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
Iran: Ayatollah appears in public, contrary to rumors of health deterioration
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appeared in public, countering unconfirmed publicized claims that his health had significantly deteriorated, the Times of Israel reports. At a meeting in Tehran Wednesday, Khamenei addressed the family of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US drone strike this year, and senior Iranian military leaders.
EU, British Leaders Concede Big Gaps Remain in Post-Brexit Talks
Britain and the European Union provided sober updates Thursday on the state of post-Brexit trade discussions, with only two weeks to go before a potentially chaotic split.
Putin: Arms race with US ‘has already begun’
An arms race between Washington and Moscow “has already begun,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China infiltrates Western embassies, defense contractors and drug makers with communist operators
A leaked database of nearly 2 million Communist Party members has revealed the lengths to which China’s leaders have gone to place operatives in strategic positions in government and business around the world.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel’s Missile Defense chief would consider cooperation with Arab Gulf States
Israel’s head of missile defense said Tuesday that he would consider working with Arab Gulf states on mutually beneficial missile defense programs, World Israel News reports.
Gantz: There is room in Jerusalem for a Palestinian capital
Jerusalem must remain a united city, but there will be a place for a Palestinian capital within its boundaries, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a rare interview published on Thursday with the London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
Inside the United States
U.S. Legislators Want Hearing On Voter Fraud
Republican legislators demand an urgent probe into “election fraud” after high ranking U.S. officials reported irregularities and even foreign meddling in the presidential election.
Trump administration to cut $200m from California funding because of state abortion policy
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is slashing California’s healthcare funding by $200 million because a 2014 state law requires insurance providers to pay for abortions, the Washington Examiner reports. In a statement, the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said the 2014 law is in breach of federal anti-discrimination conscience legislation that protects insurers from a requirement to cover abortions.
‘Worst hacking in US history’: Agencies said to fear nuclear networks accessed
US officials suspect a massive hacking operation that hit numerous government agencies and has been linked to Russia breached networks tied to the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, Politico reported Thursday.
Georgia announces signature matching review for presidential election ballots
After three recounts, Georgia certified the 2020 presidential election. But on Thursday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a statewide move to match signatures to their absentee ballots in all 159 counties in the state.
GOP turns to Georgia evangelicals to save Senate majority
Social and religious conservatives are the GOP’s secret weapon in the high-stakes Senate runoff races in this Bible Belt state.
‘Unbelievable’ snowfall blankets parts of the Northeast
The Northeast’s first whopper snowstorm of the season buried parts of upstate New York under more than 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, broke records in cities and towns across the region, and left plow drivers struggling to clear the roads as snow piled up at more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) per hour.
Soros reshapes prosecutor landscape with crucial victories despite Democratic down-ballot struggles
The Hungarian-born Democratic megadonor and billionaire George Soros has capitalized on a long-held cliche: All politics is local.
Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism
The idea that the U.S. military would oversee a new nationwide presidential election — ordered under martial law by President Donald Trump — is “insane in a year that we didn’t think could get anymore insane,” a defense official tells Military Times.
‘It looks like a war zone:’ Minneapolis developers shy away from city projects after unrest and calls to ‘defund the police’
Developers have long had challenges navigating the aggressively liberal agenda of the Minneapolis City Council, but for some, the move to cut police funding was the last straw.
Christian News
China City Bans Christian Teachers Professing Faith
Authorities in China's Wenzhou City are forcing all school teachers, including Christians, to sign a document forbidding them to profess their faith or any other religious beliefs, rights activists and other sources confirmed.
Iran: Ayatollah appears in public, contrary to rumors of health deterioration
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appeared in public, countering unconfirmed publicized claims that his health had significantly deteriorated, the Times of Israel reports. At a meeting in Tehran Wednesday, Khamenei addressed the family of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US drone strike this year, and senior Iranian military leaders.
EU, British Leaders Concede Big Gaps Remain in Post-Brexit Talks
Britain and the European Union provided sober updates Thursday on the state of post-Brexit trade discussions, with only two weeks to go before a potentially chaotic split.
Putin: Arms race with US ‘has already begun’
An arms race between Washington and Moscow “has already begun,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China infiltrates Western embassies, defense contractors and drug makers with communist operators
A leaked database of nearly 2 million Communist Party members has revealed the lengths to which China’s leaders have gone to place operatives in strategic positions in government and business around the world.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel’s Missile Defense chief would consider cooperation with Arab Gulf States
Israel’s head of missile defense said Tuesday that he would consider working with Arab Gulf states on mutually beneficial missile defense programs, World Israel News reports.
Gantz: There is room in Jerusalem for a Palestinian capital
Jerusalem must remain a united city, but there will be a place for a Palestinian capital within its boundaries, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a rare interview published on Thursday with the London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
Inside the United States
U.S. Legislators Want Hearing On Voter Fraud
Republican legislators demand an urgent probe into “election fraud” after high ranking U.S. officials reported irregularities and even foreign meddling in the presidential election.
Trump administration to cut $200m from California funding because of state abortion policy
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is slashing California’s healthcare funding by $200 million because a 2014 state law requires insurance providers to pay for abortions, the Washington Examiner reports. In a statement, the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said the 2014 law is in breach of federal anti-discrimination conscience legislation that protects insurers from a requirement to cover abortions.
‘Worst hacking in US history’: Agencies said to fear nuclear networks accessed
US officials suspect a massive hacking operation that hit numerous government agencies and has been linked to Russia breached networks tied to the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, Politico reported Thursday.
Georgia announces signature matching review for presidential election ballots
After three recounts, Georgia certified the 2020 presidential election. But on Thursday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a statewide move to match signatures to their absentee ballots in all 159 counties in the state.
GOP turns to Georgia evangelicals to save Senate majority
Social and religious conservatives are the GOP’s secret weapon in the high-stakes Senate runoff races in this Bible Belt state.
‘Unbelievable’ snowfall blankets parts of the Northeast
The Northeast’s first whopper snowstorm of the season buried parts of upstate New York under more than 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, broke records in cities and towns across the region, and left plow drivers struggling to clear the roads as snow piled up at more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) per hour.
Soros reshapes prosecutor landscape with crucial victories despite Democratic down-ballot struggles
The Hungarian-born Democratic megadonor and billionaire George Soros has capitalized on a long-held cliche: All politics is local.
Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism
The idea that the U.S. military would oversee a new nationwide presidential election — ordered under martial law by President Donald Trump — is “insane in a year that we didn’t think could get anymore insane,” a defense official tells Military Times.
‘It looks like a war zone:’ Minneapolis developers shy away from city projects after unrest and calls to ‘defund the police’
Developers have long had challenges navigating the aggressively liberal agenda of the Minneapolis City Council, but for some, the move to cut police funding was the last straw.
Christian News
China City Bans Christian Teachers Professing Faith
Authorities in China's Wenzhou City are forcing all school teachers, including Christians, to sign a document forbidding them to profess their faith or any other religious beliefs, rights activists and other sources confirmed.
Around the World
France: ‘14 Terrorists Get Long Prison Terms’
A Paris court has found 14 people guilty of involvement in a series of deadly Islamist terror attacks that shook the nation and much of Europe.
UK and Mexico sign post-Brexit continuity deal
The UK and Mexico signed a continuity agreement Tuesday that will permit trade between them to continue on current terms after Britain leaves the European Union’s common trade policy on December 31, Reuters reports.
International Criminal Court will not investigate China’s alleged abuses against Uighur Muslims
The International Criminal Court has refused calls to investigate alleged Chinese government oppression of Uighur Muslims, saying it has no jurisdiction to do so because China is not a signatory to the ICC, VOA reports. The ICC announced its decision in a report published by the office of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on December 14.
Russia has built up its military forces along border with Eastern Europe
As the U.S. reels from revelations that Russian hackers infiltrated sensitive American computer networks, a new report finds that Moscow in recent years built up and repositioned military forces in a key region that borders countries in Eastern Europe.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Liberman calls for union with Lapid, Sa’ar and Bennett to challenge Netanyahu
Yisrael Beiteinu leader MK Avigdor Lieberman called on fellow opposition lawmakers to join forces and challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox allies in the upcoming elections.
Israel launches first-ever multitier missile defense test
The Israel Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for the first time demonstrated a multilayered air defense system using the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow weapon systems in a recent series of tests.
Inside the United States
Declared President-elect Biden’s Son Asked China Millions For Family Business
The troubled son of declared President-elect Joe Biden asked $10 million from a Chinese oil tycoon who he sent his “best wishes” from the “entire family”, new emails suggest.
SCOTUS sides with Houses of Worship again
In another decision that favors churches, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday sent two cases back to the federal courts which had refused to block COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship, the Daily Wire reports. The Supreme Court instructed the lower courts in the two cases to re-consider their original decisions as, in a pivotal ruling last month, SCOTUS ruled against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attendance limits on houses of worship.
Record 274 Journalists Jailed Globally
The number of journalists jailed for their work hit a record high in 2020, with 274 imprisoned globally. The annual survey by press freedom organization Committee to Protect Journalists lists China, Turkey and Egypt as the worst jailers. Unrest in Belarus and Ethiopia led to a surge in arrests, and protests in the U.S. resulted in unprecedented numbers of arrests.
Senate Hearing Examines Voting Irregularities, Ken Starr Points to ‘Clear Violation of the Law’ in PA
The Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing Wednesday to examine irregularities in the 2020 election.
U.S. Confirms Cyberattack Hit Government Networks, Says It’s Ongoing
The U.S. government has confirmed that a recent cyberattack affected its networks and said the attack was "significant and ongoing."
Christian News
Indonesia Detains Islamic Leaders Amid Rising Extremism
Indonesian security forces have detained hardline Islamic leaders with suspected links to terrorism amid concerns among Christians about growing Islamic extremism.
Parents Kidnapped Nigeria Schoolboys Fear Radicalization
Families of more than 300 Nigerian kidnapped schoolboys fear they may face similar pressures as Christian schoolgirls abducted earlier by Islamist militants.
France: ‘14 Terrorists Get Long Prison Terms’
A Paris court has found 14 people guilty of involvement in a series of deadly Islamist terror attacks that shook the nation and much of Europe.
UK and Mexico sign post-Brexit continuity deal
The UK and Mexico signed a continuity agreement Tuesday that will permit trade between them to continue on current terms after Britain leaves the European Union’s common trade policy on December 31, Reuters reports.
International Criminal Court will not investigate China’s alleged abuses against Uighur Muslims
The International Criminal Court has refused calls to investigate alleged Chinese government oppression of Uighur Muslims, saying it has no jurisdiction to do so because China is not a signatory to the ICC, VOA reports. The ICC announced its decision in a report published by the office of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on December 14.
Russia has built up its military forces along border with Eastern Europe
As the U.S. reels from revelations that Russian hackers infiltrated sensitive American computer networks, a new report finds that Moscow in recent years built up and repositioned military forces in a key region that borders countries in Eastern Europe.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Liberman calls for union with Lapid, Sa’ar and Bennett to challenge Netanyahu
Yisrael Beiteinu leader MK Avigdor Lieberman called on fellow opposition lawmakers to join forces and challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox allies in the upcoming elections.
Israel launches first-ever multitier missile defense test
The Israel Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for the first time demonstrated a multilayered air defense system using the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow weapon systems in a recent series of tests.
Inside the United States
Declared President-elect Biden’s Son Asked China Millions For Family Business
The troubled son of declared President-elect Joe Biden asked $10 million from a Chinese oil tycoon who he sent his “best wishes” from the “entire family”, new emails suggest.
SCOTUS sides with Houses of Worship again
In another decision that favors churches, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday sent two cases back to the federal courts which had refused to block COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship, the Daily Wire reports. The Supreme Court instructed the lower courts in the two cases to re-consider their original decisions as, in a pivotal ruling last month, SCOTUS ruled against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attendance limits on houses of worship.
Record 274 Journalists Jailed Globally
The number of journalists jailed for their work hit a record high in 2020, with 274 imprisoned globally. The annual survey by press freedom organization Committee to Protect Journalists lists China, Turkey and Egypt as the worst jailers. Unrest in Belarus and Ethiopia led to a surge in arrests, and protests in the U.S. resulted in unprecedented numbers of arrests.
Senate Hearing Examines Voting Irregularities, Ken Starr Points to ‘Clear Violation of the Law’ in PA
The Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing Wednesday to examine irregularities in the 2020 election.
U.S. Confirms Cyberattack Hit Government Networks, Says It’s Ongoing
The U.S. government has confirmed that a recent cyberattack affected its networks and said the attack was "significant and ongoing."
Christian News
Indonesia Detains Islamic Leaders Amid Rising Extremism
Indonesian security forces have detained hardline Islamic leaders with suspected links to terrorism amid concerns among Christians about growing Islamic extremism.
Parents Kidnapped Nigeria Schoolboys Fear Radicalization
Families of more than 300 Nigerian kidnapped schoolboys fear they may face similar pressures as Christian schoolgirls abducted earlier by Islamist militants.
Around the World
Hungary Approves ‘Anti-Gay’ Constitution
Hungary has adopted an amendment to its constitution that effectively bans the adoption of children by same-sex couples. The legislation also loosens oversight of public funds despite corruption concerns and detailed rules governing war times.
Europe Nations In Controversial Lockdowns
Governments in several European countries have tightened coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas despite mounting protests and upcoming vaccines.
EU-UK post-Brexit deal still “possible”
With just over two weeks to the end-of-year deadline, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Monday it is still possible a post-Brexit trade deal could be struck between Britain and the European Union, Deutsche Welle reports.
Sudan removed from US list of state sponsors of terrorism
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that Sudan has been officially removed from a list of countries that the US considers being state sponsors of terrorism, the Jerusalem Post reports. The 1993 US designation of Sudan as a terror sponsor was made during the brutal dictatorship of former president Omar al-Bashir, who was believed to be protecting terrorist groups, and who was finally ousted last year.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iron Dome successfully intercepts cruise missile for 1st time
Israel has successfully completed an air defense exercise that tested the abilities of the Iron Dome missile defense system to intercept cruise missiles for the first time, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
New paper warns Israel, Iran on collision course
The US is making a mistake by leaving the Middle East to its own devices and this could lead to a conflagration between Israel and Iran, wrote former Turkish MP Aykan Erdemir and former US Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman in an article for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Inside the United States
Army warns: U.S. homeland bases at risk of ‘deliberate and direct attacks’
U.S. Army bases face the real risk of “deliberate and direct attacks” from enemies and must implement new strategies to strengthen their defenses, the Army warned Monday in a major new report that painted an alarming picture of the threats that confront military installations at home.
Top Republican believes Swalwell not the only lawmaker compromised by Chinese spies
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, says it would not surprise him if there are more lawmakers in the Capitol beyond California congressman Eric Swalwell who were compromised by the Chinese.
Wisconsin Supreme Court rules against Trump election challenge
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against President Trump in his election challenge on Monday.
Peaceful prayer rally and violent protests in Washington D.C.
A peaceful prayer rally in Washington DC was usurped Saturday by rioters causing violence and chaos, Christian Headlines reports. The “Let The Church Roar” prayer event was held on the same day as several other DC protest rallies attended by President Trump supporters alleging voter fraud in the November 3 election result.
Christian News
Chinese Jailed Pastor Publishes Poetry Encouraging Believers
Chinese Pastor John Cao, who serves a seven-year jail term in China, has written a poetry book urging believers to realize that Jesus Christ will never forsake them. Christ, he adds, gives treasures nobody can take away.
Hungary Approves ‘Anti-Gay’ Constitution
Hungary has adopted an amendment to its constitution that effectively bans the adoption of children by same-sex couples. The legislation also loosens oversight of public funds despite corruption concerns and detailed rules governing war times.
Europe Nations In Controversial Lockdowns
Governments in several European countries have tightened coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas despite mounting protests and upcoming vaccines.
EU-UK post-Brexit deal still “possible”
With just over two weeks to the end-of-year deadline, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Monday it is still possible a post-Brexit trade deal could be struck between Britain and the European Union, Deutsche Welle reports.
Sudan removed from US list of state sponsors of terrorism
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that Sudan has been officially removed from a list of countries that the US considers being state sponsors of terrorism, the Jerusalem Post reports. The 1993 US designation of Sudan as a terror sponsor was made during the brutal dictatorship of former president Omar al-Bashir, who was believed to be protecting terrorist groups, and who was finally ousted last year.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iron Dome successfully intercepts cruise missile for 1st time
Israel has successfully completed an air defense exercise that tested the abilities of the Iron Dome missile defense system to intercept cruise missiles for the first time, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
New paper warns Israel, Iran on collision course
The US is making a mistake by leaving the Middle East to its own devices and this could lead to a conflagration between Israel and Iran, wrote former Turkish MP Aykan Erdemir and former US Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman in an article for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Inside the United States
Army warns: U.S. homeland bases at risk of ‘deliberate and direct attacks’
U.S. Army bases face the real risk of “deliberate and direct attacks” from enemies and must implement new strategies to strengthen their defenses, the Army warned Monday in a major new report that painted an alarming picture of the threats that confront military installations at home.
Top Republican believes Swalwell not the only lawmaker compromised by Chinese spies
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, says it would not surprise him if there are more lawmakers in the Capitol beyond California congressman Eric Swalwell who were compromised by the Chinese.
Wisconsin Supreme Court rules against Trump election challenge
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against President Trump in his election challenge on Monday.
Peaceful prayer rally and violent protests in Washington D.C.
A peaceful prayer rally in Washington DC was usurped Saturday by rioters causing violence and chaos, Christian Headlines reports. The “Let The Church Roar” prayer event was held on the same day as several other DC protest rallies attended by President Trump supporters alleging voter fraud in the November 3 election result.
Christian News
Chinese Jailed Pastor Publishes Poetry Encouraging Believers
Chinese Pastor John Cao, who serves a seven-year jail term in China, has written a poetry book urging believers to realize that Jesus Christ will never forsake them. Christ, he adds, gives treasures nobody can take away.