EU

Viability of Jewish life in Europe is threatened

The Chief Rabbi of Moscow warned this week that Jewish life in Europe is once again under serious threat due, among other things, to the intolerance of ritual slaughter and male circumcision practices that are central to Jewish religious expression. Writing in the Times of Israel, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt attested: “There is almost no value in remembering the past if a country and its politicians don’t allow its Jewish population to live their life in the present.”

Italy, France, Germany join countries that have suspended AstraZeneca vaccine

Italy and Germany on Monday joined Ireland and Holland as the latest European Union member states to suspend the use of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Reuters reports. The decisions follow Norwegian reports of blood clots and brain hemorrhages among people who had taken the shot; Denmark, Norway, and Bulgaria have also suspended use of the vaccine.

Myanmar Army Kills Over 100 Protestors

Myanmar’s military rulers declared martial law in a large area of the country’s largest city Yangon after security forces killed more than 100 pro-democracy protesters since Saturday.

Iranian foreign minister says US should quickly rejoin Iran deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the US should quickly rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Iran deal, because the upcoming Iranian elections may hinder any talks about it, the Washington Times reports. The JCPOA is a treaty under which international sanctions on Iran would be removed in exchange for the regime’s adherence to limits on its nuclear program.

Abbas pulls out the stops to neutralize rival Mohammed Dahlan

The Palestinian political arena is riotous and raging following the decision of Nasser al-Kidwa, a senior Fatah figure and the nephew of Yasser Arafat, to establish an independent list that will run in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, separate from the official list of the Fatah movement. Al-Kidwa’s list will also support the candidacy of Marwan Barghouti, one of PA leader Mahmoud Abbas’s bitter political opponents, in the presidential elections, purportedly to be held in July 2021.

Persecuted Iranian Christians Receiving Shelter In Hungary After International Pressure

An Iranian Christian father and his young son, who were detained on the Hungarian-Serbian border for 527 days, have been moved to a home in northwest Hungary following international pressure. A Baptist church helped Abouzar Soltani, a convert from Islam to Christianity, and his 12-year-old-son Armin to find an apartment in the Hungarian city of Győr, Worthy News learned.

U.S., Israel discuss Iran in first meeting of strategic group

Senior U.S. and Israel officials focused on concerns about Iran during the first virtual meeting of a bilateral strategic group on Thursday, the White House said, an issue on which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has differences with the new Biden administration.

Evangelist Luis Palau Dies At 86

Luis Palau, the international evangelist who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to more than 1 billion people through media and evangelistic events, has died, his family confirmed. The 86-year-old preacher, a close friend of the late evangelist Billy Graham, passed away after a decision to stop all treatment for his incurable lung cancer.

Rivlin, IDF chief to visit 3 European countries to discuss Iran threat

President Reuven Rivlin will travel to Germany, France, and Austria next week to speak to their presidents about the growing threat from Iran’s nuclear program and the International Criminal Court’s decision to open a probe into alleged war crimes by Israel and Palestinian terror groups.

ECB to signal faster money printing to combat yield rise

The European Central Bank is likely to signal faster money printing on Thursday to keep a lid on borrowing costs but it will stop short of adding firepower to its already aggressive pandemic-fighting package.

Mexico’s Congress approves landmark cannabis bill

Mexico’s lower house of Congress on Wednesday approved a bill that would decriminalize cannabis for recreational, medical and scientific uses, bringing it a step closer to creating one of the world’s largest markets for the plant.

Worthy Christian News