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
U.S. To Exit Open Skies Treaty Over Russian Violations
The United States has announced that it will withdraw from the Open Skies treaty because of violations of the agreement by Russia.
US pledges $1.2B for 300M doses of coronavirus vaccine being developed in UK
The United States has committed $1.2 billion to secure the supply of 300 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed in the United Kingdom.
Satellites and spacecraft malfunction as Earth's magnetic field mysteriously weakens
Earth's magnetic field, which is vital to protecting life on our planet from solar radiation, is mysteriously weakening.
Scores Dead As Cyclone Hits India and Bangladesh
Scores of people have died, hundreds of thousands are homeless, and millions face flooding and power shortages in India and Bangladesh after one of the region’s fiercest cyclones in a decade.
Trump Administration Spending Billions Developing Hypersonic Missiles
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on developing two main types of ultra-fast hypersonic missiles in order to “dominate future battlefields,” the Times of Israel reports. Referring to Russia and China in an explanation for the move, President Trump told reporters on Friday: “We have no choice, we have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there.”
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Russia said pushing ‘mini-summit’ to mend ties between US, Palestinians
Russia is reportedly seeking to arrange a meeting in the coming weeks between US and Palestinian officials to help renew ties between Washington and Ramallah, which have frayed during US President Donald Trump’s presidency.
Hezbollah training Syria's 1st Corps to use in future war against Israel
Hezbollah is preparing the Syrian Arab Army’s 1st Corps for a future war against Israel, training its commanders and soldiers as well as deploying it for intelligence gathering against the IDF in the Golan Heights.
Inside the United States
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi shooting investigated as 'terrorism-related,' FBI reports
The FBI said Thursday that a shooting at a Texas naval air station earlier in the morning that left the gunman dead is being investigated as “terrorism-related.”
Justice Department says California Restrictions on Churches are Unfair
The Justice Department has told California Gov. Gavin Newsom that his current COVID-19 order prohibiting worship services amounts to “unequal treatment of faith communities," the Washington Examiner reports. In a letter sent Tuesday by the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the governor was told it is apparently unfair that church should be closed when “non-essential” businesses have opened in phase two of California’s Reopening Plan.
Record-Breaking $1.3 Billion Contract Awarded to Build Section of Border Wall
A North Dakota construction company has received a massive $1.3 billion contract to build a section of President Trump’s US-Mexico border wall, the Arizona Daily Star first reported. The award to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. is the largest border wall contract to date.
Christian News
U.S. Pentecostal Church Destroyed In Arson Attack
A Pentecostal church in the U.S. state of Mississippi, which challenges coronavirus restrictions, has been destroyed by a suspected arson fire.
Wycliffe Associates Looks to Collaborative Translation Methodology to Finish Decades-Old Bible Translation Projects
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, has recently identified 10 language groups that don’t yet have complete Bibles, although translation projects began decades ago.
Iran Frees Four Converts From Jail
Four former Muslims who became Christians and part of Iran's leading house church movements have been freed from an Iranian jail, Christian activists confirmed Thursday. Kathrin Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi, and another Christian, of the 'Church of Iran,' were reportedly freed on a reduced bail of 200 million tomans ($11,500) this week, Wednesday.
Hope for Iran Christian as Hungary Closes Transit Zones
An Iranian Christian father and his young son were among hundreds of asylum seekers on their way to more freedom Thursday after Hungary’s government closed prison-like transit zones.
U.S. To Exit Open Skies Treaty Over Russian Violations
The United States has announced that it will withdraw from the Open Skies treaty because of violations of the agreement by Russia.
US pledges $1.2B for 300M doses of coronavirus vaccine being developed in UK
The United States has committed $1.2 billion to secure the supply of 300 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed in the United Kingdom.
Satellites and spacecraft malfunction as Earth's magnetic field mysteriously weakens
Earth's magnetic field, which is vital to protecting life on our planet from solar radiation, is mysteriously weakening.
Scores Dead As Cyclone Hits India and Bangladesh
Scores of people have died, hundreds of thousands are homeless, and millions face flooding and power shortages in India and Bangladesh after one of the region’s fiercest cyclones in a decade.
Trump Administration Spending Billions Developing Hypersonic Missiles
The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on developing two main types of ultra-fast hypersonic missiles in order to “dominate future battlefields,” the Times of Israel reports. Referring to Russia and China in an explanation for the move, President Trump told reporters on Friday: “We have no choice, we have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there.”
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Russia said pushing ‘mini-summit’ to mend ties between US, Palestinians
Russia is reportedly seeking to arrange a meeting in the coming weeks between US and Palestinian officials to help renew ties between Washington and Ramallah, which have frayed during US President Donald Trump’s presidency.
Hezbollah training Syria's 1st Corps to use in future war against Israel
Hezbollah is preparing the Syrian Arab Army’s 1st Corps for a future war against Israel, training its commanders and soldiers as well as deploying it for intelligence gathering against the IDF in the Golan Heights.
Inside the United States
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi shooting investigated as 'terrorism-related,' FBI reports
The FBI said Thursday that a shooting at a Texas naval air station earlier in the morning that left the gunman dead is being investigated as “terrorism-related.”
Justice Department says California Restrictions on Churches are Unfair
The Justice Department has told California Gov. Gavin Newsom that his current COVID-19 order prohibiting worship services amounts to “unequal treatment of faith communities," the Washington Examiner reports. In a letter sent Tuesday by the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the governor was told it is apparently unfair that church should be closed when “non-essential” businesses have opened in phase two of California’s Reopening Plan.
Record-Breaking $1.3 Billion Contract Awarded to Build Section of Border Wall
A North Dakota construction company has received a massive $1.3 billion contract to build a section of President Trump’s US-Mexico border wall, the Arizona Daily Star first reported. The award to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. is the largest border wall contract to date.
Christian News
U.S. Pentecostal Church Destroyed In Arson Attack
A Pentecostal church in the U.S. state of Mississippi, which challenges coronavirus restrictions, has been destroyed by a suspected arson fire.
Wycliffe Associates Looks to Collaborative Translation Methodology to Finish Decades-Old Bible Translation Projects
Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, has recently identified 10 language groups that don’t yet have complete Bibles, although translation projects began decades ago.
Iran Frees Four Converts From Jail
Four former Muslims who became Christians and part of Iran's leading house church movements have been freed from an Iranian jail, Christian activists confirmed Thursday. Kathrin Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi, and another Christian, of the 'Church of Iran,' were reportedly freed on a reduced bail of 200 million tomans ($11,500) this week, Wednesday.
Hope for Iran Christian as Hungary Closes Transit Zones
An Iranian Christian father and his young son were among hundreds of asylum seekers on their way to more freedom Thursday after Hungary’s government closed prison-like transit zones.
Around the World
Hungary Passes Transgender Law
Hungary's Parliament has approved legislation that bans transgender people from changing the gender they were assigned at birth on official documents.
Spain Extends Wearing Of Masks To Curb Virus
Spain’s government on Wednesday sought to extend a state of emergency and made wearing masks compulsory where social distancing is not possible.
Millions Hide as Super Cyclone Roars India and Bangladesh
Millions of people have fled to shelters in India and neighboring Bangladesh as the fiercest cyclone in decades hit the region, which also faces a coronavirus pandemic.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Russia, UN and Vatican condemn unilateral Israeli annexation plan
International opposition to Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank continued to gain momentum Wednesday as representatives of the UN, Russia, and the Vatican all expressed strong objections to the plan that could be implemented as early as July.
Abbas: PA no longer bound by accords with Israel and US, including on security
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said he was terminating all agreements with Israel and the United States, including security cooperation with the Jewish state, over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise to annex parts of the West Bank.
Inside the United States
U.S. Cities Seen Losing $360 Billion of Revenue From Economic Rout
U.S. cities are projected to lose about $360 billion of revenue through 2022 because of the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented loss that would trigger deep spending and job cuts, according to a National League of Cities analysis released Thursday.
Report: 1,797,910 Firearms Sold in April 2020, a 71.3% Increase Over April 2019
A report by Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates that in April 2020 there were 1,797,910 gun sales, an increase of 71.3% over the April 2019 sales.
Planned Parenthood must return $80 million it received in COVID-19 loans for small businesses
Thirty-seven Planned Parenthood affiliates received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) intended to help small businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox News has reported exclusively. The federal government now says the abortion provider must pay back the money it received. Explaining its position, the government said Planned Parenthood is a federation of affiliates with over 500 employees and should have known it does not qualify for small business aid.
U.S. Birthrate Hits Record Low
The United States hit a record low birthrate amid broader concerns over the economy, U.S. health authorities revealed Wednesday.
Federal Judge Rules All voters in Texas Can Cast Ballot by Mail
A Democrat federal judge ruled Tuesday that all Texans can apply to vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, VOA reported. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state would appeal, describing the ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery as a dismissal of "well-established law."
Christian News
Civil Liberties Groups says Around 620 Christians Killed by Islamic Militants in Nigeria Since Beginning of 2020
According to the records of a Nigerian civil liberties organization, Islamic militants have killed at least 620 Christians in the country since the beginning of 2020, CBN News reports. The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (ISCLRL) published the number murders in a report which said militant Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram have stepped up violence against Christians in the old Middle Belt and Northeast regions of Nigeria.
US Pastor Home After 7-months Detention In India
An American pastor has arrived home after more than seven months of detention in India on controversial charges of tax evasion.
Hungary Passes Transgender Law
Hungary's Parliament has approved legislation that bans transgender people from changing the gender they were assigned at birth on official documents.
Spain Extends Wearing Of Masks To Curb Virus
Spain’s government on Wednesday sought to extend a state of emergency and made wearing masks compulsory where social distancing is not possible.
Millions Hide as Super Cyclone Roars India and Bangladesh
Millions of people have fled to shelters in India and neighboring Bangladesh as the fiercest cyclone in decades hit the region, which also faces a coronavirus pandemic.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Russia, UN and Vatican condemn unilateral Israeli annexation plan
International opposition to Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank continued to gain momentum Wednesday as representatives of the UN, Russia, and the Vatican all expressed strong objections to the plan that could be implemented as early as July.
Abbas: PA no longer bound by accords with Israel and US, including on security
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said he was terminating all agreements with Israel and the United States, including security cooperation with the Jewish state, over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise to annex parts of the West Bank.
Inside the United States
U.S. Cities Seen Losing $360 Billion of Revenue From Economic Rout
U.S. cities are projected to lose about $360 billion of revenue through 2022 because of the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented loss that would trigger deep spending and job cuts, according to a National League of Cities analysis released Thursday.
Report: 1,797,910 Firearms Sold in April 2020, a 71.3% Increase Over April 2019
A report by Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates that in April 2020 there were 1,797,910 gun sales, an increase of 71.3% over the April 2019 sales.
Planned Parenthood must return $80 million it received in COVID-19 loans for small businesses
Thirty-seven Planned Parenthood affiliates received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) intended to help small businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox News has reported exclusively. The federal government now says the abortion provider must pay back the money it received. Explaining its position, the government said Planned Parenthood is a federation of affiliates with over 500 employees and should have known it does not qualify for small business aid.
U.S. Birthrate Hits Record Low
The United States hit a record low birthrate amid broader concerns over the economy, U.S. health authorities revealed Wednesday.
Federal Judge Rules All voters in Texas Can Cast Ballot by Mail
A Democrat federal judge ruled Tuesday that all Texans can apply to vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, VOA reported. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state would appeal, describing the ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery as a dismissal of "well-established law."
Christian News
Civil Liberties Groups says Around 620 Christians Killed by Islamic Militants in Nigeria Since Beginning of 2020
According to the records of a Nigerian civil liberties organization, Islamic militants have killed at least 620 Christians in the country since the beginning of 2020, CBN News reports. The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (ISCLRL) published the number murders in a report which said militant Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram have stepped up violence against Christians in the old Middle Belt and Northeast regions of Nigeria.
US Pastor Home After 7-months Detention In India
An American pastor has arrived home after more than seven months of detention in India on controversial charges of tax evasion.
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.