Prophecy News Watch - May 15, 2020

Around the World
US: “China Hacks Vaccine Research”
The United States has accused China of hacking American vaccine research amid a global coronavirus pandemic.
EU's Top Court Condemns Hungary's Treatment Of Asylum Seekers Including Christians (Worthy News Investigation)
Hope was rising Thursday for an Iranian Christian father and his young son held in detention on the Hungarian-Serbian border for 17 months, after the European Union's top court condemned Hungary's treatment of asylum seekers. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Budapest was obliged to reconsider their applications. The court stressed that Hungarian authorities circumvented EU law by holding migrants seeking refuge in unlawful prison-like conditions.
Trump threatens China ties, says he’s in no mood for talks with Xi
US President Donald Trump further hardened his rhetoric toward China on Thursday, saying he no longer wishes to speak with Xi Jinping and warning darkly he might cut ties over the rival superpower’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Montenegro Police Break Up Rally For Release of Priests
Police in Montenegro have used tear gas against demonstrators demanding the release of eight Serbian Orthodox Church priests. The church leaders were detained for holding a religious procession despite a ban on gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel Targeting Missile-Manufacturing Sites in Syria, Hezbollah Chief Says
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Israel was now concentrating its attacks in Syria on missile-manufacturing sites.
Israel's Netanyahu, Gantz postpone swearing-in of new unity government, again
Israel’s new unity government, comprised of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partner Benny Gantz, has postponed Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony to Sunday.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to Boycott Palestinian Leadership Meeting on Israeli Annexation
Terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced Wednesday that they would boycott an upcoming Palestinian leaders meeting about Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank, the Jerusalem Post reported. Palestinian officials said Tuesday that representatives from the two groups had been invited to attend the meeting planned for Saturday in Ramallah.

Inside the United States
Fed Warns of Possible Long-Term Recession, 3 Million More File Jobless Claims
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says the United States may face a prolonged economic downturn, and new unemployment numbers out Thursday morning seem to reinforce his prediction. The latest stats reveal nearly 3 million more Americans filed for jobless aid –coronavirus-related layoffs now reaching 36 million.
U.S. Senate votes to extend government surveillance tools
The U.S. Senate comfortably approved a 2-1/2-year extension of parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Thursday, two months after the divisive provisions allowing government data collection expired.
Christian schools' legal team optimistic after Supreme Court weighs ministerial exception
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a pair of cases that could shape how far religious employers’ “ministerial exception” goes in protecting them from discrimination lawsuits brought by certain employees.
Homeland Security Investigations Office has Opened Hundreds of Cases of COVID-19 Related Fraud
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office has opened more than 370 cases of alleged fraud in which scammers tried to sell counterfeit COVID-19 test kits, treatments, masks, and cleaning products. Since the US entered lockdown around two months ago, the HSI has cracked down on individuals and organizations it suspects of fraud and has investigated nearly 25,000 website domains, the Washington Examiner reports.
US Government Signs Deal for over 500 million Prefilled Vaccine Syringes
The Trump administration has signed a $138 million deal for the production of over 500 million prefilled syringes in the event a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. Produced by innovative syringe company ApiJect, the syringes will carry an optional RFID/NFC tag to provide information on the serial number, GPS location, and date/time of each vaccine.
40% of low-income Americans lost their jobs due to the pandemic
Nearly 40% of lower-income Americans lost work as the coronavirus pandemic began its assault on the U.S. economy, according to the Federal Reserve.

Christian News
US Mission Pilot Dies In Indonesia Crash
An American mission pilot flying much-needed coronavirus test kits to a remote village in Indonesia has died in a plane crash, her Christian aviation organization confirmed.
Dozens Of Christian Villagers Killed In Nigeria
Dozens of villagers have been killed in the latest attack on Christian communities in northwestern Nigeria by suspected Fulani Muslim militants, rights investigators, told Worthy News late Wednesday. Among victims were reportedly five people who died when armed men of Fulani origin attacked Makyali village in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state. One person was injured in Wednesday's attack, added advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in a statement.