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A warm welcome, to this website
that aims to give an overview and insight
at the news events of the day
and at important matters in this world.
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Een hartelijk welkom, op deze website
die tot doel heeft een overzicht en inzicht te geven
op de nieuws gebeurtenissen van de dag
en op belangrijke zaken in deze wereld.
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Ласкаво просимо на цей веб-сайт
який має на меті надати огляд та розуміння
новин дня
та важливих питань у цьому світі.
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E´PHER (eʹfer; “gazelle”).
1. The second named of the sons of Midian (Gen. 25:4; 1 Chron. 1:33) and Abraham’s son by Keturah.
2. An Israelite of the tribe of Judah, apparently of the family of Caleb, who was the son of Jephunneh (1 Chron. 4:17).
3. The head of one of the families of Manasseh, who were carried away by Tilgath-pileser (1 Chron. 5:21–26), before 727 b.c.
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger
Following his comments that Greenland actually belongs to the United States, Trump has now set his sights on the Chagos Islands, as well as Cuba.
Donald Trump is now considering a plan to buy the Chagos Islands and take control of Diego Garcia, the strategically important military base, sinking the Prime Minister’s deal in the process.
It is one of several options drafted by the White House in a paper aimed at providing alternatives to the Prime Minister’s plan, which would hand control of the islands to Mauritius, an ally of China and Iran.
While purchasing the islands is not the White House’s leading solution, sources said the idea was raised directly with Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, who then brought the matter to the president’s attention.
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| The White House has been in regular discussions with Downing Street about securing the future of Diego Garcia |
To take control of the islands, Washington would first need to allow Sir Keir Starmer’s deal to go through, then negotiate with the Mauritians once sovereignty had been transferred.
It could prove politically embarrassing to the Prime Minister, who has spent months telling the public that his plan to give the islands to Mauritius then pay around £35bn ($46.7bn) for 99 years to lease back the military base was the best possible deal.
Starmer had planned to cede sovereignty of the islands to the Mauritians. Yet ironically, the British Overseas Territory could become American, leaving what was once one of the UK’s most important military bases outside London’s control.
Continue reading ➤
A price for the Chagos Islands has not yet been discussed. Britain initially planned to give the islands to Mauritius and then pay around £35bn ($46.7bn) for 99 years to lease back the military base.
To take control of the islands, Washington would first have to allow Sir Keir’s deal to go through, then negotiate with the Mauritians once sovereignty had been transferred.
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Selling Chagos to Trump would be the death of modern diplomacy
Pope Leo XIV is visiting Spain and goes from Madrid from June 6 to 9, after which he visits Barcelona (June 9 and 10) and the Canary Islands (June 11 and 12).
On Saturday, June 6, Pope Leo XIV landed in Madrid at 10:30 am. During the press moment on the plane, the Pope reiterated his concern about the many flashpoints in the world, such as Ukraine, Lebanon and Iran. There was also time for a lighter moment when the Pope was asked whether he was a fan of Real Madrid or Barcelona.
‘That’s an easy one,’
said the Pope,
‘The Pope supports for every team, but Robert Prevost is for Real Madrid!’
Pope Leo XIV was officially welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. In the afternoon, he gave a speech to government representatives, civil society organisations, and the diplomatic corps.
To the Spanish authorities, the Pope said
’I come to you to encourage renewed loyalty to the Gospel, as well as deeper reconciliation and cooperation between the different sections of this nation.’
The Pope noted that the ancient link with the Christian faith has profoundly shaped Spanish culture. He referred to the many expressions of popular devotion, but also to John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila and Ignatius of Loyola. He also referred to the long-standing presence of Islam as a political, cultural and religious reality, and encouraged peaceful interfaith dialogue.
Pope Leo XIV warned world leaders not to use wars as a political tactic to distract voters from their domestic problems, in what may be seen as a further criticism of Trump.
In the evening he visited a shelter for vulnerable people in Madrid.
However, for many Madrilenians, the evening vigil with the Pope was the highlight of the day. It started at 8:30 PM in the Plaza de Lima and was attended by an incredibly large crowd with approximately 600,000 very enthusiastic young people. The Pope responded to questions from young people about hope, witnesses to the Gospel and the challenges of life in 2026. He encouraged young people to seek the voice of God in prayer and silence. Both a religious life and marriage are a calling, the Pope said.
Sunday, June 7, started with a Eucharistic celebration in the Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid, attended by no fewer than 1.2 million believers.
During Mass in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV presented the Eucharist as the source of Christian renewal and mission. The Pope emphasised that participation in the Eucharist must not be limited to liturgical celebrations, but must be made visible in concrete acts of love, justice, and mercy, directed toward those on the margins of society. He called on Spanish Catholics to promote unity, to be close to the vulnerable and to express hope. Thus the Church becomes a credible witness to God’s presence in today’s world.
‘The popular piety that has shaped and characterised this country for centuries should not become a museum of the past, but a religious school from which one can still draw today.’
This service was followed by the Corpus Christi procession through the centre of Madrid, during which the Pope could again count on an enormous influx. The route was decorated with sixteen flower carpets, composed of more than 30,000 flowers.
In the eve, the Pope met more than 200 Augustinians. He emphasised the importance of community and unity of heart. In his view, that interconnectedness can be a powerful testimony to today’s world, especially for young people seeking meaning and spirituality.
Afterwards, the Pope met representatives from culture, art, economy and sports at the Movistar Arena. He called on them to build ‘networks of hoop’ in a world often characterised by polarisation and individualism. He emphasised that beauty, creativity, entrepreneurship and sport not only serve personal achievements, but should also promote the common good.
‘Admiration for the achievements of previous generations inevitably raises a question that concerns everyone: what legacy do we leave for the future and, consequently, what kind of community do we build?’
This morning, Monday, June 8, there was a meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Apostolic Nunciature, after which the Pope met with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congreso de los Diputados.
This is the first time a pope has addressed the Spanish Parliament. Expressing respect for the position of
“those who bear the heavy responsibility of legally regulating social life,”
the pope spoke about respect for human dignity:
“The protection of human life is not a matter of particular interest or conviction: it is a goal of civilisation,”
and about the common good,
“in a certain sense, the social form of human dignity.”
From there, he moved on to topics such as migration, the arms race, and peace. In that sense, the pope’s message in Spain was intended for the entire European Union.
“Political pluralism must not degenerate into the constant discrediting of one’s opponents.”
In the afternoon, there was a meeting with all the Spanish bishops at the headquarters of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, followed by lunch.
“In times of polarisation, the Church must be a sign of unity,”
the Pope told them.
A large gathering with the diocesan community of Madrid is scheduled for 7 pm this evening at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
E´PHAI (eʹfī; “birdlike”). A Netophathite whose sons were among the “commanders of the forces” left in Judah after the deportation to Babylon and who submitted themselves to Gedaliah, the Babylonian governor (Jer. 40:7–8). They warned Gedaliah of the plots against him, but he did not believe them (vv. 13–16), and they were probably massacred with him by Ishmael (41:2–3), 588 b.c.
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger
We are only too happy to dream, provided those dreams are pleasant ones.
It would be absolutely brilliant if we had an unlimited amount of money at our disposal here in Belgium. We would not hesitate to buy three buildings in which we could house our Beit Kneset or meeting and prayer rooms. There is, in fact, a great need for such dedicated spaces.
In order to hold church services, it is essential to be able to provide worshippers with proper accommodation. Likewise, in order to open Bible studies to the public, one must be able to provide suitable premises and sanitary facilities.
Here in Belgium, the true followers of Christ — be they Christadelphians, Jeshuists or other Bible students — are in dire need of church buildings. It would be fantastic if we were ever to see the opportunity realised that one or more spaces might become available to us.
E´LAM (ēʹlam; “hidden”). The name of an ancient land (see article below) and of several persons in the Bible.
1. The first named of the sons of Shem (Gen. 10:22; 1 Chron. 1:17). His descendants probably settled in that part of Persia that was afterward frequently called by this name.
2. A head man of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the sons of Shashak, resident at Jerusalem at the captivity or on the return (1 Chron. 8:24), 536 b.c.
3. A Korahite Levite, fifth son of Meshelemiah, who was one of the gatekeepers of the Tabernacle in the time of David (1 Chron. 26:3), 1000 b.c.
4. The progenitor of a family who returned with Zerubbabel (536 b.c.) to the number of 1,254 (Ezra 2:7; Neh. 7:12). A further detachment of 71 men came with Ezra (8:7). It was, probably, one of this family, Shecaniah son of Jehiel, who encouraged Ezra in his efforts against the indiscriminate marriages of the people (10:2), and six of the “sons of Elam” accordingly put away their foreign wives (10:26).
5. In the same set of lists is a second Elam, whose sons, to the same number as in the former case, returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:31; Neh. 7:34), and which, for the sake of distinction, is called “the other Elam.” “The coincidence of numbers is curious, and also suspicious, as arguing an accidental repetition of the foregoing name” (Smith, Dict., s.v.).
6. One of the leaders of the people who signed the covenant with Nehemiah (Neh. 10:14), 445 b.c.
7. One of the priests who accompanied Nehemiah and took part in the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:42), 445 b.c.
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger
Long after fighting is over, the toxic leftovers of war continue to poison communities and the environment.
War is measured first in lives lost, families uprooted and neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. But there are also deadly consequences that are often ignored. Pollution caused by war can settle over cities, contaminate water and soil, and shape public health long after the fighting is over. This is the case with the Iran war.
The six weeks of bombardment in Iran and the Gulf that saw attacks on energy infrastructure have already taken a toll. Burning fuel tanks send toxic particles into the air, while debris, run-off and oil residues threaten coastal waters and marine ecosystems across the Gulf, where pollution can spread far beyond the immediate strike zone.
The region has seen before how long such damage can last. During the 1991 Gulf War, retreating Iraqi forces set fire to more than 600 Kuwaiti oil wells. For months, dense smoke covered the skies, causing widespread air pollution, contamination of soil and groundwater across the Gulf – and a generation of health consequences.
The United Nations later treated much of that destruction as compensable harm: Through the UN Compensation Commission, Iraq ultimately paid more than $50bn for damage linked to oil fires, marine pollution and ecosystem loss.
Ukraine offers another terrifying example. The ongoing war has created a toxic legacy, with attacks on fuel depots, industrial sites, chemical warehouses and energy infrastructure contaminating air, rivers and farmland across large parts of the country. UN agencies and Ukrainian organisations have documented thousands of incidents of environmental harm since the invasion began, including fires at oil facilities, deforestation, contamination from damaged industrial sites, and widespread risks to water systems.
Fossil fuel systems are especially vulnerable in war because they concentrate combustible fuels and hazardous chemicals. When oil depots, refineries or pipelines are struck, they ignite fires that release toxic gases, carcinogenic particles and residues, contaminating surrounding land and water for years.
Conflict also erodes oversight. When governance collapses, environmental regulation and corporate accountability often collapse with it, leaving communities living in the shadow of fossil fuel infrastructure to absorb pollution and health harms long after headlines fade.
Routine maintenance on oil pipelines, for example, has become difficult in volatile security environments in Yemen and Sudan, resulting in contaminated water and farmland. In Yemen, years of conflict left the FSO Safer tanker without maintenance, threatening to cause one of the world’s worst potential oil spills before an emergency transfer operation finally took place in 2023.
The climate dimensions compound the harm. Militaries themselves were responsible for an estimated 5.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, largely from the burning of high-emitting fossil fuels. Yet military emissions are not comprehensively included in international climate accounting – an exemption long pushed for by the United States. As military spending surges globally, so too does its largely uncounted carbon footprint.
Conflict also drives environmental harm beyond energy systems. When electricity collapses and fuels become scarce, households often turn to charcoal and firewood, accelerating forest loss in fragile areas. Researchers tracking conflict zones have found that deforestation frequently rises where governance weakens and fuel alternatives disappear.
Sudan has seen this dynamic around Khartoum and other urban areas, with significant loss of tree cover since the war began in 2023 – tree cover that serves important ecosystem functions, including retention of groundwater.
War also creates hazards beyond fossil fuels themselves. Bombardment pulverises buildings, roads and industrial sites, releasing dust laced with silica, heavy metals, and other toxins into the air. These particles can scar lungs and aggravate chronic respiratory illness. Rebuilding destroyed cities adds another climate burden: Cement and steel production are among the most carbon-intensive industrial processes in the world, meaning reconstruction often generates another surge of emissions embedded in new concrete and infrastructure.
Renewable energy systems can also be damaged in conflict, but their environmental footprint is fundamentally different. A destroyed solar installation does not spill crude into rivers, and a damaged wind turbine does not ignite refinery-scale fires or release toxic benzene into nearby neighbourhoods.
That matters when countries rebuild. Energy systems reconstructed around oil storage, gas transport and centralised fuel infrastructure remain vulnerable both to pollution and to global price shocks whenever conflict threatens major supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. More distributed renewable grids cannot remove the risks of war, but they can reduce both the toxic aftermath and the global economic shock that follows.
Wars will continue to destroy infrastructure. Whether they also leave behind decades of pollution depends in part on what kind of energy systems are rebuilt when the fighting stops.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Some View on the World’s editorial stance.
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E´LAH (ēʹla; “oak,” any large “evergreen”).
1. One of the Edomite chiefs in Mt. Seir (Gen. 36:41; 1 Chron. 1:52).
2. In the KJV, the father of Shimei. See Ela.
3. The son and successor of Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:8–10). He reigned for only part of two years (c. 886–885 b.c.) and was then killed while drunk by Zimri, in the house of his steward Arza (in Tirzah), who was probably a confederate in the plot. He was the last king of Baasha’s line, and by this catastrophe the predictions of the prophet Jehu (16:1–4) were accomplished.
4. The father of Hoshea, last king of Israel (2 Kings 15:30; 17:1), c. 732–724 b.c.
5. One of the three sons of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh (1 Chron. 4:15), c. 1380 b.c. In KJV (NASB marg.) this passage ends with the words “even (or and) Kenaz,” showing that a name had been dropped out before it (Keil, Com.). The NIV, however, reads, “The son of Elah: Kenaz.”
6. The son of Uzzi, and one of the Benjamite heads of families who were taken into captivity (1 Chron. 9:8), or rather, perhaps, returned from it and dwelt in Jerusalem, 536 b.c.
7. The Valley of Elah located eleven miles SW from Jerusalem, the scene of Goliath’s death at the hands of David (1 Sam. 17:2; 21:9). It is the modern Wadi es-Sunt, or valley of the acacia tree. Its entrance from the Philistine plain is commanded by the famous Tell-es-Sâfiyeh.
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger
From the Old Box: May 18, ’04
England (MNN/BWA) — Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Baptist Church in Lake Forest, California, and best selling author of “The Purpose-Driven Life” and the “Purpose-Driven Church” and former U-S President Jimmy Carter will headline the 100th birthday celebration of the Baptist World Alliance , at the Baptist World Centenary Congress in Birmingham, England, July 27-31, 2005.
The global aspect of the meeting is the key to Warren who says the 40 days of purpose program has been used in over 20,000 churches in North America and is exploding in many other countries such as the Philippines where 1,500 churches are studying the concepts, and literally thousands in Spanish in South America. Especially significant is the fact that 600 churches in the United Kingdom are already involved in this program, and thousands of Baptists in England are expected to attend to hear Warren.
Former President Carter will teach an international Sunday school class on Sunday morning at the meeting. Carter, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the first recipient of the BWA Human Rights Award, is expected to challenge Christians everywhere in the work for the poor and for justice.
BWA President Billy Kim will also address the gathering. Known around the world as an evangelist, Kim’s speech will come as he concludes a five-year term as president of the BWA.
Other speakers include Solomon Ishola, head of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, the largest Baptist group in Africa and one of the newest leaders in Baptist life in Africa.
All of the preachers will address different aspects of the theme “Jesus Christ Living Water.”
The Congress will feature a pastors’ stream and Bible studies that will deal with themes of salvation, baptism, the Holy Spirit, compassion, service and cleansing. There will be focus groups on challenges and changes in today’s world that also speak to the theme. All of
this will be connected by worship that will feature gathering and praising, discovering and exploring, responding and committing, sending and acting. The Congress, held every five years is expected to attract more than 15,000 people from around the world.
“It will be one of the greatest Congresses in history,”
says BWA President Billy Kim.
BWA General Secretary Denton Lotz emphasized,
“This BWA Centennial is an opportunity for all Baptists to gain inspiration from the past and renew our commitment to reaching the world for Christ in the new century. God has blessed us for 100 years, but we must seek the new path for Baptists to be effective witness in the 21st Century. I believe the Congress will provide us this challenge.”
Some View on the World 