Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries
Prophecy News Watch is a service hosted by Worthy Ministries to provide Christians daily news from a Biblical, and yet Prophetic worldview. Our news is gathered by our Christian News Service, Worthy News. For more about our vision for how we assemble our daily headlines, please read, "What is Worthy News?"
Around the World
Putin’s War Backfiring as NATO Now Set to Expand with New Additions Like Finland, Sweden
Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine is backfiring, big time. By invading Ukraine, Putin intended to keep NATO from expanding along Russia's border. Instead, the opposite is unfolding. Today, Finland announced that it wants to join NATO, and Sweden is expected to follow.
Iran raises prices of food staples, stirring panic and anger
Iran abruptly raised prices as much as 300% for a variety of staples such as cooking oil, chicken, eggs and milk on Thursday. Scores of alarmed Iranians waited in long lines to snatch up bundles of food and emptied supermarket shelves across the country in the hours before the price hike took effect.
IAEA head says Iran won’t disclose nuclear activity at undeclared sites
Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said Iran was not cooperating fully regarding uranium particles found at older, undeclared sites.
G7 Gathers For Three Days Dominated By Talk Of Ukraine War
Foreign ministers and representatives from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations (G7) gathered on Germany's Baltic coast on May 12 for a three-day meeting dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its wider impact, including on food and energy supplies.
Astronomers capture 1st image of Milky Way’s huge black hole
The world got a look Thursday at the first wild but fuzzy image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.
Sri Lanka Has New Leader As Violence Spreads
Bankrupt Sri Lanka appointed a new prime minister hoping to quell worsening civil unrest in which at least nine people died this week, and more than 300 were injured.
North Korea In Lockdown Over COVID-19
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has imposed a national lockdown, with state media saying his nation faces the "biggest emergency incident" after confirming its first COVID-19 outbreak.
Wives Ukraine Soldiers Ask Pope To Save Their Husbands’ Lives
The wives of two Ukrainian fighters still holed up in the steel plant of Ukraine’s bombed-out city of Mariupol's begged Pope Francis to save their lives.
‘British Boy May Be Forced To Die’
The Christian Legal Centre (CLC) says it helps the family of a twelve-year-old British boy in a critical condition amid concerns he may be forced to die.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF’s ‘Chariots of Fire’ drill finishes its first week
The IDF completed the first week of the "Chariots of Fire" exercise on Thursday, as soldiers dealt with a number of challenges and erupting events on a number of fronts at once.
Israel Slams Palestinian Authority for Rejecting Joint Probe Into Reporter’s Death
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday said the Palestinian Authority is “preventing any possibility of a joint investigation” to determine whether Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian or Israeli gunfire, and withholding “access to the basic findings that would be necessary in order to reach the truth.”
Israel company charges electric vehicle battery in less than 10 minutes
StoreDot, an Israeli company which develops extreme fast-charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, on Wednesday demonstrated its technology can now charge a full-scale electric vehicle battery cell in less than 10 minutes, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Inside the United States
Biden Admin Cancels Sale of Gulf of Mexico, Alaska Oil and Gas Leases as Gas Prices Soar to All-Time Highs
The Biden administration has now canceled one of the most high-profile oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska, removing millions of acres from possible drilling as U.S. gas prices reach record highs.
Fusion GPS must hand over docs to Durham, but he can’t use them at trial
The judge in the case against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann ruled that John Durham’s team may review two dozen emails improperly withheld following Clinton campaign claims of attorney-client privilege — but the special counsel cannot use the records at next week’s trial.
Biden Marks ‘1 Million COVID Deaths’
U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday there are “one million empty chairs” as he marked the 1 million recorded American deaths in the coronavirus outbreak.
CDC: Firearm homicide rate soared by nearly 35% between 2019 – 2020
Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the US firearm homicide rate increased by a massive 34.6% from 2019 to 2020, reaching its highest level since 1994, a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday has shown.
Republicans move to defund Democrats’ Board of Disinformation
House Republicans have introduced legislation that would ban federal funding for the Democrats’ Disinformation Governance Board, saying the board is an “un-American abuse of power” that will violate First Amendment rights to free speech, Just the News (JN) reports.
The Satanic Temple says it will help women get abortions if Roe v Wade is overturned
Following the leaked draft US Supreme Court's opinion in favor of overturning Roe v Wade and revoking federally legalized abortion, The Satanic Temple (TST) announced it is taking steps that will help women to undergo the “Satanic Abortion Ritual,” Church Leaders reports.
Christian News
Myanmar Army In Christian Village; Thousands Flee
Thousands of refugees faced another tense day Thursday after reportedly being forced to flee their Christian village in northwestern Myanmar as the army attacked it.
Iran Jails Pastor 10 Years For House Church
An Iranian pastor has been sentenced to ten years in prison for running an “illegal” house church in Tehran, the capital, Worthy News learned Thursday.
Former Christian Hostages Graduate In US
A Christian charity hopes that the graduation of two young women who were among hundreds of Christian schoolgirls kidnapped in northeast Nigeria will encourage persecuted Christians.
Church of England apologizes for antisemitic laws from 800 years ago
The Church of England is apologizing for its bad behavior – 800 years ago.
Worthy Watch
DOJ Accused of ordering FBI Investigation into Parents
Australia: Police Officer Investigated for Claiming There are Only Two Genders
Putin’s War Backfiring as NATO Now Set to Expand with New Additions Like Finland, Sweden
Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine is backfiring, big time. By invading Ukraine, Putin intended to keep NATO from expanding along Russia's border. Instead, the opposite is unfolding. Today, Finland announced that it wants to join NATO, and Sweden is expected to follow.
Iran raises prices of food staples, stirring panic and anger
Iran abruptly raised prices as much as 300% for a variety of staples such as cooking oil, chicken, eggs and milk on Thursday. Scores of alarmed Iranians waited in long lines to snatch up bundles of food and emptied supermarket shelves across the country in the hours before the price hike took effect.
IAEA head says Iran won’t disclose nuclear activity at undeclared sites
Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said Iran was not cooperating fully regarding uranium particles found at older, undeclared sites.
G7 Gathers For Three Days Dominated By Talk Of Ukraine War
Foreign ministers and representatives from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations (G7) gathered on Germany's Baltic coast on May 12 for a three-day meeting dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its wider impact, including on food and energy supplies.
Astronomers capture 1st image of Milky Way’s huge black hole
The world got a look Thursday at the first wild but fuzzy image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy.
Sri Lanka Has New Leader As Violence Spreads
Bankrupt Sri Lanka appointed a new prime minister hoping to quell worsening civil unrest in which at least nine people died this week, and more than 300 were injured.
North Korea In Lockdown Over COVID-19
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has imposed a national lockdown, with state media saying his nation faces the "biggest emergency incident" after confirming its first COVID-19 outbreak.
Wives Ukraine Soldiers Ask Pope To Save Their Husbands’ Lives
The wives of two Ukrainian fighters still holed up in the steel plant of Ukraine’s bombed-out city of Mariupol's begged Pope Francis to save their lives.
‘British Boy May Be Forced To Die’
The Christian Legal Centre (CLC) says it helps the family of a twelve-year-old British boy in a critical condition amid concerns he may be forced to die.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF’s ‘Chariots of Fire’ drill finishes its first week
The IDF completed the first week of the "Chariots of Fire" exercise on Thursday, as soldiers dealt with a number of challenges and erupting events on a number of fronts at once.
Israel Slams Palestinian Authority for Rejecting Joint Probe Into Reporter’s Death
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday said the Palestinian Authority is “preventing any possibility of a joint investigation” to determine whether Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian or Israeli gunfire, and withholding “access to the basic findings that would be necessary in order to reach the truth.”
Israel company charges electric vehicle battery in less than 10 minutes
StoreDot, an Israeli company which develops extreme fast-charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, on Wednesday demonstrated its technology can now charge a full-scale electric vehicle battery cell in less than 10 minutes, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Inside the United States
Biden Admin Cancels Sale of Gulf of Mexico, Alaska Oil and Gas Leases as Gas Prices Soar to All-Time Highs
The Biden administration has now canceled one of the most high-profile oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska, removing millions of acres from possible drilling as U.S. gas prices reach record highs.
Fusion GPS must hand over docs to Durham, but he can’t use them at trial
The judge in the case against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann ruled that John Durham’s team may review two dozen emails improperly withheld following Clinton campaign claims of attorney-client privilege — but the special counsel cannot use the records at next week’s trial.
Biden Marks ‘1 Million COVID Deaths’
U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday there are “one million empty chairs” as he marked the 1 million recorded American deaths in the coronavirus outbreak.
CDC: Firearm homicide rate soared by nearly 35% between 2019 – 2020
Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the US firearm homicide rate increased by a massive 34.6% from 2019 to 2020, reaching its highest level since 1994, a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday has shown.
Republicans move to defund Democrats’ Board of Disinformation
House Republicans have introduced legislation that would ban federal funding for the Democrats’ Disinformation Governance Board, saying the board is an “un-American abuse of power” that will violate First Amendment rights to free speech, Just the News (JN) reports.
The Satanic Temple says it will help women get abortions if Roe v Wade is overturned
Following the leaked draft US Supreme Court's opinion in favor of overturning Roe v Wade and revoking federally legalized abortion, The Satanic Temple (TST) announced it is taking steps that will help women to undergo the “Satanic Abortion Ritual,” Church Leaders reports.
Christian News
Myanmar Army In Christian Village; Thousands Flee
Thousands of refugees faced another tense day Thursday after reportedly being forced to flee their Christian village in northwestern Myanmar as the army attacked it.
Iran Jails Pastor 10 Years For House Church
An Iranian pastor has been sentenced to ten years in prison for running an “illegal” house church in Tehran, the capital, Worthy News learned Thursday.
Former Christian Hostages Graduate In US
A Christian charity hopes that the graduation of two young women who were among hundreds of Christian schoolgirls kidnapped in northeast Nigeria will encourage persecuted Christians.
Church of England apologizes for antisemitic laws from 800 years ago
The Church of England is apologizing for its bad behavior – 800 years ago.
Worthy Watch
DOJ Accused of ordering FBI Investigation into Parents
Australia: Police Officer Investigated for Claiming There are Only Two Genders
Around the World
Britain Offers Sweden, Finland Military Support
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed security declarations with Sweden and Finland after Russia warned the Nordic nations not to join the NATO military alliance.
DIA: Intel suggests COVID virus was lab-engineered
Army Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed in prepared Senate testimony this week that some U.S. intelligence agencies — not identified by name — believe the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic may have been genetically modified in a laboratory and not transmitted naturally from an animal host in China, where it was first identified.
U.S. Warns Ukraine War Will Last Long
United States intelligence officials warned Wednesday that Russia was preparing for a long war in Ukraine and that a victory in the eastern Donbas region may not mean the battle is over.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Knesset reopens with government teetering, opposition seeking to bring it down
The Knesset reopens on Monday for the summer session with the government fighting for survival after losing its majority during the recess and the opposition vowing to bring it down.
Israel: Arab Ra’am party to stay in governing coalition
Israel’s Likud party led by former PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday withdrew a bill to dissolve the Knesset after Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas said his Islamist independent Arab party will remain in the governing coalition, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Inside the United States
Senate Democrats fail in effort to codify Supreme Court Roe decision into law
Senate Democrats’ effort to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law failed Wednesday.
Federal Judge Forces Biden Admin To Follow Trump-Era Border Policy For Even Longer
A federal judge granted an extension Wednesday of the temporary order forcing the Biden administration to continue implementing Title 42, the Trump-era public health order used to quickly expel certain migrants.
House Republicans Demand Answers From CDC Over Reports It Tracked Location Data From Millions Of Americans During COVID-19 Pandemic
Republican Georgia Rep. Jody Hice sent a letter Tuesday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demanding answers over reports the government agency tracked the location data from millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaked SCOTUS opinion on reversing Roe v. Wade renews House Democrats push to ‘pack’ court
Support for Democrat-led Capitol Hill measure to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court has regained some momentum following the leak last week of Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion that suggests the court will reverse the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion.
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday.
Inflation surges higher-than-expected 8.3% in April, near 40-year record
Inflation surged a higher-than-expected 8.3% in April, staying near its steepest level in decades as the Federal Reserve scrambles to cool the economy with a series of rate hikes that have rattled investors.
Christian News
Uganda: Muslim extremists kill two Christians in church fire
Two Christians were killed in southern Uganda last Thursday after Muslim extremists set fire to the church building they were praying in, Morning Star News reports.
Nigeria: Islamic State terrorists murder Christians in Borno state, “Where is the outcry?”
The slaughter of Christians by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria continues unabated and, on May 3, eight Christians in Borno state were killed by Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) militants, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Britain Offers Sweden, Finland Military Support
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed security declarations with Sweden and Finland after Russia warned the Nordic nations not to join the NATO military alliance.
DIA: Intel suggests COVID virus was lab-engineered
Army Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed in prepared Senate testimony this week that some U.S. intelligence agencies — not identified by name — believe the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic may have been genetically modified in a laboratory and not transmitted naturally from an animal host in China, where it was first identified.
U.S. Warns Ukraine War Will Last Long
United States intelligence officials warned Wednesday that Russia was preparing for a long war in Ukraine and that a victory in the eastern Donbas region may not mean the battle is over.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Knesset reopens with government teetering, opposition seeking to bring it down
The Knesset reopens on Monday for the summer session with the government fighting for survival after losing its majority during the recess and the opposition vowing to bring it down.
Israel: Arab Ra’am party to stay in governing coalition
Israel’s Likud party led by former PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday withdrew a bill to dissolve the Knesset after Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas said his Islamist independent Arab party will remain in the governing coalition, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Inside the United States
Senate Democrats fail in effort to codify Supreme Court Roe decision into law
Senate Democrats’ effort to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law failed Wednesday.
Federal Judge Forces Biden Admin To Follow Trump-Era Border Policy For Even Longer
A federal judge granted an extension Wednesday of the temporary order forcing the Biden administration to continue implementing Title 42, the Trump-era public health order used to quickly expel certain migrants.
House Republicans Demand Answers From CDC Over Reports It Tracked Location Data From Millions Of Americans During COVID-19 Pandemic
Republican Georgia Rep. Jody Hice sent a letter Tuesday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demanding answers over reports the government agency tracked the location data from millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaked SCOTUS opinion on reversing Roe v. Wade renews House Democrats push to ‘pack’ court
Support for Democrat-led Capitol Hill measure to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court has regained some momentum following the leak last week of Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion that suggests the court will reverse the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion.
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday.
Inflation surges higher-than-expected 8.3% in April, near 40-year record
Inflation surged a higher-than-expected 8.3% in April, staying near its steepest level in decades as the Federal Reserve scrambles to cool the economy with a series of rate hikes that have rattled investors.
Christian News
Uganda: Muslim extremists kill two Christians in church fire
Two Christians were killed in southern Uganda last Thursday after Muslim extremists set fire to the church building they were praying in, Morning Star News reports.
Nigeria: Islamic State terrorists murder Christians in Borno state, “Where is the outcry?”
The slaughter of Christians by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria continues unabated and, on May 3, eight Christians in Borno state were killed by Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) militants, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Around the World
China surrounds Taiwan for massive invasion ‘rehearsal’ drills
The Chinese military deployed forces all around the island of Taiwan over the weekend in a set of large-scale military drills that one Chinese military analyst called a “rehearsal of possible real action.”
WHO Pushes Global Pandemic Treaty (Worthy News In-Depth)
The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a global pact that critics fear will give it absolute power over global biosecurity.
UN nuclear agency ‘extremely concerned’ by Iranian silence on undeclared sites
The UN atomic energy watchdog chief said Tuesday that he was “extremely concerned” about Iran’s lack of cooperation as the EU seeks to unblock talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Knesset Committee Greenlights Police Usage of Facial Recognition Software
The Knesset Law committee approved a bill entitled “Law to correct the police authority” designed to enable facial recognition cameras against civilians and “identifying vehicles on the streets,” reports Tech12.
Survey Shows 75% of Israeli Arabs Believe Jews Have No Rights on the Land of Israel
The Israel Defense and Security Forum (ISDF) / HaBithonistim, an Israeli movement established in 2020 by retired senior members of the defense establishment (IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and Israel Police), on Monday released the results of a survey they conducted on the anniversary of the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls, showing, among other things, that only 25% of Israeli Arabs believe that the Jewish people have a right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel, and a considerable majority – about 75% – believe that the Jewish people do not have such a right.
Poll: In new elections, coalition parties would sink to just 53 seats
A television poll has found that if elections were to be held today, parties currently in the government coalition would drop by several seats into a minority in the Knesset, but the opposition bloc of parties led by Likud would also fall short of a majority.
Energean makes commercial gas discovery off Israeli coast
Greek oil and gas firm Energean announced on Monday a commercial gas discovery at its Athena exploration well in Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Inside the United States
UFO debate: House panel to hold public hearing on ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’
A House subcommittee will hold a public hearing next week on unidentified aerial vehicles, also known as unidentified flying objects (UFO) — a first in over 50 years.
Missouri senate passes bill requiring voters to show photo ID
Missouri’s Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at polling stations, the Associated Press reports. Democrats added two weeks of no-excuse absentee ballot voting to the GOP Bill.
White House Condemns Pro-Abortion Attacks Against Christians, Justices
The White House has belatedly condemned attacks and threats by pro-abortion activists against U.S. churches, Christian groups, and justices.
Christian News
Nigeria: Two children among eight Christians murdered by Islamic militants
Two children were among eight Christians murdered by Fulani Muslim herdsmen in Nigeria’s Plateau state on Thursday, May 5, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Sudan: Christian couple face 100 lashes following husband’s conversion
A Sharia court of law in Sudan may punish a formerly Muslim married couple with 100 lashes for “adultery” following the husband’s conversion to Christianity, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Algeria: Court reduces fine but retains suspended prison sentence for 11 Christians
A court of appeals in Algeria has reduced a fine given to a group of 11 Christians convicted of “unauthorized non-Muslim worship,” but it retained a suspended prison sentence that was also given, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Concerned that Muslim citizens should not be diverted from their faith, Algeria passed a law in 2006 designed to repress non-Muslim worship.
China surrounds Taiwan for massive invasion ‘rehearsal’ drills
The Chinese military deployed forces all around the island of Taiwan over the weekend in a set of large-scale military drills that one Chinese military analyst called a “rehearsal of possible real action.”
WHO Pushes Global Pandemic Treaty (Worthy News In-Depth)
The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a global pact that critics fear will give it absolute power over global biosecurity.
UN nuclear agency ‘extremely concerned’ by Iranian silence on undeclared sites
The UN atomic energy watchdog chief said Tuesday that he was “extremely concerned” about Iran’s lack of cooperation as the EU seeks to unblock talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Knesset Committee Greenlights Police Usage of Facial Recognition Software
The Knesset Law committee approved a bill entitled “Law to correct the police authority” designed to enable facial recognition cameras against civilians and “identifying vehicles on the streets,” reports Tech12.
Survey Shows 75% of Israeli Arabs Believe Jews Have No Rights on the Land of Israel
The Israel Defense and Security Forum (ISDF) / HaBithonistim, an Israeli movement established in 2020 by retired senior members of the defense establishment (IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and Israel Police), on Monday released the results of a survey they conducted on the anniversary of the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls, showing, among other things, that only 25% of Israeli Arabs believe that the Jewish people have a right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel, and a considerable majority – about 75% – believe that the Jewish people do not have such a right.
Poll: In new elections, coalition parties would sink to just 53 seats
A television poll has found that if elections were to be held today, parties currently in the government coalition would drop by several seats into a minority in the Knesset, but the opposition bloc of parties led by Likud would also fall short of a majority.
Energean makes commercial gas discovery off Israeli coast
Greek oil and gas firm Energean announced on Monday a commercial gas discovery at its Athena exploration well in Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Inside the United States
UFO debate: House panel to hold public hearing on ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’
A House subcommittee will hold a public hearing next week on unidentified aerial vehicles, also known as unidentified flying objects (UFO) — a first in over 50 years.
Missouri senate passes bill requiring voters to show photo ID
Missouri’s Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at polling stations, the Associated Press reports. Democrats added two weeks of no-excuse absentee ballot voting to the GOP Bill.
White House Condemns Pro-Abortion Attacks Against Christians, Justices
The White House has belatedly condemned attacks and threats by pro-abortion activists against U.S. churches, Christian groups, and justices.
Christian News
Nigeria: Two children among eight Christians murdered by Islamic militants
Two children were among eight Christians murdered by Fulani Muslim herdsmen in Nigeria’s Plateau state on Thursday, May 5, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Sudan: Christian couple face 100 lashes following husband’s conversion
A Sharia court of law in Sudan may punish a formerly Muslim married couple with 100 lashes for “adultery” following the husband’s conversion to Christianity, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Algeria: Court reduces fine but retains suspended prison sentence for 11 Christians
A court of appeals in Algeria has reduced a fine given to a group of 11 Christians convicted of “unauthorized non-Muslim worship,” but it retained a suspended prison sentence that was also given, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Concerned that Muslim citizens should not be diverted from their faith, Algeria passed a law in 2006 designed to repress non-Muslim worship.