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
Sweden Raising Terror Threat After Koran Burnings
Sweden on Thursday raised its terrorist threat level to the second-highest level possible amid heightened security fears over several burnings of the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims.
Switzerland Closes World’s Largest Tunnel After Derailment
Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel once viewed as a human miracle, will be closed for months for passenger services after a derailment, the country's primary railway operator SBB acknowledged Thursday.
Widespread blackouts in Lebanon, airport running on electric generators
Lebanon’s al-Zahrani and Deir Ammar power stations, in the south and north of the country respectively, have ceased operations due to the operating company’s financial debt, the Electricity Authority of Lebanon announced Wednesday evening.
Putin, Raisi Hold Call, Discuss Possible Iranian Membership Of BRICS
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed Iran's possible future membership of the BRICS grouping during a phone call on Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Germany to buy Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system in largest-ever Israeli arms deal
The US Ministry of Defense on Thursday announced it has approved the $3.5 billion sale of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, in what is Israel’s largest security deal ever, Ynet News reports. Senior officials in the German and Israeli defense ministries will be convening to ratify the deal.
Inside the United States
US: Retail spending rises despite higher interest rates and high inflation
Retail spending in the United States rose in July at a much faster rate than it did in the previous month, reflecting what analysts believe is continued resilience from US consumers despite higher interest rates and still-high inflation. July was also the fourth consecutive month that retail sales increased.
Pig kidney functioning normally one month after transplant into brain-dead man
In a breakthrough for organ transplant medical research, the kidney of a genetically modified pig is reported to be working normally one month after surgeons at America’s NYU Langone Health Institute transplanted it into a brain-dead man on July 14, Time reports.
Idaho Appeals Court Upholds Block of Transgender Athletes Law
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a decision blocking Idaho's first-in-the-nation ban on transgender athletes in girls and women's sports.
Parents can’t sue school district for hiding students’ gender transitions: 4th Circuit
A panel of federal judges has ruled that a group of parents doesn't have standing to challenge a Maryland school district policy enabling officials to keep children's gender transitions a secret from their parents.
Hunter Biden tax charges dismissed by federal judge following plea deal breakdown
Hunter Biden's misdemeanor tax charges have been dismissed by a federal judge in Delaware, an expected move after his "sweetheart" plea deal fell through last month during his first court appearance in the case.
Christian News
Tens of Thousands of Armenian Christians Cut Off by Military Blockade in Dire Straits
Tens of thousands of Armenian Christians are languishing in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, due to a military blockade that is cutting them off from the outside world.
Pakistan Detains Over 100 Muslims Over Anti-Christian Violence (Worthy News Investigation)
More than 100 were arrested, and criminal investigations were launched against hundreds of others in east Pakistan city after thousands of Muslims burned churches and vandalized homes, Christians and officials said Thursday.
Sweden Raising Terror Threat After Koran Burnings
Sweden on Thursday raised its terrorist threat level to the second-highest level possible amid heightened security fears over several burnings of the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims.
Switzerland Closes World’s Largest Tunnel After Derailment
Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest rail tunnel once viewed as a human miracle, will be closed for months for passenger services after a derailment, the country's primary railway operator SBB acknowledged Thursday.
Widespread blackouts in Lebanon, airport running on electric generators
Lebanon’s al-Zahrani and Deir Ammar power stations, in the south and north of the country respectively, have ceased operations due to the operating company’s financial debt, the Electricity Authority of Lebanon announced Wednesday evening.
Putin, Raisi Hold Call, Discuss Possible Iranian Membership Of BRICS
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed Iran's possible future membership of the BRICS grouping during a phone call on Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Germany to buy Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system in largest-ever Israeli arms deal
The US Ministry of Defense on Thursday announced it has approved the $3.5 billion sale of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, in what is Israel’s largest security deal ever, Ynet News reports. Senior officials in the German and Israeli defense ministries will be convening to ratify the deal.
Inside the United States
US: Retail spending rises despite higher interest rates and high inflation
Retail spending in the United States rose in July at a much faster rate than it did in the previous month, reflecting what analysts believe is continued resilience from US consumers despite higher interest rates and still-high inflation. July was also the fourth consecutive month that retail sales increased.
Pig kidney functioning normally one month after transplant into brain-dead man
In a breakthrough for organ transplant medical research, the kidney of a genetically modified pig is reported to be working normally one month after surgeons at America’s NYU Langone Health Institute transplanted it into a brain-dead man on July 14, Time reports.
Idaho Appeals Court Upholds Block of Transgender Athletes Law
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a decision blocking Idaho's first-in-the-nation ban on transgender athletes in girls and women's sports.
Parents can’t sue school district for hiding students’ gender transitions: 4th Circuit
A panel of federal judges has ruled that a group of parents doesn't have standing to challenge a Maryland school district policy enabling officials to keep children's gender transitions a secret from their parents.
Hunter Biden tax charges dismissed by federal judge following plea deal breakdown
Hunter Biden's misdemeanor tax charges have been dismissed by a federal judge in Delaware, an expected move after his "sweetheart" plea deal fell through last month during his first court appearance in the case.
Christian News
Tens of Thousands of Armenian Christians Cut Off by Military Blockade in Dire Straits
Tens of thousands of Armenian Christians are languishing in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, due to a military blockade that is cutting them off from the outside world.
Pakistan Detains Over 100 Muslims Over Anti-Christian Violence (Worthy News Investigation)
More than 100 were arrested, and criminal investigations were launched against hundreds of others in east Pakistan city after thousands of Muslims burned churches and vandalized homes, Christians and officials said Thursday.
Around the World
25% of world population faces extreme water stress every year, report says
A new report shows that 25 countries, home to 25% of the world’s population, face extremely high water stress every year, using up almost their entire annual supply of water. Titled the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, the report was prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI).
Merchant Ship Leaves for Black Sea as Ukraine-Russia Battles Rage (Worthy News Radio)
Ukraine said Wednesday that its forces entrenched themselves on the outskirts of Urozhaine after recapturing the settlement in the Donetsk region of Russian troops. The announcement came while a merchant ship left the Ukrainian port of Odesa, despite concerns Russia could target vessels in the Black Sea amid attacks that reportedly killed several people.
Britain Detains Suspected Russian Spies
Questions remained Wednesday after three suspected spies for Russia in Britain were detained and charged in a major national security investigation, several sources said.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Chairman of US Joint Chiefs will visit Israel to assess IDF readiness for war
The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, is set to visit Israel next week to address concerns and assess the Israel Defense Forces’ readiness for war following months of nationwide protests against the government’s judicial reform program, i24News reports.
Archaeologists unearth the most ancient city gate ever found in Israel
Archaeologists have uncovered a 5,500-year-old city gate in southern Israel, the most ancient city gate ever unearthed in the Holy Land, the Jerusalem Post reports. Discovered close to city fortifications, the gate represents the beginning of urbanization in the Land of Israel and the Levant.
Inside the United States
TX Targets America’s Largest Abortion Provider with $1.8B Lawsuit
Texas wants Planned Parenthood to give back millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements — and pay far more in fines on top of that — in a lawsuit that appears to be the first of its kind brought by a state against the largest abortion provider in the U.S.
Appeals court wants limits on abortion pill access, sending case to Supreme Court
The abortion drug mifepristone should be more tightly regulated than it is now, with limits on the drug at seven weeks of gestation and requirements that patients obtain the pill in person instead of through the mail, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
Christian News
Muslims Burn Churches In Pakistan
Angry Muslim crowds have torched two churches in Pakistan’s Punjab province, forcing Christians to flee their homes after blasphemy allegations, footage sent to Worthy News early Wednesday shows.
Indonesia: Muslims demonstrators damage, disrupt two churches
Muslim protestors blocked worship services from taking place at two separate churches in northern Indonesia earlier this month, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. While Christianity is legal under the Indonesian Constitution, the Muslim-majority country ranks 33rd on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
25% of world population faces extreme water stress every year, report says
A new report shows that 25 countries, home to 25% of the world’s population, face extremely high water stress every year, using up almost their entire annual supply of water. Titled the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, the report was prepared by the World Resources Institute (WRI).
Merchant Ship Leaves for Black Sea as Ukraine-Russia Battles Rage (Worthy News Radio)
Ukraine said Wednesday that its forces entrenched themselves on the outskirts of Urozhaine after recapturing the settlement in the Donetsk region of Russian troops. The announcement came while a merchant ship left the Ukrainian port of Odesa, despite concerns Russia could target vessels in the Black Sea amid attacks that reportedly killed several people.
Britain Detains Suspected Russian Spies
Questions remained Wednesday after three suspected spies for Russia in Britain were detained and charged in a major national security investigation, several sources said.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Chairman of US Joint Chiefs will visit Israel to assess IDF readiness for war
The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, is set to visit Israel next week to address concerns and assess the Israel Defense Forces’ readiness for war following months of nationwide protests against the government’s judicial reform program, i24News reports.
Archaeologists unearth the most ancient city gate ever found in Israel
Archaeologists have uncovered a 5,500-year-old city gate in southern Israel, the most ancient city gate ever unearthed in the Holy Land, the Jerusalem Post reports. Discovered close to city fortifications, the gate represents the beginning of urbanization in the Land of Israel and the Levant.
Inside the United States
TX Targets America’s Largest Abortion Provider with $1.8B Lawsuit
Texas wants Planned Parenthood to give back millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements — and pay far more in fines on top of that — in a lawsuit that appears to be the first of its kind brought by a state against the largest abortion provider in the U.S.
Appeals court wants limits on abortion pill access, sending case to Supreme Court
The abortion drug mifepristone should be more tightly regulated than it is now, with limits on the drug at seven weeks of gestation and requirements that patients obtain the pill in person instead of through the mail, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
Christian News
Muslims Burn Churches In Pakistan
Angry Muslim crowds have torched two churches in Pakistan’s Punjab province, forcing Christians to flee their homes after blasphemy allegations, footage sent to Worthy News early Wednesday shows.
Indonesia: Muslims demonstrators damage, disrupt two churches
Muslim protestors blocked worship services from taking place at two separate churches in northern Indonesia earlier this month, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. While Christianity is legal under the Indonesian Constitution, the Muslim-majority country ranks 33rd on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Around the World
North Korea Says Detained U.S. Soldier Admits ‘Illegally’ Entering Nation
Pyongyang has, for the first time, commented on the detention of Travis King, saying the detained U.S. soldier admitted to legally entering North Korea on July 18.
UK: Heart attack hospitalizations at record level since pandemic
Record numbers of people have been hospitalized with heart attacks in the wake of the pandemic, official figures show.
UN: Islamic State still has thousands of fighters in Syria/Iraq
United Nations experts warned this week that there are still between 5,000 and 7,000 Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq, and that the terror group presents a serious threat in Afghanistan as well, the Associated Press reports.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel “will cease to exist” if there is a new war, Hezbollah leader says
Amid heightened tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced Monday that Israel will “cease to exist” if a new conflict between the Israeli military and the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group should ignite, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Netanyahu, Levin said seeking to freeze overhaul for a year to focus on Haredi draft law
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin are leading a push to freeze any future legislation of the judicial overhaul for an entire year, the Israel Hayom news site reports, citing senior coalition officials.
Israel may uproot ancient Christian mosaic, send it to US Evangelical museum
An ancient Christian mosaic bearing an early reference to Jesus as God is at the center of a controversy that has riled archaeologists: Should the centuries-old decorated floor, which is near what’s believed to be the site of the prophesied Armageddon, be uprooted and loaned to a US museum that has been criticized for past acquisition practices?
Inside the United States
Trump faces at least 9 legal battles ahead of and through 2024 election after Georgia indictment
Former President Donald Trump is facing numerous legal battles before the 2024 presidential election and argues he's being charged with offenses during campaign season.
Pro-life leaders press GOP candidates to defend abortion limits as state ballot fights loom
Last week’s constitutional amendment vote in Ohio is just the start of a wide-ranging plan to obliterate abortion limits in red states, say pro-life advocates, who are urging Republican leaders, starting with the presidential primary candidates, to fight back.
DC dealt more harshly with pro-life protesters than Black Lives Matter, federal court rules
Washington, D.C., unfairly enforced its "defacement" ordinances by dealing more harshly with pro-life protesters than with Black Lives Matter activists, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Trump and 18 others indicted in Georgia for conspiring to overturn 2020 election result
Former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, and Jenna Ellis, were indicted Monday for alleged violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and conspiring to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 general election win in Fulton County, Georgia, the Washington Examiner reports. This is the fourth indictment brought against the former president in less than five months.
Christian News
Eritrea: 13 Christians released after 10 years in jail, 300 more believers still imprisoned
Thirteen Christians in Eritrea were released from jail late last month, after being wrongfully imprisoned without charge for 10 years, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Nigeria: 21 villagers murdered by Islamic militants in Plateau state
Suspected Islamic Fulani extremists murdered 21 people during an attack in northern Nigeria’s Plateau state last week, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Islamic extremists, including radicalized Fulani herdsmen and members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa terror groups, have murdered over 52,000 Christians in Nigeria since 2015.
North Korea Says Detained U.S. Soldier Admits ‘Illegally’ Entering Nation
Pyongyang has, for the first time, commented on the detention of Travis King, saying the detained U.S. soldier admitted to legally entering North Korea on July 18.
UK: Heart attack hospitalizations at record level since pandemic
Record numbers of people have been hospitalized with heart attacks in the wake of the pandemic, official figures show.
UN: Islamic State still has thousands of fighters in Syria/Iraq
United Nations experts warned this week that there are still between 5,000 and 7,000 Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq, and that the terror group presents a serious threat in Afghanistan as well, the Associated Press reports.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel “will cease to exist” if there is a new war, Hezbollah leader says
Amid heightened tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced Monday that Israel will “cease to exist” if a new conflict between the Israeli military and the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group should ignite, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Netanyahu, Levin said seeking to freeze overhaul for a year to focus on Haredi draft law
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin are leading a push to freeze any future legislation of the judicial overhaul for an entire year, the Israel Hayom news site reports, citing senior coalition officials.
Israel may uproot ancient Christian mosaic, send it to US Evangelical museum
An ancient Christian mosaic bearing an early reference to Jesus as God is at the center of a controversy that has riled archaeologists: Should the centuries-old decorated floor, which is near what’s believed to be the site of the prophesied Armageddon, be uprooted and loaned to a US museum that has been criticized for past acquisition practices?
Inside the United States
Trump faces at least 9 legal battles ahead of and through 2024 election after Georgia indictment
Former President Donald Trump is facing numerous legal battles before the 2024 presidential election and argues he's being charged with offenses during campaign season.
Pro-life leaders press GOP candidates to defend abortion limits as state ballot fights loom
Last week’s constitutional amendment vote in Ohio is just the start of a wide-ranging plan to obliterate abortion limits in red states, say pro-life advocates, who are urging Republican leaders, starting with the presidential primary candidates, to fight back.
DC dealt more harshly with pro-life protesters than Black Lives Matter, federal court rules
Washington, D.C., unfairly enforced its "defacement" ordinances by dealing more harshly with pro-life protesters than with Black Lives Matter activists, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
Trump and 18 others indicted in Georgia for conspiring to overturn 2020 election result
Former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorneys John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, and Jenna Ellis, were indicted Monday for alleged violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and conspiring to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 general election win in Fulton County, Georgia, the Washington Examiner reports. This is the fourth indictment brought against the former president in less than five months.
Christian News
Eritrea: 13 Christians released after 10 years in jail, 300 more believers still imprisoned
Thirteen Christians in Eritrea were released from jail late last month, after being wrongfully imprisoned without charge for 10 years, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Nigeria: 21 villagers murdered by Islamic militants in Plateau state
Suspected Islamic Fulani extremists murdered 21 people during an attack in northern Nigeria’s Plateau state last week, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Islamic extremists, including radicalized Fulani herdsmen and members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa terror groups, have murdered over 52,000 Christians in Nigeria since 2015.