U.S. trade deficit soars to record high
As cargo ships clogged U.S. ports, the trade deficit soared to a record high in March. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the trade gap widened by 5.6%.
Worthy News
3rd rocket attack in 3 days targets US forces in Iraq
The Iraqi army said two rockets were fired Tuesday at a base hosting Americans, in the third such attack in three days and as a US government delegation is visiting the country.
Report: Civilian killed, six injured in Israeli airstrike on Syria
An Israeli airstrike set off Syrian air defenses early Wednesday, killing one and injuring six, according to Syrian state-run SANA news.
People aged over 50 in Britain to be offered 3rd COVID vaccine shot in autumn
Everyone aged over 50 in Britain will be offered a third COVID-19 vaccination jab in the autumn in an attempt to eradicate the threat from the infection entirely by Christmas, The Times newspaper reported.
FL Gov. DeSantis Signs Into Law Ban on Vaccine Passports, Arbitrary Lockdowns
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation into law on Monday that prohibits private businesses, schools, and government offices from requiring citizens to show proof of vaccination against COVID, a so-called vaccine passport. In addition, the new law prohibits local governments from arbitrarily imposing lockdowns or closing the schools.
Police closes Temple Mount to Jews indefinitely
Israel Police Tuesday banned Jewish visitors from visiting the Temple Mount until further notice as tensions rise in the Old City of the Israeli capital.
Egypt and Turkey to hold two days of talks in normalization push
Egypt and Turkey will hold two days of political consultations in Cairo on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a push to mend ties between the regional rivals, the two countries said.
Netherlands Remembers War Dead Amid Corona Controversy
The Dutch king laid a wreath Tuesday at a monument to the country’s war dead amid fresh controversy about reduced liberties in the liberal nation.
Malian Woman Gives Birth To Nine Babies
A Malian woman “is doing well” after giving birth to nine babies on Tuesday – two more than doctors had detected inside her crowded womb, officials said.
Tunisia Grants Asylum To Algerian Christian, But Persecution Remains
A Christian man who escaped from Algeria after being jailed and persecuted for “blasphemy” against Islam has received temporary asylum in neighboring Tunisia, Worthy News learned.
Nigeria troops rescue Christian schoolboy abducted by Fulani herdsmen
Government troops in Nigeria’s Plateau state have rescued a boy who was one of four students kidnapped from their Christian mission school by Muslim Fulani herdsmen last month, Morning Star News reports. Kelvin Eze of King’s School was rescued on April 30; the other three students had managed to escape the day before.
US Secretary of State meets with head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has met with Yossi Cohen, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, for talks that centered on Iran, the Associated Press reports.
Christian man tortured by police in Pakistan, held in custody
A Christian man in Pakistan was tortured by police into confessing to a false allegation of blasphemy, and then illegally held in custody for two months before being presented to a judge, Morning Star News reports. Salamat Mansha Masih was arrested, tortured, and detained in Lahore after Muslims heard him reading the Bible in a park on February 13.
China government shuts down Bible Apps and WeChat Christian accounts
As part of its ongoing campaign to suppress Christianity in China, the Chinese communist government has now closed down Bible Apps and Christian WeChat public accounts, International Christian Concern reports.
China Detains Over 100 Christian Worshipers, Including Children
Chinese police have detained more than 100 Christians, including minors, for attending unauthorized worship and Christian education in southeastern China, several sources confirmed.
US Children To Receive COVID Vaccines Despite Side Effects
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is due to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, despite side effects linked to its mRNA technology.
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates and Wife Divorce
Microsoft founder Bill Gates says he and his wife Melinda are splitting up after 27 years of marriage.
Europe Facing Social Turmoil Over COVID-19 Pandemic
Pope Francis prayed for the end of the pandemic amid mounting social turmoil in Europe about COVID-19 restrictions. His prayers in St. Peter’s Basilica and call for “a horizon of hope” came as in Belgium’s capital Brussels police said they detained more than 130 people at an “illegal” party.
Truce After 40 Die In Kyrgyz-Tajik Water Dispute
There was a tense cease-fire on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan after scores of people died in the worst clashes between both nations since they gained independence in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Study: Trauma-Informed Bible Reading Reduces Depression, Anxiety, Anger
A recent ABS-commissioned study by Baylor University researchers found that combining education about mental health best practices with Bible reading can have a significant benefit. In their study, this reduced the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and increased forgiveness, compassion, and sense of purpose.