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?"

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
France announces global summit on Israel-Palestinian peace process
France will host a meeting of ministers from 20 countries on May 30 to try and relaunch the Israel-Palestinian peace process, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced on Thursday. He told the international press, however, that Israel and the Palestinian officials would not be invited to the meeting, which will take place in Paris.
Japanese prototype stealth plane makes first flight
Japan's first domestically manufactured stealth plane has made its first flight, making Japan one of only a handful of nations with airplane stealth capabilities.
China could build nuclear plants for South China Sea, paper says
China is getting closer to building maritime nuclear power platforms that could one day to used to support Chinese projects in the disputed South China Sea, a widely-read state-run newspaper said on Friday.
North Korea may have restarted tunneling at key nuclear site
Satellite images reveal North Korea may have restarted a tunnel-excavating project at its main nuclear test site signaling that another major launch could be on the way, a key monitoring website says.
UK issues travel warning about anti-LGBT laws in U.S. states
The U.S. is now one of a number of countries and territories about which the UK Foreign Office offers advice to LGBT travelers. 'The U.S. is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country,' it says. 'LGBT travelers may be affected by legislation passed recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi.'
Talks stalled, Syrian opposition to stay in Geneva next week
The main Syrian opposition group says it's keeping 'technical experts' in Geneva next week to focus on humanitarian aid for the war-ravaged country, a wobbly cease-fire and a stepped-up push to win the release of detainees.
China Confirms Multiple-Warhead Missile Test in South China Sea
China's Defense Ministry on Thursday confirmed that Beijing fired its newest long-range missile into the South China Sea in a test this week, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu hails 'very successful' meeting with Putin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday labeled his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day as “very successful,” adding that the two countries reached understandings over issues that had previously not been sufficiently clarified.
Russian forces fired on Israeli jets at least twice
Russian forces fired on Israeli Air Force planes at least twice in recent weeks, according to a Friday morning report in the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
Israel will never leave Golan, Netanyahu tells Putin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of his 'red lines' regarding the security of Israel's northern borders, and stressed that the Jewish state was determined to maintain its control of the Golan Heights.
Fearing terror attacks, IDF closes West Bank, Gaza ahead of Passover
Israel will close off the West Bank and Gaza Strip for 48 hours beginning Friday, amid fears of attacks by the Hamas terror group during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins Friday night, the army announced Thursday.

Inside the United States
Longest Cross-Border Drug Tunnel Discovered Had Elevator, Ventilation and Lighting, U.S. Atty. Says
Authorities on Wednesday revealed the details of the longest cross-border drug smuggling tunnel ever discovered in California. An estimated $1.2 million worth of marijuana and about $22 million worth of cocaine was seized.
FBI paid more than $1.3 million to break into San Bernardino iPhone
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on Thursday the agency paid more to get into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters than he will make in the remaining seven years and four months he has in his job.
Pro-life group blasts Donald Trump for suggesting change to GOP platform on abortion
One of the largest pro-life groups in the nation on Thursday blasted Republican primary front-runner Donald Trump for saying he would work to change the GOP platform on abortion to include exceptions for rape, incest and threat to the life of the mother.
Pentagon to Counter Hypersonic Missiles with Lasers
The U.S. is moving to counter Chinese and Russian hypersonic strike vehicles using lasers, the director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency revealed last week.

U.S. Politics
Trump's Harriet Tubman reaction highlights GOP problems with black voters
When the U.S. Treasury Department announced that they were bumping Andrew Jackson off the front of the $20 bill to be replaced by Harriet Tubman, most conservatives and Republicans praised the decision. But not Donald Trump.

Christian News
China: Pastor and Wife Bulldozed Alive
The wife of a church leader in China's Henan province was buried alive with her husband under the rubble of their demolished church where she suffocated and died on April 14.
Hundreds of Formerly Antagonistic Hindus Turning to Christ
Hundreds of Hindus who were fiercely antagonistic toward Christianity have been turning to Christ.
Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Russia Moves Artillery Units to Northern Syria
Russia has reportedly been moving artillery units to parts of northern Syria populated by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, a move that could indicate that Russia is readying to bolster its ally should full-scale fighting resume.
Iran Conducts Space Launch
Iran this week conducted the first launch of a new rocket that the Pentagon views as a key element of Tehran’s effort to build long-range missiles.
NATO security chiefs warn of ISIS plan for nuclear attack on Europe
Islamic State terrorists are plotting to carry out biological and nuclear attack on Europe warned NATO security experts on Wednesday according to reports by the Telegraph.
Zika virus: 2.2 billion people in 'at risk' areas
The Zika virus, which is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, triggered a global health emergency this year.
Nato and Russia trade accusations
Renewed Nato-Russia talks ended in 'profound disagreement' on Wednesday (20 April) over Ukraine and over Russia's harassment of Nato assets.
Japan earthquake Japan faces fresh earthquake panic as 6.1 magnitude tremor hits coast near Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan was plunged into fresh panic today as a 6.1 magnitude tremor hit the northern coast - the third major earthquake within a week.
Russia Bolsters Its Submarine Fleet, and Tensions With U.S. Rise
Russian attack submarines, the most in two decades, are prowling the coastlines of Scandinavia and Scotland, the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic in what Western military officials say is a significantly increased presence aimed at contesting American and NATO undersea dominance.
Justice opens criminal investigation into Panama Papers
The Justice Department has an open criminal investigation into the Panama Papers, according to a letter the department sent this week.
Conservatives won big last night, in election nobody noticed
Just months after the Conservative Party went down to defeat in Canada to Justin Trudeau's Liberals, they've come roaring back at the local level in the prairie province of Manitoba. Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party got 40 seats in the 57-seat provincial parliament, the NDP got 14 and the Liberals 3.
Obama Seeks Meeting With Iranian President
President Barack Obama has sent two letters to senior Iranian leaders in recent months requesting a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, according to Persian language reports recently translated by a Middle East research organization.
Saudi Arabia takes out $10bn in bank loans
Saudi Arabia is raising $10bn from a consortium of global banks as the kingdom embarks on its first international debt issuance in 25 years to counter dwindling oil revenues and reserves.
Obama Admin Unsure If Iran Spent $3 Billion in New Cash on Terrorism
Obama administration officials disclosed Tuesday that Iran has been granted access to about $3 billion in unfrozen assets in the months since the nuclear agreement was implemented, but it remains unclear to the administration if the Islamic Republic has spent any of this money to fund its global terrorism enterprise, according to top officials. In the coming months, the U.S. and foreign governments will help Iran access another $50 billion to $55 billion in assets.
China Flight Tests New Multiple-Warhead Missile
China conducted another flight test of its newest and longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile last week amid growing tensions with the United States over the South China Sea.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu heads to Moscow for talks on Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slated to travel to Russia Thursday morning for a quick round of a meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the leaders are expected to discuss Syrian fighting and weapons sales to Iran.
Lamb slaughtered at Passover re-enactment in Jerusalem
At a model Passover sacrifice ceremony on the Mount of Olives attended by approximately 400 people, several public figures expressed the hope that the Dome of the Rock shrine and the al-Aqsa mosque will soon be removed from the Temple Mount.
Hamas praises Jerusalem bus bomber as 'martyr'
The Islamic militant group Hamas is praising a Palestinian as a 'martyr' for carrying out a bus bombing that injured about 20 people in Jerusalem this week.
Islamic radicalization fuels 'dire' threat to Jews in Europe, congressional panel hears
A congressional human rights commission heard testimony from experts on how Islamic radicalization in Europe has ramped up risk for Jewish communities.
Jerusalem pride parade stabber convicted of murder
Yishai Schlissel, who stabbed six people at the Jerusalem pride parade in July 2015, was on Tuesday convicted of murder and six counts of attempted murder. One of Schlissel's victims, 16-year-old Shira Banki, succumbed to her wounds after having been critically injured.

Inside the United States
House votes to rein in IRS
The House Wednesday passed two bills aimed at reining in the Internal Revenue Service and holding the agency accountable.
Movement pursues the 'real story' of Saudi involvement in Sept. 11
Saudi Arabia’s grass roots of Muslim clerics, mosquegoers and wealthy oilmen funded al Qaeda’s $30 million annual budget at the time a Saudi-dominated platoon of terrorists carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.
Across U.S., thousands puff for legal pot at 4/20 parties
Thousands of people sent up a cheer and a collective plume of marijuana smoke at the stroke of 4:20 p.m. Wednesday in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signs resolution calling porn a 'health hazard'
A state with a national reputation for wholesomeness is taking aim at a medium with quite a different reputation: the pornography industry.
Abortion clinics accused of fetal-tissue profiteering
Cecile Richards' longstanding insistence that Planned Parenthood has never profited from fetal-tissue sales drew scrutiny Wednesday as House Republicans noted that abortion clinics essentially get paid for doing nothing.
US Supreme Court: Iran owes $2b to terror victims' families
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a judgment allowing families of victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism to collect nearly $2 billion.
Court troubled by surveillance excesses at FBI, NSA
In a just-released court opinion, a federal court judge overseeing government surveillance programs said he was 'extremely concerned' about a series of incidents in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Security Agency deviated from court-approved limits on their snooping activities.
GAO to Investigate Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood
The Government Accountability Office has announced plans to investigate the federal funding of Planned Parenthood.
Utah declares pornography a 'public health hazard'
Utah state Sen. Todd Weiler finds pornography 'vile' and 'degrading,' but it's more than that: As far as he's concerned, it's also bad for you.
Federal Researchers Build Massive Online Database of Genomic Data
A new online portal would let scientists access vast amounts of genomic data from patients involved in heart, lung, blood and sleep research studies.
Nation's largest health insurer to exit majority of Obamacare exchanges
UnitedHealth, the nation's biggest health insurer, will remain in public health insurance exchanges in only a handful of states next year after expanding to 34 this year.

U.S. Politics
Home field advantage: Trump, Clinton win New York
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton won New York's Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively.
Republican establishment warms to Trump after big New York win
U.S. Republican officials began meeting on Wednesday, a day after Donald Trump's crushing victory in a New York presidential nominating contest, and said he has been winning growing acceptance within their ranks - but they want to see the billionaire do more to mend fences with the party establishment.
GOP delegates: Trump's attacks could backfire
Republican delegates are warning Donald Trump that attacks on them and their party's presidential selection process could backfire, sinking him at the convention or damaging his prospects in November if he wins the nomination.
Clinton scores dominant win in N.Y.
Hillary Clinton cruised to victory in the New York primary Tuesday night, securing the dominant win she needed to halt Sen. Bernard Sanders' momentum and tighten her grip on the Democratic presidential nomination.
New York values Trump as The Donald demolishes Kasich, Cruz in Empire State
Donald Trump crushed his opponents Tuesday night en route to a major victory in New York's Republican presidential primary, scoring a needed boost after a string of setbacks and putting himself back in the driver's seat as the campaign nears the final stretch.
Gallup: 63 percent say nomination fight hurting the GOP
More than six in 10 Republicans worry the party's nomination process is taking a toll on the GOP, according to a new Gallup poll.

Christian News
Turky: Gov't seizes six church buildings
The Turkish government has seized control of six church buildings in the country's Diyarbakir region.
Indonesia: Authorities attack prayer gathering
Authorities in Indonesia opened fire on a peaceful meeting in Timika, West Papua, as thousands of protesters gathered to pray for an independence referendum on April 5.
Noah's Ark theme park to search for all-Christian staff
The Ark Encounter, a theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky, modeled on the biblical tale of Noah's Ark, will soon be hiring, but non-Christians need not apply.
Church Leader's Wife Buried Alive, Killed by Chinese Authorities for Protesting Church Demolition
A Christian house church leader and his wife were buried alive in China's central Henan province for protesting against the government-ordered demolition of their church, and while the man managed to escape, his wife suffocated to death.
Vietnamese Police beat wife of jailed Mennonite pastor
Tran Thi Hong is married to Nguyen Cong Chinh, a Mennonite pastor who is in prison on charges of being an enemy of the state. Last Thursday (14 April), she was beaten by Vietnamese police in Pleiku, Gia Lai province (central Vietnam), because she refused to reveal the contents of a meeting she had with a US human rights delegation.
Today's Breaking News
Around the World
This electronic tattoo turns your skin into a screen
Putting clock-radio-style numbers on your skin might not seem all that desirable. But these flashing digits are the proof of concept for a new electronic skin. In theory, e-skins like the one described Friday in Science Advances could be used for everything from monitoring vital signs to making wearable electronics a whole lot more wearable.
Turkey, Iran agree to improve economic ties, banking a priority
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed on Friday to improve economic cooperation, with banking a priority, prime ministry sources told Reuters, following the lifting of international sanctions on Iran.
Putin Shuts Down Nuclear Reduction
In March 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented a toy 'reset button' replica to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov symbolizing a cooperative 'New START' era of mutual nuclear arms reduction.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Jerusalem bus blown up in terror attack, injuring at least 21
A bomb exploded on a bus in Jerusalem Monday afternoon, injuring over 20 people as it and other vehicles were engulfed in flames, and ratcheting up tensions in a city just recovering from a months-long wave of violence.
Kerry vows to continue pushing for 'two-state solution'
The United States will push for a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians until the end of President Barack Obama's mandate, Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Monday, according to AFP.
United States 'doesn't consider the Golan a part of Israel'
The United States does not consider the Golan Heights to be a part of Israel, State Department spokesperson John Kirby stressed on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed the Golan Heights 'will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty.'
Netanyahu lauds world first in being able to detect tunnels
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hailed the IDF for what he called a breakthrough in tunnel detection, hours after the army announced it had located a tunnel meant for attacking Israel reaching from the southern part of the Strip into Israeli territory.

Inside the United States
Bitter Fight over North Carolina's Bathroom Law Not Slowing Down
The fireworks over North Carolina's new bathroom law show no signs of slowing as LGBT opponents are vowing to pressure state lawmakers to repeal the measure.
Houston region swamped and shut down by 'historic' flood
A flood event of excessive proportions has crippled Houston and a vast region surrounding it. Five to 17 inches of rain have fallen in the area in less than 24 hours, inundating homes and roads, while forcing more than 1,200 high water rescues.
Supreme Court split on Obama amnesty
A deeply divided Supreme Court grappled Monday with President Obama's deportation amnesty, as conservatives said the White House was encroaching on Congress' lawmaking powers, but liberal justices saying the court should stay out of the fight, leaving the president with a free hand.
State Department: Iran's Possession of S-300 Missile System Could Lead to Sanctions
Iran's recent purchase of the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system could lead to U.S.-levied sanctions on the country, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
Constitutional Sheriffs: The Cops Who Think the Government Is Our 'Greatest Threat'
Constitutional Sheriffs is a movement that doesn't just reject gun control -- it encourages law enforcement officers to defy laws they decide are illegal. And it sometimes puts police on the same side as 'sovereign citizens,' a fringe group that the FBI considers one of the most serious domestic terrorism threats.
45% of Americans pay no federal income tax
An estimated 45.3% of American households -- roughly 77.5 million -- will pay no federal individual income tax, according to data for the 2015 tax year from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group.
Americans Earning Six Figures Or More Pay Nearly 80% of Individual Income Taxes
Americans earning six figures or more paid 79.5 percent of the nation's share in individual income taxes in 2014, according to the latest preliminary data from the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. Politics
Donald Trump's national field director resigns
The shakeup in Donald Trump's presidential campaign continued Monday night as his national field director resigned.
Charge: FEC Dems would ban Drudge, NYT, free media on election eve
The war between Republicans and Democrats on the politically splintered Federal Election Commission flared late Monday when a Republican commissioner and former chairman charged that the panel's Democrats want to regulate the press and end free election media.
Revealed: Colorado Lawmakers Who Voted to Scrap Election Are Ted Cruz Delegates
Social media posts, along with Cruz's campaign website, reveal that Sen. Ted Cruz supporters in the Colorado Republican Party were responsible for crushing an effort to give Colorado the ability to vote in a state primary.

Christian News
New Report Weighs Impact of Christian Exodus on Middle East
War and persecution has led to a haemorrhaging of Christians from the Middle East, particularly from Syria and Iraq. A new report highlights what the region stands to lose should Christians continue to leave.
Christians Facing Violent Persecution in Buddhist Sri Lanka
Christians are facing increasing levels of persecution in the heavily Buddhist country of Sri Lanka, and the pressure has turned violent in several cases.
Pastor-Hunting Jihadi Becomes Christian After Seeing 'Hand of Christ' Save Poisoned Girl
A radical Islamic jihadi-turned-Christian evangelist says he accepted Christ as his Savior after Jesus foiled his plot to kill the daughter of a Christian pastor by bringing his hand down from Heaven to give her blood.
Health-minded Americans now turn to healing prayer, biblical 'laying on of hands': Study
A new study released Monday reveals that a vast majority of Americans turn to their faith during a health challenge. Nearly nine of 10 Americans have relied upon healing prayer at some point in their lives, praying for others even more than for themselves, according to a study by Baylor University epidemiologist Jeff Levin.