Around the World
Afghanistan’s Taliban Rulers Appoint Former U.S. Terror Suspect As Defense Minister
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban group has appointed a suspected terrorist who was held at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay prison facility as acting defense minister. The Islamist rulers named ex-detainee Abdul Qayyum Zakir, a mullah or Muslim mosque leader, as a minister, reported the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel citing a Taliban source.
China Warns Of Counterattack Against Those Questioning Coronavirus Origins
China warned Wednesday it would retaliate with "a counterattack" against those questioning whether the coronavirus leaked from its labs after U.S. President Joe Biden indicated he would make public findings of an intelligence investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 1,000 Afghan Christians Flown To Safety Amid Pressure On President Biden
More than 1,000 desperate Christians have been flown from Afghanistan after American radio host Glenn Beck and a group he founded raised millions of dollars to rescue them, organizers said Wednesday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel is accelerating operational plans to take action against Iran – IDF chief Kohavi
Israel’s military is accelerating its operational plans against Iran due to the progress of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi has warned.
Gantz: Iran is two months away from nuclear bomb
Tehran is two months away from nuclear weapons capacity, warned Defense Minister Benny Gantz as he called for the international community to create a new prevention plan that did not involve reviving the 2015 Iran deal.
US Army decides not to buy Israel’s Iron Dome interceptor system
The US Army has decided not to buy Israel’s Iron Dome to counter aerial threats, despite the United States military having successfully carried out a first live-fire test of the missile defense system, according to a report in Defense News.
IDF preparing to strike Iranian nuclear sites as Gantz warns of nuclear capability within months
Israel’s military is working hard to develop plans to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the IDF Chief of Staff revealed on Wednesday, as Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made his way to Washington to discuss the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities with U.S. President Joe Biden.
3 months after Gaza conflict, IDF gearing up for another round of fighting
Three months after Israel and Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip waged a brutal 11-day conflict, the Israeli military is prepared for another round of fighting with the enclave, IDF chief Aviv Kohavi said this week.

Inside the United States
Pentagon orders all U.S. military troops get vaccinated for COVID-19
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday ordered all U.S. service members be vaccinated immediately for COVID-19.
Trump accuses Jan. 6 committee of distracting from Biden’s ‘failures,’ will defend exec privilege
Former President Donald Trump said that the House of Representatives's Jan. 6 committee is just distracting Americans from President Joe Biden's "failures," adding that he will defend his executive privilege.
Biden seeks cyber solutions from tech and business execs at White House summit
President Biden asked executives from major tech companies, banks, and other businesses taking part in a White House summit Wednesday to brainstorm solutions to the onslaught of hacks and cyberattacks damaging the country’s economy.
House Capitol riot committee issues sweeping records requests for communication between Trump and his children, top staffers, and right-wing media personalities
The House select committee probing the January 6 insurrection is escalating its efforts to put together a picture of former President Donald Trump's communications with key allies and right-wing media personalities in the lead up to the Capitol riot.

Christian News
China Businessmen Jailed After Selling Audio Bibles, Christian Symbols Removed
China's communist authorities have jailed four Christian businessmen for selling audio Bibles amid a government crackdown on Christians engaged in "illegal" faith-related activities, trial observers told Worthy News.
Afghan Christian family evacuated safely to Italy
While thousands of Christians now live in grave danger of murder at the hands of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, an Afghan-believing family has managed to escape and arrive safely in Italy, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China persecution: Heavily persecuted house church is raided again, members taken away
The heavily persecuted house church Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in Chengdu, China was raided by government authorities again on August 22, and 28 members were taken away during a worship service, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Iraq Persecution: Christians wary of outsiders arriving their community
Traumatized by the invasion of ISIS in 2014, Christians in Iraq remain nervous of outsiders, International Christian Concern reports. Constituting one of the oldest believing communities in the world, the Christians of Bartella near Mosul are reportedly wary of the influx of new arrivals to their district.
Afghan Christians in grave danger, fleeing to the mountains; solemn call for continual prayer
Following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban on August 15, Afghan Christians began fleeing to the mountains to escape the Islamist rulers, who reportedly have a hit-list of believers to kill and who are going door-to-door taking women and children, Fair Mission (FAI) reported.

Worthy Watch
Horowitz: 15 studies that indicate natural immunity from prior infection is more robust than the COVID vaccines
Worthy Snapshots – August 25, 2021