In Other News

The share of American men in the workforce has fallen to its lowest level in nearly two decades, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In April, only about 67 percent of men ages 16 and older were either working or actively looking for work. Excluding the unusual period right after the covid lockdowns, this is the lowest rate since 2010. The drop comes from more men retiring as they get older, more young men staying in school longer, and job losses in male-heavy industries like manufacturing, transportation and mining. Many of these men are receiving financial support from their parents, their wife or girlfriend, or disability payments, food stamps and other government welfare programs.

• Whiplash—war or peace? After it appeared a peace agreement was all but assured on Friday, fighting resumed over the weekend. The United States struck Iranian targets near the city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and Sunday, claiming this was in retaliation for Iran downing an American drone. Iran retaliated by attacking a U.S. Air Force base in Kuwait. All this as both the U.S. and Iran have claimed their blockades of Hormuz are over.
• Iranian president resigns? Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has offered his resignation to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran International claimed yesterday. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Iran International claimed Pezeshkian is frustrated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership has sidelined him from the country’s decision-making. If the report is accurate, it should be confirmed soon.

Japan announced on Friday that it will send four military personnel to the United States Army base in Weisbaden, Germany, to join the nato Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command, the first time Japan has joined a nato mission related to the Ukraine war. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi stated this marks a “further deepening of cooperation between Japan and nato.” America’s post-World War ii effort to prevent Japan from militarizing is dead. Bible prophecy warns that Japan’s rearmament is dangerous.

Andris Kulbergs formed a center-right coalition that was voted for by 66 of Latvia’s 100 parliamentary seats on Thursday, making him prime minister. He replaced Evika Silina, who resigned on May 14 after the incursion of two Ukrainian drones—to which she responded inadequately. In a speech just before the vote, Kulbergs vowed to “guarantee Latvia’s security.” Europe’s leaders are becoming increasingly militaristic; those who don’t meet the challenge, lose their jobs. The Russian threat is becoming more real to Europeans, and security and defense are becoming decisive political issues.

Lithuania’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that it has completed a $1.25 million antitank weaponry firing range on the Rudninkai military training base grounds for use by Lithuanian forces as well as a German Army brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers to be stationed there. This marks another step toward Europe replacing American military guarantees with German forces.

Jeffrey Epstein victim Jess Michaels accused the British royal family of covering up the former Prince Andrew’s connections to the sex offender, the Telegraph reported yesterday. “Six years ago, the palace knew Andrew wasn’t just a problem; he could face a criminal investigation,” she stated, “and they sat on it.” Court documents the Telegraph reviewed suggest that in 2020, Lord Chamberlain Earl Peel, Buckingham Palace’s most senior official at the time, received documents relating to Andrew’s conduct and apparently kept quiet. Such accusations increase the possibility that the Andrew scandal could finally end the British royal family.

A preprint study published last week led by Pennsylvania State University researchers found that 1 in 4 requests for medical advice they analyzed received a wrong answer. Researchers asked four AI models about various medical scenarios. Chatgpt-4o performed best, reaching 85 percent accuracy. Even the best AI models make mistakes, and those could prove dangerously harmful. On the other hand, it’s hard to know how the average local doctor would have performed in the same study. Many users are desperate for improvements in their health. God promises in the Bible to be our physician and to guide us in all things.

• A memorandum of understanding has been negotiated between Iran and the U.S., the White House confirmed yesterday. The memorandum would reportedly extend the ceasefire by two months, open the Strait of Hormuz, give Iran extended sanctions relief, conclude fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and formally start negotiations over its nuclear program and a peace treaty. It still needs the approval of President Donald Trump and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
• Israel struck Beirut in Lebanon yesterday for the first time in almost a month. Israel Defense Forces may be trying to maximize damage to the terrorist group Hezbollah before being pressured to stop by the United States due to its negotiations with Iran.

A Russian drone launched during attacks on Ukraine struck an apartment building in Galati, Romania, injuring two people. Romania, a nato member nation, scrambled two F-16s and a helicopter in response and issued emergency alerts to residents in nearby areas. A nato statement denounced the damage as “Russia’s recklessness” but gave no indication that the incident would invoke Article 5, nato’s collective defense clause. Nonetheless, Russian aggression is terrifying the nations of Europe, and they are building a superpower in response.

Russia formed a new military pact with Afghanistan, the Kremlin and the Taliban announced Wednesday. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu called on Western nations to reduce sanctions on Afghanistan and to “fully acknowledge their full responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan.” In 2025, Russia became the first and, so far, only country to recognize the Taliban regime as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. The relationship could involve the Taliban sending Russia abandoned American military equipment. This is another demonstration that Russia and China “are the main victors of America’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.”

Later this year, the joint German-Dutch nato command center, 1gnc, will move from Münster, Germany, to the Baltic region, the German government announced yesterday. The command includes up to 50,000 troops and is designed to deter Russia. German news outlet Spiegel reported yesterday that the German Navy likely sent a reconnaissance ship to the Baltic Sea to monitor Russian actions in the region. Both of these developments highlight Europe’s growing fear of Russia, which is pushing it to arm.

Germany’s Der Spiegel reported yesterday that there are rumors current Chancellor Friedrich Merz could be replaced by Hendrik Wüst, state premier of Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. Although it’s unlikely anything will come of the rumors, it shows the weakness of Merz’s grasp on power. Germany, and Europe as a whole, faces a leadership crisis that will usher the Continent into rule under a strong German leader.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating E. Jean Carroll’s civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump, two sources told nbc News. Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store in the mid-1990s. In 2023, a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded her $5 million. A 2024 jury added $83.3 million in a separate defamation case. Trump denies all allegations and is appealing both verdicts. The probe focuses on possible perjury regarding Carroll’s legal costs, which were partially funded by a nonprofit backed by billionaire Democratic Party donor Reid Hoffman. Trump’s critics are accusing him of unlawfully using government resources to punish his enemies.

• Iran attacked four ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz late last night, and the United States retaliated by striking an Iranian ground control station near the city of Bandar Abbas and reportedly downed four Iranian drones. Iran claimed it attacked a U.S. base in retaliation.
• The draft peace treaty with the U.S. includes a provision that Iran will manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along with Oman, the other country bordering the strait, Iranian state media claimed yesterday. The U.S. dismissed the claim as a “complete fabrication.”
• The U.S. is resuming escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 26. U.S. military officials told the Journal this started with a Greek ship stuck in the Persian Gulf that was supposed to be en route to India. The U.S. government disputes the claim that escorts have resumed.

Poland and the United Kingdom signed a defense deal yesterday. The so-called Northolt Treaty restated the nations’ commitment to “assist one another” should one be attacked, and it increased military exercises, weapons manufacturing and procurement, countermeasures to hybrid Russian threats and immigration cooperation. But the Bible warns that Europe is working to not only undermine but also conquer the UK.

Europe will reserve most of its mobile satellite frequencies for local companies, the European Commission said yesterday. This is part of an ongoing effort by the European Union to reduce American companies’ access to Europe and rapidly develop European high-tech independence and threat capabilities.

Canadian Energy Minister Tim Hodgson announced yesterday that Canada will send 1.1 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year from British Columbia to Germany beginning in the early 2030s. The deal, which Hodgson hailed as an “exciting and important milestone,” is part of an effort by both countries to cut dependence on the United States and represents the emerging anti-American agenda.

On Tuesday, executives from Apple and Google warned against Canada’s Bill C-22, which they say could force tech companies to redesign products with secret surveillance capabilities. The bill would require technology platforms to store user data for up to one year and potentially create methods for intercepting encrypted private communications. If the bill becomes law, it will mark a further erosion of privacy and a further expansion of governmental power in Canada, which are curses for disobedience to God.

• Iran threatened retaliation against the United States on Tuesday, claiming that Monday’s strikes against its assets were a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire and saying it will “leave no act of hostility unanswered.”
• Iran could send its enriched uranium to China in a deal to formally end the war, media reports are claiming. China’s Foreign Ministry stated in a Tuesday press conference that China is “willing to continue to play a constructive role in the political and diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.”
• Europe may not be able to meet its energy demands through the summer. European Union nations’ natural gas storage levels are currently at just over a third of full capacity, significantly lower than the usual 50 percent for this time of year. Executives at Equinor, a major Norwegian energy corporation, claimed Europe may be unable to sustain its natural gas needs if the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues for one to three more months.

Russia used its nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile for the third time ever to attack Kyiv on Sunday in a strike that involved about 90 missiles and 600 drones and killed at least four and wounded at least 83. The residence of Albania’s ambassador to Ukraine was also struck. This latest attack is further proof of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ruthlessness, which is shocking Europe into action.

Last Wednesday, Lithuania’s president and prime minister rushed to bunkers following a drone incursion. In recent weeks, Lithuania’s Baltic Sea neighbors, Estonia and Latvia, have also become targets, as has Finland, which advised citizens to go indoors, move to a room with solid walls, and await further government instructions. Russia has allegedly been transmitting false navigation signals to Ukrainian drones to redirect them into nato airspace. “This is a deliberate strategy from Russia trying to destabilize our democratic societies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday at a joint press conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, standing alongside Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian heads of state. “When Baltic states are being tested, Europe as a whole is being tested.” Despite setbacks on the battlefield, Russia is advancing its technological capabilities and further frightening Europe.

German Economics Minister Katherina Reiche is visiting Beijing from Tuesday to Friday to strengthen Germany’s business ties with China. This news comes despite a call from France, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Spain to resist Chinese manipulation. Germany continues to push for closer ties with China despite opposition within Europe because they share a common enemy: the United States. The Bible prophesies that Germany and China will align their trade policies for a short period to economically besiege the U.S.

The Democratic Rally kept its first-place spot, with 27 percent of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election in Cyprus, a notable benchmark for the 2028 presidential election. The far-right National People’s Front took a record 11 percent of the vote, and two other new parties entered parliament, reflecting the nation’s increasing political fracturing. Democratic Rally is part of the conservative European People’s Party, which is led by German Member of European Parliament Manfred Weber and includes Germany’s powerful Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union. This is more evidence that Cyprus is a vassal state of Germany.

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Africa’s Sahel region, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, announced on Monday that it had attacked and captured two barracks belonging to the military of Benin. The attacks, reportedly near Benin’s border with Burkina Faso, likely show the group’s intentions to expand its operations to more countries. To learn how these hostilities could fit into Bible prophecy, read “Is the Sahel About to Fall?”

Yesterday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true maga warrior” and characterizing Cornyn as a fair-weather supporter. Paxton will face Democrat nominee James Talarico in the November 3 general elections. Cornyn joins Rep. Thomas Massie on the list of incumbents felled by Trump-backed challengers. However, analysts say Paxton is a much weaker candidate than Cornyn for the general election and will require significantly more spending by the Republican Party to avoid the Senate seat flipping to the Democratic Party.

Turkish riot police invaded the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party to subdue supporters of Özgür Özel. Özel led the party until last Thursday when a Turkish court ruled that his election had irregularities, and he was, therefore, illegitimate. Such a direct intervention by the courts, which are heavily influenced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is unprecedented, but this is the natural extension of Erdoğan’s heavy-handed regime.