Headline News

After Stunning Loses In The Middle East, Islamic Terror Group ISIS Sets Up New Beachhead In The Philippines

As ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, militants from around this region are moving their operations to Southeast Asia — primarily the Philippines.

Published

9 years ago

July 26, 2017

Geoffrey Grider

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At a crowded center for refugees fleeing the fighting that has ravaged this city, Merlinda Obedencio never lets her most valuable possession out of sight: a blue cellphone. It is the only link she has to her husband and three of their six children being held by Islamic State-linked extremists ISIS.

Obedencio’s husband, Raul, and their children were captured by the local Maute extremist group during a siege that started May 23 and has left almost 600 dead.

Almost 400,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Marawi, a city on the southern island of Mindanao, according to the Philippine military. And like Obedencio, most face an uncertain future in a region turned upside down by extremist violence.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, views the drawn-out battle as a major win at a time when it is being driven out of its base in Iraq and Syria, bringing greater attention to the Philippines and Southeast Asia as a new beachhead for extremists.

“This is what I consider the first significant example of how foreign fighters from the Syria/Iraq battle space can be brought to bear in another part of the world,” said Thomas Sanderson, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

After weeks of not knowing whether her family was alive, Obedencio got a call from her husband, who got access to a hidden cellphone. He said he is forced to cook for his captors. He said their 20-year-old son is being used as a human shield on the front lines, while their daughter, 17, was “married” to one of the fighters.

Her husband has since been able to call or text a handful of times, and this contact helps Obedencioda, a devout Christian, keep going.

“For almost two months, I can’t sleep well,” she said. “I’m always thinking of them — are they in good hands? Sometimes when they call I thank God that my family is still alive. I don’t know what we will do after this. All I can do is pray.”

Farhan Macapandia, 23, an English teacher, spent 13 days trapped at home with 11 family members and neighbors after the fighting broke out. The last four days were spent without food, having only rainwater they could collect.

The group finally made a break to safety, carrying only a few essentials. They’re now staying at an evacuation center in the military-controlled compound near the heart of the fighting, where daily airstrikes rattle the buildings and stray bullets are a routine danger.

“We don’t have any idea right now if our house is still there,” said Macapandia. ”We don’t have money. Our access to work, lost. Our house, lost. Everything, lost. It seems that we need to have a new life, a new beginning.”

While residents blame the extremists for the violence and chaos, many are also growing impatient with the military and its heavy airstrikes, which are leveling buildings throughout the city.

“We are angry at the two sides — ISIS and the military,” said Macapandia’s mother, Nabiliah. “We are trapped here in a war zone.”

The fighting has been contained to a 7,500-square-foot area of the city, with 60 to 70 militants holding about 100 hostages, said Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesman for the military’s Task Force Marawi.

The fighting, which initially was expected to end in a matter of days, has killed 427 militants, 99 soldiers and 45 civilians, according to the military. The Philippine congress voted Saturday to extend martial law on Mindanao until the end of the year. President Rodrigo Duterte had declared martial law for 60 days when the fighting began.

Herrera admitted the battle has “exposed the gaps and weaknesses” in the military’s ability to conduct urban warfare. “We should see the city or urban area as the battleground of the future, and we need to upgrade our capabilities,” he said.

Among the fighters who were killed are militants from Chechnya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while fighters from Pakistan and Morocco are still active in the city, the Philippine military said. A greater future danger may be fighters from Southeast Asia returning from Iraq and Syria, said analyst Sanderson.

“Without a doubt, Southeast Asians returning is perhaps the most lethal element of the discussion, because they are coming with the same high-level combat skills that the other combatants have, but these are guys who know the local territory and language,” Sanderson said.

As ISIS loses ground in the Middle East, militants from around this region are moving their operations to Southeast Asia — primarily the Philippines, said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict,

“The idea that the Philippines is now the destination of choice rather than Syria has sunk in,” she said. “That’s definite now.”

Jones warned that the Philippine military is treading a thin line by using excessive force, because of its long history of taking a harsh stance against extremist groups in Mindanao.

“One theme that was used to bring people on board to the ISIS message is the brutality of the security services,” she said. “This was before even the airstrikes. So I think there’s got to be a serious re-think of how the Duterte administration responds to extremism. Because if they’re not careful, they’re going to be building a new generation of extremists, not eradicating the generation that’s there now.”

Many in Marawi agree that the aftermath of the fight may be the biggest challenge.

“There will be social disorder, political instability, health issues,” said Norodin Alonto Lucman, a well-known former politician and Muslim chieftain.

Lucman, who harbored in his home 74 civilians — including 31 Christians — for 12 days during the conflict before escaping, said many conditions that caused extremism in the first place will be exacerbated by the fighting here.

“We believe that this rebellion in Mindanao is caused by poverty,” he said. “With the Marawi crisis, you reduce thousands more people into poverty — but now they have guns.”

In the meantime, Obedencio waits with her blue phone for news about her trapped family. “It’s so hard to be a mother trying to look forward to their release,” she said. “I pray all the time. It’s just a great nightmare.” source

Donald Trump

The Trump Tariffs Have Almost Zero Impact On Foreign Nations With The Bulk Of The Tax Being Paid By The American Consumer And Small Business Owners

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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96% of the Trump tariffs are not paid by any foreign nation, they are paid by the American importer with the costs passed immediately to the US consumer

In George Orwell’s ‘1984’, we read about something called ‘doublespeak’. Doublespeak is language deliberately designed to disguise, distort, or reverse the meaning of words, often used by institutions to make negative actions appear positive or to render critical thought impossible. Some good examples of this would be a leader preaching peace while preparing for war, or a government promising the people economic freedom while raising their taxes. This, as you shall see, is the demonic logic behind Trump’s tariffs, which is actually a tax on the American people, and not on foreign nations.

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23 (KJB)

Maybe you’re one of Trump’s Q or MAGA followers who have been wildly cheering as he has imposed crippling tariffs on the ‘foreign nations’ that have been ‘ripping us off’ for many years. But perhaps in all the jubilation and celebration, you never took the time to understand exactly what Trump’s tariffs actually are. In fact, President Trump built much of his economic message around the promise that foreign nations would “pay” for unfair trade. Yes, it was strong rhetoric, it resonated, and it sounded like long-overdue leverage. It sounded like winning! But the structure of those tariffs tells a very different story — one that slaps the American consumer right between the eyes at it reaches for his wallet.

When Trump orders tariffs, the U.S. government charges American importers at the port of entry. Did you get that? Foreign nations are not paying, the American companies doing the importing are paying. Those American companies then raise prices to cover the added cost. Retailers raise prices. Manufacturers raise prices. And the American family standing in the checkout line absorbs the impact. This is actually how Trump’s tariffs operate. Is there anything in that you find worthy of applauding?

Under Trump’s tariff regime, costs rise across supply chains:

Steel tariffs increase construction costs.
Component tariffs increase manufacturing costs.
Consumer goods tariffs increase retail prices.
Agricultural retaliation harms American farmers.
And when prices rise, it’s not Beijing tightening its belt. It’s the American middle class.

Trump positioned tariffs as a tool of strength — a weapon to force foreign governments to the negotiating table. But strength on a podium is not the same thing as strength at the grocery store. Every time tariffs broaden, they function as a hidden tax embedded in everyday purchases. If the federal government collects billions in tariff revenue under Trump, that revenue didn’t come from overseas treasuries. It came from higher prices paid by Americans somewhere in the chain. That money originated here. You cannot slap broad tariffs on a globalized supply chain and expect the cost to evaporate.

American manufacturers who rely on imported inputs don’t magically become more competitive when those inputs get more expensive. They either:

Raise prices,
Cut margins,
Reduce payroll,
Or relocate operations.

That’s not economic revival, that’s economic pressure. Trump argues tariffs defend American industry. But across large segments of the economy, they operate like a regressive tax — disproportionately impacting working-class families who spend a larger share of their income on physical goods. The irony is sharp: a policy framed as economic nationalism ends up taxing the very nation it claims to protect.

The very gay US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent was asked a very simple question – “who pays Trump’s tariffs?” Watch as he is literally unable to form the words needed to answer that question. This is how liars act when confronted. US consumers pay the tariffs. pic.twitter.com/uknjitrPrl

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) February 23, 2026

Economic studies from 2025 and early 2026 consistently show that foreign exporters have “eaten” very little of the tariff costs:

90% to 96% Burden on Americans: Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Kiel Institute found that as of late 2025, American consumers and firms paid approximately 90% to 96% of the tariff costs.
Minor Exporter Absorption: Foreign exporters absorbed only about 4% to 6% of the burden by lowering their prices to remain competitive.
Cost per Household: The Tax Foundation estimated that Trump’s tariffs increased taxes for the average U.S. household by $1,000 in 2025 and are projected to cost $1,300 in 2026.

So when you watch Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, and he gets to the part about how he’s not backing down with the tariffs, just remember who is paying for those tariffs – you are. The evil foreign nations who have been ‘ripping us off’ for years with trade inequality and unfair practices will continue to do that. The only difference is, that in addition to that you now also have Trump’s tariff tax applied to all the goods you purchase, every time you eat out and the gas you put in your vehicle. Does that sound like winning to you? Did you vote for that? We’re living in a time of great deception, and the sooner you realize that the better off you’ll be.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

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When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Bible Doctrine

The Coming World Government Will Raise The Jews And Israel Above All The Other Nations On Earth With Jesus Christ Ruling On The Throne Of David In Jerusalem

Published

2 days ago

February 22, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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The Bible declares the day is coming when King Jesus will restore the Jews as His people and Israel as His holy land

The other day I watched something truly incredible, I saw Tucker Carlson in an interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and they were discussing who has the right to the land of Israel. In near disbelief, I watched as Tucker suggested compelling Jews in the Middle East to submit to a ‘Mischling Test’ created by the Nazis in WWII to determine bloodlines, and only the Jews who ‘passed the test’ would be allowed to live in the land of Israel. It was a total Twilight Zone moment, and the funny thing is, nearly no one is prepared for how the Bible says it will actually go.

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32,33 (KJB)

So let me help you today by showing you what your King James Bible decrees to be the absolute truth of what will most assuredly happen when Jesus Christ returns with His Body on white horses at the Second Advent to restore the Jews and the nation of Israel. This is information virtually unknown on social media and not preached in most churches including Baptist churches.

1). Israel becomes the center of the world

“For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Deuteronomy 14:2 (KJB)

When King Jesus sets up His government, it will be smack-dab in the literal, physical and visible modern-day Israel that is held in such disdain and low account here in our day. The hallowed halls of the stately thrones of Europe along with the power and might of the great America are tossed to the side like so much garbage on a trash heap in favor of the world’s most-deadly piece of dirt, Israel, as the place where Jesus sets up shop. No, this is not happening spiritually, metaphorically or in ‘types and pictures’, this happens in 3D Earth time as the world watches. The land that is now so despised, by Jew and Gentile alike, becomes literal holy ground. Israel will stand above, not among, all the nations of the Earth, and the inhabitants of Earth will bow down before it.

2). The Jews will be on top

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” Zechariah 8:23 (KJB)

You want to talk about ‘Zionist conspiracies’? This is a good one! Imagine King Jesus returns as the Bible says He will, and when His government is set up, if you want to know what’s going on, you got to go find a Jew to teach you a few things about the new system. Gentile rule and dominion? Dead as a doornail and never to be seen again. Times of the Gentiles are now finished, and the lowly, maligned and hated Jew is now on top. Democracies and Republics are yesterday’s news, welcome to the real Theocracy.

3). The land of Israel will be massive

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-21 (KJB)

Israel in 2026 exists as a sliver of land roughly the size of the state of New Jersey, but in the new government, it will be quite a bit larger. This new Israel will include what is now the upper-right portion of Egypt, all of modern-day Israel, all of Lebanon, all of of Syria, a piece of Turkey, half of Iraq, the northern half of Jordan, and a little slice of Saudi Arabia. What will happen to the Palestinians that everyone is so concerned about? The LORD kicks them out of the land that never has, and never will, belong to them. Zechariah 14:21 says “…and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.” One state solution, check.

“For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” Numbers 23:9 (KJB)

You know why you don’t understand the Middle East? Because you’re not looking at it how the Bible looks at it. Because if you did, you would clearly see that in the last days, the Jews will be apostate and not in a right relationship with God, just as they are right now. But their restoration is coming. You would see how Israel was called to be separate from all the nations, not a part of the United Nations, the Trump Board of Peace, or any of that other ungodly junk, and God won’t let them stay there. When you study the Bible, it gives you the long game, and leads you to the proper conclusions. But when you get your information from the headlines, you’re playing the short game on something that’s already been decided, and you wind up on the side of the antisemites like Tucker Carlson, Chuck Baldwin and all the others. God is preparing to soon place the Jews and Israel into the time of Jacob’s trouble, and not to worry, they will be judged to a degree you cannot even begin to imagine. But when it’s done, and the remnant is brought through the refining fire, Israel will reign supreme over the whole world and the Jews will be exactly where God always intended for them to be. So be smart – study your Bible, play the long game, and get on the winning side.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Donald Trump

Trump Finds Out That A 15% Tariff On The Whole World, Plans To Reveal ‘The Truth’ About Aliens And All-Out War With Iran Still Doesn’t Quash The Epstein Files

Published

4 days ago

February 21, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Donald Trump is watching his presidency implode as he threatens war with Iran, the ‘truth’ about space aliens and a 15% tax on the entire world to distract from the Epstein Files

What we are watching now with sitting president Donald Trump is truly historic, something the American people have not witnessed under any other president. A 15% tariff on the whole world. Promises to unveil the truth about aliens. Escalating rhetoric toward a soon all-out war with Iran. And yet none of it is enough to silence the growing storm surrounding the Epstein files. The more power that is flexed, the less control appears to exist.

“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Psalm 146:3 (KJB)

The American Right once crowned Donald Trump as the bulwark against cultural decay, global corruption, and deep-state tyranny. He was framed as the man who would save a nation drifting from God. But now, the façade has cracked, and what we see is not triumph—but a prophetic unraveling of the world’s most-powerful nation in the last days.

One of the most glaring examples of this unraveling is Trump’s Board of Peace — a self-styled global governance body that was supposed to be his legacy-defining achievement on the world stage. Instead, it is revealing strategic confusion, lack of coherent accomplishment, and diplomatic rejection. Trump’s Board of Peace was formally established with much fanfare as an international peace and reconstruction mechanism for war-torn Gaza and beyond. It has a charter and ambitious goals to restore stability, lawful governance, and peace in conflict zones. But the reality on the ground tells a far different story.

President Trump banging a ‘fool’s gold’ gavel to end the Board of Peace meeting as the gay anthem “YMCA” begins to play. This whole thing is so deeply fraudulent and on so many levels. Truly the work of the Devil. pic.twitter.com/vQkJp3yOFd

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) February 20, 2026

On paper, Trump and his allies claimed billions in pledges and troop commitments to rebuild Gaza. In reality, despite announcements of $5-10 billion in pledges to rebuild, no reconstruction has yet begun. Gaza remains devastated, crushed under rubble and suffering without meaningful relief or transformation. Even the Vatican refused to join the Board, citing concern that it undermines the role of the United Nations — leaving Trump’s vision isolated on the world stage.

We have global tariffs slapped on the world economy — a geopolitical sledgehammer masquerading as economic policy. We have proclamations about revealing “alien truths” — a grand narrative diversion. We have escalating rhetoric toward confrontation with Iran — keeping the world on edge. And yet even these theatrics cannot bury the Epstein files, cannot stabilize Gaza, and cannot salvage Trump’s political momentum.

Donald Trump is not the Antichrist, but what he is is a political and religious deceiver sent to confuse and mislead the biblically-illiterate inhabitants of the last days Laodicean Church. pic.twitter.com/fw05IUpsyY

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) February 17, 2026

Is the presidency collapsing? Politically speaking, yes — Trump’s political capital and credibility are eroding under the weight of lies, contradictions and unmet promises. But what is truly collapsing is the myth that the next election, the next president, or the next political savior will save America. That belief has been shattered on the rocks of reality. America is lost, and there is none to save her. Donald Trump has become the Swamp and the Deep State embodied in a single person.

In the three weeks since the last release of the Epstein Files, a staggering amount of damage has been done. Hyatt Hotels heir Thomas Pritzker on Monday resigned his post as the executive chairman of the hotel company. Kathy Ruemmler announced last week that she was stepping down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at the investment bank Goldman Sachs, effective June 30. DP World Limited, one of the largest logistics companies in the world, announced last week that its chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, had resigned, effective immediately. Peter Mandelson, a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, stepped down from the Labour Party earlier this month, after his name appeared in the newly released documents multiple times. And former prince of England Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday. Haverford College students and alumni are calling on the school to remove Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s name from its library after revelations about Lutnick’s ties to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. All this is just the tip of the iceberg, something that the Trump Department of Justice seems to have absolutely zero interest in investigating. That by itself tells you everything you need to know.

The longer it goes on, the closer it all gets to Trump, and at some point he will realize that, short of starting WWIII, he is powerless to do anything about it. Everything about his presidency is fake, all of it illusion, and the house of cards he has built is about to meet the storm that can’t be stopped. Q drop that.