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
Killer Whales Sinking Boats in Europe
Orcas have attacked and sunk a third boat off the Iberian coast of Europe, and experts now believe the behavior is being copied by the rest of the population.
Early Chinese vaccine patent adds to evidence of COVID lab leak
Early COVID-19 vaccine patents filed by Chinese scientists and patents meant to prevent the escape of pathogens from labs is the latest evidence to emerge suggesting that the coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology as early as August 2019.
Iran is building new nuclear site that Western powers may not be able to destroy
Iran is building a new nuclear site so deep underground it will likely be beyond the scope of destruction by Western powers, the Associated Press reports. The new site is being built five years after the US unilaterally pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Iran deal; international talks on reviving the deal have so far failed.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Benjamin Netanyahu, MBS spoke twice on Israel-Saudi normalization
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) spoke on the phone twice in recent weeks, with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani facilitating the calls, a foreign diplomatic source said Monday.
Israeli Def. Minister Gallant reveals new threat: Iran establishes ‘floating terror bases’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed Monday a new threat Israel may have to face - Iran converts civilian merchant ships into military vessels to serve as "floating terror bases."
Inside the United States
Treasury Confirms Default as Soon as June 1 Without Debt Limit Hike
The Treasury Department reiterated Monday it expects to be able to pay the U.S. government's bills only through June 1 without a debt limit increase, leaving just 10 days for White House negotiators and congressional Republicans to reach a deal.
Target Pride Month partner boasts about satanism: ‘Satan Respects Pronouns’
The designer behind one of Target's brand partnerships for Pride month was revealed to have an affinity for Satanism.
Christian News
Christians and Messianic Jews engage in global movement of Prayer and Fasting for Israel
Christians and Messianic Jews around the world have entered the final days of a 3-week global movement of prayer and fasting for Israel, leading up to the biblical feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks/Pentecost) this week, All Israel News reports.
Indonesia: Official charged with “intrusion” after illegally ordering church service to stop
An official on western Indonesia’s Sumatra Island has been criminally charged with “intrusion” after he entered a church service and illegally ordered the worship to cease, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Nigeria: Slaughter of Christians continues as international community does nothing
Suspected Fulani Islamic extremists shot and hacked to death over 40 Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state last week, as the slaughter of tens of thousands of Nigerian believers continues unabated, with impunity, and ignored by international governments.
Killer Whales Sinking Boats in Europe
Orcas have attacked and sunk a third boat off the Iberian coast of Europe, and experts now believe the behavior is being copied by the rest of the population.
Early Chinese vaccine patent adds to evidence of COVID lab leak
Early COVID-19 vaccine patents filed by Chinese scientists and patents meant to prevent the escape of pathogens from labs is the latest evidence to emerge suggesting that the coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology as early as August 2019.
Iran is building new nuclear site that Western powers may not be able to destroy
Iran is building a new nuclear site so deep underground it will likely be beyond the scope of destruction by Western powers, the Associated Press reports. The new site is being built five years after the US unilaterally pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Iran deal; international talks on reviving the deal have so far failed.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Benjamin Netanyahu, MBS spoke twice on Israel-Saudi normalization
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) spoke on the phone twice in recent weeks, with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani facilitating the calls, a foreign diplomatic source said Monday.
Israeli Def. Minister Gallant reveals new threat: Iran establishes ‘floating terror bases’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed Monday a new threat Israel may have to face - Iran converts civilian merchant ships into military vessels to serve as "floating terror bases."
Inside the United States
Treasury Confirms Default as Soon as June 1 Without Debt Limit Hike
The Treasury Department reiterated Monday it expects to be able to pay the U.S. government's bills only through June 1 without a debt limit increase, leaving just 10 days for White House negotiators and congressional Republicans to reach a deal.
Target Pride Month partner boasts about satanism: ‘Satan Respects Pronouns’
The designer behind one of Target's brand partnerships for Pride month was revealed to have an affinity for Satanism.
Christian News
Christians and Messianic Jews engage in global movement of Prayer and Fasting for Israel
Christians and Messianic Jews around the world have entered the final days of a 3-week global movement of prayer and fasting for Israel, leading up to the biblical feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks/Pentecost) this week, All Israel News reports.
Indonesia: Official charged with “intrusion” after illegally ordering church service to stop
An official on western Indonesia’s Sumatra Island has been criminally charged with “intrusion” after he entered a church service and illegally ordered the worship to cease, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Nigeria: Slaughter of Christians continues as international community does nothing
Suspected Fulani Islamic extremists shot and hacked to death over 40 Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state last week, as the slaughter of tens of thousands of Nigerian believers continues unabated, with impunity, and ignored by international governments.
Around the World
G-7 leaders to announce new sanctions on Russia
The leaders of the world’s seven largest economies will announce new sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan in the latest effort to force Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, a senior White House official said.
Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold
Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived on Thursday in Saudi Arabia to attend a regional summit, his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria’s conflict began in 2011, Syrian state media said.
U.S.-built Patriot air defense system back in action in Kyiv after Russian hypersonic missile strike
Pentagon officials said Thursday that a U.S.-built Patriot air defense system is back in action in Kyiv after it was damaged in a Russian missile strike. On Tuesday, Russia launched an air barrage at Ukraine’s capital, including several Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, the most sophisticated conventional weapons in Moscow’s arsenal.
Ecuador’s President Dissolves Parliament To Avoid Impeachment
In an unprecedented move, Ecuador’s embattled President Guillermo Lasso disbanded the opposition-led legislature after it tried to oust him on embezzlement charges that he denies.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel draws fire from allies over Flag March, lawmakers’ visits to Temple Mount
The United States and nearly all of Israel’s Middle East allies issued statements Thursday condemning Jerusalem over the visits lawmakers made to the flashpoint Temple Mount and the controversial annual march by religious nationalists through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, which was again marred by violence and racism toward Palestinians.
Inside the United States
Rubio Publishes Vast COVID-19 Report: ‘Beijing Hid the Truth’
A new report by Sen. Marco Rubio concludes that “a serious biosafety incident” in China most likely caused the coronavirus pandemic. But the exhaustive study, which took two years to complete and includes vast translations of original Chinese language source material, reaches another, perhaps more troubling, verdict: They knew.
South Carolina House approves six-week abortion ban
The South Carolina House has approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, sending it to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster, R, who is expected to sign it.
Federal Judge Blocks Most of N.J. Concealed Carry Law
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled most of a New Jersey concealed carry law that prevents licensed firearm owners from carrying guns in government buildings and libraries, among other locations, unconstitutional in a victory for gun rights advocates.
Christian News
Chad: Islamic extremists attack Christian communities, murder 17 people
Fulani Islamic extremists murdered 17 people in attacks on Christian communities in southern Chad earlier this month, the Barnabas Fund reports.
Iran: Judge orders release of Christian couple imprisoned for house church activity
In a rare display of justice from Iran’s notoriously corrupt judicial system, an appeals court judge in Tehran overturned the convictions of two Christian leaders who were sentenced to imprisonment for participating in a house church and ordered their release, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
G-7 leaders to announce new sanctions on Russia
The leaders of the world’s seven largest economies will announce new sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan in the latest effort to force Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, a senior White House official said.
Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold
Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived on Thursday in Saudi Arabia to attend a regional summit, his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria’s conflict began in 2011, Syrian state media said.
U.S.-built Patriot air defense system back in action in Kyiv after Russian hypersonic missile strike
Pentagon officials said Thursday that a U.S.-built Patriot air defense system is back in action in Kyiv after it was damaged in a Russian missile strike. On Tuesday, Russia launched an air barrage at Ukraine’s capital, including several Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, the most sophisticated conventional weapons in Moscow’s arsenal.
Ecuador’s President Dissolves Parliament To Avoid Impeachment
In an unprecedented move, Ecuador’s embattled President Guillermo Lasso disbanded the opposition-led legislature after it tried to oust him on embezzlement charges that he denies.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel draws fire from allies over Flag March, lawmakers’ visits to Temple Mount
The United States and nearly all of Israel’s Middle East allies issued statements Thursday condemning Jerusalem over the visits lawmakers made to the flashpoint Temple Mount and the controversial annual march by religious nationalists through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, which was again marred by violence and racism toward Palestinians.
Inside the United States
Rubio Publishes Vast COVID-19 Report: ‘Beijing Hid the Truth’
A new report by Sen. Marco Rubio concludes that “a serious biosafety incident” in China most likely caused the coronavirus pandemic. But the exhaustive study, which took two years to complete and includes vast translations of original Chinese language source material, reaches another, perhaps more troubling, verdict: They knew.
South Carolina House approves six-week abortion ban
The South Carolina House has approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, sending it to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster, R, who is expected to sign it.
Federal Judge Blocks Most of N.J. Concealed Carry Law
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled most of a New Jersey concealed carry law that prevents licensed firearm owners from carrying guns in government buildings and libraries, among other locations, unconstitutional in a victory for gun rights advocates.
Christian News
Chad: Islamic extremists attack Christian communities, murder 17 people
Fulani Islamic extremists murdered 17 people in attacks on Christian communities in southern Chad earlier this month, the Barnabas Fund reports.
Iran: Judge orders release of Christian couple imprisoned for house church activity
In a rare display of justice from Iran’s notoriously corrupt judicial system, an appeals court judge in Tehran overturned the convictions of two Christian leaders who were sentenced to imprisonment for participating in a house church and ordered their release, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Around the World
Russia, Iran ink rail deal for major corridor intended to rival Suez Canal
Iran and Russia on Wednesday agreed to collaborate on the construction of the final part of an embryonic international North-South Transport Corridor linking the Gulf and India while avoiding Western sea lanes.
U.S. Patriot system likely damaged by Russian missile attack in Ukraine
A U.S. Patriot air defense system was likely damaged but not destroyed on Tuesday morning during a heavy Russian missile attack on Kyiv, officials told the media.
Hungary Blocks Military Aid For Ukraine And Sanctions
Hungary’s nationalist government said Wednesday it would block the next tranche of European Union military support for Ukraine and any new sanctions against Russia unless Kyiv removes Hungary’s largest bank OTP from its list of war sponsors.
Several Killed In New Zealand Hostel Fire
New Zealand police said Wednesday that arson likely caused a fire that killed at least six people in a multistory hostel for vulnerable residents and others in the nation’s capital.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Ancient Hebrew Financial Record Discovered on City of David’s Pilgrimage Road
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has discovered an ancient receipt or financial transaction dating back 2,000 years on the City of David’s Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem.
US said to propose ‘joint military planning’ with Israel on Iran, but Jerusalem wary
The US recently proposed to Israel that Washington and Jerusalem engage in “joint military planning” vis-a-vis Iran, according to a report Wednesday citing US and Israeli officials.
Palestinian militants threaten to “powerful” campaign against Israel on Jerusalem Day
Palestinian armed factions have reportedly threatened to attack Israel in a new “powerful campaign” during the Jerusalem Day flag march planned for Thursday, i24News reports. The threats were reported by Arab media just days after a ceasefire ended last week’s round of violence between the Israel Defence Forces and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza.
Inside the United States
DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Children From Drag Shows
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Wednesday that will punish businesses if they allow children to attend drag shows.
Nearly a quarter of Americans have changed their religious affiliation, survey finds
A new survey shows that nearly 25% of Americans changed their religion or their religious traditions and denominations during the course of their lives, i24News report. Conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) over the last 16 years, the “2022 American Values Atlas” survey was published on Tuesday.
US Nearing First Default In History; Biden Cancels Australia Trip
U.S. President Joe Biden called off a visit to Australia, part of his upcoming Asia trip, to rush back home and help avoid the first default in America’s history.
North Carolina Lawmakers Override Governor’s Abortion Ban Veto
The legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina successfully overrode the governor’s veto of legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks.
Christian News
California to pay $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees after churches file successful lawsuits over abortion insurance coverage mandate
California has agreed to pay $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees to lawyers representing four churches who successfully sued the state in arguing they should not have to cover abortion in their health insurance plans because that is contrary to their faith, the Christian Post (CP) reported on Tuesday.
Alabama: 132 congregations leave United Methodist Church over LGBT disagreement
Joining thousands of other churches that have left the US United Methodist Church (UMC) in recent years, 132 congregations in Alabama voted last Thursday to leave the denomination as well, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Russia, Iran ink rail deal for major corridor intended to rival Suez Canal
Iran and Russia on Wednesday agreed to collaborate on the construction of the final part of an embryonic international North-South Transport Corridor linking the Gulf and India while avoiding Western sea lanes.
U.S. Patriot system likely damaged by Russian missile attack in Ukraine
A U.S. Patriot air defense system was likely damaged but not destroyed on Tuesday morning during a heavy Russian missile attack on Kyiv, officials told the media.
Hungary Blocks Military Aid For Ukraine And Sanctions
Hungary’s nationalist government said Wednesday it would block the next tranche of European Union military support for Ukraine and any new sanctions against Russia unless Kyiv removes Hungary’s largest bank OTP from its list of war sponsors.
Several Killed In New Zealand Hostel Fire
New Zealand police said Wednesday that arson likely caused a fire that killed at least six people in a multistory hostel for vulnerable residents and others in the nation’s capital.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Ancient Hebrew Financial Record Discovered on City of David’s Pilgrimage Road
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has discovered an ancient receipt or financial transaction dating back 2,000 years on the City of David’s Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem.
US said to propose ‘joint military planning’ with Israel on Iran, but Jerusalem wary
The US recently proposed to Israel that Washington and Jerusalem engage in “joint military planning” vis-a-vis Iran, according to a report Wednesday citing US and Israeli officials.
Palestinian militants threaten to “powerful” campaign against Israel on Jerusalem Day
Palestinian armed factions have reportedly threatened to attack Israel in a new “powerful campaign” during the Jerusalem Day flag march planned for Thursday, i24News reports. The threats were reported by Arab media just days after a ceasefire ended last week’s round of violence between the Israel Defence Forces and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza.
Inside the United States
DeSantis Signs Bill Banning Children From Drag Shows
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Wednesday that will punish businesses if they allow children to attend drag shows.
Nearly a quarter of Americans have changed their religious affiliation, survey finds
A new survey shows that nearly 25% of Americans changed their religion or their religious traditions and denominations during the course of their lives, i24News report. Conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) over the last 16 years, the “2022 American Values Atlas” survey was published on Tuesday.
US Nearing First Default In History; Biden Cancels Australia Trip
U.S. President Joe Biden called off a visit to Australia, part of his upcoming Asia trip, to rush back home and help avoid the first default in America’s history.
North Carolina Lawmakers Override Governor’s Abortion Ban Veto
The legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina successfully overrode the governor’s veto of legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks.
Christian News
California to pay $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees after churches file successful lawsuits over abortion insurance coverage mandate
California has agreed to pay $1.4 million in attorneys’ fees to lawyers representing four churches who successfully sued the state in arguing they should not have to cover abortion in their health insurance plans because that is contrary to their faith, the Christian Post (CP) reported on Tuesday.
Alabama: 132 congregations leave United Methodist Church over LGBT disagreement
Joining thousands of other churches that have left the US United Methodist Church (UMC) in recent years, 132 congregations in Alabama voted last Thursday to leave the denomination as well, the Christian Post (CP) reports.