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
Maria 'potentially most catastrophic hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century': Governor
As residents of Puerto Rico brace for Hurricane Maria -- which slammed into the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm Monday night -- Puerto Rico's governor is calling the storm 'the biggest and potentially most catastrophic hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century.'
At least 149 dead in Mexico after magnitude 7.1 earthquake
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake stunned central Mexico on Tuesday, killing at least 149 people as buildings collapsed in plumes of dust. Thousands fled into the streets in panic, and many stayed to help rescue trapped victims.
‘Flawed’ Iran nuke deal must be reworked, Tillerson says
The United States is looking for support from its allies to persuade Iran to re-open talks on the nuclear deal, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, pointing to the fact that it will expire as its biggest problem.
Trump Invokes 'the Almighty God Who Made Us All' in UN Push for Freedom
President Trump took the America First message that carried him through the election to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
If threatened, U.S. will 'totally destroy' North Korea, Trump vows
U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his standoff with North Korea over its nuclear challenge on Tuesday, threatening to “totally destroy” the country of 26 million people and mocking its leader, Kim Jong Un, as a 'rocket man.'
The Moon Blocks 3 Planets, Star Today
Earth's nearest neighbor occulted, or covered up, Venus and the bright star Regulus in the sky this morning, and will swallow up Mars and Mercury this evening.
Putin displays massive firepower in Russian war games on border with Europe
Russia's big Zapad 2017 military exercises, believed to be the largest since the end of the Cold War, entered the news again on Tuesday after a video emerged appearing to show a Russian attack helicopter firing its rockets into a group of bystanders during drills.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu slams Iran deal in fiery UN speech, urges world to ‘fix it or nix it’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly condemned the Iran nuclear deal in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, warning that the accord will pave the way for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons if it is not scrapped or altered.
Contradicting IDF, US says it didn’t establish military base in Israel
The American military on Tuesday denied a claim made by the Israel Defense Forces that the United States had established its first base in Israel, saying the new buildings were instead a “living facility.”
Netanyahu Responds to UN ‘Absurdities’ Concerning Israel: ‘It’s Called the Bible. I Highly Recommend It’
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday attacked 'absurdities' in U.N. agencies’ treatment of Israel, invoking tennis legend John McEnroe, the Bible -- and penguins -- in a speech that was in turn deadly serious about Iran, upbeat about Israeli diplomatic breakthroughs, and thankful to the Trump administration for its outspoken support.
Israel Shoots Down Iranian-made Hezbollah Drone Over Syria Border
The Israel Defense Forces shot down an Iranian-made drone operated by Hezbollah on Tuesday afternoon after the drone entered the demilitarized zone along the border between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights. The Israel Air Force’s aerial defense command fired a Patriot missile and destroyed the drone.
Inside the United States
Senate GOP Reaches Tentative Deal For 10 Year, $1.5 Trillion Tax Cut
Senate Republicans announced Tuesday that they have struck a tentative deal for sweeping tax reform, with tax cuts totaling $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
Report: Trump Strongly Supports Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill, Would Sign It
President Donald Trump is encouraging the Senate to pass a bill proposed by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.) to repeal and replace Obamacare, and one administration official said Tuesday that Trump will sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.
Paul Manafort spokesman: Wiretap report leaks are a 'felony'
Paul Manafort's spokesman condemned recent reports that his client had been surveilled by federal officials while serving in the Trump campaign and after the 2016 presidential election as well.
Christian News
Christian Father of Two in Pakistan Sentenced to Death for ‘Blaspheming’ Prophet of Islam
A Christian father of two in Pakistan has been sentenced to death for blaspheming Islam’s prophet in a phone text even though he is illiterate, sources said.
Senators push for churches to get disaster relief grants
Four Republican senators introduced a bill Monday that would allow churches to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program grants, putting the houses of worship on the same playing field as non-religious nonprofits.
Maria 'potentially most catastrophic hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century': Governor
As residents of Puerto Rico brace for Hurricane Maria -- which slammed into the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm Monday night -- Puerto Rico's governor is calling the storm 'the biggest and potentially most catastrophic hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century.'
At least 149 dead in Mexico after magnitude 7.1 earthquake
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake stunned central Mexico on Tuesday, killing at least 149 people as buildings collapsed in plumes of dust. Thousands fled into the streets in panic, and many stayed to help rescue trapped victims.
‘Flawed’ Iran nuke deal must be reworked, Tillerson says
The United States is looking for support from its allies to persuade Iran to re-open talks on the nuclear deal, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, pointing to the fact that it will expire as its biggest problem.
Trump Invokes 'the Almighty God Who Made Us All' in UN Push for Freedom
President Trump took the America First message that carried him through the election to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
If threatened, U.S. will 'totally destroy' North Korea, Trump vows
U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his standoff with North Korea over its nuclear challenge on Tuesday, threatening to “totally destroy” the country of 26 million people and mocking its leader, Kim Jong Un, as a 'rocket man.'
The Moon Blocks 3 Planets, Star Today
Earth's nearest neighbor occulted, or covered up, Venus and the bright star Regulus in the sky this morning, and will swallow up Mars and Mercury this evening.
Putin displays massive firepower in Russian war games on border with Europe
Russia's big Zapad 2017 military exercises, believed to be the largest since the end of the Cold War, entered the news again on Tuesday after a video emerged appearing to show a Russian attack helicopter firing its rockets into a group of bystanders during drills.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu slams Iran deal in fiery UN speech, urges world to ‘fix it or nix it’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly condemned the Iran nuclear deal in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, warning that the accord will pave the way for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons if it is not scrapped or altered.
Contradicting IDF, US says it didn’t establish military base in Israel
The American military on Tuesday denied a claim made by the Israel Defense Forces that the United States had established its first base in Israel, saying the new buildings were instead a “living facility.”
Netanyahu Responds to UN ‘Absurdities’ Concerning Israel: ‘It’s Called the Bible. I Highly Recommend It’
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday attacked 'absurdities' in U.N. agencies’ treatment of Israel, invoking tennis legend John McEnroe, the Bible -- and penguins -- in a speech that was in turn deadly serious about Iran, upbeat about Israeli diplomatic breakthroughs, and thankful to the Trump administration for its outspoken support.
Israel Shoots Down Iranian-made Hezbollah Drone Over Syria Border
The Israel Defense Forces shot down an Iranian-made drone operated by Hezbollah on Tuesday afternoon after the drone entered the demilitarized zone along the border between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights. The Israel Air Force’s aerial defense command fired a Patriot missile and destroyed the drone.
Inside the United States
Senate GOP Reaches Tentative Deal For 10 Year, $1.5 Trillion Tax Cut
Senate Republicans announced Tuesday that they have struck a tentative deal for sweeping tax reform, with tax cuts totaling $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
Report: Trump Strongly Supports Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill, Would Sign It
President Donald Trump is encouraging the Senate to pass a bill proposed by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.) to repeal and replace Obamacare, and one administration official said Tuesday that Trump will sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.
Paul Manafort spokesman: Wiretap report leaks are a 'felony'
Paul Manafort's spokesman condemned recent reports that his client had been surveilled by federal officials while serving in the Trump campaign and after the 2016 presidential election as well.
Christian News
Christian Father of Two in Pakistan Sentenced to Death for ‘Blaspheming’ Prophet of Islam
A Christian father of two in Pakistan has been sentenced to death for blaspheming Islam’s prophet in a phone text even though he is illiterate, sources said.
Senators push for churches to get disaster relief grants
Four Republican senators introduced a bill Monday that would allow churches to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program grants, putting the houses of worship on the same playing field as non-religious nonprofits.
Around the World
Ahead of UN meet, Trump vows: US won't let Iran take over Syria
'The U.S. won't let Iran gain control over Syria. The U.S. won't leave Israel alone in the battlefield,' a senior White House official quoted U.S. President Donald Trump as saying unequivocally in a meeting on the topic over the weekend, amid reports suggesting that Iran was cementing its foothold in Syria and building precision missile factories in the south of the war-torn country.
Category 5 Hurricane Maria to lash Irma-battered Caribbean islands with flooding, damaging winds
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Maria -- on a path that would take it near many of the islands already wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic -- is an "extremely dangerous" storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. It was centered about 15 miles east-southeast of Dominica -- or 40 miles east of Martinique -- and heading west-northwest at 9 mph late Monday afternoon.
Trump to rail against North Korea at U.N., seek united front against nuclear and missile programs
President Trump will turn up the heat on North Korea and call out countries that coddle the rogue regime Tuesday in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, said a senior White House official who recognized that the threat of war loomed over the speech.
Trump says U.S. prepared for ‘further action’ against Venezuelan government
President Trump told leaders of Latin American nations Monday night that the U.S. is ready to take “further action” against the Venezuelan government if President Nicolas Maduro persists in repression.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iran Threatens to Destroy Israel's Tel Aviv, But Gulf Arab States Appear Closer to Former Foe
Iran's army chief warned Monday that his country would immediately lay waste to Israel's commercial capital of Tel Aviv should Israeli leaders make any mistakes.
With Ballistic Missile Radar, U.S. Opens First Permanent Military Base in Israel
The first permanent U.S. military base in Israel was dedicated on Monday.
Inside the United States
ISIS Calls for 'Lone Wolf' Attacks on Hurricane Victims at Relief Shelters
The Islamic State is calling for lone wolf attacks on hurricane relief centers in Houston and Miami.
Hurricane Maria rips into Caribbean and could sling Jose toward the US East Coast
Hurricane Maria made landfall Monday evening as an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm on the island of Dominica and is expected wreak devastation across the Caribbean over the next couple of days before making a turn north when it could dance around a meandering Hurricane Jose and send that storm flying toward the East Coast.
St. Louis protesters return to streets after 120 arrested
A large crowd gathered outside the prison in St. Louis, Missouri, overnight to call for the release of protesters still in police custody. Earlier, several hundred people also marched peacefully through the city's downtown, while high school students in at least two districts also joined a demonstration.
Feds were wiretapping head of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign
U.S. government investigators were wiretapping the head of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, both before and after the election, CNN reported Monday night.
Trump’s shift away from using the term radical ‘Islam’ rattles his base
As President Trump’s staunchest backers wonder why he has suddenly dropped 'Islamic' from two important war speeches, the mystery in the latter instance can be traced to the Pentagon, says an administration source.
Christian News
God is using hurricanes to speak to us, says Anne Graham Lotz
Is God trying to send people a message with all of the catastrophic natural disasters taking place all over the world? As far as Anne Graham Lotz of AnGel Ministries is concerned, the answer is yes.
Christians With Muslim or Buddhist Backgrounds Most Heavily Persecuted in China; Leader Pleads for Bibles
Believers with Muslim and Buddhist backgrounds are the most persecuted Christian groups in China, according to a watchdog organization. And those Christians are in urgent need of Bibles in their own languages.
Ahead of UN meet, Trump vows: US won't let Iran take over Syria
'The U.S. won't let Iran gain control over Syria. The U.S. won't leave Israel alone in the battlefield,' a senior White House official quoted U.S. President Donald Trump as saying unequivocally in a meeting on the topic over the weekend, amid reports suggesting that Iran was cementing its foothold in Syria and building precision missile factories in the south of the war-torn country.
Category 5 Hurricane Maria to lash Irma-battered Caribbean islands with flooding, damaging winds
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Maria -- on a path that would take it near many of the islands already wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic -- is an "extremely dangerous" storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. It was centered about 15 miles east-southeast of Dominica -- or 40 miles east of Martinique -- and heading west-northwest at 9 mph late Monday afternoon.
Trump to rail against North Korea at U.N., seek united front against nuclear and missile programs
President Trump will turn up the heat on North Korea and call out countries that coddle the rogue regime Tuesday in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, said a senior White House official who recognized that the threat of war loomed over the speech.
Trump says U.S. prepared for ‘further action’ against Venezuelan government
President Trump told leaders of Latin American nations Monday night that the U.S. is ready to take “further action” against the Venezuelan government if President Nicolas Maduro persists in repression.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iran Threatens to Destroy Israel's Tel Aviv, But Gulf Arab States Appear Closer to Former Foe
Iran's army chief warned Monday that his country would immediately lay waste to Israel's commercial capital of Tel Aviv should Israeli leaders make any mistakes.
With Ballistic Missile Radar, U.S. Opens First Permanent Military Base in Israel
The first permanent U.S. military base in Israel was dedicated on Monday.
Inside the United States
ISIS Calls for 'Lone Wolf' Attacks on Hurricane Victims at Relief Shelters
The Islamic State is calling for lone wolf attacks on hurricane relief centers in Houston and Miami.
Hurricane Maria rips into Caribbean and could sling Jose toward the US East Coast
Hurricane Maria made landfall Monday evening as an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm on the island of Dominica and is expected wreak devastation across the Caribbean over the next couple of days before making a turn north when it could dance around a meandering Hurricane Jose and send that storm flying toward the East Coast.
St. Louis protesters return to streets after 120 arrested
A large crowd gathered outside the prison in St. Louis, Missouri, overnight to call for the release of protesters still in police custody. Earlier, several hundred people also marched peacefully through the city's downtown, while high school students in at least two districts also joined a demonstration.
Feds were wiretapping head of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign
U.S. government investigators were wiretapping the head of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, both before and after the election, CNN reported Monday night.
Trump’s shift away from using the term radical ‘Islam’ rattles his base
As President Trump’s staunchest backers wonder why he has suddenly dropped 'Islamic' from two important war speeches, the mystery in the latter instance can be traced to the Pentagon, says an administration source.
Christian News
God is using hurricanes to speak to us, says Anne Graham Lotz
Is God trying to send people a message with all of the catastrophic natural disasters taking place all over the world? As far as Anne Graham Lotz of AnGel Ministries is concerned, the answer is yes.
Christians With Muslim or Buddhist Backgrounds Most Heavily Persecuted in China; Leader Pleads for Bibles
Believers with Muslim and Buddhist backgrounds are the most persecuted Christian groups in China, according to a watchdog organization. And those Christians are in urgent need of Bibles in their own languages.
Around the World
White House: No thaw on Paris climate accord unless Trump gets better deal
Trump administration officials said Sunday that the president’s stance on the Paris climate agreement hasn’t changed: He’s open to re-engaging as long as he gets a better deal.
Russia's Lavrov, US's Tillerson discuss Syria, Ukraine, Middle East
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed cooperation on the Syrian crisis, Middle East issues, and the agreement to bring peace to Ukraine in a meeting on Sunday, Lavrov's spokeswoman said.
Irma-battered Caribbean islands brace for Hurricane Maria’s flooding, damaging winds
Maria, a Category 1 hurricane, poses a significant threat to Irma-devastated areas in the northern Caribbean early this week.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hamas says ready to hand Gaza to a Palestinian unity government
Hamas has agreed to dissolve the administration that runs Gaza, it said on Sunday, a major step towards handing control of the enclave to a Palestinian unity government after a decade of bitter rivalry with President Mahmoud Abbas.
Netanyahu to give Trump ‘concrete ideas’ on Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will suggest 'concrete ideas' to US President Donald Trump during their meeting in New York on Monday to either change or scrap the Iranian nuclear deal, sources in the Prime Minister’s entourage said on Sunday.
Netanyahu will again take aim at Iran in United Nations speech
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lay out a comprehensive case against Iran in his upcoming speech at the United Nations, 'connecting the dots' between the nuclear deal and Tehran’s desire to establish itself militarily on Israel’s northern border, Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Sunday.
Hezbollah’s New Strength Leaves Israeli Border Tense
Deep in the rugged hills close to the Israeli border, two Hezbollah fighters crouched near a small fire, which heated a teapot. Despite the late-summer sun, they were both wearing full face masks to disguise their identity, because Hezbollah forbids its members from speaking with foreign reporters.
Inside the United States
Protests, Violence Continues For a Second Night After Officer’s Acquittal
Protests near St. Louis turned violent for the second night Saturday in reaction to the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man, as a small group of demonstrators refused to disperse, breaking windows at dozens of businesses and throwing objects at police, who moved in with hundreds of officers in riot gear to make arrests.
Senate GOP tries one last time to repeal Obamacare
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his leadership team are seriously considering voting on a bill that would scale back the federal government’s role in the health care system and instead provide block grants to states, congressional and Trump administration sources said.
Hurricane Jose staying off U.S. East Coast as Storm Maria forms
Hurricane Jose is expected to pass east of the North Carolina coast on Monday and remain off the U.S. East Coast from Virginia to New England, while Tropical Storm Maria formed and is forecast to become a hurricane early next week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.
Six Small Earthquakes Shake East San Jose
Six minor earthquakes rattled parts of the South Bay on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Society, and three of them were strong enough to be felt across the region.
Christian News
China tightens its 'choke-hold' on churches, enforces ban on children worshipping
China has tightened its 'choke-hold' on churches across the country in recent weeks, according to the rights and religious freedom group China Aid.
White House: No thaw on Paris climate accord unless Trump gets better deal
Trump administration officials said Sunday that the president’s stance on the Paris climate agreement hasn’t changed: He’s open to re-engaging as long as he gets a better deal.
Russia's Lavrov, US's Tillerson discuss Syria, Ukraine, Middle East
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed cooperation on the Syrian crisis, Middle East issues, and the agreement to bring peace to Ukraine in a meeting on Sunday, Lavrov's spokeswoman said.
Irma-battered Caribbean islands brace for Hurricane Maria’s flooding, damaging winds
Maria, a Category 1 hurricane, poses a significant threat to Irma-devastated areas in the northern Caribbean early this week.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hamas says ready to hand Gaza to a Palestinian unity government
Hamas has agreed to dissolve the administration that runs Gaza, it said on Sunday, a major step towards handing control of the enclave to a Palestinian unity government after a decade of bitter rivalry with President Mahmoud Abbas.
Netanyahu to give Trump ‘concrete ideas’ on Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will suggest 'concrete ideas' to US President Donald Trump during their meeting in New York on Monday to either change or scrap the Iranian nuclear deal, sources in the Prime Minister’s entourage said on Sunday.
Netanyahu will again take aim at Iran in United Nations speech
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lay out a comprehensive case against Iran in his upcoming speech at the United Nations, 'connecting the dots' between the nuclear deal and Tehran’s desire to establish itself militarily on Israel’s northern border, Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Sunday.
Hezbollah’s New Strength Leaves Israeli Border Tense
Deep in the rugged hills close to the Israeli border, two Hezbollah fighters crouched near a small fire, which heated a teapot. Despite the late-summer sun, they were both wearing full face masks to disguise their identity, because Hezbollah forbids its members from speaking with foreign reporters.
Inside the United States
Protests, Violence Continues For a Second Night After Officer’s Acquittal
Protests near St. Louis turned violent for the second night Saturday in reaction to the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man, as a small group of demonstrators refused to disperse, breaking windows at dozens of businesses and throwing objects at police, who moved in with hundreds of officers in riot gear to make arrests.
Senate GOP tries one last time to repeal Obamacare
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his leadership team are seriously considering voting on a bill that would scale back the federal government’s role in the health care system and instead provide block grants to states, congressional and Trump administration sources said.
Hurricane Jose staying off U.S. East Coast as Storm Maria forms
Hurricane Jose is expected to pass east of the North Carolina coast on Monday and remain off the U.S. East Coast from Virginia to New England, while Tropical Storm Maria formed and is forecast to become a hurricane early next week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.
Six Small Earthquakes Shake East San Jose
Six minor earthquakes rattled parts of the South Bay on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Society, and three of them were strong enough to be felt across the region.
Christian News
China tightens its 'choke-hold' on churches, enforces ban on children worshipping
China has tightened its 'choke-hold' on churches across the country in recent weeks, according to the rights and religious freedom group China Aid.