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
US in ‘lockstep’ with allies, looking at ‘all options’ on Iran over nuclear deal
The US is in full agreement with its allies on bringing Iran back into compliance with the nuclear deal, including willingness to look at “all of the options necessary” if diplomacy doesn’t work, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday.
Massive gas explosions rock Mexican city, killing one and leveling 30-plus buildings
A gas leak possibly caused by an illegal tap ignited massive explosions in Mexico's Puebla state on Sunday, killing at least one person, injuring 15 and leveling more than 30 buildings.
US flies B-1B bomber over Persian Gulf, Red Sea
The United States has confirmed that on Saturday it flew a B-1B strategic bomber over the Red Sea, and over the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Voice of America (VOA) reports. The B-1B Lancer bomber was accompanied by fighter jets from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and also flew over Egypt’s Suez Canal.
Christians not leaving Lebanon despite chronic economic and political crises
While hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are leaving their catastrophically unstable country in search of a better life, Lebanon’s Christians are largely choosing to stay, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF launches surprise reservist drill amid month-long exercise series in north
The Israel Defense Forces launched a surprise readiness exercise on Monday morning, calling up reserve units as part a month-long series of drills in the Northern Command.
‘Israel, Iran engaged in cold war,’ prime minister says
World powers must make sure Iran understands that there would be "serious implications" if it does not relinquish its nuclear ambitions, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said over the weekend.
Inside the United States
9,000 NYC workers on leave as vaccine mandate takes effect
About 9,000 New York City municipal workers were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that took effect Monday and thousands of city firefighters have called out sick in an apparent protest over the requirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Supreme Court won’t hear New York abortion funding case
The Supreme Court announced Monday it would not hear a challenge against New York’s requirement that employers provide abortion coverage with health insurance plans.
Supreme Court hears argument on Texas abortion ban, appears sympathetic to abortion provider’s suit
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on challenges to the Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Following three hours of argument presentation and questioning, a majority of the justices appeared willing to allow abortion providers in Texas to continue their challenge against the state's new law.
Manchin to progressives: ‘Quit playing games’ and let’s pass bipartisan infrastructure bill
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday urged House progressives to "quit playing games" and support passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that's already passed the Senate.
COVID vaccines for children already prepped for shipment, ahead of CDC meeting
The Biden administration has prepared shipments of low-dose COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions final approval, according to reports.
Christian News
China: United Nations committee determines Christians at risk of torture
The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has determined that Christians in China are at risk of being tortured by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government authorities, religious rights publication Bitter Winter reports.
India: Pastor arrested after Hindus storm his church
A local Christian pastor in India’s Karnataka state was charged with carrying out “malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings" last month, after Hindu militants stormed into his church and called on police to arrest him, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) reports. Christians in India have been under increasing persecution since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in 2014.
Christians Fleeing Myanmar Stuck In Thailand Jungle
A growing number of Christian refugees fleeing conflict-torn Myanmar are stuck in the jungles of Thailand as they are unable to defend themselves, Christian aid workers say.
Algeria Christian Facing Jail For Evangelism
An Algerian Christian who abandoned Islam will soon hear whether he will face a lengthy prison for charges related to what authorities call “suspicious evangelistic activities.”
US in ‘lockstep’ with allies, looking at ‘all options’ on Iran over nuclear deal
The US is in full agreement with its allies on bringing Iran back into compliance with the nuclear deal, including willingness to look at “all of the options necessary” if diplomacy doesn’t work, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday.
Massive gas explosions rock Mexican city, killing one and leveling 30-plus buildings
A gas leak possibly caused by an illegal tap ignited massive explosions in Mexico's Puebla state on Sunday, killing at least one person, injuring 15 and leveling more than 30 buildings.
US flies B-1B bomber over Persian Gulf, Red Sea
The United States has confirmed that on Saturday it flew a B-1B strategic bomber over the Red Sea, and over the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Voice of America (VOA) reports. The B-1B Lancer bomber was accompanied by fighter jets from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and also flew over Egypt’s Suez Canal.
Christians not leaving Lebanon despite chronic economic and political crises
While hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are leaving their catastrophically unstable country in search of a better life, Lebanon’s Christians are largely choosing to stay, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF launches surprise reservist drill amid month-long exercise series in north
The Israel Defense Forces launched a surprise readiness exercise on Monday morning, calling up reserve units as part a month-long series of drills in the Northern Command.
‘Israel, Iran engaged in cold war,’ prime minister says
World powers must make sure Iran understands that there would be "serious implications" if it does not relinquish its nuclear ambitions, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said over the weekend.
Inside the United States
9,000 NYC workers on leave as vaccine mandate takes effect
About 9,000 New York City municipal workers were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that took effect Monday and thousands of city firefighters have called out sick in an apparent protest over the requirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Supreme Court won’t hear New York abortion funding case
The Supreme Court announced Monday it would not hear a challenge against New York’s requirement that employers provide abortion coverage with health insurance plans.
Supreme Court hears argument on Texas abortion ban, appears sympathetic to abortion provider’s suit
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on challenges to the Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Following three hours of argument presentation and questioning, a majority of the justices appeared willing to allow abortion providers in Texas to continue their challenge against the state's new law.
Manchin to progressives: ‘Quit playing games’ and let’s pass bipartisan infrastructure bill
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday urged House progressives to "quit playing games" and support passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that's already passed the Senate.
COVID vaccines for children already prepped for shipment, ahead of CDC meeting
The Biden administration has prepared shipments of low-dose COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions final approval, according to reports.
Christian News
China: United Nations committee determines Christians at risk of torture
The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) has determined that Christians in China are at risk of being tortured by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government authorities, religious rights publication Bitter Winter reports.
India: Pastor arrested after Hindus storm his church
A local Christian pastor in India’s Karnataka state was charged with carrying out “malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings" last month, after Hindu militants stormed into his church and called on police to arrest him, Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) reports. Christians in India have been under increasing persecution since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in 2014.
Christians Fleeing Myanmar Stuck In Thailand Jungle
A growing number of Christian refugees fleeing conflict-torn Myanmar are stuck in the jungles of Thailand as they are unable to defend themselves, Christian aid workers say.
Algeria Christian Facing Jail For Evangelism
An Algerian Christian who abandoned Islam will soon hear whether he will face a lengthy prison for charges related to what authorities call “suspicious evangelistic activities.”
Around the World
Biden Claims Pope Calls Him ‘Good Catholic’ Despite Abortion Row
U.S. President Joe Biden announced Friday that Pope Francis had called him a “good Catholic” despite the president’s support for abortion.
Poland Votes To Build Wall Near Belarus
Poland's parliament has voted to build a controversial anti-migration wall on its border with Belarus to halt an influx of people fleeing war, persecution, and poverty.
Biden warns US will respond to Iranian actions, including drone attacks
US President Joe Biden said Sunday that the United States will respond to actions Iran has taken against Washington’s interests, including recent drone strikes.
G-20 endorses global corporate minimum tax at Rome summit
Leaders of the world’s biggest economies on Saturday endorsed a global minimum tax on corporations as part of an agreement on new international tax rules, a step toward building more fairness amid skyrocketing revenues of some multinational businesses.
COP26: World leaders meet to keep planet from heating drastically
Before a two-week United Nations climate conference started on Sunday, leaders from around the world had failed to set policies that would keep global warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius — in continuing defiance of promises they made at a summit in Paris six years ago.
US, EU settle dispute over tariffs on steel, aluminum
The European Union and the United States have reached an agreement to rein in tit-for-tat tariffs that date back to the Trump administration, officials announced on Saturday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
PM Bennett’s Party Wouldn’t Even Qualify for Any Representation in Gov’t If Elections Were Held Today
The ruling Yamina party could be facing a crushing defeat if snap elections are held, a new poll shows.
Israel launches drill to test preparedness of home front in case of war
The defense establishment on Sunday kicked off a week-long military exercise, meant to simulate a large-scale attack on the home front in a possible war against Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group.
Israeli officials believe Iran misleading world, wants to use talks to buy time
Despite Iran's repeated assertions that it is ready to start another round of talks aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal, Israel Hayom has learned that the assessment in Jerusalem is that this is nothing more than an Iranian tactic aimed at buying time.
Inside the United States
Supreme Court declines to block Maine vaccine mandate for healthcare workers
The Supreme Court declined a request to block Maine's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare works on Friday.
Minneapolis plan to replace police department worries many Black residents
The ballot proposal that goes to voters Tuesday has roots in the abolish-the-police movement that erupted after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer last year. It has drawn strong support from younger Black activists who were mobilized by Floyd’s death, as well as from some Black and white residents across this liberal city.
Animal-human transplant breakthrough raises questions
In September, a surgical team at NYU Langone Health performed the first successful animal-to-human transplant. Led by Dr. Robert Montgomery, the team attached a pig kidney to blood vessels on the exterior of a brain-dead patient’s leg. The animal biotechnology company Revivicor provided a genetically engineered pig for the experiment. The animal lacked the gene encoding the sugar molecule alpha-gal, known to trigger immediate organ rejection in humans.
Bill Allowing Minors to Get Abortion Without Parental Consent Passes in Illinois
Pro-Choice politicians and other supporters of abortion are celebrating a win in the Illinois legislature earlier in the week. Lawmakers voted to repeal the Parental Notification Act which required parents to be notified 48 hours in advance before their child could go through with an abortion.
Christian News
Jailed Iranian Christians Ask Tehran To Allow Free Worship
Two jailed Iranian Christians have asked Iran’s Islamic authorities to allow them to worship Christ in freedom.
Christian Broadcaster In Ivory Coast Amid Islamic Violence
Global Christian broadcaster Trans World Radio (TWR) launches a radio station “of hope” in the capital of Ivory Coast in response to mounting Islamic extremism and deadly diseases.
Only 13% of evangelicals tithe, half give away less than 1% of income annually: study
While a majority of evangelicals say tithing — giving 10% of one's income to the church — is a biblical commandment, only an estimated 13% engage in the practice, while half give away less than 1% of their income annually, a new study shows.
Biden Claims Pope Calls Him ‘Good Catholic’ Despite Abortion Row
U.S. President Joe Biden announced Friday that Pope Francis had called him a “good Catholic” despite the president’s support for abortion.
Poland Votes To Build Wall Near Belarus
Poland's parliament has voted to build a controversial anti-migration wall on its border with Belarus to halt an influx of people fleeing war, persecution, and poverty.
Biden warns US will respond to Iranian actions, including drone attacks
US President Joe Biden said Sunday that the United States will respond to actions Iran has taken against Washington’s interests, including recent drone strikes.
G-20 endorses global corporate minimum tax at Rome summit
Leaders of the world’s biggest economies on Saturday endorsed a global minimum tax on corporations as part of an agreement on new international tax rules, a step toward building more fairness amid skyrocketing revenues of some multinational businesses.
COP26: World leaders meet to keep planet from heating drastically
Before a two-week United Nations climate conference started on Sunday, leaders from around the world had failed to set policies that would keep global warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius — in continuing defiance of promises they made at a summit in Paris six years ago.
US, EU settle dispute over tariffs on steel, aluminum
The European Union and the United States have reached an agreement to rein in tit-for-tat tariffs that date back to the Trump administration, officials announced on Saturday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
PM Bennett’s Party Wouldn’t Even Qualify for Any Representation in Gov’t If Elections Were Held Today
The ruling Yamina party could be facing a crushing defeat if snap elections are held, a new poll shows.
Israel launches drill to test preparedness of home front in case of war
The defense establishment on Sunday kicked off a week-long military exercise, meant to simulate a large-scale attack on the home front in a possible war against Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group.
Israeli officials believe Iran misleading world, wants to use talks to buy time
Despite Iran's repeated assertions that it is ready to start another round of talks aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal, Israel Hayom has learned that the assessment in Jerusalem is that this is nothing more than an Iranian tactic aimed at buying time.
Inside the United States
Supreme Court declines to block Maine vaccine mandate for healthcare workers
The Supreme Court declined a request to block Maine's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare works on Friday.
Minneapolis plan to replace police department worries many Black residents
The ballot proposal that goes to voters Tuesday has roots in the abolish-the-police movement that erupted after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer last year. It has drawn strong support from younger Black activists who were mobilized by Floyd’s death, as well as from some Black and white residents across this liberal city.
Animal-human transplant breakthrough raises questions
In September, a surgical team at NYU Langone Health performed the first successful animal-to-human transplant. Led by Dr. Robert Montgomery, the team attached a pig kidney to blood vessels on the exterior of a brain-dead patient’s leg. The animal biotechnology company Revivicor provided a genetically engineered pig for the experiment. The animal lacked the gene encoding the sugar molecule alpha-gal, known to trigger immediate organ rejection in humans.
Bill Allowing Minors to Get Abortion Without Parental Consent Passes in Illinois
Pro-Choice politicians and other supporters of abortion are celebrating a win in the Illinois legislature earlier in the week. Lawmakers voted to repeal the Parental Notification Act which required parents to be notified 48 hours in advance before their child could go through with an abortion.
Christian News
Jailed Iranian Christians Ask Tehran To Allow Free Worship
Two jailed Iranian Christians have asked Iran’s Islamic authorities to allow them to worship Christ in freedom.
Christian Broadcaster In Ivory Coast Amid Islamic Violence
Global Christian broadcaster Trans World Radio (TWR) launches a radio station “of hope” in the capital of Ivory Coast in response to mounting Islamic extremism and deadly diseases.
Only 13% of evangelicals tithe, half give away less than 1% of income annually: study
While a majority of evangelicals say tithing — giving 10% of one's income to the church — is a biblical commandment, only an estimated 13% engage in the practice, while half give away less than 1% of their income annually, a new study shows.
Around the World
Global pro-life coalition marks anniversary minus Biden, U.S.
A 36-nation coalition marked the first anniversary Thursday of a document defending women’s health, life and the family — without the official sanction of the United States, where President Biden withdrew U.S. assent to the Geneva Consensus Declaration soon after he was inaugurated.
China launches world’s fastest programmable quantum computers
Physicists in China say they have built two quantum computers with performance speeds which top their Western competitors – a superconducting machine and an even faster type which uses light photons to achieve never-before seen results.
Facebook Changing Name Amid Controversy
Social media giant Facebook says it will change its company name amid controversy over services that critics say are biased, can be addictive to especially youngsters, and infringe on privacy.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Bennett in closed meeting: Government will likely disband, Lapid won’t be prime minister
Exposure of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s comments that he expects the government to fall before Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid gets his turn to take over the premiership follows that of Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, who also was heard saying she doubted the fragile coalition would last much longer, Channel 12 reported Thursday evening.
13 European states call on Israel to halt plan for 3,000 West Bank settler homes
A group of 12 European countries urges Israel to scrap plans for the construction of more than 3,000 homes in West Bank settlements.
Inside the United States
DeSantis sues Biden over vaccine mandates for contractors
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody filed another lawsuit against the U.S. government Thursday, challenging the rule requiring companies that are federal contractors to show proof of vaccination or weekly COVID tests of their employees and calling it a “heavy-handed mandate never authorized by Congress.”
‘Build Back Better’ Plan Cut to $1.75 Trillion, Democrats Move Agenda Closer to Finish Line — But Not a Done Deal
President Joe Biden delayed his departure to a pair of global summits Thursday so he could first visit the U.S. Capitol to tout the framework of a deal on his "Build Back Better" agenda.
U.S. Economy Slowed in Third Quarter on Delta Surge, Supply Crunch
The U.S. economy grew at the slowest pace of the recovery in the third quarter, but economists expect strong consumer demand and an easing pandemic to boost growth in the coming months despite lingering supply constraints.
Christian News
China Cracking Down On Christian Education
Christians appealed for prayers Thursday, saying China’s Communist government is stepping up efforts to eliminate Christian education.
Victims Black Church Massacre Receive $88 million
The U.S. Justice Department says it has reached an $88 million settlement with families of the nine victims killed in a racist attack at a Black South Carolina church in 2015.
Sudan: Christians concerned for security after military coup; “it is very important to pray”
Christians in Sudan have renewed concern for their safety and religious freedom following Monday’s military coup in which the head of Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, arrested civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, his wife, and other officials, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians disappear in Libya; fears of repeat ISIS beheadings of 2015
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians went missing in Libya on September 30, and fears are rising that Islamic extremists may have kidnapped them in a repeat of the ISIS abductions and beheadings of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya in 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Kidnappers release elderly pastor in Haiti
Seventy-nine-year-old Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel has been released from captivity in Haiti after members of the 400 Mawozo gang dressed as National Police officers abducted him and a male parishioner on October 3, CBN News reports.
Worthy Watch
Florida Surgeon General Speaks Out Against Mask Mandates in Schools
New York Municipal Workers, Firefighters, NYPD, and EMS Protest Mandates
Student vaccinated without parental permission; mother’s lawyer threatens lawsuit
Global pro-life coalition marks anniversary minus Biden, U.S.
A 36-nation coalition marked the first anniversary Thursday of a document defending women’s health, life and the family — without the official sanction of the United States, where President Biden withdrew U.S. assent to the Geneva Consensus Declaration soon after he was inaugurated.
China launches world’s fastest programmable quantum computers
Physicists in China say they have built two quantum computers with performance speeds which top their Western competitors – a superconducting machine and an even faster type which uses light photons to achieve never-before seen results.
Facebook Changing Name Amid Controversy
Social media giant Facebook says it will change its company name amid controversy over services that critics say are biased, can be addictive to especially youngsters, and infringe on privacy.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Bennett in closed meeting: Government will likely disband, Lapid won’t be prime minister
Exposure of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s comments that he expects the government to fall before Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid gets his turn to take over the premiership follows that of Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, who also was heard saying she doubted the fragile coalition would last much longer, Channel 12 reported Thursday evening.
13 European states call on Israel to halt plan for 3,000 West Bank settler homes
A group of 12 European countries urges Israel to scrap plans for the construction of more than 3,000 homes in West Bank settlements.
Inside the United States
DeSantis sues Biden over vaccine mandates for contractors
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody filed another lawsuit against the U.S. government Thursday, challenging the rule requiring companies that are federal contractors to show proof of vaccination or weekly COVID tests of their employees and calling it a “heavy-handed mandate never authorized by Congress.”
‘Build Back Better’ Plan Cut to $1.75 Trillion, Democrats Move Agenda Closer to Finish Line — But Not a Done Deal
President Joe Biden delayed his departure to a pair of global summits Thursday so he could first visit the U.S. Capitol to tout the framework of a deal on his "Build Back Better" agenda.
U.S. Economy Slowed in Third Quarter on Delta Surge, Supply Crunch
The U.S. economy grew at the slowest pace of the recovery in the third quarter, but economists expect strong consumer demand and an easing pandemic to boost growth in the coming months despite lingering supply constraints.
Christian News
China Cracking Down On Christian Education
Christians appealed for prayers Thursday, saying China’s Communist government is stepping up efforts to eliminate Christian education.
Victims Black Church Massacre Receive $88 million
The U.S. Justice Department says it has reached an $88 million settlement with families of the nine victims killed in a racist attack at a Black South Carolina church in 2015.
Sudan: Christians concerned for security after military coup; “it is very important to pray”
Christians in Sudan have renewed concern for their safety and religious freedom following Monday’s military coup in which the head of Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, arrested civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, his wife, and other officials, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians disappear in Libya; fears of repeat ISIS beheadings of 2015
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians went missing in Libya on September 30, and fears are rising that Islamic extremists may have kidnapped them in a repeat of the ISIS abductions and beheadings of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya in 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Kidnappers release elderly pastor in Haiti
Seventy-nine-year-old Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel has been released from captivity in Haiti after members of the 400 Mawozo gang dressed as National Police officers abducted him and a male parishioner on October 3, CBN News reports.
Worthy Watch
Florida Surgeon General Speaks Out Against Mask Mandates in Schools
New York Municipal Workers, Firefighters, NYPD, and EMS Protest Mandates
Student vaccinated without parental permission; mother’s lawyer threatens lawsuit