This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The United Nations, with the backing of the United States Department of Justice filed an official document in a U.S. court, arguing UNRWA employees implicated in the Oct. 7 massacres should be immune from prosecution, according to a report on Israel's Channel 12 Saturday evening.

In the document submitted to the court, the U.N. claims the UNRWA employees who participated in the massacre have immunity: "Since the U.N. has not waived their immunity in this case, its subsidiary organization, UNRWA, continues to enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution, and the lawsuit should be dismissed."

Furthermore, the U.S. Justice Department under the questionable stewardship of the Attorney General Merrick Garland, backed the U.N.'s play: "The plaintiffs' complaint does not present a theory under which the United Nations waived its immunity. Therefore, since the U.N. has not waived their immunity in this case, its subsidiary organization, UNRWA, continues to enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution, and the lawsuit against the defendant UNRWA should be dismissed due to the lack of subject matter."

We are not talking unpaid parking tickets in New York City, here, which can simply be waived away. At issue is the participation of hundreds of UNRWA employees – at various levels of seniority – in the worst anti-Jewish pogrom in some 80 years.

It is estimated some 10% of UNRWA's 14,000 or so Gaza staff (pre-war) also moonlight as Hamas operatives.

In August, UNRWA itself acknowledged nine of its staff "may have been involved in the Oct. 7 massacre," although this figure seems unrealistically low. Additionally, credible reports have emerged of high-ranking UNRWA employees stealing and hoarding the aid which has flowed into Gaza to offset a non-existent threat of famine.

In July, Israel's parliament – the Knesset – passed the first reading of a trilogy of bills aimed at shuttering the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East amid evidence the organization is increasingly indivisible from the Gaza Strip's rulers, Hamas. Indeed, on the evidence, it branded UNRWA a "terrorist organization."

If further evidence of the dystopian nightmare many of us have felt we are inhabiting over the last few years – and particularly since the Hamas onslaught against southern Israel – then this might just be the concluding piece.

It is also a particularly nasty and capricious piece of lawfare, with Channel 12 explaining the onus would now be on the surviving family members having to demonstrate why the immunity protecting UNRWA workers should be revoked.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – The lid on the pot, which has been covering the simmering tensions between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group – Hezbollah – since Oct. 8, threatened to come off overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning, as the feared all-out war draws ever closer.

Hezbollah fired approximately 150 missiles at wide swathes of Israel's north – including the country's third-largest city – and one with a largely mixed population of Jews and Arabs – Haifa – purportedly in retaliation for a week of massive losses for Iran's proxy.

Hezbollah's overnight volleys targeted the fertile and agriculturally important Jezreel Valley too, the deepest attempted strikes into Israel since the jihadists began shooting their rockets and missiles almost a year ago.

Incoming rocket alert sirens blared throughout the night, as Hezbollah terrorists fired indiscriminately toward Israeli population centers, including towns such as Afula and Nazareth – the latter being a town with a 70% Muslim, 30% Christian split, and which is famous for being a key locus in Jesus' life.

Iranians hold the blood of Arabs – especially Christian Arabs pretty cheaply – and it means nothing to them if their quest for regional domination targets these people. In an amusing twist, Christian Arabs could be seen posing in Nazareth with a fragment of one of Hezbollah's missiles, following its downing with an Iron Dome interceptor.

In addition to the firing of rockets at population centers, Hezbollah admitted it was aiming to hit the Refael defense firm facility in the Haifa area, as well as the Ramat David (Heights of David) Airforce base, some 30 miles from the Lebanese border. The Islamist organization said it had fired Fadi-1 and Fadi 2 rockets at the base, in retaliation for the civilians killed in Israeli strikes.

It was at this base, home to several air squadrons, as well as an Iron Dome air defense platform and ammunition, at which Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced last week the country's focus of attention was pivoting away from Gaza, to the north. However, senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, and a former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus poured scorn on Hezbollah's attempts to justify their indiscriminate missile fire, posting on X, "Many hits in Israel are miles away from alleged targets. Don't be fooled."

Israel did suffer some civilian casualties. A few people were wounded from falling shrapnel in the barrages shot at the north; and a young driver was killed when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving when an incoming rocket alert siren sounded. There was some property damage too in Kiryat Bialik, with one home taking a direct hit, although the residents were in a safe room and emerged unscathed. In a show of defiance, the property in question was later photographed with a large Israeli flag draped over the remains of the building.

Hezbollah was not alone in attacking Israel Sunday. An Iraqi pro-Iranian group admitted to firing two cruise missiles toward Israel, which, according to the IDF, the arrayed incoming missile defense system managed to bring down outside of Israeli territory.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Billions of people on Planet Earth today are personally acting out important messages from God in their own beds every night and morning, without even being aware of it in most cases.

So says the author of a best-selling book unlocking hidden messages embedded in every aspect of life.

"On a daily basis, everyone goes to sleep at some point, and usually wakes up the next day. But what most people don't realize is they're actually illustrating two of the most important messages from God," says Joe Kovacs, author of "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A county in Georgia is being sued for destroying a man's home while he was in the middle of a renovation project.

The Institute for Justice said the owner, Eric Arnold, tried to convince a demolition crew to hold off, but they refused.

They had been sent by the Macon-Bibb County officials to bulldoze the structure, under the claim that the work was part of a campaign to get rid of "blight."

There had been no court proceedings, no notice and there has been no financial compensation, the IJ reported.

The county's actions "violated Eric's constitutional rights to notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. To vindicate those rights and others, Eric has teamed up with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to sue Macon-Bibb County in state court."

Lawyer Christie Hebert, who is working on the case, said, "Property rights are the bedrock of American society. To arbitrarily destroy Eric's house without even the courtesy of letting him know is wrong ethically and wrong under the law."

The IJ explained there was no reason to demolish the home.

"While he still had work to do, the yard was neat, the exterior was clean, the house was locked up, and, most importantly, it was in a vastly improved state of repair compared to when he purchased it. But the county demolished it anyway as part of its aggressive blight fight," the IJ reported.

In fact, the county has destroyed more than 800 homes in recent years.

The destruction agenda is through a "fast-tracked, secret code enforcement process that completely avoids court proceedings and deprives property owners of a meaningful chance to protect their property. In some cases, like Eric's, the county doesn't even bother to notify the owners before knocking their house down."

He had moved from New Jersey to Georgia to be closer to his family's roots, and bought a fixer-upper.

He started on repairs immediately.

"To spend all that time and money and sweat and end up with nothing but a bare piece of land, it's devastating," said Eric. "What's worse is that if I try to rebuild or buy another property, I have no guarantee this won't happen again. It's just not right."

His notification came when a neighbor called and told him demolition crews were installing a dumpster at his home.

He pleaded with county officials to wait and provided documentation regarding his repairs and upgrades.

The county's response was a squad of "armed code enforcement officers to ensure a property that was actively being restored was demolished in the name of the blight fight."

The lawsuit is to hold county officials responsible for their constitutional violations and destruction of private property.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Officials in the Arizona town of Payson have decided to borrow $70 million and use it for various projects they want, and they've called it an "emergency," a move that deprives residents of a constitutional time frame to oppose it, simply because they think that interest rates might go up.

And they might. Or they might not.

But the maneuver has triggered a lawsuit against the city, its officials and their actions.

According to case brought by the Goldwater Institute, the bond sale was described as an "emergency" in order to prevent residents from having an opportunity to organize a referendum and opposition.

"That's illegal, and the Goldwater Institute is seeking immediate relief in the form of a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction before the bond sale closes and it's too late," the organization reported.

"The Arizona Constitution and statute guarantee the popular right of referendum: that is, voters' rights to refer a bill, ordinance, or resolution to the ballot and vote on it."

City officials used a "narrow exception" that allows for "emergency" actions, "where immediate government action is necessary to preserve peace, health, or safety," the organization reported.

But in this case, "no such emergency exists … and the town cannot bypass democratic accountability and impose $70 million of debt on Payson taxpayers without giving them a say."

The city's "purported 'emergency' is a sham: the only 'emergency' is the council's desire to immediately sell the Obligations to secure the best, available [sic] economic terms therefor,'" the institute explains.

"That is not an emergency."

"In fact, even the town's own staff admitted during a presentation on the bond measure that they have 'no ability to predict interest rates,' that the bond market has been consistently favorable throughout the past year, and that recent presidential elections (the supposed reason for anticipated rate increases) have seen bond rates increase, if at all, by at most 0.6–0.8 percentage points."

The lawsuit is on behalf of resident Deborah Rose, who opposes the spending schemes.

"Our leaders want our money, but not our vote," she explained. "They're trying to take advantage of legal loopholes to saddle their own constituents with tens of millions of dollars of debt, systematically stripping power from the people by ignoring laws and twisting their truths."

The case is in Gila County Superior Court.

Actually, the "Arizona Constitution guarantees the right of referendum: the right of Arizonans to circulate petitions and refer bills, ordinances, and resolutions for a popular vote. It's a cornerstone of democratic accountability in Arizona, and it means that the people—not politicians—have the last word in state and local government," the institute reported.

The case accuses the city of trying to close on the bonds by the end of the month.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A woman is suing Broward County, Florida, after law enforcement officers there arrested her for something someone else did, refusing to accept her own identification and ignoring the fact that the description of the wanted woman didn't match.

The Institute for Justice reports the complaint against the county is on behalf of Jennifer Heath Box.

She charges authorities violated her constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, as well as due process.

The IJ explained the background:

In December 2022, Jennifer went on a cruise with family members to celebrate the news that her younger brother, Mark, had beat cancer for the second time. After a fun week aboard the Harmony of the Seas, the cruise ship returned to Port Everglades on the morning of Christmas Eve, giving Jennifer enough time to spend Christmas with her three adult children. But when Jennifer scanned her ID to get off the ship, police surrounded her and told her there was a warrant for her arrest for child endangerment out of Harris County, Texas.

The IJ reported the warrant did seek a woman named Jennifer, but it wasn't this Jennifer. And she documented that her own children already all were adults.

"It was a really scary and confusing experience, because I've never had run-ins with law enforcement and I have no criminal record," she explained. "I couldn't believe that I could be stopped, arrested, and jailed, just because my name was similar to someone they were looking for."

She knew the officers were wrong, so she cooperated calmly and provided police with her license and date of birth, as well as information about her children.

It didn't matter to officers.

"Broward County Sheriff's Deputy Peter Peraza handcuffed her on the ship and took her to a police car for additional questioning. In the car, Jennifer continued to lay out evidence that Peraza had the wrong person, but he insisted everything on the warrant matched Jennifer's identification. It didn't," the IJ said.

For example, the suspect's name was Jennifer Delcarmen Heath, not Jennifer Heath Box, the suspect was 23 years younger than Jennifer, making her even younger than one of Jennifer's children, the suspect was five inches shorter than Jennifer, the suspect had different color eyes, hair, and skin tone and the suspect had a different home address, driver's license number, social security number, and Harris County System Person Number.

Then, in what would seem to be important, the law enforcement search was for a woman with "five young children."

"Peraza had so much evidence that he had the wrong Jennifer, and he either ignored that evidence or deliberately misled other Broward County officials," said IJ Attorney Jared McClain. "We must be able to hold government officials accountable when they overlook glaring evidence and arrest the wrong person."

When Peraza arrived at the booking station with the wrong woman, the officer there confirmed she had no outstanding warrants, but Peraza didn't believe him.

"Jennifer was then strip searched and booked. Over the next three days, she faced horrible conditions. A male inmate routinely tried to enter Jennifer's cell while she was alone, and officers blasted death metal over the speakers and freezing air into the cell, making it so cold that she had to sleep back-to-back with another inmate just to keep warm," the IJ said.

Her husband, a police officer, told the county to compare her fingerprints, but officers refused.

Finally, family members found that a Harris County employee had damagingly attached Jennifer's driver's license photo to the warrant, instead of the suspect's photo.

IJ litigation lawyer Bobbi Taylor said, "This lawsuit is about making sure what happened to Jennifer doesn't happen to anyone else. This needs to stop."

The "mistake" cost her three days in jail, the holidays with her children, and a meet-up with a son who was being deployed with the Marines.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have reached a boiling point, and analysts are warning the U.S. won't defeat China if the communists go ahead with plans to invade the island nation.

According to Brandon Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, former congressional staffer, and geopolitical analyst, China is preparing to seize control of Taiwan, and far sooner than 2027.

"For China, conquering Taiwan not only gives them economic and geopolitical advantages over their rivals, but it allows for the Chinese Communist Party under President-for-life Xi Jinping to finally declare that the dangers posed to them by Taiwan's 'splittism' have been put to bed. It would be a clear announcement to the world that, indeed, a new world order had been birthed – a world order in which the CCP stood as the dominant power in the economically dynamic Indo-Pacific," Weichert wrote in an op-ed.

Weichert noted this would allow China to claim legitimacy at home and internationally, while dealing a blow to the U.S., which has invested diplomatic and financial capital into Taiwan.

"The goal for China would be to keep the U.S. military just over the horizon long enough for the Chinese to achieve their goal: overthrowing the government of Taiwan and absorbing it into their budding co-prosperity sphere. And with China's growing A2/AD capabilities, their counter space assets and their cyberwarfare capacities, Beijing just might be able to achieve their goal. The balance of power in the Indo-Pacific has shifted away from the United States and toward China in the last decade. Should Beijing opt to hit Taiwan now with a blockade, they will be able to do so. China will likely be victorious," Weichert said.

According to TaiwanPlus News, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said China's increased military activity around Taiwan makes it harder to spot potential acts of war.

Koo said Taiwan needs to move closer to a "war footing," and test its capacity to respond to any sudden moves by China towards conflict. During a news conference Wednesday, Koo said China's People's Liberation Army has staged over 2,000 incursions into Taiwan's air defense zone in 2024 alone.

"The scale of activity is getting larger and larger, and so it is harder to discern when they might be shifting from training to a large exercise, and from an exercise to war," Koo said.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, when asked about Taiwan claiming China is not yet capable of waging a war, said the People's Liberation Army is capable of "foiling any resistance," and called the claims "ridiculous and delusional."

"China's reunification is an overwhelming trend of history that cannot be stopped by anyone or any force. The PLA has reliable means to be where we need to fight, and is capable of foiling any resistance by military elements of the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces. We will firmly defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wu said.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said China is attempting to gaslight the world on its aggression in the South China Sea.

In an op-ed, Krishnamoorthi said the Chinese Communist Party are blatantly encroaching within the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive zone, blocking Philippine ships, then claiming the Philippines were "intruding" into sovereign Chinese waters. Footage captured from Philippine ships, however, show the Chinese coast guard were the aggressors – to the point the ship's engine failed.

"Unfortunately, the CCP's aggression in the South China Sea encapsulates a broader worldview, one in which might makes right and Beijing does as it pleases, including ramming ships belonging to its smaller neighbors that dare to challenge its sweeping – and illegal – sovereignty claims," Krishnamoorthi said.

Krishnamoorti further noted if anyone calls out China for its aggressive behavior, it simply gaslights them. For instance, despite footage showing Chinese coast guard ships damaging Philippine vessels, China claimed the Philippines had deliberately attacked and damaged Chinese ships.

"This gaslighting and disregard for international law is nothing new. After an international court ruled in 2016 that the CCP's so-called 'nine-dash line' sovereignty claims over almost the entire South China Sea had 'no legal basis,' Beijing infamously declared the court's ruling to be 'null and void' and amount to 'nothing more than a piece of paper,'" Krishnamoorthi said.

During an interview with Bloomberg, Krishnamoorthi said everything depends on whether China is prepared to lower its aggression economically, technologically, militarily, and with regards to the U.S. national security.

"If they continue to ratchet up tensions, such as in the South China Sea, where they're ramming Philippine ships, where they dump electric vehicles for instance, around the world in a bid to undercut their competition and destroy their competition – then we're gonna, you know, have to protect our interests, at the same time that we work with our friends, partners and allies," Krishnamoorthi said.

The dispute between China and the Philippines is centered around the Spratly Islands – composed of islands, islets, cays, and more than 100 reefs, which lie off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam.

Spokesperson Wu said in a news conference last week, this area is "China's inherent territory" and added the U.S. is not a party of concern in regards to the conflict in the South China Sea.

"The Chinese side takes rights-protection and law-enforcement operations in relevant areas. They are completely legitimate, lawful and professional. The U.S. is not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue, and is in no position to interfere with maritime disputes between China and the Philippines, even less to undermine China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests on the pretext of bilateral treaties," Wu said.

Wu then blamed the current escalation on the Philippines, stating it has provoked China, has taken reckless actions, and accused the U.S. of provoking confrontation – while conveniently leaving out China's belligerent actions towards Philippine vessels.

"The current escalation in the South China Sea situation is caused by the Philippines who repeatedly made provocations and took reckless actions. The U.S., on the other hand, has continued to fan the flame and provoke confrontation. It needs to be emphasized that the Chinese side will take firm and effective countermeasures against anyone who stirs up troubles in the South China Sea or infringes upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Wu said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

The "Liberal Democrat" political party in the United Kingdom is demanding that a Christian politician, in defense of his beliefs, must prove in court the divinity of Jesus Christ.

The stunning requirement came as part of a scorchingly hot fight over faith after the party banned a Christian candidate from its slate of candidates, because of his beliefs.

According to the UK Independent, a lawyer for Christian candidate David Campanale explained that the Christian beliefs are protected under section 10 of the Equalities Act, including the statement, "Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life," out of the gospel of John.

"But in response the Lib Dem legal defense said that Mr. Campanale should legally prove the statement of faith to be true in court," the report explained.

"[The statement] is outside the defendant's knowledge and neither admitted nor denied; the claimant is required to prove the same."

In the United States, Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz already effectively has banished Christians from the ranks of public school teachers. He escorted into law a requirement that technically allows Christians to be teachers, but requires them, in those ranks, but publicly deny basic beliefs of the Bible.

The Independent reported the court fight brought by Campanale against the party after he was thrown out has the "Liberal Democrats" appearing "to demand that a sacked candidate must prove the divinity of Jesus Christ in court."

Campanale was rejected by the party as a candidate for Sutton and Cheam.

The report noted, "Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams condemned the Lib Dems over the Campanale case and claimed that it is now 'impossible' for orthodox Christians, Muslims or Jews to stand for the party."

The fight is over whether a Lib Dem candidate can "hold socially conservative views on issues like abortion, trans rights, and same sex marriage."

Campanale told the publication, "God needs no defense. He is after all the judge. It's whether the Liberal Democrats continue to be seen as out of touch in the dock of public opinion with the liberalism and tolerance of the British people.

"A lot of people back my Christian conviction that our nation's liberties were built upon biblical foundations and the great story of Christian struggle through the generations for the abolition of slavery, the rights of children not to be sent up chimneys and the existence of trade unionism. If the party rediscovered and celebrated that story and not ridicule it, voters would pay the Lib Dems greater attention."

The party itself has conceded it has turned anti-Christian.

"It is admitted that Mr. Taylor said words to the effect that the party of past prominent Liberal Democrat with Christian beliefs, such as Shirley Williams and Charles Kennedy, 'was over.' That was a statement of fact reflecting the current policy platforms and public political stance of the Liberal Democrats as shaped democratically by the decisions of its membership."

The Christian Institute noted the messaging was clear: "The Liberal Democrats have indicated that those who uphold Christian values cannot be party candidates."

Since he was thrown out because of his religious beliefs against abortion, gay marriage and sex change ideologies, he is suing for religious discrimination.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A congressional panel held Wednesday revealed the U.S. military is being outpaced by China when it comes to being prepared for war.

U.S. Rep. and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, questioned Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on how the U.S. is strengthening its trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia [AUKUS], to counter growing tension with China.

Campbell told the committee that Washington needed to speed up U.S. naval shipbuilding and the capacity of the U.S. defense manufacturing base, while maintaining bipartisan focus on China.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A popular constitutional scholar and commentator is scorching one athletic association for banning a singular expression of faith.

Jonathan Turley, who has testified on the fine points of the Constitution before Congress and has represented members in constitutional disputes in court, was responding to a judo group banning a star for five months for making the sign of the cross.

"I fail to see how denying such gestures advances the game or its values. Part of these games is to respect our different values and cultures. While that justifiably means that the games do not officially endorse or demonstrate religious values, individual athletes should be able to acknowledge their faith in such small gestures. If we want to embrace the diversity of our world, the solution is not to bar expression of diverse values," he wrote.

"It appears that faith may move mountains, but not the Olympics."

He was reacting to the extreme action taken by the International Judo Federation to ban from competition Serbian judo champion Nemanja Majdov, 28.

He was found guilty by the bureaucrats in the sport of making the sign of the cross after a match at the recent Olympic games.

He, the regulatory body decided, had shown "a clear religious sign when entering the field of play."

Majdov said, "in the defense letter of the disciplinary proceedings, I did not want to apologize… and of course, I did not, nor will I ever, although I did not even know what the punishment could be. The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career, and he is number 1 for me, and I am proud of that. And that will not change under any circumstances. Glory to Him, and thanks for everything. Nothing new for me personally, just a new page in my career and a new life experience. I'm sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport like judo has fallen to such things. God gave me a great career, 7 European and three world medals. When I started, I dreamed of winning at least one big medal and thus succeeding in my life and the life of my family, who sacrificed everything for my career. He gave us a lot more and even borrowed too much so that I would bow my head in front of them when it came either-or."

The federation claimed its rule banning any such signs was to make athletes "feel respected and accepted."

"I am not sure how that tracks. Athletes expressing their faith does not condone other faiths or belittle competitors. It shows that their accomplishments are not their own. They may want to embrace their friends, their country, or their faith," Turley noted.

He noted that the Olympic organizers themselves brought a wide range of "irreligious" images into the games, through their opening ceremonies and more.

Many Christian commentators were horrified by the Satanic images the games pushed on its audiences. Those events included a "drag show" version of the Last Supper.

The New York Post said, "Majdov's show of faith came one day after the Paris Olympics faced intense backlash over its opening ceremony, which featured a drag show version of The Last Supper. The segment featured 17 performers — including three familiar 'Drag Race France' competitors — behind a long table, resembling Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting of Jesus Christ and his disciples sharing a final meal."