In Other News

A U.S. Special Forces soldier is in big trouble for allegedly betting on his own secret mission. Yesterday, Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was charged with fraud. Prosecutors say he made more than $400,000 on the prediction website Polymarket by placing 13 bets about capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Van Dyke was part of the planning team for the successful January 3 raid. Officials claim he used secret government information for personal gain, then tried to hide the fact using cryptocurrency. He now faces five federal charges, including wire fraud and theft of classified information. If convicted, he could spend up to 60 years in prison. Gambling continues to rapidly infect all levels of American society.

“In a democracy, the majority principle is the norm and unanimity the exception,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday. “We should make the norm of democracy the norm in the European Union as well.” This and other statements by German leaders come after Hungary vetoed a $105 billion EU loan to Ukraine. Wadephul said that EU member states using their sovereignty in this way is “no longer something we can afford in this world.” He and other German leaders have a reason for emphasizing this: It is much easier for Germany and other powerful European nations to achieve or force a simple majority agreement than unanimity, allowing Europe to act decisively and even aggressively. Smaller nations have resisted this for years, but Bible prophecy states that Germany will take dictatorial control of the rising European superpower.

Italy is set to overtake Greece as the eurozone’s most indebted country by the end of this year, Reuters reported yesterday. Italy’s new budget estimates the national debt to rise to 138.6 percent of gdp, a 1.5 percent increase over last year. Greece’s debt-to-gdp ratio is estimated at 137 percent. Italy is one of the top three EU nations by population, economy, strategic value, culture and religion, but its debt load is one reason it can never challenge France or, especially, Germany to be Europe’s dominant force.

Last week, the United States State Department approved the nation’s first sale of the Aegis combat system to Germany, an $11.9 billion deal for eight units to be used in upcoming Type 127 frigates. The sophisticated and proven Aegis system integrates advanced radar detection and fire control, enabling simultaneous engagement with numerous targets with minimal human input. By approving sales like these to a presumed ally, the U.S. is actually empowering the very nation that Bible prophecy warns will attack it.

On Thursday, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, accused China and other foreign groups of engaging in “deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to steal American AI.” The Chinese Communist regime has a long history of stealing American technologies in order to rival American capabilities with minimal cost and delay. This software arms race is part of the larger frenzy to develop AI capabilities without fully considering the implications.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ordered an investigation after two U.S. Central Intelligence Agency agents died in a car crash in northern Mexico on April 19. The Americans were returning from a joint operation with Mexican agents to destroy illegal drug labs: Two Mexican officials were also killed in the crash. Local officials said this was at least the third time this year that cia agents had worked with Chihuahua State Police on similar missions. President Sheinbaum said the Mexican federal government was not informed about the operation and that any such U.S. operations inside Mexico must be approved by Mexico’s national government and not just state officials. Operations like this by the cia are illegal under Mexican law. The extremely high level of American drug consumption and the resultant drug-related violence in Mexico—around 23,000 killings per year—continues to create a multitude of spin-off crises.

• 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.

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.

“Magyar wants to put the Austro-Hungarian Empire back on the map,” Politico wrote 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.

“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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

• United States President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran was supposed to expire last night. He extended it indefinitely, until Iran’s “leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”
• Iranian leadership is clearly divided between political actors, who appear to want to negotiate, and the radicals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who do not. It’s clear now that the irgc holds the power in Iran.
• The U.S. military will continue its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the meantime. Trump is likely hoping to suffocate Iran back to the negotiating table as it loses an estimated $455 million a day in trade.
• Iran attacked three ships in the strait after the ceasefire was extended.
• Despite Iran’s doubletalk, President Trump seems desperate to make a deal to end the war, another symptom of America’s fundamental weakness.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have sent dozens of drones into Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states during the Iran war, targeting oil infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. This further increases the resolve of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations to fight Iran, which matches Bible prophecies that the Gulf states will ally with Germany to destroy Iran.

Russia is using artificial intelligence to conduct mass cyberattacks against Europe, the Dutch military’s 2025 report, released Tuesday, warns. The report notes that Russian hackers can now “partially automate their attacks” using AI. Technological advancements and increased belligerence in cyberwarfare will motivate Europe to build up its own cyberwarfare capabilities, which will be used for more than just defense.

Israeli diplomats and embassies have been targeted about 30 times since Oct. 7, 2023. Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Monday that in addition to these acts of terrorism, Israel is the country most frequently attacked militarily and politically. To learn why the surge in anti-Semitism is an ominous trend for the whole world, read “The One Minority Society Loves to Hate.”

New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, and its surrounding region were under a state of emergency yesterday as heavy rains brought flash floods and landslides. People in low-lying areas were asked to relocate, and over 100 schools closed. As of yesterday, one man was declared missing. The damage could have been far worse. But as our Trends article brings out, weather disasters like this one are more than just happenstance. They are a warning.

Yesterday, a grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, handed down an indictment charging the Southern Poverty Law Center with 11 criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Between 2014 and 2023, the organization funneled more than $3 million to individuals associated with the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, the National Socialist Party of America and other extremist groups. fbi Director Kash Patel said, “They lied to their donors, vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups, and actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups ….” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “The splc is manufacturing racism to justify its existence.” In defense, the Southern Poverty Law Center said these funds were to pay informants. This is an evil group, but looking at the amount of money—$3 million, over 10 years, to at least eight different organizations—they are probably telling the truth; it would be too little money to significantly fund these groups. However, the Bible reveals that America is being artificially divided over the issue of race and led into a devastating civil war.

Following the deadly campus shooting at Florida State University last year, Florida is investigating the possible role of Chatgpt, a popular artificial intelligence chatbot made by OpenAI. State Attorney General James Uthmeier said yesterday that prosecutors determined that Chatgpt “offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes.” At an event in Tampa, he said, “If this were a person on the other end of the screen, we would be charging them with murder. Just because this is a chatbot in AI does not mean that there is not criminal culpability.” Florida is also pursuing criminal and civil investigations into OpenAI regarding child sex abuse material and the encouragement of self-harm and suicide. Despite these kinds of abhorrent evils, developers are racing to develop AI further.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk discussed defense cooperation including the extension of France’s nuclear deterrence to Poland, joint exercises and intelligence sharing. Tusk stated the two countries’ cooperation “whether in the nuclear domain or in joint exercises … knows no bounds.” These serious ongoing discussions are designed to separate European strategic defense from reliance on the United States military.

North Korea announced on Monday that it test-launched ballistic missiles equipped with cluster bomb warheads on Sunday. This follows a similar test from earlier this month. Cluster munitions are banned by more than 100 nations due to their massive and indiscriminate destructive yields. North Korea’s growing military capabilities will complement the Asian superpower prophesied by the Bible.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentinian President Javier Milei signed the Isaac Accords in Jerusalem on Sunday. The agreements are designed to stop Iran’s expansion by strengthening relations between Western Hemisphere nations and Israel. However, Bible prophecy reveals South American nations like Argentina will soon ally against Israel.