Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries

Around the World
White House ordered plans prepared for Iran strike
Following a September mortar attack near the US embassy in Baghdad that Washington blamed on Iran, US National Security Adviser John Bolton and the National Security Council he leads requested that the Pentagon provide options for striking Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Iran restarting uranium enrichment, nuclear chief says
The head of Iran’s nuclear program said Sunday that the Islamic Republic has begun 'preliminary activities for designing' a modern process for 20-percent uranium enrichment for its 50-year-old research reactor in Tehran, signaling new danger for the nuclear deal.
UK's May says parliament blocking Brexit is more likely than 'no deal'
Prime Minister Theresa May will say on Monday that lawmakers blocking Brexit is now a more likely outcome than Britain leaving the European Union without a deal.
U.S. backed Syrian forces: ISIS is taking its final breaths
Islamic State militants are 'living their final moments' in the last enclave they hold in Syria, near the Iraqi border, where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have stepped up their attacks in the last two days, an SDF official told Reuters on Sunday.
China's 2018 trade surplus with U.S. highest on record going back to 2006
China's trade surplus with the United States rose to $323.32 billion last year, the highest on record going back to 2006, Reuters calculations based on customs data showed on Monday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
After strikes in Syria, Netanyahu threatens to hit Iranian targets even harder
After confirming that Israel bombed an Iranian weapons depot in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that the Jewish state will strike even harder if it proves necessary to prevent Iran from gaining a military foothold in Syria.
Biblical site tied to Ark of the Covenant unearthed at convent in central Israel
A massive 8th century BCE man-made platform discovered at a Catholic convent in central Israel may have served as an ancient shrine to the Ark of the Covenant, said leading Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein. Unearthed at Kiriath-Jearim, the shrine gives potential new insight into the political machinations of the sibling kingdoms of Judah and Israel.

Inside the United States
Judge blocks Trump birth control rollback from taking effect in 13 states, DC
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's loosened birth control rules from going into effect in 13 states and the District of Columbia on Monday as scheduled.
Trump targets Dems over DACA amid shutdown talks
President Trump on Sunday hit Democrats for their hesitance to include protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in talks to end a prolonged government shutdown, despite his own administration's insistence that the program be left out of negotiations.
Fed Union Sues U.S. Government Over Shutdown
One of the largest government employees unions says its members should not be forced to work without paychecks.
'Major concerns': Resolution of border wall showdown not likely to end shutdown
Even if the wall debate is resolved, it’s not necessarily the end of the shutdown that has gone well into its fourth week.

Christian News
New 'Visual Commentary on Scripture' website offers new way to study the Bible
A new $2 million web project launched by King's College London is offering users a new way to visually digest biblical Scripture through the analyses of classic and contemporary works of art.

Around the World
US military begins moving equipment out of Syria as pullout begins
The US military has removed some equipment from Syria, a defense official confirmed Thursday, following a report that the pullout ordered by President Donald Trump is now underway.
Earth’s magnetic field is acting up and geologists don’t know why
Something strange is going on at the top of the world. Earth’s north magnetic pole has been skittering away from Canada and towards Siberia, driven by liquid iron sloshing within the planet’s core. The magnetic pole is moving so quickly that it has forced the world’s geomagnetism experts into a rare move.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
PLO calls for UN to restore ‘Zionism is racism’ resolution
The United Nations must restore the defunct resolution declaring that 'Zionism is racism,' the Palestinian Authority said on Thursday, in response to Israel’s opening of an 'apartheid road' in the West Bank outside of Jerusalem.

Inside the United States
Trump White House urging allies to prepare for possible RBG departure
The White House is reaching out to political allies and conservative activist groups to prepare for an ailing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s possible death or departure from the Supreme Court -- an event that would trigger the second bitter confirmation battle of President Donald Trump’s tenure.
Trump edges closer to declaring national emergency to build border wall without Democrats' OK
President Trump edged closer to declaring a national emergency Thursday that would allow him to build a barrier on the southern border without Democrats’ approval, even suggesting he might outsource some of the work to the state of Texas.
Pentagon prepares options to build border wall as Trump weighs emergency declaration
The Pentagon is preparing options to build barriers on the southern border in the event that President Donald Trump declares a national emergency there, the latest indication such a move is gaining traction within the administration.
New York Gov. Cuomo: No budget unless abortion made legal for any reason until birth
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is refusing to sign the state’s budget unless the legislature passes a bill that makes abortion up until birth for any reason legal in the state. He is also calling on the legislature to enshrine abortion as a right guaranteed in the state constitution.

Christian News
Pompeo Vows US to Stand with Persecuted Believers: 'Christians Central to Middle East'
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Egyptian leaders in Cairo Thursday where he made a key speech addressing the region, denouncing the Obama administration for diminishing America's role in the Middle East. Pompeo says America is back and will be a force for good. It's the latest stop in his nine-nation tour of America's Arab allies.
First-ever church in modern Turkey to be built starting February
Construction for the first-ever church to be built in the modern Republic of Turkey will begin in February, a move Syriac Orthodox believers have long been waiting for.

Around the World
If May loses Brexit vote, Corbyn to call for UK elections
Britain's main opposition Labor Party will demand a general election if Prime Minister Theresa May loses a vote in parliament over her Brexit plans next week, its leader Jeremy Corbyn will say on Thursday.
Iran’s supreme leader calls US officials ‘idiots,’ but hints sanctions hurting
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that American sanctions are putting pressure on Iran and its people.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Senate Democrats back BDS anti-Israel movement with filibuster of Mideast partnership bill
Angry at the government shutdown and peeved over attempts to stifle anti-Israeli boycotts, Senate Democrats on Tuesday filibustered a bill that would have strengthened U.S. relationships in the Middle East while punishing the anti-Israel boycott movement.
Ex-national security advisor to 'Post': Israel needs to review China deals
In news stories that were scarcely noted last year, Prof. Avi Shimhon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top economic advisor, and Meir Ben Shabbat, Israel’s National Security Advisor, were reportedly instructed to develop a mechanism to assess the threat of strategic investment by external actors in Israel’s critical infrastructure. Their task was described as a run-of-the-mill bureaucratic one. But it was clear that Israel’s leadership was reassessing foreign strategic investment in the state, including Chinese plans for the reconstruction and operation of the state’s largest seaport in Haifa.

Inside the United States
Trump walks out of shutdown meeting with Democrats
President Trump walked out of shutdown negotiations with Democratic leaders Wednesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to agree to any money for his border fence, ending the most contentious meeting yet in the 19-day-old government shutdown with no solution in sight.
Denver may decriminalize magic mushrooms after thousands sign measure
Psychedelic mushrooms might be decriminalized in Denver, Colorado this May after a group gathered nearly double the number of signatures needed for such a measure to appear on the ballot.
Supermoon Lunar Eclipse To Become The First Pan-American Total Eclipse In 19 Years
When the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up just properly, the shadow cast by our planet can fall onto the Moon. If the alignment is perfect, the result will be a total lunar eclipse, where the entirety of the Moon enters the darkest part of Earth's shadow. During this time, anyplace on Earth's surface that experiences night will be treated to the spectacular show of a completely red, dim Moon.

Christian News
Christian persecution expected to increase in 2019; believers facing 'modern-day jihad'
The persecution of Christians around the world is expected to increase in 2019, with a watchdog group sharing particular concern for believers in Nigeria, China, and India.