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
Trump signs law authorizing China sanctions over Hong Kong crackdown
President Trump signed legislation Tuesday sanctioning Chinese officials and entities for China’s “repressive actions” against the people of Hong Kong, and issued an executive order ending the territory’s preferential treatment by the U.S.
U.S. plans to restrict Mexico, Canada border crossings until late August
The Trump administration is planning to extend restrictions barring non-essential travel across the Mexican and Canadian borders until at least late August as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to spike in the U.S. and Mexico, according to three people familiar with the plans.
Two More Explosions at Sensitive Sites in Iran
Iran saw two further explosions at sensitive sites Sunday, with fire at a petrochemical plant in the Khuzestan province and a blast in a building believed to hold gas cylinders in Tehran, Fox News reported. These incidents were the latest in a series of sometimes deadly, mysterious explosions that have been taking place at military or infrastructural sites since June 26.
EU states have yet to agree on coronavirus economic stimulus package
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a further summit of European Union member states may be required if Friday’s planned meeting fails to produce agreement on an economic stimulus package to help the bloc recover financially from COVID-19, the Washington Times reports.
France: 'Over Eight Billion To Coronavirus-Fighting Health Workers'
The French government and unions have signed an agreement to give over eight billion euros in pay rises for the nation's troubled health workers. France's recently appointed Prime Minister Jean Castex said the move was overdue amid the devastating coronavirus pandemic in the European Union member state.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu aide said to admit US in no mood for annexation, so PM won’t go ahead
Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin has acknowledged in private conversations that no attention is currently being given in Washington to Israeli plans to annex up to 30 percent of the West Bank, according to a Tuesday Army Radio report.
Hebrew U. scientist: Drug could eradicate COVID-19 from lungs in days
Researchers at Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem and New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center believe they could potentially downgrade COVID-19’s severity into nothing worse than a common cold.
Inside the United States
CDC: COVID-19 Deaths for Week Ending June 27 Down 91.9% From Mid-April Peak
In the week that ended on June 27, there were 1,363 deaths in the United States involving COVID-19, which was a 91.9 percent drop from the peak of 16,895 COVID-involved deaths reported for the week that ended on April 18, according to the provisional COVID-19 death counts published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Soros foundation to give $220 million to Black groups advocating racial justice
Open Society, the foundation founded by liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros, is set to donate $220 million to racial justice groups in the wake of awareness stoked by civil unrest around the issue of police brutality.
Goya Foods Pledges More Than Million Pounds of Food, Faces Boycott
Goya Foods is a minority-owned company that sells various food products in the US and many Latin countries. In fact, it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the USA, and the CEO pledged to donate a million cans of chickpeas and a million pounds of food during these troubled times. Yet, Goya Foods is facing a boycott.
Federal court permanently blocks Georgia ‘heartbeat’ abortion bill
A federal court has permanently barred the state of Georgia from implementing a 2019 bill that would have prohibited abortion once a heartbeat was detected, Fox News reports. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones had temporarily blocked the bill in October, but ruled Monday that House Bill 481 is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.
Christian News
Christians Rejoice As Sudan Scraps Death Sentence For Leaving Islam
Christian converts in Sudan are rejoicing after the transitional government scrapped legislation that made leaving Islam punishable by death, Worthy News learned.
Trump signs law authorizing China sanctions over Hong Kong crackdown
President Trump signed legislation Tuesday sanctioning Chinese officials and entities for China’s “repressive actions” against the people of Hong Kong, and issued an executive order ending the territory’s preferential treatment by the U.S.
U.S. plans to restrict Mexico, Canada border crossings until late August
The Trump administration is planning to extend restrictions barring non-essential travel across the Mexican and Canadian borders until at least late August as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to spike in the U.S. and Mexico, according to three people familiar with the plans.
Two More Explosions at Sensitive Sites in Iran
Iran saw two further explosions at sensitive sites Sunday, with fire at a petrochemical plant in the Khuzestan province and a blast in a building believed to hold gas cylinders in Tehran, Fox News reported. These incidents were the latest in a series of sometimes deadly, mysterious explosions that have been taking place at military or infrastructural sites since June 26.
EU states have yet to agree on coronavirus economic stimulus package
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a further summit of European Union member states may be required if Friday’s planned meeting fails to produce agreement on an economic stimulus package to help the bloc recover financially from COVID-19, the Washington Times reports.
France: 'Over Eight Billion To Coronavirus-Fighting Health Workers'
The French government and unions have signed an agreement to give over eight billion euros in pay rises for the nation's troubled health workers. France's recently appointed Prime Minister Jean Castex said the move was overdue amid the devastating coronavirus pandemic in the European Union member state.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu aide said to admit US in no mood for annexation, so PM won’t go ahead
Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin has acknowledged in private conversations that no attention is currently being given in Washington to Israeli plans to annex up to 30 percent of the West Bank, according to a Tuesday Army Radio report.
Hebrew U. scientist: Drug could eradicate COVID-19 from lungs in days
Researchers at Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem and New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center believe they could potentially downgrade COVID-19’s severity into nothing worse than a common cold.
Inside the United States
CDC: COVID-19 Deaths for Week Ending June 27 Down 91.9% From Mid-April Peak
In the week that ended on June 27, there were 1,363 deaths in the United States involving COVID-19, which was a 91.9 percent drop from the peak of 16,895 COVID-involved deaths reported for the week that ended on April 18, according to the provisional COVID-19 death counts published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Soros foundation to give $220 million to Black groups advocating racial justice
Open Society, the foundation founded by liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros, is set to donate $220 million to racial justice groups in the wake of awareness stoked by civil unrest around the issue of police brutality.
Goya Foods Pledges More Than Million Pounds of Food, Faces Boycott
Goya Foods is a minority-owned company that sells various food products in the US and many Latin countries. In fact, it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the USA, and the CEO pledged to donate a million cans of chickpeas and a million pounds of food during these troubled times. Yet, Goya Foods is facing a boycott.
Federal court permanently blocks Georgia ‘heartbeat’ abortion bill
A federal court has permanently barred the state of Georgia from implementing a 2019 bill that would have prohibited abortion once a heartbeat was detected, Fox News reports. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones had temporarily blocked the bill in October, but ruled Monday that House Bill 481 is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.
Christian News
Christians Rejoice As Sudan Scraps Death Sentence For Leaving Islam
Christian converts in Sudan are rejoicing after the transitional government scrapped legislation that made leaving Islam punishable by death, Worthy News learned.
Around the World
Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Rockets, Drones Launched by Yemen’s Houthis
The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic rockets and seven drones laden with explosives launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis towards the kingdom.
Trump says U.S.-China relationship is ‘severely damaged,’ phase 2 trade deal not a priority
President Donald Trump said Friday that he isn’t thinking about a possible next stage of the U.S. trade deal with China, adding that the relationship between the two nations has been “severely damaged” by the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese virologist accuses Beijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong: 'I know how they treat whistleblowers'
Hong Kong scientist Dr. Li-Meng Yan was stepping into uncharted territory. Hours before she boarded an April 28 Cathay Pacific flight to the United States, the respected doctor who specialized in virology and immunology at the Hong Kong School of Public Health had plotted her escape, packing her bag and sneaking past the censors and video cameras on campus.
Netherlands will eliminate gender from ID cards
The gender field will soon no longer appear in the Identification cards (IDs) of citizens, the government of the Netherlands has announced.
Poland's President Narrowly Re-Elected But Legal Challenges Expected
Poland's incumbent conservative President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten his liberal challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's razor-blade tight presidential election. The National Electoral Commission said Duda won with 51.2 percent of the vote.
Bulgarians continue protests against government corruption
Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Sofia and at least 10 other Bulgarian towns for the fourth day Sunday in demonstrations against government corruption, VOA reports. During a march to Parliament in Sofia, more than 3,000 protestors called for the conservative government to resign with shouts of "Mafia!" The protests were triggered in support of socialist President Rumen Radev's, after prosecutors and heavily armed police raided presidential offices on Thursday, VOA reported.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Ultra-Orthodox hold 3rd straight night of protests in Jerusalem against lockdown
Ultra-Orthodox men and boys in Jerusalem staged protests against government lockdowns for the third evening in a row on Monday, with police arresting 16.
Inside the United States
Federal Reserve's $3 trillion virus rescue inflates market bubbles
The Federal Reserve's $3 trillion bid to stave off an economic crisis in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak is fuelling excesses across U.S. capital markets.
US Budget Deficit Hits All-Time High of $864 Billion in June
The U.S. government, faced with a surge in COVID-19 cases and their economic impact, said it incurred its biggest monthly deficit ever in June, an $864 billion figure that is more than the country usually has recorded annually throughout its history.
US reaches 10th billion-dollar weather disaster by end of June 2020
Halfway through 2020 and the billions of losses from weather disasters have added up for another year in a row.
Providers like Planned Parenthood cannot claim federal funding for advocating abortion overseas
The US Supreme Court has confirmed that abortion providers like International Planned Parenthood cannot expect taxpayers to fund their advocacy of abortion overseas, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) reported last week.
Christian News
Iraqi Christian community under threat of extinction
An international humanitarian aid organization has said Christians living in the formerly ISIS-controlled Nineveh Plains of Iraq are now in danger of extinction, the Christian Post reports. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report this week in which it states that political and sectarian tensions are driving Christians out of the area.
Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Ballistic Rockets, Drones Launched by Yemen’s Houthis
The Saudi-led coalition said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic rockets and seven drones laden with explosives launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis towards the kingdom.
Trump says U.S.-China relationship is ‘severely damaged,’ phase 2 trade deal not a priority
President Donald Trump said Friday that he isn’t thinking about a possible next stage of the U.S. trade deal with China, adding that the relationship between the two nations has been “severely damaged” by the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese virologist accuses Beijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong: 'I know how they treat whistleblowers'
Hong Kong scientist Dr. Li-Meng Yan was stepping into uncharted territory. Hours before she boarded an April 28 Cathay Pacific flight to the United States, the respected doctor who specialized in virology and immunology at the Hong Kong School of Public Health had plotted her escape, packing her bag and sneaking past the censors and video cameras on campus.
Netherlands will eliminate gender from ID cards
The gender field will soon no longer appear in the Identification cards (IDs) of citizens, the government of the Netherlands has announced.
Poland's President Narrowly Re-Elected But Legal Challenges Expected
Poland's incumbent conservative President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten his liberal challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's razor-blade tight presidential election. The National Electoral Commission said Duda won with 51.2 percent of the vote.
Bulgarians continue protests against government corruption
Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Sofia and at least 10 other Bulgarian towns for the fourth day Sunday in demonstrations against government corruption, VOA reports. During a march to Parliament in Sofia, more than 3,000 protestors called for the conservative government to resign with shouts of "Mafia!" The protests were triggered in support of socialist President Rumen Radev's, after prosecutors and heavily armed police raided presidential offices on Thursday, VOA reported.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Ultra-Orthodox hold 3rd straight night of protests in Jerusalem against lockdown
Ultra-Orthodox men and boys in Jerusalem staged protests against government lockdowns for the third evening in a row on Monday, with police arresting 16.
Inside the United States
Federal Reserve's $3 trillion virus rescue inflates market bubbles
The Federal Reserve's $3 trillion bid to stave off an economic crisis in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak is fuelling excesses across U.S. capital markets.
US Budget Deficit Hits All-Time High of $864 Billion in June
The U.S. government, faced with a surge in COVID-19 cases and their economic impact, said it incurred its biggest monthly deficit ever in June, an $864 billion figure that is more than the country usually has recorded annually throughout its history.
US reaches 10th billion-dollar weather disaster by end of June 2020
Halfway through 2020 and the billions of losses from weather disasters have added up for another year in a row.
Providers like Planned Parenthood cannot claim federal funding for advocating abortion overseas
The US Supreme Court has confirmed that abortion providers like International Planned Parenthood cannot expect taxpayers to fund their advocacy of abortion overseas, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) reported last week.
Christian News
Iraqi Christian community under threat of extinction
An international humanitarian aid organization has said Christians living in the formerly ISIS-controlled Nineveh Plains of Iraq are now in danger of extinction, the Christian Post reports. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report this week in which it states that political and sectarian tensions are driving Christians out of the area.
Around the World
More explosions in Iran
Further explosions were reported Thursday night at yet another sensitive site in Iran, the Jerusalem Post reports. The latest in a series of blasts at industrial and infrastructural areas in Iran, Thursday’s explosions reportedly took place at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) missile depot west of Tehran.
Anti-migration Hungary Reimposes Coronavirus Measures on Selected Foreigners
Hungary’s fiercely anti-migration government warned Sunday it would reimpose far-reaching coronavirus restrictions on people arriving from nations with a moderate or high number of coronavirus infections. The measures include mandatory two-week quarantines or bans and other limitations.
Poland Voters Elect President As Country Seeks Direction
People in Poland went to the polls Sunday in what commentators called a razor-blade-close presidential election runoff amid a coronavirus pandemic. Voters were deciding whether to give another chance to the current conservative President Andrzej Duda, or to make the liberal mayor of Warsaw the next head-of-state.
Sober Ceremony Marks 25th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre
Bosnia-Herzegovina commemorated over the weekend the 25th anniversary of Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. Some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were shot end killed by invading Serb forces in and around the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in one of the darkest episodes of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Third intifada will closely follow annexation, top PA official warns
Israel can expect a third intifada if it moves ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, an advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
Hamas naval commander, suspected ‘collaborator,’ flees Gaza to Israel
A senior naval commander in the armed wing of the Hamas terror group, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, fled the Gaza Strip to Israel after suspicions arose that he was working for Israel as a so-called “collaborator,” according to unsourced reports in the Palestinian media.
Inside the United States
'Safe for democracy': Democrats bring 'Defund' movement to Capitol Police
Democrats from Seattle to New York are working to cut their police budgets, but not on Capitol Hill, where the House — controlled by Democrats — is moving ahead with a budget that freezes but doesn’t trim any funding for the U.S. Capitol Police.
Trump denies Minnesota governor's request for $500M to repair damage from riots
President Trump has denied a request from Minnesota’s governor for money to rebuild parts of Minneapolis that were destroyed during the riots following the death of George Floyd.
Christian News
Turkey Court: ‘Istanbul’s Main Former Cathedral Turned Into Mosque’
Turkey’s top administrative court decided Friday that the Byzantine Empire’s main cathedral, which eventually became a museum, can be converted back into a mosque. Christian leaders condemned Friday’s ruling.
UK Appeals Court: Christian adoption agency cannot refuse placements with same-sex couples when it works on behalf of local government authorities
A UK Appeals Court has ruled that, while it is working with government authorities, a Christian adoption and foster care agency cannot refuse to place children with same-sex couples, the Christian Post reports. The Court ruled Tuesday that the Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Service can recruit carers who identify as evangelical, provided it does not legally require them to be heterosexual.
Eritrea Detains Dozens Of Christians
Dozens of Christians have been detained in Eritrea in the latest government crackdown on devoted believers, advocacy representatives said Friday.
Turkey Expels Foreign Christians In Crackdown
Turkey is expelling foreign Christians as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to increase support from conservative Islamic leaders, rights investigators told Worthy News.
Christians arrested in Iran
At least 12 Christians are understood to have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRG) in what is believed to have been a coordinated round-up last week, the Christian Post reports. Announced by Article 18, a UK-based human rights non-profit organization, the arrests were said to have taken place in the cities of Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on June 30 and July 1.
More explosions in Iran
Further explosions were reported Thursday night at yet another sensitive site in Iran, the Jerusalem Post reports. The latest in a series of blasts at industrial and infrastructural areas in Iran, Thursday’s explosions reportedly took place at an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) missile depot west of Tehran.
Anti-migration Hungary Reimposes Coronavirus Measures on Selected Foreigners
Hungary’s fiercely anti-migration government warned Sunday it would reimpose far-reaching coronavirus restrictions on people arriving from nations with a moderate or high number of coronavirus infections. The measures include mandatory two-week quarantines or bans and other limitations.
Poland Voters Elect President As Country Seeks Direction
People in Poland went to the polls Sunday in what commentators called a razor-blade-close presidential election runoff amid a coronavirus pandemic. Voters were deciding whether to give another chance to the current conservative President Andrzej Duda, or to make the liberal mayor of Warsaw the next head-of-state.
Sober Ceremony Marks 25th Anniversary of Srebrenica Massacre
Bosnia-Herzegovina commemorated over the weekend the 25th anniversary of Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. Some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were shot end killed by invading Serb forces in and around the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in one of the darkest episodes of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Third intifada will closely follow annexation, top PA official warns
Israel can expect a third intifada if it moves ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, an advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
Hamas naval commander, suspected ‘collaborator,’ flees Gaza to Israel
A senior naval commander in the armed wing of the Hamas terror group, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, fled the Gaza Strip to Israel after suspicions arose that he was working for Israel as a so-called “collaborator,” according to unsourced reports in the Palestinian media.
Inside the United States
'Safe for democracy': Democrats bring 'Defund' movement to Capitol Police
Democrats from Seattle to New York are working to cut their police budgets, but not on Capitol Hill, where the House — controlled by Democrats — is moving ahead with a budget that freezes but doesn’t trim any funding for the U.S. Capitol Police.
Trump denies Minnesota governor's request for $500M to repair damage from riots
President Trump has denied a request from Minnesota’s governor for money to rebuild parts of Minneapolis that were destroyed during the riots following the death of George Floyd.
Christian News
Turkey Court: ‘Istanbul’s Main Former Cathedral Turned Into Mosque’
Turkey’s top administrative court decided Friday that the Byzantine Empire’s main cathedral, which eventually became a museum, can be converted back into a mosque. Christian leaders condemned Friday’s ruling.
UK Appeals Court: Christian adoption agency cannot refuse placements with same-sex couples when it works on behalf of local government authorities
A UK Appeals Court has ruled that, while it is working with government authorities, a Christian adoption and foster care agency cannot refuse to place children with same-sex couples, the Christian Post reports. The Court ruled Tuesday that the Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Service can recruit carers who identify as evangelical, provided it does not legally require them to be heterosexual.
Eritrea Detains Dozens Of Christians
Dozens of Christians have been detained in Eritrea in the latest government crackdown on devoted believers, advocacy representatives said Friday.
Turkey Expels Foreign Christians In Crackdown
Turkey is expelling foreign Christians as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to increase support from conservative Islamic leaders, rights investigators told Worthy News.
Christians arrested in Iran
At least 12 Christians are understood to have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRG) in what is believed to have been a coordinated round-up last week, the Christian Post reports. Announced by Article 18, a UK-based human rights non-profit organization, the arrests were said to have taken place in the cities of Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on June 30 and July 1.