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
Trump administration blames Russian hackers with targeting energy grid, critical infrastructure
Russian government hackers have spent the last two years waging cyberattacks against U.S. government entities and multiple critical infrastructure sectors, the Trump administration said Thursday, marking the first time the White House has officially accused the Kremlin of attempting to breach its power grid amid rising tensions between Washington and Moscow.
US, Germany and France blame Russia for nerve agent attack
The leaders of the US, France, Germany have joined Britain’s prime minister in blaming Russia for the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in a nerve agent attack earlier this month.
South Korea gears up for summit, report shows North Korea testing reactor
South Korean officials began preparations on Friday for a summit next month with North Korea aimed at reducing tensions on the peninsula, as a report showed the North had probably begun testing a nuclear reactor as recently as late February.
U.S. Sanctions Russian Intelligence Services
The Trump administration on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on 19 Russians and two Russian intelligence agencies for their role in the 2016 election meddling and costly cyber attacks and penetrations.
With ‘new mandate,’ emboldened Putin to expand Russia’s adventurism abroad
There’s little suspense about Sunday’s Russian presidential election, but a lot of questions — and concerns — over what Vladimir Putin might do next with another six-year term in his pocket and a string of unresolved confrontations with the West.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF retaliates following explosion on northern Gaza border
Two explosive devices were detonated near the border fence along the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday morning. There were no casualties as the explosion was not near IDF soldiers. In retaliation, the IDF attacked five Hamas positions using tanks, and fired airstrikes at a sixth position.
TV report: Netanyahu tells cabinet Trump is likely to exit Iran deal by May
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of his cabinet this week that US President Donald Trump will likely walk away from the Iran nuclear deal this May, Channel 10 news reported Thursday.
Inside the United States
Mueller Broadens Russia Probe, Demands Documents from Trump Organization
Special counsel Robert Mueller is broadening his investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, subpoenaing the Trump Organization to hand over documents.
Top FBI official warned James Comey in 2014 of inefficiencies in warrantless phone surveillance program: Report
A retired FBI official who supervised the bureau’s warrantless phone surveillance program said then-Director James Comey took no action in response to his warnings about the inefficiencies of the program back in 2014.
Christian News
Bodies of 21 Christians Beheaded by ISIS to be Returned to Egypt
The bodies of the 21 Egyptian and Ghanaian Christians who were brutally beheaded by ISIS on the shore of a Libyan beach will be returned to their families in Egypt, according to Al Arabiya English.
Trump administration blames Russian hackers with targeting energy grid, critical infrastructure
Russian government hackers have spent the last two years waging cyberattacks against U.S. government entities and multiple critical infrastructure sectors, the Trump administration said Thursday, marking the first time the White House has officially accused the Kremlin of attempting to breach its power grid amid rising tensions between Washington and Moscow.
US, Germany and France blame Russia for nerve agent attack
The leaders of the US, France, Germany have joined Britain’s prime minister in blaming Russia for the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in a nerve agent attack earlier this month.
South Korea gears up for summit, report shows North Korea testing reactor
South Korean officials began preparations on Friday for a summit next month with North Korea aimed at reducing tensions on the peninsula, as a report showed the North had probably begun testing a nuclear reactor as recently as late February.
U.S. Sanctions Russian Intelligence Services
The Trump administration on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on 19 Russians and two Russian intelligence agencies for their role in the 2016 election meddling and costly cyber attacks and penetrations.
With ‘new mandate,’ emboldened Putin to expand Russia’s adventurism abroad
There’s little suspense about Sunday’s Russian presidential election, but a lot of questions — and concerns — over what Vladimir Putin might do next with another six-year term in his pocket and a string of unresolved confrontations with the West.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF retaliates following explosion on northern Gaza border
Two explosive devices were detonated near the border fence along the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday morning. There were no casualties as the explosion was not near IDF soldiers. In retaliation, the IDF attacked five Hamas positions using tanks, and fired airstrikes at a sixth position.
TV report: Netanyahu tells cabinet Trump is likely to exit Iran deal by May
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of his cabinet this week that US President Donald Trump will likely walk away from the Iran nuclear deal this May, Channel 10 news reported Thursday.
Inside the United States
Mueller Broadens Russia Probe, Demands Documents from Trump Organization
Special counsel Robert Mueller is broadening his investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, subpoenaing the Trump Organization to hand over documents.
Top FBI official warned James Comey in 2014 of inefficiencies in warrantless phone surveillance program: Report
A retired FBI official who supervised the bureau’s warrantless phone surveillance program said then-Director James Comey took no action in response to his warnings about the inefficiencies of the program back in 2014.
Christian News
Bodies of 21 Christians Beheaded by ISIS to be Returned to Egypt
The bodies of the 21 Egyptian and Ghanaian Christians who were brutally beheaded by ISIS on the shore of a Libyan beach will be returned to their families in Egypt, according to Al Arabiya English.
Around the World
U.K. expels 23 Russian diplomats over spy poisoning
Britain will expel nearly two dozen Russian diplomats, sever high-level bilateral contacts with Moscow and take both open and covert action against Kremlin meddling after the poisoning of a former spy, the prime minister said Wednesday, plunging U.K.-Russian relations into their deepest freeze since the Cold War.
Australia considering fast-track visa program for white South African farmers
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has announced he plans to examine ways to fast-track a visa program for white South African farmers.
Trump eyes tariffs on up to $60 billion Chinese goods; tech, telecoms, apparel targeted
U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports and will target the technology and telecommunications sectors, two people who had discussed the issue with the Trump administration said on Tuesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
More than 2,500 U.S. troops wrapping up Juniper Cobra in Israel
More than 2,500 U.S. troops have taken part in the Juniper Cobra joint exercise with Israeli Defense Forces, which concludes Thursday.
Palestinian PM survives assassination attempt as convoy bombed during Gaza visit
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an apparent assassination attempt when a bomb went off next to his convoy as he visited the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding several people, officials and Palestinian media reported.
Inside the United States
The Senate just quietly passed the biggest rollback of Wall Street regulations since the financial crisis
A major overhaul of the US financial system's regulatory structure passed the Senate on Wednesday in a move that could relax some of the most stringent post-financial-crisis regulations for dozens of banks.
Stop School Violence Act Passes House With Near Unanimous Support
The House of Representatives passed the Stop School Violence Act with broad support from both parties on Wednesday.
Rep. Trey Gowdy splits with Republicans on Russian targeting of Clinton campaign
Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Republican, has broken from his GOP colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee regarding their conclusion that Russia didn’t prefer President Trump over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 White House race.
Christian News
Atheists Challenge Kansas County Over Prayer Before Meetings
Local government officials in the second most populous county in Kansas are grappling with a challenge by atheists to a decades-old practice of opening meetings with prayer, prompting a Sedgwick County Commissioner to say during a public meeting Tuesday that if they don't believe in God, he doesn't care if they 'go to hell.'
Pa. County Continues Fight Against Atheists' Lawsuit Demanding Cross Be Removed From Seal
A Pennsylvania county is continuing its legal battle against an atheist group's lawsuit that's seeking to remove a cross from its official seal.
U.K. expels 23 Russian diplomats over spy poisoning
Britain will expel nearly two dozen Russian diplomats, sever high-level bilateral contacts with Moscow and take both open and covert action against Kremlin meddling after the poisoning of a former spy, the prime minister said Wednesday, plunging U.K.-Russian relations into their deepest freeze since the Cold War.
Australia considering fast-track visa program for white South African farmers
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has announced he plans to examine ways to fast-track a visa program for white South African farmers.
Trump eyes tariffs on up to $60 billion Chinese goods; tech, telecoms, apparel targeted
U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports and will target the technology and telecommunications sectors, two people who had discussed the issue with the Trump administration said on Tuesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
More than 2,500 U.S. troops wrapping up Juniper Cobra in Israel
More than 2,500 U.S. troops have taken part in the Juniper Cobra joint exercise with Israeli Defense Forces, which concludes Thursday.
Palestinian PM survives assassination attempt as convoy bombed during Gaza visit
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an apparent assassination attempt when a bomb went off next to his convoy as he visited the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding several people, officials and Palestinian media reported.
Inside the United States
The Senate just quietly passed the biggest rollback of Wall Street regulations since the financial crisis
A major overhaul of the US financial system's regulatory structure passed the Senate on Wednesday in a move that could relax some of the most stringent post-financial-crisis regulations for dozens of banks.
Stop School Violence Act Passes House With Near Unanimous Support
The House of Representatives passed the Stop School Violence Act with broad support from both parties on Wednesday.
Rep. Trey Gowdy splits with Republicans on Russian targeting of Clinton campaign
Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Republican, has broken from his GOP colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee regarding their conclusion that Russia didn’t prefer President Trump over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 White House race.
Christian News
Atheists Challenge Kansas County Over Prayer Before Meetings
Local government officials in the second most populous county in Kansas are grappling with a challenge by atheists to a decades-old practice of opening meetings with prayer, prompting a Sedgwick County Commissioner to say during a public meeting Tuesday that if they don't believe in God, he doesn't care if they 'go to hell.'
Pa. County Continues Fight Against Atheists' Lawsuit Demanding Cross Be Removed From Seal
A Pennsylvania county is continuing its legal battle against an atheist group's lawsuit that's seeking to remove a cross from its official seal.
Around the World
Turkish Newspaper Close To President Erdogan Calls To Form Joint Islamic Army To Fight Israel
On December 12, 2017, ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, the Turkish daily Yeni Safak, which is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AKP party, published an article titled 'A Call for Urgent Action,' which also appeared on the paper's website under the title 'What If an Army of Islam Was Formed against Israel?'
With Red Sea mega-city, Saudis eye economic unity with Egypt, Jordan
To observers, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud’s flagship idea may seem overly ambitious – to build a mega-city known as Neom along the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea that extends across the borders to Jordan and Egypt.
Russia says U.S. plans to strike Damascus, pledges military response
Russia said on Tuesday it had information that the United States planned to bomb the government quarter in Damascus on an invented pretext, and said it would respond militarily if it felt Russian lives were threatened by such an attack.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Convening Israelis and Arabs, White House says Gaza central to peace effort
Trump administration officials worked the phones for weeks to bring Israeli and Arab diplomats around the same table at the White House, and finally succeeded in doing so for the first time on Tuesday.
An Israel-Hezbollah war could easily draw in Iran, US intel official warns
A top Trump administration intelligence official warned of the 'real potential' of war between Israel and Hezbollah that could bring in Iran and embroil the region in conflict.
Hundreds of U.S. Marines, IDF troops train in southern Israel
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and US Marines trained shoulder-to-shoulder Monday in southern Israel as part of Juniper Cobra 2018, drilling on close urban combat and tunnel warfare.
Poll: 64% of Americans favor Israelis in conflict with Palestinians
A Gallup poll published Tuesday found that 64 percent of Americans sympathize with Israelis in the conflict with Palestinians.
Inside the United States
Trump fires Rex Tillerson, will nominate Mike Pompeo to replace him
President Trump has fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and will nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him.
Trump promises 'one of the largest military buildups' in history
President Donald Trump said he is overseeing a massive military buildup in remarks to troops at California's Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Tuesday.
Op-Ed: The Constitution may finally catch up with Obamacare
Obamacare's future is once again in jeopardy, thanks to one of the law's most stubborn opponents — the U.S. Constitution. Twenty states are suing the federal government in Texas on the grounds that, since Congress zeroed-out the penalty for the individual mandate, the law is no longer constitutional.
Major Networks Give Less than a Minute to House Committee’s ‘No Collusion’ Findings
On Monday, the House Intelligence Committee closed its inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, much to the chagrin of the liberal media. The committee confirmed that the Russians were indeed trying to cause chaos in the election, claimed they weren’t out to help candidate Donald Trump specifically and that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But during their evening broadcasts, ABC and CBS downplayed the findings while NBC ignored them.
Christian News
Sentencing of Pastor Adds to Uptick in Persecution in Algeria
In the latest of a rash of persecution incidents in Algeria, a judge on Thursday (March 8) sentenced a pastor to a fine and a suspended prison sentence under a law that prohibits causing Muslims to doubt their religion, sources said.
Christian Family Stabbed at Home by Armed Group in Baghdad
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on March 9, 2018, a Christian family of three living in Baghdad was found dead in their home. An investigation showed that they had been stabbed to death the previous day by an armed group and their valuables were stolen. The victims are Dr. Hisham Shafiq al-Maskuni, his wife Shaza Malik, and his elderly mother Khairiya Dawood.
'He's a Very Devout Christian': Why Pompeo Is Perfect Pick for Secretary of State
Despite skepticism over the latest White House cabinet shakeup, observers say CIA chief Mike Pompeo's replacement of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state will likely have a positive effect on US foreign policy.
Turkish Newspaper Close To President Erdogan Calls To Form Joint Islamic Army To Fight Israel
On December 12, 2017, ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, the Turkish daily Yeni Safak, which is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AKP party, published an article titled 'A Call for Urgent Action,' which also appeared on the paper's website under the title 'What If an Army of Islam Was Formed against Israel?'
With Red Sea mega-city, Saudis eye economic unity with Egypt, Jordan
To observers, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud’s flagship idea may seem overly ambitious – to build a mega-city known as Neom along the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea that extends across the borders to Jordan and Egypt.
Russia says U.S. plans to strike Damascus, pledges military response
Russia said on Tuesday it had information that the United States planned to bomb the government quarter in Damascus on an invented pretext, and said it would respond militarily if it felt Russian lives were threatened by such an attack.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Convening Israelis and Arabs, White House says Gaza central to peace effort
Trump administration officials worked the phones for weeks to bring Israeli and Arab diplomats around the same table at the White House, and finally succeeded in doing so for the first time on Tuesday.
An Israel-Hezbollah war could easily draw in Iran, US intel official warns
A top Trump administration intelligence official warned of the 'real potential' of war between Israel and Hezbollah that could bring in Iran and embroil the region in conflict.
Hundreds of U.S. Marines, IDF troops train in southern Israel
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and US Marines trained shoulder-to-shoulder Monday in southern Israel as part of Juniper Cobra 2018, drilling on close urban combat and tunnel warfare.
Poll: 64% of Americans favor Israelis in conflict with Palestinians
A Gallup poll published Tuesday found that 64 percent of Americans sympathize with Israelis in the conflict with Palestinians.
Inside the United States
Trump fires Rex Tillerson, will nominate Mike Pompeo to replace him
President Trump has fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and will nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him.
Trump promises 'one of the largest military buildups' in history
President Donald Trump said he is overseeing a massive military buildup in remarks to troops at California's Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Tuesday.
Op-Ed: The Constitution may finally catch up with Obamacare
Obamacare's future is once again in jeopardy, thanks to one of the law's most stubborn opponents — the U.S. Constitution. Twenty states are suing the federal government in Texas on the grounds that, since Congress zeroed-out the penalty for the individual mandate, the law is no longer constitutional.
Major Networks Give Less than a Minute to House Committee’s ‘No Collusion’ Findings
On Monday, the House Intelligence Committee closed its inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, much to the chagrin of the liberal media. The committee confirmed that the Russians were indeed trying to cause chaos in the election, claimed they weren’t out to help candidate Donald Trump specifically and that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. But during their evening broadcasts, ABC and CBS downplayed the findings while NBC ignored them.
Christian News
Sentencing of Pastor Adds to Uptick in Persecution in Algeria
In the latest of a rash of persecution incidents in Algeria, a judge on Thursday (March 8) sentenced a pastor to a fine and a suspended prison sentence under a law that prohibits causing Muslims to doubt their religion, sources said.
Christian Family Stabbed at Home by Armed Group in Baghdad
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on March 9, 2018, a Christian family of three living in Baghdad was found dead in their home. An investigation showed that they had been stabbed to death the previous day by an armed group and their valuables were stolen. The victims are Dr. Hisham Shafiq al-Maskuni, his wife Shaza Malik, and his elderly mother Khairiya Dawood.
'He's a Very Devout Christian': Why Pompeo Is Perfect Pick for Secretary of State
Despite skepticism over the latest White House cabinet shakeup, observers say CIA chief Mike Pompeo's replacement of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state will likely have a positive effect on US foreign policy.