. concern over China’s perceived war preparations. In comments, U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall suggested a growing potential for an armed conflict with China. “I am not saying war in the Pacific is imminent or inevitable. It is not,” Kendall said at a conference hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association. “But I am saying that the likelihood is increasing and will continue to do so.” The post China Preparing For War With US From Space (Worthy News Focus) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Phillip Mark Mehrtens, the New Zealand pilot who’s been held hostage for more than a year in the troubled Papua region, has been freed by separatist rebels, Indonesian authorities confirmed Saturday. Mehrtens, from New Zealand’s Christchurch, who flew for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air, was handed over early Saturday to the Cartenz Peace Taskforce, the joint security force set up by the Indonesian government to deal with separatist groups in Papua. The task force spokesperson Bayu Suseno said separatist rebels let him walk free early Saturday. Independence fighters led by Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, stormed a single-engine plane on a small runway in Paro and abducted Mehrtens on Feb. 7, 2023. Kogoya initially said the rebels would not release the pilot unless Indonesia’s government allowed Papua to become a sovereign country. However, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed Mehrtens’ release after 592 days in captivity. TALKING WITH FAMILY “We are pleased and relieved to confirm that Phillip Mehrtens is safe and well and has been able to talk with his family,” Peters said in a statement Saturday. “This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones.” Peters added that a wide range of New Zealand government agencies had been working with Indonesian authorities and others to secure the release for the past 19 1/2 months. Officials were also supporting Mehrtens’ family, Peters said. He added that many news outlets showed “cooperation and restraint” when reporting the story. “The case has taken a toll on the Mehrtens family, who have asked for privacy,” Peters stressed. “We ask media outlets to respect their wishes, and therefore, we have no further comment at this stage.” Aged 37 when he was kidnapped, Mehrtens was one of several expatriate pilots employed by Susi Air and, in recent years, lived in Bali with his family. ANOTHER PILOT KILLED His release came shortly after the rebels in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua last month killed a helicopter pilot from New Zealand, police said, adding that four passengers onboard the aircraft were safe. Glen Malcolm Conning, a pilot for Indonesian aviation company PT Intan Angkasa Air Service, was shot to death, said Faizal Ramadhani, a national police member and head of the joint security peace force in Papua at the time. The gunmen were allegedly with the West Papua Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, Ramadhani added. Conning was shot after landing in Alama, a remote village in central Papua province. Ramadhani said the gunmen released the Indigenous Papuan passengers and set fire to the aircraft. His death added to pressure on negotiators to discuss Mehrten’s release. Mehrtens was picked up by authorities in Nduga regency, and Indonesian police said he was undergoing health checkups and a physiological examination in Timika regency. Peters said, “This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones.” The post Papua Rebels Release New Zealand Pilot After 19 Months appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Authorities say a gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran’s South Khorasan Province had killed at least 51 people and injured 20. State media said the accident reported Sunday was caused by a methane gas explosion in two blocks, B and C, of the mine run by the Madanjoo company. “76% of the country’s coal is provided from this region, and around 8 to 10 big companies are working in the region, including Madanjoo company,” the governor of South Khorasan Province, Ali Akbar Rahimi, told state TV on Sunday. The incident reportedly happened as 69 miners were working in two sections of the privately owned mine operated by Madanjoo company in Tabas, a desert town about 540 kilometers (335 miles) southeast of Tehran. Rescue efforts have been hampered by dangerously high levels of methane gas, with emergency services struggling to reach affected areas almost 500 meters (1,640 feet) underground. State television reported that methane concentration remains a critical obstacle, preventing further entry into the mine. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered ministries to dispatch additional rescue teams to the site before he departed for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Islamic Republic’s judiciary has also launched a full investigation into the incident, vowing to hold those responsible accountable. The post Gas Explosion In Iranian Coalmine Kills Scores appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News PARIS (Worthy News) – Over two months after the parliamentary elections, France has a new government. Prime Minister Michel Barnier officially announced the names of the new ministers of what observers describe as “the most right-wing government” since that of François Fillon, under then-president Nicolas Sarkozy. After 2-1/2 months of political uncertainty since centrist President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise decision to call early elections, Barnier has assembled a cabinet he hopes will find cross-party support in the fragmented parliament. His team includes Bruno Retailleau, a leader of former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative party. Analysts say he negotiated the coveted interior ministry as a price for support in parliament. Barnier, a former European Union negotiator for Britain’s exit from the EU, or “Brexit,” also authorized some junior ministers to oversee key policies directly, including on European affairs and the budget. Given his experience in Brussels and public concern over France’s mounting budget deficit, Barnier had been due to play a more significant role in negotiations with the EU’s executive European Commission. The talks are expected to focus on the so-called “excessive deficit procedure” Paris was put under last year for breaching EU rules on public spending. Taken together, it is “the most right-wing government since the Fillon administration under Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency” more than a decade ago, said veteran political commentator Alain Duhamel on news channel BFM. The post France Has ‘Most Right-Wing’ Government appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News BUDAPEST/BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s military said a strike on a suburb of Lebanon’s capital killed Ibrahim Aqil, a prominent Hezbollah leader. The rare airstrike on Beirut left at least 14 people dead and destroyed one residential building while also damaging another, Lebanese health and civil defense officials said. The attack escalated a days-long Israeli assault on Hezbollah amid fears of all-out war. Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah vowed retaliation Thursday against Israel for the detonations of electronic devices that killed at least 37 people this week and left thousands injured. Shortly after the threat, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets Friday, Israel’s military said, after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 37 people, injuring nearly 3,000, and causing panic. THREE WAVES The rockets came in three waves Friday afternoon, targeting sites along the ravaged border with Lebanon. Hezbollah said the missiles were in retaliation for Israeli strikes on villages and homes in southern Lebanon. Amid the ongoing violence, Bulgaria and Hungary have denied involvement in producing or delivering communication equipment that exploded. The tensions have escalated concerns about a possible regional armed conflict against Israel. Iran-backed Hezbollah is a close ally of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic group that carried out a major attack on Israel. The October 7 assault saw some 1,200 people being killed, including babies and raped women, while some 250 people were kidnapped, prompting Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The post Israel Kills Key Hezbollah Leader After Missile Barrage appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW YORK (Worthy News) – A summit was underway in New York this weekend that critics say will give the United Nations even more powers to create a new world order through a Pact for the Future. Officials said the “intergovernmental negotiated, action-oriented” Pact is part of the U.N. Summit of the Future, held at the U.N. Headquarters on September 22-23. It includes “Transforming global governance,” as in the U.N.’s “Right now, our multilateral system requires an upgrade,” Worthy News established. The Pact suggests that the U.N. will be transformed into a new organization as the current global system “isn’t effective, trusted, or inclusive enough to face the challenges of today or tomorrow. Inaction is no option.” The “U.N. 2.0” will “strengthen the international response to complex global shocks” as there is a need for a “coordinated and multidimensional international response to complex global shocks and the central role of the United Nations in this regard.” The U.N. defines “complex global shocks” as events that “have severely disruptive and adverse consequences for a significant proportion of countries and the global population.” These shocks would require a “multidimensional multistakeholder, and whole of government, whole of society response.” AUTHOR WORRIED That worries author Michael Snyder, who closely followed U.N. developments. He argues that if the Pact for the Future is adopted, “the U.N. will be the one to determine when a “global shock” occurs. “The U.N. would also be the one to determine when it should be granted emergency powers and for how long those emergency powers should be in force. Needless to say, this is a nightmare waiting to happen.” For example, one section titled “We will strengthen the international response to complex global shocks” states that a “coordinated and multidimensional international response to complex global shocks and the central role of the United Nations in this regard” is needed. The Pact to be agreed upon made clear that “The status quo poses a growing and systemic threat to the multilateral system—driving deepening divergence, geoeconomic fragmentation, and geopolitical fractures across the world. Countries need to come together and build a new multilateralism. Only that way can all actors work alongside one another and push forward for peace and prosperity.” The Pact also mentions “Sustainable development and financing for development; international peace and security; science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation” and “Youth and future generations.” “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Paris Agreement” [on climate change] “targets won’t be met unless we channel resources at scale and speed to the world’s most vulnerable communities. We must increase development and climate finance, freeing humans from the tyranny of poverty and putting the planet and the poorest at the center of everything we do,” the U.N. said about the Pact. INTERNATIONAL PEACE On International peace and security, a topic increasingly mentioned during upheaval in the Middle East, the U.N. stressed that “We need to create the opportunity for peace to grow. We need to stand up for the principles and values of the U.N. Charter, demonstrating that international cooperation offers a more fruitful path forward. This will enable the world to meet the challenges of growing conflicts and violence and respond to the risks from new technologies.” On “Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation,” the Pact will say, “We have to ensure that technologies serve the interests of humanity. Our goal is to bridge the science, technology, and innovation (STI) divides—strengthening universal human values, protecting people and the planet, and leaving no one behind.” However, the “Youth and future generations” will play a crucial role in the new world envisaged by the United Nations and its Pact for the Future. “Young people are catalysts for change, but they need more support. Giving them a seat at the table is crucial as they hold the key to success for a sustainable future,” the U.N. said in remarks obtained by Worthy News. “They also have the most to lose if a breakdown persists. But it isn’t just about young people. It’s about future generations, too. It’s essential that the decisions we make today safeguard the interests of those who have yet to be born.” More than 1,000 government delegates from 193 nations were to discuss the Pact just before the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly. “In 2020, the U.N. turned 75 and marked the occasion by starting a global conversation about hopes and fears for the future. This was the beginning of a process that would eventually lead, four years later, to the convening of the Summit of the Future,” the U.N. said. The post UN Pushing For ‘Pact for Future’ At Summit (Worthy News In-Depth) appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Indian Christian leaders are skeptical about the federal government’s “road map” for peace in India’s conflict-torn Manipur state, where scores of Christians were killed and hundreds of churches and other properties were destroyed. Christian officials said the initiative is “too late and too difficult” to achieve in Manipur, where Hindu-majority Meitei and tribal Christians have been fighting each other for 16 months. The reaction came after India’s federal Home Minister Amit Shah said Tuesday that a “road map” for peace in Manipur was ready. Shah is a top leader of the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party. He revealed they have been talking to the tribal Kuki and Meitei communities. A Church leader said it is now difficult to achieve a breakthrough as the warring parties continue “to stick to their guns.” Sectarian violence in the eastern state started in May last year and has claimed over 230 lives, many of them Christians, displaced over 60,000 people, and destroyed thousands of houses and over 300 churches. “There are fears of further violence, particularly as Hindu extremists are using the conflict as an excuse to hunt out church leaders and try to force entire Christian communities to convert to Hinduism,” said advocacy group Open Doors in an earlier assessment. “While Christians are not the only people affected, local sources say that they have faced ten times the persecution received by Hindus.” Despite the clashes, Christianity is the fastest growing and second most followed faith in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, according to 2011 census data of India. Evangelical churches are among those active in the region. The post Indian Christians Fear No End To Manipur Conflict appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Well-informed investigators say over 70,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed killed in Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its invasion more than two and a half years ago. The news came amid reports of more fighting and attempts by the Ukrainian president to meet his U.S. counterpart and the presidential candidates. Speaking before a crucial trip next week to Washington, where he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the vice president and presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and address the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would present a “victory plan” to end the war. He was also to meet former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump who claims he wants to end the war on day one of his presidency. However Zelenskyy’s words were overshadowed by reality with reports that more than 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. The figures shared by several outlets, came as documents that the Ukrainian army said it seized from abandoned Russian positions showed that Russia’s military command “had anticipated Ukraine’s incursion” into its Kursk region and had been making plans to prevent it for several months. Commentators said the disclosure makes the disarray among Russian forces after Ukraine’s attack in early August all the more embarrassing. ‘TERRIFYING ATTACK’ Yet Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February, 2022 struck back and authorities said overnight a Russian missile hit the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killing a 12-year-old boy and two women aged 75 and 79. Three more people were injured in what officials called a “terrifying” attack and taken to hospital. Two buildings were reportedly destroyed and 20 more damaged. Authorities said Russian forces also launched three strikes on Friday on Kharkiv, injuring 15 people including three children. Further south-east in Kharkiv region, a Russian strike reportedly killed two people and injured two while in the southern region of Kherson, partly controlled by Russian forces, a woman was said to have died in Russian shelling of an area outside the main Ukrainian-held city, also known as Kherson. The clashes have raised international concerns about the war in which hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed and injured. The post 70,000 Russian Soldiers Killed As Fighting Escalates appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article

Friend, prepare to be married! Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, so your God will rejoice over you. Revelation 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. The last and most intimate metaphor for Messiah's relationship with us is as Bridegroom to Bride. For some, the Lord's intention to marry will be the most significant and wondrous purpose in all of Creation. The preparation for the wedding will be the most meticulous and profound of all historical processes, orchestrated by His Holy Spirit in cooperation with every devoted and expectant saint who ever lived. Ancient wedding customs provide insight illustrating our preparation for the divine wedding ahead. In ancient times, acquiring a bride involved a transaction; a bride-price and a dowry were set and agreed upon in the betrothal of a young couple. Following this agreement, the bridegroom returned to His Father's house to build a domicile for his expectant bride while she anticipated her husband's return by preparing her wedding garments. In parallel, our betrothal to our holy Lord, the beginning of our preparation for marriage, required the offering of His cleansing blood on our behalf. And before returning to his Father's house following his death and resurrection, Yeshua told his disciples, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself." [John 14:2-3] It is clear that Yeshua expected his followers to understand the parallel to betrothal and marriage customs within their own culture and to apply that understanding to their own relationship with him. This applies to us as well. Anticipating our Bridegroom's return will awaken a deep excitement stimulating an intense desire to be prepared for him. Friend, your love for your Bridegroom will be expressed in your desire to be like him. That preparation is the work of the Holy Spirit within you, cleansing and transforming you through faith, good works, obedience, and prayer, the "fabric" of your wedding garment. Your joyful anticipation of his soon return will inspire the abiding, which prepares you for the heavenly announcement you've waited for all your life. Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (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: 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 ‘Hungary Produced Pagers That Exploded And Killed Hezbollah Members’ (Worthy News Investigation) Taiwanese company Gold Apollo says that the pager model allegedly used by Hezbollah members that simultaneously exploded and killed numerous people, mainly in Lebanon, was made by its Hungarian partner. Israel: ‘Syria Secretly Built Nuclear Facility’ In Iran’s Footsteps (Worthy News Investigation) Israel’s atomic chief has warned that Syria built an undeclared nuclear facility after Iran, which he said has “in alarming amounts conducting covert nuclear activities.” Ukraine Hunting Russian Forces In Syria and Africa (Worthy News Investigation) Ukraine is targeting Russian forces in Syria and Africa as part of efforts to pressure Moscow to redeploy resources from Ukraine, Worthy News learned Thursday. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israeli Airstrikes Intensify Across Lebanon as War with Hezbollah Escalates A massive barrage of Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon just after the terrorist group's leader declared that two days of intense hybrid bombings, including the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies targeting Hezbollah forces, amounted to a declaration of war. Saudi Arabia Will Not Recognize Israel Without Palestinian state, Crown Prince Says Amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reiterated that the kingdom would not recognize Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Times of Israel reports. The Crown Prince made his remarks during an annual speech to the advisory Shura Council on Wednesday (September 18). Israel Condemns UN Over Resolution Israel has condemned an adopted United Nations resolution demanding that all Israeli forces and civilians pull out of Palestinian areas within a year. The resolution also called for an embargo on arms that Israel might use in those areas. Inside the United States Report: Border Crisis ‘Damage That Will Take Decades to Remedy’ A comprehensive new report from a U.S. House committee accuses the Biden administration of "the worst border crisis in American history." Retired Border Chief Ordered to Not Report Border Crossers With Ties to Terrorism Retired San Diego Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said he was instructed by the Biden administration to not publicize arrests of illegal border crossers identified as “Significant Interest Aliens” with ties to terrorism. Biden Extends National Emergency Due to Terror Threats, Ongoing Since 9/11 The U.S. has been in a perpetual national emergency over terrorism threats since Sept. 11, 2001, which was again extended for another year. Christian News 16.2 Million Christians Displaced by Islamic Jihadist Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, “Our Hope is in God” Facing relentless violence against their communities by Islamic jihadist terror groups, 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have now been forced to flee their homes and live in poverty-stricken Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Pakistan Sentences Christian Mother To Death For Blasphemy A Pakistani court has sentenced Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, to death for “committing blasphemy against Islam,” a senior Christian advocacy activist told Worthy News Thursday. View the full article

By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square (Worthy News) – A comprehensive new report from a U.S. House committee accuses the Biden administration of “the worst border crisis in American history.” “Crisis By Design,” as titled by the Republican majority on the House Homeland Security Committee, details how the administration has handled the crisis on the southern border since the 2020 election. “Even if not one more inadmissible alien crossed our borders for the remainder of Biden and Harris’ term, the millions they have already allowed into our country have done damage that will take decades to remedy,” chamber committee Chairman Dr. Mark Green, R-Tenn., said. According to the report, since February 2021, there have been 8.2 million crossings at the southwest border. Other borders and ports of entry raise the total crossings to 10.1 million, the report said. By the end of the Biden administration, the report estimates an estimated 11.6 million encounters nationwide. This is a 274% increase from the 3.1 million encounters from 2017-20, according to the report. The numbers do not include the 2 million encounters known as “gotaways.” The Center Square has reported that actual illegal border crossings now surpass 12.5 million under the Biden-Harris administration. The Center Square includes “gotaway” data of illegal border crossers who successfully enter the U.S. between ports of entry and are not apprehended. U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not release gotaway data publicly; The Center Square receives the data from a border patrol agent in the field. “Simultaneously, transnational criminal organizations like the Mexican criminal cartels and violent gangs have been enriched and empowered by record profits from drug trafficking and human smuggling,” the report says. “They funnel those blood-bought dollars into their ever-expanding operations in American cities and throughout the hemisphere.” Many Border Patrol agents have been pulled from the border and are not enforcing U.S. immigration laws, instead processing and releasing those crossing the border per Biden-Harris policies, the report says. Human cost to Americans and migrants alike, the report says, is incalculable as fentanyl and people continue to be smuggled over the border, killing thousands. The report says, “Illegal aliens are committing crimes in American communities large and small, and their shocking acts of violence and recklessness have been documented in every state.” The report says the unknown amount of gang members, violent criminals, and other possible public safety threats will be unknown into the future. Ahead of the 2020 election, the report states Biden encouraged those around the world to surge to the border to file asylum claims despite the majority not qualifying for that protection. “My staff and I engaged and advised the Biden transition teams well before inauguration,” former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott said in his testimony to the committee. “The administration’s laser focus on expediting processing and increasing opportunities for migrants to enter the U.S. never wavered. Advice from career professionals was ignored. Policies were implemented that resulted in thousands of aliens being released into the U.S. Illegal immigration intensified, overwhelmed the Border Patrol, and effectively transferred control of our southwest border directly to the Mexican drug cartels.” Even with the warnings, the report states that the Biden administration implemented unlawful policies and noted that “the resulting crisis in early 2021 was predictable, swift and catastrophic.” The Republicans criticize Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden and Harris, describing her as the “border czar” and failing to tackle the root causes of migration in 2021. Mayorkas was impeached earlier this year by the Republican-controlled House, but the charges were dismissed without a trial in the Democrat-controlled Senate. As of June 2024, Department of Homeland Security data showed that less than 2% of people who are living in or entered the U.S. illegally were under any sort of supervision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Biden, Harris and Mayorkas were entrusted with the responsibility to secure the border, enforce the law, and keep Americans safe,” stated the report, adding that the current administration broke the trust of the American people and is willingly ignoring the administration’s obligation to the American people. Reprinted with permission from The Center Square. The post Report: Border Crisis ‘Damage That Will Take Decades to Remedy’ appeared first on Worthy Christian News. View the full article