Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries

Around the World
Iran still seeks mass destruction weapons – German intelligence report
The German intelligence agency for the state of Bavaria said last week in its new report that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not ceased its drive to obtain weapons of mass destruction during 2020.
US eyes major rollback of Iran sanctions to revive nuclear deal
The Biden administration is considering a near wholesale rollback of some of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to get the Islamic Republic to return to compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former US officials and others familiar with the matter.
Four Killed In German Clinic
German police say four people have been killed at a clinic in the eastern city of Potsdam, and a woman was detained. At least one person was seriously injured, German media reported.
Oil pipeline disputes raise tensions between U.S. and Canada
Months after President Biden snubbed Canadian officials by canceling Keystone XL, an impending showdown over a second crude oil pipeline threatens to further strain ties between the two neighbors that were frayed during the Trump administration.
EU Commission President Condemns Turkey Over “Sofagate”
Ursula von der Leyen, the first female president of the European Union’s executive commission, has lashed out at Muslim-majority Turkey for violating women's rights saying she was “feeling hurt” by a chair snap.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
EU condemns UNRWA for ‘hate speech and violence’ taught in PA schools
The European Union on Wednesday passed an unprecedented resolution to condemn the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees for printing, distributing and using textbooks inciting and endorsing violence against Israel and the Jewish people in Palestinian Authority schools.
Bennett, Sa’ar meet to talk unity gov’t, as Shaked said hoping to thwart efforts
Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett and New Hope chief Gideon Sa’ar held lengthy talks at the Knesset on Wednesday to coordinate demands that the right-wing bloc of a perspective unity government will make in negotiations with Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid.
Abbas tells global allies he will postpone Palestinian elections
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has notified the European Union, Jordan and Egypt of his decision to postpone Palestinian parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for May 22, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Tuesday.
Gantz appointed justice minister after Netanyahu U-turn; court cancels hearing
While insisting that the disputed vote he held in the cabinet on Tuesday to appoint Likud’s Ofir Akunis as justice minister was a legitimate move, Prime Minister Benjamin backed down Wednesday from his refusal to appoint anyone else to the position, agreeing to make Blue and White’s Benny Gantz justice minister for the duration of the transitional government.
Cyber directorate warns of anticipated attacks to mark Iran’s ‘Jerusalem Day’
The National Cyber Directorate warned Wednesday that coordinated attacks against Israel are expected next month to mark Iran’s annual Quds Day, and the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Inside the United States
Judge denies Democrats’ request to stop Maricopa County audit
A judge denied a request by Arizona Democrats to halt a Republican-backed 2020 election audit in Maricopa County.
Vaccine passports gain traction in Democratic places and bans in red states
Vaccine passports, or documents that show a person’s COVID-19 vaccination status, have been touted in Democratic-run states as tools for reviving commerce and tourism, while they've been outright banned in several red states. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has ruled out a federal vaccine passport mandate, citing privacy concerns.
Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady, Shrugs Off Inflation Concerns
The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and repeated its view that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to weigh on the domestic economy even as conditions continue to improve.
Idaho governor signs heartbeat bill with caveat
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (Rep.) signed a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected - but a caveat in the bill provides it will not take effect until a federal appeals court elsewhere in the US upholds it, the Washington Examiner reports.
Biden to call for $4 trillion in new spending during joint address to Congress
President Joe Biden is expected to call for $4 trillion in new federal spending during his joint address to Congress on Wednesday evening.
Police Search Home Of Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani
Federal investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday at the Manhattan home of former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, several sources confirmed.
US Easing Mask Wearing Guidelines
Amid mounting public pressure, the U.S. leading health authority eased guidelines on wearing masks outdoors. In remarks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers.

Christian News
China’s five-year campaign to suppress religious freedom affects believers
A major annual report issued by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) earlier this month, has highlighted China’s five-year campaign to suppress religious faith, including Christianity, in the country, CNS News reports. The Chinese Communist party is pursuing a program of “sinification” or “sinicization” of religion that began in 2018 and is set to run until 2022.
Nigeria: Fulani militants continue to murder Christians with impunity
In their continued murderous onslaught against Christians, Fulani militants in Nigeria’s Kaduna state killed a believer and abducted five others during an April 25 attack on a Baptist Church in Manini Tasha village, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Religious Freedom Report: 14 nations are “Countries of Particular Concern”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published its 2021 Annual Report earlier this month, redesignating 10 nations as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and recommending to the State Department that India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam now be given that designation as well.
Papua Churches Urge UN To Help End Attacks
The West Papua Council of Churches urges the United Nations to help end a “humanitarian tragedy” in Indonesia’s Papua region where it says Indonesia’s military kills Christian leaders.

Worthy Watch
WSJ Op-Ed: Race Relations in America Are Better Than Ever
Glenn Greenwald Eviscerates CNN Newest Journalist as CIA Hack
‘Hundreds’ of young trans people seeking help to return to original sex

Around the World
Pentagon says US Navy fired warning shots at Iran boats in Gulf
A US Navy vessel fired warning shots toward three Iranian military speed boats in the Gulf this week to warn them after they sped close to the ship, the Navy said Tuesday.
European Parliament set to greenlight post-Brexit trade deal
European Union lawmakers are set to formally ratify the post-Brexit deal between the EU and the United Kingdom amid ongoing tensions between London and Brussels over Northern Ireland trade rules.
Iran Nuclear Pact Talks Resume
World powers resumed talks Tuesday in Vienna about revitalizing the 2015 international pact to restrain Iran's nuclear development program and bring the United States back into the accord that former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Kerry Denies Telling Iranians About Covert Israeli Operations; State Dept. Says It Was Public Knowledge
Facing calls for his resignation, President Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry on Monday denied as “unequivocally false” claims that he had informed Iran’s foreign minister about covert Israeli military strikes against Iranian facilities in Syria.
IDF shoots down Hezbollah drone on Lebanon border
Israeli forces shot down a drone belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group that crossed into northern Israel from Lebanon on Tuesday, the IDF said.
Byzantine-era mosaic pavement uncovered in central Israel
Architects in Israel recently unearthed a 1,600-year-old mosaic pavement in the ancient city of Yavne in central Israel, Israel365 reports. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Byzantine-era flooring will eventually be exhibited at the Yavne cultural center.
France: Family of brutally murdered Jewish woman filing for Islamist killer’s extradition to Israel for trial
The family of Sarah Halimi, an Orthodox Jewish woman who was murdered by Islamist Kobili Traoré in France on April 4 2017, is to file a legal claim for the killer to be extradited to Israel for trial, BBC News reported last week. Traoré claimed he was in a drug-induced delirium at the time of the brutal slaying, and a French court has found he cannot therefore be held criminally responsible under the country’s law. Outrage over the court's decision caused thousands of people to protest in New York, Paris, Rome and Tel Aviv this weekend.

Inside the United States
Police in Philly and beyond are struggling with a shortage of police recruits and a surge in retirements
Amid growing calls for police reform and national debate over the deadly use of force, police departments in Philadelphia and beyond are struggling to retain and attract officers, law enforcement officials say.
Biden plans to ask Congress to pay for $1.8 trillion in new spending
President Biden plans to ask Congress to pay for the entirety of the $1.8 trillion in new spending on health care, child care and education he’ll unveil on Wednesday night, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
‘We Defend Life’: Montana and Oklahoma Governors Sign Pro-Life Bills into Law
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed three bills on Monday restricting abortion access in the state, celebrating it as a success after several attempts to pass similar measures in previous years were vetoed by former Democratic governors.
US scientists claim to find huge Pacific dump site of 25,000 toxic DDT barrels
Marine scientists say they have found what they believe to be as many as 25,000 barrels that possibly contain DDT dumped off the Southern California coast near Catalina Island, where a massive underwater toxic waste site dating back to World War II has long been suspected.
Real ID deadline to be extended to 2023
Air travelers will have until 2023 to become compliant with Real ID, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Idaho Governor Signs Fetal Heartbeat Anti-Abortion Bill Into Law
Idaho became the latest state to ban abortions after a fetus’ heartbeat is detected, after Republican Governor Brad Little signed a bill into law Tuesday that critics say essentially makes the health procedure illegal.
Indiana law: House of Worship are “essential”
Indiana’s Governor Eric Holcomb (R) has signed a new law determining that houses of worship provide essential services, and no restrictions may be placed on them during a declared emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christian News
Indiana law: House of Worship are “essential”
Indiana’s Governor Eric Holcomb (R) has signed a new law determining that houses of worship provide essential services, and no restrictions may be placed on them during a declared emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faculty turns against Christian University trustees who abide by Biblical standards
Nearly three-quarters of faculty at the historically Christian Seattle Pacific University (SPU) voted ‘no confidence’ in the school’s board of trustees because the board affirmed the college’s expectation that hired faculty will live by Biblical standards on sexuality, Christian Headlines reports. The faculty vote was triggered after adjunct nursing professor Jéaux Rinedah claimed in January that he was denied a full time teaching position at the school because he is gay.

Worthy Watch
Pixar Is Currently Casting For Its First Trans Character
Secret Court Reveals: FBI Hunted for Domestic Terrorists Without a Warrant
Oregon initiative would ban animal slaughter, breeding

Around the World
First supermoon of 2021 to rise Monday night, early Tuesday
The final week of April will begin Monday with the brightest night so far this year, as a supermoon fills the sky after sunset.
China nixed meeting on biowarfare concerns as coronavirus queries increased
China canceled an online meeting with American officials last year to discuss mounting concerns regarding secret Chinese biological weapons work in possible violation of an international treaty, according to a new report.
Leaked: Russia Sabotaged Iran Nuclear Deal to Prevent Tehran from Normalizing with West
Leaked audio tapes that reveal the behind-the-scenes power struggles of Iranian officials have recently been published by the New York Times. In the leaks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lamented that it is the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who implements policy, overruling governmental decisions.
NIH says it has identified over 500 ‘scientists of concern’ amid Chinese theft challenge
A top official at the National Institutes of Health said the federal agency has identified more than 500 “scientists of concern” within federally funded academic institutions and research programs as the U.S. government grapples with systematic foreign influence efforts, including Chinese economic espionage.
Pope Prays As Rescue Workers Report 130 Migrant Deaths At Sea
Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for those who looked the other way after at least 130 migrants fleeing war, persecution and poverty perished in the Mediterranean and aid workers accused states of not responding to distress calls.
Dozens Die As Blaze Hits Baghdad COVID Hospital
Anxious families searched for relatives in Baghdad after the death toll of a weekend fire at a hospital for coronavirus patients rose to at least 82.
Ukraine Recalls 35th Anniversary Of Chernobyl Blast Amid Misery and Hope
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was due Monday to visit the Chernobyl exclusion zone to remember the 35th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident. His address to Ukrainians came as the tragedy is still being felt among suffering survivors who once lived in the area, where rare species have taken over.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
John Kerry told Iranians about secret Israeli operations in Syria: Report
Former Secretary of State John Kerry kept Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif informed about secret Israeli military actions in Syria, the Iranian diplomat said in recently leaked audio, casting new light on communication between the two men after Mr. Kerry returned to life as a private citizen in 2017.
Netanyahu said willing to let Sa’ar be PM first in latest rotation deal proposal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, running out of time to form a coalition, is reportedly willing to offer former ally Gideon Sa’ar a rotation deal with the current New Hope leader to serve first as prime minister, Hebrew media reported Monday.
Israel shuts down Gaza fisheries following three straight nights of rockets from the Strip
After three consecutive nights of rockets firing from Gaza into southern Israel, and five rockets overnight, Israel shut down the Gaza fishing zone Monday, the Times of Israel reports. Israeli journalists have noted that airstrikes are normally conducted in retaliation for Gaza rockets, and that the closure of fisheries appears to be Israel’s only response in this round of the ongoing conflict.

Inside the United States
New U.S. COVID cases fall sharply last week, deaths lowest since October
New cases of COVID-19 in the United States fell 16% last week to about 409,000, the biggest percentage drop in weekly new cases since February, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.
Supreme Court to hear first major Second Amendment case in a decade
The Supreme Court on Monday accepted for argument a New York Second Amendment case, the first major gun rights suit before the court in a decade.
Democrats are the party of the wealthy, IRS data shows
Democrats are the party of the wealthy, a flip from decades ago when it was the party of the poor and middle class.
Republicans would resume Trump’s border wall if they win back the House
House Republicans, eager to elevate border security to a top 2022 campaign issue, said Monday they would revive the now-stalled construction of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that was championed by former President Donald Trump and nixed by President Joe Biden.
Tennessee’s 48-hour abortion waiting period law reinstated by appeals court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has allowed a Tennessee law requiring women seeking an abortion to wait 48 hours before they can undergo the procedure to take effect until a ruling on the law’s constitutionality is reached.
Supreme Court to Decide if California Is Essentially Creating a Cancel Culture Hit List
A diverse collection of 60 interest groups was at the Supreme Court on Monday, participating in the next round in a legal battle over donor privacy with the state of California.
Supreme Court to hear case involving disclosure of alleged CIA detention sites
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case that could reveal new details about CIA detention facilities in foreign countries.
Supreme Court declines religious liberty dispute between California and Texas
The Supreme Court declined a case challenging California's ban on state-funded travel to Texas and other states that allow Christian adoption and foster care agencies to refuse service to gay and transgender couples on Monday.
Appeals court allows abortion waiting period; SCOTUS does not have to intervene
In a ruling which means the US Supreme Court does not have to immediately get involved, a federal appeals court temporarily reinstated Tennessee's 48-hour waiting period for abortions, the Washington Free Beacon reports. The appeals court decision overturned a 2020 trial court decision which determined the waiting period instituted in 2017 to be unconstitutional.
Judge recuses himself in Arizona election audit case
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury on Sunday recused himself from presiding over a challenge to a Republican 2020 election audit Arizona requested by state Senate Republicans, the Washington Examiner reports.
‘There are six sexes,’ lawmaker tells Public Education hearing
During a hearing before the US Public Education Committee last week, Texas Democratic Rep. James Talarico asserted that there are six sexes, not two, the Washington Times reports. The Harvard-educated lawmaker made his assertion during a hearing on House Bill 4042, a measure that would prevent transgender pupils from competing in girls’ K-12 school sports.
Fully open Texas and Florida reporting fewer COVID cases than Democrat-led Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York
Republican-led states including Texas and Florida are reporting fewer coronavirus cases than Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York -- all of which are led by prominent Democrats who refuse to roll back COVID-19 regulations and statewide mask mandates, according to CDC data.

Christian News
NM Finally Agrees to Obey Supreme Court, Drops COVID Restrictions on Indoor Worship
New Mexico on Friday eliminated coronavirus-related capacity restrictions on religious services.
Christian Missionaries Die Of COVID In India
Christian missionaries and church leaders already suffering persecution in several areas are among those dying of severe symptoms of COVID-19 raging in India, aid workers say.

Worthy Watch
Oklahoma Governor Signs 4 Important Conservative Measures
Three F-35i Adir Fighters Arrive in Israel
CDC Finally Admits No Evidence of Coronavirus Spread via Surfaces
21,000 Get Covid in One Week After Receiving Vaccine’s First Dose