Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries

Around the World
Trump: Without a China Trade Deal, the US Will Hike Tariffs
The United States would raise tariffs on Chinese imports if no deal is reached with Beijing to end a trade war, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, threatening an escalation of the spat that has damaged economic growth worldwide.
White House holding up $100M in Lebanon aid, official confirms
The United States is withholding security assistance to Lebanon to the tune of over $100 million, leaving lawmakers and policymakers in the dark, a senior State Department official confirmed on Tuesday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Gantz concedes failure to form coalition, all but assuring new elections
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz on Wednesday night informed President Reuven Rivlin he had failed to form a governing coalition, paving the way to a shocking third round of elections in under a year.
Foreign Fighters Reported Killed In Israeli Strikes On 'Iranian Targets' In Syria
The Israeli military says it has struck Iranian targets in Syria in what it said was retaliation for rockets fired on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights region.
Trump evangelical base 'thrilled' by determination that West Bank settlements are legal
Prominent evangelical leaders are celebrating President Trump’s decision to recognize Israeli West Bank settlements as legal, a determination that reversed decades of official U.S. policy left in place by Democratic and Republican presidents.
Israel to enter 21-day period in which any Knesset member can become Prime Minister
Negotiations following Israeli elections in September have still not produced any clear leadership.
UN Security Council members critical of US policy shift on Israeli settlements
United Nations Security Council members decried a United States policy shift on Israeli settlements on Wednesday during a meeting where they discussed recent developments in the Middle East, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement two days before.
Arab League to meet on US shift on Israel settlements
The Arab League said it will hold an urgent meeting Monday on the US announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal.

Inside the United States
Sondland implicates top officials on Ukraine, but says he ‘never heard’ quid pro quo from Trump
European Union ambassador Gordon Sondland tied top officials to the 'potential quid pro quo' involving U.S. military aid to Ukraine and investigations desired by President Trump during his highly anticipated impeachment hearing testimony on Wednesday – yet said he never heard that link from the president himself.
How Democrats Plan the Largest Tax Increase in Recent Memory
Much of the Democratic primary race has focused on taxes aimed at the billionaire class — policies devised to reduce inequality and fund progressive goals on health care and education.
US House Panel Backs Marijuana Decriminalization
A divided U.S. House committee approved a proposal Wednesday to decriminalize and tax marijuana at the federal level, a vote that was alternately described as a momentous change in national cannabis policy and a hollow political gesture.
Sondland Affirms ‘No One on This Planet’ Told Him Trump Was Tying Ukraine Aid to Investigating Bidens
n an exchange with Rep. Michael Turner (R.-Ohio), Amb. Gordon Sondland conceded in testimony today that “no one on this planet”—as Turner put it—told him that President Donald Trump was tying U.S. aid to Ukraine to Ukraine's agreeing to investigate the 2016 election, the Bidens, or Burisma, the Ukrainian company that had hired Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
Pence's Chief of Staff: 'This Alleged Discussion Recalled by Ambassador Sondland Never Happened'
Vice President Mike Pence's office released a statement Wednesday morning refuting Ambassador Gordon Sondland's testimony that he told Pence about the alleged quid pro quo being pushed by President Donald Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Christian News
Persecuted pastor Wang Yi stripped of defense by communist regime before his trial
Early Rain Covenant Church Pastor Wang Yi has been deprived of his lawyer by the Chinese government.
Hostility towards Christians on the rise in Europe, report claims
Christians in Europe experienced 325 incidents of intolerance in the past year, a new report has found.

Around the World
Protests spread in Iran, following Iraq and Lebanon
Anti-regime protests saw the internet shut down in Iran Saturday night.
ISIS rebuilds in Syria after Turkish incursion and U.S. drawdown, Pentagon watchdog says
The Islamic State militant group used the drawdown of U.S. troops from Syria and the Turkish incursion to regroup and strengthen its abilities to plan terror attacks abroad -- and will likely rebound from the death of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a new internal report from the Defense Department's watchdog says.
US Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Sails Through Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. aircraft carrier strike group Abraham Lincoln sailed through the vital Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, U.S. officials told Reuters, amid simmering tensions between Iran and the United States.
Russia, Turkey reject US reversal of settlements stance
Russia and Turkey have rejected the United States declaration that it will no longer regard Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories as illegal.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Likud, Blue and White holding ‘serious’ talks amid efforts for last-minute deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz were set to meet Tuesday evening, as multiple reports said the leaders were having serious negotiations for the first time since the September elections amid intense efforts to form a unity government.
IDF attacks IRGC Quds targets in southern Damascus
A spokesperson for the IDF says that IAF fighter jets performed targeted airstrikes on dozens of military targets belonging to the Iranian Quds Force (IRGC) and the Syrian army on Tuesday night in Syria. The targets included air-to-ground missiles, headquarters, IDF warehouses, and military bases.
Netanyahu approves Jordan Valley annexation bill after U.S. changes policy
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his approval on Tuesday to advance a bill that would have Israel apply sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, after the US State Department reversed its stance of viewing Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria as illegal.

Inside the United States
Witness Says Nothing Concerned Him About Trump Ukraine Call, Republicans Question Pelosi's Claim of Bribery
A new week of public impeachment hearings has kicked off on Capitol Hill.
House votes to avert government shutdown through Dec. 20
The House passed a stopgap funding bill Tuesday to fund the government through Dec. 20, moving one step closer to averting a government shutdown and buying time for a possible resolution of partisan budget disputes that have dragged on for months.
Trump flips third appeals court to majority GOP appointed judges
The Tuesday confirmation of Judge Robert J. Luck created a majority for Republican-appointed judges on the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the third such party flip in a federal court of appeals during the Trump presidency.
Rep. Ratcliffe: In 3,500 Pages of Testimony, ‘Bribery’ Appears Only Once – Referring to Biden’s Alleged Conduct
While Democrats are now accusing President Donald Trump of bribery, the thirty-five hundred pages of sworn deposition testimony released so far reveal only one mention of the word “bribery” – and it’s used to describe the alleged conduct of former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) said Tuesday.
Trump administration plans rule to send illegal immigrants back to home country
The Trump administration is planning to publish a rule that would allow the government to send illegal immigrants who did not apply for asylum back to Central America.
Lower mortgage rates boost U.S. housing starts, building permits
U.S. homebuilding rebounded in October and permits for future home construction jumped to a more than 12-year high, pointing to strength in the housing market amid lower mortgage rates.
Pro-Lifers Fined Millions, Now They'll Appeal Ruling in Case Exposing Planned Parenthood's Sale of Baby Body Parts
A pro-life leader says he will appeal a multi-million dollar judgment handed down by a federal court last week in San Francisco, CA.
Documents reveal massive 'dark-money' group boosted Democrats in 2018
The 'green wave' of campaign cash that boosted Democrats and liberal causes in 2018 included an unprecedented gusher of secret money, new documents obtained by POLITICO show.
California Dems Flood Colorado With Cash Ahead of National Popular Vote Referendum
California Democrats have been cutting six-figure checks to promote the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV) in Colorado ahead of a referendum vote in the state next November.
Anti-China bill supporting Hong Kong protestors passes in US Senate
The US Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday condemning China's interference in Hong Kong affairs.
Ken Starr: Witnesses Haven’t Accused Trump of Breaking the Law
Former independent counsel Ken Starr said Tuesday that the impeachment hearings have yet to produce any compelling testimony from witnesses accusing President Donald Trump of any unlawful acts.

Around the World
North Korea 'not interested' in U.S. talks without more concessions
North Korea says it is not “interested” in additional denuclearization negotiations with the U.S. without more concessions from Washington, just one day after President Trump hinted at upcoming talks with Pyongyang with a tweet that read in part, 'See you soon!'
IAEA: Iran's Heavy Water Stock Exceeds Authorized Limit
The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Monday that Iran's stock of heavy water for reactors has surpassed the limit set under its agreement with world powers.
Iran Blocks Internet for 3rd Day as Death Toll From Protests Rises to Eight
Authorities in Iran have blocked internet service for a third day as part of a crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests in which at least eight people have been killed since the unrest began Friday.
US cancels Iran nuclear cooperation waiver after Fordo restart
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he is canceling one of four sanctions waivers that had allowed foreign companies to work with Iran’s civilian nuclear program without US penalties. Pompeo also warned Iran’s leadership not to crack down on protests that recent fuel price increases have sparked.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Reversing Obama Policy, US Will No Longer View Israeli Settlements as ‘Inconsistent with Int’l Law’
In another major reversal of the Obama administration’s policies on the Mideast dispute, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday the U.S. will no longer view the existence of Israeli communities ('settlements') in disputed territory as inherently illegal under international law, unleashing a wave of reaction, both positive and negative.
Gantz and Liberman said to agree on civil marriage, other religion reforms
A Blue and White-led government would enact sweeping religion and state reforms, including easing the state-recognized process of converting to Judaism and legalizing civil marriages, according to a leaked document published Monday.
IDF launches surprise military drill in northern Israel
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday launched a two-day surprise military exercise in northern Israel, the army said.

Inside the United States
‘I like the idea’: Trump will 'strongly consider' giving impeachment testimony to get Congress moving
President Trump claimed he would 'strongly consider' delivering impeachment testimony if it would get Congress to start working on other issues, such as the USMCA trade deal.
US Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Trump Tax Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that would have required President Donald Trump to turn over some of his financial records to a Democratic-led committee in the House of Representatives.
Trump asks Supreme Court to stop Congress from getting his financial records
President Donald Trump on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling directing an accounting firm to hand over his financial records to a Democratic-led congressional panel, setting up a major clash between branches of government.

Christian News
Federal Court Reverses Decision Barring Christian School from Praying Over Loudspeaker
A federal court of appeals reversed a rule enforced by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) that prohibited two private Christian schools from saying a prayer over the loudspeakers before a football game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
Many Chick-fil-A Fans Upset Over Decision to Stop Donating to Salvation Army, FCA
Eager to expand its footprint overseas and into liberal cities in the U.S., executives at Chick-fil-A have made the decision to no longer donate to perennially controversial charities like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Ohio House Passes Bill Protecting Students' Religious Freedom, Expression
The Ohio House on Wednesday approved legislation that would protect student rights to religious expression in public schools, including prayer, school assignments, artwork, and clothing.
Pope Francis: Catechism will be updated to define ecological sins
Following through on a proposal made at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, Pope Francis said there are plans to include a definition of ecological sins in the church's official teaching.
Freedom of religion or belief 'continues to be a priority' for the UK
The Government has told the United Nations that freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) 'continues to be a priority for the United Kingdom'.