In Other News
Chinese Communist Party officials have told banks to reduce holdings of U.S. treasuries, Bloomberg reported on Monday, even advising those with larger holdings to begin selling. This reveals not only weaker trust in the U.S. dollar but a financial war warning shot. The Chinese government controls roughly $680 billion in U.S. bonds. Selling a significant portion of these assets would decrease their value and harm China and other nations, but it would devastate the already shaky American financial system.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys an approval rating of 67 percent among his people. This surpasses the combined approval ratings of France’s Emmanuel Macron (16 percent), Germany’s Friedrich Merz (21 percent) and the UK’s Keir Starmer (23 percent) in their respective countries. According to a Morning Consult survey of adults in 43 countries from February 2-8, Modi was the most popular leader overall, followed by Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic. These results suggest that a leader’s approval rating doesn’t depend on ruling democratically but rather on accomplishments. Bible prophecy reveals that Europe’s unpopular democratic system is about to be replaced by strongman rule.
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the city’s high court on Monday, a sober conclusion to the city’s pro-democracy history. Lai, publisher of the Apple Daily newspaper, was ostensibly suspected of “collusion with foreign forces,” “endangering national security,” and “conspiracy to publish seditious materials,” cnbc reported, but the case is recognized by many as an attack on free speech and dissent against the regime, which has a conviction rate of 99.98 percent. Communists gaining control of the courts was the very reason millions of citizens participated in protests in 2019 and 2020, but the regime’s conviction and sentencing of Lai, who is also a British citizen, punctuates the termination of freedom in Hong Kong and signals the oncoming “times of the gentiles.”
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran leader Mohammed Eslami said Monday that Iran could dilute its highest-enriched uranium in exchange for complete sanctions relief from the United States. But Iran has ruled out dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, so even if Iran follows through with this latest tactic, it could re-enrich the material at will. U.S. President Donald Trump wants Iran to completely dismantle its nuclear program. Iran will not settle for any deal that doesn’t leave it an option to restart the program. These two premises are mutually exclusive. Bible prophecy shows that one way or another, Iran will win out.
Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories for the United Nations, stated that “[h]umanity now has a common enemy” in remarks about Israel at a forum hosted by Al Jazeera on February 7. She accused Israel of “the planning and making of a genocide” and said the “global community” is facing unprecedented challenges from those who “control large amounts of financial [capital], algorithms and weapons.” Such blatantly anti-Semitic comments from a UN representative may seem shocking, but it’s only the tip of the UN anti-Semitism iceberg.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Sunday that his country will not stop uranium enrichment, even if it means war with the United States. “Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us?” he asked. “Because no one has the right to dictate our behavior.” The assertions come after Friday’s meeting with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy for peace missions. Trump said the talks were “good,” but it is clear that the threats Iran poses, even its nuclear threat, won’t be dissolved in negotiations. In fact, even the threat or reality of military action won’t stop Iran. The Bible prophesies that the U.S. will be irrelevant when Iran clashes with German-led Europe in all-out war.
Ten European nations are planning to stockpile raw materials used in defense, aerospace and digital technology. Germany will source the materials, France will cover the financing, Italy will store them, and certain other European nations will have access. The EU currently imports almost all its rare earth minerals and relies heavily on China. This is another significant strategic move for Europe to become more self-sufficient, more wealthy, more powerful and more aggressive.
On Friday, France and Canada opened their consulates in Nuuk, Greenland. France is the first EU nation to do so. France’s Foreign Ministry said the consulate will “deepen existing cooperation projects with Greenland in the cultural, scientific and economic fields, while strengthening political ties with local authorities.” The consulate was announced in June, and French Consul General to Greenland Jean-Noël Poirier claimed it is not designed to signal opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. Nevertheless, developments like this show that Europe is resisting U.S. strategy and wants to retain control of Greenland for its own purposes.
North Korean soldiers are carrying out much more advanced military missions in Ukraine today than they were 15 months ago, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The first North Korean units to arrive were entrusted with lower-level missions, but now they are receiving and completing missions that require significant skill. North Korea’s alliance with Russia is helping its immediate war goals—but it is also preparation for a much larger war prophesied in Ezekiel, Revelation and other books in your Bible.
On Saturday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that his country would not join the Board of Peace, which is personally controlled by Donald Trump, largely due to a clause in Italy’s constitution stating that Italy can join international organizations only as an equal member. Britain, France and other traditional U.S. allies have also declined to join. These decisions highlight a flaw in America’s foreign policy.
Morgan McSweeney, chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, resigned yesterday. McSweeney was involved in Starmer’s appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Mandelson has been understood as a secretive and corrupt yet powerful figure in British politics for decades, but his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein—the late serial rapist, pedophile and child sex trafficker—was more fully exposed in recent document releases by the U.S. Justice Department. The resignation of the highest-ranking member of the prime minister’s office is significant, but many continue to insist that Starmer himself must resign. This is a striking example of how British moral decadence among the common people and the elites directly connects to power, politics and, as the Bible warns, national security.
Russia has struck Ukraine with 71 missiles and 450 drones so far this week: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a strike on Tuesday injured nine people and knocked out heat for thousands of Ukrainians. Temperatures in the country have dropped as low as 13 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is proving more than willing to weaponize winter conditions to cause even more civilian suffering in an effort to break Ukraine and move on to far greater imperialistic goals.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said yesterday that maintaining sufficient energy flows remains the “supreme priority” of the government, and that “[a]ll of India’s decisions are taken and will be taken with this in mind.” United States President Donald Trump claimed Monday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made several trade agreements with the U.S., including “to stop buying Russian oil.” Other Western officials responded positively to the claim, since Indian purchases of Russian oil are largely financing the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. But Jaiswal’s statement contradicts Trump’s statement and indicates that, despite any arrangements with the U.S., real or fictitious, India is allying more closely with Russia.
Provisional statistics provided by the German government yesterday show that manufacturing orders rose by 7.8 percent in December, a 13 percent increase from December 2024. The figure was 5.7 percent higher than in November and the “strongest monthly increase in two years,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Although Germany’s historically world-class manufacturing sector has reported numerous negative statistics in recent months and years, some economists think this might be a turning point. Bible prophecy indicates that ultimately German manufacturing will surge beyond belief as Germany arms for war.
A proposed new German law announced yesterday will require streaming services operating in the country to invest 8 percent of their German revenue into the European film industry. It also sets a quota for German-language productions, according to dpa. France and Italy have similar laws already, but the new law would reduce profits to American companies and further escalate the trade conflict simmering between Europe and the United States. It would also promote German culture, a trend worth watching, since a massive cultural counterrevolution in Europe is prophesied in the Bible. Learn more about this oncoming transformation of European identity in “The Holy Roman Empire Goes Public—Big Time!”
“Germany was once the engine of Europe’s progress; now it has turned into an engine of regression,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday, later adding that it is “regrettable that an individual such as Mr. Merz now represents Germany on the world stage.” Araghchi’s insult follows German Chancellor Friedric Merz’s statement on Wednesday that Germany is “prepared to further increase the pressure and to engage in talks” to end Iran’s nuclear program. Merz called Aragachi’s comment a sign of insecurity. Bible prophecy warns that the world is heading toward a clash of civilizations between Iran-led radical Islam and German-led Catholic Europe.
At least 167 Nigerians were slaughtered by gunmen on Tuesday. Though no group claimed responsibility for the attacks, Mohammed Omar Bio, a legislator from the region, claimed that the Islamic State-affiliated group Lakurawa is to blame. Video from the villages of Nuku and Woro shows burning houses and murder victims with tied hands. This is one of the worst attacks in Africa in recent years. At least 13 people were killed by unknown gunmen in another village on the same day, and 36 were murdered at a construction site last week. Why do such massacres and suffering occur if there really is a loving God? To learn the Bible-based answer few have heard, read Chapter 4 of Mystery of the Ages, by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Nato’s Multinational Battlegroup in Lithuania, composed of troops from several European nations, was formally integrated into Germany’s 45th Tank Brigade yesterday. This move brings the personnel at Germany’s disposal in Lithuania to roughly 1,700. By 2027, Germany wants that number to reach 4,800. “Germany’s leading role in protecting nato’s eastern flank is invaluable,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated at the integration ceremony. The April 2025 establishment of the brigade in Lithuania marked the first permanent German military deployment on foreign soil since World War ii. nato was originally created in part to restrict German power, yet now a German brigade is commanding a nato battle group. Bible prophecy shows this level of trust in Germany is dangerously misplaced.
Chinese Communist Party officials hosted a forum with members of Taiwan’s Kuomintang party in Beijing on February 3, marking the first formal talks between the two sides in nine years. The dialogue, called “Prospects for Cross-Strait Exchange and Cooperation,” focused on improving China-Taiwan relations through industrial cooperation, tourism and joint environmental efforts. The talks will likely be followed up by a landmark meeting later this year between Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping and Kuomintang party chief Cheng Li-wun. Though Kuomintang legislators have not ruled Taiwan for a decade, they remain a potent political force and staunchly oppose military conflict with China. Many Taiwanese voters support this policy, partly due to increasing doubts of United States’ support of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. The Trumpet maintains that America’s lack of resolve will cause the Chinese Communist Party, whether through Taiwanese capitulation or war, to conquer Taiwan.
Yesterday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz began a three-day Middle East trip with a visit to Saudi Arabia. “Our partners may not all share the same values and interests, but they share the view that we need a world order in which we trust agreements and treat each other with respect,” he said, an apparent acknowledgment of the fact that Saudi Arabia’s monarchy has been accused of serious human rights violations, including suppression of the country’s opposition. Merz, however, is promising Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states energy deals and more German weapons. “In such a network of partnerships, we reduce unilateral dependencies, mitigate risks, and create new opportunities together for our mutual benefit,” he said. In recent months, he has also traveled to Brazil, South Africa and India. The Bible prophesies that these relationships will grow into new alliances designed to weaken and even destroy Britain, Israel and the United States.
The former Prince Andrew vacated the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park on Monday after further information on his interactions with serial pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in another document release from the U.S. Department of Justice. King Charles, who stripped him of the titles “royal highness” and “prince” in November due to his relationship with Epstein, had reportedly already been pressuring his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to leave. The British royal family continues to sustain serious reputational damage. The Bible reveals the origins of this dynasty, its turning away from those origins, and its fall and effective erasure. To begin proving this for yourself, read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s article “The Fall of the British Royal Family.”
Ryan Routh, the man who plotted to assassinate President Trump at his golf course in September 2024, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison following his September trial. That assassination attempt, foiled when a Secret Service agent spotted Routh in hiding, followed a previous attempt near Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, when a bullet grazed President Trump and other rounds wounded two bystanders and killed another. Routh’s sentencing yesterday reminds Americans that God saved President Trump from both of those assassination attempts to fulfill end-time Bible prophecy.
The post-World War II global order is “dead,” former president of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said at KU Leuven in Belgium on Monday. In his speech upon receiving an honorary doctorate, the European unification advocate said that “the collapse of this order is not itself the threat …. [T]he threat is what may replace it.” He warned that Europe risks becoming “subordinated, divided and deindustrialized at once.” He added: “Of all those who today find themselves squeezed between the United States and China, only Europeans have the option of becoming a true power themselves.” Europe’s crises are indeed forging it into a true power that will shock the world. The Bible reveals exactly what kind of power it will become.
Nato announced yesterday that it is moving forward with plans for “Arctic Sentry,” a military exercise first proposed by Europe in January as an assertion of European control over Greenland. President Trump had threatened to acquire the strategic island for the United States, by force if necessary. European nato nations pushed back, even sending small numbers of troops to commence Operation Arctic Endurance, which is scheduled to continue for the rest of the year. The Arctic is crucial for strategic defense, particularly ballistic missile defense. President Trump’s push to own Greenland indicates that he considers existing agreements with Europe unreliable. This friction is a foreshock of the U.S. and Europe becoming not only troubled allies but predator and prey.
Germany and Saudi Arabia held the 21st session of the Saudi-German Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation in Riyadh on Monday. The countries sought to increase collaboration in energy, industry and investments, and explored opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, health care, hydrogen and technology. Germany’s n-tv said, “German government officials are currently making pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia in droves” amid the heightened interest in strengthening relations. Germany seeks independence from the U.S. in vital sectors such as energy; Saudi Arabia wants German technology. Bible prophecy reveals that there will be much more than economic and technical cooperation between the Germans and Saudis. It forecasts that Germany will form a major military alliance with certain Middle Eastern nations to fight the Iran-aligned bloc. Germany is building the groundwork for this alliance right now. To learn more, read “The Hidden Danger in Germany’s ‘Alliance Against Iran.’”
An F-35 fighter jet from the uss Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone that the Navy says was “aggressively” approaching the carrier in the Arabian Sea “with unclear intent.” The drone was reported as a Shahed-139, a one-way weapon designed to crash into targets. This confrontation comes as the U.S. and Iran are planning direct talks on Friday to de-escalate a military standoff. An attack drone approaching a $10 billion American carrier and its strike group indicates that Iran—identified in the Bible as the end-time king of the south—is not backing down from its provocative foreign policy.
