Erdogan gifted NATO leaders vintage magnum revolvers and live rounds.

▪️Starmer couldn't take it because guns are illegal in UK
▪️Belgian PM didn't realize it was a gun until his plane landed
▪️Von der Leyen plans to donate hers to a museum

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Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac | Palestinian Theologian & Activist | Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church:
 

Christian Zionism is far from the ethics of Jesus like love, justice & care for the oppressed.
 
Even if you believe God has a special plan for Jews, that can't be at the expense of justice, human rights, or the teachings of Jesus.
 
"Love your neighbor as yourself" is as central as "love God with all your heart." Jesus was not about political entitlement for any group.
 
The idea of "chosen people" must be examined. The best expression of belief is not what you demand but how you treat others.
 
Christian Zionism is obsessed with entitlement & what we gain.
It is so far away from the ethics & teachings of Jesus.

FULL INTERVIEW

Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac | Palestinian Theologian & Activist | Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church:
 

It is sad that we find ourselves pleading with Christian leaders for the humanity of Palestinians - just to see us as human beings.
 
Many Christians have adopted a theology that has led them to dehumanize Palestinians. We call them to repentance.
 
For those who thought (supporting Israel) was the only way, it is not. There is compassion, truth, defending the poor & the oppressed.
 
We invite you to come, walk in our shoes, understand our plight. See the daily impact of your beliefs on our lives as Palestinians.
 
Our institute in Bethlehem aims to reach the global church with the reality of Palestine through the lens of the teachings of Jesus.
 
Christian Zionism has contributed to violence & war. We are called to be peacemakers. The global church can be part of the solution.

FULL INTERVIEW

VW Weighs Over 100,000 Job Cuts

Volkswagen leadership is considering proposals to eliminate more than 100,000 positions worldwide and close four German plants, prompting massive labor-union resistance and nationwide factory protests.

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Rahm Emanuel on Israel:

Support for Israel is plummeting around the world.

You've lost Europe, your biggest economic partner and market.

Your scientists face exclusion from international conferences and research networks. Your artists and academics are shut out of exhibits and meetings.

In 2022, 55% of Americans held a favorable view of Israel. Today, it is 37%, and it is dropping. And among the youth of both America and Europe, it's even lower.

The only diplomatic gain you've made in the last three years is Somaliland.

You lost America, you lost Europe, and you picked up Somaliland. Such a deal.

Rahm Emanuel on Israel:

We should end, at long last, American taxpayer subsidy of Israel's defense budget.

Israel should be able to buy American arms under the same financial terms, the same restrictions, and the same requirements as every other trusted ally that abides by America's laws.

Rahm Emanuel on Israel:

For too long, American policy towards Israel operated under the assumption that the best thing Washington can do for Jerusalem is to blindly, to silently stand behind your government without conditions, without demands, without consequences, even when we disagreed.

That has been our mistake, and it's been no favor to you.

Unconditional support has produced a Prime Minister who has presumed that his strategic interests would incur no political costs if he ignored America's concerns about settlements and sparked a regional war.

Unconditional support has allowed you to deny food and medical relief to innocent Palestinians in Gaza, leaving the world to conclude that Israelis not only want to kill Palestinians, but they are completely indifferent to their death, to their destruction, and completely indifferent to their suffering.

Unconditional support has girded a political coalition in the Knesset that learned it can burn Palestinian farmland in the West Bank, terrorize Palestinian families without consequence.

Given all of this, we need fundamentally a new and different approach to this alliance.

Russia's Saratov oil refinery has stopped processing crude after a Ukrainian drone attack damaged its only primary refining unit.

The refinery, which accounts for about 2.2% of Russia's refining capacity, has not offered fuel on the St. Petersburg exchange since Wednesday.

Source: Reuters

Mohammad al-Waheidi, a senior aid worker with Egypt's main relief organisation in Gaza who organized popular World Cup screenings for displaced Palestinians, was killed in an Israeli air strike that also killed three others, including two children.

Israel said it targeted a "Hamas militant."

Canadian PM Mark Carney:

We're looking to double our non-U.S. exports. We're on track for that.

We're growing jobs at twice the rate of the United States.

Canadian PM Mark Carney on Saudi Arabia:

I just close and say a word of appreciation—or admiration, maybe—for the vibrant society that is being created in Saudi Arabia, the transformation that's underway.

I say that as someone who first came to the Kingdom in 1994, so I've seen some of the tangible shifts that have happened.

But I've also seen—and the world is seeing—this pillar of a vibrant society, where the Kingdom is becoming a nexus of global commerce, culture, and creativity.

Netanyahu:

The war is not yet over. Alongside the old challenges, new challenges are emerging. Old axes are collapsing, and new ones are forming.

We are paying close attention to these developments. We are prepared for every scenario, and we know one thing: we must always be stronger than our enemies.

Preserving Israel's air superiority is a cornerstone of our national security doctrine.

Netanyahu:

I have decided to add another 350 billion shekels to the defense budget over the coming decade. A large portion of that will go to the Air Force.

As part of this effort, we will also build a broad, Israeli-made munitions industry—our own weapons, which will reduce our dependence on procurement from abroad.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invited officials from more than 60 countries to a meeting on what the Trump administration calls a resurgence of transnational far-left terrorism, with a focus on antifa.

The initiative has drawn skepticism from U.S. officials, European allies, and terrorism experts, who argue antifa is a decentralized movement rather than a foreign terrorist organization and does not represent a major international threat.

Source: WaPo

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed the most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2025.

Girls: Olivia remained the top name for the 10th consecutive year, followed by Lily and Amelia.

Boys: Muhammad was the most popular name for the third year running, ahead of Noah and Leo.

Top 10 Girls: Olivia, Lily, Amelia, Isla, Florence, Freya, Poppy, Elsie, Ivy, Isabella.

Top 10 Boys: Muhammad, Noah, Leo, Luca, Arthur, Oliver, George, Oscar, Theodore, Freddie.

Hungarian PM Péter Magyar shared a photo of the gift he received from Turkish President Erdogan.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Iran:

NATO, Article 5, says: if you are attacked, then we will all defend each other together.

The article does not say that if you yourself decide unilaterally to attack another country, all the other partners have to participate in that.

That is not the spirit of NATO. If that is expected, then that is actually not justified.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Iran:

The situation with Iran is extremely unpredictable. You go from hopeful statements to actions that are much less hopeful.

It's almost impossible to follow. Our interest is for this conflict to stop, because it seems to be going nowhere.

And for the global economy, it is a very, very heavy burden.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Iran:

I think it is justified to try to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Of course, whether the operation was well planned and well executed—that's another matter.

It doesn't seem to be going very smoothly.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on NATO:

The United States is the largest ally in the Alliance, that's clear, and it remains so.

For 80 years, we have depended on the United States for our security, and the United States remains our most important partner.

That doesn't change because one president is a bit critical of the organization.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever:

We have increased our defense spending by 60%—the largest increase among all NATO partners.

Of course, we started from a very low level, but we have now reached the 2% target.