It’s Thursday, January 2nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Muslim militants in Sudan, Africa attacked Christians during a prayer service on Monday, wounding 14 believers.
Nearly 200 Christians of the Sudanese Church of Christ were praying and fasting for an end to the military conflict in the Northeast African nation.
A local Christian told Morning Star News the believers “have attempted to flee the area several times, but they were prevented by [the militants].”
The attackers were part of the Islamist Rapid Support Forces. The paramilitary group has been fighting another Islamist group, the Sudanese Armed Forces, for control of the country since last year.
Sudan is ranked 8th on the Open Doors’ World Watch List of nations where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said, “Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
China builds world’s largest hydropower dam
China recently approved construction on what will be the world’s largest hydropower dam.
It will be located on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet. Once complete, the massive dam is projected to produce as much as 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That’s more than triple the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s current largest dam also located in China.
China is on track to add twice as much solar and wind power production as the rest of the world combined.
Terrorist attack in New Orleans kills 10 and injures 35
Tragically in the United States, 10 people died and 35 sustained injuries after an attacker drove a pickup truck into a crowd yesterday morning in New Orleans.
The attack took place on Bourbon Street during New Year’s celebrations.
The suspect died during a shootout with law enforcement. The vehicle used in the attack had an ISIS flag on the trailer hitch. Officials report the vehicle had crossed the border from Mexico into Texas in November, although the driver at the time does not appear to be the same as the attacker.
The attacker has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen who lived in Texas, reports The Epoch Times.
The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terror.
U.S. homelessness up 18%
Homelessness increased 18% last year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A report from the department found there were 771,480 homeless people in the U.S. in January 2024. That’s up from 653,104 in 2023, and the largest number since 2005.
Illegal immigration contributed to these historic numbers as well as natural disasters and the lack of affordable housing.
Judge blocked Biden’s pro-abortion regulations
Last week, a federal judge blocked new pro-abortion regulations from the Joe Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The new regulations would have silenced health care professionals from reporting abuse related to the harms of abortion as well as transgender drugs and surgeries.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Doctors take an oath to ‘do no harm’ and should be able to report abuse to protect patients. … This unlawful rule change is just another political attempt to undermine state laws that protect against harmful abortion and dangerous gender ideology.”
S&P 500 grew 23% in 2024 after growing 24% in 2023
The U.S. stock market closed lower on Tuesday to round out 2024.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 5% and the S&P 500 slid 2.5% last month.
However, for the year, the S&P 500 grew by 23%, after growing 24% in 2023. Such gains haven’t occurred since the late 1990s.
Alabama dramatically greenlights school choice
Alabama is rolling out a new state program that allows families to pay for private school and homeschooling costs.
The CHOOSE Act provides families $7,000 per student in education savings accounts for private school tuition and up to $4,000 for homeschooling expenses.
Alabama passed the act in March 2024. Families can start using the program for the 2025-2026 school year.
Belgian woman ran marathon every day of 2024
And finally, a Belgian ultra runner set a record Tuesday, becoming the first woman to run a marathon every day of the year – 366 days to be precise including February 29th in 2024.
Hilde Dosogne ran nearly 10,000 miles to complete the record over the course of 2024. The 55-year-old runner also raised the equivalent of over $60,000 for cancer research.
Dosogne told The Associated Press, “The mental strain is harder than the physical. Of course, physically, everything has to be okay. Otherwise, you can’t run for four hours every day. But it was more mental to be there at the start-line every day.”
Dosogne’s perseverance reminds us of the encouragement for our spiritual race from Hebrews 12:1-2. It says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. …”
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Thursday, January 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.