Hungary Passes Transgender Law
Hungary’s Parliament has approved legislation that bans transgender people from changing the gender they were assigned at birth on official documents.
coronavirus
U.S. Birthrate Hits Record Low
The United States hit a record low birthrate amid broader concerns over the economy, U.S. health authorities revealed Wednesday.
Spain Extends Wearing Of Masks To Curb Virus
Spain’s government on Wednesday sought to extend a state of emergency and made wearing masks compulsory where social distancing is not possible.
Millions Hide as Super Cyclone Roars India and Bangladesh
Millions of people have fled to shelters in India and neighboring Bangladesh as the fiercest cyclone in decades hit the region, which also faces a coronavirus pandemic.
Court Overturns Worship Ban In France
An administrative court in France has overturned a government ban on meetings in churches and other places of worship. The case underscored broader tensions in coronavirus-hit Europe over religious freedom amid an ongoing pandemic.
Israeli Laboratory Hopes to Produce a Coronavirus Vaccine in a Year
A laboratory run by Israel’s Defense Ministry has said it may have a functioning COVID-19 vaccine in a year or less, the Times of Israel reports. The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) reported that it completed a successful coronavirus vaccine test on rodents and will move on to trials with other animals before starting on humans.
US President Trump Takes Malaria Drug against COVID-19
US President Donald Trump says he has been taking a malaria drug to protect against the new coronavirus COVID-19, despite warnings from his health officials. “What do you have to lose?” he told reporters on Monday.
China: ‘108 Million People In Lockdown’ As Virus Spreads Again
While several nations began to reopen after months of lockdowns, China put a whopping 108 million people under a stay-at-home order.
Montenegro Releases Bishop and Priests After Protests
Montenegro has released a Serbian Orthodox Church bishop and at least seven priests whose detention sparked protests and riots with police.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules ‘Unilateral’ Extension of Executive Lockdown Order is Unlawful
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled three to four Wednesday that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’s administration had no authority to extend a coronavirus stay-at-home order to the end of May, Fox News reports. Evers’ executive order was due to end on April 24, but Health Secretary Andrea Palm extended it to May 26. After Republicans filed suit, the Court found the extension amounted to an emergency rule which Palm had no power to enact unilaterally.
Operation Warp Speed sets ‘goal’ of 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021
The Defense Department took pains Friday to emphasize that President Trump’s promise to produce 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021 is a “goal,” while a spokesman also told the Washington Examiner that a shake-up of the Pentagon team acquiring medical equipment did not signify a change in direction.
Israel’s Parliament Approves New Government Amid Tensions
Israel’s parliament accepted a new government on Sunday, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz. The approval ended the most extended political crisis in the Jewish state’s history.
U.S. House Unveils $3 Trillion Coronavirus Package
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive $3 trillion virus aid package after batting back a last-minute Republican effort that threatened the measure.
Typhoon Devastates Lockdown Wary Philippines
A Christian woman was among many fearfully hiding Friday as parts of the Philippines were devastated by winds and rain from Typhoon Vongfong. “It is always scary,” Virgie Overdevest told Worthy News. “We already had a minor earthquake here.”
Poll: ‘Coronavirus Shows God Wants Changed Humanity’
The coronavirus pandemic made almost two-thirds of American believers of all faiths feel that God wants humanity to change how it lives, according to a new survey.
Israel University Claims One-Minute Corinavirus Test
A researcher at one of Israel’s leading universities says he has developed a test that identifies carriers of the new coronavirus COVID-19 in less than a minute.
U.S. Churches Defy Coronavirus Bans On Indoor Worship
Churches across the United States are planning to defy bans on indoor worship and will open for in-person services this Sunday, May 17, Worthy News learned. The move is part of the “Peaceably Gather Sunday” initiative in which congregations seek a balance between safety against the coronavirus and worshipping without restrictions.
U.S. Retail Sales Plunge To Record Low
U.S. stocks sank Friday after figures showed retail sales in the country plunged by a record 16.4 percent last month, the worst decline in decades.
Slovenia First European Nation Without Coronavirus Pandemic
Slovenia has become the first European nation to declare an end to its coronavirus pandemic. It also opened the borders on Friday, despite new infections being reported.
North Carolina Churches Sue Governor Over Ban On Indoor Worship
Christian leaders have sued the governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina for banning extensive indoor church services to limit the new coronavirus outbreak. Their lawsuit asked a court to throw out Governor Roy Cooper’s restrictions on person-to-person services in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.