The Fall of Sebastian Kurz

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 27:

“Austrian lawmakers have voted for a motion of no confidence in the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The vote was called by parties on the left, and supported by Kurz’s former far-right coalition partners…”

The Local wrote on May 27:

“[The no-confidence vote] comes in the wake of the so-called ‘Ibiza-gate’ scandal, which saw FPÖ leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache resign from both posts after he was caught appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer. That led to Kurz ending his coalition with the FPÖ and calling early elections for the autumn, but the opposition say the 32-year-old leader must also take responsibility for the scandal…”

The Guardian wrote on May 27:

“During a debate in which the delegates of the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ) resolutely refused to lend Sebastian Kurz the customary applause, rightwing populist politicians accused the centre-right chancellor of trying to use the so-called Ibiza scandal to consolidate his power at the top of government…

“Sunday evening’s European elections made it look as if the tremors of the Ibiza scandal had done less damage to Austria’s political landscape than many had expected. Kurz’s conservatives emerged as the strongest party on the night on 34.5% of the vote, up 7.5 percentage points on the previous elections. The FPÖ only took a minor hit, losing 2.2 percentage points to come third with 17.5%. Strache received enough preferential votes across the country that he could be headed to the European parliament if he were to accept the mandate…

“The no-confidence vote means that Kurz, 32, will go down in Austria’s history books not only as its youngest ever chancellor, but also it shortest-serving. Kurz spent 525 days in office after a resounding win in the 2017 national elections…”

The German tabloid Bild has been referring to the “Kurz-Sturz” (play on words, “Sturz” is German for fall or downfall).

Austria’s New Temporary Leader

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“Austria’s finance minister Hartwig Löger has been elevated to run government business after the toppling of Sebastian Kurz…

“Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday asked ministers except Kurz to stay in office a few days until a caretaker cabinet is chosen, pending Austria’s next parliamentary election, due in September… Kurz remains, however, leader of his conservative People’s Party (ÖVP)…”

Kurz’s Downfall Only Temporary?

The Washington Post wrote on May 27:

“Kurz was the first Austrian leader to be ousted via a no-confidence vote in the country’s postwar history. But the conservative’s exile from the nation’s most powerful office may be temporary; he already had announced elections slated for September, and polls show that his party holds a commanding lead. In European Parliamentary elections Sunday, his People’s party won a resounding victory, suggesting voters don’t hold him responsible for the controversy that befell the Freedom Party…

“Derided by critics as ‘Trump in a slim-fit suit,’ the young politician had won fans among many in the U.S. president’s orbit by reinvigorating his once-stodgy party and adopting many of the ideas, policies and slogans of the far-right. Kurz took a hard line on immigration, advocating tougher policies aimed at stopping the flow of asylum seekers into Europe. He also aggressively fought culture wars, pushing through a ban on Islamic headscarves in primary schools.

“But unlike the continent’s populist politicians, Kurz generally avoided inflammatory rhetoric and presented himself as a modern conservative who, while clearly to the right of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is still rooted in the European mainstream…

“Before the vote, Kurz had accused his critics of engaging in ‘a game of revenge,’ while noting in reference to the upcoming election that, ‘at the end of the day, the people will decide.’”

We might not have heard the last word yet about both Kurz and Strache.

Did Israel Leak the Strache Video?

Ynet wrote on May 27:

“According to a German Intelligence official, the Israeli Intelligence service Mossad was behind the leak of a damning video, which led to the resignation of Austria’s far right Freedom Party chief Heinz-Christian Strache…

“Rudolf Adam, former diplomat and dep. director of Germany’s secret service, published an article in the German monthly Cicero claiming: ‘Israel has an interest in promoting policies friendly to it and the growth of a radically right party poses a threat to European Jewish communities,’ he said. ‘It is unlikely that a European country is behind this campaign,’ Rudolf wrote. ‘American intelligence agencies are occupied with Korea, Iran and China. The policies of President Donald Trump actually, support the right-wing stance of the former Austrian vice chancellor. The Russians had a good relationship with Strache. Regarding China and the Arab states, they have no reason to get involved in Austrian politics.’

“After eliminating all other options, Rudolf concludes that only ‘one country has the manpower and technological capability to carry out such a campaign, as well as a clear motive — Israel. European Jewish communities fear the rise in anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Israel has an interest in promoting friendly policies toward it and toward Jewish communities in Europe and if radical right-wing movements continue to grow, the EU policies may become more extreme and harmful to Jewish communities,’ Rudolf continued…

“In a press conference given upon his resignation, Strache said he fell victim to an illegal political assassination but conceded his conduct in the recorded meeting was stupid and wrong.”

The Guardian wrote on May 27:

“Who exactly organised the sting on the far-right remains the subject of fevered speculation in both Austria and Germany… [Former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian] Strache has called the video ‘a honey trap stage-managed by intelligence agencies’…”

If those suspicions should become proven to be accurate, this would cause a tremendous backlash of the Austrian people against Israel.

European Elections

The EUObserver wrote on May 26:

“Mainstream parties suffered losses at the European election on Sunday (26 May), which saw a high turnout in most EU member states, ushering in massive wins for the Greens, but a lower than expected surge in right-wing populist parties.

“Estimated overall turnout in the EU-27 member states at 51 percent compared to 42.6 percent in 2014, ending a 40-year downward trend in Europe of attracting less and less voter interest. After a decade of crises with the EU at its core, whether the euro crisis, the migration crisis, or a rise of nationalism attacking a perceived Brussels elite, voters across EU countries went to the polls in numbers not seen since the European Parliament was first elected directly in 1979.

“… voters… created a new parliament that will be more fragmented, yet still with a mostly pro-EU majority…

“Centre-right parties in France and Spain lost heavily, and German chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats have lost some seats too, although with 29 MEPs (down from 34) they are likely to remain the biggest national party in the parliament…

“The Greens celebrated early with a massive result from Germany, where Die Gruene became the second-largest party with over 20 percent of the votes, pushing the Social Democrats, Merkel’s junior government coalition partners, into a humiliating third place. The Greens have also done well in France, Ireland, Belgium too, and are set to become the fourth-largest party in the parliament, positioning their expected 67 MEPs (up from 52) as possible kingmakers…

“In France, Macron’s En Marche came second with 22.4 percent of the votes to far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally with 23.6 percent…“… populists and nationalists had a strong showing in Britain, where Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party came in first place nationally, and could be one of the biggest parties in Brussels. In Italy, where far-right leader and interior minister Matteo Salvini has led a campaign against the ‘Brussels elite’, they failed to make a splash in the new parliament. Their overall number of right-wing, nationalist, anti-EU MEPs will surge to 108 from 78, with eurosceptic conservatives adding another 61 MEPs to the lot. Their increased number could make legislating more difficult in the parliament, but ultimately fall below some earlier predictions of dominating one-third of the EU parliament.”

The Huffington Post wrote on May 26:

“But there’s certainty on one front: Europe remains, for now, united.”

The Week wrote on May 27:

“… nationalist parties gained significant ground in the U.K., France, Italy, and Poland. Despite the victories of far-right movements like Britain’s Brexit Party and France’s National Rally party, the EU as a whole isn’t expected to undergo a major shift in power. Four pro-EU parties… together were projected to win 504 out of the available 751 seats, though no party took a majority…”

Europe’s Far Right Not a REAL Challenge to European Unification

Politico wrote on May 27:

“Turns out the bark of Europe’s far right is worse than its bite. Yes, illiberal parties did well in France and Italy, Poland, Hungary and beyond. But overall no better than expected, and in some cases worse so. Bottom line: The populists’ finish isn’t that much stronger than in 2014.

“That’s good news for Europe’s democratic parties and even better news for the European Union… In Germany and Austria, the far-right populists finished below their results in national elections in 2017, down by 1.8 and 3.3 percentage points respectively… The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party won only one seat in the European Parliament, compared to four last time out. In the Netherlands, far-right parties performed worse than many of their opponents feared. In Spain, the populist Vox party managed to win only about 6 percent of the vote. Estonia’s far-right EKRE party, which recently joined the country’s governing coalition, finished only third in Sunday’s European election.

“Though Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party did well in the U.K., capturing first place, it’s unlikely to play much of a role in the next Parliament without membership in one of the main alliances, which seems unlikely. Even in France and Italy, where the populists did best on the Continent, the results are below some expectations. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally recorded a strong 23.5 percent of the French vote, finishing first — but that is still slightly below the party’s 2014 result. Her rebranded party is on course to have two seats fewer in the European Parliament this time around.

“Salvini’s League party appears to have performed strongly in Italy, winning more than 33 percent of the vote. But his dreams of forming the biggest group in the European Parliament will remain just that…  his group will have around 70 seats in the 751-member chamber…

“… there are big questions over just how cohesive the planned populist grouping will be. While the parties share a basic aversion to migration and an illiberal, anti-democratic ethos, they don’t have much else in common…”

The unification of Europe and the establishment of core Europe will not be stopped by anyone.

Boris Johnson

nbc news wrote on May 25:

“Boris Johnson is one of the most divisive political figures in the United Kingdom. He is also favorite among bookmakers and pollsters to become the next leader of the Conservative Party — and therefore the next prime minister — after Theresa May announced Friday that she would be stepping down June 7… Thirty two percent of people have a positive opinion about him, according to the pollster YouGov, the highest of any politician in the country. But far more, 46 percent, hold a negative view…

“Critics accuse Johnson of being an arch opportunist. In the past, he has argued for tax cuts and against rises in welfare spending, and in the House of Commons he has voted generally in favor of equal gay rights…

“However, there are still big questions about what his government would actually look like, including its relationship with the United States. In 2015, when President Donald Trump said parts of London had been ‘radicalized,’ American-born Johnson, who was the city’s mayor at the time, replied that the president’s ‘ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense.’ He added, ‘Crime has been falling steadily in both London and New York. And the only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.’

“Fast forward to last year, and the two were exchanging pleasantries, with Johnson saying there were many reasons for ‘admiring Trump’ and the president declaring Johnson is ‘a friend of mine’ and backing him to be the next prime minister…

“In any potential matchup, Johnson is the members’ favorite ‘by huge margins’” according to a YouGov poll earlier this month. But whoever wins will inherit a Conservative Party in disarray…”

The Guardian wrote on May 26:

“Boris Johnson [has] been warned that Tory MPs would be prepared to bring down any prime minister backing a no-deal Brexit, triggering a general election, amid fears the leadership [hopeful] will veer to the right in response to a surge in support for Nigel Farage at the European election.

“Johnson and [Dominic] Raab, two of the leading candidates, both said they would take the UK out of the EU at the end of October with a deal or no deal, as they positioned themselves on the hard Brexit side of the contest. Raab even suggested he would be prepared to ignore the will of parliament in order to do so…”

Growing Political Turmoil in Germany

Bloomberg wrote on May 28:

“Angela Merkel has given up hope on her heir apparent and is hunkering down in office in the face of growing turmoil in Germany’s ruling party. Since taking over as leader of the Christian Democratic Union in December, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer slid in opinion polls, roiled the party with a failed effort to accelerate Merkel’s exit, and on Sunday oversaw the CDU’s worst ever result in a national election.

“All that has persuaded Merkel that Kramp-Karrenbauer may not be up to the job… As a result, the chancellor is more determined than ever to stay in power until her term ends in 2021… Merkel has resolved to spend no more political capital helping AKK… The chancellor is expecting to come under more pressure to step aside as AKK’s political problems mount… The direction of the party is completely open again… and what happens after 2021 is entirely uncertain…”

A powerful charismatic male leader is to arise in Germany soon… the only question is, how soon, and who will it be?

Jews in Danger in Germany?

The Algemeiner wrote on May 26:

“Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued a defiant statement on Saturday after Germany’s top official on fighting antisemitism suggested that Jewish men should limit the wearing of kippot in public. ‘We will never submit, will never lower our gaze, and will never react to antisemitism with defeatism,’ Rivlin said.

“His statement came after the German government’s Commissioner on Antisemitism, Felix Klein, said on Saturday, ‘I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippa everywhere all the time in Germany.’…

“‘Responsibility for the welfare, the freedom, and the right to religious belief of every member of the German Jewish community is in the hands of the government of Germany and its law enforcement agencies,’ [Rivlin] said… ‘fears about the security of German Jews are a capitulation to antisemitism and an admittance that, again, Jews are not safe on German soil.’”

The Local wrote on May 28:

“Following protest, the government has withdrew an earlier warning against wearing the traditional skullcap. In his latest statement… [Felix] Klein said: ‘I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the kippa next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of al-Quds day in Berlin.’ Al-Quds is an annual event against Israeli control of Jerusalem and will take place on Saturday.

“… Earlier Monday, German daily Bild published a cut-out-and-use kippa in a bid to fight rising anti-Semitism. Bild, Germany’s top-selling daily newspaper, called on readers to ‘stand in solidarity with (their) Jewish neighbours’ by making ‘their own kippa’, bearing the star of David, to ‘raise the flag against anti-Semitism’.

“Germany, like other Western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence have increased in recent years while the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarized. Anti-Semitic crimes rose by 20 percent in Germany last year…”

CNN wrote on May 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said ‘there is work to be done’ in Germany to face up to the dark forces that are finding mainstream support there and in other parts of the world.”

None of these measures will prevent the ongoing rise of anti-Semitism throughout Europe. Please view our StandingWatch program, “Are Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism Connected?”

Israeli Coalition Talks Collapse—New Elections in September

JTA wrote on May 29:

“For the first time in its history, Israel will hold a second national election in one year, four months after the last election in April. The Israeli Knesset voted at midnight Thursday to dissolve itself, triggering elections on Sept. 17. The unprecedented vote happened after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to assemble a governing coalition by the end of the day Wednesday, his final deadline.

“Netanyahu was seen as the winner of the April 9 election because right-wing parties, which all supported Netanyahu for prime minister, garnered a majority in Knesset. But Netanyahu was unable to get those parties to join a governing coalition with one another.

“The sticking point was a draft law obligating haredi Orthodox men to participate in Israel’s mandatory military draft. Haredi Orthodox parties wanted to soften the text of the law. Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, insisted he would not join the government unless the law was passed in its current form. In the end, Liberman did not join the coalition, dooming Netanyahu’s efforts… ‘We are natural partners in a right-wing government; we won’t be partners in a government of Jewish [religious] law,’ [Liberman] added.”

EU Challenged by Russia, China and USA

CNBC wrote on May 22:

“There is at least one thing in common between the U.S. and Russia — their willingness to weaken the European Union, a high-ranking European official told CNBC… Jyrki Katainen, vice president of the European Commission [said] that the external challenges have never been so hard. ‘Countries like Russia, China but also the United States have challenged us harder than before,’ Katainen said in Brussels.

“‘We are (for the) first time in the history in a situation where the President of the United States and (the) President of Russia seem to share the same view on Europe: the weaker, the better, because they think that it’s better for their own country, which is obviously not right,’ Katainen, who is also the former prime minister of Finland said.”

The EU’s reaction to those perceived or real challenges is forthcoming. Note the next article.

The EU to Become an Empire

Breitbart wrote on May 22:

“Leader of the left-progressive group in the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt has said that in order to compete with the rest of the world, the European Union must become an ‘empire.’… ‘The world is developing into one not of nation states, but of empires. China is an empire. India is an empire. The US is an empire. [He most certainly should have added Russia.] We need to create a European Union that is capable of defending our interests,’ Mr Verhofstadt stated… the former prime minister of Belgium compared a proposed United States of Europe to the United States of America…

“Other Eurocrats have also voiced support for a United States of Europe, including former president of the European Parliament and German socialist politician Martin Schulz who called for its formation by 2025…

“.. a number of prominent European politicians have voiced their support for other measures of greater centralisation of power and federalisation, including President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker who wants an EU army by 2025;  the progressive President of France Emmanuel Macron who proposed full monetary union with a common EU budget, a finance ministry, and an EU public prosecutor to protect the Single Market from abuses; and German Chancellor Angela Merkel who urged the bloc to adopt a common migration policy.”

The Pope’s Stance on Abortion

The Daily Mail wrote on May 25:

“Pope Francis has compared abortion to ‘hiring a hitman’ during a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference. Abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or malformed, Pope Francis said… He urged doctors and priests to support families to carry all pregnancies to term – even where death is the result.

“The Pope claimed his opposition to abortion was not for religious issues, but for human ones. He said: ‘Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem? ‘Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?’…

“He said often the ‘mere suspicion of disease can change the experience of pregnancy,’ and even risk ‘throwing women and couples’ into a ‘deep despair’.  But ‘the evolution of every disease is always subjective and often not even doctors know how it will manifest itself in the individual’, according to the Pope.

“… Francis has spoken out strongly against abortion, although he has also expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be forgiven… But in June 2018 the Pope likened abortion to Nazi eugenics – saying parents should accept the children God gives them.

“At a meeting of an Italian family association he told those gathered that as a child he was horrified to hear stories from his teacher about children ‘thrown from the mountain’ if they were born with malformations. ‘Today we do the same thing,’ he said. ‘Last century, the whole world was scandalised by what the Nazis did to purify the race. Today, we do the same thing but with white gloves.’”

Jewish Law on Abortion in Conflict with the Bible

JTA wrote on March 22:

“Jewish law does not consider the fetus to be a being with a soul until it is born. It does not have personhood… The Talmud, in Yevamos 69b, cites the view of Rav Hisda that ‘until forty days from conception the fetus is merely water. It is not yet considered a living being.’

“If there is a threat to a woman’s life, the safety of the mother takes precedence over continuing the pregnancy at any stage…  For example, in a case of maternal danger, we find in Sanhedrin 72b… that ‘a midwife may insert her hand into the womb and kill the fetus … [the reason is] for as long as the fetus has not emerged into the world, it is not a nefesh [a being with a soul]; one is therefore allowed to kill it and save the mother …’

“According to Mishna Oholos 7:3, ‘If a woman is having trouble giving birth, they cut up the child in her womb and bring it forth limb by limb, because her life comes before the life of [the child].’

“Jewish law prohibits killing in all cases — except if one person is trying to murder another. If an individual is trying to end someone’s life, killing that person is actually a requirement. How much more so, a fetus (not yet a full person) who threatens the mother’s life may be aborted.

“In his Mishneh Torah, Maimonides writes the following: ‘The sages ruled that when complications arise and a pregnant woman cannot give birth, it is permitted to abort the fetus in her womb, whether with a knife or drugs, for the fetus is considered a rodef [a murderer in pursuit] of its mother …’ In other words, when a fetus endangers the life of the mother, unless it is in the process of being born, abortion is a halachic requirement…

“Jewish law takes psychological and emotional distress into consideration… Waldenberg, considered to be one of the foremost modern scholars of Jewish law in medicine, writes that severe psychological distress is as much of a legitimate reason for an abortion as severe physical distress (Tzitz Eliezer 13:102; 14:101).”

These are absolutely horrible rules and regulations, which are in clear conflict to the biblical teaching. Please view our StandingWatch program, “When Does God Allow Abortions?”

Colorado Enacts Controversial Laws in Favor of LGBTQ Community

The Denver Channel reported on May 24:

“Gov. Jared Polis will sign two pieces of LGBTQ legislation into law on May 31: A bill banning conversion therapy for minors and another that will allow Coloradans to update the gender on their birth certificate without needing surgery or a court order.

“The conversion therapy bill, which outlaws counseling and therapy that tries to change the sexual orientation of a person under the age of 18, was passed after several prior attempts by Democrat legislators.

“The American Psychiatric Association and other psychology governing bodies have taken stances against conversion therapy. The APA on its website says conversion therapy poses ‘a significant risk of harm by subjecting individuals to forms of treatment which have not been scientifically validated’ and that it undermines a person’s self-esteem.

“The birth certificate bill, known as ‘Jude’s Law,’ was aimed at making it easier for transgender individuals to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender designation…”

The signs of the times which the Bible designates as perilous.

Powerful Earthquake Hits Peru

Newsmax wrote on May 26:

“A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck a remote part of the Amazon jungle in Peru early Sunday, collapsing buildings and knocking out power to some areas but causing only one reported death… Helping limit damage was the earthquake’s depth, at 70 miles below the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Earthquakes that are close to the surface generally cause more destruction…

“Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which lies on the Pacific’s so-called Ring of Fire. On August 15, 2007, a similarly sized quake struck near Lima, killing more than 500 people.”

“Small Tremors along West Coast Could Lead to ‘Big One’”

Koin 6 News wrote on May 22:

“A small burst of tremors have been recorded along the West Coast in the last few weeks, causing scientists and geologists to pay close attention. Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University, tells KOIN 6 this event is ‘quite interesting.’ ‘This is what we call a slow slip type of movement,’ he said. ‘The Juan De Fuca Plate is moving underneath us and then all of the sudden, about every 14 months, it stops and it goes in a westerly direction. And as it does that, it creates a lot of tremors. So we are in this slow slip type of movement right now and that’s why we’re getting a lot of tremors up in Washington, Northern California and then some here in Oregon.’…

“Eventually, the Juan De Fuca Plate will continue going in an easterly direction and ‘keep building up the stress in the rocks.’ Burns and other scientists predict the ‘big one’ will likely occur during one of these slow slip events. Each slow slip event puts additional stress onto the ‘lock zone,’ eventually causing it to ‘break’ and create a 9.0 or larger magnitude earthquake. Burns said the ‘big one’ will shake for around four minutes and cause extensive damage. He cautioned that the slow slip events are a good reminder to be prepared and have a plan with family and an emergency kit at your home.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache Resigns

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 18:

“Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has accepted the resignation of Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache in the wake of the release of a video showing Strache discussing the possibility of exchanging friendly media coverage for lucrative state business deals. In a statement delivered from his office at noon, a visibly angry Strache said he was stepping down to protect the work of the government, but added that he had been the victim of illegal entrapment and a concerted ‘dirty campaign’ to discredit him. He also rejected any suggestion he had committed any crimes. … ‘This was a targeted political assassination,’ he added…

“But the vice chancellor also admitted the video released on Friday showed him in a compromising situation… ‘Yes, it was stupid, it was irresponsible, and it was a mistake,’ he said. ‘It was typically alcohol-induced macho talk, in which, yes, I was probably trying to impress the attractive hostess. I behaved boastfully, like a teenager, and acted embarrassingly over the top.’ He went on to apologize to his wife, ‘the most important person in my life.’…

“The video was reportedly filmed on the Spanish island of Ibiza in July 2017… According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the meeting lasted several hours, with Strache and [FPÖ parliamentary group leader Johann] Gudenus (whose wife was also present) discussing with [hostess] Makarova and a male companion about how indirect donations and friendly media coverage could help the far-right party…”

According to Bild Online, Strache said he had hurt and libeled people with his inconsiderate statements, including allegations about the present chancellor (Sebastian Kurz). He stated that he had passed on “unconfirmed dirty rumors.“ Bild continued:

 “How dirty, ‘oe24’ explains:  Strache had boasted about alleged information in his possession that Kurz was conducting sex orgies in drug backrooms.”

Austrian Government on Verge of Collapse—Kurz Faces No-Confidence Vote

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, after consultations with President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday, announced he would appoint a new caretaker government to be in place for three months. Kurz, who faces a vote of no-confidence on Monday, was forced to call for new elections in September after his government’s coalition partner, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), was wiped out…

“Should Kurz lose Monday’s vote, President Van der Bellen would then appoint a new interim chancellor.

“… after [Strache resigned and] Kurz fired Interior Minister Herbert Kickl on Tuesday the remainder of the FPÖ’s members resigned in protest…”

The Times added on May 22:

“Austria’s centre-right chancellor may be driven out of office within days as opposition parties marshal their forces for a parliamentary showdown. In the midst of a scandal that has broken his coalition, Sebastian Kurz could become the first leader in Austrian history to be ejected by a vote of no confidence.

“Yesterday Mr Kurz, 32, was forced to replace the ministers in charge of the civil service, the armed forces, the justice system and the security apparatus with apolitical experts after Mr Strache’s far-right Freedom party (FPO) walked out of the cabinet…”

The European press is wondering: How long will the “apolitical experts” be in office? If Kurz were to lose the non-confidence vote on Monday, they would be discharged as well. Although most feel that the political career of Strache is over, Strache announced in tweets that he will continue to fight. Former FPO deputy Norbert Hofer, who replaced Strache, but then resigned in protest to Kurz, was almost elected as Austrian President in 2016, had a near-fatal paragliding accident in 2013, relying now on a cane to walk, and is wearing a silver-black cross for good luck. He is also a devout and deeply religious Roman Catholic, although he is in his second marriage. According to AFP, dated May 19, 2019, “sceptics say that behind the grin lurks a steely, dyed-in-the-wool ideologue.” The question remains, who will ultimately emerge out of Austria’s ashes as its leader?

Austria’s Ties with Russia

Der Spiegel wrote on May 17:

“All three Austrian intelligence services [were] overseen by ministries under leadership of the FPÖ, a party that has been affiliated with [Putin’s] United Russia [party], which currently controls the Kremlin, since the signing of a cooperation agreement in 2016. Concerns that Moscow may have access to Austrian intelligence has led Western intelligence agencies to limit what they share with Vienna…”

CNN wrote on May 18:

“Strache is an opponent of sanctions on Russia, which were imposed by the EU and the US over Russia’s annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014… Austria was also one of the few EU countries not to expel Russian diplomats in response to British allegations of Kremlin involvement in the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018.”

Russian Media Reacts

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 19:

“The Russian tabloid KP described Strache as a ‘promising politician,’ before emphasizing that there is no evidence of any illegal transactions by the far-right politician. ‘This type of trolling will undoubtedly weaken those politicians who call for rapprochement with Russia,’ the paper wrote in a commentary, adding that ‘the constant search [by the West] for a Russian link [including over the Trump administration’s alleged collusion with the Kremlin] is nothing but a joke that citizens can only laugh about.’

“The Russian government-published Rossiyskaya Gazeta, meanwhile, cited colleagues of Strache who complained that the former vice-chancellor had been ‘filled up’ with alcohol before being asked about possible illegal activities. ‘Behind this provocation are secret services that have secretly recorded everything,’ it wrote…

“Russian leading liberal business daily Kommersant pointed out that Strache insisted he had met a Latvian, not a Russian… ‘But German media says the opposite,’ it said in a commentary, adding that the timing of the release of the video was likely ‘deliberately planned to keep Strache out of the upcoming European Parliament elections’ on May 23-26. Kommersant also emphasized that Strache’s far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) actively supported Austro-Russian relations.”

These observations might very well have some bearing.

No Brexit Deal between May and Corbyn

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts to stitch-up a Brexit deal with hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have ended in failure…

“The Prime Minister’s own preferred treaty with the European Union would have locked Britain into a lengthy ‘transition period’ with the bloc in which it would have remained an EU member-state in all but name — minus British representation in EU institutions — possibly followed by an indefinite ‘backstop’ relationship in which Brussels would have retained control over British trade policy and swathes of its regulations, with no power to end this relationship unilaterally.

“Labour had initially been seeking to water down this version of ‘Brexit’ even further by establishing a full customs union with the EU, which the Remainer-dominated Tory leadership seemed ready to consider — but subsequent attempts to force May into accepting a ‘confirmatory vote’ (second referendum) as well appear to have been a bridge too far…

“Mrs May’s government is a minority administration, reliant on Northern Ireland’s Brexit-supporting Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to get legislation through Parliament — but it does not back her deal, and nor do a large number of Brexiteer Tory MPs known as ‘The Spartans’… the Prime Minister has reportedly been forced to agree she resign by the end of June...”

Teresa May’s Final New Deal and Push for Second Referendum Rejected

The Guardian wrote on May 21:

“Theresa May’s final attempt to patch together a parliamentary majority for Brexit appears to have backfired after her 10-point ‘new deal’ was rejected by MPs from across the political spectrum… the prime minister laid out a series of promises… including an offer of a binding vote on a referendum if the deal passes.

“But, after a stormy cabinet meeting… more than 20 Conservatives who backed the deal last time rejected it…  The referendum pledge sparked a backlash almost immediately, with several Tories who have supported her in the past… saying they could not back a bill that appeared to open the door to reversing the 2016 vote [in that first referendum, the majority of Brits voted for the UK leaving the EU]…”

Theresa May Faces Mounting Pressure to Quit in Brexit Backlash

The Week wrote on May 23:

“British Prime Minister Theresa May faced mounting calls to resign in a backlash against her latest Brexit plan… The resignation of the leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, on Wednesday night appeared to have left May with no remaining options.

“Leadsom was scheduled to introduce May’s new Brexit plan on Thursday but she said she could not support it because it could pave the way for a second referendum on whether the U.K. should leave the European Union at all, which she said would be ‘dangerously divisive.’”

“Macron Wants to Avoid Brexit ‘Polluting’ EU after 31 October”

The Guardian wrote on May 22:

“France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has said he wants to avoid Brexit ‘polluting’ the EU after 31 October, and that European leaders need to know when the UK’s prolonged departure will come to an end. In April, Macron stood alone at a meeting of the EU27 in championing a short Brexit extension in opposition to those willing to give the UK until next year to complete its withdrawal.

“The October deadline for the British government to have ratified the withdrawal agreement or face a no-deal exit was a compromise position brokered with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.”

According to the Bible, Britain will keep trying to get help from Germany, but ultimately, Germany will be unable and/or unwilling to provide that help.

Britain’s Jeremy Corbyn’s Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism

The Algemeiner wrote on May 20:

“They are not quite conjoined twins, but it’s often the case that where you find antisemitism, you will also find an associated anti-Americanism. Scholars who have studied these two forms of prejudice side by side have remarked on the common patterns of thought and belief. The distinguished sociologist and Professor Paul Hollander… explained that ‘anti-Americanism’ as a political phenomenon should not be confused with ‘being critical of specific aspects or attributes of American society, culture, or American foreign policy.’

“Instead, said Hollander, anti-Americanism should be seen as ‘a particular mindset, an attitude of distaste, aversion, or intense hostility, the roots of which may be found in matters unrelated to the actual qualities or attributes of American society or the foreign policies of the United States.’ Much of the same observation can (and has) been made about Jewish people in relation to antisemitism.

“Anti-Americanism also raises similar allegations against American society and culture that antisemitism does with Jews and Judaism. America is held up as a crass, materialistic society, where money rules politics, and where the most anarchic aspects of capitalism — a system that was disdained as essentially ‘Jewish’ by many Europeans well into the last century — run riot. Look at the standard-bearers of anti-Americanism over the last century and in this one (Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Máduro, for example), and you will see that they project a similar hostility to Jews, often couched in denunciations of ‘Zionism’ or ‘Israeli crimes.’…

“Many supporters of the opposition Labour Party in Britain subscribe to this broad worldview. So it should not come as a shock, then, that party leader Jeremy Corbyn — a man who can credibly claim to be Europe’s best-known antisemite — is leveraging his visceral anti-Americanism into his country’s internal conflict over Brexit, its departure from the European Union.

“Earlier this month, Corbyn delivered a speech in which he renamed the option of a ‘no-deal Brexit’ (whereby the United Kingdom would cease being a member of the European Union without a deal setting out the divorce terms) a… ‘Donald Trump Brexit leaving us at the mercy of a reckless and bellicose US administration.’

“Corbyn… has said the same thing about every US administration, whether Democratic or Republican. He has worn his anti-Americanism proudly, whether the incumbent in the White House was President Carter or President Reagan, or President Clinton, President Obama, or either President Bush. In his view, cemented by the pro-Soviet, Third Worldly sensibilities of the Western anti-war movement, America is by its very nature ‘reckless and bellicose.’…”

Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism are indeed connected. In fact, the Jews and many Americans are descendants of Jacob or Israel, the grandson of Abraham, and the world hates them all.

Last Chance for Europe?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 23:

“Four days of voting in European Parliament elections are underway in a poll that will decide the EU’s future course: a return to nationalism or more integration to increase its global strength?… ‘The elections taking place on 26 May will decide the destiny of this continent,’ the leader of the Christian Democratic bloc in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, declared at a plenary session last month.

“Weber heads the list of candidates for his political family, the European People’s Party (EPP), and he is not alone: Many politicians from all camps have been using the same terms to describe the upcoming European elections. Weber intends to run for president of the European Commission. He sees the vote as a straight fight between pro-Europeans and nationalists. ‘This Europe that we’re living in today is a good Europe’’ he says. ‘We won’t let today’s nationalists destroy it for us.’…

“Opinion polls are indicating that [nationalists] could get more than 20% of the seats… The Hungarian premier has allied himself with German, French, Danish and Italian right-wing parties. He claims that liberal democrats want to… ‘Islamicize’ it with an influx of migrants. ‘We have to understand that Europe has reached a historic crossroads,’ Orban said in a speech on Hungary’s national holiday…

“The established, Europe-friendly parties say the issues the EU needs to address over the coming years are migration, climate protection, trade policy and establishing a strong international role for Europe…

“Decisive question, crossroads, turning point, last chance: Some dramatic imagery is being used in the run-up to the elections, which will take place between 23 and 26 May…”

European Parliament Elections under Suspicion

The Guardian wrote on May 23:

“A nationwide picture is emerging of EU citizens in the UK being denied their democratic right to vote in the European parliament elections… Reports are coming in from across the country of EU nationals turning up at polling booths and finding their names crossed out and being told by officials they are not eligible to vote…

“7am Polls opened on voting for the European elections across the UK and the Netherlands…”

A European Islam?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 23:

“[German] Health Minister Jens Spahn and Schleswig-Holstein State Premier Daniel Günther published the appeal Thursday in a guest contribution for the Rheinische Post regional daily. ‘Instead of tolerating symbols of a reactionary, misogynistic form of Islam, we must promote the development of a European Islam, which shares our values, in order to preserve our free European way of life,’ penned the two Christian Democrats.

“The topic of burkas is one of particular concern for both Spahn and Günther. ‘When women and girls appear fully-veiled at universities and schools, then we do not just have the option to resist, we must resist,’ they wrote… Both men are members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat (CDU) party. Spahn, who failed in a bid to become Merkel’s successor, is seen as a conservative, while Günther is on the liberal wing of the party…”

Ambassador Grenell Right or Wrong?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell was the subject of German consternation once again on Friday, this time for posting an out-of-context quote from Chancellor Angela Merkel on social media… His misstep on Friday began with a Newsweek magazine summary of an interview with Merkel, a summary that incorrectly implies that the chancellor ‘lumped in the US’ as a global rival that, along with China and Russia, ‘Europe must unite against.’

“However, in the interview that Newsweek is quoting, which is from the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, it is the interviewer and not Merkel who places Washington alongside Moscow and Beijing, asking how Europe is approaching the ‘global challenges from China and Russia, as well as the USA.’

“Merkel responds by saying that these global challenges ‘are forcing us, time and time again, to find common positions.’ She went on to say that the EU does not always manage to do this as well as she would like, arguing that the bloc’s ‘political power’ still does not match its economic clout…

“Grenell has previously upset the German public and politicians alike by saying in a Fox News interview that Chancellor Merkel’s refugee policy ‘fell apart’ and unfavorably comparing her administration to the far-right government in Austria. He was also criticized by the former leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), Martin Schulz, for his perceived overreach as a foreign diplomat.”

Even though Chancellor Merkel might not have used the phrase in question, the interviewer did in his question, and Angela Merkel did in no way repudiate or “clarify” the statement contained in the question.

German and Japanese Cars Security Threat for USA?

Deutsche Welle reported on May 17:

“The president had previously threatened to raise import tariffs on foreign cars as a matter of national security on May 18. It was announced that the decision over the hikes will be delayed for 180 days… In February, the US Commerce Department presented the president with a report arguing that foreign automobile imports represented a threat to US national security. A White House press release on the president’s Friday proclamation made repeated mention of the issue of national security throughout…

“Germany’s minister for economic affairs, Peter Altmaier, reacted to the announcement by saying, ‘We regret the fact that the US side has now categorized automobile imports as a threat to national security.’ EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malstrom also took umbrage with US national security claims, tweeting, ‘we completely reject the notion that our car exports are a national security threat.’ …

“The tariffs would hit Japanese and European automakers. German carmakers feel particularly threatened by the prospect of such tariffs. Although they export vehicles to the United States, many have major production facilities in the US as well. From there, they export cars to China. Due to Chinese retaliatory tariffs on imports arising from the escalating trade war between the US and China, companies such as VW, Daimler and BMW see themselves caught in a double bind.

“Trump has argued that the EU is unfairly ‘ripping off’ the US by charging higher tariffs on US automobiles than the US does on cars imported from the EU. The WTO says that EU import tariffs on US cars average 5%, whereas the US average on EU cars is 3.4%.”

The tariffs problem and the associated hostility between the USA and Germany will not go away any time soon. As the Express reported on May 18, in conjunction with Mr. Trump’s announcement to delay his decision for six months whether or not to impose tariffs on foreign cars, he “accused the European Union of treating the US ‘worse than China.’ He said: ‘The European Union treats us, I would say, worse than China, they’re just smaller. They have trade barriers. They don’t want our farm products, they don’t want our cars. They send Mercedes-Benzes in here like they’re cookies. They send BMWs here. We hardly tax them at all.’”

Ending Tariffs on Metal Imports and Exports

The Guardian wrote on May 17:

“The Trump administration moved to cool the simmering trade war with its major trading partners on Friday, ending tariffs on metal imports from Canada and Mexico… ‘I’m pleased to announce we’ve just reached agreement with Canada and Mexico,’ Donald Trump said. ‘We’ll be selling our product into those countries without the imposition of tariffs.’ The US imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium last March, arguing cheap imports were an ‘assault on our country’ that was leading to the ‘decimation of entire communities’.

“The tariffs have sparked the largest trade war in a generation and set the US against all its major trading partners including the European Union, China, Canada and Mexico. In a statement, the Canadian government said agreement had been reached for US tariffs to be lifted on Canadian steel and aluminium imports. Retaliatory tariffs imposed on American products will be lifted by Sunday…

“While Friday’s news appeared to signal a breakthrough, China and the US are still locked in an escalating trade war. CNBC reported on Friday that the next round of US-China negotiations were ‘in flux’, with both sides refusing to compromise. US markets have wobbled wildly in the wake of trade news. On Friday all the major US markets ended down – the second straight week of losses.”

Interesting how every side tries to take credit for the outcome of the agreement. The fact of the matter is, there will be no tariffs either way… at least for now.

Freezing Out China’s Giant Company?

npr wrote on May 16:

“A Trump administration decision to restrict the sale of U.S. technology to Chinese telecommunications company Huawei will disrupt global supply chains, say analysts, ramping up pressure on U.S. allies reluctant to join in efforts to shut out Huawei from advanced 5G mobile networks… New Zealand, Australia and Japan have joined the U.S. in freezing out the Chinese company from future 5G plans. But Germany and France have not followed suit. Last month, the U.K. decided to allow Huawei restricted access to its 5G networks…

“If interpreted broadly, the controls on U.S. sales to Huawei could prove the biggest move yet to thwart the Chinese telecom company’s ambitions to build the hardware underpinning its global 5G network…”

Trump Threatens Iran but Shows Reluctance to Go to War

The New York Post wrote on May 19:

“President Trump threatened to destroy Iran in a tweet sent in the wake of reports that a rocket was fired into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone less than a mile away from the US Embassy. ‘If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!,’ Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon. It’s unclear exactly what promoted Trump’s posting, but news outlets reported explosions in Iraq’s capital and that a rocket launcher was discovered in eastern Baghdad, an area that is home to Iranian-backed Shiite militias…

“Amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran there have been concerns that Iraq, where Iranian forces and about 5,000 American troops are stationed, could become entangled in the standoff… Tensions have been heightened between Washington and Tehran after reports said Iran was planning to carry out attacks on American troops and ships in the region.”

Fox News wrote on May 19:

“President Trump vowed, in a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, not to let Iran get nuclear weapons – but reiterated his reluctance to go to war… Trump, during the interview, continued opposing military intervention — something that separated him from others in the 2016 campaign — but indicated Iranian nuclear development would constitute an urgent exception. ‘I don’t want to fight. But you do have situations like Iran, you can’t let them have nuclear weapons — you just can’t let that happen,’ he said.

“… he recounted the costs of war which he said he wanted to avoid. ‘With all of everything that’s going on, and I’m not one that believes — you know, I’m not somebody that wants to go into war, because war hurts economies, war kills people most importantly — by far most importantly,’ he said.”

Very true. And no war, fought by humans, has ever brought lasting peace, nor will it ever do so.

US Worldwide Fight against Abortion

The Guardian wrote on May 17:

“The Trump administration has taken its war on abortion worldwide, cutting off all funding to any overseas organisation or clinic that will not agree to a complete ban on even discussing it. The Mexico City policy, dubbed the ‘global gag’ by its critics, denies US federal funds to any organisation involved in providing abortion services overseas or counselling women about them. It was instituted by the then US president Ronald Reagan and has been revoked by every Democrat and reinstated by every Republican president since.

“But, under Trump, the net has been thrown wider and pulled tighter than ever… In March, the US [stated] that any organisation counselling women on abortion and using funds from elsewhere… will no longer be eligible for any US funding. The diktat applies to all global health organisations…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “When Does God Allow Abortions?”

Are Same Sex Marriages “Absolutely Fine, Great and Good”?

npr wrote on May 19:

“Pete Buttigieg isn’t giving President Trump much credit for saying the South Bend, Ind., mayor’s marriage to a man is ‘absolutely fine’ and ‘good.’ ‘That’s nice,’ Buttigieg said dismissively… ‘I’m more interested in policies that affect LGBTQ people.’… Trump… added, ‘I think it’s great… I have no problem with it whatsoever.’

“Buttigieg, who married his husband, Chasten Glezman, last June, has gone from a relatively unknown millennial mayor of a small Midwestern city to a top-tier Democratic presidential candidate in a historically large field…

“Trump has long expressed openness to gay people and said in 2016 that same-sex marriage is settled law. But his administration’s policies have favored religious freedom over gay rights, and early in his presidency he moved to ban transgender service members from the military…”

The Bible disagrees. In our Editorial this week, “How They Love to Play with Words to Get Their Own Way!,” Brian Gale has something to say about this issue.

Trump Wants to Change Immigration System now after His Wife’s In-laws Had Benefitted from It

Express wrote on May 17:

“On Thursday Trump announced a new policy which will give greater priority to highly skilled migrants. Correspondingly the number of immigrants allowed in for family reasons will fall. Melania Trump’s parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, moved to America at some point after their daughter married Trump in 1996. By the end of 2007 Melania’s father was listed as living at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private Florida club.

“It is widely believed they came over via a family unification process, as both were retired. On Thursday Trump announced plans to give 57 percent of US green cards, which allow permanent residence, to highly skilled workers with only a third going to family members… Trump has vowed to protect green cards for the spouses and children of US nationals… It’s been suggested that this would leave very few, if any, free cards for parents…

“Melania’s parents became US citizens last year. David Leopold, formerly president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, claimed Trump is shutting down a route that had benefitted him personally. He said: ‘… Melania has benefited from the immigration system; his in-laws are here because of the immigration system. For them to talk about the immigration system is an absolute joke and it’s shameful.’”

We agree that this is shameful indeed.

India and Pakistan Buy Russian Tanks and Military Machines – “Alarm Bells Ring”

Express wrote on May 9:

“INDIA has acquired 460 Russian tanks to bolster its ‘shock and awe’ capabilities on its western front as Pakistan continues talks to strike a deal with Moscow for an order of 360 of the military machines…

“The Indian army already has around 1,070 T-90 tanks as well as 124 ‘Arjun’ and 2,400 older T-72 tanks in its 67 regiments. The first set of 657 T-90 tanks, now to be upgraded to improved models, were imported from Russia in 2001… The move comes as the 1.3million-strong army seeks to re-format its entire war machinery… Pakistan has plans to upgrade its existing mechanised forces, which includes over 50 armoured regiments of Ukrainian T-80UD and Chinese-origin tanks…

“India and Pakistan are not alone in seeking Russian military weaponry.

“NATO has issued a chilling warning after the US said it would impose sanctions on Turkey if it went ahead and purchased missiles from Russia… Turkey admitted it would never bow to the US over its agreement to purchase the Russian S-400 surface to air missile defence system. The deal, which was confirmed by the country’s vice president Fuat Oktay, has increased already strained ties between Turkey and Washington…”

The paradox is that India and Pakistan will ultimately combine their weaponry, together with Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations, in opposition to the Western world, while the relationship between Turkey and the USA will continue to deteriorate.

Modi Reelected as India’s Leader

The Huffington Post wrote on May 23:

“Narendra Modi, leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday won a second consecutive five-year term as prime minister of India, months after bringing India to the brink of war with Pakistan, its nuclear-armed neighbor…

“[Modi believes in] majoritarianism [which] means Hindu nationalism or Hindutva, an ideology that envisions over 170 million Indian Muslims accepting that they are, in effect, second-class citizens…

“Modi’s victory appeared far from assured earlier this year ― the opposition’s efforts to highlight his gross economic mismanagement, as well as public anger over rampant unemployment and agrarian distress, were gathering steam…

“Two days before the final day of polling on May 19, he donned the saffron robes of a Hindu priest and headed to a shrine in the Himalayas with a phalanx of cameras in tow.

“The carefully crafted images of an ascetic Modi ‘meditating’ were faithfully beamed into millions of homes by the media, and lapped up by his followers…

“India’s 172 million Muslims are left wondering how much worse it could get… With the existing political parties trying to boost their Hindu credentials and no party or leaders of their own, Indian Muslims today are practically without a voice…”

The Guardian added on May 23:

“As India’s opposition Congress party went down to a landslide defeat on Thursday, its leader, Rahul Gandhi, was also convincingly beaten in his own parliamentary seat – a north Indian constituency that had sent three of his family members to parliament in the past half-century.

“The loss of the family bastion seat of Amethi underscored the dwindling relevance of south Asia’s most famous political dynasty in Narendra Modi’s ‘new India’, alongside the decline of the pluralistic vision of India that has been synonymous with the Nehru-Gandhi family for the past seven decades…

“Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi’s great-grandfather, fiercely opposed Hindu nationalism and sought to establish India as a secular country, a vision the modern party continues to uphold. Under Modi, the staunchest Hindu nationalist ever to occupy the office, that tradition has been recast as a long national nightmare, blaming it even for the breakup of the subcontinent.”

Challenges in Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 20:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old comic with no political experience, announced [and carried out the next day] the dissolution of parliament in his inaugural speech as the president of Ukraine on Monday. By… calling early elections, the new head of state is hoping to win the support he needs to tackle a raft of challenges, including a struggling economy and the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine…

“Zelenskiy… said his first task was to end the separatist conflict in the country’s east near the border with Russia… He added that dialogue with Russia could only happen after the return of Ukrainian territory and prisoners of war…

“Zelenskiy begins his term in office without a parliamentary majority, a fact that will make it difficult for him to pass reforms. His party currently has no seats. Dissolving parliament and calling snap elections ahead of the scheduled date in October could boost support in a chamber currently dominated by Poroshenko allies. Lawmakers have attempted to block these plans — last week, the governing coalition collapsed after a group of MPs from the People’s Front pulled out.”

New elections are scheduled to take place on July 21. 

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison Will Stay in Power after Surprise Election Victory

The Daily Mail wrote on May 18:

“Scott Morrison will stay on as Prime Minister after the Coalition secured an election win on Saturday night. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has conceded defeat and confirmed he would resign as Labor Party leader. Labor and Mr Shorten went into the night as favourites to win, but suffered unexpected losses in Queensland…

“At the stroke of midnight, following the Labor leader’s concession speech, the Prime Minister delivered a midnight victory speech praising God and the Australian people. ‘I have always believed in miracles and I’m standing with the three biggest miracles in my life tonight (he was referring to his wife and his two children) and tonight we’ve been delivered another one,’ he said…

“In a result which opinion polls and betting markets had failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them… granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of pro-climate change action independents.”

Saving the Koala Bears

The New York Post wrote on May 16:

“Koala bears have been declared ‘functionally extinct,’ the Australian Koala Foundation reports. The fluffy marsupial is down to just 80,000 wild species members, meaning there aren’t enough breeding adults left to support another generation of the pouched mammals… ‘I know the Australian public are concerned for the safety of koalas and are tired of seeing dead koalas on our roads,’ says AKF chairman Deborah Tabart. ‘I am calling on the new prime minister after the May election to enact the Koala Protection Act (KPA) which has been written and ready to go.

“… The Koala Protection Act is based on the US’s Bald Eagle Act, which was successful in rescuing America’s national symbol from the threatened species list. ‘The Bald Eagle Act was successful because there was political motive to ensure their icon did not go extinct,’ says Tabart. ‘It is time for the koala to be afforded the same respect.’”

Stop Eating Bacon and Pork Sausages

The Sun wrote on May 20:

“A group of campaigning doctors have warned that eating bacon is ‘as likely to cause cancer as asbestos’… Anaesthetist Dr Charlotte Houltram… told the Mirror: ‘Bacon is in the same category as asbestos as far as its potential to cause cancer’… It comes after a new study found that bacon and sausages fuel cancer twice as much as previously thought… Tobacco is also classified in the same group…

“In the UK, more than 23,000 cases of cancer every year are caused by eating processed meats such as bacon, salami, hot dogs and ham.”

God has been telling us in His Word to avoid eating pork and pork products.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

China Retaliates… Trade War Escalates

CNBC wrote on May 13:

“[Starting on June 1,] China will raise tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods in retaliation for the U.S. decision to hike duties on Chinese goods, the Chinese Finance Ministry said Monday. Beijing will increase tariffs on more than 5,000 products to as high as 25%. Duties on some other goods will increase to 20%. Those rates will rise from either 10% or 5% previously.

“The move follows President Donald Trump’s decision to raise duties on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%. The world’s two largest economies have struggled to sign a trade deal and end a widening conflict that threatens to damage the global economy. The latest shot in the trade war rattled investors. Major U.S. stock indexes dove more than 2% Monday [at times about a 700 point nose-dive] amid the escalation…”

However, on Tuesday, the Dow Jones rose by 200 points, when it was announced that “relevant discussions” between China and the USA are continuing. Until the next major dip in this ongoing roller coaster ride!… Note the next article.

“U.S. Prepares Tariffs On Additional Chinese Goods”

npr wrote on May 14:

“The Trump administration is preparing a new list of $300 billion worth of Chinese imports that would be hit with tariffs of up to 25%, after China retaliated Monday in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published a list of Chinese goods that would be hit with new duties, ranging from artists’ brushes and paint rollers to clocks and watches. The list also includes a wide range of sporting goods, from baseballs to fishing reels. And it dedicates several pages to agricultural products, from livestock to dairy, plants and vegetables. Staples such as rice and tea are on the list… The U.S. proposal will enter a public comment period and could take effect sometime in late June or July…

“Trump is expected to speak directly to China’s President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Japan, which will take place late next month. But while Trump continues to speak favorably about Xi and insist they have a close relationship, those sentiments have yet to translate into a trade deal… China’s retaliations for higher U.S. duties have targeted a list of U.S. products that ranges from sorghum, soybeans, meat and whiskey to airplanes and cars. The ongoing dispute has sparked concern among soybean farmers: Before the tariff war began, China was buying some $14 billion in U.S.-produced soybeans every year — nearly a third of the American crop.”

Such a trade war will hurt both sides. There won’t be any winners, only losers. And the biggest losers will be Chinese and American citizens. But it’s all in line with prophecy, as the next article points out.

“Trade War Pushing Asia Closer Together”

Asia Times wrote on May 8:

“In a joint statement in Fiji [last week], governments ‘agreed to further enhance communication and coordination between China, Japan and Korea to contribute to strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.’… China’s role in bringing Asia together is complicated… But its stabilizing role is unmistakable as Xi’s aggressive stimulus gains traction…

“‘China… is suddenly more important to global economic health than the US,’ says market analyst Dion Rabouin of Washington-based Axios. Recent events in Fiji suggest. ‘America first’ is catalyzing an ‘Asia first’ rejoinder.”

The Bible shows that Asian countries will come together and form a powerful alliance against the West.

Trump Declares National Emergency Targeting China

The Washington Post wrote on May 15:

“Amid a deepening trade war with China, President Trump on Wednesday declared a ‘national emergency’ to protect U.S. communications networks in a move that gives the federal government broad powers to bar American companies from doing business with certain foreign suppliers —including the Chinese firm Huawei.

“Trump declared the emergency in the form of an executive order that says foreign adversaries are exploiting vulnerabilities in U.S. telecommunications technology and services. It points to economic and industrial espionage as areas of particular concern… the Commerce Department indicated it had placed Huawei on its ‘entity list,’ effectively barring the sale or transfer of American-made technology to the Chinese telecom giant.

“In a statement, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross… cites an ongoing criminal matter in which the Justice Department has accused Huawei of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran…”

This directive also arguably tries to discourage European firms from doing business with the Chinese firm. Europe has strongly objected to such restrictions in the past.

Europe Will Not Cooperate

Deutsche Welle reported on May 16:

“The leaders of Germany, France and the Netherlands said Thursday that their governments do not plan to follow the lead of the US and ban Chinese telecommunications company Huawei from building up their national 5G high-speed mobile networks… The US has urged allied governments to exclude Chinese companies such as Huawei from the 5G expansion over concerns the Chinese government could use the equipment as a backdoor for spying.

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, said Thursday companies could participate in expanding Germany’s 5G network if they met established safety criteria… Speaking alongside Merkel in Berlin, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands would not exclude companies in advance of any auction for 5G networks. French President Emmanuel Macron said separately that it was ‘not appropriate’ to start a trade dispute over technology. The goal is not to exclude Huawei or other companies from network expansion but to provide the necessary security, he said…

“The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, has not told national governments to avoid using Huawei’s 5G equipment. Nevertheless, the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands has started an investigation into possible ‘secret back doors’ on Huawei products…

“British ministers have discussed giving Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network. The final decision has not yet been published. However, a former head of Britain’s MI6 foreign spy service said Thursday that Huawei poses such a grave security risk to the United Kingdom that the government should ban it from the expansion…

“Huawei is one of the largest suppliers of telecom equipment in the world. Founded in 1987, the company said on its website that its products reach over a third of the world’s population in 170 countries.”

Tensions Flare in the Middle East

AFP wrote on May 13:

“Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were damaged in ‘sabotage attacks’ in the Gulf as tensions soared in a region already shaken by a standoff between the United States and Iran. It came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran… ‘Two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, while on their way to cross into the Arabian Gulf,’ [Saudi Arabia] was saying.

“Fujairah port is the only terminal in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Gulf oil exports pass. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in case of a military confrontation with the United States. One of the two tankers that was attacked was on its way to be loaded with crude oil from a Saudi oil terminal for customers in the United States…

“Almost all the oil exports of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran itself, at least 15 million barrels per day, are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Newsmax wrote on May 14:

“Two editors of Iranian news outlets say Iran is claiming responsibility for the attacks on four ships anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to MEMRI, an international media monitoring organization. One editor noted there was also an attack at the Saudi Arabian Port of Yanbu in the Red Sea.”

Blaming the USA

The EUObserver wrote on May 14:

“Europe’s leading diplomats have said US actions risked triggering a conflict with Iran… The UK, America’s main ally in Europe, and Germany, the EU’s most powerful country, issued the warnings in Brussels on Monday (13 May)… ‘We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,’ British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said…

“The German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said: ‘We are worried in view of the developments and the tensions in the region … We don’t want a military escalation’… But if a conflict were to break out, Europe might be more inclined to blame the US, French president Emmanuel Macron said at an EU summit last week.”

If there was a war between the USA and Iran, America would be blamed by the EU for sure.

War with Iran… What Might Happen

Project Syndicate wrote on May 10:

“For now, both the United States and Iran say they do not want a war. Yet, step by inexorable step, they are moving onto a collision course… In the event of a war, Iran would not have the military capacity to stand up to American firepower. The US could quickly take out Iranian military installations, nuclear sites, and major infrastructure facilities. In addition, it could prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 30% of the world’s oil is shipped.

“Yet Iran is capable of making any US military assault – with or without Israeli and Saudi Arabian support – very costly for America and the region. The Iranian regime may be able to sink a few ships at the Strait of Hormuz’s narrowest point – where the shipping lanes in either direction are only two miles (3.2 kilometers) wide – in an effort to choke it off. More important, Iran has nurtured an asymmetric-warfare strategy based on both hard and soft power. Although Iran lacks a modern frontline air force, for example, it has made significant progress in developing and producing short-, medium- and long-range missiles, which have the capacity to hit targets as far away as Israel.

“Furthermore, the regime could target landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – the world’s tallest building ‒ in order to trigger a financial meltdown across the region. Even if the accuracy of Iranian missiles cannot be guaranteed, many of them could still evade defensive systems. Israel’s state-of-the-art Iron Dome anti-missile defenses, for example, have been unable even to neutralize all the primitive missiles launched from Gaza.

“Moreover, the Iranian regime has forged a network of proxy forces across the region. Syria and Iraq have become crucial links in an Iran-led Shia strategic arc stretching from Afghanistan to Lebanon. The regime’s proxy forces include segments of Afghanistan’s Shia population, Iraqi Shia militias, and Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon and has thousands of rockets ready to target Israel…

“In addition, Iran can mobilize thousands of extremely dedicated suicide bombers to sacrifice themselves for the cause of Shia Islam and nationalism that the regime has successfully promoted…  any major military assault could result in an uncontrollable regional inferno…”

The Bible says that the state of Israel will receive a wound, which is presumably some kind of defeat in a war or a massive terror attack, prior to the Great Tribulation.

Heightened Tensions in Iraq

Deutsche Welle reported on May 15:

“Germany’s Bundeswehr has halted its military training exercises in Iraq amid heightened tensions in the region. The US has put troops on high alert and removed nonemergency diplomatic staff from Baghdad and Erbil.

“… the Netherlands… suspended its military training mission because of a security threat…”

USA Threatens Sanctions Against Europe

The EUObserver wrote on May 15:

“Joint EU military projects will not hurt US arms firms, Europe’s top diplomat has said, following yet another American sanctions threat… ‘In the EU there is no “Buy European Act” – and around 81 percent of international contracts go to US firms in Europe today…’

“Mogherini spoke after two senior US defence officials, Ellen Lord and Andrea Thompson, sent her a letter on 1 May which threatened to impose sanctions on European arms firms if new EU schemes for joint military procurement ended up locking out US ones.  ‘It is clear that similar reciprocally imposed US restrictions would not be welcomed by our European partners and allies, and we would not relish having to consider them in the future,’ the letter, leaked to European media in recent days, said.

“The US complaint targeted the European Defence Fund (EDF) and Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) initiatives.  The EDF is a €13bn EU pot to help fund joint military projects. Pesco, launched in 2017, has already outlined 34 schemes, such as the creation of new attack helicopters or armoured infantry vehicles, to be rolled out by small coalitions of member states. They are part of wider plans to create what some have called a future EU ‘army’ for the sake of European ‘strategic autonomy’…

‘The German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, also defended the EU initiative on Monday, saying it was ‘doing what our American friends have been demanding we do for years…’ But her Dutch counterpart, Ank Bijleveld, said the [EU’s upcoming] June decision ought to contain an ‘emergency brake’ for keeping out non-EU firms if member states did not want them to take part.

“The dispute… comes amid US threats to sanction EU firms who did business with Iran or who built new gas pipelines to Russia. It also comes amid a widening transatlantic rift on trade tariffs, aircraft subsidies, and climate change in what amounts to the worst period in US-EU relations in modern times.”

The rift will continue to widen.

“Merkel: Europe Must Unite to Stand Up to China, Russia and US”

The Guardian wrote on May 15:

“Europe must reposition itself to stand up to the challenges posed by its three big global rivals, China, Russia and the US, Angela Merkel has said before her final European election as German chancellor. Facing challenges that range from Russian interference in elections to China’s economic clout and the US’s monopoly over digital services, Europe needs to get better at putting up a united front, Merkel said…

“‘They [China, Russia and the US] are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done… Our policies on Africa, too, now follow a common strategy, which a few years ago would have been unthinkable. So we keep putting one foot in front of the other. However, our political power is not yet commensurate with our economic strength.’”

Not yet, but very soon.

Cyber Attacks

European Leadership Network (ELN) wrote on May 9:

“Governments and legislators are struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of cyber capabilities. As military systems become more technically complex it would be easy to assume that they are more secure. The opposite is true. Increased automation and connectivity increases vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. Measures such as air-gapping a system (ie. de-connecting it from the internet) can fall short. A recent US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report assessed the cyber security of US weapons systems and found ‘mission critical cyber vulnerabilities in nearly all weapons systems […] under development.’ While the report does not make reference to any specific system type, one can reasonably assume that nuclear weapons systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks.

“Cyber attacks can take many forms. Activities range from cyber espionage, data theft, infiltration of nuclear command, control and communications (NC3), denial of service/distributed denial of service (DoS/DDoS) attacks, false alarms (jamming and spoofing), sabotage and physical damage. When directed against nuclear weapons systems, in the worst possible case this may escalate to a deliberate or inadvertent exchange of nuclear weapons.”

Trump’s New Immigration Proposals… Dead on Arrival

The Huffington Post wrote on May 16:

“President Donald Trump offered a broad outline of his administration’s new dead-on-arrival immigration plan Thursday…

“The… Democrats… control the House of Representatives and hold enough seats in the Senate to block legislation. Some have already dismissed the proposal, which lacks protections for so-called Dreamers who came to the U.S. as kids…

“America’s current system of immigration allows family members to sponsor relatives for immigrant visas, which account for about 65% of immigration visas issued annually… The priority on family unification was set into law with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, but the trend has existed for most of U.S. history. Members of Trump’s own family emigrated to the U.S. to reunite with family members.

“Under Trump’s proposal, however, the legal immigration system would reserve some 60% of immigrant visas for applicants with higher levels of education or job skills the administration views as desirable… Those seeking entry would also have to demonstrate English language fluency and pass a civics test…”

PBS added on May 16:

“The president’s plan would limit the types of family members who can be sponsored to come to the United States to children and spouses. That would eliminate the ability for others, like parents and siblings, to come through family ties.”

The War Against Anti-Vaccination Movement Continues

JTA wrote on May 15:

“Jews are being persecuted as disease carriers amid the outbreak of measles, a New York haredi Orthodox rabbi said at a symposium with leaders of the anti-vaccination movement attended by hundreds of haredim. ‘We Hasidim have been chosen as the target,’ said Rabbi Hillel Handler, a Holocaust survivor… ‘The campaign against us has been successful.’

“The Centers for Disease Control [CDC] pinned the pinned the resurgence [of measles in New York City and state] on the unvaccinated and those who brought back measles from other countries. The outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities have been associated with travelers who carried the disease back from Israel and Ukraine, according to the CDC.

“Among the speakers at the Monsey event on Monday were Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British physician whose study [linked] measles vaccines with autism…, appearing via Skype; and pediatrician Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, who is regularly cited in pamphlets circulated in New York City that urge women not to get their children vaccinated… Palevsky said failed vaccines are being given in the haredi communities…

“The meeting… was denounced by local elected officials, health authorities and some haredi rabbis…

“Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency over the measles outbreak in Brooklyn’s haredi Orthodox community. De Blasio ordered unvaccinated people living in four ZIP codes in the Williamsburg neighborhood to get the vaccine or be required to pay fines of up to $1,000.

“Despite institutional pressure, a strain of opposition to vaccines has persisted in haredi communities based on… claims that vaccines are ineffective at best and harmful at worst.

“… on Monday, the Yeshiva of Central Queens was ordered closed after failing to comply with a Health Department order to prevent unvaccinated students from coming to school. It is the ninth Orthodox Jewish school to be ordered closed over the measles epidemic but the first outside of Brooklyn.

“On Tuesday, hundreds of New York parents against vaccinations rallied outside the state capitol in Albany calling on lawmakers to protect a state law that permits people not to vaccinate their children for religious reasons… Some lawmakers have proposed eliminating the religious exemption in light of the current measles outbreak.

“Also Tuesday, de Blasio’s office released a video calling on the Orthodox Jewish community to vaccinate their children…”

The article was written with the goal of discrediting the anti-vaccination movement. We have chosen to omit some of those rather questionable comments while supplying instead some of our own comments in brackets.  Further attempts to discredit the anti-vaccination movement can be expected.

For instance, on May 3, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives (called “Vaccinate All Children Act of 2019”), stating that for a “State to be eligible to receive a [federal] grant, the State [must require] each student enrolled in one of the State’s public elementary schools or public secondary schools to be vaccinated.”

So, financial pressure is being exerted on States to follow suit.

Anti-Gay Radical US Minister Barred from Entering Ireland

The Guardian wrote on May 13:

“An anti-gay US Christian fundamentalist pastor… has become the first person to be barred from entering Ireland under a 20-year-old immigration law… More than 14,000 people signed an online petition set up by the Christian gay rights campaign group Changing Attitude Ireland calling on the Irish government to block Anderson’s trip to the country…

“It is understood Anderson, 38, was scheduled to give a sermon [on May 26] to 150 followers at a secret location in the Irish capital on the fallout from the legalisation of abortion in Ireland last year. The Anti-Defamation League said a video Anderson posted from his base in Arizona in 2015 showed him arguing that millions of Jews were not gassed and burned in ovens but rather died of hunger and disease in Nazi concentration camps. The video… also repeats the antisemitic trope that Jews lied about the Holocaust in order to create the state of Israel.

“Anderson set up his Faithful Word Baptist Church on Christmas Day 2005. It is not affiliated to any mainstream Christian churches across the world…”

Fox News reported on May 13:

“A controversial anti-gay and anti-Semitic preacher from Arizona [Seven Anderson], the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, was immediately forbidden to enter the country on Sunday as part of the Immigration Act of 1999… Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan signed the exclusion order — section four of which states: ‘The Minister may, if he or she considers it necessary in the interest of national security or public policy.’ ‘I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy,’ Flanagan said. It was the first time Ireland has banned someone from entering the country since the act was signed, the department told the news outlet…

“The pastor made headlines in 2009 after he delivered a sermon titled, ‘Why I Hate Barack Obama.’ He reportedly told Fox station KSAZ-TV that he ‘hope[s] that God strikes Barack Obama with brain cancer so he can die like Ted Kennedy and I hope it happens today.’

“Anderson also seemingly praised the Pulse Nightclub shooter, who killed 49 people in Orlando, Fla., in June 2016. ‘The good news is that at least 50 of these pedophiles are not going to be harming children anymore,’ Anderson said in a YouTube video… ‘The bad news is that a lot of the homos in the bar are still alive, so they’re going to continue to molest children and recruit people into their filthy homosexual lifestyle.’ Anderson continued, ‘The other bad news is that this is going to now be used as propaganda not only against Muslims, but also against Christians.’

“The pastor is also banned from South Africa, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which he planned to visit May 23.”

As reported, such statements by the pastor would indeed be highly objectionable. The deeper issue is, however: When does it become necessary to prohibit entry in the interest of national security or public policy? In the case at hand, it surely had nothing to do with national security, as the government admitted. It had to do with its interpretation of the vague and undefined clause of “public policy.” Note the next articles.

Twitter Blocks Accounts and Reaps Condemnation

Der Stern reported on May 13:

“The account of the ‘Jüdische Allgemeine,’ the only Jewish weekly newspaper in Germany, was hindered in its functions, after the paper referred to one of its articles per Tweet. In the article, the Israeli Ambassador in Germany explained why he would not want to meet with representatives of the AfD [a right-wing German party].”

Der Stern continued that social media was outraged about this kind of censorship.

Facebook Interfering in EU Election in Italy

Breitbart wrote on May 13:

“Facebook has shut down 23 major populist Italian pages with 2.5 million followers just two weeks before the European elections. According to Italian media, the majority of the pages supported the populist parties La Lega (The League) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S) — who currently govern Italy in a temporary coalition. Facebook has justified its dramatic move by claiming that the sites shared fake news, so-called ‘hate speech’, and ‘divisive content’ regarding immigrants, vaccines, and Jewish people. Facebook used information from a report produced by a left-progressive NGO called Avaaz, which deals with ‘human rights’ and environmental campaigns…

“The most active page in support of the Lega party was among those closed, just as polls are showing that the Lega is currently the party with the most support among Italians for the upcoming elections. Facebook’s efforts in Italy to influence the European elections are just the tip of the iceberg, Italian media noted. According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, on May 2 Facebook opened a ‘war room’ in Dublin devoted full time to the European electoral campaign, with 40 teams of engineers, scientists, researchers, threat specialists, and experts for each country. There are 500 people working on the elections, with the assistance of 21 supposed ‘fact-checkers,’ operating in 14 different languages.”

These are indeed very questionable and troublesome actions by Twitter and Facebook, which appear to be politically motivated.

The Nonsense of Political Correctness—“Will Political Correctness Kill Classic Movies?”

The Hill, May 12:

“The rise of political correctness can be seen across movie screens this weekend… Even older films, and the stars who made them great, are now seen through the PC prism. Just ask the estate of John Wayne. The legendary star got pummeled a few months ago, decades after his passing, for a racially insensitive Playboy interview in 1971. Some critics demanded that his name be stripped from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.

“Singer Kate Smith’s film career is dwarfed by her radio, TV and stage accomplishments. Yet Smith’s recording of two 1930s songs deemed racist convinced two professional sports teams – the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Flyers – to strip her iconic rendition of “God Bless America” from their programming.

“It’s easy to imagine the culture attempting to do something similar to films that don’t mirror today’s cultural mores… Even a comedy classic such as 1959’s ‘Some Like It Hot,’ featuring two men dressed in drag, could be insensitive given modern mores.

“Could problematic films eventually be pulled from home video and streaming services? Sound hysterical? It’s currently in vogue to tear down statues that don’t align with current groupthink. So why would pop culture artifacts be spared? In fact, it’s already been done.

“Two years ago, a Memphis theater nixed a screening of the 1939 classic ‘Gone with the Wind’ because of its ‘insensitive’ content. Disney’s Oscar-winning ‘Song of the South’ won’t be seen on the company’s forthcoming streaming platform. The 1946 film’s antiquated, and some say racist, portrayal of black life turned the movie into cultural poison. It’s never made it to home video, and that’s unlikely to change in the near future…”

Plain nonsense rules these days in the USA and elsewhere…  Just enjoy John Wayne movies and other classic pieces, as well as American songs, as long as you can. Perhaps owning them on DVD or CD might be worthy of consideration.

Censorship on the Rise because of Political Correctness

JTA wrote on May 13:

On April 16, Dzanc Books announced its latest release, ‘The Siege of Tel Aviv,’ a novel that imagines an Iran-led attack on Israel that leaves the country decimated. Author Hesh Kestin, a former journalist who had already published two novels with the small independent press, said the book was inspired by his experience living in Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Stephen King contributed a glowing blurb.

“But a week later the Michigan-based nonprofit publisher announced it was axing the book amid a flurry of comments on social media, including from other authors published by Dzanc, alleging that the book is Islamophobic. The book ‘perpetuates harmful narratives regarding Muslims that we cannot support,’ as Dzanc’s publisher and editor in chief, Michelle Dotter, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an email.

“Meanwhile, the 75-year-old Kestin, who lives in Southampton, New York, but spent two decades in Israel and served in its army, denies the allegations and says nixing the book is an act of censorship… some say the focus on political correctness is stifling artists. They speak of a ‘censor culture’ in which publishers are quick to terminate books at the first whiff of controversy…

“The book imagines a conflict similar to the Yom Kippur War, except this time it is Iran that takes charge when its leaders call for Israel’s destruction, followed by Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah fighters…”

The Bible prophesies that Arab nations will collaborate with Europe in an attempt to destroy Israel. So, when is the Bible censored next?

Anti-Israel Imam Gives Invocation on White House Floor—No “Censorship” There

JTA wrote on May 13:

“The Texas imam who gave an invocation on the House floor responded to those who criticized his invitation over social posts in which he demonized Israel…

“Omar Suleiman… wrote that since giving the invocation… ‘I have never attacked the Jewish community or peddled conspiracies about it. So imagine my surprise to be accused of anti-Semitism’ in the wake of his invocation, he wrote…

“Two years ago, however, the German-Israeli researcher Petra Marquardt-Bigman compileda lengthy record of incendiary social media statements about Israel by Suleiman that was posted on the Algemeiner Jewish news site. On multiple occasions, according to the research, Suleiman has wished for a third Palestinian intifada, or uprising, likened Israeli troops to Nazis, and has wished for the end of Zionism, calling Zionists ‘the enemies of God.’ He is a backer of the boycott Israel movement.

“Suleiman’s congresswoman, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, invited him to deliver the prayer through a standard form on the webpage of the Office of the Chaplain of the House, according to a congressional official.”

Shocking indeed!

BBC’s Attack on Nigel Farage Backfires

The Sun wrote on May 13:

“The meteoric rise of the Brexit Party proves increasing numbers of people are fed up with the fashionable values of the ruling elite and its cheerleaders… Nigel Farage is challenging the very basis of the discredited traditional order. His party has soared in polls, with new figures showing that 34 per cent of voters back it.

“Nowhere is the terror of the establishment felt more keenly than in the corridors of the BBC, the lavishly funded state broadcaster which has long acted as a propaganda machine for the creed of political correctness and the Left… Yesterday, in a blatant attempt to turn back the Brexit party’s tide, the BBC called on its interviewer Andrew Marr to perform a hatchet job on Farage. Marr in turn dredged up a long list of quotes from the past, with the aim of exposing Farage as a dangerous extremist.

“Interviews should, of course, be robust and it is the duty of television hosts to question politicians closely about their policies. And there’s no denying that some of the views Farage aired when he was leader of UKIP were questionable. But this was not a hard-hitting exchange, but rather a clear attempt at character assassination. The aim was not to enlighten, only to destroy… Yet Marr’s effort backfired disastrously – not only because Farage is one of the most experienced, eloquent campaigners in Britain, but he was able to give as good as he got…

“If the tables had been turned, and yesterday Farage had been able to highlight some episodes from his interrogator’s past, he could have pointed out that Marr in his youth was a ‘Maoist’…

“That is how the BBC really sees its role: to stamp out certain ideas and reshape the public consciousness to match the outlook of the elite. This crusade can be found everywhere, such as the enthusiasm for open borders, the obsession with cultural diversity and the hysteria over climate change…”

Sadly, the same can be said for the left-liberal mass media in this country and in many other countries around the world.

Alabama’s Controversial Abortion Law

The Sun wrote on May 15:

“ALABAMA lawmakers last night passed a near-total ban on abortions – including in cases of rape and incest… State governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, [signed the] controversial law after local senators voted in favour by 25 to six… the new law [makes] it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy – punishable by up to 99 years in jail. The only exception would be when the woman’s health is at serious risk.

“The historic legislation is designed to go against the US Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion nationally. This means it will likely be challenged in the courts – but if backed by the current conservative-led US Supreme court, could see abortions banned across America…

“Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected – which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. The Alabama bill goes further by seeking to outlaw abortion entirely. Unlike measures in other states, Alabama would punish only the abortion provider – not the woman receiving the abortion… [The new law will] take effect in six months.

“Critics have promised a swift lawsuit and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama is drafting a legal complaint.”

Newsmax wrote on May 15:

“Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson said Wednesday that Alabama’s… abortion ban is an ‘extreme law’… Robertson said Alabama lawmakers went ‘too far… my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one’ll lose.’”

Deliver Us From the Evil One

Breitbart wrote on May 15:

“[Pope Francis said:] ‘There is a mysterious evil… that penetrates silently into the folds of history… Silent like the snake that carries its poison silently…’… With this expression [‘But deliver us from evil’], the one who prays is not only asking not to be abandoned in the time of temptation, but also begging to be freed from evil…

“‘The original Greek verb is very strong: it evokes the presence of the evil one who tends to grasp and bite us and from whom we ask God for deliverance… The apostle Peter also says that the evil one — the devil — is around us like a furious lion, looking to devour us, and we ask God to deliver us…’

“We are called to place our trust in the Father’s care ‘even and especially at times when the evil one makes his threatening presence felt,’ the pope said.”

Very true. Please read our free booklet, “Teach Us to Pray!”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

US Power Severely Limited—but the USA Does Not Notice it.

Foreign Policy wrote on April 26:

“The era of unilateralism is over—and Washington is the last to realize it.

“Just how powerful is the United States? Is it still the unipolar power, able to impose its will on adversaries, allies, and neutrals, and force them—however reluctantly—to go along with policies they think are foolish, dangerous, or simply contrary to their interests? Or are there clear and significant limits to U.S. power…?

“The Trump administration has embraced the first position, especially since John Bolton became White House national security advisor and Mike Pompeo took over as secretary of state. Whatever President Donald Trump’s initial instincts may have been, their arrival marked a return to the unilateralist… approach to foreign policy that characterized George W. Bush’s first term as president, when Vice President Dick Cheney and the neoconservatives held sway. A key feature of that earlier period was the assumption that the United States was so powerful that it could go it alone on many issues and that other states could be cowed into submission by demonstrations of U.S. power and resolve…

“The Bush-Cheney approach produced a string of failures, but the same unilateral arrogance lives on in the Trump administration… The underlying assumption… is… that other states won’t find ways to evade, obstruct, divert, dilute, hedge, hinder, or otherwise negate what Washington is trying to do…  Plus, most Americans don’t care all that much about foreign policy and are usually willing to go along with whatever the executive branch is doing, provided that it doesn’t prove too costly or embarrassing…”

Not only don’t most Americans care about foreign policy, they are also woefully uninformed about what is happening in the world outside the borders of the USA. And even then, most don’t realize what is really happening within the borders of the USA either. The Bible has prophesied that the UK and, by extension the USA, will become burned cakes which have not been turned, and they will not notice it.

Extending Trump’s Presidency?

Axios wrote on May 5:

“President Trump retweeted Liberty University President Jerry Falwell’s Twitter post calling for the first term of his presidency to be extended by 2 years for ‘time stolen’ and tweeted his own thoughts on the Mueller investigation Sunday. ‘Despite the tremendous success that I have had as President, including perhaps the greatest ECONOMY and most successful first two years of any President in history, they have stollen [sic] two years of my (our) Presidency (Collusion Delusion) that we will never be able to get back…’

“Trump made the remarks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi… told The New York Times she worried the president might not give up power voluntarily if he lost the 2020 election by a narrow margin.”

It’s a moot question as Donald Trump will win the 2020 election. The issue is, however, what might happen in 2024.

650 Former Federal Prosecutors Charge Trump with Obstruction of Justice

Axios wrote on May 7:

“More than 650 former federal prosecutors have signed onto a statement asserting that if the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) did not prohibit a sitting president from being indicted, President Trump would be charged with obstruction of justice…

“Special counsel Robert Mueller laid out extensive evidence of possible obstruction by Trump in volume 2 of his report, though he ultimately opted not to make a ‘traditional prosecutorial judgment’ in part because of the OLC opinion. Attorney General Bill Barr’s decision to clear Trump of obstruction has drawn the ire of many Democrats and former prosecutors who believe he is acting as the president’s personal lawyer, rather than the country’s top law enforcement official.

“The statement is signed by more than 20 former U.S. attorneys and more than 100 career Justice Department officials who worked in every administration dating back to President Eisenhower. It cites a number of episodes Mueller detailed in his report as ‘acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge’ — meaning obstructive conduct and ‘corrupt intent.’ Specifically, the prosecutors point to: ‘The President’s efforts to fire Mueller and to falsify evidence about that effort; The President’s efforts to limit the scope of Mueller’s investigation to exclude his conduct; and The President’s efforts to prevent witnesses from cooperating with investigators probing him and his campaign.’”

None of this matters, because Trump will not be indicted, and he will win the re-election in 2020.

Placing Iran on Notice

JTA wrote on May 5:

“The Trump administration is deploying air and sea strike forces to the Middle East in response to what it described as ‘troubling and escalatory indications and warnings’ from Iran… Israel blames a deadly escalation over the weekend on the Gaza Strip border in part on Iranian arming and funding of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the hostilities were not related to the military ramp-up in the Persian Gulf…

“[National Security Adviser, John] Bolton said the U.S. was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region ‘to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.’ ‘The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime,’ he said, ‘but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces.’

“The Trump administration is also backing Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, and the Saudis say the Houthi forces they are engaging in that country are a proxy for Iran. The Syrian civil war is in its final stages and parties to that conflict, including Iran and its ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, are seeking to establish permanence in that country. The United States also wants to diminish Iranian influence in Iraq.”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 7:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise visit to Baghdad over concerns Iran ‘is escalating their activity.’… Pompeo had been on his way to Germany where he was due to meet both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, but suddenly canceled the trip due to ‘pressing issues,’ the State Department initially said…

“Pompeo said he made the trip to Iraq because Iranian forces are ‘escalating their activity’ and the threat of attacks were ‘very specific.’ ‘These were attacks that were imminent,’ Pompeo said without discussing the intelligence in detail.”

North Korea vs. USA?

“Donald Trump has said he does not think North Korea is ‘ready to negotiate’ after it launched suspected short-range missiles, in the second such weapons test in five days. ‘We’re looking at it very seriously right now,’ Trump told reporters in the White House. ‘Nobody’s happy about it.’…

“In another development likely to dent hopes of a resumption of talks, the US justice department said it had taken custody of a North Korean cargo ship it alleged had been involving in sanctions-busting by smuggling coal from Russia in defiance of a UN embargo.”

Ending USA-China Trade Truce?

Breitbart wrote on May 5:

“President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will hike the tariffs on $200 billion of imports from China to 25 percent from 10 percent on Friday…

“Trump’s tweets essentially end the so-called trade truce that has been in effect since December, when the president agreed with his Chinese counterpart to hold off on higher tariffs while the two nations negotiated a trade deal…”

The Sun wrote on May 9:

“Donald Trump wiped nearly $1.5 TRILLION off global markets in a single tweet after threatening to double China trade tariffs. Analysts have now pointed out that the President’s message cost a staggering $13bn a word.”

CNBC added on May 9:

“Dow falls 138 points, S&P drops for a fourth day as new China tariffs set to kick in at midnight.”

Germany Condemns Turkey

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 7:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday condemned a controversial order to scrap the results of Istanbul’s mayoral election. Turkey’s top election body on Monday ordered a rerun of the vote after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alleged Ballot ‘irregularities’ and ‘organized corruption.’ Although AKP won most races in the March local polls, it lost the major cities of Ankara and Istanbul to the opposition.  Maas called the election body’s decision… ‘incomprehensible to us.’…

“The electoral board’s decision means a new Istanbul vote will be held on June 23. Erdogan described the planned rerun as an ‘important step’ for the country… Former German Greens leader Cem Özdemir, who has Turkish roots, told Agence France-Presse the annulment had ‘nothing to [do] with democracy,’ but rather proves that Erdogan is a ‘bitter old man, who has long passed the zenith of his power.’ ‘In the world of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, everyone who thinks differently to him is a terrorist, and every election he loses is a sham election,’ he said…

“Turkey’s opposition called the election board’s decision undemocratic and a sign the country had become a ‘dictatorship.’ Critics have long accused Erdogan of using his power to repress political opponents and silence critical voices in the media. The local elections in March were seen as his first test at the polls since last year’s currency crisis, which led to skyrocketing inflation and recession. And although his AKP won overall, the loss of the capital, Ankara, and economic powerhouse Istanbul, served a huge blow…

“The defeat in Turkey’s largest city, home to 16 million people, came as a major shock to Erdogan and his AK party. Istanbul had been held by the AKP and its Islamic predecessors for more than two decades. It was also a personal loss for Erdogan, who grew up in the city and began his rise to political prominence as mayor there in the early 90s…”

Even though Turkey is becoming more and more alienated from the rest of Europe, due to Erdogan’s dictatorship, the Bible shows that in the future, Turkey will collaborate with Europe against Israel.

A European Army

Euractiv wrote on May 3:

“The controversial subject of the EU’s future plans for a common army provoked lively exchanges during the second Spitzenkandidaten debate on Thursday (2 May), just three weeks before the European polls. With security and defence likely to become one of the main priorities for the next European Commission, the most confrontational moment revolved around the question of whether the EU should pool its military resources.

“The idea has gained political momentum in recent months, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, the issue exposed a rift along party lines, with both Verhofstadt and Weber speaking out in favour, while Timmermans and Keller [voiced] their opposition against the plans.

“Liberal Verhofstadt called for Europe’s armies to merge within five years… ‘We spend nearly half of the Americans, we spend three times more than the Russians on the military in Europe, but I am not sure if the Russians come this way that we are capable to stop them…’

“His comments feed into the current state of play around the bloc, whereas there are currently approximately 178 different weapon systems in the EU, compared to only around 30 in the US… In a nod to Verhofstadt, Weber defended the vision of the EU army and called for ‘great ambitions’ when talking about the future of European defence…

“Green candidate Keller responded. ‘… if the one, big dream for Europe is about an army… [who] would send such an army into action?’… Timmermans, former Dutch foreign minister… declared the project unrealistic. He scolded Verhofstadt, telling him not to ‘over-promise’, and that ‘there will be no EU army for the foreseeable future.’”

Well, Keller and Timmermans will be proven to be wrong. A European army will exist, and a charismatic figure, called the beast in the Bible, will ultimately be in complete command of the army and send it into action.

Sebastian Kurz—“No EU Army, Need for a New Treaty”

Politico wrote on May 4:

“The EU must negotiate a new treaty with stronger collective rules and tougher sanctions for member countries that step out of line while at the same time reining in expansive projects such as an EU army, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (32) told Die Presse…

“His comments in a wide-ranging interview with the Vienna-based newspaper on the day his party launched its European election campaign are particularly crucial because he occupies an unusually strategic spot within the European Council, which must nominate the next European Commission president. He is a member of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), which is projected once again to win the most seats in the European Parliament. He is a fierce supporter of the EU, but has also taken a tough line on immigration that makes him something of a bridge to more conservative leaders to Austria’s east…

“Kurz’s most substantive argument was that the Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in 2009, needs to be renovated to meet modern challenges, including stiff punishment for countries that violate rule of law and democracy standards or penalties for those that fail to enforce immigration laws. ‘Since the Lisbon Treaty, much has changed in Europe,’ Kurz said. ‘We had a debt crisis, a euro crisis, the migration crisis, the climate crisis and also the Brexit chaos.’…

“On the EU army, for which there is little appetite in Austria, Kurz said Brussels should better focus on increasing military and defense cooperation. ‘There will be no EU army, with member states giving up command,’ he said.

“Kurz has endorsed Manfred Weber, the EPP lead candidate for Commission president, but the interview offered some warnings for Weber, particularly the cautionary note on an EU army. Weber strongly endorsed the idea of an EU army, at least as an aspiration…

“The Austrian leader also issued a particularly pointed challenge to Emmanuel Macron. He demanded that the French president back up his claims to be an EU reformer by agreeing to a single seat for the European Parliament in Brussels, and ending the monthly plenary sessions in Strasbourg, which remains the Parliament’s official base. ‘We have to end the EU Parliament’s wandering circus,’ said Kurz.

“In the interview, Kurz also criticized right-wing populists — a point that some might view as hypocritical given that his governing coalition in Austria includes the far-right Freedom Party…”

Die Welt reported on May 7 that anti-Semitic statements were shouted during a demonstration in Vienna, Austria, and indirectly, the demand for theextinction of Israel, but that nothing happened. However, when an Israeli flag was shown in a counter-demonstration, the police intervened.

In addition, Sebastian Kurz is a mixed bag. Some of his proposals would be in line with biblical prophecy, while others would clearly not be. His young age might explain the occasional shortsightedness of his positions.

EU Life Without Britain

Express wrote on May 7:

“EU leaders this week will focus on ‘far more important’ issues as they ignore Brexit at a crunch gathering in the Romanian town of Sibiu without Theresa May… On Thursday, the EU27 will hold the informal gathering to discuss life without Britain, despite Mrs May’s failure to quit the Brussels bloc. Brussels hopes a show of unity will send a strong message to Britain that the Prime Minister’s hated Brexit deal is not up for negotiation and there is no room for compromise on the terms of the divorce.

“Diplomats and officials are looking forward to the event as it gives them an opportunity to discuss anything but Britain’s divorce, which has prominently featured on their agenda for the last three years…

“Shunning Brexit, they will instead focus on migration, the European Commission’s role and potential candidates for top jobs after the European elections at the end of [this] month.”

The EUObserver wrote on May 9:

“EU leaders pledged at a meeting in Romania on Thursday (9 May) to stay united… after Brexit and amid a geopolitical shake-up… ‘We reaffirm our belief that united, we are stronger in this increasingly unsettled and challenging world,’ the broad-brush statement said. ‘We have been able to go thick and thin, we have proved this in numerous crises, […] we know the rest of the world is not asleep and we need to work hard to make it flourish,’ German chancellor Angela Merkel concluded to reporters after the meeting.

“‘One country on its own cannot solve the great global problems,’ Merkel added, saying leaders discussed defining the EU’s role in the world, and that multilateral cooperation needs to be translated into the way the EU grapples with the big issues.

“In the declaration, leaders said: ‘we will show each other solidarity in times of need and we will always stand together. We can and we will speak with one voice…’ The declaration vows that the EU will act where it matters…”

Stockpiling Coins and Banknotes in a “Cashless” Society

The Sunday Times wrote on May 5:

“Sweden, [a] nation that pioneered living without cash, warns: Hoard your banknotes. As Britain edges towards a cashless future, Sweden has urged its citizens to stockpile change in case of power cuts, a cyber-attack or war.

“Everyone in Sweden has been urged to stockpile coins and banknotes in case the country’s move towards a cashless society leaves them without money in a cyber-crisis. In a move that will sound alarm bells in the UK, Sweden – one of the most advanced nations for digital payments – has warned that its people could be unable to buy anything if its computer networks were put out of action.

“The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, an arm of the government, has sent guidance to every home telling residents to squirrel away ‘cash in small denominations’ in case of emergencies ranging from power cuts or technology glitches to terrorism, cyber-attacks by a rogue government or war.”

It is always good advice to have some cash at home in case of unforeseen emergencies, including power outages, earthquakes and other natural catastrophes.

The Vaccination War against Religious Freedom

NPR wrote on May 6:

“Oregon is one of more than 10 states considering tightening their vaccine laws this year… Currently, parents in Oregon and most other states can cite religious or philosophical reasons if they don’t want to vaccinate their kids… Oregon kindergartners claim vaccine exemptions at the highest rate in the nation.

“But a bill in the state Legislature would do away with those nonmedical exemptions. Parents who didn’t secure a doctor’s permission would face a choice between vaccination or not sending their kids to school… If passed, Oregon would become the fourth state to eliminate nonmedical exemptions. Opponents are keen on preventing that. In the two months since the bill was filed, it has spurred thousands of letters and phone calls, and hours of passionate testimony…

“States such as Colorado, Maine and New York have considered bills this year to tighten vaccine laws, with varying outcomes. Colorado’s effort reportedly stalled when it failed to pass the state’s Senate, while Maine recently pared back a bill that would have eliminated all nonmedical exemptions…

“In Oregon, doctors and other health care professionals have come out overwhelmingly in favor of the vaccine bill, which is among the broadest proposed nationwide. They point out that vaccines have been proved safe for the vast majority of the population and effective at stopping the spread of disease. Opponents are far less trusting. Many are parents who worry that their children could be harmed by vaccines. Though rare, some claim their kids have already been injured by the shots. They also make an overarching argument: that lawmakers are taking away their medical choice…”

Even though the scientific world is anxious to claim that vaccines are harmless and do not cause any side effects, this is CLEARLY untrue, especially for those with a weakened immune system.

As Time reported on May 8, “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. [an attorney, author, environmental activist and son of Bobby Kennedy] has become a hero of the anti-vax crowd with his persistent claims that vaccines contain deadly ingredients, particularly a mercury-based preservative known as thimerosal, and that they are linked to autism.”

Some of Kennedy’s relatives [a brother, a sister and a niece] disagree with him, stating he is wrong on both counts and that he is spreading “dangerous misinformation,” and so does most of the main-stream media. But the question is, who IS right in this emotionally charged battle? The mere fact that scientists and pharmaceutical doctors, who have been proven wrong many times, take the position of mandatory vaccinations does not have to mean that the vaccinations are harmless and without dangerous complications and side effects.

Crazy! Cruise Ship Quarantined Because of Measles

The Guardian wrote on May 6:

“A Church of Scientology cruise ship docked in the Caribbean island of Curaçao will remain under quarantine until government authorities determine how many of the ship’s 318 passengers are infected with measles. Health officials have taken 277 blood samples from those onboard the ship and sent them to the Netherlands… Ten passengers and 31 crew members were able to provide proof of vaccination.

“Health officials in St Lucia were notified on 30 April that a female crew member onboard the ship had been diagnosed with measles. The crew member had traveled to Europe, arrived on Curaçao on 17 April and visited a doctor for cold symptoms on 22 April. A blood sample sent to Aruba confirmed she had measles on 29 April, a day after the ship departed for St Lucia, according to the Associated Press.

“After deliberations with the Pan American Health Organization, St Lucia health officials put the ship under quarantine on 30 April. The ship left St Lucia on Thursday and returned to its home port in Curaçao on Saturday. A team of nine medical professionals and authorities boarded the vessel to start interviewing and testing passengers… As they await the test results, passengers and crew members are not allowed to leave the ship because of the risk that they carry the highly infectious disease, authorities said…

“The Church of Scientology has not taken a specific position on vaccinations, though it says that Scientologists seek standard medical care and prescription drugs when ill…”

No Surprise! Vaccination Hysteria in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 5, 2019:

“German Health Minister Jens Spahn is proposing a law that allows for fining parents of unvaccinated children up to €2,500 ($2,800). The conservative [openly gay] lawmaker said he wants to ‘eradicate’ measles.

“Parents in Germany who refuse to vaccinate their children against measles would be required to pay up to €2,500 ($2,800) in fines and their children would be thrown out of kindergarten… The bill has a different solution for parents of schoolchildren. Elementary education is mandatory in Germany, so the law would not be able to keep unvaccinated children out of schools. Instead, their parents would be required to pay the fine.

“In addition to newborns, there are also older children whose health prevents them from getting immunized, such as organ recipients or people suffering from leukemia. Their parents would need to provide proof of the medical condition that prevents them from getting the vaccine. By July 2020, other parents who attempt to sign up their children for kindergartens or schools would need to provide confirmation that their children have been vaccinated.

“Vaccinations will also become mandatory for employees of hospitals and private medical practices. The draft legislation is currently being discussed in the Cabinet. It is expected to be adopted this year and go into force in March 2020…”

Bild Online added on May 6 that CDU-Chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (56), SPD-Chief Andrea Nahles (48) und SPD-health „expert“ Karl Lauterbach (56) support the draft, while others criticize or oppose it. Politicians from the SPD claim that the law might be unconstitutional, while the Green Party categorically rejects mandatory vaccinations. And while FDP-general secretary supports mandatory vaccinations, she is opposed to fines. That the vaccination hysteria and its wide-reaching reactions have reached German politicians is no surprise, given the fact that Germany has always been known for acting and reacting in extreme fashion.

Plant and Animal Life at Risk of Extinction

The New York Times wrote on May 6:

“Humans are transforming Earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their survival, a sweeping new United Nations assessment has concluded.

“The 1,500-page report, compiled by hundreds of international experts and based on thousands of scientific studies, is the most exhaustive look yet at the decline in biodiversity across the globe and the dangers that creates for human civilization. A summary of its findings, which was approved by representatives from the United States and 131 other countries, was released Monday in Paris. The full report is set to be published this year.

“Its conclusions are stark. In most major land habitats, from the savannas of Africa to the rain forests of South America, the average abundance of native plant and animal life has fallen by 20 percent or more, mainly over the past century. With the human population passing 7 billion, activities like farming, logging, poaching, fishing and mining are altering the natural world at a rate ‘unprecedented in human history.’

“At the same time, a new threat has emerged: Global warming has become a major driver of wildlife decline, the assessment found, by shifting or shrinking the local climates that many mammals, birds, insects, fish and plants evolved to survive in. When combined with the other ways humans are damaging the environment, climate change is now pushing a growing number of species, such as the Bengal tiger, closer to extinction…

“Humans are producing more food than ever, but land degradation is already harming agricultural productivity on 23 percent of the planet’s land area, the new report said. The decline of wild bees and other insects that help pollinate fruits and vegetables is putting up to $577 billion in annual crop production at risk. The loss of mangrove forests and coral reefs along coasts could expose up to 300 million people to increased risk of flooding.

“The authors note that the devastation of nature has become so severe that piecemeal efforts to protect individual species or to set up wildlife refuges will no longer be sufficient…”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Anti-Semitic Violence Can Happen Everywhere!

JTA wrote on April 29:

“Poway’s landscape is textbook Southern California with its tract houses, red-tiled roofs, manicured lawns and palm trees off in the distance. This affluent community of about 50,000, it turns out, is not immune to the gun violence that has made schools and cities across the country synonymous with bloodshed. It’s not immune to the recent wave of anti-Semitic hate that has left toppled tombstones, spray-painted swastikas and, back in October, the 11 dead bodies of mostly elderly synagogue-goers in Pittsburgh.

“But a day after a gunman entered Chabad of Poway, killing congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, and injuring three others… the Jewish community here teetered between disbelief (‘Poway of all places?’) and the conviction that in a post-Pittsburgh world, all Jewish communities are possible targets. (‘Yes, even Poway.’)…

“After a gunman motivated by his antipathy for Jewish support for immigrants killed worshippers inside Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue… such an attack was likely to happen again somewhere…”

The Week added on April 30:

“The 19-year-old San Diego man who was charged with murder after a shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California, on Saturday, was held without bail on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to the alleged crime in his first court appearance. A judge called the alleged shooter, John Earnest, an ‘obvious and extraordinary’ risk to the public. Earnest could face the death penalty if convicted, because he is accused of killing a woman — 60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye — based on her religious beliefs, a special circumstance which could circumvent a moratorium on capital punishment. Earnest is also charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of arson after law enforcement linked him to a fire at a mosque in Escondido, California, weeks earlier.”

The suspect’s parents condemned the crime of their son. Why the suspect has pleaded not guilty is a mystery, unless his attorney wants to avoid punishment of his client by pleading temporary insanity. The truth of the matter is that these horrible deeds are being committed under the unrealized direct influence of demons.

Further Violence in Southern California

The Algemeiner wrote on April 30:

“A US combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan who prosecutors say plotted to detonate multiple nail bombs at a Los Angeles-area white nationalist rally, seeking to cause mass casualties, was arrested in an FBI sting operation… [The] US Army infantryman who recently converted to Islam, was taken into custody on Friday after undercover FBI operatives furnished him with what he thought were live bombs to be used in the attack, law enforcement officials said.

“Authorities said the [suspect] came to their attention because of a series of violent extremist messages he posted in online chat rooms, one of which called for ‘retribution’ for the massacre of 50 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, by a gunman in March.”

It is frightening to contemplate that people like these served and perhaps are still serving in the US military.

Global Military Spending at Its Highest

Reuters wrote on April 29:

“Global military expenditure reached its highest level last year since the end of the Cold War, fueled by increased spending in the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies… In its annual report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said overall global military spending in 2018 hit $1.82 trillion, up 2.6 percent on the previous year… U.S. military spending rose 4.6 percent last year to reach $649 billion, leaving it still by far the world’s biggest spender. It accounted for 36 percent of total global military expenditure, nearly equal to the following eight biggest-spending countries combined…

“China, the second biggest spender, saw military expenditure rise 5.0 percent to $250 billion last year, the 24th consecutive annual increase… In 2018 the USA and China accounted for half of the world’s military spending…

“The other top spenders are, in declining order, Saudi Arabia, India, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, Japan and South Korea. Saudi Arabia… was the biggest per capita spender on defense, just ahead of the United States…”

The more man spends on military expenditure, the closer we come to the possibility of extinction of the human race.

Two State Solution Failed

JTA wrote on April 24:

“Jared Kushner said past negotiations over a two-state solution have ‘failed,’ setting up the likelihood that the peace plan he expects to release soon will include limited autonomy for Palestinians…

“Palestinian leaders have said that anything short of statehood will lead them to demand full representation as voting Israeli citizens. The Palestinian leadership… cut off Kushner and other negotiators after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017.”

There will be no peace in the Middle East prior to Christ’s return.

Ukraine—Back to Russia?

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

“The Russian president is already testing Ukraine’s president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In fact, Putin’s latest decree can be seen as pseudo-legal preparation for military moves… Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear he is not interested in easing the tension between Moscow and Kyiv. There’s no other way to interpret the decree he issued on Wednesday, which makes it easier for residents of the so-called ‘People’s Republics’…  to get Russian passports…

“Putin’s decree is a provocation. What he’s aiming to do is to separate the territories in eastern Ukraine, already effectively occupied by Russia, even more clearly and permanently from the Ukrainian state…”

In fact, it is Putin’s goal to incorporate the entirety of Ukraine into the Russian empire. See the next article.

Bloomberg wrote on April 29:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said he may extend an offer of citizenship to cover all Ukrainians… Ukraine doesn’t permit dual citizenship and it’s unclear how many people would take up Putin’s offer amid deep divisions between the neighbors…

“Russia will start issuing passports on May 3, with separatist officials and military forces receiving them first… Russia has made similar moves in other breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union and in at least one case used the presence of newly converted citizens as justification for military intervention…

“Ukraine and Russia have shared historical and religious roots, though the bonds of kinship have been strained and even severed…

“The U.S. State Department last week condemned Putin’s decree as ‘highly provocative’ and accused Russia of ‘intensifying its assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty.’ Germany and France said in a joint statement that the passport offer ‘contradicts the spirit and goals’ of a stalled 2015 peace agreement intended to resolve the conflict.

“Rebel officials say about 3.6 million people live in the areas under their control. About 360,000 people in separatist-held territory in Donetsk have already obtained Russian passports through ordinary procedures…”

The Bible shows clearly that Ukraine and Russia will combine militarily in opposition to western Europe.

Serbia Back to Russia?

ABC News wrote on May 2:

 “Serbia’s pro-Russian defense minister warned Thursday the Balkan country could ditch its European Union membership goals for close ties with Moscow… Although Serbia formally seeks EU membership, its populist leaders have gradually steered Serbia toward its ally Russia. Moscow is a key backer of Serbia’s stance over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008…

“Belgrade does not recognize Kosovo’s independence… With Kosovo pushing for more involvement from Washington in the negotiations, there have been signs that Serbia may respond by asking for Moscow’s participation.”

Elections in Spain

The Associated Press wrote on April 28:

“Spain’s socialist prime minister says he will consider talks to form a new government only with parties that respect the constitution and promote social justice. Pedro Sánchez declared his party the winner in Sunday’s general election, a ballot in which the far-right made inroads for the first time since Spain returned to democratic rule…

“Vox leader Santiago Abascal has euphorically celebrated his new far-right party’s results in Spain’s general election… He said ‘we told you that we were going to begin a reconquering of Spain and that’s what we have done.’ That is a reference to the 15th-century campaign by Spanish Catholic Kings to end Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula. The 43-year-old Abascal said that the 24 lawmakers from Vox that will sit in Spain’s lower house of parliament will be enough for the party to set the political agenda…

“Vox, which was formed five years ago, has promised to defend Spain from its ‘enemies,’ citing feminists, liberal elites and Muslims among others…”

The resurgence of right-wing populism in Spain is quite interesting and in line with biblical prophecy.

Turmoil in Venezuela

Axios wrote on April 30:

“Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaidó has taken to the streets alongside newly freed opposition politician Leopoldo López to call on the military to rise up and topple President Nicolás Maduro, a bold step that comes three months into a fierce power struggle…

“Guaidó declared himself Venezuela’s interim president in January and was swiftly recognized by the U.S. and a string of other countries, but Maduro has maintained his hold on power. The Trump administration and senior members of Congress have backed today’s high-risk move, while senior members of the Venezuelan regime have denounced what they’ve described as a futile ‘coup attempt.’

“López, one of Venezuela’s best-known politicians, was detained in 2014 for organizing anti-Maduro protests and had been under house arrest. He claimed to have been freed ‘by members of the security forces responding to an order by Guaidó’…

“‘As [López] spoke on a highway overpass, troops loyal to Maduro sporadically fired tear gas from inside the adjacent Carlota air base as the crowd of a few hundred civilians, some of them brandishing Venezuelan flags, scurried for cover,’ the AP reports. ‘The crowd swelled to a few thousand as people sensed what could be their strongest opportunity yet to overthrow the government after months of turmoil that has seen Maduro withstand an onslaught of protests and international pressure with the support of his top military command and allies such as Russia and Cuba…

“As the world has waited for a decisive moment in the Maduro-Guaidó showdown, the suffering of the Venezuelan people has only intensified. The U.S. has ratcheted up sanctions, arguing that Venezuela’s economic crisis will never end until Maduro leaves power… Russia has sent troops in support of Maduro, and China has also defended the regime.”

Deutsche Welle added on April 30:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Maduro was ready to go into exile in Cuba but was persuaded by Russia to stay. President Donald Trump has called on Cuba to immediately cease its military support for Venezuela.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 1:

“Venezuela’s acting President Nicolas Maduro appeared on state television alongside military and intelligence officers on Wednesday to announce that ‘loyal and obedient’ troops had successfully quashed a failed coup attempt by self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido… despite small numbers of defections from the armed forces, there has been no mass exodus… Maduro said Guaido’s actions ‘will not go unpunished….’

“In his television address, Maduro claimed Guaido had initiated the current uprising to create a pretext for a US military intervention. Although Pompeo said the US wants a peaceful transfer of power, he warned… ‘The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do…’”

The situation in Venezuela might also lead to further deteriorating relationships between the USA and Russia, Cuba and China.

North Korea’s Murderous Dictatorship

The Daily Mail wrote on April 24:

“Four North Korean officials have reportedly been executed for selling information to the US ahead of the failed nuclear arms meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump… The four workers, all said to be from the foreign ministry, were allegedly killed by firing squad after talks in Vietnam between the two countries broke down… News of the alleged killings comes as North Korean media reported Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, had been ‘demoted’ from at least one of her titles within the party in the wake of the failed nuclear summit…

“Kim Jong-un’s top adviser and key negotiator with the U.S. on denuclearisation was also removed from his post earlier this month, South Korean officials said. Kim Yong Chol, known as the leader’s most trusted policy adviser, was dropped as head of the United Front Department. He appears to have been ‘censured’ after the second Trump-Kim summit failed to reach a deal on the sanctions relief Pyongyang would get in exchange for dismantling its nuclear programme.”

When you want to work for a murderous dictator, this is what you get…

How the EU Makes Anti-Israel Politics by Ignoring Dissenting Member State

The EUObserver wrote on May 1:

“The EU just de facto ignored Hungary’s veto on a statement on Israel, prompting questions on how it makes foreign policy decisions. Hungary objected to the EU statement at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York at the last minute on Monday (29 April).  But Finland read it out anyway at the UNSC meeting, in a game of protocol niceties laced with irritation. The Finnish ambassador to the UN, Kai Sauer, said: ‘I have the honour to speak on behalf of …’ the 27 EU countries which he listed, omitting Hungary.

“But his subsequent statement used language that made mockery of Hungary’s opinion. ‘The EU expresses serious concerns about the current trends … threatening the viability of the two-state solution,’ it said. It spoke of ‘the European Union’s position’ on Israeli settlements and said ‘the European Union’ was ‘alarmed’ by Palestinian deaths. It also spoke in the EU’s name on Israel’s use of live ammunition and to urge good treatment of a human rights activist called Omar Shakir.

“Finland read out the statement on grounds it will take over the rotating EU presidency from Romania in July. Romania would normally have done it, a Finnish diplomat told EUobserver, but did not do so because the sitting EU presidency ought to speak on behalf of all 28 member states…

“The UNSC veto marked the fifth time that Hungary torpedoed a public EU statement on Israel in the past two years. It sometimes acted with pro-Israeli EU allies, such as the Czech Republic, and sometimes alone…

“EU foreign policy is meant to be agreed by consensus, but the European Commission has proposed to introduce majority voting to help it ‘speak with one voice’… The idea was anathema to Hungary and Poland… But the two most powerful EU states – France and Germany – backed the move. Some medium-sized countries, such as Belgium and The Netherlands, also voiced a positive attitude. The handling of the UNSC statement on Israel indicated that the EU majority is now moving in that direction.”

This is also pointing to the establishment of core Europe, consisting of less than all the member states.

“New US policy on Seized Property in Cuba Threatens EU”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 2:

“A Trump administration law amendment to allow US nationals to file lawsuits against foreign companies doing business in Cuba came into effect on Thursday. The major policy shift sets the stage for fresh economic disputes between the US and Europe…

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the US will allow lawsuits against foreign companies operating on properties that were seized from Americans during the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Pompeo said anyone doing business in Cuba ‘should heed this announcement.’…

“The European Union, which is Cuba’s largest trading partner, has warned it would take ‘appropriate measures’ if the US tries to interfere in business ties between sovereign states…

“The Trump administration has angered European allies in the past over its withdrawal from the Paris climate accords and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. There are also trade disputes brewing between Washington and Brussels…”

Pushing Russia into China’s Arms?

The EUObserver wrote on May 2:

“‘The EU is the world’s village idiot’, Le Pen said in Copenhagen, referring to Europe’s free trade policies, open markets and borders.

“French far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, is campaigning to ‘save’ Europe by transforming it into what she calls a De Gaulle-inspired ‘Alliance of Nations’. She also warns against pushing Russia into the arms of China. French far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, has shelved ‘Frexit’ plans to leave the European Union and she no longer wants France to quit the euro.”

Vatican Endorses EU Superstate

Breitbart wrote on April 26:

“The European Union (EU) is ‘an example of what could become a supranational state,’ according to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in the lead-up to a major conference against nationalism… the Vatican insists on describing nationalism in exclusively negative terms, opening its ‘Concept Note’ for its May 1-3 conference by saying that the world ‘is facing today a growing threat of nationalist revival,’ which ‘leads to mutual rejection and enduring conflicts.’”

According to the Bible, the Catholic Church patterned its governmental structure after the civil administration of the former Roman Empire and its European revivals.

Evangelization More Important than Doctrine

Crux wrote on April 22:

“A new ‘super dicastery’ on evangelization might be one of the most significant reforms of the governing structures of the Vatican, according to a new report… The biggest novelty in the document, called Praedicate Evangelium [‘Preach the Gospel’], will be the creation of the ‘super dicastery’ for evangelization, which will potentially be more important than the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), often called ‘The Supreme Congregation.’

“Having its roots in the Roman Inquisition, the doctrinal office is the oldest among the congregations of the Roman Curia, and insiders still call it the Holy Office, as it’s tasked with promulgating and defending Catholic doctrine and defending the Church from heresy. Today, in addition to defending doctrine, it is also tasked with judging priests who’ve been accused of sexually abusing minors, with 17 officials dedicated almost exclusively to this task.”

This might point at the Catholic Church’s desire to gather its daughter churches under its all-encompassing umbrella, while not forsaking its core doctrines and practices…

Suppression of Documentary through Catholic Church

AFP wrote on April 30:

“A hit documentary about how some Catholic priests allegedly abused nuns in different parts of the world has been pulled from the Franco-German television channel Arte after a priest complained to a German court. The big-budget media investigation, ‘Sex Slaves in the Catholic Church’, was broadcast in March and has been sold widely internationally since.

“Its broadcast came weeks after Pope Francis admitted that some rogue priests had used nuns as ‘sexual slaves’ and that the Vatican had to dissolve a French order because its founder was preying on its sisters. The Vatican’s women’s magazine, Women Church World, also reported that some nuns had been forced into having abortions.

“Arte told AFP Tuesday that it was forced to pull the documentary from its replay site earlier this month after a press tribunal in Hamburg slapped a temporary injunction on the film following a complaint from a priest. The tribunal told AFP the priest complained that, while he was not shown in the documentary, he was ‘recognizable’ from an interview given by a nun. In the interview, the nun ‘gave the impression that the priest had forced a nun into sex against her will’.

“The priest was not identified in publication of the complaint. The channel said it was challenging the decision. The film has been the most-watched documentary of the year so far on the French arm of the channel, seen by 1.5 million people live and a further 1.7 million on replay. The film was made over three years by French director Marie-Pierre Raimbault and investigative journalist Eric Quintin, who collected the testimony of nuns whose allegations had been ignored or hidden by the hierarchy across four continents.”

The court’s shaky and quite obviously political injunction is a shameful testimony of the collaboration between church and state and the power of the Catholic Church and its priests.

Witchcraft in Germany

The Local wrote on April 30:

“Germany and witchcraft? Well, let’s just say they both have quite the history. The lands that make up modern Germany were the scene of some of the bloodiest persecutions of ‘witches’ from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Despite this, ‘the old ways’ still do persist in the German popular imagination, most prominently in what we know as Walpurgisnacht – the evening of April 30^th… The night is also sometimes known as Hexenbrennen – the burning of witches… this reputation as a bastion of pagan superstition, coupled with the growing hysteria around witchcraft led many to believe that the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains was the scene of ‘Witches’ Sabbaths’. These were, allegedly, wild and orgiastic convocations where gathered witches would meet with Satan and plot all sorts of trouble over the coming year.

“In order to keep witches away and avoid their curses, local villagers would come together and light bonfires – a throwback to older beliefs about the warding power of flame… [Subsequently, far] from keeping witches away, the festivities began to celebrate the witch as a kind of fairytale succubus, with all that entails… In the 21st century, Walpurgisnacht is both a beloved local tradition and a huge tourist draw throughout the Harz Mountains…”

Ignorant and foolish people who participate today in the celebration of Walpurgisnacht don’t realize with whom they are coming in contact.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

USA Pressures the World

moderndiplomacy reported on April 22:

“The recent statement made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the effect that his country has failed to prevent the implementation of the Nord Stream – 2 gas pipeline project provides glaring proof of the ultimatum-type methods used by President Donald Trump’s administration to thwart unwelcome projects, deals or agreements and simultaneously impose their own products, goods and services on partners – from more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) to passenger and military aircraft and weapons systems. However, such efforts rarely hit success, exacerbating US relations even with its closest allies in Europe and NATO.

“Addressing the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee on April 10th, Mike Pompeo said Washington had done everything it could to talk European partners out of building Nord Stream 2 but these efforts suffered a fiasco. According to the head of the State Department, Berlin is set on pursuing the project and all attempts to dissuade the Europeans from building the gas pipeline have yielded no results…

“While Washington’s attempts to use political pressure to promote its own energy projects intensify differences between the United States and the European Union, and specifically Germany, similar efforts in the area of defense and military technology jeopardize the integrity and unity of the North Atlantic alliance. US Vice President Mike Pence has de facto presented an ultimatum to Turkey, one of the closest American allies in the Middle East. He warned Ankara against purchasing Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, calling on the Turkish leadership to choose between partnership with NATO and the deal…

“Nevertheless, the attempts to use ultimatum to exert pressure in several areas at once may well result in a closer consolidation of Europeans as they unite to defend their own interests, in a further strengthening the economic ties between Russia and China, as well as in a more pronounced and independent policy by Turkey – and not only in defense and military technology. These recent moves on the part of the United States are tying the knot of conflict throughout an increasingly wider spectrum of geopolitical space. And for now, it is not clear where all this could lead to.”

What is clear is that the world is increasingly refusing to be pressured by the United States!

Putin Holds Summit with Kim

Reuters reported on April 24:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that he thought U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program.

“Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row.

“Putin, keen to use his summit with Kim to burnish Russia’s diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue.

“That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, in a long-standing format that had been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal.”

The world stage no longer belongs to just the U.S.

China and Russia Move In

 msn wrote on April 20:

“With Venezuela in flames, China and Russia are seeking claims in the rubble.

“But the United States has been caught flat-footed, and the Pentagon is struggling to develop ways to blunt the countries’ influence in Latin America since President Trump has antagonized and distanced himself from nations in the Western Hemisphere…

“’The Trump administration’s policy has supercharged China’s increased presence in the region,’ said Benjamin Gedan, former National Security Council official under the Obama administration and a senior adviser to the Latin American program at the Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. ‘It’s entirely counterproductive.’

“For years, China and Russia have sought more influence in the Western Hemisphere, but are increasingly emboldened to bolster their economic and security positions in South America, Central America and the Caribbean.”

China—A Military Titan!

msn wrote on April 23:

“In 1938, in the midst of a long campaign to bring China under Communist Party rule, revolutionary leader Mao Zedong wrote: ‘Whoever has an army has power.’

“Xi Jinping, Mao’s latest successor, has taken that dictum to heart…

“In a series of stories, Reuters is exploring how the rapid and disruptive advance of Chinese hard power on Xi Jinping’s watch has ended the era of unquestioned U.S. supremacy in Asia. In just over two decades, China has built a force of conventional missiles that rival or outperform those in the U.S. armory. China’s shipyards have spawned the world’s biggest navy, which now rules the waves in East Asia. Beijing can now launch nuclear-armed missiles from an operational fleet of ballistic missile submarines, giving it a powerful second-strike capability. And the PLA is fortifying posts across vast expanses of the South China Sea, while stepping up preparations to recover Taiwan, by force if necessary…

“For the first time since Portuguese traders reached the Chinese coast five centuries ago, China has the military power to dominate the seas off its coast. Conflict between China and the United States in these waters would be destructive and bloody, particularly a clash over Taiwan, according to serving and retired senior American officers. And despite decades of unrivaled power since the end of the Cold War, there would be no guarantee America would prevail.

“‘The U.S. could lose,’ said Gary Roughead, co-chair of a bipartisan review of the Trump administration’s defense strategy published in November. ‘We really are at a significant inflection point in history.’

Roughead is no armchair theorist: A retired admiral, as former Chief of Naval Operations he held the top job in the U.S. Navy until 2011. His alarm reflects a growing view across the American defense establishment. In their report, he and his colleagues issued a dire warning. The United States faces a ‘national security crisis,’ principally arising from growing Chinese and Russian military power. ‘U.S. military superiority is no longer assured and the implications for American interests and American security are severe,’ the panel concluded.

It is clear that Xi wants to bring the era of U.S. dominance in Asia to an end. ‘In the final analysis, it is for the people of Asia to run the affairs of Asia, solve the problems of Asia and uphold the security of Asia,’ he said in a 2014 speech to foreign leaders on regional security.

Zelenskiy Wins in the Ukraine

 jpost reported on April 22:

“Ukraine entered uncharted political waters on Sunday after exit polls showed a comedian with no political experience and few detailed policies had easily won enough votes to become the next president of a country at war.

“The apparent landslide victory of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, is a bitter blow for incumbent Petro Poroshenko who tried to rally Ukrainians around the flag by casting himself as a bulwark against Russian aggression and a champion of Ukrainian identity.

“Zelenskiy was born in 1978 to Jewish parents and seems set to become Ukraine’s first Jewish president. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman is also Jewish…

“Zelenskiy, who plays a fictitious president in a popular TV series, is now poised to take over the leadership of a country on the frontline of the West’s standoff with Russia following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and support for a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.”

Will Ukraine’s New President Deal with Russia?

EURACTIV wrote on April 19:

“Ukraine’s new president could regain control over the separatist-controlled east of his country within months and get cheap gas and major investment from Russia if he does a deal with Moscow, the Kremlin’s closest ally in Ukraine said.

“Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent figure in Ukraine’s Russia-leaning opposition, outlined the prospect in an interview before a presidential election runoff in Ukraine on Sunday which polls show political novice Volodymyr Zelenskiy should easily win.

“He said the Kremlin was keen to know more about Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old Russian-speaking TV comedian who has no political experience, to understand if he is someone it could do a deal with, something it failed to do with incumbent Petro Poroshenko.

“‘They don’t have any expectations in Moscow,’ he said. ‘They want to see what happens afterwards, who will be in his (Zelenskiy’s) entourage, and what he will do and with whom.’”

Bible prophecy indicates the Ukraine WILL fall under Russia’s sphere of influence!

Europe Wary of Russia

dw reported on April 20:

“General Eberhard Zorn says he’s disturbed by the American and Russian withdrawal from the INF nuclear missile treaty. He warned that Moscow remains ‘a big threat’ to peace in Europe.

“The inspector-general of Germany’s Bundeswehr, General Eberhard Zorn, has called for a new arms treaty to replace the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) which both Washington and Moscow have suspended…

“Zorn added that a new arms treaty would be essential to ensure the safety of Germany and Europe.

“Although he pointed to several world powers as being responsible for the current escalation in global politics, he singled out Russia as a “big threat” to peace in Europe…

“’As far as Europe is concerned, the facts speak for themselves,’  Zorn said, detailing several Russian infractions — the annexation of Crimea, its involvement in eastern Europe, the poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, cyberattacks, and the suspension of the INF Treaty.”

Europe’s Far-Right Merging

dw reported on April 20:

“Marine Le Pen has thrown her weight behind Salvini’s new pan-European right-wing bloc. So far the group has garnered support from nationalist parties in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Estonia and Finland.

“France’s right-wing National Rally party formally joined a new alliance of far-right forces in Europe on Friday. The populist coalition, spearheaded by Italy’s anti-immigrant interior minister and deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, was formed to unite and strengthen disparate right-wing parties ahead of critical EU elections next month…

“Salvini, the leader of Italy’s League party, announced the launch of the pan-European far-right faction earlier this month at a press conference where he called the EU ‘a nightmare, not a dream’ and vowed to reform the bloc…

“European far-right parties are currently split between three different groups in the European Parliament. If the parties were to merge, they would hold 173 out of 751 seats in the EU parliamentary assembly, or 23%, which would make them the second-largest bloc in the European Parliament, according to the latest poll of polls released by the EU assembly.

Temple Institute Sacrificed a Passover Lamb

israeltoday wrote on April 22:

“In accordance with the biblical commandment, priests from the Temple Institute sacrificed a Passover Lamb this year overlooking the Temple Mount in the ancient City of Jerusalem…

“Today, in the absence of the Temple, the commandment to offer the Passover Sacrifice is memorialized in the form of a roasted shank bone placed on the Passover Seder Plate.

“The Temple Institute is dedicated to rebuilding the Temple on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem and its ceremonies in accordance with the biblical commandments. The Jerusalem-based group are preparing every aspect of Temple worship and ‘restoring the central role it fulfilled in the spiritual well being of both Israel and all the nations of the world,’ according to the group’s mandate.

Chinese Experiment –an Abominable Nightmare!

vox wrote on April 12:

“Scientists in China have created a new kind of monkey. It’s got a human brain gene. And that just might make its intelligence a little bit more like ours.

“That, in turn, makes its fate — and its very existence — very ethically fraught.

“In a study published last month in Beijing’s National Science Review journal, researchers took human copies of the MCPH1 gene, which is believed to play an important role in our brain development, and introduced it into monkey embryos by means of a virus that carried the gene.

“Of the 11 transgenic macaque monkeys they generated, six died. The five survivors went through a series of tests, including MRI brain scans and memory tests. It turned out they didn’t have bigger brains than a control group of macaques, but they did perform better on short-term memory tasks. Their brains also developed over a longer period of time, which is typical of human brains.

“Although the sample size was very small, the scientists excitedly described the study as ‘the first attempt to experimentally interrogate the genetic basis of human brain origin using a transgenic monkey model.’ In other words, part of the point of the study was to help tackle a question about evolution: How did we humans develop our unique brand of intelligence, which has allowed us to innovate in ways other primates can’t?…

“It’s hard to imagine a study like Su’s ever getting the green light in the US, where primate research has come under increasing scrutiny, thanks in part to the work of animal rights advocates. But China is much more open to this kind of research. The country has vast breeding facilities for monkeys, tens of thousands of which it exports each year.”

This research only reflects a little bit of what actually is taking place in the name of science.

Do Pigs Die?

Reuters.com wrote on April 17:

“Yale University scientists have succeeded in restoring basic cellular activity in pigs’ brains hours after their deaths in a finding that may one day lead to advances in treating human stroke and brain injuries, researchers reported on Wednesday.

“The scientists emphasized that their work did not even come close to reawakening consciousness in the disembodied pig brains. In fact the experiment was specifically designed to avoid such an outcome, however improbable.

“Still, the study raises a host of bioethical issues, including questions about the very definition of brain death and potential consequences for protocols related to organ donation.

“The research grew out of efforts to enhance the study of brain development, disorders and evolution. The main practical application is the prospect of allowing scientists to analyze whole brain specimens of large mammals in three dimensions, rather than through studies confined to small tissue samples, Yale said…

“The limited rejuvenation of circulatory function and cellular metabolism in pig brains, which were harvested from animals slaughtered at a meat-packing plant, was achieved four hours after death by infusing the brains with a special chemical solution designed to preserve the tissue.

“‘The intact brain of a large mammal retains a previously underappreciated capacity for restoration of circulation and certain molecular and cellular activities multiple hours after circulatory arrest,’ lead researcher Nenad Sestan said in a Yale press release issued ahead of the study…

“In the meantime, the research could spark new quandaries surrounding the determination of death itself, widely defined by one measure as the irreversible loss of all brain function. The blurring of that line has implications in turn for deciding when doctors are ethically bound to go from preserving a patient’s life to preserving their organs.”

Israeli Researcher Prints a 3D Heart

Bloomberg reported on April 15:

“Israeli researchers have printed a 3D heart using a patient’s own cells, something they say could be used to patch diseased hearts — and possibly, for full transplants.

“The heart the Tel Aviv University team printed in about three hours is too small for humans — about 2.5 centimeters, or the size of a rabbit’s heart. But it’s the first to be printed with all blood vessels, ventricles and chambers, using an ink made from the patient’s own biological materials.

“‘It’s completely biocompatible and matches the patient,’ reducing the chances of rejection inside the body, said Tal Dvir, the professor who directed the project.

“Researchers took fatty tissue from a patient, then separated it into cellular and non-cellular components. The cells were then “reprogrammed” to become stem cells, which turned into heart cells. The non-cellular materials were turned into a gel that served as the bio-ink for printing, Dvir explained…

“‘Patients will no longer have to wait for transplants or take medications to prevent their rejection,’ the press release said. ‘Instead, the needed organs will be printed, fully personalized for every patient.’”

Note what God said of mankind’s capacity at the tower of Babel: “And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them’” (Genesis 11:6).

Don’t Bully Us!

Politico reported on April 10:

“Manfred Weber, the European People’s Party’s lead candidate to be Commission president, warned Washington not to ‘play with’ the EU when it comes to trade.

“‘It must be clear that when we sit together, we are working together as partners on an equal, level playing field,’ Weber said at an event hosted by the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

“‘We cannot be forced to do something. That must be clear. So if there is one action, one concrete [trade] activity against us — steel, Airbus or car industry — then Europe has to answer, no doubt about this. And that must be a decisive and a strong answer. So, don’t play with us.’

“His comments come a day after the U.S. released a list of $11 billion worth of European goods — including wine, cheese and helicopters — that could be hit with punitive tariffs in a long-running dispute over subsidies for airplane manufacturer Airbus.”

Mussolini’s Great Gandson—Now a Possible Far-right Candidate

The Washington Post reported on April 18:

“During the political convention last weekend of the Italian far right party Fratelli D’Italia (FDI), leader Giorgia Meloni described its platform as ‘revolutionary.’ She vowed to ‘change everything in Europe’ and to move ‘Europe’s capital’ to Rome. While FDI’s campaign for the upcoming European Parliament elections abounds in predictions for the future, the party also seems to have an eye fixed on the country’s past — more specifically, its fascist past under Benito Mussolini.

Earlier this month, Meloni announced in a Facebook video that Mussolini’s great grandson, Caio Giulio Cesare Mussolini, will run with the party in the May 26 elections. The video was shot in front of Rome’s Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a well-known 1940s example of fascist architecture.

There’s little doubt that Mussolini was nominated because of — not despite — his relationship to Il Duce, who ruled from 1922 to 1943. Both Meloni and Mussolini avoided explicit references to fascist ideology, but Mussolini repeatedly hinted he views his great grandfather as an inspiration.

Russia Challenges U.S. Leadership in the World

Newsweek wrote on April 13:

“Russia’s top diplomat has argued that the world is losing faith in the United States as a global leader and that the international community has sought a more diverse approach to global decision making.

“At an annual address to Moscow’s diplomatic academy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed on Friday a new geopolitical era marked by ‘multipolarity,’ stating that ‘the emergence of new centers of power to maintain stability in the world requires the search for a balance of interests and compromises.’ He said there is a shift in the center of global economic power to East from West, where a “liberal order” marked by globalization was ‘losing its attractiveness and is no more viewed as a perfect model for all.’…

“Washington and Moscow, rival superpowers during the decades-long Cold War, have somewhat resumed their bout for global influence in the 21st century. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set to restore and revamp his country’s military and political posture, which were deeply damaged in the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving the U.S. entirely unmatched.

“Despite President Donald Trump’s promises of detente, the U.S. has doubled down on sanctions and other measures designed to push back against the Kremlin since the Republican leader entered the White House. Trump and Putin, once seen as potential political allies, have continued to feud over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria and, at times, have both found themselves largely isolated internationally.

“The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened sanctions against several nations, including allies, for not adhering to its policies targeting stated foes such as Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela.”

Indeed, the United States is having less and less the final say on global issues as other nations step in.

U.K.’s Tarnished Global Image

U.S.News wrote on April 17:

“When it comes to Brexit, the United Kingdom’s now delayed divorce from the European Union, the British public is still deeply divided on whether it’s a good idea. But there’s one thing that a sizable majority of voters agree on: the Conservative government of Prime Minister Theresa May bungled the negotiations with the EU.

“A mere 7 percent of Britons say the talks have gone well, according to recently published data from the National Centre for Social Research. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Leave voters and 85 percent of Remainers say it’s been a mess.

“And much of the rest of the world agrees.

“The shambolic Brexit haggling and Parliament’s subsequent inability to coalesce around any final agreement have badly dented the United Kingdom’s once sterling international standing as a leading parliamentary democracy and a diplomatic powerhouse, experts in international relations say.

“’It’s caused significant damage to the U.K.’s reputation,’ says Jamie Gaskarth, a senior lecturer in politics and foreign relations at the University of Birmingham.

“Britain’s impotence in the negotiations was on display last Wednesday when May met with the 27 other EU leaders in Brussels to plead for a short delay of Brexit. She wanted more time to win parliamentary approval for either the withdrawal agreement she and the EU spent two years hammering out, or a modified version of it. Britain was initially scheduled to exit the bloc on March 29. But days before that deadline, the EU granted it an extension to April 12. May wanted to stretch that out until June 30. Instead, the EU leaders extended the deadline by six months, to Oct. 31.

Brexit will continue to unravel the U.K.—both at home and internationally!

Immigration Issues Rise in Finland

Afp.com reported on April 13:

“In the remote, northern Finnish town of Oulu where he has lived for seven years, Syrian-born Jabo Waleed recently started feeling that some people’s behaviour towards him was becoming less welcoming…

“Waleed’s experiences have been echoed by many other immigrants across Finland, since police in Oulu announced in December the arrest of nine suspects — all of whom had arrived in the EU country as refugees or asylum seekers — for suspected sexual offences against minors. A handful of similar arrests followed in subsequent months.

“The heavily publicised incidents spread outrage through Finland, and helped the far-right, populist Finns Party capitalise on anti-immigration sentiment ahead of Sunday’s legislative elections.

“The Finns Party’s election manifesto, released after the arrests, goes into detail about a perceived security risk posed by immigrants, particularly in the areas of sexual assault and terrorism.

“After three years as the fifth largest party in public opinion polls, pre-election forecasts put Finns Party support at around 16 percent, which could make it the second largest party after Sunday.”

Hard-line anti-immigration positions are fueling far-right political parties across Europe, and that will lead to a dramatic change in national leadership.

Illegal Immigrants–Entire System Broken

USA Today wrote on March 31:

“Along the Texas border with Mexico – from El Paso to Eagle Pass to the Rio Grande Valley – masses of migrants have been crossing the border in unprecedented numbers, overwhelming federal holding facilities and sending local leaders and volunteers scrambling to deal with the relentless waves of people. Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said… that the border had hit its ‘breaking point’ and urged Congress to come up with legislative solutions to the problem. Border Patrol officials were on pace in March for more than 100,000 apprehensions and encounters with migrants – the highest monthly tally in over a decade, he said. Around 90 percent of those – or 90,000 – crossed the border between legal ports of entry… ‘The surge numbers are just overwhelming the entire system,’ McAleenan said.

“President Donald Trump recently declared a national emergency at the border to secure funding for a proposed wall, despite Congressional opposition. On Friday, the president in a tweet threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico didn’t stop undocumented migrants from coming. But not even Trump’s proposed wall could stop the wave of migrants overflowing shelters in the Rio Grande Valley, where the vast majority are turning themselves in to apply for asylum, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling said. A wall would go up on levees about a mile from the winding Rio Grande, which is the U.S.-Mexico border. Migrants will just have to cross the river to be in U.S. territory and seek asylum, he said…

“Once in the U.S., the migrants – mostly families from Central America – are crowding into facilities designed to hold single adult men… Increasingly, smugglers are bringing larger numbers of families together and delivering them across the Rio Grande, knowing they’ll overrun facilities and be released until their immigration court date… Under U.S. law, Border Patrol is not supposed to hold any migrant for longer than 72 hours. Usually, Border Patrol hands them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which can detain families for up to 20 days. But all of those facilities are overcrowded…”

Breitbart wrote on March 31:

“… at current projections of illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Catch and Release levels, and visa overstays, the nation is set to admit and resettle about one million to 1.5 million border crossers and illegal aliens this year.

“… Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian compared the flood of illegal immigration to the European migrant crisis, which remains ongoing, where the continent saw nearly 2.5 million illegal crossings into the Mediterranean in 2015 and 2016. ‘We are seeing an Angela Merkel-style disaster on the border caused by loopholes in our laws that the Democrats refuse to even consider changing,’ Krikorian told Politico.”

For decades, the USA has been struggling unsuccessfully with its broken immigration system. This will not change.

Trump on Track for Huge Landside Victory in 2020

Politico wrote on March 26:

“U.S. President Donald Trump has a low approval rating…

“But if the election were held today, he’d likely ride to a second term in a huge landslide, according to multiple economic models with strong track records of picking presidential winners and losses. Credit a strong U.S. economy featuring low unemployment, rising wages and low gas prices — along with the historic advantage held by incumbent presidents.”

Gun Glorification

The Sun wrote on March 29:

“Millennials are flooding Instagram with snaps of themselves brandishing deadly guns… The trend follows an alarming rise in gun violence and mass shootings, with latest figures revealing there were 39,773 gun deaths in the US in 2017 – the highest on record in the country –  and more than 2700 this year alone. Last year there were 340 mass shootings, including a spate of bloody school gun attacks.

“The grim statistic prompted CNN to claim that at one stage in 2018, there was the equivalent of one school shooting per week… Yet despite the gun violence epidemic, a growing number of young Americans are ‘glorifying’ firearms by posting ‘countless’ pictures and videos to hundreds of thousands of followers… Thousands of people post gun snaps each day…”

There will come a time when people’s fascination with guns will cease, and when they will destroy their guns or beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Sex Outside Marriage Just Fine?

npr wrote on March 29:

“Until this week, sex between unmarried people in Utah was technically illegal, a vestige of earlier times. That changed Wednesday, when Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill that decriminalizes sex outside of marriage in the state… Utah’s 1973 fornication law designated sex outside of marriage as a class B misdemeanor. The act carried a possible penalty of up to six months in jail or a maximum fine of $1,000. Utah was among only a few states that retained these laws.

“State Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne sponsored the bill… ‘You hear all over the U.S. how you have antiquated laws about horses in the streets and all kinds of things, so we wanted to make them modern-day, in the now,’ Mayne says… State Rep. Paul Ray called the 1973 fornication law unenforceable…”

We are not addressing here the aspect of criminal prosecution, but it is clear that God condemns fornication and sex outside marriage, including adultery. Even though a sin is a sin and every sin can be forgiven upon genuine repentance, fornication in all its different forms and adultery are not light transgressions or petty offenses, but serious and destructive violations of God’s law.  

Brexit Disaster

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 29:

“The Conservative government lost its Brexit vote in the House of Commons on Friday by a margin of 58 votes, on the day the UK had been scheduled to leave the EU… The result means the UK has failed to meet a 2300 UTC deadline and thus loses the automatic extension of the Article 50 negotiating period until May 22, which the EU had offered last week. The British government now has to propose a new way forward to the EU by April 12 — or revoke the Article 50 it triggered to leave the bloc. Otherwise, the UK will have left the EU without a deal…

“The European Commission [stated] a ‘No-deal scenario on 12 April is now likely,’ adding that the benefits of the Withdrawal Agreement would not be replicated under such circumstances. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas echoed the Commission’s comments: ‘We are running out of time to prevent a disorderly Brexit,’ he wrote on Twitter on Friday. ‘The British must decide before April 12 how to proceed. Otherwise, it is a No-deal Brexit, as tough as that would be. Germany and the EU are well prepared in any case.’”

No More Brexit Delay?

Daily Mail wrote on March 30:

“Theresa May faces an insurrection after more than half of Conservative MPs demanded that Brexit should not be delayed by more than a few months. A letter calling for Britain to leave the EU soon, even if it means a no-deal Brexit, was signed by 170 of the 330 Tory Members of Parliament and sent to the Prime Minister after her withdrawal deal was rejected for a third time on Friday. As many as 10 Cabinet ministers… and 20 other members of the Government are believed to have signed the letter…”

Brexit Disaster Deepens

The Sun wrote on April 2:

“BRITAIN’S squabbling MPs tonight plunged the country into further Brexit chaos by voting against every possible way forward – AGAIN. The House of Commons rejected four different Brexit options leaving the UK more deadlocked than ever…”

Newsmax added on April 1:

“The European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, warned that a no-deal Brexit was looming unless Britain changed course. ‘The House of Commons again votes against all options,’ he tweeted. ‘A hard Brexit becomes nearly inevitable…”

In Case of a No-Deal Brexit

The EUObserver wrote on April 3:

“EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday (3 April) ruled out another short extension to the Brexit deadline in a speech to MEPs, if the Brexit withdrawal agreement is not adopted by British lawmakers by 12 April. Juncker said that British MPs – if they want to have another short extension – first need to vote to pass the deal already negotiated between the UK government and the EU.”

The EUObserver wrote on April 4:

“MEPs Thursday approved a law allowing British citizens visa-free travel to the EU’s Schengen passport-free zone for 90 day trips, under a no-deal Brexit. The waiver will depend on Britain providing the same rights to EU travellers. The bill was passed after EU countries, supporting Spain, pushed the EU parliament to remove a British MEP from the file, which describes Gibraltar as a ‘colony of the British crown’…

“[All EU-27 members agreed that the] EU will immediately introduce customs checks and collect import duties [for incoming goods] in the event of Britain leaving the bloc without a withdrawal agreement on 12 April…”

Brexit and Merkel as Holy Roman Emperor?

The Week wrote on March 29:

“What if there are not enough votes for an extension, though? Or if the E.U., which has already granted a delay till April 12, refuses to play ball? (I for one hope for the latter, if only to imagine German Chancellor Angela Merkel triumphing once more in the autumnal twilight of her reign as the greatest Holy Roman Emperor since Frederick II.)

“What would a no-deal Brexit actually look like? Who knows. It is to this unknown country that many Brexit hardliners wish to venture and never return. It is difficult to believe all the metropolitan liberal horror stories about food shortages and the end of air travel and mobs of St. George Cross-waving thugs roaming the streets burning cafés and gelaterias… It is also difficult to believe that the whole thing will not be a logistical nightmare…”

Even if we were to accept the concept of Merkel fulfilling the role of a Holy Roman Emperor, she would not have been the first since Frederick II, as Napoleon and Mussolini fulfilled that role as well… and the last personification and manifestation of a Holy Roman Emperor will arise soon on the world stage.

Trump Can’t Wait

Breitbart wrote on March 29:

“President Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton has offered some words of assurances to the British people… ‘We’re standing here waiting to make a trade deal with a United Kingdom independent of the European Union,’ Mr Bolton continued, in an optimistic note… ‘President Trump is eager for the will of the British people to be carried out and he is even more eager to do a trade deal…’

“At the time of the historic 2016 vote, and since, President Donald Trump has been a supporter of Brexit and the prospect of a strong U.S.-UK bilateral trade deal… ‘He thinks that the EU rules discriminate against American trade, and he wants a free, fare, and reciprocal trade with Great Britain.’… ‘Britain had a referendum, the Leave vote won in what everybody agrees was a free and fair election; doesn’t the will of the British people get to be carried out?’”

It would be interesting to see if the prophesied Brexit will lead to a closer collaboration between the USA and the UK against the wishes and interests of the EU.

The Humiliation of Britain

The New Statesman America wrote on March 27:

“We are reduced to this. A humiliated, supplicant British prime minister sitting alone in a Brussels side room for six hours while the rest of the European Union discusses our fate. A government no longer capable of governing. A country that has become a byword for chaos and dysfunction.

“A sundered ‘United Kingdom’. Hundreds of thousands of Britons seeking citizenship in other EU states. Industry howling in rage and frustration. MPs needing police protection. People stockpiling food and medicines. The public discourse poisoned. Families split. Friends riven. The military on standby in case of civil unrest…

“It is… an epic act of self-harm brought about not by some war or disaster but by our own stupidity. And the true ‘enemies of the people’ are… those whose lies, zealotry, and political recklessness have all but broken Britain…”

Ongoing and Deepening Tensions between US and German Relationship

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 1:

“The news that Germany won’t meet defense spending targets set by NATO plays badly in the US, even among friends of the country. It is just the latest in a string of issues fueling tension between Berlin and Washington.

“There arguably would never have been a good moment for Berlin to renege on its planned increase in defense spending. But to do it in the run-up to NATO celebrating its 70th anniversary in Washington is particularly bad timing. Germany’s latest projection that it now won’t even meet the 1,5 percent mark it set itself was met with dismay.

“‘There is very little understanding in the United States, quite frankly — whether among Republicans or Democrats — for the German government’s reluctance to meet the 2 percent of the GDP spending target,’ said Jeff Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary Studies at Johns Hopkins University, ‘and even less understanding for the current wobbliness with respect to the 1.5 percent of GDP target which Chancellor Merkel and other German leaders just a few months ago affirmed.’

“Republican Senator Rand Paul, a member of the foreign relations committee, lashed out on Twitter at Berlin’s projected military spending, writing that ‘Germany expects the US to pay for their defense.’…

“[Germany’s] move threatens to chip away at the public perception that Germany is a reliable player at a time when trans-Atlantic ties are challenged by a US president who is deeply skeptical about Washington’s European allies and especially Germany…

“Complicating matters further, Berlin’s defense spending is only the latest among a range of contested issues between the US and German governments: President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on German cars, US opposition against the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline and against allowing Chinese telecoms giant Huawei to build Germany’s new 5G network — all have increased the friction between Washington and Berlin…”

These tensions will continue.

Germany’s Lacking Defense Spending

Deutsche Welle reported on April 4:

“Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen repeated the government’s pledge to spend more on defense, albeit in smaller increments than Washington would like. Germany plans to increase its defense spending to 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2024 and will then try to hit NATO’s 2 percent target at an unspecified point in the future… The comments came… amid hefty criticism from US President Donald Trump and others in his administration over Germany’s contributions. ‘It is simply unacceptable for Europe’s largest economy to continue to ignore the threat of Russian aggression and neglect its own self-defense and our common defense,’ Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday.

“Despite attempting to dispel doubts about Berlin’s commitment to the military alliance, the German government suffered an embarrassing slip-up on Thursday when a NATO motion [calling for strengthening the military alliance as the backbone of European and trans-Atlantic security] barely passed through parliament…

“Germany is hurting its credibility by not holding to its pledge to significantly increase defense spending, said Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who took over from Merkel as the head of the Christian Democrats in December. The low rate at which Germany has upped its defense spending is ‘one of the biggest political open flanks that we have in debates with the United States,’ Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Heilbronner Stimme newspaper.

“Germany’s opposition, on the other hand, is reluctant to hold to the 2 percent spending target…”

Bild Online reported on April 4 that more and more Germans are against Germany’s membership in NATO. In 2019, only 54 percent of Germans are in support of membership in NATO, while 68 percent expressed support in 2017. In addition, only 31 percent of Germans would be in favor of defending the USA, while 41 percent would be against it.  Finally, the EUObserver wrote on April 4 that “Turkey and Germany have defended their ties with Russia following strident criticism by the US at a Nato event in Washington.”

Fox Business Network Critical of Pope Francis

Newsmax wrote on April 1:

“Fox Business Network host Elizabeth MacDonald took a sharp jab Monday at the spiritual leader of more than 1 billion Catholics, chastising Pope Francis as ‘weak’ on communism, socialism, and border walls… [It] came a day after the pope told reporters that those who build border walls would ‘become prisoners of the walls they put up,’ adding: ‘This is history’…

“Fellow Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney interpreted the pope’s Sunday admonition as a shot at President Donald Trump, with MacDonald calling it an example of the pope getting ‘political.’ MacDonald later added that her point was the pope is failing to criticize ‘the governments that cause these migrant outflows.’…

“During the 2016 presidential election, Pope Francis said it was ‘not Christian’ for a person to think ‘only about building walls.’ And Trump responded by calling the remarks ‘disgraceful.’”

Anti-Semitism Outbreak because of Measles Outbreak

The New York Times wrote on March 29:

“A measles outbreak in this suburban New York county… has also intensified long-smoldering tensions between the rapidly expanding and insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and secular society… Hasidic leaders said they feared not only a rise in anti-Semitism but an invasion of their cloistered community by the authorities under the guise of public health. On Tuesday, county officials took the extraordinary step of announcing a state of emergency, barring unvaccinated children under 18 from public places, including restaurants, shopping centers, houses of worship [including churches and synagogues] and schools…

“About 31 percent of the population is Jewish, according to the state, and includes one of the largest concentrations of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the country… fear of vaccines has spread around the world in recent years, with childhood vaccination rates reportedly declining in several countries as a result. Nothing in the belief system of Orthodox Jews makes them any more likely to oppose vaccines, and several Orthodox rabbinical organizations have called on parents to vaccinate their children. But Hasidic Jews… and some ultra-Orthodox rabbis have come out against vaccines…

“Steve Gold, the chairman of the Jewish Community Relations Council for the Jewish Federation of Rockland [was] saying the move by county officials risked exacerbating the anti-Semitism that already existed in the area before the measles crisis…

“The anxiety over the outbreak has spread from the aisles at the kosher supermarkets where women in head-coverings pushed shopping carts laden with babies and goods for the coming Passover holiday, to the ritual bathhouses or mikvahs. In children’s clothing shops, mothers buying Sabbath finery traded stories about friends with sickened children. Near a strip mall that sold religious candelabra and fur hats, a group of teenage boys tugged at the prayer threads that hung at their waists, discussing whether they would hang out with unvaccinated friends…

“The anti-vaccine movement is rooted in a belief that the inoculations are linked to autism… A group called Parents Educating and Advocating for Children’s Health, or Peach, has also released an anti-vaccination handbook directed at Hasidic Jews… Fault lines have appeared within the Orthodox community as well, where its leadership has been struggling not only to push those who fail to immunize their children to get vaccinations, but against the false perception that Hasidim as a whole are against vaccination…”

We have purposefully omitted quoting from the article the typical stereotype but unfounded support for vaccinations and the polemic against those refusing vaccinations. But the hype and hysteria advocating vaccinations have led to mean antagonism against those who refuse to do so. Note the next article.

Frightening–Arizona’s Violation of Parent’s Rights

The Independent wrote on March 30:

“With guns drawn, the police officers broke down the door of the suburban Phoenix home in the early hours of a February morning. ‘Come out with your hands up!’ an officer yelled, with the dark front porch and foyer inside suddenly flooded with light from the officers’ flashlights. The target of the raid: an unvaccinated 2-year-old boy with a high fever. Video from the officers’ body cameras that was released on Thursday shows that moments later, the child’s father emerges, walking out backward with his hands over his head. The boy’s mother then comes out, too, cradling her young son in her arms. The boy was whisked away to a hospital, and since that raid on 25 February, he and the couple’s two other children, aged 4 and 6, have been in the state’s custody. The parents have been charged with child abuse…

“Under Arizona law, parents may decline vaccinations for their child based on personal, religious or medical exemptions. But that law is in opposition to the ‘parens patriae’ theory, a centuries-old principle that empowers the state to look after the interests of children and others unable to care for themselves… Police records show that on 25 February, Ms Beck had taken her 2-year-old boy to a clinic, where his temperature was recorded at above 100 degrees. The child’s doctor became concerned that he could have meningitis, after learning that he was lethargic and had not been vaccinated. Ms Beck was told to take him to an emergency room. ‘I called the doctor back and said, “Hey, I’m not sure how you got this 105 reading, my son’s acting fine,”’ Ms Beck told a local TV station. ‘”This doesn’t really seem like a medical emergency.”’

“The child’s doctor, after learning Ms Beck had ignored the recommendation to take the child to the hospital and having follow-up phone calls to the family go unanswered, then contacted the Arizona Department of Child Safety. Asked to do a welfare check, police officers later arrived at the family’s door, but were not allowed in… An emergency court order was issued, allowing police to take the child into custody…

“The boy was eventually found to have a respiratory illness. A judge has told the child’s parents that the state wants them to regain custody of their children, but it was unclear when that would happen.”

So, the overzealous doctor whose pride had been hurt, was wrong; the overzealous welfare department was wrong; the overzealous court was wrong; the overzealous police, following the court’s decision, were wrong; and the overzealous prosecution was wrong. Still, the children were taken away from the parents who have been charged with child abuse. Now, a judge, after recognizing the error of the state’s ways, wants the parents to regain custody, but it is unclear whether and how the state will cooperate.

 We should remember that this is even happening in a state which allows refusal of vaccinations (which had really nothing to do with this case anyhow, except for the overzealous players in this affair) for personal, religious and medical exemptions. Please view our most recent StandingWatch program, “The DangerousVaccination Paranoia.” 

Erdogan Suffers Defeat in Ankara and Istanbul

BBC wrote on April 1:

“The party of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lost control of the capital, Ankara, in local elections, in a blow to his 16-year rule. The main opposition is also slightly ahead in the contest for mayor of Istanbul. But the president’s AKP party is challenging the result in both cities…

“With most media either pro-government or controlled by Mr Erdogan’s supporters, critics believe opposition parties campaigned at a disadvantage. Mr Erdogan’s rallies dominated TV coverage.

“The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said the elections were unfair and refused to put forward candidates in several cities. Some of its leaders have been jailed on terrorism charges, accusations they reject.”

US Halts Delivery of Equipment for Fighter Aircraft to Turkey

Reuters reported on April 1:

“The United States has halted delivery of equipment related to the stealthy F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey, marking the first concrete U.S. step to block delivery of the jet to the NATO ally in light of Ankara’s planned purchase of a Russian missile defense system… Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has refused to back down from Ankara’s planned purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system that the United States has said would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft.

“The disagreement over the F-35 is the latest of a series of diplomatic disputes between the United States and Turkey including Turkish demands that the United States extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, differences over Middle East policy and the war in Syria, and sanctions on Iran…”

It was also stated in the press that this development represents a major escalation in the relationship between Turkey and the USA.

Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs

The Washington Post wrote on March 29:

“Sixty-six million years ago, a massive asteroid crashed into a shallow sea near Mexico. The impact carved out a 90-mile-wide crater and flung mountains of earth into space. Earthbound debris fell to the planet in droplets of molten rock and glass.

“Ancient fish caught glass blobs in their gills as they swam, gape-mouthed, beneath the strange rain. Large, sloshing waves threw animals onto dry land, then more waves buried them in silt. Scientists working in North Dakota recently dug up fossils of these fish: They died within the first minutes or hours after the asteroid hit... ‘You’re going back to the day that the dinosaurs died,’ said Timothy Bralower, a Pennsylvania State University paleoceanographer who is studying the impact crater…

“The killer asteroid most famously claimed the dinosaurs. But the T. rex and the triceratops were joined by hordes of other living things. Freshwater and marine creatures were victims, as were plants and microorganisms, including 93 percent of plankton…

“Four decades of research buttresses the asteroid extinction theory, widely embraced as the most plausible explanation for the disappearance of dinosaurs. In the late 1970s, Luis and Walter Alvarez, a father-son scientist duo at the University of California at Berkeley, examined an unusual geologic layer between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. The boundary was full of the element iridium, which is rare in Earth’s crust but not in asteroids…

“After the asteroid struck, seismic waves from a magnitude 10 to 11 earthquake rippled through this sea…”

The Daily Mail added on March 30:

“… a paleontologist has finally confirmed something he’s long suspected – in the heart of North Dakota lies a prehistoric ‘killing field’ that may be the best evidence yet of the events that occurred during Earth’s most notorious mass extinction. Fossilized fish, vegetation, mammals, insects, marine reptiles, and even part of a Triceratops lay piled atop one another, preserving for eternity the moment a 30-foot wall of water pummelled the landscape and buried all living creatures in its path… it’s the first ‘mass death assemblage’ of large lifeforms that’s ever been found from the dinosaur extinction event.”

Without addressing the accuracy or inaccuracy of the estimated time of the crash, it is clear that huge catastrophes caused the extinction of ALL animals on earth, making it “void and empty,” followed by the recreation of the surface of the earth and the creation of man. Please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

The Mueller’s Report

The Independent wrote on March 22:

“Special counsel Robert Mueller did not recommend any further charges as he submitted his long-awaited report on his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election…”

The Associated Press wrote on March 24:

“Attorney General William Barr declared Sunday that Mueller’s long investigation found no evidence that Trump’s campaign ‘conspired or coordinated’ with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also looked into whether Trump tried to obstruct the inquiry, but did not provide a definitive answer on that point.”

In particular, Axios wrote on March 24:

“After taking the weekend to pore over the Mueller report, Attorney General William Barr has sent Congress his summary of the ‘principal conclusions’ from the special counsel’s 675-day investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia:

“‘… [T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’

“On the question of obstruction of justice, Barr writes that while Mueller’s report ‘does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.’

“Barr says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded that the evidence ‘is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense,’ noting that the government would have to prove such a case ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’” [To this point, Deutsche Welle added on March 24: “The report also ‘did not draw a conclusion — one way or another’ on whether Trump’s actions had obstructed justice…”]

Deutsche Welle also wrote: “In the meantime, a series of investigations into potential illegal activity and irregularities in Trump’s business dealings are underway, both in Congress and in his home state of New York. None of these will likely remove the US president from office…”

This is undoubtedly a huge win for President Trump and his team. Not surprisingly, politically-motivated Democrats, not stopping at anything in trying to “get” Trump, declared that the fight will go on, indicating to subpoena Barr and Mueller to testify before Congress, amongst other contemplated measures. As if this superfluous and distracting “witch hunt” did not cost Americans more than enough in terms of money and waste of time. Note the next article:

The Costs

The Guardian wrote on March 22:

“Mueller was appointed on 17 May 2017, to serve as special counsel for the Department of Justice. The appointment was prompted by the firing of the FBI director, James Comey, eight days earlier; the recusal of the then attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from matters pertaining to the Russia investigation; and a perceived need to protect and advance open investigations into Russian election tampering and the Trump campaign…

“Mueller turned in his report 650 days after his appointment. By the end of last December, the investigation had cost about $27m… Mueller’s duties connected with his appointment as special counsel are now complete, and he is not expected to take on a further public role. Before agreeing to the special counsel appointment, Mueller, 74, was in private practice, after having served for 12 years as director of the FBI, as a US attorney, and as a marine…”

Time for Reckoning?

Breitbart wrote on March 25:

“Wall Street Journal assistant editor James Freeman and Sen. Rand Paul are on the same page: the Mueller report confirms it is now time for the Obama administration toaccount for its flagrant abuse of the surveillance powers of the federal government…

“Freeman wrote: ‘… This historic abuse of executive authority was either approved by President Barack Obama or it was not. It’s time for Mr. Obama, who oddly receives few mentions in stories about his government’s spying on associates of the 2016 Trump campaign, to say what he knew and did not know about the targeting of his party’s opponents.’

“Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, similarly tweeted it is ‘time to investigate the Obama officials who concocted and spread the Russian conspiracy hoax!’”

Another costly and time-consuming investigation?

The War on Healthcare which Won’t Go Away

Newsmax republished the following article by The Associated Press, dated March 27:

“President Donald Trump is calling on Republicans to revive the effort to quash the Affordable Care Act, handing Democrats an opportunity to unite in defense of the law… Trump’s administration [over the objections of Attorney General William Barr and others]  is asking a federal appeals court to strike down the entire healthcare law…

“The Supreme Court has twice upheld President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, known as ‘Obamacare.’ Five justices — a majority — who upheld the law in 2012 are still on the bench. Trump’s effort to repeal Obamacare narrowly failed in the Senate in 2017… there’s no indication that GOP senators want another fight over repealing Obamacare — particularly not those up for re-election next year. The GOP also lost control of the House, which means any attempt to dismantle the law could not pass Congress…

“As the debate plays out on Capitol Hill, the White House made a surprising legal argument for eliminating the healthcare bill. In a Monday court filing, the administration said the entire healthcare law should be struck down as unconstitutional after Congress repealed fines [the individual mandate] on people who remain uninsured. That’s at odds with previous statements by leading congressional Republicans who said they didn’t intend to repeal other parts of the law when they cut out its fines, effective this year…

“Repeal of Obamacare in its entirety would risk making more than 20 million people uninsured. That includes some 12 million low-income people covered through its Medicaid expansion and some 11 million purchasing subsidized private health insurance through HealthCare.gov and state-run insurance markets… Several GOP senators said Tuesday that Trump told them to ensure those with pre-existing conditions stayed protected as they work on an Obamacare replacement…”

However, they won’t stay protected without legislation to that effect. And Republican Senators confirmed that presently no legislation exists replacing Obamacare. If Obamacare was to be repealed without a replacement, millions of people, including those with pre-existing conditions, might find themselves without any healthcare insurance.

Recognizing the Golan Heights

JTA wrote on March 21:

 “Last week, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, called on the U.S. to recognize Israel’s claim to the Golan. Trump himself followed suit on Thursday, breaking with half a century of U.S. policy… it makes clear that peace between Israel and Syria isn’t happening anytime soon, even when the civil war ends. If Israel’s hold on the Golan was tight before, it’s airtight now…

“It’s also a big deal for Netanyahu, who is facing a credible challenge to his premiership in the election a couple of weeks away. Trump’s statement is a huge boost in a tight race…

“After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel took control of five territories. In the ensuing 52 years, it’s withdrawn from two — the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, both in the south… Israel has also annexed two — eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Trump recognized the Jerusalem annexation in 2017…

“The fifth territory is the West Bank, which is way more complicated. Israel hasn’t withdrawn from nor annexed it… If Trump recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan and eastern Jerusalem, could he recognize a West Bank annexation, too? The answer to that question used to be ‘no.’ Now it’s ‘maybe.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 24:

“The decision has been criticized by many US allies — Germany, Britain, France and the EU have all said they still consider the Golan Heights to be ‘occupied’ by Israel.”

The Independent added on March 28:

“The 28 member countries of the European Union have unanimously declared that they do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights region, despite a change in policy by the United States.”

JTA wrote on March 25:

“With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looking on, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. ‘Our relationship is powerful,’ Trump said Monday at the White House ceremony… ‘We will confront the poison of anti-Semitism through our words and more importantly our actions.’

“Trump’s formal recognition comes four days after he said on Twitter that it was time to do so and two weeks before elections in Israel. The proclamation is one of several actions taken by the Trump administration to boost Netanyahu, perhaps the international leader Trump is closest to, ahead of the April 9 vote…

“The United States is the first country to recognize Israel’s sovereignty. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 and moved the U.S. Embassy there last year.”

Trump Like Queen Esther?

The Independent wrote on March 22:

“Donald Trump may have been sent by God to save the Jewish people from any threat posed by Iran, his secretary of state has claimed. In an interview in Jerusalem with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Mike Pompeo was asked whether the US president was a latter-day Queen Esther, a figure who appears [in] both Christian and Jewish stories as a person who halted an attempt to wipe out the Jewish people. Mr Pompeo claimed that because of the president’s hardline stance against Iran, Mr Trump may indeed fit such a role.

“‘Could it be that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from the Iranian menace,’ CBN’s interviewer asked Mr Pompeo. ‘As a Christian I certainly believe that’s possible,’ replied the US secretary of state. ‘It was remarkable. So we were down in the tunnels where we could see 3,000 years ago, and 2,000 years ago — if I have the history just right — to see the remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration’s done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state remains.’ He added: ‘I am confident that the Lord is at work here’…”

Trump’s role for the USA, Israel and the world is indeed providential.

Romania to Move Embassy to Jerusalem?

The EUObserver wrote on March 25:

“Romania will move its embassy to Jerusalem [“the capital of Israel”], its prime minister has said… Her announcement broke the joint EU and UN line that Israeli-occupied Jerusalem ought to be shared by Israel and Palestine in a future two-state solution. It made Romania the first EU state to follow the example of US president Donald Trump, who moved America’s embassy to Jerusalem last year.  And it did extra damage to EU policy because Romania currently holds the six-month EU chairmanship…

“[Prime Minister Viorica] Dancila’s embassy move was put in doubt by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, however, who said on Sunday: ‘The final decision about moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem rests with me’. ‘The prime minister shows complete ignorance regarding foreign affairs,’ he added, in a sign of internal turmoil in Bucharest…

“Dancila’s announcement marked a broader split in EU Middle East policy. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are also opening lower-level diplomatic missions in Jerusalem in echoes of Trump’s move. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, and Romania declined to join the EU line on [and opposing] Trump’s embassy move at the UN last year…”

Ultimately, ten leading European anti-Israeli core nations or groups of nations will arise out of the present EU. Note the interesting next article as well.

Europeans Reject UN Anti-Israel Resolution

JTA wrote on March 22:

“In a major policy reversal by Western members of the United Nations Human Rights Council, all its European Union member states voted against a permanent item singling out Israel. The vote Friday was the first time that EU members states, plus Brazil and Japan, have voted against Item 7 — a recurrent draft resolution that is the only permanent item on the agenda singling out any one nation.

“The EU states currently on the council are Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and the United Kingdom. The draft resolution passed, despite the Western opposition: while 16 opposed it, including Australia, 26 were in favor. Whereas European nations in recent years have abstained by and large in votes on Item 7 at Human Rights Council sessions, this year they made a joint stand against the item, citing its ‘imbalance,’ as the representative of Bulgaria said in a statement representing the bloc…

“Item 7 comprises four resolutions. One states that the Council is ‘deeply concerned at the suffering of the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan due to the systematic and continuous violation of their fundamental and human rights by Israel since the Israeli military occupation of 1967.’ It does not mention the slaughter of Syrians by their government and other forces involved in fighting in Syria…

“Another part of Item 7 ‘Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately end its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.’ The third expresses ‘grave concern at the continuing violations of international humanitarian law and the systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel, the occupying Power.’ The fourth, titled ‘Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories,’ does mention terrorism, but only by ‘extremist Israelis.’

“A total of five critical but nonbinding resolutions, including one supporting an arms embargo on Israel, were passed about the Jewish state during the 40th session of the Council. It was the highest number of negative resolutions passed about any individual country during the session.

“In an earlier vote, all EU countries on the Council except the United Kingdom voted against adopting a U.N. report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza. The British delegate abstained… the resolution… passed with a majority of 23 yes votes and 15 abstentions…

“Last year, the United States pulled out of the Human Rights Council. Nikki Haley, then the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, called the council a ‘cesspool of political bias.’”

In light of Germany’s embarrassing and hypocritical conduct in its Parliament (see our Current Events in previous Update #869), we wonder how Germany would have voted if they had been a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. While some of the present EU Council member states will be part of the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations, others won’t be.

 “Islamic State ‘Caliphate’ Defeated, Yet Threat Persists”

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on March 23:

“US-backed forces proclaimed the capture of Islamic State’s last territory in Syria on Saturday, eliminating its rule over a self-proclaimed ‘caliphate,”’ but the jihadists remain a threat from sleeper cells around the world. Originally an offshoot of al-Qaeda, IS took large swathes of Iraq and Syria from 2014, imposing a reign of terror with public beheadings and attacks by supporters abroad — but it was eventually beaten back to the village of Baghouz…

“Some IS fighters still hold out in Syria’s remote central desert, and in Iraqi cities they have slipped into the shadows, staging shootings or kidnappings. The United States believes the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is in Iraq… jihadists in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and elsewhere show no sign of recanting allegiance, and intelligence services say IS devotees in the West might plot new attacks…

“Still, the fall of Baghouz is a big milestone in a fight waged against the group by numerous local and global forces… for more than four years. France and Britain, which also back the SDF, both welcomed Saturday’s developments, though US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned: ‘We still have work to do.’…”

We agree. ISIS is still a terrible threat to life, liberty and freedom.

Theresa May Isolated?

AFP wrote on March 24:

“Accused of presiding over an unprecedented national humiliation in her chaotic handling of Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May has all but lost control of her party and her government… her approach to the endgame, refusing to accept MPs’ opposition to her divorce deal and agreeing to delay Brexit to try for a third time to get it through, has prompted frustration and anger on all sides… And this weekend, after yet another bruising Brussels summit for the prime minister, British newspapers were full of moves by her colleagues to oust her.

“In an editorial, Conservative-supporting Spectator magazine suggested May was the ‘worst prime minister in our history’… although it also accused the ruling party itself for failing to find a better leader.

“May’s former director of communications, Katie Perrior, wrote in The Times newspaper that the prime minister was ‘a passenger at the time when the country needed a rally driver’… The top selling The Sun tabloid [said] it was ‘time to move on… She has lost the backing of much of the country and now her party’…

“However, May has been written off before… May’s critics are deeply divided, and their inability to unite behind a rival candidate has foiled previous attempted coups. Her finance minister, Philip Hammond, condemned any talk of replacing May… ‘This is not about the prime minister or any other individual, this is about the future of our country,’ he said.”

Newsmax wrote on March 25:

“British lawmakers voted on Monday to wrest control of Brexit from Prime Minister Theresa May… The move underlined to what extent May has lost her authority… Monday’s vote… came after the prime minister admitted that the deal she had agreed with the EU after two years of talks still did not have enough support to pass…”

Express wrote on March 27:

“Mrs May said she will stand down before the next stage of Brexit negotiations. She told MPs: ‘I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.’ The Prime Minister’s offer comes after a string of MPs said they would back her divorce deal in return for her promising to go.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 28:

“The EU has agreed to put Brexit on hold until May 22 if the deal is approved this week. If parliament cannot agree upon any kind of deal, the UK would crash out of the EU with no deal on April 12…

“The German papers shook their collective heads following the latest round of voting in the British Parliament, which saw the House of Commons vote against eight different proposals for a way out of the UK’s Brexit crisis…

“Bild, Europe’s biggest mass-circulation newspaper, began its top story with the line: ‘The next act in the Brexit drama — and the chaos has become even more confusing!’…  Die Zeit’s Matthias Krupa… laid much of the blame for the debacle on May for failing to consult Parliament for a majority in the past two years of negotiations with the EU. But he added that Wednesday’s events showed that ‘the parliament isn’t any cleverer [than] the prime minister.’… Der Spiegel… noted that even May’s offer to resign once her deal had been passed by parliament could not guarantee the Commons’ approval…

“House Speaker John Bercow said on Thursday that MPs would vote on a motion to approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which sets the divorce terms. Unlike the two meaningful votes already held, it will not cover the political declaration which deals with the future relationship between the UK and the European Union. Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom said that the vote on Friday would not count as a meaningful vote on the whole Brexit deal… it is still a question if the government has the numbers.”

Incredible Attack of British Government on the Bible

Daily Mail wrote on March 24:

“The Home Office turned down a Christian convert’s bid for asylum in an ‘unbelievably offensive’ letter quoting bloodthirsty passages from the bible to prove Christianity is not a religion of peace. The Iranian national claimed asylum in 2016, but was turned down, with Home Office officials saying his conversion from Islam was ‘inconsistent’ with his claim Christianity was a peaceful religion – by highlighting violent passages from the bible.

“In the refusal letter six passages are listed and a claim is made that Revelations is filled with ‘images of revenge, destruction, death and violence.’… The refusal letter also quotes parts of The Book of Leviticus from the old testament.

“The full statement below the verses says: ‘These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a “peaceful religion, as opposed to Islam which contains violence, rage and revenge.”’”

It is truly shocking that such unqualified Home Office officials, being hostile to the Bible, are allowed to make important decisions based on nonsensical and ignorant reasoning.

“‘Dark Day for Internet Freedom’: EU Lawmakers Approve Controversial Copyright Reform”

The Drudge Report linked to the following article by RT, on March 26:

“The European Parliament has voted to adopt the highly controversial Article 13 provision which would govern the production and distribution of content online under the auspices of increasing copyright protections. Tuesday’s move will update the EU’s 20-year-old copyright rules and will govern audiovisual content, much to the dismay of many social media users who have already begun outpouring their grief online…

“MEPs passed the legislation by 348 votes to 274 Tuesday. Opponents had hoped for last-minute amendments to be made but their efforts were in vain. Julia Reda, a German MEP with the Pirate Party, described it as a ‘dark day for internet freedom.’… The onus will now be on tech companies to clamp down on content-sharing on their platforms, which will likely ensure yet more draconian policing of speech and content.

“EU member states now have two years to pass their own laws putting Article 13 into effect. Tens of thousands marched in protest across Germany ahead of the vote, decrying what they viewed as severe online censorship. Tech giant Google said that… the directive… will… lead to legal uncertainty and will damage Europe’s creative and digital economies. Critics have argued that the only way for Article 13 to be effectively enforced would be through the use of upload filters which automatically check content to see if it’s copyrighted or not, at least in theory. However, the exact mechanics of such a system have yet to be fully debated and the potential for abuse is immediately clear.’”

Deutsche Welle added on March 26:

“The draft law… means:

“Social media platforms would have to ensure uploaded content is not in breach of copyright rules. Companies will need licensing agreements with rights holders such as  musicians, performers and authors to use their content. The likes of Google News would have to pay publishers for press snippets shown in search results (whatever that means). Non-profits and encyclopedias such as Wikipedia will still be able to use data for research and educational purposes (whatever that means). Fledgling companies with an annual turnover below €10 million ($11.3 million) are exempt…

“European consumer organization BEUC also opposed the reform. ‘We fully support the aim of ensuring fair remuneration for creators, but this should not happen to the detriment of consumers,’ said Monique Goyens, head of BEUC. ‘There is a very high risk that the new law will do more harm than good.’”

Of course it will. As can clearly be seen from these articles, this is a most ridiculous and at the same time ambiguously worded and extremely dangerous law for consumers. Depending on how this law is implemented, it could also adversely affect God’s Church, which would have to be seen as a clear attempt of Satan to destroy God’s commission to His Church. But as usual, the majority of ignorant European parliamentarians did not care a bit.

A New World Order?

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 26:

“The leaders of China, Germany, France and the EU have held ‘unprecedented’ talks on building a new global governance. The challenge for Europe is how to balance ties in the face of Beijing’s growing global influence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks in Paris on Tuesday… Macron urged his Chinese counterpart to ‘respect the unity of the European Union and the values it carries in the world.’…

“A prosperous Europe corresponded with China’s ‘vision for a multipolar world,’ Xi said, adding that the EU and China were ‘advancing together’ despite ‘suspicions.’… France wants to engage China as a closer partner as Washington becomes more isolationist under Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. A full China-EU summit is due to take place in Brussels on April 9.”

However, this “close” cooperation between the EU and China will not last.

Streisand under Fire for Outrageous Comments

New York Daily News wrote on March 22:

“Barbra Streisand is under fire for comments she made about two men accusing Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting them as children. The legendary singer and actress said that [the alleged victims] — ‘were thrilled to be there’ and that what allegedly happened to them ‘didn’t kill them.’… she also said that Jackson’s ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs.’ She says she ‘absolutely’ believes the allegations of abuse… but puts more blame on their parents than [Jackson]…

“‘You can say “molested,” but those children, as you heard say [the grown-up alleged victims] they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.’”

Subsequently, Streisand issued a somewhat contradictory, convoluted and rambling “clarification” and “apology,” stating that “there is no situation or circumstance where it is OK for the innocence of children to be taken advantage of by anyone” and that “It’s clear that the parents of the two young men were also victimized and seduced by fame and fantasy.”

First Fox Moderator Tucker Carlson’s damnable comments about abused minor school boys by female teachers (see Current Events in Update #868), now these damnable (initial) comments by Barbara Streisand. Where is decency and what is this world coming to?

And Now Germany? Measles Vaccinations to Become Mandatory?

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 25:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), are considering the measles vaccination compulsory for children nationwide, according to media reports on Monday… [German] parents are increasingly opting not to vaccinate their children…

“Opposition parties in Germany are split over the move, with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) backing mandatory vaccinations for children up to the age of 14… Pushback came from the Greens, who say they support vaccines, but are skeptical about requiring them…”

Also, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAAP) leaders have called for the elimination of non-medical exemptions to vaccination to be the top priority for the year. Maybe governmental officials should consider as to why so many parents are opposed to vaccinations. Obviously, the attempts by pharmaceutical “scientists” to deny clearly-established side effects and to “convince” parents of the “need” for highly dubious vaccinations did not produce the desired results. Governmental hysteria, combined with an ill-informed and manipulated mass media and autocratic governmental measures, have never been a good combination.

When You Thought It Could Not Get Any Crazier…

CNN wrote on March 26:

“Unvaccinated people under age 18 are banned from public places in Rockland County, New York, as of midnight Wednesday… The declaration is an effort to contain an outbreak of measles that began in October… Public places include synagogues, churches, schools, restaurants, stores and public buses. ‘Public places are defined as: a place where more than 10 persons are intended to congregate,’ the news release says… the penalty is six months in jail and/or a $500 fine…”

It was pointed out on Fox News that this is almost impossible to enforce and that the ban is likely to be unconstitutional, but when there is paranoia, who cares? In addition, some are claiming the quarantine to be anti-Semitic because Rockland County has a high number of unvaccinated Orthodox Jews. Quarantine is to be applied during Passover season, so Jews with unvaccinated children won’t be able to attend services.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics

Saudi’s Brutal Crush on Dissidents

The Week wrote on March 18:

“More than a year before Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret — and brutal — plan to crush dissent, using surveillance, abduction, and torture, U.S. officials who read classified intelligence reports on the matter told The New York Times. Saudi citizens were targeted around the world, with a special team — called the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group by U.S. officials — involved in at least 12 operations beginning in 2017, the Times reports.

“This is the same team that killed Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. After being captured and brought back to Saudi Arabia, these people were housed in palaces belonging to the crown prince and his father, King Salman, the Times reports, with many tortured during interrogations.”

The New York Times wrote on March 17:

“Saudi laws prohibit torture and hold accountable those involved in such abuses of power… The Saudi government insists that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi… was not an assassination ordered from Riyadh. The decision to kill him was made by the team on the spot, government officials say…

“Saudi Arabia has a history of going after dissidents and other Saudi citizens abroad, but the crackdown escalated sharply after Prince Mohammed was elevated to crown prince in 2017… [He] locked hundreds of princes, businessmen and former officials in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in 2017 on accusations of corruption…”

Nothing of such magnitude happens in Saudi Arabia without the Crown Prince at least knowing about it. Clearly, he was behind the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. To deny this FACT because of political motives and “advantageous” considerations is outrageous!

Violence in the Netherlands

Reuters wrote on March 18:

“A gunman shot dead three people and wounded nine on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday and police said they were hunting for a 37-year-old Turkish man in an apparent terrorist attack. Dutch authorities raised the terrorism threat to its highest level in Utrecht province… Prime Minister Mark Rutte [said] he was deeply concerned about the incident, which came three days after a lone gunman killed 50 people in mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.”

Daily Mail added on March 18:

“[The] Turkish ‘terror’ suspect is arrested after ‘shooting a relative on Dutch tram “for family reasons” and then firing at anyone who tried to intervene‘ … [The suspect’s] family members in Turkey say the person targeted on the tram was a relative of the 37-year-old.”

npr wrote on March 18:

“A motive for the shooting remains unclear; police have said they were investigating a ‘possible terrorist motive’ for the attack, but reports have also emerged that the shooting might have its roots in a family dispute.”

Tighter Gun Laws in New Zealand

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18:

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that her Cabinet had agreed ‘in principle’ upon tighter gun laws for New Zealand. The proposed changes… were spurred by Friday’s Christchurch terror attacks, in which a shooter used multiple weapons, including military-style semi-automatic ones, to open fire on worshippers at two mosques… In the meantime, she encouraged individuals to surrender weapons similar to the ones used in the attacks to the authorities…

“Ardern also announced that her government would launch an inquiry into the country’s intelligence services. The suspect charged in relation to the attacks, a self-declared white nationalist who had posted a racist manifesto online, was not on the security services’ radar…”

These senseless mass murders in the Netherlands and in New Zealand are committed by deranged individuals who are obviously under demonic influence, if not possession.

Third Brexit Vote Illegal unless Substantial Change in Brexit Deal

The Guardian wrote on March 18:

“The House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has said the government cannot bring the meaningful vote back to parliament again unless there has been substantial change to the Brexit deal. In a shock move likely to infuriate the prime minister, the Speaker said the House of Commons was ‘being repeatedly asked to pronounce’ on the same question…

“Quoting from the guide to parliamentary procedure, Erskine May, Bercow said that by convention, the question ‘may not be brought forward again during the same session’ and that it was a ‘strong and longstanding convention’ dating back to 1604. He said the convention had been confirmed again many times, including in 1864, 1870, 1882, 1891 and 1912…

“He said the change must make the deal ‘fundamentally different’, rather than just a unilateral reinterpretation…”

UK Asks for Short Brexit Delay

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 20:

“The United Kingdom has requested delaying Brexit until June 30 in a letter to European Union leaders, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday. ‘As prime minister I am not prepared to delay Brexit any further than the 30th of June,’ May told MPs in Parliament… In the letter she says that she intends to hold a third vote on the twice-rejected Brexit deal, but will need more time to do so…”

Daily Mail wrote on March 20:

“The EU will give Britain a ‘short’ Brexit delay but only if MPs back Theresa May’s deal next week, European Council President Donald Tusk said today – setting up a dramatic political showdown days before the UK is due to leave…

“If no delay or deal is agreed with the EU before Friday, the law says Britain will leave without a deal – despite years of dire warnings about its impact on Britain. If May’s deal fails, the EU has not ruled out offering a longer delay but this would likely come with preconditions such as a second referendum.”

Still Shorter, If At All

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 21:

“The European Council on Thursday agreed to offer the UK two different Brexit extension options…

“Option 1: If the UK parliament accepts the withdrawal agreement, it can delay exiting until May 22 to ratify the text.

“Option 2: If it does not accept the deal, the EU will offer a shorter extension until April 12.

“If it rejects the deal and takes the shorter extension, it can decide whether to seek a much longer delay and vote in the European elections…

“British Prime Minister Theresa May… called on British MPs to accept the deal, saying it would be wrong to participate in the European elections.”

What to Know about Brexit

Axios wrote on March 18:

“On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom shocked the world and voted to ‘Brexit,’ or leave the European Union. More than two years later, with divisions sowing within and between political parties — and with the March 29 withdrawal date approaching rapidly — the country seems no closer to negotiating the terms of its exit…

“At the time of Brexit, the Conservative Party held a majority in Parliament. The party lost its majority in a snap election called by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017 and was forced to form a coalition party with the Democratic Unionist Party.

“David Cameron [was] Prime Minister from 2010-2016. He called the referendum, campaigned for ‘Remain,’ and resigned after losing the vote. Theresa May [is] U.K.’s current prime minister. May supported remaining in the EU before winning the leadership election to replace Cameron. She has managed to keep the job, but has failed to win much support for her approach to Brexit. Boris Johnson [is one] of the most vocal proponents of leaving the EU from within the Conservative Party.

“[The] Labour Party [is the] opposition party in Parliament, which overwhelmingly supports remaining in the EU. Jeremy Corbyn [is the] hard-left leader of the Labour Party. He opposed Brexit (at least officially) but after the vote said the results must be respected. He’s been accused of failing to take a firm line on the issue.

“‘Leave’ [is the] pro-Brexit campaign focused on cutting immigration, gaining sovereignty and slashing payments to Brussels. ‘Remain’ [is the] opposing campaign emphasized economic harm if Brexit went ahead…

“A hard Brexit is the preferred exit strategy of hard-line Brexiteers. It would include a full withdrawal from the EU customs union…

“A soft Brexit, as outlined by Theresa May’s plan, includes keeping closer economic ties to the EU.

“No deal Brexit [is the] case in which the U.K. leaves the E.U. with no formal exit agreement, which would be bad for Europe and disastrous for the U.K. There is an overwhelming consensus on both sides of the aisle that a no-deal Brexit cannot be allowed to happen…

“A backup solution… would avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland until the EU’s future relationship with the U.K. is resolved…

“We are less than a month away from Brexit Day, when the U.K. is scheduled to leave the EU, and nowhere close to a deal. Now, May will have to get the EU to sign off on the proposal to push the Brexit deadline back. Getting the EU to agree to an extension will be tricky, though, and pushing back the deadline won’t get May any closer to a parliamentary majority.”

Brexit will happen in God’s due time. What is going to happen afterwards?

Europe after Brexit

spiked online wrote on March 15:

“As Britain prepares for Brexit, what will happen to the EU that we leave behind? To understand the EU and its direction of travel, you have to understand Germany – the bloc’s richest, most populous and most powerful nation. Sir Paul Lever has worked in the Foreign Office and the European Commission [and] he was the British ambassador to Germany between 1997 and 2003.”

The article quoted Sir Paul Lever as follows:

“I’d hesitate to say the EU won’t change at all when Britain leaves because the UK is a major state. But it won’t change fundamentally. The two things that currently matter in the EU, and the things that most matter to Germany, are the Euro and immigration. Since we’re not in the Euro and we had opted out of Schengen, Britain’s voice hasn’t been relevant for years on the two most important issues… Brexit won’t have an existential effect on the EU…

“If you look at the actual structures of the EU, there’s the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Court. That is exactly the same way that Germany is governed. The Bundesregierung, or federal government, is like the Commission, the Bundestag, or German parliament, is like the European Parliament, and the Bundesrat, the council of the German Länder (the federal states), is like the Council of Ministers, and both the EU and Germany have very powerful constitutional courts, too. So for a German politician moving into the EU, it’s a very familiar world, which is precisely why the Germans find it so easy to operate in Europe… The EU is Germany writ large. And this is how it has been from the beginning. It is not some recent German plot to subvert the EU – it is how it was set up…

“When the Euro was originally set up, the rules were ones which the old Bundesbank (the German central bank) insisted on: it wasn’t going to be a transfer union, there was going to be a big budget, and there would be strict obligations on debt and deficits. In the first few years, those rules weren’t always adhered to. In recent times, during the Greek crisis, for instance, the Germans started to insist on a strict application of these rules. In fairness, every country did sign up to them. And the Germans weren’t reneging on any obligations when they first refused to bail out Greece, for instance. They had never implied that they would accept responsibility for the debts of other member states – it would have been political suicide in Germany to promise this…

“Germany has been a huge beneficiary from the euro. A study was published recently by the Centre for European Policy Studies in Germany, which estimated that Germany had earned €1.9 trillion from adopting the euro in its first 20 years. But it had cost France €3.6 trillion and Italy €4.3 trillion. German politicians don’t like to admit this…”

Germany is destined to become and remain THE leading nation in Europe. It is also destined to bring much pain and misery to the world, when the end-time leader of core Europe arrives—a person of German or Austrian descent, who is called the beast in the Bible.

Another Step Towards Russian Autocracy

Axios wrote on March 18:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a set of controversial measures into law Monday that criminalize the dissemination of information online that ‘exhibits blatant disrespect for the society, government, official government symbols, constitution or governmental bodies of Russia,’ the Washington Post reports…

“Russian lawmakers say the bills are intended to combat fake and abusive comments online, but critics have labeled the legislation ‘direct censorship’ and yet another step toward autocracy. Online publications and users that repeatedly spread ‘fake news’ will ‘face fines of up to 1.5 million rubles, or $22,900.’ Repeat offenders that publish information deemed insulting to Russian authorities — including Putin — could face 15 days in jail.”

It will of course be the Russian government and its judges who will decide what is fake news and what constitutes insults to Putin and other Russian authorities.

USA to Recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over Golan Heights

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 21:

“On Thursday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that ‘after 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights,’ calling the area important to regional stability…

“Israel took control over the western two-thirds of the Golan Heights, which was previously part of Syria, during the Six-Day War in 1967. The eastern portion of Golan remained under the control of the Syrian Arab Republic. The western section of the Golan remained occupied by the Israeli army from 1967 until December 14, 1981, when the Israeli government passed the Golan Heights Law, essentially annexing the area.

“Despite the fact that Israeli settlements had been built in the area, the move was roundly condemned in the United Nations Security Council when it passed UN Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981, declaring the annexation ‘null and void and without international legal effect.’ The United States is the only country that has signaled a willingness to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”

The Obscure Celebration of Purim

JTA wrote on March 12:

“On [Palma de Mallorca, a Spanish] island south of Barcelona, Jews celebrate Purim these days pretty much as they do most anywhere else in Europe [that is, without deep contemplation for the events described in the book of Esther]… 50 years ago, Purim was the holiest day of the year — comparable to Yom Kippur — for this island’s unique Jewish community. Persecuted for centuries during the Spanish Inquisition, the forcibly converted Jews of Mallorca had exploited their persecutors’ relative ignorance of Purim to mourn their situation and sustain their faith and culture. ‘Purim wasn’t celebrated in Mallorca, it was sorrowfully observed in secret,’ said Rabbi Nissan Ben-Avraham… Celebrating any of the major Jewish holidays — including Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot — would have been too risky… Those holidays were too well-known and featured too many distinctive customs to be practiced safely…

“In previous centuries, [Purim,] a holiday that celebrates the Jews’ triumph over people who conspired to annihilate them in fifth-century B.C. Persia was far less joyous than its carnival-like character today. Jews only began dressing up [that is, wearing costumes] on Purim in the 16th century. Before that, the holiday’s essence was primarily in the daylong Fast of Esther, which comes immediately before the actual holiday and is meant as a sign of gratitude to God for the survival of Jews in Persia… The fast aligned comfortably with Lent, a 40-day period in early spring during which Catholics abstain from certain indulgences, including meat. Many Christians would fast on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, thereby providing a handy alibi… observing the Fast of Esther at around the same time…

“Some… fasted on Purim as recently as 30 years ago.

“… after the fall of the pro-Catholic dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1975, anti-[Jewish] sentiment declined [on Mallorca] and with it the need for secrecy around the Purim customs. By then, thousands of tourists to Mallorca had transformed the remote island into a European party capital…”

Today, many Jews keep Purim in the form of carnival celebrations and worldly parties. This year, Purim will be held by the Jewish community from the evening of March 21 to the evening of March 22. It is not a biblically-commanded festival for neither Jews nor Christians.

“Front Page in Polish Paper: ‘How to spot a Jew'”

Fox News wrote  on March 15:

“A right-wing newspaper in Poland sparked widespread criticism after running an anti-Semitic article on its front page instructing readers ‘how to spot a Jew.’ The Polish-language weekly, Tylko Polska, or ‘Only Poland,’ includes a list of supposed markers [such as ‘names, anthropological features, expressions, appearances, character traits, methods of operation’] and ‘disinformation activities.’… The newspaper’s front page – which also included a headline that read ‘How to defeat them? This cannot go on!’ – ran an article, which read, ‘Attack on Poland at a conference in Paris’ – in reference to a Holocaust studies conference at the French capital last month that sparked criticism over alleged anti-Polish speakers…

“It included a photo of Jan Gross, a Polish and Jewish Princeton scholar who wrote ‘Neighbors: The Destruction of [the] Jewish Community in Jebwabne, Poland,’ which is about the massacre of the Jewish people in Jebwabne by their non-Jewish neighbors during the Nazi occupation in Poland… The newspaper was first spotted at the lower house of the Polish parliament – the Sejm – on Wednesday, as part of the weekly package of publications sent to lawmakers…

“Opposition lawmaker Michal Kaminski called for prosecutors to investigate, as it’s a crime in Poland to incite hatred based on race or religion. A lawmaker from the ruling right-wing party called for the paper to be banned altogether. The director of the Parliament’s information center initially said his office could not take action because the paper was being sold from kiosks inside the Sejm, which was responsible for the choice of newspapers. Andrzej Grzegrzolka also suggested that a court could look into the front page to decide whether ‘Only Poland’ should be suspended under Polish law, the [Washington] Post reported. He later relented and announced his office would request that ‘Only Poland’ be removed from the set of periodicals delivered to the Parliament…

“According to JTA, the newspaper is published by Leszek Bubl, a fringe nationalist political candidate. In the past, he has sung anti-Semitic songs about ‘rabid’ rabbis. Poland, which was home to Europe’s largest Jewish community before the 1939 occupation by Nazi Germany, has a history of anti-Semitic speech and actions. The government has also been accused in the past of trying to rewrite history by banning any suggestion of Polish complicity in the Holocaust.”

Fragile Relationship between Poland and Israel

The Washington Post also wrote on March 14:

“Poland’s collective historical memory over treatment of Jewish people and Polish-Jewish relations have been fraught issues in the past few years. In 2018, the Polish government backed a law that made it punishable by jail time to refer to Poles as complicit in Nazi atrocities, sparking an international outcry, largely from Israeli and U.S. lawmakers. The law was later watered down, removing the prison terms. Then last month, Polish-Israeli relations were tested again when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was misquoted on his return from a Middle East summit in Poland as saying that ‘the Poles’ collaborated with Nazis during World War II. The paper that quoted him, the Jerusalem Post, later added a correction to make clear that Netanyahu meant to say ‘Poles,’ not ‘the Poles.’

“But then Israel Katz, on his first day as Israel’s acting foreign minister, reiterated that Poles collaborated with Nazis during World War II and quoted former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir by saying that Poles ‘sucked anti-Semitism with their mothers’ milk.’ Poland pulled out of a summit between Israel and the Visegrad Four countries (the other three being the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia), and the summit was replaced with bilateral meetings between Israel and the other three.”

That anti-Semitic Poles collaborated with the Nazis in the persecution and murder of Jews is a well-known and undisputable fact.

Shocking! “Germany’s Parliament Favors Anti-Israel U.N. Voting Pattern!”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 16:

“Political representatives in Germany’s Bundestag overwhelmingly rejected a resolution by the Free Democratic Party to urge Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to reverse its anti-Israel voting record at the United Nations. The Free Democratic Party (FDP)… introduced the pro-Israel resolution calling on the federal government… ‘to dissociate [in the UN] from unilateral, primarily politically motivated initiatives and alliances of anti-Israeli Member States, and protect Israel and legitimate Israeli interests from unilateral condemnation’…

“Merkel, who said in Israel in 2008 that its security is ‘non-negotiable’ for her administration, voted with authoritarian regimes, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, 16 times in 2018 to condemn the Jewish state… from a total of 21 anti-Israel resolutions… Germany abstained from four anti-Jewish state resolutions.

“The vote in the Bundestag was from a total of 626 MPs participating. An eye-popping 408 voted to reject the pro-Israel resolution while 155 urged its acceptance. A total of 63 MPs abstained. The depth of anti-Israelism in the Bundestag sparked criticism from a tiny number of German politicians and journalists. The FDP and the largely anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany, supported a reversal of Merkel’s anti-Israel voting record at the UN.

“The Social Democrats, the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Democratic Party, The Left Party, and the Green Party lined up behind targeting Israel for punishment at the UN. The Green Party abstained, but German critics viewed the abstention as a cowardly escape hatch… Green Party politician Volker Beck wrote on his Twitter feed that ‘This was not a glorious chapter for foreign policy and national interests of the German Bundestag. And it will not be the last word. I am angry, also about my parliamentary group.’

“When asked on Twitter why the Social Democratic politician Frank Schwabe voted against the pro-Israel resolution, he declined to answer. The Post also questioned the Christian Democratic Union MP Andreas Nick who declined to respond about his anti-Israel vote. The German journalist and author, Alex Feuerherdt, who is an expert on the UN and Israel, wrote that the vote shows the lack of solidarity for the Jewish state in Germany. ‘Dead Jews are always capable of solidarity in Germany, especially on days such as 9 November or 27 January,’ he wrote. ‘The living and her state [Israel], on the other hand, are maximally in Sunday sermons, but not when it matters. What a lousy hypocrisy.’

“The Israeli security and defense expert Arye (ARO) Sharuz Shalicar tweeted: ‘I was born in [Germany]. I grew up in Berlin. I have a German high school diploma. I even served in the armed services. But today I am ashamed of German politics!’”

Was this just an exceptional cowardly behavior by most German Parliamentarians… or is there much more to it? The underlying anti-Semitism in Germany, which has ALWAYS been prevalent, cannot be denied. Bild Online chastised the main parties in Parliament and congratulated the FDP and the often-maligned AfD for their pro-Israel stance, stating that the AfD puts parties like the CDU and the SPD to shame. The Bible shows that very soon from now, Germany will align with Arab states against Israel.

Will Germany Renege?

The Wall Street Journal published the following article on March 18:

“The German government is poised to renege on its pledge to raise military spending, the latest gesture of defiance by Chancellor Angela Merkel toward President Donald Trump.

“… the move would mark a fresh step in the gradual estrangement between the U.S. and its erstwhile loyal European ally and comes after Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks of North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders for not meeting a 2% military-spending target.”

US Ambassador Should Be Expelled from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 19:

“US ambassador Richard Grenell is acting like ‘a high commissioner of an occupying power,’ the deputy leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) has said. Grenell has also drawn rebuffs from Germany’s two governing parties.

“Wolfgang Kubicki, the deputy chairman of the opposition Free Democrats (FDP), said Richard Grenell’s repeated interference in German sovereignty should prompt Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to immediately declare Grenell persona non grata. ‘Any US diplomat who acts like a high commissioner of an occupying power must learn that our tolerance also knows its limits,’ said Kubicki, who is also one of five deputy speakers of Germany’s Bundestag parliament.

“Grenell had on Tuesday criticized Germany’s military spending plans within NATO as insufficient, prompting Kubicki to accuse the envoy of ‘interfering’ repeatedly in political issues of a sovereign country.

“Grenell’s criticism of Germany’s defense spending came weeks after he demanded that Berlin halt Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline being laid across the Baltic Sea to deliver gas from Russia to Germany, and threatened firms involved in the project with sanctions.

“Carsten Schneider, caucus manager of the Social Democrats (SPD) within the parliament, told the German news agency DPA on Tuesday that ‘Mr Grenell is a complete diplomatic failure,’ adding that ‘Mr Grenell damages transatlantic relations with his repeated clumsy provocations.’…

“Michael Grosse-Brömer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative alliance (CDU/CSU), urged Grenell to show restraint…”

Once an ambassador is declared to be “persona non grata,” he has to leave the country. German media pointed out that this episode will further alienate the two countries.

Is Trump Really Proposing to Cut Medicare?

The Week wrote on March 12:

“President Trump… promised [in 2015] to ‘save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security without cuts.’… Trump’s new national budget proposal was released [this week]. Democratic presidential contenders… are all pouncing on the president for supposedly including $845 billion in cuts to Medicare in his budget’s 10-year window. Meanwhile, Trump’s budget director is firing back that it isn’t true.

“Which is it? Does Trump want to cut Medicare or not? The answer is complicated.

“Usually, what people imagine when politicians talk about ‘cuts to Medicare’ is benefit reductions: Seniors getting less coverage, fewer drugs and procedures, or having to pay more money out of pocket. For the most part, those kinds of cuts aren’t in Trump’s proposal. Instead, his budget looks to reduce what Medicare pays to doctors and hospitals and private insurers for all those things…

“Specifically, Trump’s budget would cut the payments that Medicare sends to hospitals to reimburse them for unpaid bills, as well as payments to the outpatient care that hospitals provide. Payments to nursing homes and home health-care providers would be reduced. And Trump’s budget also includes a bunch of different policies aimed at lowering prescription drug prices…

“The funny part is that the two parties found themselves in opposite roles over the exact same issue several years ago. When they passed ObamaCare, the Democrats… [cut] Medicare’s payments to providers… Republicans at the time accused Democrats of cutting Medicare and endangering seniors… Democrats shot back that these attacks were unfair, because the cuts were to provider payments, as opposed to benefit reductions… the GOP made no effort to rollback ObamaCare’s cuts after they took the presidency and both houses of Congress in 2016. That’s politics for you…

“America’s total spending on health care is through the roof: almost 17 percent of the economy in 2015. That’s 5, 6, or even 7 percentage points higher than most other advanced Western nations. Most of what drives that gap is prices: What American health-care providers charge for drugs, services, procedures and everything else is just way higher than in those other countries. There are definitely enormous savings to be found here.

“Ironically, what makes it harder for Medicare to get those savings is that it doesn’t cover the entire population. Which gives providers an out. If nothing else, that’s a point in favor of Democrats’ plans for a Medicare-for-all system: It would finally allow us to get our arms around the entire health care pricing system. For providers, there would finally be no escape from the government’s payment terms.”

This would be an area where the government could do some good, in keeping greedy pharmaceutical companies in check. The article shows once again the lying and deceptive manner with which politicians operate.

Is Trump Threatening with Real Violence?

The Guardian wrote on March 16:

“In an interview with Breitbart News published on Wednesday, Trump noted: ‘I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough – until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.’ In case you missed it, ‘they’ are Trump’s political opponents, including House Democrats and the mainstream media…

“It is impossible to know what bizarre scenario is playing out in Trump’s head. But another hint came on Friday, when, in the wake of the horrific shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, Trump told reporters he didn’t believe white nationalism was on the rise… ‘I think it’s a small group of people.’

“… the facts are otherwise. The number of hate groups in the US increased 7% last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Hate crime reports increased 17%, according to the FBI… 11 people were murdered at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue on 27 October, at the hands of a white supremacist. A few days earlier, a white supremacist murdered two black people at a grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky…

“At a rally for Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley in September, Trump said his opponents ‘were lucky that we’re peaceful’. He continued: ‘Law enforcement, military, construction workers, Bikers for Trump … They travel all over the country … They’ve been great.’ But, he warned, ‘these are tough people … they’re peaceful people, and antifa and all, they’d better hope they stay that way.’ In February, the White House Correspondents’ Association called on Trump to make it ‘absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable’. To date, he has not. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon [former White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration during the first seven months of Trump’s term] … predicted that ‘2019 is going to be the most vitriolic year in American politics since the civil war’.”

Trump: Tariffs against China Will Stay for Now

Axios wrote on March 20:

“President Trump said he plans to keep tariffs in place on Chinese goods for a ‘substantial period of time,’ possibly even after a trade deal is forged to ensure Beijing’s compliance…

“China has been pushing the Trump administration to eliminate tariffs in any forthcoming deal, so the president’s comments are certainly not a carrot for China’s end of the bargain…”

How America Poisons Its Citizens

The Guardian wrote on March 20:

“About 70% of fresh produce sold in the US has pesticide residues on it even after it is washed… strawberries, spinach and kale are among the most pesticide-heavy produce, while avocados, sweetcorn and pineapples had the lowest level of residues.

“More than 92% of kale tested contained two or more pesticide residues… Dacthal – the most common pesticide found, which was detected in nearly 60% of kale samples, is banned in Europe and classified as a possible human carcinogen in the US…

“Other foods on the group’s ‘dirty dozen’ list include grapes, cherries, apples, tomatoes and potatoes. In contrast, its ‘clean 15’ list includes avocados, onions and cauliflower…

“A… Harvard study found that for women undergoing fertility treatment, those who ate more high-pesticide fruits and vegetables were less likely to have a live birth…

“The Environmental Protection Agency… is fighting a court order to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that is associated with development disabilities in children…”

Oregon on its Way to Mandate Vaccinations

Portland Tribune wrote on March 14:

“A legislative proposal that would ban nonmedical exemptions for required vaccinations passed out of committee on a party-line vote Thursday, March 14, the committee’s seven Democrats voting in favor… it would still need to survive votes in the House and Senate and be signed into law by [Democratic] Gov. Kate Brown, who supports the proposal… unvaccinated children could still attend an online school, though they would not be able to participate in organized school activities, such as field trips. It also added a grace period, giving parents until August 2020 to comply with the law, if it were to pass…

“The proposal has been controversial, as more than 100 showed up to oppose the bill… People who opposed the bill said they went to committee members’ offices to distribute flowers representing injuries they say their children incurred when vaccinated. Some lawmakers’ staff declined the flowers, deeply upsetting some citizens…”

The Bulletin added on March 14:

“Oregon is [at this time] one of 17 states that allow students to attend school if they are not inoculated for personal, philosophical or religious reasons…  Several Republican opponents of the bill spoke during the debate over the final committee vote. ‘I find this bill to be far overreaching,’ said Rep. Cedric Hayden, R-Roseburg. ‘I have five children who are vaccinated. But I believe in parental rights.’

“Rep. Denyc Boles, R-Salem, said she was disappointed the legislation appeared on its way to approval. ‘I did not expect to be part of something I think is a complete disregard to the individual freedoms we have,’ she said.”

Some “liberal” Democrats become more and more a driving force for totalitarianism in this country. Also note the next article.

David vs. Goliath—the Fight against Abortion

news ag org wrote on March 11:

“Cedar Park Church, an Assemblies of God congregation in Bothell, Washington, filed a federal lawsuit on March 8 against Washington state officials to challenge a newly implemented law that forces all employers — including churches that already provide maternity coverage — to pay for abortion and abortifacient contraceptives in health insurance plans. ‘We’re standing for the rights of people of faith to not be forced into being complicit with something inconsistent with our faith,’ says [a] senior pastor of the Seattle-area church. ‘Abortion is the antithesis of who we are as an organization, what our beliefs are, and how we live out our faith.’…

“The suit contends Washington’s law is an intentional attack on people of faith. No abortion exemptions are allowed for churches or religious organizations that provide insurance coverage for maternity care. Cedar Park currently provides comprehensive coverage as part of its employee package. ‘Cedar Park’s deeply held religious belief is that abortion is the ending of a human life and is a grave sin,’ the suit declares.

“The bill… [signed by Democratic governor Jay Inslee] requires employee health plans to also ‘provide a covered person with substantially equivalent coverage to permit the abortion of a pregnancy.’… The suit contends that Cedar Park cannot use tithes and offerings for purposes deemed to be religiously and morally repugnant to its members… under the current law church leaders would face not only fines, but also prison time for noncompliance. ‘Cedar Park believes and teaches that abortion violates the Bible’s command against the intentional destruction of innocent human life,’ the suit states.”

This law is truly catastrophic in that it is trying to, in effect, force churches which are biblically opposed to abortions, to tolerate or even encourage abortions by demanding financial support for those of their employees who, in violation of church teaching, choose an abortion. Churches would thereby have to compromise their religious beliefs and become complete hypocrites, or they would face severe punishment from ungodly governmental agencies.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.