3+ mon, 6+ day ago (454+ words) By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) " U.S. President Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia if relentless drone and missile strikes against Ukraine continue, as the war increasingly impacts neighboring countries, Hungary and Slovakia. Trump expressed frustration that a week after his high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the conflict had only escalated. Numerous people were killed and injured in the latest Russian attacks, including at an American-owned plant near Ukraine's border with Hungary. "I'm going to make a decision as to what we do and it's going to be, it's going to be a very important decision, and that's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it's your fight," Trump said Friday. The president confirmed he was "unhappy…...

3+ mon, 2+ day ago (437+ words) by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff LONDON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) " Britain, France, and Germany moved Thursday to reimpose sweeping international sanctions on Iran, a step that European governments hope will pressure Tehran back into nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. The three European powers, known as the "E3," stated that they triggered the sanctions "snapback" due to Iran's "clear and deliberate" violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The U.S. abandoned the deal in 2018, but the E3, along with Iran, Russia, and China, remained parties to it. The move begins a 30-day countdown after which Iran will again face United Nations-backed restrictions on banking, trade, weapons sales, and nuclear activities " sanctions that devastated its economy before the deal was struck. Diplomats acknowledged that if implemented, the measures would deal a final death blow…...

3+ mon, 2+ day ago (453+ words) by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) " U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the Pentagon has opened a sweeping investigation into Microsoft following revelations that Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked engineers worked on U.S. military cloud contracts under a controversial program dating back to the Obama-Biden administration. The program, known as "Digital Escorts," allowed U.S. citizens with security clearances but limited technical expertise to act as intermediaries while China-based engineers executed sensitive work on Pentagon systems. Though marketed as compliant, the workaround effectively granted foreign nationals indirect access to highly classified defense infrastructure. "The use of Chinese nationals to service Department of Defense cloud environments " it's over," Hegseth declared. The Pentagon has issued Microsoft a formal "matter of concern" notice and is requiring a third-party audit of all code written under the program. Investigators will review…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (442+ words) By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) " An air raid siren sounded in Kyiv during NATO military alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte's unannounced visit, ironically while he discussed future security guarantees for wartorn Ukraine amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks. Speaking alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rutte stressed that Ukraine needs robust protection if peace is to take hold. "We do not want a repeat of the Budapest Memorandum or the Minsk Agreement," he said. In exchange for giving up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal inherited after the Soviet collapse, Ukraine received assurances of its independence, sovereignty, and existing borders under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Russia later violated those commitments by seizing Crimea in 2014 and invading Ukraine in 2022. The Minsk Agreement, brokered by France and Germany between Ukraine, Russia, and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, froze an…...

3+ mon, 4+ day ago (445+ words) by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff TEL AVIV (Worthy News) " Thousands of protesters flooded streets and highways across Israel on Tuesday in a nationwide day of action demanding the government reach an agreement for the release of the roughly 50 hostages still held in Gaza. The demonstrations, organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, began at 6:29 a.m., the exact time Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, assault. Protesters unfurled Israeli flags outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv before moving to block major roads and junctions. Highways, including Tel Aviv's Ayalon Freeway, Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and the Coastal Highway (Route 2), were shut down for several hours as demonstrators set tires alight and held signs reading "We'll stop when everyone returns." Police eventually reopened all routes, stressing that while freedom of protest is protected, blocking roads and…...

2+ mon, 4+ week ago (440+ words) by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) " Ukraine says it plans new strikes deep into Russia after relentless drone and missile attacks killed and injured dozens of civilians in Kyiv and other regions over the past week. The announcement came Sunday as Ukrainians mourned their dead. Priests in Kyiv prayed near the site of recent Russian bombardments that left more than 20 victims, including children, dead and injured. In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed Sunday his military would "continue active operations in exactly the way needed for Ukraine's defence." He confirmed new deep strikes are planned inside Russia, following weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. HUNGARY AND SLOVAKIA ALARMED The plans have raised concerns in neighboring Hungary and Slovakia, which are heavily dependent on Russian oil. Both countries lost supplies for a week after…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (455+ words) By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, Worthy News ISLAMABAD/ROME/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) " Europe's church leaders have warned of a "world in crisis" as wildfires, floods, melting glaciers, and deadly heatwaves devastate communities across Europe and Asia. Their concern comes ahead of the 2025 Season of Creation, the annual period of prayer for the environment running from September 1 to October 4. In a joint statement, the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) recalled the prophet Isaiah's vision of a "garden of peace," linking it to this year's theme: "Peace with Creation." They urged Christians to live more soberly, respect creation, and reject exploiting natural resources and people. The appeal comes as officials say climate-linked disasters intensify across Europe and Asia. In Spain and Portugal, record wildfires have burned more than 560,000 hectares, leaving at least six…...

3+ mon, 4+ day ago (442+ words) by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff (Worthy News) " Russia is circulating a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council aimed at extending the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) for six months, delaying any action on snapback sanctions until April 18, 2026. The move comes as the accord is set to expire on October 18, with negotiations underway in Geneva between Iran and the so-called E3Britain, France, and Germany. The Russian draft would not only extend the pact but also suspend "any substantive consideration" of compliance issues during that time, effectively shielding Tehran from immediate international pressure. Moscow, which assumes the rotating Security Council presidency in September, could leverage the role to protect Iran from punitive measures. Western officials worry that the resolution is designed to buy Tehran more time while avoiding tough accountability measures. Both London and Paris have…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (251+ words) BUDAPEST (Worthy News) " Barnabas Aid, a major Christian charity, says it will host a worldwide prayer event for millions of Christians facing persecution for their faith. "On Sunday, November 2, starting at midnight [Coordinated Universal Time " UTC], Barnabas Aid will host a 24-hour live online prayer event. You'll journey through the world in prayer as our regional offices lead sessions from Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas," the group told Worthy News. Barnabas Aid, which supports Christians especially in Muslim- and Communist-run nations, called the initiative an "opportunity for believers to unite in prayer with Christians worldwide." Participants will hear "live updates from the field" to "stand in solidarity with our persecuted family" as "together, we will lift our voices as one," the organization added. PRAYERS FOR THE PERSECUTED The event coincides with the International Day of Prayer for the…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (436+ words) by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff (Worthy News) " A federal appeals court on Monday overturned a ban on student-run drag shows at West Texas A&M University, ruling that the school's president violated students' constitutional rights to free expression. In a 2-1 decision, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said President Walter Wendler acted unconstitutionally when he canceled Spectrum WT's charity drag performances in 2023 and 2024, calling them "derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny." Judge Leslie Southwick, writing for the majority, said the lower court erred in excluding drag from First Amendment protections. "Against this backdrop, the message sent by parading on a theater stage in the attire of the opposite sex would have been unmistakable," wrote Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee. Judge James L. Dennis, appointed by Bill Clinton, joined the opinion. Judge James C. Ho, a Trump appointee, dissented, arguing that…...