USA - A Washington pastor scored a major victory last week after being arrested at least twice for preaching the Gospel in public. Pastor Matthew Meinecke’s battle against officials in Seattle, Washington, recently came to a close, according to Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute. The lawyer told CBN News how the situation began June 24, 2022, how it was resolved, and why it matters. Since these occurrences, Meinecke has been challenging what unfolded, and recently scored what First Liberty is calling a “complete victory for the pastor.” “Judge Barabara J Rothstein granted him permanent injunctive relief from the unconstitutional police policy, compensatory damages for the wrongful arrests, and nominal damages for the constitutional violations, along with reasonable attorney fees and expenses,” a press release reads. “SPD has enough resources to send 10 police officers to arrest a preacher reading his Bible in a public park,” Meinecke tweeted June 27. “Because it’s such a horrible crime now!”

EUROPE - For centuries, it has been British policy to prevent the emergence of dominating leadership in Europe. Elizabethans fought an epic struggle against the power of Spain and the Hapsburgs; William III led the containment of Louis XIV; the generation that saw the Industrial Revolution fought and defeated the ambitions of Napoleon; the 20th century brought two world wars to prevent German mastery of the Continent. Even Brexit can be seen as a revolt against over-mighty authority and a desire to rival it or escape from underneath it. It is in British DNA, for historical reasons, to fear powerful European leadership and to frustrate it.

AUSTRIA - A party with Nazi roots is expected to triumph in a general election in a major European nation later this month. Austrians will go to the polls on September 29 and the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) appears set to win the vote, according to the latest data. As it stands, the FPÖ sits on 27 points, ahead of the centre-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) on 23 percent and the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) on 21 points. Although it's leading, Herbert Kickl's party is highly unlikely to claim the overall majority it would need to form a government alone. As such, if it has designs on governing it will need to form a coalition. However, as Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recently found out in Tharingia and Saxony, claiming victory at the ballot box is one thing, cajoling opposition parties into bed is a different task altogether.

SWEDEN - Spiralling crime linked to immigration has prompted a European government to take a radical new step. In 2026, the Swedish government is going to offer immigrants £26,000 (350,000 krona) to leave the country. Rampant gang crime, strongly linked to migration, has seen successive governments put under pressure to address the issue. Now the centre-right-led government has announced it will markedly increase its offer to recent entrants into the country to return home. Sweden currently offers migrants £740 (10,000 krona) per adult and £370 (5,000 krona) per child to leave, with a cap of £2,960 (40,000 krona). But with migration blamed for Sweden having the highest gun-related deaths per capita of any European country, politicians are scaling up their offer.

HUNGARY - The Hungarian leader welcomed Germany's surprise border crackdown, as Brussels fears a "chain reaction" which will tear the EU apart. Hungary's Viktor Orban praised his liberal German counterpart Olaf Scholz for cracking down on migrants. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stunned his pro-EU allies after unveiling strict border rules which will allow for a "massive step-up in rejections" of asylum seekers. Mr Orban whose anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions has sparked huge rows with Brussels, sent a message of support to Mr Scholz: "Germany has decided to impose strict border controls to stop illegal migration. Scholz, welcome to the club! #StopMigration." EU officials have warned that Mr Scholz's new policy threatens to unravel the entire European bloc, as one leading German politician remarked: “Border controls would be the beginning of the end for the EU.” Mr Scholz agreed to the new migrant crackdown after two humiliating state election defeats to the far right...

GERMANY - Stuart Coster says the EU's agenda was "now being contradicted increasingly by voters' chief concerns". Germany could sensationally quit the EU if controversial immigration controls unveiled earlier this week end up being reversed at Brussels’s insistence, a UK-based Brexiteer has suggested. Democracy Movement director Stuart Coster was commenting after Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, ordered temporary controls at all land borders Monday, expanding checks it already has in place at some borders.

HUNGARY - The controversial move has delighted Hungary's Viktor Orban - but enraged Polish PM Donald Tusk, the former President of the European Council. Germany’s controversial new border control proposals are threatening to cause deep divisions within the European Union, with right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders saying his country should adopt a similar approach. Meanwhile Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also voiced his support in a message for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in which he said: “Welcome to the club.” The German government on Tuesday announced a crackdown on irregular migration and crime following recent extremist attacks, and plans to extend temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers next week.

EUROPE - For the first time in EU history, Germany is at the forefront of immigration suspension. Other EU countries will follow. The Schengen Area is an area encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. Germany’s government announced plans to impose tighter controls at all of the country’s land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and protect the public from threats such as Islamist extremism. The controls within what is normally a wide area of free movement – the European Schengen zone – will start on September 16 and initially last for six months, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Monday. This is a serious threat to the whole idea of Schengen. This is where the unravelling of Europe could be starting.

NETHERLANDS - The Dutch government recently made headlines by approving the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine for striking targets in Russia. However, they’ve hit a roadblock when it comes to delivering a previously promised air defense system to Kyiv. The piece of tech in question? The Patriot surface-to-air system. According to Dutch media, citing officials from the Ministry of Defense, the commitment to provide Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine has been withdrawn. The reason? An ally opted out of participating in the supply chain, though the Dutch military department hasn’t disclosed which ally made this decision. Experts believe that the growing interdependence between Germany and the Netherlands, particularly in air defense, affects both nations’ security dynamics. Berlin has expressed that sending more air defenses might compromise its own safety. This is especially true as European NATO countries now must prioritize their security, given that some allow Ukraine to execute strikes deep into Russian territory.

RUSSIA - Russia is feared to have handed over nuclear bomb secrets to Iran in return for missiles to blast Ukraine as concerns rise in the West that the world may be on the brink of WWIII. The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House. If it is confirmed, such a deal would cause major concern with Tehran advancing its programme of uranium enrichment in a step towards developing a nuclear weapon. British sources indicated that alarm bells were sounded over Iran's trade for nuclear technology - in what is feared to be part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow. 'For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues as well as some space information,' Blinken said, suggesting that Russia and Iran are engaged in destabilising activities with global implications.

USA - Renowned radio host, filmmaker, book author and archeological dig expert Steve Quayle is sounding the alarm on the increasing possibility of nuclear war between NATO and Russia. Quayle says, “The threat of nuclear war is not fear porn – it’s real.” Quayle is not alone because for the second year in a row, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says, “A moment of historic danger: It is still 90 seconds to midnight. 2024 Doomsday Clock Statement.” Today’s escalation is caused by the fact that NATO is contemplating allowing Ukraine to fire long range missiles deep into Russia. Now, breaking news that the Biden Administration did give the go ahead to fire long range missiles into Russia from Ukraine and there is also this breaking headline from the Asian Times: “Biden, NATO effectively declaring war on Russia.”

RUSSIA - Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov remarked today: ”The United States has given Kiev all the carte blanche to strike with long-range weapons deep into the Russian territory, Moscow’s response to it will be brutal.” He went on to say ”There is an element of serious risk here, because the opponents in Washington, London, and other places clearly underestimate the degree of danger of the game they continue to play.” All Observers to this situation agree this is extremely serious because it is information coming from Russia that DID NOT COME from the White House.

UKRAINE - Ukraine sees the ability to use long-range missiles behind enemy lines as a game-changer, allowing it to target Russian air bases, supply depots, and communication centres hundreds of miles over the border. It argues this would help reduce Russia’s air superiority and weaken supply lines needed to launch daily airstrikes against Ukraine - with drones, missiles, and powerful glide bombs - and to sustain its military ground offensive into Ukraine. Why is the West so hesitant to let Ukraine launch into Russia? Ukraine's Western allies are concerned about what Russia's response might be. Vladimir Putin has warned that he would see NATO countries allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles as their "direct involvement". As we reported on Friday, he claimed this would put NATO "at war" with Russia.

USA - Nine-time, best-selling author and renowned Bible expert Jonathan Cahn has written a new book called “The Dragon’s Prophecy.” Cahn, who is a Christian, says many signs foretold in the Bible have happened or are happening now. Cahn says, “It says in the Bible that the end times or ‘The Last Days’ will be evil and dangerous times. You look at the Book of Revelation, you can see it, and all nations are going to be involved…”

USA - The FBI has confirmed they investigating a "second assassination attempt" on Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida. US Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while the Republican presidential candidate was golfing Sunday, according to two law enforcement officials. Donald Trump's campaign confirmed he is safe after the FBI said it is investigating "what appears to be an attempted assassination" of the Republican presidential candidate. The person fled in an SUV and was later apprehended in a nearby county by local law enforcement, the officials said.