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WORLD LEADERS
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World Leaders: |
Abbas Araghchi |
Ebrahim Azizi |
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf |
Elijah Harper |
Isaac Herzog |
Alexander Lukashenko |
Emanuel Macron |
Friedrich Merz |
Narendra Modi |
Vladimir Putin |
Gideon Saar |
==abbas araghchi===== |
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Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran remains ready to resume direct military conflict with the United States, if negotiations fail to produce acceptable results. Amid a stream of state-orchestrated messaging to both domestic and foreign audiences, Araghchi also warned that despite the damage the US-Israel war on Iran has done to the region, it is also impacting ordinary American households. US energy and inflation costs have increased significantly since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally shipped.
(Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran remains ready to resume direct military conflict with the United States, if negotiations fail to produce acceptable results. Amid a stream of state-orchestrated messaging to both domestic and foreign audiences, Araghchi also warned that despite the damage the US-Israel war on Iran has done to the region, it is also impacting ordinary American households. US energy and inflation costs have increased significantly since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally shipped.
(Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
==Ebrahim Azizi======
Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter
Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said on Saturday that Tehran has “prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, which will be unveiled soon”.
“In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it,” he said, adding that vessels would have to pay fees, and that supporters of Washington’s ‘Project Freedom’ would be denied access.
(Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said on Saturday that Tehran has “prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route, which will be unveiled soon”.
“In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it,” he said, adding that vessels would have to pay fees, and that supporters of Washington’s ‘Project Freedom’ would be denied access.
(Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
==Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf======
Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker who led the first round of talks with the US in April, also highlighted the financial cost of the war for Americans, albeit with a more mocking tone. “So, you’re funding [Pete] Hegseth the failed TV host at rates unheard of since 2007, so he can cosplay as Secretary of War in our backyard in Hormuz?” Ghalibaf posted on X on Thursday, referring to the US defense secretary.“You know what’s crazier than $39 trillion in debt? Paying a pre-GFC [global financial crisis] premium to fund a LARP [live-action role-playing] and all you’ll get is a brand new GFC,” the post said. (Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker who led the first round of talks with the US in April, also highlighted the financial cost of the war for Americans, albeit with a more mocking tone. “So, you’re funding [Pete] Hegseth the failed TV host at rates unheard of since 2007, so he can cosplay as Secretary of War in our backyard in Hormuz?” Ghalibaf posted on X on Thursday, referring to the US defense secretary.“You know what’s crazier than $39 trillion in debt? Paying a pre-GFC [global financial crisis] premium to fund a LARP [live-action role-playing] and all you’ll get is a brand new GFC,” the post said. (Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>>
==elijah harper======
How Evangelicals Helped Shape Indigenous Reconciliation In Canada
Evangelicals and indigenous peoples' rights are not often put in the same sentence, but in Canada, they are deeply intertwined. June 21 is Canada’s national Indigenous Peoples Day. It has been celebrated since 1996, stimulated by the federal government's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The commission itself was a response to a 1995 Sacred Assembly held to bring reconciliation and healing between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. The Assembly had been called by Elijah Harper, an Oji-Cree member of the Canadian Parliament, and was attended by over 2,000 people. It brought together a wide range of people from across the country, including, perhaps especially, spiritual leaders. (Religion Unplugged 6.21.26) READMORE>>>
Evangelicals and indigenous peoples' rights are not often put in the same sentence, but in Canada, they are deeply intertwined. June 21 is Canada’s national Indigenous Peoples Day. It has been celebrated since 1996, stimulated by the federal government's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The commission itself was a response to a 1995 Sacred Assembly held to bring reconciliation and healing between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. The Assembly had been called by Elijah Harper, an Oji-Cree member of the Canadian Parliament, and was attended by over 2,000 people. It brought together a wide range of people from across the country, including, perhaps especially, spiritual leaders. (Religion Unplugged 6.21.26) READMORE>>>
==isaac herzog======
Isaac Herzog
Isaac Herzog (Born: 22 September 1960) is the 11th President of Israel, serving in this largely ceremonial role since July 7, 2021. A prominent figure in Israeli politics for over two decades, he previously led the Labor Party and served as the Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency. He is the son of Chaim Herzog, Israel's sixth president, making him the first son of an Israeli president to hold the office himself. Before becoming president, Herzog was a lawyer and held several ministerial portfolios, including Welfare and Social Affairs, Tourism, and Housing and Construction. He was elected for a single, non-renewable seven-year term. His primary duties include representing the state, signing laws, and granting pardons. He is married to Michal Herzog and has three children. His brother, Michael "Mike" Herzog, serves as Israel's ambassador to the United States.
Herzog not planning to pardon Netanyahu anytime soon, wants to push for plea deal - report
President Isaac Herzog does not plan to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, according to a New York Times report on Sunday. Citing two senior Israeli officials with direct knowledge of the issue, the NYT said that Herzog will instead attempt to begin mediation to reach a plea deal. According to the NYT, officials who wish to remain anonymous stated that Herzog does not wish to address Netanyahu's pardon at the moment, as his (the President's) primary goal is to foster unity, preferring instead to deal with the problem through negotiations. (Jerusalem Post 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>>
President Isaac Herzog does not plan to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, according to a New York Times report on Sunday. Citing two senior Israeli officials with direct knowledge of the issue, the NYT said that Herzog will instead attempt to begin mediation to reach a plea deal. According to the NYT, officials who wish to remain anonymous stated that Herzog does not wish to address Netanyahu's pardon at the moment, as his (the President's) primary goal is to foster unity, preferring instead to deal with the problem through negotiations. (Jerusalem Post 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>>
==alexander Lukashenko======
Belarus authoritarian leader welcomes US evangelist Franklin Graham to hold massive gathering
Belarus' authoritarian leader on Friday greeted U.S. Rev. Franklin Graham, who arrived in the tightly controlled country to hold the largest evangelical Christian gathering in its history. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked Graham to convey warm greetings to President Donald Trump and tell him that he has “reliable friends and supporters in Belarus. Since Trump returned to the White House, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of U.S.-brokered deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of the isolated leader's efforts to improve ties with the West. “Without the U.S. president, it might have been more difficult for us to establish our relations,” Lukashenko told Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Graham was accompanied by Greta Van Susteren, the anchor for Newsmax TV who is married to Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale. (Yahoo 5.15.26)READMORE>>>>>
Belarus' authoritarian leader on Friday greeted U.S. Rev. Franklin Graham, who arrived in the tightly controlled country to hold the largest evangelical Christian gathering in its history. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked Graham to convey warm greetings to President Donald Trump and tell him that he has “reliable friends and supporters in Belarus. Since Trump returned to the White House, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners as part of U.S.-brokered deals that lifted some U.S. sanctions, part of the isolated leader's efforts to improve ties with the West. “Without the U.S. president, it might have been more difficult for us to establish our relations,” Lukashenko told Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Graham was accompanied by Greta Van Susteren, the anchor for Newsmax TV who is married to Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale. (Yahoo 5.15.26)READMORE>>>>>
==emannuel macron======
How Iran's new regime is very different to what came before
When US President Donald Trump signed a ceasefire agreement with Iran during dinner at the Palace of Versailles last month, many saw an irony. His host, French President Emanuel Macron, may have wanted to make sure the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed before Trump changed his mind, and possibly calculated that the gilded Hall of Mirrors would appeal to his guest. But the choice of venue inevitably invited comparisons between the one-and-a-half page agreement and the extremely lengthy Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919 at the end of World War One. The 1919 treaty reshaped Europe, but its demands for huge reparations left an angry and embittered Germany and helped to set the stage for another global conflagration just 20 years later. Might the Iran deal, different in so many ways, nevertheless come to be seen as similarly fateful? (BBC 7.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
When US President Donald Trump signed a ceasefire agreement with Iran during dinner at the Palace of Versailles last month, many saw an irony. His host, French President Emanuel Macron, may have wanted to make sure the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed before Trump changed his mind, and possibly calculated that the gilded Hall of Mirrors would appeal to his guest. But the choice of venue inevitably invited comparisons between the one-and-a-half page agreement and the extremely lengthy Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919 at the end of World War One. The 1919 treaty reshaped Europe, but its demands for huge reparations left an angry and embittered Germany and helped to set the stage for another global conflagration just 20 years later. Might the Iran deal, different in so many ways, nevertheless come to be seen as similarly fateful? (BBC 7.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
==friedrich merz======
May 3, 2026:
Trump Day 468 NOTES & BYTES
Zorek
Trump Day 468:
--Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him "totally ineffective." On Friday, the Pentagon said it would cut 5,000 of the 36,400 troops it has stationed in Germany, and increase tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will hit Germany hardest. (All because Trumps war was criticized)
--Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him "totally ineffective." On Friday, the Pentagon said it would cut 5,000 of the 36,400 troops it has stationed in Germany, and increase tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will hit Germany hardest. (All because Trumps war was criticized)
“I’m a Never Trump guy.”….“My god, what an idiot.”…“He is America’s Hitler” -J.D. Vance before becoming VP Nominee.
==narendra modi======
In a rare interview, a leader of the world's largest right-wing group talks to NPR
Some of its members and those of some of its sister organizations have been implicated in – or accused of - instigating attacks against India's Muslim and Christian minorities. Famously, a former RSS member assassinated one of the most famous Indians in history, Mohandas Gandhi, in 1948. Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is hostile to Muslims in particular and borrows from the organization's Hindu nationalist ideology. The leaders of the movement rarely talk to the Western press, which is why it was surprising when a lobbyist representing one of those leaders asked NPR to set up an interview.
(Christian Post 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>>
Some of its members and those of some of its sister organizations have been implicated in – or accused of - instigating attacks against India's Muslim and Christian minorities. Famously, a former RSS member assassinated one of the most famous Indians in history, Mohandas Gandhi, in 1948. Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is hostile to Muslims in particular and borrows from the organization's Hindu nationalist ideology. The leaders of the movement rarely talk to the Western press, which is why it was surprising when a lobbyist representing one of those leaders asked NPR to set up an interview.
(Christian Post 4.25.26)READMORE>>>>>
vladimir putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin was born in 1952 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), he grew up in a communal apartment and later became a KGB agent. He was married to Lyudmila Putina from 1983 until their divorce was finalized in 2014; they have two daughters, Maria and Katerina. Putin is the current President of Russia, a position he has held since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. As of April 22, 2026, he remains a central figure in global geopolitics, specifically regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and recent international diplomatic efforts. The Kremlin stated on April 22, 2026, that Putin is ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only if the meeting's purpose is to finalize peace agreements. Putin recently announced a 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, running from Saturday afternoon through Easter Sunday (April 11–12, 2026). Putin has recently criticized the former leadership of the International Olympic Committee as "shameful" and "cowardly", expressing hope for a different approach from new leadership. Putin has been Russia's de facto leader since late 1999, serving as either President or Prime Minister. He is the longest-serving leader in Russian/Soviet history since Joseph Stalin. A 2020 constitutional amendment allows him to potentially remain in office until 2036. His leadership has been characterized by many international observers as an authoritarian dictatorship marked by a personality cult and strict control over civil society and media. He is currently the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court
Kremlin: Putin open to meeting Zelensky at finalizing stage of settlement
Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, provided that the meeting is aimed at finalizing concrete agreements, a Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday. Dmitry Peskov said the meeting must have a clear objective and be productive, adding that Russia does not see political will from the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the conflict.
The spokesperson also said Russia hopes that visits by US representatives related to a Ukraine settlement will continue. (China Daily 4.22.26)READMORE>>>>>
Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, provided that the meeting is aimed at finalizing concrete agreements, a Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday. Dmitry Peskov said the meeting must have a clear objective and be productive, adding that Russia does not see political will from the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the conflict.
The spokesperson also said Russia hopes that visits by US representatives related to a Ukraine settlement will continue. (China Daily 4.22.26)READMORE>>>>>
Sarah Riccardi-Swartz
In April 2022, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor, who ran on a “Jesus, Guns, and Babies” platform, and who would eventually lose her bid the May primary but refused concede, held a rally in which she proclaimed, “We are the church! We run this state.” A few weeks later, failed 2020 GOP congressional candidate for the state of Delaware, Lauren Witzke, in an interview with The American Journal, part of the Infowars streaming family, noted that, “The Church makes up Russia. It’s kinda like their state religion,” before going on to proclaim that “he [meaning Putin] is the greatest ally for Christians.” (Witzke, by the way, worked informally for Taylor’s fading campaign.) Two women: both Americans; both desiring the unification of church and state; both pledging support to different political projects to meet their ideological goals; both nationalists; both Christians.
Christian nationalism is often seen as part of the American project, linked intimately to white nationalism, racism, and history of Christian domination and American exceptionalism. The examples of this in action are endless, as Andrew Whitehead, Samuel Perry, Philip Gorski, Anthea Butler, and so many other scholars have pointed out. However, Christian nationalism is not constrained by borders or geography. In considering the global formations of religio-racial or ethnic nationalism, I want to think about the connections between white Christian nationalism in the United States and Russia. I suggest we can better understand the transformations occurring in global politics and religion by examining the networks of ideology that link Christian nationalism in the United States with current forms of Russian nationalism that we see expressed by Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.
In February of 2022, when Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, he proclaimed that “Since time immemorial, the people living in the southwest of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians.” This comment followed the Russian president’s declaration that Ukraine was not just a neighbor state, it was and is, according to him, “an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space.” In that one speech, Putin justified Russian nationalism and decried Ukrainian nationalism, using religious language. Religio-nationalism is a driving ideological force in Russia’s justification of state violence. While Putin has already laid bare how post-Soviet Russian Nationalism is tied to ideas about Holy Rus’ and the geopolitical project of Russkii Mir, I also see it as a form of Christian nationalism with a similar impulse towards purity, patriarchy, and propaganda that we see in the United States among white Christian nationalists.
--Sarah Riccardi-Swartz; Seventh Biennial Conference on Religion and American Culture; June 2022
Christian nationalism is often seen as part of the American project, linked intimately to white nationalism, racism, and history of Christian domination and American exceptionalism. The examples of this in action are endless, as Andrew Whitehead, Samuel Perry, Philip Gorski, Anthea Butler, and so many other scholars have pointed out. However, Christian nationalism is not constrained by borders or geography. In considering the global formations of religio-racial or ethnic nationalism, I want to think about the connections between white Christian nationalism in the United States and Russia. I suggest we can better understand the transformations occurring in global politics and religion by examining the networks of ideology that link Christian nationalism in the United States with current forms of Russian nationalism that we see expressed by Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.
In February of 2022, when Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, he proclaimed that “Since time immemorial, the people living in the southwest of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians.” This comment followed the Russian president’s declaration that Ukraine was not just a neighbor state, it was and is, according to him, “an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space.” In that one speech, Putin justified Russian nationalism and decried Ukrainian nationalism, using religious language. Religio-nationalism is a driving ideological force in Russia’s justification of state violence. While Putin has already laid bare how post-Soviet Russian Nationalism is tied to ideas about Holy Rus’ and the geopolitical project of Russkii Mir, I also see it as a form of Christian nationalism with a similar impulse towards purity, patriarchy, and propaganda that we see in the United States among white Christian nationalists.
--Sarah Riccardi-Swartz; Seventh Biennial Conference on Religion and American Culture; June 2022
==gideon saar======
Jerusalem: Christians Face Rising Violence
The incident sparked a wave of international condemnation. The French Consulate General in Jerusalem strongly condemned the attack, demanding that the perpetrator be brought to justice. A 36-year-old suspect, described by Israeli authorities as suffering from mental illness, was quickly arrested. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reaffirmed on social media his country's commitment to protecting freedom of religion for all faiths. But for the Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem, this episode is not an isolated incident. It is part of a worrying and well-documented trend. According to data from the Rossing Center, attacks—spitting, insults, blows—are increasing and now occurring in broad daylight. “These incidents are humiliating, exhausting, and make Christians feel threatened and unwelcome in their own homes , ” the organization notes. (SSPX Information 5.13.26)READMORE>>>>>
The incident sparked a wave of international condemnation. The French Consulate General in Jerusalem strongly condemned the attack, demanding that the perpetrator be brought to justice. A 36-year-old suspect, described by Israeli authorities as suffering from mental illness, was quickly arrested. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reaffirmed on social media his country's commitment to protecting freedom of religion for all faiths. But for the Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem, this episode is not an isolated incident. It is part of a worrying and well-documented trend. According to data from the Rossing Center, attacks—spitting, insults, blows—are increasing and now occurring in broad daylight. “These incidents are humiliating, exhausting, and make Christians feel threatened and unwelcome in their own homes , ” the organization notes. (SSPX Information 5.13.26)READMORE>>>>>