Supreme Court begins new term with abortion, guns and religion topping agenda
The Supreme Court on Monday begins a new term and returns with abortion, guns and religion on the agenda.
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Kabul faces blackout as Taliban fails to pay the bills
Afghanistan’s capital could be plunged into darkness as the winter sets in because the country’s new Taliban rulers haven’t paid Central Asian electricity suppliers or resumed collecting money from consumers.
Oil Spill Devastates Wildlife Off Coast Of California
A breach in an oil pipeline in Southern California on Saturday resulted in thousands of gallons of oil spilling into the Pacific Ocean, ravaging a nearby wildlife habitat.
Top Israeli Doctor Says Ivermectin Could Help Treat COVID, Urges More Research
Professor Eli Schwartz is with the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, considered one of the world’s top hospitals. For decades, Prof. Schwartz has traveled the world fighting outbreaks like Dengue Fever and Ebola. He also began the Travel Medicine and Tropical Disease Institute at Sheba. At the beginning of the pandemic and months before any vaccine, Israel’s Defense Ministry assigned Schwartz to find a medical solution for COVID-19.
India: Evangelist in Himachal Pradesh state arrested for distributing Bibles
A pentecostal evangelist in India’s Himachal Pradesh state was arrested Tuesday for distributing Bibles and Gospel pamphlets, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. India ranks 10 on the US Open Doors Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted: the persecution of believers has intensified since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.
Nigeria: Pastor hacked to death for leading Muslims to Christ
The Rev. Yohanna Shuaibu of New Life Church in Nigeria’s Kano state was hacked to death last month by an Islamist mob apparently angered that the pastor had led many Muslims to Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
India: Mob of 100 Hindus attack church in Chhattisgarh
A mob of around 100 Hindu nationalists invaded a church in India’s Chhattisgarh state on Sunday, August 29, beating up congregants, destroying property, and setting up and worshipping Hindu idols in the sanctuary, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) reports. Christian leaders in Chhattisgarh have denounced the continuing inaction of authorities to deal with the ongoing harassment and attacks against believers in the state by Hindu nationalists.
India: Christian youth dies after acid attack by suspected Hindu nationalists
A 16-year-old Christian youth has died after being burned in an acid attack by suspected Hindu nationalists in India’s Bihar state, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Nitish Kumar died on September 26, forty-six days after unknown criminals on a motorbike poured acid on him from behind; no one has been arrested.
US Facing Massive Shortages Linked To COVID Restrictions
Americans face massive shortages of consumer goods ranging from cars to shoes ahead of Christmas as the global supply chain almost collapses due to restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials warned late Sunday.
U.S. Condemns China’s Mass Incursions Into Taiwan’s Defense Zone
The United States has expressed concern about the unprecedented appearance of Chinese military aircraft in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The self-governing island said a total of 39 Chinese military aircraft entered the ADIZ, airspace dedicated to responding to hostile aircraft. That was one more than the 38 planes the Taiwanese military spotted on Friday.
Federal workers given until Nov. 9 to get COVID vaccines or face consequences
The Office of Personnel Management is giving federal workers until Nov. 9 to comply with President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate or face consequences that could include firing.
Florida bill would designate religious services as ‘essential’ during an emergency
If a grocery store is an “essential” exempt from stay-at-home orders during an emergency, then religious services also warrant that designation, say sponsors of a pre-filed 2022 Florida bill.
Bennett: ‘Violence in Arab society has reached the red line’
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that “violence in Arab society has reached the red line” during a meeting on Sunday in Jerusalem of the ministerial committee set up to counter crime in the country’s Arab communities.
La Palma volcano: Third fissure erupts after eight new earthquakes
An erupting volcano in the Canary Islands has blown open a third fissure – sending a fresh river of lava down the mountainside.
Azerbaijan, Turkey to hold military exercise near Iran border
Azerbaijan and Turkey will hold a military exercise in Azerbaijan near the border with Iran from Tuesday to Friday, amid heightening tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
Iran FM demands US unfreeze $10 billion in order to restart nuclear talks
Iran said it has told the United States that it will only consider returning to nuclear talks if the State Department releases $10 billion of Tehran’s frozen funds as a sign of goodwill, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Saturday.
DoD: 53,000 Afghan Evacuees Living on 8 Military Bases in the U.S.; 14,000 More Expected Soon
Around 53,000 Afghan evacuees are currently living on eight military bases in the United States as part of the Biden Administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, General Glen VanHerck, the Commander of US Northern Command, told a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.
Nearly 2 million Israelis lose Green Pass as new rules enter effect
The new Green Pass rules took effect on Sunday, with nearly 2 million Israelis losing their passes under the updated immunity guidelines, due to not being vaccinated with a COVID-19 booster shot.
Powerful cyclone deluges Oman, Iran; at least 9 dead
At least nine people were killed in Oman and Iran on Sunday, as Tropical Cyclone Shaheen pummeled parts of their coastlines, authorities said.
Bombshell international investigation opens ‘Pandora’ box of financial secrets
Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders, and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts, and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 different firms located around the world.