A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – A US missionary kidnapped in Niger in October 2016 is alive, according to the West African nation’s president.

Jeff Woodke, who worked for Jeunesse en Mission Entraide et Developpement (JEMED), a branch of the US-based Youth With a Mission, was abducted by unknown assailants late in the evening of Friday 14 October, 2016, from the town of Abalak in northern Niger.

For 20 months, there has been no news of Woodke, but on Monday, 4 June, President Mahamadou Issoufou told TV channel France24 that both he and a German aid worker kidnapped in April this year are alive. [ Source: World Watch Monitor (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Kim Hak Song, an American pastor released last month from North Korea after spending a year in prison, recently spoke about his detention under one of the most brutal regimes on the planet and explained how he was able to share God’s Word despite the circumstances.

Kim, who was arrested in 2017 while he was teaching rice growing at a private university in Pyongyang founded by evangelical Christians, shared his experiences after a service at the Oriental Mission Church in East Hollywood, his home congregation.

Religion News Service reports that Kim spoke through a translator to offer his “first extended public comments” since being welcomed back to the United States by President Donald Trump, along with fellow imprisoned Americans Tony Kim and Kim Dong Chul. [ Source: Christian Today (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Canada’s Senate on Thursday voted to legalize recreational marijuana, clearing a major hurdle that puts the country on track to become the first Group of Seven nation to permit national use of the drug.

The upper chamber Senate voted 56-30 in favor of the legislation but included amendments that the House of Commons will need to decide on before the law can be passed.

While there is not yet a definite date for when marijuana will be available for sale, the Senate was one of the last significant obstacles standing in the way of legalization as a number of Conservative senators oppose the bill. [ Source: Reuters (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – More than 45,000 people in the U.S. killed themselves in 2016, with the rate increasing in almost every state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Suicide rates have risen 30 percent in roughly two decades, and it has become the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. More than half of people who die by suicide did not have a diagnosis for a mental health disorder. Life troubles, such as losing a job, abusing drugs or alcohol, or having physical health problems, contributed to the risk of suicide.

Suicide was highest among white men in middle age. Rates of suicide increased in every state except Nevada, whose rate fell by 1 percent. Rates were highest in Montana. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The number of electric, gas and water utilities cutting customer charges due to the recently passed Republican tax cuts has passed 100, and the total savings is about $3 billion.

According to Americans for Tax Reform, the number has reached 101 with most utilities either cutting bills or not passing on the costs of expanding their operations.

“When Democrats threaten to raise taxes if they get back into power they are threatening to raise your utility bill — month after month,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The House late Thursday passed President Trump’s proposal to rescind $15 billion in previously appropriated funding by the government that was never spent.

Lawmakers approved the bill in a narrow 210-206 vote, which was close because 17 Republicans voted against it.

The vote is meant to put conservatives at ease about the huge two-year spending deal lawmakers reached this year, which will increase spending by about $300 billion over that period of time. But the vote almost didn’t happen. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – President Trump engaged in some long-distance trash talking with the leaders of France and Canada over trade Thursday night as he prepares to meet them face-to-face Friday at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec.

“Please tell Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau [of Canada] and President [Emmanuel] Macron [of France] that they are charging the U.S. massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “The EU trade surplus with the U.S. is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow.”

He also said Mr. Trudeau “is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the U.S. and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things…but he doesn’t bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy — hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!” [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Chancellor Angela Merkel made a forceful pitch for Europe to play a more assertive role in global affairs as U.S. President Donald Trump dismantles the post-World War II order, setting the stage for a potential tense standoff at the Group of Seven summit this week.

The German leader again questioned the durability of trans-Atlantic relations by referring to eye-raising comments she made over a year ago in which she said that “the times when we could fully rely on others are to some extent over.” Those words, spoken at a beer-tent election rally, were a reaction to Trump hectoring European leaders for not spending enough on defense at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels. Since then, more fuel has been added to the fire.

“That was my takeaway from the NATO summit, and in the meantime I continue to feel confirmed by my statement,” Merkel said in Munich on Wednesday, this time to a meeting of the European People’s Party, a grouping of center-right parties in the European Parliament. [ Source: Bloomberg (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Much of Tel Aviv will shut down on Friday as hundreds of thousands of Israelis are expected to flock to the streets to celebrate the city’s 20th annual Gay Pride Parade.

The parade is the region’s biggest gay pride event, showcasing Israel’s place as a rare beacon for LGBT rights in the Middle East.

The parade, expected to draw at least as many people as the 200,000 who attended last year’s event, is scheduled to take place from noon to 7 p.m. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The Israeli military is preparing for massive riots along the Gaza security fence on Friday afternoon, potentially on par with violent clashes that took place on May 14, in which tens of thousands of people participated and some 60 Palestinians were killed, a senior army officer said Thursday.

The military had initially anticipated that large protests would be held along the border on Tuesday to coincide with the anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War, which Palestinians refer to as the naksa, or setback.

Instead, Hamas directed Gazans to riot on Friday, the last Friday of Ramadan, which Iran also designates as Quds Day in support for the Palestinians. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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