In Other News
Poland’s defense minister announced today that the nation is sending its last Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine. It plans to replace the MiG-29 jets with F-16s from the U.S. and FA-50s from South Korea. “Officially, it is referred to as a donation—but negotiations are also underway for the purchase of Ukrainian missile and drone technology,” the Defense Post reported. “The government in Warsaw wants to acquire new military technology and develop it jointly with Kyiv.” Ukraine has more than three years of wartime experience and advancements in military technology, and Poland is working on rapidly expanding its own world-class military.
Russia is taking Ukrainian territory at the fastest rate since 2022 while European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London this week. They discussed responses to the American peace proposal, aiming to avoid appeasing the Kremlin. Last month, Russia captured nearly 200 square miles, which was double October’s gains, signaling that Putin has no plans to stop his offensive. Europe’s opposition to U.S. peace proposals is designed not only to counter Putin but to use the threat from Russia to build a new superpower.
The Vatican announced on Friday that Pope Leo xiv has appointed Francis Li Jianlin as the bishop of the Prefecture of Xinxiang in Henan Province, China. It specified that the appointment was made “in accordance with the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China” after the resignation of Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu. This is an admission that the old bishop was opposed to communism and the totalitarian Chinese regime, but his replacement is Chinese Communist Party-approved. Leo’s compromise with the regime and blending religion with politics continues the legacy of not only his predecessor, Pope Francis, but also his institution. You can learn more about this in Gerald Flurry’s book The True History of God’s True Church.
In case you’ve forgotten what the covid lockdown was like, the United Kingdom is here to remind you. Anticipating the worst flu season on record, the British government is calling for people to wear masks in public and even indoors. Some school systems have closed in “lockdown.” The government’s reaction to covid-19 was a serious self-inflicted disaster, from the economy to children’s social development to general health. Some want to go back to that, which is reminiscent of the prophecy about our societies in Isaiah 1:5: “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.”
Nearly half of Scottish school kids are “special,” the latest government data shows. Forty-three percent of Scottish kids had “additional support needs,” the most common being “social, emotional and behavioral difficulties.” Why so high? A generation of parents has failed its children. Modern parenthood is catastrophic, with no strong teaching on raising stable, sociable, self-disciplined children and little to no protection from horrific online influences. The other side of this story is a government that encourages disability. Parents of a child diagnosed with adhd, for example, can be paid by the state to stay as the “designated carer” of their own child. Perhaps the most financially beneficial thing many Scottish parents can do is to find a disability for them to claim and thereby receive a higher post-tax income than most workers. These kinds of perverse laws have led Britain’s economy and society to become a sick joke.
Today, broadcast and online news personalities and viewers are discussing whether Christians should keep the seventh-day Sabbath, after Stop in the Name of God, the last book written by conservative Charlie Kirk, was published yesterday. Kirk, who was assassinated for his political and religious views on September 10, was the most-searched name in news this year. He was an active and outspoken advocate for American tradition, fiscal responsibility, limited government, immigration control, proper education, the unborn, Israel, biblical family, sexual purity, Christianity and other important causes. Yet he repeatedly emphasized that perhaps his favorite issue to talk about was the Sabbath. Now millions of people are watching videos of him; his wife, Erika; his large youth organization, Turning Point USA; Fox News; the New York Times; X users and many more discussing the Sabbath. To understand whether this is more than a trend and whether the Bible commands Sabbath observance, read your Bible alongside a free copy of Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Customs data released yesterday by the Chinese Communist Party shows its exports exceeding its imports by $1.08 trillion. The trade surplus for 2024 was $992 billion, suggesting that the first 10 months of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy have failed to reduce China’s dominance of the export market.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin officially agreed to a “new phase” of naval partnership during Putin’s two-day visit to India last week. It grants India access to ports on Russia’s Northern Sea Route, an increasingly important passageway that shortens voyages between Asia and Northern Europe by nearly 50 percent and bypasses Western nations. Russia will also train Indian sailors and may grant them access to Russian warships. This pact symbolizes Russia’s tightening grip on India despite Western pressure. Watch Asia’s largest powers closely: The Bible prophesies that they will ultimately amass a military of 200 million troops.
Meteorological-style balloons from Belarus forced Lithuania to close its main airport multiple times in recent weeks and resulted in a state of emergency yesterday. The balloons are used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania and are considered a national security threat due to their potential use in hybrid attacks and the fact that Belarus is a close ally of Russia. During the state of emergency, the government has asked parliament to allow the military to collaborate with the police, border guards and security officials. Aggression tracing back to Russia and Vladimir Putin continues to drive Lithuania and other European nations to militarize and increase cooperation with Germany.
Bild reported today that a German 2024 government report, “Crime in the Context of Immigration,” identified 1,740 suspects of violent crimes for every 100,000 Syrian immigrants. For Afghans, the number was 1,722. For German citizens, the number was 163. The refugee crisis has forever changed Germany, and Germans are beginning to respond.
The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life on Wednesday released the results of a poll that surveyed 2,774 Britons who have recently changed their religious beliefs. Besides atheists and agnostics, the largest group, 11 percent, was comprised of respondents who defined themselves as merely “spiritual.” Just under half of these people identified as pagan, and 7 percent of them identified as Wiccan, a type of modern paganism. Christians in the United Kingdom who forsake their faith are turning to paganism more than any other religion: Census data shows that the number of Britons who identify as pagans has increased by almost 30 percent since 2011. This blatant rejection of the Bible and God was prophesied, as was its consequence to national security.
Today, amid a two-day visit to China, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, “We are in favor of free world trade. We are in favor of removing trade barriers.” China overtook the U.S. as Germany’s most important trading partner last year. Despite the “obstacles,” Wadephul said, Germany intends to expand the partnership. The visit was originally scheduled for October but was delayed due to Germany’s condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive behavior toward Taiwan. French President Emmanuel Macron just returned from a three-day visit to China, during which he threatened to impose tariffs on China if it doesn’t lower its trade surplus with the EU. Though China and the EU are competitors, animosity toward the U.S. unites them.
Russia began borrowing Chinese currency from other countries on Tuesday to fund its war in Ukraine. It has already borrowed the equivalent of $2.8 billion. By dealing in yuan, Russia is increasing demand for Chinese currency while decreasing demand for the U.S. dollar. Other countries are also working to reduce their dollar holdings to weaken the U.S. This intensifying trend is a harbinger of economic trouble coming to America, as prophesied in the Bible.
The United States hosted representatives from Israel and Qatar in New York yesterday, Axios reported, stating that this is “the highest-level meeting between the countries since the deal to end the war in Gaza.” Qatar has hosted Hamas terrorists, and Israel struck a Hamas meeting in the nation’s capital in September, causing a diplomatic crisis. The U.S. views Qatar as an important ally and has been urging Israel to make amends. Compromising with nations that sponsor terrorism will ultimately backfire on the United States.
The British government’s chief scientific adviser for health during the covid-19 pandemic silenced government ethics advisers who had raised concerns about the covid passports, the vaccine rollout and the effect of lockdowns on children. The Telegraph reported on December 6 that Prof. Chris Whittey told the cochair of the Moral and Ethical Advisory Committee to stop putting its recommendations in writing. As the government implemented lockdowns, officials told citizens to “trust the science,” yet reports like this one show that high-ranking government officials suppressed the science to serve a political agenda.
After Brian Cole Jr. was arrested on Thursday, the corporate media reported that he was a Trump supporter who was radicalized by claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “The man charged with planting two pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican party headquarters on the eve of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol told the fbi he believed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the matter,” nbc News summarized. The identity of the “two people familiar with the matter” is unknown, but the criminal affidavit against Cole alleges that he began purchasing the components used to make the bombs in 2019, months before the 2020 election was even held, much less stolen. Cole’s grandmother told the Daily Mail that he has no party affiliation and never votes, so the corporate media narrative, once again, appears to be driven by a political agenda more than by evidence.
Chancellor Merz squeaked through his biggest crisis so far this morning. A large number of his own M.P.s had threatened to rebel against his pensions bill. After weeks of crisis talks, he finally managed to pass it by a slim margin with 319 votes. (He needed 316 for a majority.) Also this morning, the government’s long-delayed and debated conscription law finally made it over the finish line. Bild described the vote as a “warning signal from Merz’s own ranks: Today WE will push through the pension reform, and tomorrow YOU will rebuild the party.” Party infighting has weakened Germany’s center-left-center-right coalition. “Many M.P.s no longer trust their coalition partner,” they wrote. “This is poison for the already weak cohesion of the black-red coalition.” Many others “resent the way thumbscrews were put on them” and resent their own leadership. Germany has again devolved into coalition chaos and is craving a strong leader.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha made this characterization of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s negotiating position on Wednesday. The day prior, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had met Putin in the Kremlin for a four-hour negotiation that bore no fruit, much like previous U.S.-Russia talks in February and August. On Thursday, Putin stated: “It all comes down to this. Either we liberate these territories by force of arms, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories and stop fighting there.” Vladimir Putin remains the roadblock to peace.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the latest form of the offer would give Russia permission to deploy four warships and 300 troops to a yet-to-be-announced location for 25 years, as well as access to some of Sudan’s mining industry. Based on Bible prophecy, Trumpet publisher Gerald Flurry has warned that Iran and Germany will soon plunge into a mad scramble for control of African nations. Russia is not included in this prophecy, but its actions there are hastening this coming clash.
The European Broadcasting Union announced yesterday that it will allow Israel to participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Some European countries had asked for a ban on Israeli contestants, citing the Gaza war. Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain responded to the announcement by saying they will boycott Eurovision. This is another example of normalizing anti-Semitism.
That is according to a Barometer of European Public Opinion survey of 9,553 people from Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Trump has promised to bring peace to the Continent and has made overtures toward appeasing Russia, but more than 80 percent of respondents believe Russia does not want peace. Fifty-one percent perceived an elevated risk of war with Russia, and nearly 70 percent thought their country was unprepared. As the Trump administration continues to talk about peace, Europe is preparing for war.
Itv News reported on Wednesday that in a Youth Endowment Fund survey of 11,000 13-to-17-year-olds nationwide, 39 percent said they experienced or committed acts of “violent or controlling behaviors.” The Bible prophesies that the lack of “natural affection” would “wax worse and worse” in the end time (2 Timothy 3:1-3, 13). These curses spring from rebellion against God and have devastating consequences.
New data suggests that President Donald Trump’s October 22 sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil did immediate damage, but the Russian energy giants have already recovered. Bloomberg’s “Oil Tracker” feature shows Russia is now exporting as much or more oil than it was before October 22. Goldman Sachs estimates that Russian exports via Rosneft and Lukoil have fallen by 1.1 million barrels per day, but exports by non-sanctioned companies have risen by roughly the same amount. Meanwhile, Russia’s war economy—and its war machine—grind on.
The German Air Force reported today that it is moving “several” Eurofighters from Nörvenich Air Base in Germany to Malbork Air Base in Poland, a response to recent Russian airspace violations. The deployment, which will last until March, includes about 150 personnel—pilots, technicians, logisticians, security guards and military police. Meanwhile, the Bundestag’s budget committee approved 11 additional rifle, ammunition, reconnaissance, drone and other armaments projects yesterday, worth about $3 billion. Germany is solidifying its military leadership of Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in China today for a three-day visit and met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “China and France should demonstrate their sense of responsibility, raise high the banner of multilateralism … and firmly stand on the right side of history,” Xi said. China’s economy has recently suffered under U.S. tariffs, but representatives from French companies just signed 12 cooperation agreements with their Chinese counterparts. Based on Bible prophecy, the Trumpet warns that France will ally with China and betray the U.S.
China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party wants to build a “mega embassy” near the Tower of London. The site, formerly used by the Royal Mint, is located directly above data cables carrying sensitive British financial information. The Chinese are investing a huge sum of money into the project and applying pressure to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to acquiesce. The UK will announce its decision on January 20. Once-mighty Britain’s diplomatic weakness in this situation illustrates that it is being cursed for disobedience to God, fulfilling prophecies laid out in the Bible.
