In Other News

Candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump won Republican primaries in Indiana and Ohio yesterday. Indiana challengers defeated five incumbent state senators who had opposed redrawing the state’s congressional districts. Trevor De Vries beat incumbent Dan Dernulc, 75 percent to 24 percent, while Blake Fiechter defeated incumbent Travis Holdman 61 percent to 39 percent. Indiana Governor Mike Braun called it a “historic night” for conservatives. In Ohio, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, an outspoken supporter of President Trump, easily won the Republican nomination for governor. The results show that the president remains a powerful force in shaping the Republican Party.

Russian military forces carried out devastating aerial attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets yesterday, claiming the lives of at least 27 people and wounding more than 70 others. The strikes, concentrated on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, used missiles, drones and glide bombs. Residential buildings and a vehicle repair shop were among the locations struck. “This was an absolutely cynical terrorist strike, with no military justification whatsoever,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. The attacks come just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call with United States President Donald Trump, proposing a ceasefire from May 8-9 that would coincide with Russia’s Victory Day observances. Zelenskyy responded to Putin’s proposal with calls instead for an open-ended ceasefire. Yesterday’s catastrophic attacks appear to be Putin’s answer.

The world’s largest contemporary art exhibition, Venice Biennale, allowed Russia to open a pavilion on Tuesday after years of banning the nation for its “grievous” war on Ukraine. More than 50 protesters demonstrated at the Russian exhibit today, performing songs, waving Ukrainian flags and setting off smoke bombs. “This pavilion stands on Ukrainian mass graves,” activist Inna Shevchenko said. “We are here to remind that the only Russian culture, the only Russian art today, is blood.” But the Russian exhibit continues to operate, reflecting a gradual rehabilitation of the country’s reputation.

“China Is Still Supplying Drone Factories in Iran, Russia Despite U.S. Sanctions,” the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. According to former U.S. Treasury officials, China serves as a transit hub for American and European-made components to supply factories in Iran and Russia. For example, Xiamen Victory Technology is selling Iran and Russia Limbach L550 engines used in the Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. The engine was originally designed by a Chinese company’s German subsidiary. This means that the U.S. is not only fighting Iran but also Chinese and even Western technology. Bible prophecy reveals that these same world powers will soon openly work together against the U.S.

Two of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most significant opponents were voted out of office on Monday. Mamata Banerjee and M. K. Stalin were some of the only major figures opposing the agenda of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which has governed India for 12 years. As the New York Times put it, “Mr. Modi has made India look like a one-leader state.” Authoritarian leaders are becoming much more common than in previous decades. To learn how this trend matches Bible prophecy, read “The New Strongman Age.”

On Tuesday, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan lost a vote of no confidence initiated by the far-right Unity of Romanians party and the socialist Social Democrat Party. A total of 281 of the 464 members of the legislature voted to effectively end his 10-month tenure: He remains a caretaker of the EU member state until the legislature forms a new government. Bolojan is Romania’s fourth prime minister in 5½ years. Far-right parties are gaining ground in Europe, and the fact that it was able to ally with the Social Democrat party, Romania’s largest party, in this vote is yet another sign of strength. European political instability is leading to a backlash against democracy as a whole and the rise of a more stable, decisive, autocratic, aggressive government under a German strongman.

Today, Belgian prosecutors announced their intent to charge two Jewish mohels with intentional assault and battery with premeditation against minors and the unlawful practice of medicine. A mohel is a specially trained Jewish officiant who performs the ritual circumcision on baby boys on the eighth day after birth, a custom that traces back to Genesis 17. Belgium allows non-medical circumcision, but the law requires a doctor to be involved. The case began last year after complaints, including some from within the Jewish community in Antwerp. Police conducted raids, seized items like knives, and gathered evidence. Judges will decide on June 18 whether the case goes to trial. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the prosecution, and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White called it “wrong,” a “shameful stain on Belgium” and anti-Semitic.

Russia is luring Africans to join its war against Ukraine, the New York Times reported yesterday. Kenya’s National Intelligence Service has reported that around 1,000 Kenyans have gone to Russia and joined its war effort, either willingly or not, with only 30 returning to their home country alive. Russia is reportedly promising African men normal jobs, then coercing them into deadly work supporting its attack on Ukrainians. Bible prophecy reveals that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon be responsible for more deaths than any other human in history. His willingness to commit this kind of ruthless brutality is an indicator of his capability of fulfilling that prophecy.

Jeffrey K., a German national, drove through a crowd of people Monday afternoon, killing 2 and injuring 20. The suspect, who is married and the father of one child, reportedly had been in a psychiatric facility the day prior. While he reportedly admitted himself, he was expelled due to aggressive behavior toward other patients. What the mainstream media will not discuss is that there is a spiritual reason behind these tragedies.

Mark Carney became the first non-European leader to participate, as a guest, in the European Political Community summit in Armenia on Monday. The epc consists of 45 European nations and meets twice annually to enhance cooperation in economics, defense and other areas. Since becoming prime minister last year, Carney has pursued an agenda of pivoting away from the United States and toward Europe. At the summit, he concluded his remarks by stating that “the international order will be rebuilt, but it will be rebuilt out of Europe.” The Bible prophesies that a superpower will emerge from Europe, and it appears that Canada will help build it up and strengthen it in direct opposition to the United States.

• The U.S. will start escorting ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said today. In Project Freedom, he said, the U.S. Navy will deal “forcefully” with any Iranian attempts at disruption.
• Iran offered a peace deal plan Thursday, which Trump said on Saturday he was reviewing. The plan appears to cross all his red lines, calling for a resolution of all issues within 30 days, removal of U.S. forces, unfreezing Iranian assets, continuing enrichment of Iran’s uranium, and a guarantee not to attack again.
• Is Trump’s blockade working? The U.S. has intercepted at least 44 ships clandestinely sending Iranian oil to China. Over a million Iranians are unemployed, and the value of Iran’s currency has fallen sharply.
• Iran fired on a U.S. warship today, state media claimed. U.S. Central Command disputes this, but yesterday a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz reported being attacked by smaller boats.
• Attacking Iran was a mistake, 61 percent of American adults said in an April 24–28 Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. This is the same level of disapproval—for a conflict with few casualties lasting only a few weeks—as that of the years-long Vietnam War in which 50,000 Americans died.

The massive EU-mercosur Partnership Agreement took effect on Friday, four months after its signing and 25 years after negotiations began. That means the 27 members of the EU and the four members of mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) are now applying tariff cuts and allowing firms from across the Atlantic to bid on business and government contracts. The deal is provisional, however, because it is under review for legality by the Court of Justice of the European Union and has not been fully ratified. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is pursuing implementation, with constitutional legality and the will of European people and nations as an afterthought, and is overpowering France in its push to create a $22 trillion economic zone of 720 million people that also encroaches on the United States’ trade. Bible prophecy warns that a rising European superpower is about to cut the U.S. off from the global market.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a Food and Drug Administration policy from the Biden presidency that allows suppliers to mail mifepristone without prior consent from a physician. Mifepristone is the main drug used in abortion pills. In 2023, United States President Joe Biden removed the restriction on women requiring an examination by a physician before they could order the drug. This effectively allowed mail-in abortions on demand, despite mifepristone being linked to problems like sepsis. The recent verdict does not suspend the drug from being sent out, but at least it restores some barrier to women being able to kill their unborn babies on demand.

A federal appeals court upheld Texas’s new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public-school classroom. In a 9-8 decision on April 21, the Fifth Circuit ruled the law does not violate the United States Constitution. Judges overruled a lower court and said the Ten Commandments are part of America’s moral and legal history, and schools can honor that heritage. “This is a huge victory for religious liberty and Texas values,” said Jonathan Saenz, the leader of the Texas Values nonprofit. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are disappointed and plan to appeal to the Supreme Court. To learn more about what shaped America’s moral and legal history, read The Ten Commandments.

The Israeli Navy detained 175 activists aboard 22 vessels near Crete on Wednesday, part of the 58-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla, which plans to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza to supply aid to Palestinians, rather than providing it through the Israeli-secured port in Ashdod. Major flotillas like this are designed to portray Israelis as evil, part of the ongoing surge in anti-Semitism worldwide, often disguised as activism.

Britain signed an agreement last week that expands the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force military cooperation framework to include a Northern Navies initiative aimed at deterring Russia. Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins, head of the Royal Navy, called Russia the “gravest threat” to Britain and stated this “multinational maritime force” will “complement” nato and is “designed to fight immediately if required, with real capabilities, real war plans and real integration.”

A Jewish security group warned local authorities of a heightened risk of terrorism six days before Islamist terrorists massacred 15 people and wounded 40 more as they celebrated Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in December. That was the finding of a Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion report released yesterday. The group asked for increased security at the event, but an e-mail to officers three days prior merely instructed them to be visible, stating, “No need to stay the entire duration, but your presence will ensure the community feel safe.” The report says only three officers and one supervisor attended “at various times.” Hearings into the federal and local governments’ security preparedness begin next week. Both this attack and law enforcement’s lackadaisical approach to security highlight a dangerous trend prophesied in the Bible.

Yesterday, Republicans in the Senate blocked Democrats’ attempt to limit the president’s ability to take military action against Communist Cuba. A resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) would have forced the removal of U.S. forces near Cuba and would have required Congress to approve any blockade. A few Republicans joined Kaine and the Democrats, but Republicans stopped the bill from going to a full vote. The controversy over Cuba reflects both the grave divisions within the U.S. government and the threat that Cuba poses. Bible prophecy indicates that Cuba will form a close alliance with Catholic Europe, so President Trump’s actions could prompt Communist Cuba to move away from China and Russia.

• President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian deal yesterday for both sides to open the Strait of Hormuz and defer nuclear talks to a later date. He said his main goal is to end Iran’s nuclear program.
• The president will be briefed today on potential military action against Iran, according to Axios.
• President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce his forcefulness against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, Axios reported yesterday. He said, “He has got to do it more surgically. Not knock down buildings.”

India will receive its fourth Russian S-400 system in mid-May and a fifth in November, the Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday. India’s military used the advanced air defense system in combat with Pakistan last year, and its successes prompted additional procurements. As India and Russia enhance cooperation, the stage is being set for India to join a biblically prophesied pan-Asian military alliance.

The Palestinian Authority has continued its policy of paying stipends to convicted terrorists and their families, the U.S. State Department confirmed Wednesday. Citing Israeli statistics and admissions from Palestinian officials, it claimed that the PA had paid $156 million through 2025 in what are effectively incentives to commit terrorism. The PA claimed early last year to have ended the system to avoid U.S. sanctions; its continuation is another indication that the organization is not a partner for peace.

Nigel Farage’s house was firebombed in early 2025, he said yesterday. He said an ignited incendiary device was pushed through his letterbox and that he found the damage when he returned home. The device had burned itself out before causing a large fire. The growing political violence in the UK and U.S. fulfills prophecies in the Bible.

On Monday, United States President Donald Trump told aides in a meeting that he wants to continue blockading Iran to weaken its economy and force it to negotiate a deal. The next day, according to Axios, he met with executives from major oil and gas companies to discuss the ongoing spike in energy prices, which may continue for weeks to come. The potential for a quick end to the Iran war seems to be perpetually slipping over the horizon, which means the global effects will continue to intensify.

Iran has been selected as one of the 34 vice president nations of the United Nations Nonproliferation Treaty conference that commenced on Monday. This despite the fact that Iran has refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and thus violated this same treaty in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Christopher Yeaw, U.S. assistant secretary of state for arms control and nonproliferation, said it was “indisputable that Iran has long demonstrated its contempt for the non-proliferation commitments of the npt.” Decisions like this reveal the ineptitude, hypocrisy and corruption of the UN. At its very founding, the late Herbert W. Armstrong warned that the institution would fail to bring unity.

Ali al-Zaidi has been nominated as prime minister by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shiite bloc in Iraq’s legislature. The previous front-runner was former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who was widely seen as controlled by Iran and was opposed by the United States. Zaidi, a businessman whose bank is under U.S. sanctions for laundering money for Iran, is hardly a better choice. It appears that although Maliki lost, Iran still won.

Yesterday the British House of Commons rejected a motion 335 to 223 to investigate whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled the House about Peter Mandelson, his ambassador to the United States, who was exposed as having links to sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Notably, 15 members of Starmer’s own party voted for the investigation, indicating that although he remains in power, his grip is growing weaker. This scandal is a clear encapsulation of Britain’s national and political weakness connecting directly to its moral wretchedness, as prophesied in the Bible.