Prophecy News Watch provided by Worthy Ministries

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Russia using Syrian civil war as testing ground for new weapons
Russia has been using the Syrian civil war to test some of its new weapons, as the West accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of indiscriminate aerial bombardments that have killed many civilians.
Iran said withdrawing all its fighting forces from Syria
Iran is withdrawing all of its 2,500-strong fighting force from Syria, Israeli television reported Sunday night.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu: Syria truce must guarantee security for Israel
Two days into a shaky ceasefire in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that while Israel was glad about the prospect of an end to hostilities there, any long-term solution had to provide security for the Jewish state as well.
PA demands control over Iran cash handouts to terrorists
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday said direct financial assistance by Iran to the families of Palestinian terrorists and attackers killed in a five-month wave of violence would be unacceptable, and called for such funding to be directed through a PA.

Inside the United States
U.S. Has Record 10th Straight Year Without 3% Growth in GDP
The United States has now gone a record 10 straight years without 3 percent growth in real Gross Domestic Product, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Ohio School Districts Suspend Student Bible Clubs Amid Complaints by Nation's Largest Atheist Group
Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
Dementia cure may be just five years away, says world expert
A cure for dementia could be found within five years, the leader of the global council on the disease has said.

U.S. Politics
Trump's dominance leaves GOP establishment banking on brokered convention
With a few big-name GOP regulars, from moderate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to conservative stalwart Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, now endorsing the agile Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman continues to flummox his party's lumbering establishment.
In major blow to Ted Cruz, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama endorses Donald Trump for GOP nomination
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), whose hard-line conservative stances on immigration and trade have made him a favorite of the party's base, endorsed Donald Trump's White House bid during a joint appearance here in his home state Sunday.
Hillary's email account an open secret in Washington long before scandal broke
Hundreds of people -- from White House officials and titans of the mainstream media to senators, Supreme Court justices and many of her top colleagues at the State Department -- could have known about Hillary Clinton's secret email account, if only they'd cared to look closely enough.
State Department Turns Over 1,600 Newly-Discovered Clinton Documents to Benghazi Committee
The State Department turned over 1,600 pages of previously undisclosed documents related to Hillary Clinton and Libya to the House Benghazi committee on Friday, a month after it revealed the existence of the documents in an unrelated court case.

Christian News
Mexico: Utilities restored to evangelicals
Twenty-seven evangelical Protestant families in Chiapas state, Mexico, will finally have their access to water and electricity returned after local authorities had agreed two years ago to respect their minority religious freedoms in the village of Union Juarez, Trinitaria Municipality.
Persecution in India gets congressional response
A bipartisan congressional letter was sent last week to Prime Minister Modi requesting that he strongly condemn the persecution of India's religious minorities and to uphold the rule of law.
China pastor who resisted cross removals jailed for corruption
A Christian pastor in China who refused to remove a cross from his church's roof has been jailed for 14 years for corruption and inciting people to disturb social order, reports say.
Ohio Pastor Shot & Killed During Sunday Service
An Ohio pastor with deep roots in the Dayton community was shot and killed at his church, and police have taken his brother into custody for the slaying.

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Putin encircles Turkey in massive troop buildup
Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans in the Middle East are becoming clearer. In a bid to exact revenge on Turkey and in an attempt to split the NATO alliance, Russia is rapidly building up pressure on NATO's southern flank. The new Russian satellite state of Armenia on Turkey's northeastern border is now hosting a massive Russian troop build up with the recent signing of an air defense agreement between Russia and Kremlin.
US calls proposed sanctions on NKorea a 'major upgrade'
The United States on Thursday introduced a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that it said will significantly increase pressure on North Korea in response to its latest nuclear test and missile launch.
Ten days to save EU migration system: commissioner
The EU has until a March 7 summit with Turkey to curb the number of migrants coming to Europe or else the bloc's migration system might completely break down, migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said Thursday.
U.S. to test-fire ICBM amid strategic tensions with Russia, North Korea
The U.S. military plans to test-fire its second intercontinental ballistic missile in a week overnight on Thursday to demonstrate the reliability of American nuclear arms at a time of rising strategic tensions with countries like Russia and North Korea.
Report: Syrian Jihadis Turn to Facebook to Sell U.S. Weapons
Jihadis in Syria are reportedly turning to Facebook to sell U.S. weapons, including machine guns and rocket launchers, intended to help Syrian rebel groups.
Ya'alon warns: Iran operating 'sleeper cells' in Europe
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on Wednesday warned that Iran is building an international terror network that includes sleeper cells planning to strike on command in places such as Europe and the United States.
Ex-Gitmo detainee arrested in plot to recruit terrorists
Police from Spain and Morocco working a joint investigation said they arrested four suspects they believe are tied to ISIS, one of whom who was at one time a detainee of Guantanamo Bay.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu: World must condemn Iran for paying terrorists' families
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged the world to condemn Iran for providing financial support to the families of Palestinian terrorists.
Dead Sea scrolls to be digitized in new Israeli-German collaboration
Computer scientists and Dead Sea Scroll scholars are beginning a new project in which they will upload the Dead Sea Scrolls to a special digital working environment. This will enable more in-depth study of the scrolls and better innovative analyses and insights into the ancient manuscripts seventy years since the discovery of the scrolls in 1946.
Obama Opposes New Pro-Israel Measures, Will Not Follow Provisions to Help Jewish State
President Barack Obama has announced in a rare statement that he will not follow newly passed measures aimed at boosting the Israeli economy and strengthening ties between the United States and the Jewish state, according to a statement issued by the president.

Inside the United States
Top Intel Officials: U.S. Faces Highest Terror Threat Level Since 9/11
Top intelligence community officials warned Thursday that the United States faces the highest terrorist threat level since the 9/11 terror attacks, citing a record-breaking increase in the flow of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq, as well as joint Iranian-North Korean plans to boost "attack capabilities" and other efforts by leading terror groups to increase their offensive capabilities.
Senate proposal would end IRS targeting of conservative groups
Legislation introduced in the Senate Thursday would make it significantly harder for the Internal Revenue Service to unfairly target conservative nonprofit groups for auditing.
Obama Administration Set to Expand Sharing of Data That N.S.A. Intercepts
The Obama administration is on the verge of permitting the National Security Agency to share more of the private communications it intercepts with other American intelligence agencies without first applying any privacy protections to them, according to officials familiar with the deliberations.
Sandoval withdraws name as Obama plots course for Supreme Court pick
As one potential Supreme Court nominee sank like a trial balloon made of concrete, the White House said Thursday that President Obama will meet early next week with top senators of both parties to discuss a path forward to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

U.S. Politics
Rubio and Cruz take the gloves off against Trump
Marco Rubio took on Donald Trump like never before at the Republican presidential debate Thursday night, with Ted Cruz not too far behind.
Trump on defensive in nasty GOP debate
Donald Trump fended off tough questions Thursday night about his business empire's hiring practices including a million-dollar fine for hiring illegal immigrants and admitted he's facing a federal tax audit, as the Republican presidential campaign turned exceptionally nasty at the final debate before Super Tuesday.

Christian News
A Ransom for Many: ISIS Releases Last of 230 Assyrian Christian Hostages
Around the first anniversary of the infamous beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians on a Libyan beach, believers worldwide celebrated the release of the kidnapped Assyrian Christians that were feared to become ISIS's next propaganda massacre.

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
UN diplomats: US and China agree on new NKorea sanctions
The United States and China have reached agreement on a U.N. resolution that would impose tougher sanctions on North Korea as punishment for its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, U.N. diplomats said Wednesday.
Dozens of Russian generals in Syria killed after a car bomb hits their military base
Dozens of Russian generals at a military base near the eastern Syrian city of Latakia were killed Sunday afternoon in a deadly car bomb attack committed by two opposition factions, Ahrar al-Sham and Bayan movement, Syrian opposition groups reported on Wednesday.
China Warns U.S. After Trump Wins Nevada Caucus
China warned the United States on Wednesday not to adopt punitive currency policies that could disrupt U.S.-China relations after Donald Trump's win in the Nevada caucus.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel's natural gas potential triple what was thought
The Energy Ministry has tripled its estimate of the volume of still-undiscovered natural gas in Israeli waters.
Iran pledges thousands of dollars for Palestinian terrorists
Tehran, flush with cash from sanctions relief, will give slain attackers' families $7,000, envoy says, and $30,000 to terrorists' families whose homes Israel demolishes.

Inside the United States
Judge approves nearly $1B settlement between US and tribes
A judge has approved a nearly $1 billion settlement between the Obama administration and Native American tribes over claims the government shorted tribes for decades on contract costs to manage education, law enforcement and other federal services.
45 Percent of Americans Don't Pay Federal Income Tax
More than 77 million American households won't pay one red cent in federal individual income taxes this year -- half because they've got no taxable income, the other half because they get enough tax breaks to wipe out their liability.
White House Vetting GOP Gov. Sandoval for Possible SCOTUS Pick
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a Republican and former federal judge, is being considered by President Barack Obama for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, a source close to the process said on Wednesday, as Obama sought to overcome Senate Republican resistance to any nominee.
GOP resolution lets House sue Obama over Gitmo
Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., has offered a resolution authorizing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to initiate a lawsuit against President Obama if he decides to transfer terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay in violation of the law.
Obama confident 'sheepish' GOP will back down on Supreme Court pick
President Obama predicted Wednesday that 'sheepish' Senate Republicans will retreat under public pressure from their pledge to block his nominee for the Supreme Court, as progressive allies of the White House began mounting a campaign to force a confirmation vote.
Judge Denies Motion to Halt Voter Citizenship Requirement
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia declined to block a rule in three states that requires individuals to prove they are citizens when registering to vote using mail-in registration forms.
Abortion Clinics Are Closing at a Record Pace
Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record, propelled by Republican state lawmakers' push to legislate the industry out of existence. Since 2011, at least 162 abortion providers have shut or stopped offering the procedure, while just 21 opened.
New Kentucky governor sues Planned Parenthood for performing illegal abortions
New Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for allegedly performing abortions without a licence.

U.S. Politics
Trump wins Nevada caucuses
Donald Trump trounced his rivals in the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday, notching his third consecutive victory and giving the Manhattan mogul even more momentum heading into Super Tuesday next week, when voters in a dozen states will cast their ballots.
In South Carolina, Clinton Looks to Run Up the Score on Sanders
Hillary Clinton doesn't just want to beat Bernie Sanders in South Carolina. She wants to beat expectations.

Christian News
China: Campaign vs. Christians spreads to Guangdong
Authorities have been harassing unofficial house churches in the Chinese province of Guangdong that haven't submitted to the Communist Party's Three-Self Association program.
CAR: Fulani Muslims burn Christians' fields
Fulani Muslim cattle herders have been burning the fields of Christian farmers in the northern regions of the Central African Republic.