Prophecy News Watch - January 3, 2020

Around the World
US kills powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad airstrike
Qassem Soleimani, the powerful head of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed in an airstrike at Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi TV and three Iraqi officials said Friday.
Esper promises to pre-emptively strike Iran if U.S. receives intelligence of impending attacks
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday that the U.S. was anticipating more attacks from Iran following an assault on the American embassy Tuesday that caused serious damage, promising to pre-emptively strike the Islamic Republic if reliable intelligence of a forthcoming attack surfaced.
Police in Hong Kong arrest hundreds on New Year's Day
Hong Kong police arrested 400 people on New Year's Day after what began as a peaceful protest deteriorated into protestors forming human chains and passing bricks to each other, police firing on them with tear gas.
Wildfires destroy hundreds of homes, cause thousands to flee in Australia in one week
Wildfires sweeping through Australia have caused thousands to flee and burned 381 homes to the ground in the last week, with officials not expecting the fires to let up until significant rainfalls come in a few months.
Iran militia in Iraq vows to legislate U.S. out of the country
The Iranian militia group Kataeb Hezbollah vowed to seek the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraqi territory Thursday through legal channels after protests manufactured by Iran wreaked havoc on the U.S. embassy earlier in the week.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel set to build advanced national communications satellite
Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer will develop and manufacture a national communications satellite that is expected to serve the country's needs for at least 15 years.
Israel moving towards ‘calm’ agreement with Hamas
Israel made progress toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, in a two-hour meeting on Wednesday that ended without a vote.

Inside the United States
More than 200 members of Congress ask Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade in latest abortion case
More than 200 members of Congress asked the Supreme Court to consider overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, when it takes up a major abortion case this spring.

Christian News
Earliest Christian church in sub-Saharan Africa discovered in Ethiopia
Researchers have discovered what is thought to be the oldest church in sub-Saharan Africa in Ethiopia, allowing scholars to now reliably date the spread of Christianity to the continent to the Constantinian era.
Christians in India dragged to jail and charged with illegal medicine for healing prayers
Christians in central India accused of illegally practicing medicine spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in jail, later discovering that the charges against them applied to prayers for healing in which they had engaged.
Chinese Christians on the mainland punished for Hong Kong protests
Officials in China are extremely threatened by the involvement of Christians in recent mass protests in Hong Kong, with many churches on the mainland pinned for supposed extremism in recent months for their association with Christians in the Special Administrative Region.
Trump admin condemns imprisonment of Chinese pastor Wang Yi, calls for his release: 'We are alarmed'
The Trump administration has condemned the imprisonment of Wang Yi, pastor of one of China's best-known unregistered house churches, calling it another example of 'Beijing's intensification of repression of Chinese Christians and members of other religious groups.'