A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to explain Russia’s decision to withdraw its military observers from a joint group monitoring the truce in eastern Ukraine.

Putin said the Russian move announced earlier this week had been prompted by “restrictions and provocations” by Ukrainian authorities that made it hard for Russian officers to perform their duties.

Ukraine has criticized Moscow’s decision, saying it could fuel hostilities. [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Now that they’ve helped vanquish the Islamic State from much of Iraq, a battle-hardened militia with close ties to Iran may be training its sights on the remaining U.S.-led coalition troops scattered across the country.

At least that’s the thinking among some in the ranks of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a roughly 100,000-thousand-member force that has fought both with and against Americans in Iraq.

“America should only be here for embassy, any military presence and we will target them,” Saif Ali, a 37-year-old member of the PMF’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba paramilitary — based in the southern Iraq governorate of Basra — told Fox News. “I fought the Americans after 2003, and the British in southern Iraq, and I am happy about that. I don’t hate the American people, only hate the U.S. military, and I have killed many of them.” [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Catalonia’s separatists look set to regain power in the wealthy Spanish region after local elections on Thursday, deepening the nation’s political crisis in a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and European Union leaders who backed him.

With nearly all votes counted, separatist parties won a slim majority in Catalan parliament, a result that promises to prolong political tensions which have damaged Spain’s economy and prompted a business exodus from the region.

Rajoy, who called the elections after sacking the previous secessionist government, had hoped Catalonia’s “silent majority” would deal separatism a decisive blow in what was a de facto independence referendum, but his hard line backfired. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The Assad regime is gearing up to expand the area it controls in southern Syria, near the border with Israel.

The Syrian army and the militias supporting it are likely to start their attack on the rebel forces in the vicinity of the border with Lebanon, by the Syrian Mount Hermon. Later they may try to advance southward, along Israel’s border in the Golan Heights.

Israel has taken a harder line against the Assad regime in recent years. Now it will have to rethink its policy, mainly after hundreds of people from radical Sunni organizations, identified with Al-Qaida and ISIS, reached the area. [ Source: Ha’aretz (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Palestinians resumed violently rioting on Wednesday as they continued to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The declaration infuriated Palestinians and many in the Arab world who view east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

“We call on our Arabic and Muslim nations to surround the Israeli and American embassies in the Arab countries then drive the American and Israeli ambassadors out of the Arab countries,” Hamas official Ismail Radwan said Wednesday. “We are continuing our way of resistance using all kinds of resistance to break this decision.” [ Source: Israel Hayom (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump wants lawmakers to pass two bipartisan bills early next year that would shore up the Affordable Care Act, the White House said on Wednesday.

Trump is eager to see both bills passed in January and will sign them, the White House said.

“We believe that we will work with the House to get those passed,” a senior White House official said. “We think that we will be in a more comfortable place in January to get that passed.” [ Source: Politico (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – For years, a clandestine U.S. intelligence team had tracked a man they knew was high in the leadership of al Qaeda — an operative some believed had a hand in plotting the gruesome 2009 suicide attack in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA officers.

Their pursuit was personal, and by early 2014, according to a source directly involved in the operation, the agency had the target under tight drone surveillance. “We literally had a bead on this guy’s head and just needed authorization from Washington to pull the trigger,” said the source.

Then something unexpected happened. While agents waited for the green light, the al Qaeda operative’s name, as well as information about the CIA’s classified surveillance and plan to kill him in Pakistan, suddenly appeared in the U.S. press. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – Islamic State terrorists are threatening Christmas and New Year’s attacks in major cities across the US and Europe.

The terror group has released a series of chilling posters depicting holiday attacks.

The latest show two armed terrorists with the grammatically incorrect words, “Wait for us on your year parties.” [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – A Christian geologist has claimed that a recent discovery of fossilized tree stumps in Antarctica confirms the Bible’s account of the Great Flood in Genesis.

Dr. Tim Clarey describes the recent discovery of the immaculately preserved stumps in a recent post at the Institute for Creation Research’s (ICR) website:

“A team of scientists led by Erik Gulbranson recently discovered a forest of fossil trees in Antarctica. Gulbranson, a paleoecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, claims this is the “oldest polar forest on record from the southern polar region.”

“The trees were found in Antarctica’s Transantarctic Mountains and include a mix of evergreens, deciduous trees, and gingkoes,” Cleary wrote. “This discovery should be no surprise to those who take Genesis as literal history.” [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy News) – The state of California attempted to shut down a baker after its Christian owner refused to make cakes for same-sex weddings, saying it went against her religious beliefs.

California’s Dept. of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a surprise motion for a temporary restraining order—giving the owner of Tastries Baker, Cathy Miller less than 12 hours to prepare.

“This un-professionalism is just another example of the LGBT activists and their government allies’ crusade to crush Cathy because of her Christian beliefs,” said Charles LiMandri, president and chief counsel for the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund (FCDF). [ Source: CBN News (Read More…) ]