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
ISIS terrorist offshoot grows more brazen, brutal
An estimated 670,000 people displaced by the shadowy, brutal Islamist militant organization linked with the Islamic State group known as al-Shabab, or “The Youth.” The Mozambique force has no known link to a similarly named group affiliated with al Qaeda in Somalia but has quickly earned a reputation as a growing threat to stability in Mozambique and other parts of the region.
27th anniversary of Rwandan Genocide, Commission finds France bears responsibility for atrocities
A commission set up by French President Emmanuel Macron concluded last month that France bears overwhelming responsibility for the Genocide in Rwanda, in which 800,000 mostly Tutsi people were slaughtered over 100 days, AFP reports. The French commission published its conclusions shortly before the 27th anniversary of the Genocide, which began on April 7, 1994.
Iran says it has manufactured 120 pounds of 20% enriched uranium this year
Iran has produced 55 kilograms (121 lbs) of uranium enriched to 20 percent since the beginning of the year in defiance of the 2015 nuclear deal, a senior Iranian official said Wednesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Quizzed on Iran ship blast, Gantz says Israel acts ‘wherever there’s a need’
Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday said Israel would take military action anywhere there was a threat against it, after an American official attributed a mine attack on an Iranian ship in the Red Sea the previous day to Israeli naval commandos.
Syria says 4 soldiers wounded in Israeli airstrikes near Damascus
Israel carried out airstrikes in Syria after midnight Wednesday attacking targets near Damascus and wounding four soldiers, Syrian state media reported, in the latest in a series of raids attributed to the Jewish state.
Israel notifies US it attacked Iranian ship in Red Sea
Israel notified the US that it is responsible for Tuesday’s attack on an Iranian cargo ship affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an American official told The New York Times.
Israel, Russia agree to cooperate on internal security matters
Israel and Russia on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on internal security matters.
Israel’s Next War with Hezbollah Will Be the Iranian Proxy’s Last
The border between Israel and Lebanon is deceptively quiet. But on the other side of the fence lies Hezbollah with more than one hundred thousand rockets that can hit almost anywhere inside Israel.
Inside the United States
Texas investigating abuse allegations at migrant facility
Texas child welfare officials said Wednesday they received three reports alleging abuse and neglect at a San Antonio coliseum that is holding more than 1,600 immigrant teenagers who crossed the southern border.
Biden to Unveil Actions on Guns, Including Naming New ATF Boss
U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the plans, delivering his first major action on gun control since taking office.
Virginia Becomes First Southern State to Legalize Marijuana
Adults in Virginia will be able to legally possess and cultivate small amounts of marijuana starting in July after the General Assembly on Wednesday accepted Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a legalization bill.
US Trade Deficit Hit All-Time High in Biden’s First Full Month in Office
The U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high in February as Americans bought more imported goods in President Joe Biden’s first month in office.
Christian News
Kidnapped Christian Girl Forced To Marry, Convert in Pakistan
A Christian girl abducted in Pakistan more than six weeks ago was forcefully converted to Islam and married to her kidnapper, Christian activists told Worthy News.
Vietnam Urged To Free Jailed Pastor and Rights Activists
Christian rights activists and other advocates urged Vietnam Tuesday to release four prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, including pastors, amid concerns about their health.
India persecution: Gujarat passes anti-conversion law
Gujarat has become the latest Indian state to pass anti-conversion legislation which primarily targets Christians and Muslims accused of forcing poor Hindus to convert to their respective faiths, International Christian Concern reports. Gujarat is currently led by the Hindu nationalist party Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP), which is also India's governing power.
Federal Court: University in Michigan violated rights of Christian student group
A federal court ruled Monday that Michigan’s Wayne State University (WSU) officials violated the constitutional rights of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student club in 2017: the officials revoked InterVarsity’s registered status saying it was “discriminatory” for the group to require its leaders to be Christian. The lawsuit was filed against the university’s board of governors, board members, and administrators.
China reported to brainwash Christians held in “transformation” centers
Reports emerged last week that China is working to brainwash its Christian citizens by imprisoning them in mobile "transformation facilities," Fox News reported. The reports came through Radio Free Asia, which has published accounts of abuse told by a man given the name Li Yuese to protect his identity.
Worthy Watch
Study: Despite the Pandemic, Religious Liberty Winning at U.S. Supreme Court
ISIS terrorist offshoot grows more brazen, brutal
An estimated 670,000 people displaced by the shadowy, brutal Islamist militant organization linked with the Islamic State group known as al-Shabab, or “The Youth.” The Mozambique force has no known link to a similarly named group affiliated with al Qaeda in Somalia but has quickly earned a reputation as a growing threat to stability in Mozambique and other parts of the region.
27th anniversary of Rwandan Genocide, Commission finds France bears responsibility for atrocities
A commission set up by French President Emmanuel Macron concluded last month that France bears overwhelming responsibility for the Genocide in Rwanda, in which 800,000 mostly Tutsi people were slaughtered over 100 days, AFP reports. The French commission published its conclusions shortly before the 27th anniversary of the Genocide, which began on April 7, 1994.
Iran says it has manufactured 120 pounds of 20% enriched uranium this year
Iran has produced 55 kilograms (121 lbs) of uranium enriched to 20 percent since the beginning of the year in defiance of the 2015 nuclear deal, a senior Iranian official said Wednesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Quizzed on Iran ship blast, Gantz says Israel acts ‘wherever there’s a need’
Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday said Israel would take military action anywhere there was a threat against it, after an American official attributed a mine attack on an Iranian ship in the Red Sea the previous day to Israeli naval commandos.
Syria says 4 soldiers wounded in Israeli airstrikes near Damascus
Israel carried out airstrikes in Syria after midnight Wednesday attacking targets near Damascus and wounding four soldiers, Syrian state media reported, in the latest in a series of raids attributed to the Jewish state.
Israel notifies US it attacked Iranian ship in Red Sea
Israel notified the US that it is responsible for Tuesday’s attack on an Iranian cargo ship affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an American official told The New York Times.
Israel, Russia agree to cooperate on internal security matters
Israel and Russia on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on internal security matters.
Israel’s Next War with Hezbollah Will Be the Iranian Proxy’s Last
The border between Israel and Lebanon is deceptively quiet. But on the other side of the fence lies Hezbollah with more than one hundred thousand rockets that can hit almost anywhere inside Israel.
Inside the United States
Texas investigating abuse allegations at migrant facility
Texas child welfare officials said Wednesday they received three reports alleging abuse and neglect at a San Antonio coliseum that is holding more than 1,600 immigrant teenagers who crossed the southern border.
Biden to Unveil Actions on Guns, Including Naming New ATF Boss
U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil a series of executive actions aimed at addressing gun violence on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the plans, delivering his first major action on gun control since taking office.
Virginia Becomes First Southern State to Legalize Marijuana
Adults in Virginia will be able to legally possess and cultivate small amounts of marijuana starting in July after the General Assembly on Wednesday accepted Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposed changes to a legalization bill.
US Trade Deficit Hit All-Time High in Biden’s First Full Month in Office
The U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high in February as Americans bought more imported goods in President Joe Biden’s first month in office.
Christian News
Kidnapped Christian Girl Forced To Marry, Convert in Pakistan
A Christian girl abducted in Pakistan more than six weeks ago was forcefully converted to Islam and married to her kidnapper, Christian activists told Worthy News.
Vietnam Urged To Free Jailed Pastor and Rights Activists
Christian rights activists and other advocates urged Vietnam Tuesday to release four prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, including pastors, amid concerns about their health.
India persecution: Gujarat passes anti-conversion law
Gujarat has become the latest Indian state to pass anti-conversion legislation which primarily targets Christians and Muslims accused of forcing poor Hindus to convert to their respective faiths, International Christian Concern reports. Gujarat is currently led by the Hindu nationalist party Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP), which is also India's governing power.
Federal Court: University in Michigan violated rights of Christian student group
A federal court ruled Monday that Michigan’s Wayne State University (WSU) officials violated the constitutional rights of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student club in 2017: the officials revoked InterVarsity’s registered status saying it was “discriminatory” for the group to require its leaders to be Christian. The lawsuit was filed against the university’s board of governors, board members, and administrators.
China reported to brainwash Christians held in “transformation” centers
Reports emerged last week that China is working to brainwash its Christian citizens by imprisoning them in mobile "transformation facilities," Fox News reported. The reports came through Radio Free Asia, which has published accounts of abuse told by a man given the name Li Yuese to protect his identity.
Worthy Watch
Study: Despite the Pandemic, Religious Liberty Winning at U.S. Supreme Court
Around the World
World Powers, Iran Hold ‘Constructive’ Talks on Reviving Nuclear Deal
Iran and world powers held what they described as "constructive" talks on Tuesday and agreed to form working groups to discuss the sanctions Washington might lift and the nuclear curbs Tehran might observe as they try to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
WHO against coronavirus vaccine passports for the time being, spokesperson says
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not back the use of coronavirus vaccine passports for travel, a spokesperson said.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
After receiving government mandate, Netanyahu says viable coalition ‘within reach’
After receiving the mandate to form the next government from President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on fellow lawmakers Tuesday to end their boycotts of him and join his coalition In an effort to avoid unprecedented fifth elections in two years.
Inside the United States
Arkansas House votes to override governor’s veto of bill preventing use of surgeries and hormones on ‘trans children’
Arkansas lawmakers voted on Tuesday to override Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto of HB-1570, also called the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, 40/29 News reports.
Texas Governor signs executive order banning vaccine passports
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting businesses in Texas from enforcing vaccine passports, the Governor announced on Tuesday.
Idaho Senate passes so-called ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban
The Idaho Senate passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state by banning them once fetal cardiac activity can be detected.
White House Rejects U.S. Vaccine Passports, Skirting Uproar
The U.S. government won’t issue so-called vaccine passports, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, after Texas sought to limit their development because of privacy concerns.
Christian News
Increased Christian persecution in Ethiopia
While Christians in Ethiopia were already subject to persecution, they have seen intensified attacks against them amid the extreme violence of the current conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), International Christian Concern reports.
California megachurch continues legal fight against COVID-19 restrictions
John McArthur’s Grace Community Church in Los Angeles County, California filed new documents Friday in an ongoing legal fight over the freedom to hold indoor services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Just the News reports.
UK court: Franklin Graham festival was discriminated against by local authorities
A British court has ruled that the 2018 UK Lancashire Festival of Hope featuring Franklin Graham was subject to discrimination by local authorities which removed festival bus advertisements reading only “Time for Hope,” Assist News reports. The Blackpool Borough Council and Blackpool Transport Services were found to have violated the UK’s Equality Act 2010 by discriminating against the Festival specifically because of Graham’s religious views on homosexuality.
Canada pastor ejects COVID-19 health inspectors
Pastor Artur Pawlowski of the Cave of Adullam Church in Alberta, Canada has been filmed ejecting coronavirus health inspectors and police who arrived at his church during a Passover service Saturday.
Worthy Watch
Of States with the Most New COVID Cases Per Capita, 9 Out of 10 Are Run by Democrats
DATA: Joe Biden Is Detaining 18,000 Minors. Trump’s Peak Number Was Just 2,600
World Powers, Iran Hold ‘Constructive’ Talks on Reviving Nuclear Deal
Iran and world powers held what they described as "constructive" talks on Tuesday and agreed to form working groups to discuss the sanctions Washington might lift and the nuclear curbs Tehran might observe as they try to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
WHO against coronavirus vaccine passports for the time being, spokesperson says
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not back the use of coronavirus vaccine passports for travel, a spokesperson said.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
After receiving government mandate, Netanyahu says viable coalition ‘within reach’
After receiving the mandate to form the next government from President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on fellow lawmakers Tuesday to end their boycotts of him and join his coalition In an effort to avoid unprecedented fifth elections in two years.
Inside the United States
Arkansas House votes to override governor’s veto of bill preventing use of surgeries and hormones on ‘trans children’
Arkansas lawmakers voted on Tuesday to override Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto of HB-1570, also called the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, 40/29 News reports.
Texas Governor signs executive order banning vaccine passports
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting businesses in Texas from enforcing vaccine passports, the Governor announced on Tuesday.
Idaho Senate passes so-called ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban
The Idaho Senate passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state by banning them once fetal cardiac activity can be detected.
White House Rejects U.S. Vaccine Passports, Skirting Uproar
The U.S. government won’t issue so-called vaccine passports, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, after Texas sought to limit their development because of privacy concerns.
Christian News
Increased Christian persecution in Ethiopia
While Christians in Ethiopia were already subject to persecution, they have seen intensified attacks against them amid the extreme violence of the current conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), International Christian Concern reports.
California megachurch continues legal fight against COVID-19 restrictions
John McArthur’s Grace Community Church in Los Angeles County, California filed new documents Friday in an ongoing legal fight over the freedom to hold indoor services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Just the News reports.
UK court: Franklin Graham festival was discriminated against by local authorities
A British court has ruled that the 2018 UK Lancashire Festival of Hope featuring Franklin Graham was subject to discrimination by local authorities which removed festival bus advertisements reading only “Time for Hope,” Assist News reports. The Blackpool Borough Council and Blackpool Transport Services were found to have violated the UK’s Equality Act 2010 by discriminating against the Festival specifically because of Graham’s religious views on homosexuality.
Canada pastor ejects COVID-19 health inspectors
Pastor Artur Pawlowski of the Cave of Adullam Church in Alberta, Canada has been filmed ejecting coronavirus health inspectors and police who arrived at his church during a Passover service Saturday.
Worthy Watch
Of States with the Most New COVID Cases Per Capita, 9 Out of 10 Are Run by Democrats
DATA: Joe Biden Is Detaining 18,000 Minors. Trump’s Peak Number Was Just 2,600
Around the World
Bulgaria’s Controversial Premier Wins Election But Future Uncertain
The party of Bulgaria’s longtime prime minister leading the European Union’s ranked “most corrupt nation” has won parliamentary elections but without enough votes to govern alone, initial official results showed.
Putin Signs Law that Paves the Way to Him Ruling Until 2036
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that opens the door for him to potentially remain in power until 2036.
Russia threatens US interests in Arctic with military buildup
As ice thaws in the Arctic, Russia is building up a military presence unseen since the end of the Cold War, as revealed by recent reports and confirmed by the Pentagon on Monday.
US Treasury chief calls for global minimum corporate tax
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said she was working with G20 countries to adopt a global minimum corporate tax rate that would stem the erosion of government revenues.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu calls trial against him ‘witch hunt,’ warns of damage to rule of law
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at prosecutors on Monday, accusing them of waging a "witch hunt" against him aimed at unseating a democratically elected leader.
Strained Saudi-US ties will likely bring Gulf kingdom closer to Israel
American-Saudi ties have been growing increasingly strained in recent months—a development that will likely see the Sunni power draw even closer to Jerusalem, Israeli observers have told JNS.
Netanyahu gets most support after Lapid, Bennett fail to close deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received more endorsements to form the next government than Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid on Monday, making it likely that he will receive the first mandate from President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.
Inside the United States
LGBT coalition files class action to end discrimination in federal-funded religious institutions
Thirty-three current and former LGBT students of federal-funded religious colleges have filed a class action suit asking an Oregon District Court to rule that the religious exemption to Title IX as applied to ‘sexual and gender minority students is unconstitutional. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects students in federal-funded education programs from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Arkansas GOP Gov. Hutchinson vetoes anti transgender health care bill
Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have made the state the first in the nation to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Vaccine skepticism runs deep among white evangelicals in US
In a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 40% of white evangelical Protestants said they likely won’t get vaccinated, compared with 25% of all Americans, 28% of white mainline Protestants and 27% of nonwhite Protestants.
Christian News
Algerian Christian becomes suicidal following persecution and imprisonment
Algerian Christian Slimane Bouhafs has struggled with suicidal thoughts after being imprisoned for violating Algeria’s blasphemy laws and then being further persecuted for his faith upon seeking refuge in Tunisia, Morning Star News reports. Algeria ranked 24th and Tunisia ranked 26th on the Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Increased persecution in India; Christians attacked by Tribal Animists
Rights groups report that Christian persecution in India has worsened since Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Whereas in 2013 India ranked 31st on the Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of countries where Christians are persecuted, it now ranks 10th.
“Heaven and Earth:” Two films present evidence for major Scriptural events
There is now available for purchase a two-film DVD Set which seeks to present factual evidence that the Star of Bethlehem which led the wise men to Jesus’ manger, and the Earthquake which followed His death on the Cross, were historical ‘bookend’ events in Jesus’ life. Titled Heaven and Earth, the DVD package contains the films The Star of Bethlehem and the Christ Quake, both of which were directed by Stephen Vidano.
Abducted Church Worker Rescued From India Brothel
The wife of an evangelical pastor in eastern India has been freed after she was abducted, sold, and locked up in a brothel for nearly a month, Worthy News learned Monday.
Wycliffe Associates Providing Satellite Internet Connections and Technology that Helps Protect and Accelerate Translation Efforts
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, is helping protect and advance the work of church-owned Bible translation by providing its translators with crucial technology.
Worthy Watch
Charles Barkley says racial division is driven by politicians
‘60 Minutes’ Ignores Democrat Governors’ Scandals, Invents One About DeSantis
Bulgaria’s Controversial Premier Wins Election But Future Uncertain
The party of Bulgaria’s longtime prime minister leading the European Union’s ranked “most corrupt nation” has won parliamentary elections but without enough votes to govern alone, initial official results showed.
Putin Signs Law that Paves the Way to Him Ruling Until 2036
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that opens the door for him to potentially remain in power until 2036.
Russia threatens US interests in Arctic with military buildup
As ice thaws in the Arctic, Russia is building up a military presence unseen since the end of the Cold War, as revealed by recent reports and confirmed by the Pentagon on Monday.
US Treasury chief calls for global minimum corporate tax
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said she was working with G20 countries to adopt a global minimum corporate tax rate that would stem the erosion of government revenues.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu calls trial against him ‘witch hunt,’ warns of damage to rule of law
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at prosecutors on Monday, accusing them of waging a "witch hunt" against him aimed at unseating a democratically elected leader.
Strained Saudi-US ties will likely bring Gulf kingdom closer to Israel
American-Saudi ties have been growing increasingly strained in recent months—a development that will likely see the Sunni power draw even closer to Jerusalem, Israeli observers have told JNS.
Netanyahu gets most support after Lapid, Bennett fail to close deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received more endorsements to form the next government than Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid on Monday, making it likely that he will receive the first mandate from President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.
Inside the United States
LGBT coalition files class action to end discrimination in federal-funded religious institutions
Thirty-three current and former LGBT students of federal-funded religious colleges have filed a class action suit asking an Oregon District Court to rule that the religious exemption to Title IX as applied to ‘sexual and gender minority students is unconstitutional. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects students in federal-funded education programs from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Arkansas GOP Gov. Hutchinson vetoes anti transgender health care bill
Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have made the state the first in the nation to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Vaccine skepticism runs deep among white evangelicals in US
In a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 40% of white evangelical Protestants said they likely won’t get vaccinated, compared with 25% of all Americans, 28% of white mainline Protestants and 27% of nonwhite Protestants.
Christian News
Algerian Christian becomes suicidal following persecution and imprisonment
Algerian Christian Slimane Bouhafs has struggled with suicidal thoughts after being imprisoned for violating Algeria’s blasphemy laws and then being further persecuted for his faith upon seeking refuge in Tunisia, Morning Star News reports. Algeria ranked 24th and Tunisia ranked 26th on the Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Increased persecution in India; Christians attacked by Tribal Animists
Rights groups report that Christian persecution in India has worsened since Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Whereas in 2013 India ranked 31st on the Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List of countries where Christians are persecuted, it now ranks 10th.
“Heaven and Earth:” Two films present evidence for major Scriptural events
There is now available for purchase a two-film DVD Set which seeks to present factual evidence that the Star of Bethlehem which led the wise men to Jesus’ manger, and the Earthquake which followed His death on the Cross, were historical ‘bookend’ events in Jesus’ life. Titled Heaven and Earth, the DVD package contains the films The Star of Bethlehem and the Christ Quake, both of which were directed by Stephen Vidano.
Abducted Church Worker Rescued From India Brothel
The wife of an evangelical pastor in eastern India has been freed after she was abducted, sold, and locked up in a brothel for nearly a month, Worthy News learned Monday.
Wycliffe Associates Providing Satellite Internet Connections and Technology that Helps Protect and Accelerate Translation Efforts
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, is helping protect and advance the work of church-owned Bible translation by providing its translators with crucial technology.
Worthy Watch
Charles Barkley says racial division is driven by politicians
‘60 Minutes’ Ignores Democrat Governors’ Scandals, Invents One About DeSantis