Maryland joins with more than half of U.S. states enacting mandatory lockdowns
Maryland became the 28th U.S. state to enact a mandatory quarantine on Monday, ordering residents to stay at home with the exception of “buying food and medical reasons.”
Month: March 2020
Haredi in Israel the lone resisters of government takeover
Israel’s ultra-orthodox Haredi community is facing fines and arrests for resisting draconian government regulations that forbid prayer services and prevent a person from walking 328 feet outside their home except in emergencies.
Argentinian court upholds criminal conviction of doctor who refused abortion for rape victim
An Argentinian appellate court has upheld the 2019 criminal conviction of a doctor who refused to give a rape victim a late-term abortion. In a divided ruling on March 23, two judges found Dr. Rodríguez Lastra had ‘failed to comply with the duties of a public official’ when he refused to perform the abortion in 2017. Lastra told the court his refusal was in order to protect the lives of both mother and child.
Pastors Detained, Churches Services Banned Over Coronavirus Pandemic
Authorities in Africa and Europe are evacuating churches and detaining pastors as governments say they prohibit worship services to halt the spread of the new coronavirus COVID 19. Video footage obtained by Worthy News showed the head pastor of the Open Arms Ministries congregation in Ghana’s city of Kumasi taken into custody during a recent worship service. The pastor, Kofi Nkrumah Sarkodie, was rushed to a police pickup truck. Several worshippers protested the move and applauded the pastor.
Controversial Mass Surveillance Program Has Identified 500 Coronavirus Patients, Shin Bet Says
More than 500 coronavirus patients have been identified in Israel so far by a controversial digital mass-surveillance program, the Shin Bet internal security service revealed on Thursday.
New York Times Op-Ed Blames Christians, Not China, For Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus
A New York Times op-ed published Friday is casting blame on the evangelical movement for the Wuhan coronavirus plaguing the nation.
North Korea fires more missiles than ever amid coronavirus outbreak
North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast on Sunday, the latest in an unprecedented flurry of launches that South Korea decried as ‘inappropriate’ amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
US-led coalition pulls out of third Iraqi base this month
The U.S.-led coalition withdrew on Sunday from a military base in northern Iraq that nearly launched Washington into an open war with neighboring Iran.
Why coronavirus antibody testing in one Colorado town could provide a way forward
United Biomedical is now working with San Miguel County, which includes the famous Rocky Mountain ski destination, to test all 8,000 residents for COVID-19 antibodies — making it the first community in the country to do widespread antibody testing. The idea, officials said, is to learn from an individual’s blood whether there is evidence the person has already been exposed. With that information, officials can then make decisions about whether quarantines and restrictions would need to continue and whether they need to be as widespread as they are in states and cities across the country right now.
Hospital Ship Rushing To New York Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
The world’s biggest hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, arrives in New York on Monday to support medical workers fighting the new coronavirus pandemic.
Jakarta Pastor Baptizes Muslims as Church Expands
Peter Tumbelaka wasn’t in a hurry to become the pastor of Jakarta’s largest Pentecostal churches where many Muslims convert to Christianity. “I thought I could remain an architect and an engineer. But God had different plans,” the 52-year-old preacher told BosNewsLife in Indonesia’s bustling capital.
Pastor in Nepal accused of spreading misinformation for saying God has power over coronavirus
A pastor in Nepal was thrown into prison for exercising his God-given authority over coronavirus after police disguised themselves as Christians in need of healing prayer.
President Trump signs $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package
President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill Friday just hours after it passed in the House, making law out of a package that will send billions of dollars directly to Americans and provide hundreds of billions more for businesses, health care systems and others impacted by the pandemic that has crippled the economy.
Montagnard Christian released after sixteen years of severe beatings in Vietnam
A Montagnard Christian in Vietnam was released from prison in February following sixteen years of torture by the Vietnamese government for protesting its treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.
Former British PM parrots “One Health” global governance paradigm as necessary response to coronavirus
Ex-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is calling for a “temporary” one-world government as a supposed relief effort for economies hit by fear of spreading disease.
Israeli company donating to US over 6 million doses of potential coronavirus cure
Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva is donating to US hospitals over 6 million doses of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, a medicine that may cure patients of COVID-19. Already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating malaria, lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, the drug raised hopes after a study in France found it had killed the virus in 26 patients.
Trump, Pence join 700 pastors in prayer call during coronavirus outbreak
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence joined over 700 pastors on a conference call Friday to pray for strength and stamina amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
‘Iran may well collapse’ under coronavirus strain, warns top EU diplomat
Iran’s theocratic regime could crumble under the pressure of the coronavirus outbreak that has spread through elite ranks and the broader population alike, according to the European Union’s top diplomat.
Real ID deadline delayed one year amid coronavirus pandemic
The requirement for Americans to obtain a Real ID for travel will be delayed one year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday.
G20 leaders pledge $5tn in ‘united’ response to coronavirus crisis
G20 nations pledged a ‘united front’ Thursday in the fight against coronavirus, saying they were injecting $5 trillion into the global economy to counter the pandemic amid forecasts of a deep recession.