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
Millions Evacuate As Super Cyclone Hits India, Bangladesh
Authorities in India and neighboring Bangladesh ordered millions of people to leave their homes in coastal areas ahead of a super cyclone, the most significant storm in a decade.
US issues warning to vessels in Persian Gulf that come too close to Navy ships after Trump threat to Iran
The United States has a message for ships in the Persian Gulf: Don’t come too close to Navy vessels.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Living underground before the Romans? 2,000-year-old rooms found by Western Wall
A singular two-millennia-old subterranean system of three rooms has been uncovered near the Western Wall. The three-room complex — painstakingly chiseled by hand out of bedrock prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE — is the first evidence of everyday life gone underground in the ancient city.
Israeli Laboratory Hopes to Produce a Coronavirus Vaccine in a Year
A laboratory run by Israel’s Defense Ministry has said it may have a functioning COVID-19 vaccine in a year or less, the Times of Israel reports. The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) reported that it completed a successful coronavirus vaccine test on rodents and will move on to trials with other animals before starting on humans.
EU Will Not Recognize Unilateral Israeli Annexation of Parts of West Bank
The European Union’s head of foreign policy stated Monday that the bloc would not recognize any annexation changes Israel made to “1967 borders” unless these had been agreed by the Palestinians, the Times of Israel reports. In his statement, Josep Borrell added: “We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to international law.”
Inside the United States
Trump signs executive order to cut regulations hampering economic recovery
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to cut regulations that hamper economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Declassified Susan Rice email shows Comey suggested 'sensitive' info on Russia not be shared with Flynn
Former FBI Director James Comey suggested to then-President Barack Obama in a January 2017 meeting that the National Security Council [NSC] might not want to pass "sensitive information related to Russia" to then-incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a newly declassified email that Flynn's predecessor sent herself on Inauguration Day.
Forecasters says this Year’s Hurricane Season may be Among the Worst
Weather forecasters are concerned this year’s hurricane season may be among the worst ever as the first-named tropical storm of 2020 brushed past North Carolina yesterday. Forecasters are seeing climate conditions similar to those of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina killed 1,800 people in New Orleans, Bloomberg Green reported.
Christian News
Evangelist and Apologist Ravi Zacharias Dies At 74
India-born evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who built a global mission group for the intellectual defense of his faith in Jesus Christ, has died of cancer in the United States, his family confirmed. The founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) was 74 when he passed away Tuesday at his Atlanta home.
Court Overturns Worship Ban In France
An administrative court in France has overturned a government ban on meetings in churches and other places of worship. The case underscored broader tensions in coronavirus-hit Europe over religious freedom amid an ongoing pandemic.
Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits
Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.
Millions Evacuate As Super Cyclone Hits India, Bangladesh
Authorities in India and neighboring Bangladesh ordered millions of people to leave their homes in coastal areas ahead of a super cyclone, the most significant storm in a decade.
US issues warning to vessels in Persian Gulf that come too close to Navy ships after Trump threat to Iran
The United States has a message for ships in the Persian Gulf: Don’t come too close to Navy vessels.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Living underground before the Romans? 2,000-year-old rooms found by Western Wall
A singular two-millennia-old subterranean system of three rooms has been uncovered near the Western Wall. The three-room complex — painstakingly chiseled by hand out of bedrock prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE — is the first evidence of everyday life gone underground in the ancient city.
Israeli Laboratory Hopes to Produce a Coronavirus Vaccine in a Year
A laboratory run by Israel’s Defense Ministry has said it may have a functioning COVID-19 vaccine in a year or less, the Times of Israel reports. The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) reported that it completed a successful coronavirus vaccine test on rodents and will move on to trials with other animals before starting on humans.
EU Will Not Recognize Unilateral Israeli Annexation of Parts of West Bank
The European Union’s head of foreign policy stated Monday that the bloc would not recognize any annexation changes Israel made to “1967 borders” unless these had been agreed by the Palestinians, the Times of Israel reports. In his statement, Josep Borrell added: “We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to international law.”
Inside the United States
Trump signs executive order to cut regulations hampering economic recovery
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to cut regulations that hamper economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Declassified Susan Rice email shows Comey suggested 'sensitive' info on Russia not be shared with Flynn
Former FBI Director James Comey suggested to then-President Barack Obama in a January 2017 meeting that the National Security Council [NSC] might not want to pass "sensitive information related to Russia" to then-incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a newly declassified email that Flynn's predecessor sent herself on Inauguration Day.
Forecasters says this Year’s Hurricane Season may be Among the Worst
Weather forecasters are concerned this year’s hurricane season may be among the worst ever as the first-named tropical storm of 2020 brushed past North Carolina yesterday. Forecasters are seeing climate conditions similar to those of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina killed 1,800 people in New Orleans, Bloomberg Green reported.
Christian News
Evangelist and Apologist Ravi Zacharias Dies At 74
India-born evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who built a global mission group for the intellectual defense of his faith in Jesus Christ, has died of cancer in the United States, his family confirmed. The founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) was 74 when he passed away Tuesday at his Atlanta home.
Court Overturns Worship Ban In France
An administrative court in France has overturned a government ban on meetings in churches and other places of worship. The case underscored broader tensions in coronavirus-hit Europe over religious freedom amid an ongoing pandemic.
Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits
Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.
Around the World
China: ‘108 Million People In Lockdown’ As Virus Spreads Again
While several nations began to reopen after months of lockdowns, China put a whopping 108 million people under a stay-at-home order.
Montenegro Releases Bishop and Priests After Protests
Montenegro has released a Serbian Orthodox Church bishop and at least seven priests whose detention sparked protests and riots with police.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Bennett says Iran starting to withdraw from Syria
Iran has begun withdrawing its forces from Syria, Israel's outgoing defense minister said on Monday, without offering any evidence to support his assertion.
EU Funding is Gettting Into the Hands of Palestinian Terrorists
Terrorist groups have established a way to siphon off European funds designated for Palestinian civil society, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry (SAM) has said in a new report. The SAM publication follows a European Union announcement that it would continue to fund Palestinian "civil society organizations," even if such groups include terrorists, Israel Hayom reports.
Inside the United States
FBI: Saudi officer’s Pensacola naval station attack was an al-Qaida terrorist strike
A Royal Saudi Arabian Air Forces cadet training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola was acting on behalf of al-Qaida on Dec. 6 when he murdered three U.S. Navy sailors and wounded eight, according to information uncovered from his cellphones.
US President Trump Takes Malaria Dug against COVID-19
US President Donald Trump says he has been taking a malaria drug to protect against the new coronavirus COVID-19, despite warnings from his health officials. “What do you have to lose?" he told reporters on Monday.
Senator Rubio chosen as acting Intelligence Committee chairman
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will serve as acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, after Senator Richard Burr announced he would step aside from the position during a federal investigation of his stock trades.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules 'Unilateral' Extension of Executive Lockdown Order is Unlawful
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled three to four Wednesday that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’s administration had no authority to extend a coronavirus stay-at-home order to the end of May, Fox News reports. Evers’ executive order was due to end on April 24, but Health Secretary Andrea Palm extended it to May 26. After Republicans filed suit, the Court found the extension amounted to an emergency rule which Palm had no power to enact unilaterally.
Christian News
Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits
Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.
China: ‘108 Million People In Lockdown’ As Virus Spreads Again
While several nations began to reopen after months of lockdowns, China put a whopping 108 million people under a stay-at-home order.
Montenegro Releases Bishop and Priests After Protests
Montenegro has released a Serbian Orthodox Church bishop and at least seven priests whose detention sparked protests and riots with police.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Bennett says Iran starting to withdraw from Syria
Iran has begun withdrawing its forces from Syria, Israel's outgoing defense minister said on Monday, without offering any evidence to support his assertion.
EU Funding is Gettting Into the Hands of Palestinian Terrorists
Terrorist groups have established a way to siphon off European funds designated for Palestinian civil society, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry (SAM) has said in a new report. The SAM publication follows a European Union announcement that it would continue to fund Palestinian "civil society organizations," even if such groups include terrorists, Israel Hayom reports.
Inside the United States
FBI: Saudi officer’s Pensacola naval station attack was an al-Qaida terrorist strike
A Royal Saudi Arabian Air Forces cadet training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola was acting on behalf of al-Qaida on Dec. 6 when he murdered three U.S. Navy sailors and wounded eight, according to information uncovered from his cellphones.
US President Trump Takes Malaria Dug against COVID-19
US President Donald Trump says he has been taking a malaria drug to protect against the new coronavirus COVID-19, despite warnings from his health officials. “What do you have to lose?" he told reporters on Monday.
Senator Rubio chosen as acting Intelligence Committee chairman
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will serve as acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, after Senator Richard Burr announced he would step aside from the position during a federal investigation of his stock trades.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules 'Unilateral' Extension of Executive Lockdown Order is Unlawful
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled three to four Wednesday that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’s administration had no authority to extend a coronavirus stay-at-home order to the end of May, Fox News reports. Evers’ executive order was due to end on April 24, but Health Secretary Andrea Palm extended it to May 26. After Republicans filed suit, the Court found the extension amounted to an emergency rule which Palm had no power to enact unilaterally.
Christian News
Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits
Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.
Around the World
Iran:'Arson Attack At Tomb Esther and Mordechai'
Iranian officials have admitted that fire broke out at an ancient shrine viewed by Iran’s Jewish community as the resting place of the Biblical Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai. The announcement published by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) came after activists reported an overnight arson attack at the site.
Typhoon Devastates Lockdown Wary Philippines
A Christian woman was among many fearfully hiding Friday as parts of the Philippines were devastated by winds and rain from Typhoon Vongfong. “It is always scary,” Virgie Overdevest told Worthy News. “We already had a minor earthquake here.”
Slovenia First European Nation Without Coronavirus Pandemic
Slovenia has become the first European nation to declare an end to its coronavirus pandemic. It also opened the borders on Friday, despite new infections being reported.
Massive locust swarms threaten catastrophe for African nations
The United Nations (UN) has warned that vast swarms of locusts are set on a “path of destruction” across Africa, affecting nations that had not seen the pest in decades. Locust controllers are concerned the pests will wipe out crops in a potentially “Biblical catastrophe,” leaving millions of people without food in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel’s Parliament Approves New Government Amid Tensions
Israel's parliament accepted a new government on Sunday, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz. The approval ended the most extended political crisis in the Jewish state’s history.
Israel University Claims One-Minute Corinavirus Test
A researcher at one of Israel's leading universities says he has developed a test that identifies carriers of the new coronavirus COVID-19 in less than a minute.
Opinion Polls Present Conflicting Results on Palestinian Support for Third Intifada
Recent opinion polls unanimously demonstrate that around 90% of Palestinians reject President Trump’s peace plan, the Washington Institute reports. However, separate polls show different results on Palestinian support for a third intifada as a means by which to resist the plan.
Inside the United States
Operation Warp Speed sets 'goal' of 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021
The Defense Department took pains Friday to emphasize that President Trump’s promise to produce 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021 is a “goal,” while a spokesman also told the Washington Examiner that a shake-up of the Pentagon team acquiring medical equipment did not signify a change in direction.
US Medal of Honor Army Medic Dies
A former U.S. Army medic who received the Medal of Honor in 2018 for his heroic efforts to save the lives of fellow soldiers in Afghanistan has died, his wife and officials confirmed. Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II was 41.
U.S. House Unveils $3 Trillion Coronavirus Package
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive $3 trillion virus aid package after batting back a last-minute Republican effort that threatened the measure.
Poll: ‘Coronavirus Shows God Wants Changed Humanity’
The coronavirus pandemic made almost two-thirds of American believers of all faiths feel that God wants humanity to change how it lives, according to a new survey.
U.S. Retail Sales Plunge To Record Low
U.S. stocks sank Friday after figures showed retail sales in the country plunged by a record 16.4 percent last month, the worst decline in decades.
Christian News
U.S. Churches Defy Coronavirus Bans On Indoor Worship
Churches across the United States are planning to defy bans on indoor worship and will open for in-person services this Sunday, May 17, Worthy News learned. The move is part of the "Peaceably Gather Sunday" initiative in which congregations seek a balance between safety against the coronavirus and worshipping without restrictions.
North Carolina Churches Sue Governor Over Ban On Indoor Worship
Christian leaders have sued the governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina for banning extensive indoor church services to limit the new coronavirus outbreak. Their lawsuit asked a court to throw out Governor Roy Cooper's restrictions on person-to-person services in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Church in North Korea Exists but Deeply Underground
There are Christians in North Korea but congregations are typically made up of two or three people from the same family, Fox News reports. The North Korean church exists, but it has had to go deeply underground: under the Kim Jong Un regime, believers – and their families - may face the death penalty or detention if their faith is discovered.
Iran:'Arson Attack At Tomb Esther and Mordechai'
Iranian officials have admitted that fire broke out at an ancient shrine viewed by Iran’s Jewish community as the resting place of the Biblical Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai. The announcement published by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) came after activists reported an overnight arson attack at the site.
Typhoon Devastates Lockdown Wary Philippines
A Christian woman was among many fearfully hiding Friday as parts of the Philippines were devastated by winds and rain from Typhoon Vongfong. “It is always scary,” Virgie Overdevest told Worthy News. “We already had a minor earthquake here.”
Slovenia First European Nation Without Coronavirus Pandemic
Slovenia has become the first European nation to declare an end to its coronavirus pandemic. It also opened the borders on Friday, despite new infections being reported.
Massive locust swarms threaten catastrophe for African nations
The United Nations (UN) has warned that vast swarms of locusts are set on a “path of destruction” across Africa, affecting nations that had not seen the pest in decades. Locust controllers are concerned the pests will wipe out crops in a potentially “Biblical catastrophe,” leaving millions of people without food in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel’s Parliament Approves New Government Amid Tensions
Israel's parliament accepted a new government on Sunday, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz. The approval ended the most extended political crisis in the Jewish state’s history.
Israel University Claims One-Minute Corinavirus Test
A researcher at one of Israel's leading universities says he has developed a test that identifies carriers of the new coronavirus COVID-19 in less than a minute.
Opinion Polls Present Conflicting Results on Palestinian Support for Third Intifada
Recent opinion polls unanimously demonstrate that around 90% of Palestinians reject President Trump’s peace plan, the Washington Institute reports. However, separate polls show different results on Palestinian support for a third intifada as a means by which to resist the plan.
Inside the United States
Operation Warp Speed sets 'goal' of 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021
The Defense Department took pains Friday to emphasize that President Trump’s promise to produce 300 million coronavirus vaccines by January 2021 is a “goal,” while a spokesman also told the Washington Examiner that a shake-up of the Pentagon team acquiring medical equipment did not signify a change in direction.
US Medal of Honor Army Medic Dies
A former U.S. Army medic who received the Medal of Honor in 2018 for his heroic efforts to save the lives of fellow soldiers in Afghanistan has died, his wife and officials confirmed. Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II was 41.
U.S. House Unveils $3 Trillion Coronavirus Package
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive $3 trillion virus aid package after batting back a last-minute Republican effort that threatened the measure.
Poll: ‘Coronavirus Shows God Wants Changed Humanity’
The coronavirus pandemic made almost two-thirds of American believers of all faiths feel that God wants humanity to change how it lives, according to a new survey.
U.S. Retail Sales Plunge To Record Low
U.S. stocks sank Friday after figures showed retail sales in the country plunged by a record 16.4 percent last month, the worst decline in decades.
Christian News
U.S. Churches Defy Coronavirus Bans On Indoor Worship
Churches across the United States are planning to defy bans on indoor worship and will open for in-person services this Sunday, May 17, Worthy News learned. The move is part of the "Peaceably Gather Sunday" initiative in which congregations seek a balance between safety against the coronavirus and worshipping without restrictions.
North Carolina Churches Sue Governor Over Ban On Indoor Worship
Christian leaders have sued the governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina for banning extensive indoor church services to limit the new coronavirus outbreak. Their lawsuit asked a court to throw out Governor Roy Cooper's restrictions on person-to-person services in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Church in North Korea Exists but Deeply Underground
There are Christians in North Korea but congregations are typically made up of two or three people from the same family, Fox News reports. The North Korean church exists, but it has had to go deeply underground: under the Kim Jong Un regime, believers – and their families - may face the death penalty or detention if their faith is discovered.