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(Worthy News) - The Palestinian Authority's security forces revealed on Wednesday the identities of senior Hamas operatives behind efforts to rehabilitate the group's terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, chief among them Maher Obeid, the organization's newly appointed military commander in the West Bank. The terrorist cells and infrastructure built by Hamas' military wing in Judea and Samaria were decimated by Israel during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 during the Second Intifada, targeted assassinations over the course of the previous decade and tight security cooperation between Israeli and PA security apparatuses. However, since the mass release of terrorists within the framework of the Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange in 2011, the organization has taken pains to establish a "West Bank command" to run its operations there. [ Source: Israel Hayom (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The Israeli Defense Ministry on Wednesday canceled a test launch for the Arrow 3 missile defense system, citing a problem with its ground control’s data systems. This was the second time in a month that a test of the long-range missile interceptor system had been canceled. The previous launch was called off over safety concerns pertaining to the would-be target projectile. The ministry said the launch was classified as a “no test” and was therefore not a failure. “This has no bearing on the Arrow’s operational aspects,” said Moshe Patel, head of the Defense Ministry’s Homa Directorate, which oversees the development of missile defense systems. “Moreover, if this was an operational incident and not a test, the interceptor would have launched with no issue. If we had to intercept an Iranian threat, Arrow would have been launched.” [ Source: Algemeiner (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Two Iranian Christians were sentenced to a total of eight years in prison by a revolutionary court in December 2017, after being convicted of national security-related crimes. Suroush Saraie and Eskandar Rezaie, who are both members of the Church of Iran denomination, each received seven year sentences for ‘creating a group that works against national security’, and an additional year for ‘propaganda against the state.’ Both men are appealing the verdict, which was handed down on 28 December 2017 by the 4th Chamber of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz. During the same court hearing, a Christian woman named Zahra Norouzi Kashkouli was sentenced to a year in prison for ‘being a member of a group working against the system.’ She too is appealing the sentence. [ Source: CSW (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The U.S. Air Force has sent three B-2 nuclear-capable stealth bombers to Andersen Air Force Base on the island territory of Guam. The Department of Defense is also sending around 200 airmen from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in support of the U.S. Pacific Command's Bomber Assurance and Deterrence mission. "During this short-term deployment, the B-2s will conduct local and regional training sorties and will integrate capabilities with key regional partners, ensuring bomber crews maintain a high state of readiness and crew proficiency," U.S. Pacific Air Force explains on its website. [ Source: CBN News (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - In a resounding victory for pro-life Tennesseans, judges on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals have rejected the pro-abortion effort to overturn the 2014 voter passage of Amendment 1, which states: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.” “Although the subject of abortion rights will continue to be controversial in Tennessee and across our nation, it is time for uncertainty surrounding the people’s 2014 approval and ratification of Amendment 1 to be put to rest,” wrote Senior Judge David McKeague, a 2005 appointee of George W. Bush. Tennessee Right to Life expresses profound gratitude to the many supporters, advocates, and voters who sacrificed to see Amendment 1 placed on the ballot and passed by public vote. It was made necessary by a radical pro-abortion decision by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2000 which wrongly declared a so-called “fundamental right to abortion” in the Tennessee Constitution thereby making enforcement of common-sense protections impossible in Tennessee. [ Source: Life News (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The president and chief operating officer of Moody Bible Institute have resigned amid controversy over the theological direction of the institution and allegations of shady administration practices, the school announced Wednesday. One of the school's provosts will also be retiring. In an email sent to the Moody community Wednesday evening — that sources forwarded to The Christian Post — Randy Fairfax, the chair of the Moody Board of Trustees, wrote that they had "been discussing issues related to widespread concerns over the direction of Moody" and "accepted the resignations of President, Paul Nyquist; Chief Operating Officer, Steve Mogck; and the retirement of Provost, Junias Venugopal." "Let there be no mistake that the board of trustees holds these three men in high regard for their ethical, moral, and spiritual leadership. They are godly, honorable men to whom we entrust to the Lord and offer our deep gratitude for their years of faithful service to Christ and to Moody. However, we are unanimous in our decision that it is time for a new season of leadership." [ Source: Christian Post (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is holding negotiations with Washington regarding a pivotal nuclear arms pact. Putin said the U.S. plans to re-equip some of the nuclear capable aircraft and submarines to carry conventional weapons has drawn Russian concerns. He noted Thursday that while the U.S. plans don’t contradict the 2010 U.S.-Russian New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, Moscow is entitled to monitor the modifications to make sure there is no chance for a rollback to nuclear capability in the future. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Norway and the European Union said Wednesday they would convene an “extraordinary session” of donor countries to the Palestinians, saying efforts to reach a peace deal needed to be hurried up. The meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, to be held on January 31 in Brussels, is also meant to discuss the need to “enable the Palestinian Authority to execute full control over Gaza” based on the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation deal signed in Cairo on October 12, 2017. “There is an urgent need to bring all parties together to discuss measures to speed up efforts that can underpin a negotiated two-state solution,” the EU said in a statement. [ Source:Times of Israel (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - A federal judge on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court. Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants “were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm” without court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial. [ Source: Time (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - A new study has some troubling news for Israel and its supporters, who have come to rely on the political and financial support of the 25 percent of Americans who identify as evangelical Christians. “Older American evangelicals love Israel — but many younger evangelicals simply don’t care,” reads the summary of the study released last month by the Nashville-based evangelical research firm LifeWay Research. And while the summary may overstate the case, the survey, underwritten by Chosen People Ministries (which seeks Jewish converts to Christianity), shows that young evangelicals are less supportive and more ambivalent about the State of Israel than their older counterparts. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Europe and Iran are to put on a united front in support of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal at talks in Brussels Thursday as Washington mulls reimposing sanctions on Tehran. The European Union and the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France will unite to defend the accord, which placed limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the relaxing of punishing sanctions but which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized and threatened to leave. While EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini wants to keep the nuclear issue separate from other contentious issues with Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will also face tough questions about recent anti-government protests which left 21 people dead. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The Republican Party’s tenuous grip on the House majority slipped Wednesday after Rep. Darrell Issa became the second California Republican this week to opt for retirement over fighting an uncertain battle for re-election. Issa, from northern San Diego County, joined retiring Rep. Ed Royce, from historically Republican Orange County, putting two seats targeted by the Democrats further in play as they seek to erase the GOP’s 24-seat House majority. Their departures raise the number of Republican retirements to 31, a figure not approached since 28 Democrats rushed for the exits in 1994, the year the GOP won control of Congress for the first time in four decades. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - House Republicans on Thursday will try to reauthorize a key but controversial counterterrorism tool, despite a split among lawmakers that could end up sinking the bill. Dozens of members are expected to vote for a bill-gutting amendment to underlying legislation reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows intelligence officials to spy on communications of non-citizens outside of the U.S. The amendment, sponsored by Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich. and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., is named the USA Rights Act, and it would strictly limit the way intelligence officials can collect communications involving Americans, going far beyond the moderate limitations to the program included in the underlying bill. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The U.S. government could send 100 mostly Christian Iranians stranded in Austria back to Iran this week, where they would face harsh persecution by Iran's Islamic government. "The administration needs to act fast to stop this travesty," said Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom to the Washington Free Beacon. Shea said the U.S. government could give the refugees notices denying them entry to the U.S. as early as this week. That would force Austria to send them back to Iran. [ Source: CBN News (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - California Governor Jerry Brown said legal rulings may clear the way for making cuts to public pension benefits, which would go against long-standing assumptions and potentially provide financial relief to the state and its local governments. Brown said he has a "hunch" the courts would "modify" the so-called California rule, which holds that benefits promised to public employees can’t be rolled back. The state’s Supreme Court is set to hear a case in which lower courts ruled that reductions to pensions are permissible if the payments remain “reasonable” for workers. "There is more flexibility than there is currently assumed by those who discuss the California rule,” Brown said during a briefing on the budget in Sacramento. He said that in the next recession, the governor “will have the option of considering pension cutbacks for the first time.” [ Source: Bloomberg (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Iran’s foreign minister is visiting Moscow for talks focusing on the future of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and the situation in Syria, where both nations support President Bashar Assad. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized the need for close cooperation to safeguard the nuclear agreement during Wednesday’s talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The U.S. has said it would consider scrapping the 2015 deal, in which Iran restricted its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The dollar nursed its losses against the yen on Thursday, having suffered its biggest one-day drop in nearly eight months following a report that China was ready to slow or halt its purchases of US Treasuries. Officials reviewing China's foreign-exchange holdings have recommended slowing or halting purchases of US Treasuries, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report sent US 10-year Treasury yields to 10-month highs and dented the dollar on Wednesday, which slid nearly 1.1 percent on trading platform EBS, its biggest one-day percentage fall versus the yen since last May. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The Arab League will meet on February 1 to discuss how to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's move last month to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Wednesday. Six Arab foreign ministers who met in Amman last week said Arab states would embark on a diplomatic drive to persuade the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Arab foreign ministers said in an emergency meeting held following Trump's decision on December 6 that the move would spur violence throughout the region. They described Trump's announcement as a "dangerous violation of international law" which had no legal impact. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The Arab League will meet on February 1 to discuss how to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's move last month to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Wednesday. Six Arab foreign ministers who met in Amman last week said Arab states would embark on a diplomatic drive to persuade the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Arab foreign ministers said in an emergency meeting held following Trump's decision on December 6 that the move would spur violence throughout the region. They described Trump's announcement as a "dangerous violation of international law" which had no legal impact. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Christians said they saw a "sign from God" following a firebombing attack by Muslim militants on an evangelical church in Kyrgyzstan. The flames burned through much of the interior but stopped at the open Bible on the altar. "This is an amazing sign," said a man identified only as Paul, from Operation Mark, a partner of Release International in Kyrgyzstan. "This happened once before when Communists set fire to a Pentecostal Church during the night. The Bible and that building survived too, and there is no doubt the church in Kyrgyzstan will survive — and continue to preach the gospel." [ Source: Christian Post (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - At least 13 people died as a result of heavy rains that triggered flooding and mudslides in fire-ravaged parts of Southern California. The rainstorm deteriorated south-facing slopes and flooded a creek leading to the ocean sending mud and massive boulders coursing through Montecito neighborhoods recently ravaged by the Thomas fire, Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason said. In addition to the 13 deaths at least 25 people were injured. Crews rescued 50 people through the air and dozens more by ground. [ Source: UPI (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Four people have been arrested for the capital offense of selling Palestinian land to Jews, even though the deals apparently were halted before completion, according to authorities. The Ma’an news agency reported that the Palestinian Authority’s General Intelligence Service, after a lengthy investigation, arrested four Arab real-estate brokers thought to have tried to “divert land to the occupation.” Breaking Israel News commented the laws relating to such transactions are “the most racist laws on the books anywhere on the planet.” [ Source: WND (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - A panel of three federal judges has ordered North Carolina to redraw its Congressional district boundaries immediately, saying the current version is unconstitutional. The map, drawn by the North Carolina General Assembly, is said to be gerrymandered to benefit Republicans, who control the state's General Assembly. The judges argue that the current map violates Article I of the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause, CNN reports. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - The Palestinian Authority paid terrorists and their families more than $347 million last year, according to its own records. The Israeli Defense Ministry on Tuesday presented the data on the PA's payments to terrorists to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset, the name for Israel's Parliament, the Jerusalem Post reported. The PA pays terrorists who are sentenced to three to five years in prison $580 per month, equal to the average monthly income of a Palestinian. Those sentenced to twenty years or more in prison receive five times that amount for the rest of their lives for their crimes, which are more severe and often involve murdering Israelis. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More...) ] View the full article

(Worthy News) - Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) has introduced a bill that would make the individual tax cuts included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law, there were seven tax brackets: 10, 15, 25, 28, 33, 35, and 39.6 percent rates. The tax reform legislation cut those rates to 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35, and 37 percent. While the corporate tax rate was cut permanently to 21 percent, most of the individual tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More...) ] View the full article