Many of Britain’s most decorated heroes are under attack—from their own government. Brian Wood, for example, was decorated for bravery by the Queen, then dragged through the courts.

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The man responsible for the attack is now perhaps the most powerful man in the country.

• Richard Hermer was a human rights lawyer and a close ally of Keir Starmer. When Starmer was elected prime minister, he ennobled his friend to become Lord Hermer and appointed him attorney general. Since then, the nation has been held captive by Lord Hermer’s fussy, often self-destructive interpretation of human rights law.

Special Air Service soldiers are resigning en masse, the Telegraph reported, due to the “witch hunt” from human rights lawyers.

• “If a soldier discharges their weapon, they are almost certainly going to get a knock at their door one day,” a former Special Air Service (sas) sergeant major told the Telegraph. “It feels like a betrayal and a break in the trust.”
• “Today every British soldier deployed must consider not only the enemy in front of them but the lawyer behind them,” warned an open letter from veterans.
• Lt. Col. Richard Williams, a former commanding officer for 22 sas, said the resignation of troops has become a “national security risk” and jeopardizes Britain’s alliance with the U.S.

One member of the sas has spent the last four years being dragged through court for his actions in the fight against Irish Republican Army terrorists in 1991.

• When it finally came before the Belfast Court of Appeal last month, the judges threw out the “ludicrous” case, saying it was “utterly divorced from reality.” In October last year, a different judge expressed his surprise that the government was funding the prosecution of the case.

Today the Telegraph revealed how involved Lord Hermer had been in the prosecution of Iraq War veterans.

One human rights lawyer, Phil Shiner, was convicted of fraud for helping terrorists lie in their judicial persecution of veterans. Hermer and other lawyers helped them claim millions of pounds from the British government to fund their case against British veterans.

• The accusers claimed the Iraqis were simple farmers, tortured and massacred by British soldiers. Their stories were laughably thin. One man who was caught up in a battle in a remote location claimed he was only out shopping for yogurt. It took years for the courts to conclude that these “farmers” were in fact members of the Iran-backed Mahdi Army and that the allegations were “deliberate lies.” Yet Hermer said it made no difference if his clients were “a saint or a member of al-Qaeda.”
• The suspicion is that many of these lawyers knew the accusations were lies from the start, yet they continued the cases because they earned large legal fees funded by taxpayers.

“The orchestrated claims against British troops involved in the Battle of Danny Boy were tantamount to treason,” said Gen. Sir Peter Wall, former head of the British Army.

It’s not just Britain. Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, received the Victoria Cross for his “most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril.” He is now being put on trial.

In Isaiah 3, God warns that as a curse to a disobedient nation, He would take away “the mighty man, and the man of war.” Now the very governments they serve are taking them away.

• Hosea 7:11 describes modern Britain behaving like a “silly dove,” destroying itself with insane decisions.

Starmer seems to be on the edge of falling from power, and Hermer would likely go with him. But the damage Britain has inflicted on itself is not easily reversed. It will take a miracle to fix Britain. Thankfully one is coming, as Herbert W. Armstrong showed in his free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy.

Iran War Update

• President Trump has said he has “no time pressure” for the ceasefire’s expiration date, after previously saying he was only extending the ceasefire to give Iran’s factions a few days to unify their position.
• The U.S. Navy is to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and step up mine-clearing operations, Trump ordered. Iran has seized ships, imposed tolls, and refused to reopen the strait while the U.S. naval blockade remains in place.
• The U.S. has used half its Patriot missiles, one of the Army’s most important weapons systems, in just two months of fighting in the Iran war.
• The Department of War submitted a $1.5 trillion budget request to Congress on April 3, an increase of almost half a trillion compared to last year—as the U.S. approaches $40 trillion in national debt.
• Fully clearing the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s sea mines could take six months, the War Department told Congress.

Germany’s First Military Strategy Since World War II

Yesterday, the German Defense Ministry presented a set of strategic-planning documents, including its first national military strategy since the end of the Second World War, to reach its stated aim of fielding Europe’s strongest conventional military.

• Since its defeat in World War ii, Germany’s military planning has taken place within nato.

Defense News called the documents “the most comprehensive overhaul of Bundeswehr planning in decades.” Politico said the document marks the culmination of Germany’s shift from “political will to rearm into a concrete military doctrine.”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated his goal to make the Bundeswehr Europe’s strongest conventional army. The new document states the goal to achieve this is 2039.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius explained, “In the short term, we are increasing our capabilities in defense and resilience; in the medium term, we are aiming for a significant overall increase in our capabilities; and, in the longer term, we will establish technological superiority.”

Tellingly, Germany’s first military strategy is titled “Responsibility for Europe,” showing that Germany views itself as the leader of Europe. In it, Russia is labeled as the biggest threat to Europe and described as preparing for a military confrontation with nato.

• Politico wrote yesterday that the document says the United States is indispensable to nato, but that “Washington is increasingly oriented toward the Indo-Pacific.” This paves the way for Germany to take the lead.

A related document states the aim to boost the number of active troops to 260,000 by 2035—an increase of 75,000 from current numbers—and the number of reservists to over 200,000—up from the current 140,000.

• Notably, the reservists are to play a more active role in defense than previously. Conscription is a possibility if numbers aren’t met.

Germany has an unsettling history of military strategy plans. One of Germany’s previous military strategy documents was the 1905 Schlieffen Plan, in which Germany planned for a war on two fronts: Russia to the east and France to the west.

Although this new strategy focuses on Russia as Germany’s main opponent, Bible prophecy makes clear that it is not the only one. Before going to war with Russia, a German-led Europe will use its newly created military might to subjugate America and Britain.

Pope More Popular Than Trump

A new Reuters-Ipsos poll finds that more Americans view Pope Leo xiv favorably than approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance.

• The survey, released Tuesday, polled 4,557 U.S. adults and showed 60 percent of respondents holding a favorable opinion of the pope, compared with 36 percent who approve of how Trump is doing his job.

The contrast comes amid a public disagreement between Trump and the first U.S.-born pope over the ongoing war with Iran.

• Pope Leo xiv has criticized Trump’s rhetoric, calling the president’s threat to “destroy Iran’s whole civilization” “truly unacceptable.” He has repeatedly emphasized peace, stating that “God does not bless any conflict” and urging dialogue over military escalation.
• Trump and some advisers have pushed back, arguing the pope should stay out of U.S. foreign policy and military decisions.

A separate mid-April Economist-YouGov poll found that 48 percent of Americans agree more with the pope’s comments on the Iran war, while 28 percent side with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

These numbers should trouble us. For years, Iran’s leaders have openly said they want to wipe Israel off the map. They call Israel the “Zionist entity” or a “cancerous tumor.” When Pope Leo pushes for peace with such a regime, it sounds too much like the silence of Pope Pius xii during Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach put it powerfully on April 15:

As 6 million Jews were marched into gas chambers, as Europe became a graveyard of civilization, the Vatican’s voice—the one voice that could have thundered moral clarity across continents—remained muted. What would have happened had Pope Pius xii stood on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and declared: “This is evil. This must stop”? We will never know. But we do know this: Silence, in moments of moral catastrophe, is not neutrality. It is complicity. … Today, we are confronted not by Nazi Germany but by the regime of the Iranian ayatollahs—a government that has, for decades, brutalized its own people, funded global terrorism, and openly called for the destruction of Israel and America.

The Bible warns that peace at any price can lead to greater evil. True leaders must have the courage to call evil by its name and stand with those who face destruction—not offer comfort to those who threaten it. The fact that half of Americans agree with Pope Leo is a serious moral failure.

IN OTHER NEWS

Russia’s military is getting stronger: After four years of fighting in Ukraine and despite a barrage of sanctions, Russia’s military today is stronger than before, according to the Netherlands’ military intelligence agency annual report released on Tuesday. In 2025, Russia expanded its armed forces by increasing recruitment, training, heavy weapons production and strategic ammunition reserves. The report warns that, within a year of the potential end of the war in Ukraine, Russia could initiate a regional conflict with nato members. The fact that the war in Ukraine is strengthening Russia’s military capabilities aligns perfectly with Bible prophecy.

Make the Holy Roman Empire great again? “Magyar wants to put the Austro-Hungarian Empire back on the map,” Politicowrote yesterday. It quoted Péter Magyar, who defeated 16-year autocrat Viktor Orbán, as saying: “We used to share a country, and Austria is a key economic partner of Hungary. I would like to strengthen the relationship between Hungary and Austria for historical but also for cultural and economic reasons.” He also proposed merging regional associations such as the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and the Slavkov Format (Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia). The Austro-Hungarian Empire united the European people under a common culture and religion; however, that same empire suppressed and tortured those who disagreed. Revelation 17 reveals that a modern resurrection of this empire will unite 10 nations or nation-groups. Austria and Hungary are almost certain to be part of this revival.

Palantir: ‘The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone’: “The defanging of Germany was an overcorrection,” U.S. tech firm Palantir wrote on X on April 18. The post summarized The Technological Republic, a book coauthored by one of the firm’s founders and its ceo, Alex Karp. The book and the post also condemned the “highly theatrical commitment to Japanese pacifism.” Palantir is a high-tech firm that provides advanced software to complex organizations, including police forces and militaries worldwide. These include nato, Germany and Ukraine, where the company has gained battlefield expertise. Karp studied in Germany, speaks fluent German, and retains strong connections to the country. Considering the Bible’s warning about Germany, Karp’s views on Germany and the technologies his firm wields are alarming.

Germany warns of more economic trouble, blames U.S.: Yesterday, Germany’s Economics Ministry cut its growth forecast for 2026 in half to 0.5 percent, and for 2027 from 1.3 percent to 0.9 percent. It said that “economic developments in Germany will depend crucially on a resolution of the conflict in the Middle East.” These forecasts highlight the current vulnerability of Germany’s economy to global shocks: Ultimately, an economic crisis will cause Germany and Europe to strengthen and unify against the United States.

German cardinal says priests can bless homosexual couples: Deutsche Welle reported Tuesday that Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and Freising, wrote in a letter to employees concerning same-sex couples that “the church shows recognition to couples united in love and offers them support.” Though the Bible explicitly condemns sexual perversion, many churches, including parts of the largest on Earth, still cave in to society and sin. If you want to understand true Christianity, read our free booklet Can You Prove Which Church Is God’s?

Ethiopian peace in jeopardy: The Tigray People’s Liberation Front is taking back control of Tigray’s regional government, it announced Sunday. Many fear this will reignite hostilities between the group and the Ethiopian government. The civil war that erupted between the two sides in 2020 is this century’s deadliest conflict yet. The Bible says major changes are quickly coming to Ethiopia’s government. Watch for its politics to grow increasingly volatile.

Palestinian Authority back into Gaza: Residents of the city of Deir el-Balah will vote in municipal elections Saturday, as part of the Palestinian Authority’s wider municipal elections. This is the first time Gazans have been able to vote for their government since 2006. The PA controls much of the West Bank but was violently ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2007. The Board of Peace established by United States President Donald Trump to reconstruct Gaza is trying to bring in the PA, but like Hamas, it too is corrupt and actively undermining Israel’s security. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted allowing the PA in, but the upcoming elections indicate the Board of Peace is getting its way.

‘The biggest energy security threat in history’: Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, told cnbc today that member nations have drained their oil reserves by 13 million barrels a day since March 11. Birol called this and other consequences of the Iran war “the biggest energy security threat in history.” The shortages caused by Iran targeting energy shipments have resulted in higher costs for consumers, agriculture, industry and transportation, with airlines canceling tens of thousands of flights.

Will the U.A.E. kick out America? Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent thinker from the United Arab Emirates, suggested on Sunday that the nation consider closing its bases to U.S. troops. He called the bases “a burden and not a strategic asset.” Bible prophecy says the U.A.E. will soon ally with Germany, not America. Watch for it to push out the U.S. and let Germany in.