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
UN Chief Warns Ukraine-Russia Conflict May Push World Into ‘Wider War’
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned nations Monday that he fears the likelihood of further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict means the world is heading toward a "wider war."
Hungary Rejects Being Most Corrupt EU Nation
The Hungarian government has condemned a report which claims that Hungary replaces Bulgaria as the European Union’s most corrupt member state.
Turkey, Syria Earthquake Kills Thousands
At least some 4,000 people were killed Monday in southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the most powerful quakes to hit the region in at least a century.
Iran Pardons Thousands Of Prisoners
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday pardoned "tens of thousands" of prisoners, including some detained in recent anti-government protests, but many inmates still face execution.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF kills terrorists in overnight raid near Jericho
Israeli forces killed a number of terrorists during a raid near the city of Jericho on Monday aimed at capturing suspected Hamas perpetrators of a recent terrorist attack in the area, according to a statement from the Israeli military.

Inside the United States
Marines continue fight with DOD over vaccine mandate even though it was ended
Several members of the U.S. Marines are still fighting the U.S. Department of Defense in a lawsuit they filed over its August 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
National security adviser says U.S. wants to ‘exploit what we recover’ from Chinese spy balloon
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday said officials plan on salvaging the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down Saturday over the Atlantic Ocean to "exploit what we recover and learn even more."
Idaho: Satanists protest against bill to criminalize bodily mutilation of children and teens
A group of Satanists has announced plans to hold a public protest against an Idaho bill that would criminalize the chemical castration and bodily mutilation of children and teens in the name of gender affirmation, the Christian Post (CP) reports.

Christian News
Ukraine: Russian troops target Evangelical buildings in hundreds of attacks on religious sites
The Kyiv-based Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF) has reported that Russian forces have caused “immense destruction” in attacking hundreds of religious buildings in Ukraine, with a grossly disproportionate emphasis on properties belonging to Ukrainian evangelical Christians, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
UK: Pro-life activist arrested for silent prayer inside buffer zone is left in legal limbo
A UK pro-life activist who was arrested for allegedly praying silently within an abortion clinic buffer zone has been left in a state of “significant uncertainty” after Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service dropped its charge against her but said the indictment may yet be reinstated, Christian Today (CT) reports.
Cash-Strapped Russia Fines Evangelical Christians
Evangelical Christians in Russia were forced to pay a "tax on faithfulness" in 2022, which will likely increase this year as part of a government crackdown on non-Orthodox faiths, rights investigators tell Worthy News.
Transgender Church of England vicar wants to “normalize” gender fluidity for children
A Church of England transgender vicar has stated they go into UK schools to help “normalize” queerness and gender fluidity among children. Rev. Bingo Allison, a Church of England vicar in the Diocese of Liverpool who identifies as gender-queer, made their statement during an interview with the Liverpool Echo news outlet.
Around the World
Iran acknowledges ‘tens of thousands’ detained in protests
Iran‘s supreme leader on Sunday reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for “tens of thousands” of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.
China Threatens Action After US Shoots Down Chinese ‘Spy Balloon’
U.S.-Sino tensions are rising, with China’s government threatening to retaliate after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon that flew across the nation for days, including over sensitive American nuclear sites.
Putin: ‘Invasion Of Ukraine Like Fighting Nazi Germany’
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Europe on Thursday that he views the invasion of Ukraine as a fight against Nazi Germany. He spoke as European Union leaders gathered in Kyiv for their largest summit in Ukraine so far.
Europe Court Blames Hungary For Syrian Death (Worthy News Feature)
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Thursday that Hungary is responsible for the death of a young Syrian who drowned at the Hungarian-Serbian border where 150,000 migrants were “pushed back” last year by Hungarian forces, officials told Worthy News.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Anti-government protests continue for fifth week, over 60,000 Israelis demonstrate across the country
Crowds gathered for a fifth week in cities all over Israel to protest the government’s proposed judicial reforms.
Europe is closer to alignment with Israel on Iran, Netanyahu says
Europe is closer to alignment with Israel when it comes to combating Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his government on Sunday morning after he returned from a meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Inside the United States
House bill rescinding $71B for 87k IRS agents stalled in Senate after nearly 4 weeks without vote
A House-passed bill rescinding $71.5 billion for the hiring of up to 87,000 IRS agents has languished in the Democrat-led Senate for nearly four weeks without a vote.
Chinese Balloon Shot Down Over US After Pressure
U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed Saturday that he ordered the American military to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States following mounting pressure.
Biden Refuses To Shoot Down China Spy Balloon Over US
U.S. President Joe Biden refused Thursday to order a military strike against a massive spy balloon believed to be from China flying over the continental United States, officials acknowledged.
Around the World
IAEA report chides Iran for undeclared change to Fordow uranium enrichment set-up
The UN nuclear watchdog chided Iran in a confidential report seen by Reuters on Wednesday for making an undeclared change to the interconnection between the two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges enriching uranium to up to 60% purity at its Fordow plant.
China clones 3 “super cows” that can produce 54 tons of milk a year; plans herd of 1,000
China has claimed to have successfully cloned three “super cows” that are larger and produce more milk than common cows.
Senators want to block Turkey F-16 sale until NATO expansion succeeds
More than a quarter of the Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday threatening to tank a $20 billion arms sale that includes 40 Lockheed Martin Block 70 F-16 fighter jets and upgrades to Turkey’s current fleet so long as Ankara continues to block Sweden and Finland from joining NATO.
UK: House of Lords approves criminalizing prayer outside abortion clinics, pro-life groups outraged
In a move that UK pro-life advocates have described as an “assault on civil liberties,” the House of Lords this week passed a Public Order amendment to criminalize actions, including prayer, conducted outside abortion clinics that might deter women from terminating their pregnancies, Christian Today reports.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Iran officially blames Israel for drone attack on defense site, vows to retaliate
Iran has, for the first time, officially blamed Israel for a drone strike on a key defense facility in the city of Isfahan, filing a complaint with the United Nations Security Council about the “terrorist attack” launched by the Jewish state and saying it reserves its “legitimate and inherent right” to retaliate.
Chad Becomes Latest Muslim Nation to Open Embassy in Israel
Chad's President Mahamat Deby is in Israel to inaugurate his country's embassy in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Biden Admin Announces $50 Million in New UNRWA Funding
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced $50 million in new funding for a UN agency that is dedicated solely to the descendants of Palestinian refugees and which has been widely denounced for propagating antisemitism, eliciting rebuke from a top Senate Republican.

Inside the United States
President Biden Attends Prayer Breakfast As Nation Seeks Direction (Worthy News In-Depth)
With the nation in turmoil over deadly shootings, massive illegal migration, reports of fraud, and military missions abroad, a prayer breakfast was underway Thursday attended by U.S. President Joe Biden, on Capitol Hill, America’s heart of democracy.
US House approves bill to end COVID-19 national emergency immediately
The Republican-led US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bipartisan resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency immediately, rather than wait for the Biden administration’s expiration date of May 11.

Christian News
European Parliament event highlights Christian persecution worldwide
The ongoing crisis of Christian persecution worldwide was highlighted at the European Parliament last week, at a special presentation of the Open Doors 2023 World Watch List (WWL) of the top 50 countries where believers are most persecuted, European Times reports. Open Doors is an international NGO that monitors persecution levels and helps persecuted Christians around the world.