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
14 Killed As Indonesia’s Largest Volcano Erupts
Rescue workers desperately searched for survivors Sunday after Indonesia’s largest volcano erupted, killing more than a dozen people.
Belgium Rocked By Riots Against COVID Measures
Belgian police tried to disperse thousands of people marching through Brussels amid mounting anger across Europe against government-imposed coronavirus restrictions.
US official: Iran backtracked on all compromises; we’re preparing for no deal
A US official said Saturday that Iran had backed away from all its previous compromises on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and that the US would not allow Iran to “slow walk” the international negotiations while at the same time ramping up its atomic activities.
Blast heard near Iran’s Natanz nuclear site; officials cite air defense test
A blast was reported Saturday in the vicinity of a nuclear site in Natanz, Iran, according to preliminary reports.
Kremlin Says Biden and Putin to Discuss Ukraine Crisis Next Week
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to discuss rising tensions Tuesday along the Russian-Ukranian border, where a Russian troop buildup is seen by the West as a sign of a potential invasion.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel to urge US to act militarily against Iran amid stalled nuke talks
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Mossad chief David Barnea will push during their meetings this week in Washington with senior Biden administration officials for the United States to carry out a military strike on Iranian targets, Israel’s three main TV news broadcasts reported Sunday night.
Bennett: Pause in nuclear talks ‘window of opportunity for different toolkit’ against Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that his government’s goal is to “utilize the window of opportunity” between rounds of the nuclear talks in Vienna to tell Washington that the time has come for a “different toolkit” against Iran’s progress in uranium enrichment.
Israel Warns As Iran Could Have Nuclear Bomb Within Weeks (Worthy News In-Depth)
Revelations that Iran may have a nuclear bomb within weeks overshadowed Hanukkah feasts in Israel, but Israel’s spy chief warned Iran it would not be allowed to become a nuclear power.
Inside the United States
Roughly 19,000 active-duty Marines, Navy sailors unvaccinated after Biden administration deadline
As many as 19,000 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors reportedly remain unvaccinated after the Biden administration's Nov. 28 deadline.
CNN Fires Top Anchor Cuomo Over Brother’s Sexual Harassment Case
The Cable News Network (CNN) fired its top anchor after an investigation found “additional information” about him defending his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, facing sexual harassment allegations.
US Parents Of Teenage Shooter Charged With Manslaughter
A U.S. judge imposed a $1 million bond on the detained parents of a teenager suspected of killing four fellow high school students after drawing “The thoughts won't stop — help me.”
Christian News
Canadian judge stays compelled speech order issued against pastor whenever he speaks publicly about COVID-19
A Canadian judge issued a stay against a court order that compelled a Christian pastor to echo government health officials whenever he speaks publicly about COVID-19 and vaccines.
14 Killed As Indonesia’s Largest Volcano Erupts
Rescue workers desperately searched for survivors Sunday after Indonesia’s largest volcano erupted, killing more than a dozen people.
Belgium Rocked By Riots Against COVID Measures
Belgian police tried to disperse thousands of people marching through Brussels amid mounting anger across Europe against government-imposed coronavirus restrictions.
US official: Iran backtracked on all compromises; we’re preparing for no deal
A US official said Saturday that Iran had backed away from all its previous compromises on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and that the US would not allow Iran to “slow walk” the international negotiations while at the same time ramping up its atomic activities.
Blast heard near Iran’s Natanz nuclear site; officials cite air defense test
A blast was reported Saturday in the vicinity of a nuclear site in Natanz, Iran, according to preliminary reports.
Kremlin Says Biden and Putin to Discuss Ukraine Crisis Next Week
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to discuss rising tensions Tuesday along the Russian-Ukranian border, where a Russian troop buildup is seen by the West as a sign of a potential invasion.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel to urge US to act militarily against Iran amid stalled nuke talks
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Mossad chief David Barnea will push during their meetings this week in Washington with senior Biden administration officials for the United States to carry out a military strike on Iranian targets, Israel’s three main TV news broadcasts reported Sunday night.
Bennett: Pause in nuclear talks ‘window of opportunity for different toolkit’ against Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that his government’s goal is to “utilize the window of opportunity” between rounds of the nuclear talks in Vienna to tell Washington that the time has come for a “different toolkit” against Iran’s progress in uranium enrichment.
Israel Warns As Iran Could Have Nuclear Bomb Within Weeks (Worthy News In-Depth)
Revelations that Iran may have a nuclear bomb within weeks overshadowed Hanukkah feasts in Israel, but Israel’s spy chief warned Iran it would not be allowed to become a nuclear power.
Inside the United States
Roughly 19,000 active-duty Marines, Navy sailors unvaccinated after Biden administration deadline
As many as 19,000 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors reportedly remain unvaccinated after the Biden administration's Nov. 28 deadline.
CNN Fires Top Anchor Cuomo Over Brother’s Sexual Harassment Case
The Cable News Network (CNN) fired its top anchor after an investigation found “additional information” about him defending his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, facing sexual harassment allegations.
US Parents Of Teenage Shooter Charged With Manslaughter
A U.S. judge imposed a $1 million bond on the detained parents of a teenager suspected of killing four fellow high school students after drawing “The thoughts won't stop — help me.”
Christian News
Canadian judge stays compelled speech order issued against pastor whenever he speaks publicly about COVID-19
A Canadian judge issued a stay against a court order that compelled a Christian pastor to echo government health officials whenever he speaks publicly about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Around the World
Pentagon: US Nearly Doubled Military Personnel Stationed in Taiwan This Year
The United States has doubled its unofficial military presence in Taiwan over the past year in what specialists describe as the latest signal to China that Taiwan's future remains a priority.
US, EU, UK and Canada Announce New Belarus Sanctions
The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada have announced a new round of sanctions against Belarus officials and entities, citing the government’s “ongoing attacks on democracy, human rights, and international norms, and for their brutal repression of Belarusians both inside and outside the country,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Germany To Ban Unvaccinated People From Many Venues
Germany’s outgoing chancellor said Thursday that vaccination could become mandatory in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, from February.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Mossad head vows no Iran nukes ‘ever,’ as credibility of military option scrutinized
The head of the Mossad spy agency said Thursday that a bad nuclear deal between world powers and Iran would be “intolerable” for Israel, vowing that the Islamic Republic will never acquire nuclear weapons.
Bennett to Blinken: US must immediately halt Iran talks over ‘nuclear blackmail’
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on the United States on Thursday to immediately halt the ongoing negotiations in Vienna over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
After outcry, government scraps Shin Bet phone tracking of Omicron carriers
The government will not move to extend a controversial surveillance program tracking the phones of people who contracted the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced Thursday.
Gantz: There may come a time when we will have no choice but to act on Iran
Israel has to do “everything it can” in order to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, if not “there may be a point when we will have no choice but to act,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Thursday.
Inside the United States
Funding bill passes House, future uncertain in Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a short-term funding bill Thursday, one day before the scheduled partial government shutdown.
Vaccination mandate extended to NYC religious, private school staffers
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday extended his public school employee vaccination mandate to private and parochial schools.
Unemployment fraud during COVID cost more than triple total benefits paid in 2019
Unemployment fraud exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Labor Department Inspector General's semiannual report to Congress.
Biden administration says COVID vaccine requirements for domestic flights not ‘off the table’
President Joe Biden unveiled a new set of executive actions to address the Omicron variant Thursday, though how serious the threat of the variant will be remains unclear.
Christian News
Algeria Prosecutes Protestants Over ‘Non-Muslim Rites’
The senior pastor of Algeria’s largest Protestant church is among those facing a court on charges such as “practicing non-Muslim rites without permission," sources said Thursday.
Nepal Jails Pastor For Evangelism
An evangelical pastor in Nepal received a two-year prison sentence for evangelism activities that violated the former Hindu kingdom’s anti-conversion laws, trial observers said Thursday.
Pentagon: US Nearly Doubled Military Personnel Stationed in Taiwan This Year
The United States has doubled its unofficial military presence in Taiwan over the past year in what specialists describe as the latest signal to China that Taiwan's future remains a priority.
US, EU, UK and Canada Announce New Belarus Sanctions
The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada have announced a new round of sanctions against Belarus officials and entities, citing the government’s “ongoing attacks on democracy, human rights, and international norms, and for their brutal repression of Belarusians both inside and outside the country,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Germany To Ban Unvaccinated People From Many Venues
Germany’s outgoing chancellor said Thursday that vaccination could become mandatory in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, from February.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Mossad head vows no Iran nukes ‘ever,’ as credibility of military option scrutinized
The head of the Mossad spy agency said Thursday that a bad nuclear deal between world powers and Iran would be “intolerable” for Israel, vowing that the Islamic Republic will never acquire nuclear weapons.
Bennett to Blinken: US must immediately halt Iran talks over ‘nuclear blackmail’
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on the United States on Thursday to immediately halt the ongoing negotiations in Vienna over Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
After outcry, government scraps Shin Bet phone tracking of Omicron carriers
The government will not move to extend a controversial surveillance program tracking the phones of people who contracted the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced Thursday.
Gantz: There may come a time when we will have no choice but to act on Iran
Israel has to do “everything it can” in order to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, if not “there may be a point when we will have no choice but to act,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Thursday.
Inside the United States
Funding bill passes House, future uncertain in Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a short-term funding bill Thursday, one day before the scheduled partial government shutdown.
Vaccination mandate extended to NYC religious, private school staffers
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday extended his public school employee vaccination mandate to private and parochial schools.
Unemployment fraud during COVID cost more than triple total benefits paid in 2019
Unemployment fraud exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Labor Department Inspector General's semiannual report to Congress.
Biden administration says COVID vaccine requirements for domestic flights not ‘off the table’
President Joe Biden unveiled a new set of executive actions to address the Omicron variant Thursday, though how serious the threat of the variant will be remains unclear.
Christian News
Algeria Prosecutes Protestants Over ‘Non-Muslim Rites’
The senior pastor of Algeria’s largest Protestant church is among those facing a court on charges such as “practicing non-Muslim rites without permission," sources said Thursday.
Nepal Jails Pastor For Evangelism
An evangelical pastor in Nepal received a two-year prison sentence for evangelism activities that violated the former Hindu kingdom’s anti-conversion laws, trial observers said Thursday.
Around the World
Lava from volcanic eruption threatens more homes on La Palma
A fresh river of lava from the volcano on Spain’s La Palma island threatened Wednesday to engulf a parish church that has so far survived the eruption that shows no signs of relenting after 10 weeks.
EU chief: It’s time to ‘think about’ mandatory COVID vaccination
It is time for the European Union to “think about mandatory vaccination” against COVID-19, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, while stressing member state governments would decide.
COVID-19: Most Omicron cases are ‘mild’ and there’s no evidence to suggest vaccines may be less effective against the variant, says WHO official
Early indications suggest most Omicron coronavirus cases are "mild", an official at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Russia Will Soon Have New Hypersonic Missile With Maximum Speed of Mach 9, Putin Says
Vladimir Putin said that the hypersonic weapon with maximum speed of Mach 9 will appear in Russia in the near future.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF Spokesperson: ‘When I Say We’re Accelerating Plans Against Iran, I Mean It’
The Israeli military has accelerated its readiness plans aimed at preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold state and to stop its entrenchment in the northern arena, Israel Defense Forces’ spokesman Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav told the Israeli Reshet Bet radio network on Tuesday.
Israel’s coronavirus czar: We need to consider making vaccines mandatory
Coronavirus czar Salman Zarka said Wednesday that Israel should weigh introducing a national vaccine mandate compelling all citizens to get themselves inoculated against the coronavirus, a notion that mirrors legislation under consideration in several European countries.
Inside the United States
Nearly 10,000 service members requested religious waiver for COVID vaccine
Nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel have applied for religious waivers to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine but so far not a single one has been approved, publicly available Pentagon data show. This potentially paves the way for thousands of service members to be booted from the force in the coming months.
US Supreme Court Poised to Limits Abortions
In a historic move, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority indicated Wednesday they would allow states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy. The opinion could even overturn the nationwide abortion right that has existed for nearly half a century.
US President To Extend Mask Mandate
U.S. President Joe Biden will extend until mid-March a requirement that travelers wear masks on airplanes, trains, and buses and at airports and transit stations, several sources confirmed.
CDC reports slight increase in abortions following years of decrease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported there was an increase of 1% - 3% in the number of abortions carried out between 2018- 2019, following an overall decrease in abortions between 2010-2019. The data was published last month in the CDC’s Abortion Surveillance report, which documents abortions and abortion-related deaths in the US.
Christian News
Central India Churches Forced To End Sunday Service
Authorities in central India have reportedly forced churches to cancel Sunday services amid a Hindu crackdown on Christian conversations.
Myanmar Military Burns Church After Killing Pastor
Christian aid workers said Wednesday that the church was burned down amid further shelling by Myanmar’s military in the west of the troubled Asian nation.
Chinese government continues harassment of Christians; “please pray”
China’s ruling Communist Party is continuing its harassment of Christians by raiding house churches and detaining congregants: last month several believers from Shanghai and Sichuan were taken to police stations for questioning, and one woman was charged and detained, International Christian Concern (ICC reports).
Daystar TV Founder ‘Dies Of Covid’
Marcus D. Lamb, the co-founder and CEO of the Christian Daystar Television Network, officially died of COVID-19, but his wife defended his televised anti-vaccination views. He was 64.
Lava from volcanic eruption threatens more homes on La Palma
A fresh river of lava from the volcano on Spain’s La Palma island threatened Wednesday to engulf a parish church that has so far survived the eruption that shows no signs of relenting after 10 weeks.
EU chief: It’s time to ‘think about’ mandatory COVID vaccination
It is time for the European Union to “think about mandatory vaccination” against COVID-19, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, while stressing member state governments would decide.
COVID-19: Most Omicron cases are ‘mild’ and there’s no evidence to suggest vaccines may be less effective against the variant, says WHO official
Early indications suggest most Omicron coronavirus cases are "mild", an official at the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Russia Will Soon Have New Hypersonic Missile With Maximum Speed of Mach 9, Putin Says
Vladimir Putin said that the hypersonic weapon with maximum speed of Mach 9 will appear in Russia in the near future.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF Spokesperson: ‘When I Say We’re Accelerating Plans Against Iran, I Mean It’
The Israeli military has accelerated its readiness plans aimed at preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold state and to stop its entrenchment in the northern arena, Israel Defense Forces’ spokesman Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav told the Israeli Reshet Bet radio network on Tuesday.
Israel’s coronavirus czar: We need to consider making vaccines mandatory
Coronavirus czar Salman Zarka said Wednesday that Israel should weigh introducing a national vaccine mandate compelling all citizens to get themselves inoculated against the coronavirus, a notion that mirrors legislation under consideration in several European countries.
Inside the United States
Nearly 10,000 service members requested religious waiver for COVID vaccine
Nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel have applied for religious waivers to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine but so far not a single one has been approved, publicly available Pentagon data show. This potentially paves the way for thousands of service members to be booted from the force in the coming months.
US Supreme Court Poised to Limits Abortions
In a historic move, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority indicated Wednesday they would allow states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy. The opinion could even overturn the nationwide abortion right that has existed for nearly half a century.
US President To Extend Mask Mandate
U.S. President Joe Biden will extend until mid-March a requirement that travelers wear masks on airplanes, trains, and buses and at airports and transit stations, several sources confirmed.
CDC reports slight increase in abortions following years of decrease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported there was an increase of 1% - 3% in the number of abortions carried out between 2018- 2019, following an overall decrease in abortions between 2010-2019. The data was published last month in the CDC’s Abortion Surveillance report, which documents abortions and abortion-related deaths in the US.
Christian News
Central India Churches Forced To End Sunday Service
Authorities in central India have reportedly forced churches to cancel Sunday services amid a Hindu crackdown on Christian conversations.
Myanmar Military Burns Church After Killing Pastor
Christian aid workers said Wednesday that the church was burned down amid further shelling by Myanmar’s military in the west of the troubled Asian nation.
Chinese government continues harassment of Christians; “please pray”
China’s ruling Communist Party is continuing its harassment of Christians by raiding house churches and detaining congregants: last month several believers from Shanghai and Sichuan were taken to police stations for questioning, and one woman was charged and detained, International Christian Concern (ICC reports).
Daystar TV Founder ‘Dies Of Covid’
Marcus D. Lamb, the co-founder and CEO of the Christian Daystar Television Network, officially died of COVID-19, but his wife defended his televised anti-vaccination views. He was 64.