Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries
Prophecy News Watch is a service hosted by Worthy Ministries to provide Christians daily news from a Biblical, and yet Prophetic worldview. Our news is gathered by our Christian News Service, Worthy News. For more about our vision for how we assemble our daily headlines, please read, "What is Worthy News?"
Around the World
China Building Long-Range Cruise Missile Launched From Ship Container
China is building a long-range cruise missile fired from a shipping container that could turn Beijing's large fleet of freighters into potential warship and commercial ports into future missile bases.
EU Parliament approves controversial copyright reform
Lawmakers have backed a preliminary deal on a controversial new EU copyright law, which will force the likes of Google and YouTube to pay publishers for using their work. Critics fear for the freedom of the internet.
US targets 'vast network' for evading Iran sanctions
The Trump administration moved Tuesday to break up a group of Iranian-linked companies that has transferred around $1 billion to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions on the country.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
After US recognition, Syria requests UN Security Council meeting on Golan
Syria asked the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to hold an urgent meeting on the US decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Gaza rockets, Israeli airstrikes resume overnight after tense lull
The cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas, which resumed late Tuesday evening, continued into early Wednesday, with Israeli military striking several Hamas military positions in Gaza, while air-raid sirens sounded in southern Israeli communities.
Inside the United States
Supreme Court warily weighs partisan gerrymandering
The Supreme Court appeared convinced Tuesday that congressional maps drawn by two state legislatures were overly partisan, but worried whether judges themselves should be the ones to remedy the long-simmering issue.
Republican-led US Senate Rejects Green New Deal
The Republican-led Senate Tuesday night voted against consideration of the Democratically-supported New Green Deal -- the outline of an ambitious plan to get the U.S. off climate-changing fossil fuels.
Federal Spending Hits Highest Level Since Bank Bailout and Obama Stimulus
The federal government spent $1,822,712,000,000 in the first five months of fiscal 2019, the most it has spent in the first five months of any fiscal year since 2009, which was the fiscal year that outgoing President George W. Bush signed a $700-billion law to bailout the banking industry and incoming President Barack Obama signed a $787-billion law to stimulate an economy then in recession.
Republicans beat back House attempt to override Trump's border wall veto
House Democrats on Tuesday failed to garner the votes needed to override Trump’s veto of a bill blocking his emergency border wall funding.
Christian News
Advocates for Persecuted Christians Cite Need for Western Intervention as Nigerian Crisis Continues to Escalate
Boko Haram terrorists have finally taken over the town of Michika in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, after repeated incursions in 2014 and 2016.
UN’s 40th Session of the Human Rights Council Sees Petitions for Greater Acknowledgment of Christian Refugees
The plight of Vietnam’s Montagnard Christians was highlighted at this month’s 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council, as a string of advocates attempts to spur UN action on Christian refugees in 2019.
Cornell University Disinvites Black Christian Pro-Life Speaker Because of Her Belief in Biblical Marriage
A black Christian speaker was recently disinvited from an on-campus debate due to her biblical beliefs about sexuality. It's just the latest example of American universities blocking Christian views from the spotlight.
Democrats, Muslim lawmaker decry Christian prayer in Penn. House as divisive
The first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives said Tuesday she was offended by a colleague’s decision to open a voting session with a prayer a day earlier that 'at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.'
China Building Long-Range Cruise Missile Launched From Ship Container
China is building a long-range cruise missile fired from a shipping container that could turn Beijing's large fleet of freighters into potential warship and commercial ports into future missile bases.
EU Parliament approves controversial copyright reform
Lawmakers have backed a preliminary deal on a controversial new EU copyright law, which will force the likes of Google and YouTube to pay publishers for using their work. Critics fear for the freedom of the internet.
US targets 'vast network' for evading Iran sanctions
The Trump administration moved Tuesday to break up a group of Iranian-linked companies that has transferred around $1 billion to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions on the country.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
After US recognition, Syria requests UN Security Council meeting on Golan
Syria asked the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to hold an urgent meeting on the US decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Gaza rockets, Israeli airstrikes resume overnight after tense lull
The cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas, which resumed late Tuesday evening, continued into early Wednesday, with Israeli military striking several Hamas military positions in Gaza, while air-raid sirens sounded in southern Israeli communities.
Inside the United States
Supreme Court warily weighs partisan gerrymandering
The Supreme Court appeared convinced Tuesday that congressional maps drawn by two state legislatures were overly partisan, but worried whether judges themselves should be the ones to remedy the long-simmering issue.
Republican-led US Senate Rejects Green New Deal
The Republican-led Senate Tuesday night voted against consideration of the Democratically-supported New Green Deal -- the outline of an ambitious plan to get the U.S. off climate-changing fossil fuels.
Federal Spending Hits Highest Level Since Bank Bailout and Obama Stimulus
The federal government spent $1,822,712,000,000 in the first five months of fiscal 2019, the most it has spent in the first five months of any fiscal year since 2009, which was the fiscal year that outgoing President George W. Bush signed a $700-billion law to bailout the banking industry and incoming President Barack Obama signed a $787-billion law to stimulate an economy then in recession.
Republicans beat back House attempt to override Trump's border wall veto
House Democrats on Tuesday failed to garner the votes needed to override Trump’s veto of a bill blocking his emergency border wall funding.
Christian News
Advocates for Persecuted Christians Cite Need for Western Intervention as Nigerian Crisis Continues to Escalate
Boko Haram terrorists have finally taken over the town of Michika in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, after repeated incursions in 2014 and 2016.
UN’s 40th Session of the Human Rights Council Sees Petitions for Greater Acknowledgment of Christian Refugees
The plight of Vietnam’s Montagnard Christians was highlighted at this month’s 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council, as a string of advocates attempts to spur UN action on Christian refugees in 2019.
Cornell University Disinvites Black Christian Pro-Life Speaker Because of Her Belief in Biblical Marriage
A black Christian speaker was recently disinvited from an on-campus debate due to her biblical beliefs about sexuality. It's just the latest example of American universities blocking Christian views from the spotlight.
Democrats, Muslim lawmaker decry Christian prayer in Penn. House as divisive
The first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives said Tuesday she was offended by a colleague’s decision to open a voting session with a prayer a day earlier that 'at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.'
Around the World
Russia, Syria, Lebanon blast Trump’s Golan Heights recognition
Russia, Syria, and Lebanon on Monday criticized the United States for recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Russian military planes carrying troops and Moscow defense official land in Venezuela
Two Russian air force planes arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, carrying about 100 troops and nearly 40 tons of cargo.
Theresa May: No ‘sufficient support’ for third vote on Brexit deal
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons that there was still not enough support among MPs to bring her Brexit deal back for a third vote.
Trump turns to trade fights with Congress, China and Europe now that the Mueller probe is mostly out of the way
President Donald Trump will throw himself fully into his battle to overhaul U.S. trade deals this week with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation -- mostly -- behind him.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF bombs Hamas targets, including ‘secret HQ,’ after rocket hits Israeli home
The Israeli military began bombing targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Monday evening, some 12 hours after a rocket fired from the coastal enclave slammed into a home in central Israel, injuring seven people.
Alongside PM, Trump signs proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty on Golan
US President Donald Trump on Monday formally recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, saying the dramatic shift in American policy will help Israel defend itself against regional threats.
Israeli Missile Defense Chief: 1st Test of Arrow 3 over Alaska Coming Soon
Israel’s missile defense chief says his nation will soon use U.S. airspace for the first time to conduct a flight test of a system designed to protect the Jewish state from a long-range Iranian missile strike.
Inside the United States
Pentagon approves $1B transfer for 57 miles of border wall projects
The Pentagon has signed off on $1 billion for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to support the Homeland Security Department and Customs and Border Protection in constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Department of Defense announced Monday.
Democrats demand full Mueller report; Trump says that’s OK with him
President Donald Trump said Monday that the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report 'wouldn’t bother me at all' as congressional Democrats clamored for the Justice Department to release the entire document and not just the summary from Attorney General William Barr.
Michigan bars Christian adoption agencies from refusing LGBT couples after legal settlement
Adoption and foster care agencies in Michigan who contract with the state can no longer refuse to place children with qualified same-sex parents over religious reasons thanks to a legal settlement Friday that some fear will put faith-based agencies out of business.
Rubio leads constitutional push to stop Democrats ‘packing’ Supreme Court
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a constitutional amendment Monday which would preserve the Supreme Court at nine justices and prevent Democrats 'packing the court,' as some 2020 candidates have proposed.
The end for Obamacare? Trump administration says it will ask a court to throw out entire health law
The Trump administration told a federal court late Monday that it would ask judges to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act, a decision that cast further uncertainty over the future of a federal law that has extended health insurance to millions of Americans.
Ohio abortion clinics may lose funding if elective procedures are performed
Ohio officials have given notice to Planned Parenthood and other health care providers that the state may soon end their funding if they 'perform or promote' elective abortions, under a state law recently deemed constitutional by a federal appeals court.
The Flood-Hit Midwest Is Bracing for Even More Rain
Floodwaters are receding across most of the hard-hit Midwest, but there could be new problems if the forecast for significant rain later this week holds up. Already the flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries has caused at least $3 billion damage and forced thousands from their homes as floodwaters penetrated or flowed over several hundred miles of levees.
Homeland missile defense system takes out ICBM threat in historic salvo test
The Missile Defense Agency is deeming the first salvo test — conducted today — of its homeland missile defense system against an intercontinental ballistic missile threat a success, according an agency statement.
Trump Boost Bills to Teach Bible in Public Schools
President Trump signaled his support on Monday for state bills that would allow public schools to teach courses in the Bible, which he once proclaimed was his favorite book.
Miss. Governor Signs Heartbeat Bill
Phil Bryant, the Republican governor of Mississippi, signed a bill into law on March 21 that prohibits abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected, which is at approximately six weeks. In a tweet about the legislation, the governor said all people will answer to God one day and he wants to be able to say, 'I fought for the lives of innocent babies.'
Christian News
Moms Are Influencing Children for Christ. Dads? Not So Much, Survey Finds
Christians are far more likely to say their mothers had a bigger influence on their faith than did their fathers, according to a new Barna study that examines the roles that moms and dads play in the development of children.
Russia, Syria, Lebanon blast Trump’s Golan Heights recognition
Russia, Syria, and Lebanon on Monday criticized the United States for recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Russian military planes carrying troops and Moscow defense official land in Venezuela
Two Russian air force planes arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, carrying about 100 troops and nearly 40 tons of cargo.
Theresa May: No ‘sufficient support’ for third vote on Brexit deal
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons that there was still not enough support among MPs to bring her Brexit deal back for a third vote.
Trump turns to trade fights with Congress, China and Europe now that the Mueller probe is mostly out of the way
President Donald Trump will throw himself fully into his battle to overhaul U.S. trade deals this week with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation -- mostly -- behind him.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF bombs Hamas targets, including ‘secret HQ,’ after rocket hits Israeli home
The Israeli military began bombing targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Monday evening, some 12 hours after a rocket fired from the coastal enclave slammed into a home in central Israel, injuring seven people.
Alongside PM, Trump signs proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty on Golan
US President Donald Trump on Monday formally recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, saying the dramatic shift in American policy will help Israel defend itself against regional threats.
Israeli Missile Defense Chief: 1st Test of Arrow 3 over Alaska Coming Soon
Israel’s missile defense chief says his nation will soon use U.S. airspace for the first time to conduct a flight test of a system designed to protect the Jewish state from a long-range Iranian missile strike.
Inside the United States
Pentagon approves $1B transfer for 57 miles of border wall projects
The Pentagon has signed off on $1 billion for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to support the Homeland Security Department and Customs and Border Protection in constructing a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Department of Defense announced Monday.
Democrats demand full Mueller report; Trump says that’s OK with him
President Donald Trump said Monday that the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report 'wouldn’t bother me at all' as congressional Democrats clamored for the Justice Department to release the entire document and not just the summary from Attorney General William Barr.
Michigan bars Christian adoption agencies from refusing LGBT couples after legal settlement
Adoption and foster care agencies in Michigan who contract with the state can no longer refuse to place children with qualified same-sex parents over religious reasons thanks to a legal settlement Friday that some fear will put faith-based agencies out of business.
Rubio leads constitutional push to stop Democrats ‘packing’ Supreme Court
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a constitutional amendment Monday which would preserve the Supreme Court at nine justices and prevent Democrats 'packing the court,' as some 2020 candidates have proposed.
The end for Obamacare? Trump administration says it will ask a court to throw out entire health law
The Trump administration told a federal court late Monday that it would ask judges to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act, a decision that cast further uncertainty over the future of a federal law that has extended health insurance to millions of Americans.
Ohio abortion clinics may lose funding if elective procedures are performed
Ohio officials have given notice to Planned Parenthood and other health care providers that the state may soon end their funding if they 'perform or promote' elective abortions, under a state law recently deemed constitutional by a federal appeals court.
The Flood-Hit Midwest Is Bracing for Even More Rain
Floodwaters are receding across most of the hard-hit Midwest, but there could be new problems if the forecast for significant rain later this week holds up. Already the flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries has caused at least $3 billion damage and forced thousands from their homes as floodwaters penetrated or flowed over several hundred miles of levees.
Homeland missile defense system takes out ICBM threat in historic salvo test
The Missile Defense Agency is deeming the first salvo test — conducted today — of its homeland missile defense system against an intercontinental ballistic missile threat a success, according an agency statement.
Trump Boost Bills to Teach Bible in Public Schools
President Trump signaled his support on Monday for state bills that would allow public schools to teach courses in the Bible, which he once proclaimed was his favorite book.
Miss. Governor Signs Heartbeat Bill
Phil Bryant, the Republican governor of Mississippi, signed a bill into law on March 21 that prohibits abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected, which is at approximately six weeks. In a tweet about the legislation, the governor said all people will answer to God one day and he wants to be able to say, 'I fought for the lives of innocent babies.'
Christian News
Moms Are Influencing Children for Christ. Dads? Not So Much, Survey Finds
Christians are far more likely to say their mothers had a bigger influence on their faith than did their fathers, according to a new Barna study that examines the roles that moms and dads play in the development of children.
Around the World
US-backed Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State; end of caliphate
U.S.-backed Syrian forces declared victory over the Islamic State after announcing Saturday they had liberated the last ISIS stronghold in the eastern village of Baghouz and put an end to its self-declared Islamic caliphate.
Trump hints at possible compromise in Chinese tariffs
President Trump hinted Friday at a possible compromise in the upcoming trade talks with China: leaving in place tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods but negotiating on the remaining $200 billion worth of goods currently subject to tariffs.
Pompeo Urges Lebanese to ‘Stand Up to Hezbollah’s Criminality, Terror, and Threats’
On his weekend visit to Lebanon, which he portrayed beforehand as 'cleaning up for what the previous administration failed to do,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeatedly and unequivocally spoke out against Hezbollah and the Shi’ite terrorist group’s sponsor, Iran.
Death Toll in African Cyclone Rises Above 750 as Workers Try to Stop Cholera Outbreak
Cyclone Idai’s death toll has risen above 750 in the three southern African countries hit 10 days ago by the storm, as workers restore electricity, water and try to prevent outbreak of cholera, authorities said Sunday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF sends infantry and armored brigades to reinforce Gaza division
Israel has deployed two infantry and armored divisions to southern Israel and has begun a limited call up for reservists in the intelligence and air defense corps following rocket fire on central Israel Monday morning, the IDF said.
At least 7 injured, including 2 infants, in Gaza rocket attack on central Israel
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a residential building in central Israel early Monday morning, injuring at least seven people, including two infants, and leveling the structure, officials said.
Pompeo says Trump may have been sent by God to save Jews from Iran
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in an interview that President Donald Trump may have been sent by God to save the Jewish people, and said he was 'confident that the Lord is at work here.'
Abbas: I agreed to U.S.-led NATO force in 'Palestine'
The Palestinians have proposed deploying US-led NATO forces in a future Palestinian state to address Israel’s security concerns, PA President Mahmoud Abbas revealed on Saturday.
Netanyahu vows to respond ‘forcefully’ to rocket attack, cuts short US trip
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to the United States on Monday after a rocket fired from Gaza struck a residential building in central Israel early Monday morning, injuring at least seven people, including two infants, and leveling the structure.
Inside the United States
Mueller report summary released, showing no proof Trump team conspired with Russia
ttorney General William Barr on Sunday released the "principal conclusions" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's completed Russia probe in a bombshell four-page letter to Capitol Hill lawmakers, which stated definitively that Mueller did not establish evidence that President Trump's team or any associates of the Trump campaign had conspired with Russia to sway the 2016 election -- 'despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.'
Mueller report is blow to U.S. Democrats' plans to probe Trump
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusion that U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign did not collude with Russia in the 2016 election is a serious blow to Democrats who had hoped Mueller’s report would boost their own wide-ranging probes into Trump’s business dealings.
Georgia Senate Passes 'Heartbeat' Abortion Ban Bill
Amid protests and a heavy police presence, the Georgia Senate on Friday passed a bill banning almost all abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
Federal deficit balloons to record in February
The federal government's budget deficit grew to $234 billion in February, the largest monthly shortfall on record, according to a Treasury Department report Friday.
Christian News
Pakistani Christians Gather in Geneva to Protest U.N. Inaction on Blasphemy Law
Pakistani Christians rallied at the U.N. earlier this week demanding action on Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law, joined by members of European Parliament and human rights activists.
Britain Uses Violent Bible Verses to Deny Iranian Convert Asylum
The British government has been using the Bible against Christians seeking asylum after converting from Islam -- most recently, citing verses from Leviticus, Exodus, and Revelation as evidence that the faith was not more peaceful, as one Iranian convert claimed in his application.
Most Protestant pastors see school as 'negative influence' on spiritual formation
A majority of Protestant pastors and half of Catholic priests believe school is a negative influence on a child’s spiritual development, according to a new report by the Barna Group.
US-backed Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State; end of caliphate
U.S.-backed Syrian forces declared victory over the Islamic State after announcing Saturday they had liberated the last ISIS stronghold in the eastern village of Baghouz and put an end to its self-declared Islamic caliphate.
Trump hints at possible compromise in Chinese tariffs
President Trump hinted Friday at a possible compromise in the upcoming trade talks with China: leaving in place tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods but negotiating on the remaining $200 billion worth of goods currently subject to tariffs.
Pompeo Urges Lebanese to ‘Stand Up to Hezbollah’s Criminality, Terror, and Threats’
On his weekend visit to Lebanon, which he portrayed beforehand as 'cleaning up for what the previous administration failed to do,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeatedly and unequivocally spoke out against Hezbollah and the Shi’ite terrorist group’s sponsor, Iran.
Death Toll in African Cyclone Rises Above 750 as Workers Try to Stop Cholera Outbreak
Cyclone Idai’s death toll has risen above 750 in the three southern African countries hit 10 days ago by the storm, as workers restore electricity, water and try to prevent outbreak of cholera, authorities said Sunday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF sends infantry and armored brigades to reinforce Gaza division
Israel has deployed two infantry and armored divisions to southern Israel and has begun a limited call up for reservists in the intelligence and air defense corps following rocket fire on central Israel Monday morning, the IDF said.
At least 7 injured, including 2 infants, in Gaza rocket attack on central Israel
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a residential building in central Israel early Monday morning, injuring at least seven people, including two infants, and leveling the structure, officials said.
Pompeo says Trump may have been sent by God to save Jews from Iran
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested in an interview that President Donald Trump may have been sent by God to save the Jewish people, and said he was 'confident that the Lord is at work here.'
Abbas: I agreed to U.S.-led NATO force in 'Palestine'
The Palestinians have proposed deploying US-led NATO forces in a future Palestinian state to address Israel’s security concerns, PA President Mahmoud Abbas revealed on Saturday.
Netanyahu vows to respond ‘forcefully’ to rocket attack, cuts short US trip
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to the United States on Monday after a rocket fired from Gaza struck a residential building in central Israel early Monday morning, injuring at least seven people, including two infants, and leveling the structure.
Inside the United States
Mueller report summary released, showing no proof Trump team conspired with Russia
ttorney General William Barr on Sunday released the "principal conclusions" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's completed Russia probe in a bombshell four-page letter to Capitol Hill lawmakers, which stated definitively that Mueller did not establish evidence that President Trump's team or any associates of the Trump campaign had conspired with Russia to sway the 2016 election -- 'despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.'
Mueller report is blow to U.S. Democrats' plans to probe Trump
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusion that U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign did not collude with Russia in the 2016 election is a serious blow to Democrats who had hoped Mueller’s report would boost their own wide-ranging probes into Trump’s business dealings.
Georgia Senate Passes 'Heartbeat' Abortion Ban Bill
Amid protests and a heavy police presence, the Georgia Senate on Friday passed a bill banning almost all abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
Federal deficit balloons to record in February
The federal government's budget deficit grew to $234 billion in February, the largest monthly shortfall on record, according to a Treasury Department report Friday.
Christian News
Pakistani Christians Gather in Geneva to Protest U.N. Inaction on Blasphemy Law
Pakistani Christians rallied at the U.N. earlier this week demanding action on Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law, joined by members of European Parliament and human rights activists.
Britain Uses Violent Bible Verses to Deny Iranian Convert Asylum
The British government has been using the Bible against Christians seeking asylum after converting from Islam -- most recently, citing verses from Leviticus, Exodus, and Revelation as evidence that the faith was not more peaceful, as one Iranian convert claimed in his application.
Most Protestant pastors see school as 'negative influence' on spiritual formation
A majority of Protestant pastors and half of Catholic priests believe school is a negative influence on a child’s spiritual development, according to a new report by the Barna Group.