In Other News

For the first time, a candidate for the Alternative für Deutschland has won a mayoral election in the east German state of Brandenburg. René Stadtkewitz took 58.4 percent of the vote in Zehdenick, a town of roughly 13,000 people just north of Berlin, on Sunday, far above the runner-up’s 28.6 percent. This win is just another sign of the far-right AfD’s popularity, a symptom of the nation’s desire for strong leadership—which it will soon have.

• Iran seized a Chinese-operated vessel, the Ocean Koi, Friday. China is the largest market for Iranian oil and a key military partner. Iran poking at China this way suggests that it is pushing for more support against the U.S.
• Israel has been operating a military base in Iraq to strike Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported May 9. Located in Iraq’s barren western desert, Israel apparently set up the base without the Iraqi government’s knowledge. Iraq and Israel do not have diplomatic relations.
• Iran’s offer “totally unacceptable”: United States President Donald Trump told Axios yesterday that the most recent Iranian counteroffer to end the war is “inappropriate” and more “tapping along.”

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told the Politico Brussels Playbook that the EU must get its own military. “This is the moment of the sovereignty and independence of Europe. The Americans are inviting us to that,” he said, referring to U.S. pressure on Europe during the Iran war. “We have to be free of dependence. Free of dependence means to be free of coercion, whether it comes to tariffs or the use of military threat. And free of the consequences of someone else’s decisions.” Albares has made similar calls before, but his calls are becoming more urgent after Spain denied U.S. military planes access to its air bases for the war and the U.S. threatened to exclude Spain from nato. We are witnessing the death of nato and the emergence of a European superpower.

Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister on Saturday, ending 16 years of rule by his predecessor, Viktor Orbán. Claiming extensive corruption, he has demanded the resignations of Orbán’s appointees, including President Tamás Sulyok. Magyar has been in office for only a few days and is already showing a strongman streak. He could be one of 10 strongmen the Trumpet expects to dominate Europe.

German drone and AI start-up Helsing is in advanced stages to raise $1.2 billion in its latest funding round, which would value the company at $18 billion, the Financial Times reported Saturday. This would significantly increase the $14 billion valuation ascribed to it less than a year ago. Even more, according to the Financial Times, this fundraising round was “oversubscribed multiple times.” This shows that Germany’s defense start-up scene is attracting investor attention, which will contribute to Germany’s efforts to arm for war.

German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil visited Canada Friday and Saturday to deepen cooperation in raw materials, defense and artificial intelligence. Klingbeil said, “We’re looking to boost the intensity of our cooperation,” and he called Canada “an ideal partner” to cut Europe’s dependencies on world superpowers like the United States. It could also serve as the ideal partner in a trade war against the U.S. Based on anonymous sources, Bloomberg wrote on May 4 that Germany is considering weaponizing K+S, a German company in Saskatchewan. K+S owns a major potash factory, a key ingredient for fertilizers that the U.S. requires for its agriculture. To utilize the company as a geopolitical weapon against the U.S., Germany needs the cooperation of the Canadian government. Canada may believe that allying with Germany will bring safety; however, Bible prophecy reveals that Germany is building a giant trade bloc against the United States and that Canada will also fall victim to Germany’s imperialistic plans.

• What is a “ceasefire,” exactly? Yesterday, three U.S. naval vessels reported Iranian fire. The U.S. responded with what President Donald Trump called a “love tap” against three Iranian ports. Iran responded by bombarding the United Arab Emirates, an American ally. Despite all this, Trump claims the ceasefire is still “in effect” and hopes a deal can be negotiated.
• Iran can outlast the blockade for months. That is what a cia analysis reported yesterday by the Washington Post claims. One official speaking with the Post claimed Iran’s “leadership has gotten more radical, determined and increasingly confident they can outlast U.S. political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance.”

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that seven German intelligence officials said Germany and its neighbors fear becoming targets of bombings or other “hybrid” attacks carried out by Iranian proxy agents. Germany has allowed the U.S. to use American military bases on its soil for the war against Iran and has supported Israel with weapons exports, making Germany a particular target for Iranian retaliation. Jewish and American institutions in Germany are at particularly high risk. Four senior officials told the Times that intelligence agents and lawmakers have urged political leaders to express greater alarm. Germany is currently preparing a naval mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which could make it an even bigger target for terrorism and possibly lead directly to a prophesied clash.

German manufacturing orders jumped 5 percent in March, the German government announced yesterday. This far exceeded the expected 1 percent growth theorized by a consensus of economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal. As German manufacturing grows, it is important to understand the historic and prophetic implications of this trend.

The Anti-Defamation League announced on Wednesday that physical assaults against Jews in the U.S. in 2025 reached a high not seen in nearly half a century. Although anti-Semitic incidents declined by 33 percent to 6,274 cases in 2025, the year saw a record-high of 203 anti-Jewish assaults, surpassing the previous year’s 196 incidents. Thirty-two of those assaults involved deadly weapons, resulting in three deaths. To understand the root cause of hatred for the Jews, read “The One Minority Society Loves to Hate.”

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo xiv at the Vatican. The meeting was meant to ease tensions over the Iran war. The pope gave Rubio an olive branch in a wooden case, calling it “the plant of peace.” In return, Rubio handed the pope a small crystal football. The American-born pope looked at the gift and simply said, “Wow, OK.” Rubio joked, “What do you get someone who has everything?” Yet underneath the levity, deep diplomatic strains still exist between America and the Vatican. Pope Leo has openly opposed President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and Middle East foreign policy. Bible prophecy says a violent clash is soon coming between America and a Vatican-led Holy Roman Empire.

At the end of April, U.S. public debt reached $31.27 trillion, surpassing the nation’s annual gross domestic product, $31.22 trillion, for the first time since World War ii. Total gross debt (including money borrowed from Social Security and other government funds) is even higher—about $39 trillion. Gross debt first surpassed gdp in 2012–2013. Experts worry that high debt means higher interest costs, higher prices for families, and less money for defense or other programs. When debt grows faster than gdp for a long time, nations go bankrupt if their leaders don’t fix the problem.

• The chance for a deal remains intact; some reports say the United States and Iran are closer to ending the war than at any time since hostilities began on February 28.
• U.S. forces suffered more damage than previously reported, the Washington Post claimed yesterday after analyzing available satellite images. It counts at least 228 structures damaged and over 400 personnel injured. These numbers exceed what the U.S. government has indicated.
• French carrier nears Hormuz: France’s Charles De Gaulle nuclear aircraft carrier and its strike group have transited the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea for a potential Strait of Hormuz mission, President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday. A German mine-hunter vessel is en route to join nato Mine Countermeasures Group 2 in the Mediterranean Sea for a similar purpose. Both countries have stressed that they will not intervene until the war officially ends.

The European Parliament reached a tentative agreement today that caves into Germany’s agenda for artificial intelligence despite protests from 10 other EU nations. Over the years, the European Union has instituted extensive regulations on information technology in the name of user privacy, yet this exemption for German industrial AI development shows not only that these regulations are a geopolitical tool for Europe to use (largely against the United States) but that they are subject to Europe’s increasingly dominant nation: Germany. Bible prophecy indicates that advanced technologies like AI will be weaponized.

Sudan recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia on Tuesday, claiming that four drone strikes on its borders, including an attack on the Khartoum airport, originated in Ethiopia. In the past, Ethiopia has allowed the Rapid Support Forces (rsf), a Sudanese rebel group, to train and launch attacks from within its borders. This comes only a few months after Sudan recalled its ambassador to Kenya after Kenya allowed rsf rebels to host meetings to establish a rival Sudanese government. Not only have events like these stoked fears that Sudan’s civil war and Ethiopia’s tensions could spread across international borders, but they are part of a wider trend that could jeopardize the relative stability of the entire Red Sea region and contribute to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

At least 23 passengers from the hantavirus-infected MV Hondius left the cruise ship in late April and returned home to Australia, England, the Netherlands, Taiwan and the United States without knowing they might have been exposed to hantavirus, which can kill 40 percent of those infected. Three people have died so far, one remains critically ill in intensive care in South Africa, and others have milder symptoms. Health officials are trying to contact everyone who disembarked the ship. Jesus Christ prophesied in Matthew 24 that plagues would be among the dire signs that precede His Second Coming.

Former President Barack Obama has increased his frequency of public statements over the past several months, claiming that Trump divided the country after the killing of Charlie Kirk, characterizing comments on autism as “violence against the truth,” and saying that Republicans would rather shut down the government than give people health care. Many Democrats welcome his rhetoric as the party lacks a clear leader two years into Trump’s second term. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry identified Obama as the power that fundamentally transformed the United States during his presidency and usurped the presidency itself through Joe Biden. He also wrote in the September 2024 Trumpet issue that God “is beginning to silence this man! Barack Obama’s power is diminishing before our eyes.” Obama’s reemergence only highlights the fact that he no longer wields the same influence over the “deep state” and American culture and politics.

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.

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.

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.