Ukrainian Drones Target St. Petersburg
The Associated Press wrote on June 6:
“Residents of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, were told not to leave their homes after a ‘large-scale’ Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city Saturday morning, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia, a day after the Russian president refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart…
“Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed attack on St. Petersburg is the latest embarrassing blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn´t affect Russian daily life. A Ukrainian drone strike set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base Wednesday, hours before the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin´s annual showcase for investment…
“With the front line barely moving as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range strikes… Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with 272 strike drones, and air defenses shot down 249 of them, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday…”
First, Russia’s drones hit Romania; now Ukraine’s drones hit St. Petersburg. This war is far from over.
China Meets North Korea
NPR wrote on June 6:
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea next week… in what will be his first visit in nearly seven years. His trip will be the latest in a series of steps by China to reinforce its close ties with its nuclear-armed neighbor. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reached out to Russia in recent years, notably by sending troops and conventional weapons to support its war against Ukraine.
“But in the past year, Kim has likewise been trying to improve ties with China, the North’s biggest trading partner and provider of aid… The announcement of the trip came a day after North Korea unveiled a new facility to produce the material for nuclear bombs. During a visit to the plant, Kim announced plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces ‘at an exponential rate.’ Experts say the plant’s disclosure implies that Kim was eager to cement his country’s status as a nuclear weapons state ahead of Xi’s visit.”
The kings of the East are forming…
US-Iranian and Israel-Lebanon Fighting Ongoing
Politico wrote on June 6:
“The U.S. said its forces intercepted several Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Kuwait and Bahrain, which were fired after the American military shot down drones and targeted Iranian radar sites, in another escalation that threatens a shaky ceasefire in the region… With talks between Iran and the U.S. stalling, navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply reduced, causing a lasting spike in oil prices. But even as hostilities continue between the two countries, Washington has granted visas to Iran’s World Cup football team, ahead of the first match in Los Angeles this month.
“In another sign of continued regional instability, Israel carried out strikes in southern Lebanon after the militant group Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.”
The fighting continues… see the next article.
Netanyahu Defies Trump—Fighting Continues
The Associated Press wrote on June 7:
“Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning on Sunday, days after a ceasefire agreement in Washington went into effect and despite a U.S. request not to attack Lebanon’s capital… Iran had warned that an attack on Beirut would renew full-scale war across the Mideast, even as Pakistan tries to restart talks between Tehran and Washington…
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it was in retaliation for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group firing at northern Israel earlier… “
Iran Warns the USA and Israel
The Sun wrote on June 8:
“IRAN has vowed that the Middle East will become ‘hell’ for Israel and the US if the allies ‘make another mistake’…
“[The] warning comes after Israel and Iran paused bombardments as Donald Trump blasted their ‘ignorance and stupidity’ and demanded both parties ‘immediately stop shooting.’”
Is Trump Calling the Shots?
n-tv wrote on June 8:
“On Sunday, US President Trump asked Israeli leader Netanyahu to refrain from a retaliatory strike against Iran. To no avail…
“Trump conveyed the message—not only to Axios but to other media outlets as well—that he had the Israeli Prime Minister under control…
“Trump’s problem is that he is not, in fact, calling all the shots in this war, which is highly unpopular in the US… Netanyahu has no interest in a quick end to the war; Israel fears that Trump will agree to a bad deal just to bring the conflict to a close.”
Focus wrote on June 8:
“The relationship between the US and Israel is fractured—that is the only way to describe it now. Trump has lost his hold on Netanyahu… Israel relies on US arms shipments and needs cooperation with American intelligence agencies. Yet Netanyahu seems confident that Trump will not pull these levers, as doing so would meet with resistance within the US.”
Israel Spying on the USA?
NBC News wrote on June 5:
“The Pentagon is increasingly concerned about Israel ramping up its spying on the U.S., recently raising the counterintelligence threat level from America’s top ally in the Middle East to the highest level… amid rising tensions between Israel and the U.S. over the way forward in the war with Iran. A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a statement that it is ‘completely false’ that Israel spies on the U.S… A White House official said in a statement, ‘This entire story is false…’
“While it is commonplace for allies and adversaries across the globe to spy on each other, the current and former U.S. officials said Israel’s recent efforts have gone well beyond what is typical and expected espionage…
“In the 1980s, spying by Israel caused a rift with Washington, with U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard spending 30 years in prison after he was found to have sold suitcases of top-secret documents to Israel.
“The U.S. also spies on its allies and seeks to gather intelligence on foreign partners, as evidenced in 2013 by leaks from intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. Those leaks showed that the U.S. was eavesdropping on European leaders, including then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone, sparking outrage in Berlin.”
The more they deny it, the more it appears true.
Pushing Trump to His Limits?
ABC News wrote on June 8:
“After dominating American politics for the past 18 months, the US president now confronts his moment of truth: he is in deepening trouble and he doesn’t seem to know how to get himself out of it. Trump is a man who likes to be in complete control — and at the moment he is not. The Iran war is the president’s worst political problem, and it just won’t go away. Neither Israel nor Iran is doing what he wants…. he can see that this war and his support for Israel is becoming an increasing liability…
“60 per cent of US adults now have an unfavourable view of Israel — up from 53 per cent last year… 59 per cent have little or no confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do “the right thing” regarding world affairs… 41 per cent said they sympathised more with Palestinians compared to 36 per cent with Israelis. In a country with a long history of supporting Israel and a hitherto powerful Israeli lobby, this is a dramatic change…
“Clearly, the White House is angry with Netanyahu. There have been several phone calls between them over the last day, after fighting between Israel and Iran resumed despite a ceasefire… Trump told Netanyahu: ‘You might find yourself alone against Iran very soon.’…
“There was also an earlier phone call between Vice-President JD Vance and Netanyahu. It was reported as Vance telling the Israeli prime minister that he had been wrong in his pre-war assessments about how quickly the Iranian regime would fall under the weight of combined US and Israeli attacks. Israeli media reported that the Iran conflict was not the only source of anger — Vance had shouted at Netanyahu about the surge in violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank….
“In the Situation Room on February 11, Mr Netanyahu made a hard sell, suggesting that Iran was ripe for regime change and expressing the belief that a joint US-Israeli mission could finally bring an end to the Islamic Republic. Mr Netanyahu and his team outlined conditions they portrayed as pointing to a near-certain victory: Iran’s ballistic missile program could be destroyed in a few weeks. The regime would be so weakened that it could not choke off the Strait of Hormuz, and the likelihood that Iran would land blows against US interests in neighbouring countries was assessed as minimal.
“That assessment, of course, was completely wrong. The regime of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remained in power and, if anything, has become more hardline. And the Strait of Hormuz has indeed been choked off — not just by Iran but also by the US, which has imposed a blockade in a bid to stop Iranian ships passing. In coming weeks, the world’s energy market is set to be severely hit as supplies in many parts of the world dry up. There are predictions that petrol prices in the US will skyrocket….
“What is clear is that Trump wants Israel’s bombing of Lebanon to stop — immediately. What is also clear is that Netanyahu wants the bombing to continue…. Netanyahu is outsmarting Trump in the sense that he’s pushing Trump to the limit, straining the relationship with a volatile president but stopping just short of breaking that relationship…. But just as Israel is outmanoeuvring Trump, so, it seems, is Iran.
“Iran clearly sees the political pain it’s inflicting on Trump. Petrol prices are high, and Americans are increasingly jaded by this very unpopular war. So despite heavy bombing in the first weeks of the war, the US and Israel have not been able to destroy either military leadership or missiles — they are simply too far spread out and their locations are often difficult to assess. And even Iran appears surprised at the power it now has with control over the Strait of Hormuz. That power is set to grow in coming weeks when supplies in many countries begin to run dry while few if any tankers leave the Middle East.”
The War Continues
Bild Online wrote on June 10:
“The US is retaliating and attacking Iran! According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for the Gulf region, these are ‘self-defense’ strikes following the downing of a US Apache helicopter… Earlier that day, Trump had stated that while the pilots were unharmed when the helicopter was shot down, the United States was ‘compelled to respond to this attack’…. According to media reports, Iran responded with counter-attacks…. This makes an end to the war seem like a distant prospect once again.
“The strained relationship between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu can no longer be concealed. During a cabinet meeting yesterday, Monday, Netanyahu said… ‘We might find ourselves in a situation where we have to face the Iranians alone, without support from the US…’ Chief of General Staff Zamir warned against the emerging agreement: ‘As we see it right now—almost any agreement is a bad agreement.'”
News18 wrote on June 10:
“Trump is close to ordering new attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate.”
The Associated Press added on June 10:
“Trump’s warnings at the White House and on social media came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — all of which host U.S. troops — came under Iranian fire… Trump’s comments underlined the American leader’s whipsaw approach to the war. He suggested on Monday that a deal to end the conflict could be reached in a matter of days…
“… both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.”
House Defies Trump
ABC News wrote on June 4:
“The House passed a measure to provide almost $2 billion in aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions against Russia Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate behind a 226-to-195 tally — despite GOP leadership in full opposition to the measure.
“Eighteen Republicans voted in favor of the bill — creating a bipartisan majority — although Democrats carried most of the water on the vote… The measure faces a challenging path in the Senate, where the support of 60 senators is required before it could be presented to Trump for his approval or, more likely — his veto.”
Still, the fact that 18 Republicans have challenged Trump should not be ignored.
Trump’s Tantrum
The Huffington Post wrote on June 7:
“President Donald Trump dipped into his arsenal of insults as he grew increasingly frustrated with ‘Meet the Press’ host Kristen Welker doing her job as a journalist before he eventually stormed out of an interview that aired Sunday… Trump went on to accuse California election officials of being ‘crooked’ before attacking Welker, adding, ‘Just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And “Meet the Press” is crooked.’ ‘You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,’ Trump told Welker.
“He continued his tantrum about the ‘crooked’ media, a rambling set to the tune of rain hitting the metal roof of a farm building in Wisconsin, the site of the interview. ‘You’re a one-sided crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,’ he said as he tossed his microphone to the ground and made a dismissive hand gesture toward Welker…
“He then signaled for his team to leave, got up from his seat and proceeded to walk off camera. After the interview aired, Welker said she spoke with the president Saturday and the two acknowledged the ‘complications’ posed by the rain during the interview. Trump has agreed to sit down for another interview, per Welker…”
California Governor Newsom, no stranger to controversy himself, stated through his press office: “The most severe case of California Derangement Syndrome we’ve ever seen.” The fact is, in light of Trump’s irate behavior, voices questioning his mental cognitive faculties are getting louder, especially in light of the unproven claim that he might be suffering from Alzheimer’s.
WHY Did Trump Build a Strong Military?
The New York Times wrote on June 6:
“President Trump, who campaigned on a central promise to keep the United States out of overseas wars, denied in an interview aired on Sunday that he’d ever made the pledge. ‘I didn’t guarantee no war,’ Mr. Trump said in a lengthy interview with Kristen Welker, the host of NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ … ‘Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?’…
“He did promise. As a candidate in 2024, Mr. Trump repeatedly pledged not to involve the United States in war, including on the night he won the election. ‘They said, “He will start a war,”’ Mr. Trump said during his victory speech. ‘I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.’”
Apart from the fact that he clearly promised that he would not start a new war, he inadvertently admitted that building a strong army was NOT for the purpose of deterrence, but for the purpose of starting new wars… which he has already done. When is America waking up?
Hegseth Threatens Europe
Newsmax wrote on June 6:
“U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that Europe faced what he called an invasion of dangerous ideologies arriving by sea, linking immigration to the legacy of the D-Day landings in remarks in Normandy. His remarks echo criticisms often made by the administration of President Donald Trump about Europe… ‘Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria — boats and men arrive,’ Hegseth said… ‘When will European capitals do something about that invasion or is it too late?’…
“U.S. officials, including Trump — and Vice President JD Vance as recently as Friday — have often criticized European countries for failing to control immigration. A U.S. National Security Strategy document issued last year warned Europe faced ‘civilizational erasure’ and must course-correct if it is to remain a reliable U.S. ally. That document — and other comments by senior Trump officials — have upended postwar assumptions about Europe’s close relationship with its strongest ally, and concentrated minds across European capitals on the urgent need to diversify away from reliance on U.S. technology and defense.”
The Huffington Post wrote on June 8:
“On ABC’s ‘This Week’ Sunday, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) characterized the remarks as ‘inappropriate’ and ‘out of place’ at an event meant to honor veterans of the operation, in which 2,500 Americans died…
“English historian Simon Schama was more direct in his denouncement… He described Hegseth’s comments as a ‘special kind of loathsomeness: a blend of historical deafness, grotesque stupidity and comically ludicrous self-importance. As if the little people’s rage against immigration somehow is superior to the war against the 3rd Reich and entitles this comic book nobody to lecture the actual heroes,’ Schama said.
“Even before the remarks, some residents of Colleville-sur-Mer, France, wanted Hegseth to know he was not welcome. The local association, Langrune en commun, called for his appearance to be canceled and knocked him for his ‘warlike statements,’ ‘anti-European remarks’ and ‘American supremacist pronouncements’…”
The positions between Europe and America are currently diametrically opposite, contributing to the growing alienation between these two power blocs.
DOD Officially Drops 180 Faiths From Military’s Recognized Religion List
Military.com wrote on June 4:
“… the Department of Defense, for the first time in almost 10 years, has dramatically reduced its number of recognized religious faiths and belief systems by approximately 180…, decreasing the total number of faiths from 211 to its new number of 31… The revised list… includes Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Islam (Muslims), Judaism, Sikh, and a wide range of Christian-based groups like Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists.”
The list of Christian groups include Assemblies of God (AG); Baptist (BA); Brethren (BR); Catholic (CA); Church of Christ (CC); Church of God (CG); Church of the Nazarene (CN); Episcopal/Anglican (EA); Evangelical (EV); Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW); Lutheran (LU); Methodist (ME); Non-Denominational (ND); Orthodox (OX); Other (CO); Pentecostal (PE); Presbyterian (PR); Quaker (QU); Reformed (RE); Scientist (SC); and Seventh Day Adventist (SA).
The Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJ)) were originally listed without being identified as Christian, but after a strong rebuke by the church, they were designated as Christian.
Freedom of Speech Undesirable in Germany
Nius wrote on June 4:
“We live in a state where one is no longer allowed to call the Chancellor ‘Lügenfritz’ [Lying Fritz], even though he has lied to, deceived, and swindled citizens and voters out of their money countless times. Yet, one is prosecuted and convicted for using the word ‘Lügenfritz’—as just happened to a man in Heilbronn. Prosecutors accused the man of undermining trust in ‘the integrity of the victim’ by using the term ‘Lügenfritz,’ arguing that it was ‘capable of stoking further negative reservations or aggression among like-minded people’….
“Stoking reservations against the country’s most powerful liars is now a punishable offense. With the relevant Section 188 of the Criminal Code, those in power have created their own version of the crime of ‘lèse-majesté’ [insulting the sovereign]… The era of freedom of speech in Germany is over…”
Bringing the Dead Back to Life?
The Jerusalem Post wrote on June 5:
“US President Donald Trump claimed that an unnamed new drug could bring people back from the dead during a press event for maternal healthcare last month. ‘We’ve taken people that were dead. We had a person given the last rites – gone, the kids are crying, and everything – and started them on this drug. And the person became better. It works,’ Trump insisted.”
MSN elaborated on May 31:
“Medical professionals have been quick to respond, pointing out that while the claim has gone viral, it lacks verifiable evidence… Experts emphasise that recoveries in such cases are typically from clinical death, a temporary state where heart and breathing stop but revival is possible with prompt intervention, not from true biological death where brain function ceases irreversibly… Current resuscitation science offers no drug that can literally bring the dead back to life…
“Research into near-death experiences has shown brain activity can persist or even surge up to an hour after the heart stops in some cases… However, once biological death is confirmed, no treatment currently available can reverse it.”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.