U.S. Dow Industrial’s Biggest Intraday Decline in History

Reuters wrote on February 5:

“U.S. stocks plunged in highly volatile trading on Monday, with the Dow industrials falling nearly 1,600 points during the session, its biggest intraday decline in history [it closed down Monday with a drop of about 1,170 points]…  the Dow suffered their biggest percentage drops since August 2011 as a long-awaited pullback from record highs deepened…”

The Week added on February 5:

“The Dow’s decline follows a rocky week that culminated in a 666-point drop last Friday…”

Deutsche Welle added on February 5:

“Banks fell the most as bond yields and interest rates all plunged. Health care, technology and industrial companies all dropped steeply while energy companies and oil prices sank…”

Dow Jones Rallies Back, and Drops Again

CNBC wrote on February 6:

“After two huge sell-offs in a row, U.S. stocks are all over the map on Tuesday. Investors blamed the wild moves on a combination of interest-rate fears, computer-driven trading [note the next article] and the obscure volatility funds that use leverage.

“The Dow Jones industrial average opened with a big whoosh lower, then rallied all the way back. As of 3:08 p.m. ET, the Dow is 500 points higher [later that day, it climbed to 568 points] and trading at a new session high…”

However, on February 7, CNBC reported:

“Dow is headed for a more than 100-point drop at the open, following Tuesday’s wild ride. U.S. stock index futures dropped deep into the red ahead of Wednesday’s open, pulling back from the roller coaster ride seen on Wall Street in the previous session.”

In addition to Wednesday’s drop, the Dow plunged more than 1,000 points on Thursday (cp. Bloomberg, February 8, 2018).

These roller coaster rides are not very reassuring. And we can expect much worse developments. Note the next articles.

Wall Street Victim of Trading Machines

CNN wrote on February 6:

“On a typical trading day, computers account for 50% to 60% of market trades… When the markets are extremely volatile, they can make up 90% of trades… It’s not that humans didn’t play any role in the stock market’s moves. A stronger-than-expected wage increase in Friday’s jobs report led investors to make trades based on the assumptions about what that might mean for inflation and the Federal Reserve’s actions going forward. But once they gave the stock and bond markets that initial push, the computers took those initial moves and ran with them…

“The program trading that sends stocks down so quickly can send them up just as fast. That’s one reason why the market came off its lows and rebounded more than 400 points late Monday. It’s also probably why markets opened down more than 500 points Tuesday, only to jump several hundred points in the first hour of trading.”

This is not very comforting. Being a helpless victim to machines sounds like a horror scenario of a science fiction movie.

European and Asian Markets Plunge

Deutsche Welle reported on February 6:

“European markets took a big hit as Tuesday’s trading began, following major losses across Asia and particularly in Japan… European markets [are still] down as Tuesday trading closes.”

As the USA will be blamed, Europe and Asia won’t be very happy.

America’s Crazy Borrowing Politics

CNBC wrote on February 5:

“Last week… the Treasury Department quietly released data estimating its 2018 borrowing needs would check in at $955 billion, then top $1 trillion in the next two fiscal years… Given the turmoil in markets and the broad-based tax cut just signed into law, the Treasury’s timing arguably couldn’t come at a worse time…

“Conventional economic wisdom suggests that in the long term, Uncle Sam’s burgeoning debt load will put upward pressure on interest rates and hammer the dollar… While printing money to erase debt seems like an easy solution, most economists warn it would put the world’s largest economy on a fast track to hyperinflation and a devalued currency…

“As for the U.S. and its relentless borrowing needs, the stakes are high.”

Why there are relentless borrowing needs for the USA is very hard to comprehend.

UK Unprepared for a Global Financial Crisis

Express wrote on February 5:

“[The] WORLD ‘is due’ an economic crash that would cause chaos…

“Any financial crash caused by the collapse of the US stock market would likely have a massive knock-on effect in Britain [and around the world] with growth slowing in recent months… Figures from the Insolvency Service also reveal that in 2017 the number of people who declared themselves bankrupt [in the UK] reached its highest level since the financial crisis… the UK has dropped to the 13th fastest growing economy in the world because companies are unsure of Britain’s plan after it leaves the EU.

“Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility has declared it overstated the UK’s economic performance over the past seven years, meaning the British economy is weaker than previously thought. Speaking in Davos a fortnight ago Barclays Chief Executive Jes Staley gave a stark warning that the world is unprepared to deal with the next global financial crisis… Also speaking in Davos the Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Kenneth Rogoff, said: ‘If we have another financial crisis, there isn’t even a plan A.’”

Worldwide Market a Casino on Steroids

CNBC wrote on February 6:

“Billionaire Carl Icahn told CNBC on Tuesday there are too many exotic, leveraged products for investors to trade, and one day these securities are going to blow up the market… The billionaire investor says, ‘The market itself is way over-leveraged,’ and at some point could ‘implode.’…

“The market is a ‘casino on steroids’ with all these exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes, he said. ‘These funds, especially the leveraged ones, are the “fault lines” that will eventually lead to an earthquake on Wall Street, he said. ‘These are just the beginnings of a rumbling.’”

Even though he and many others feel that the latest crisis was only temporary, there can be no doubt that there are warning signs for worse developments to occur very soon.

Turkey and Pope Francis United Against Israel

The Jewish Press wrote on February 5:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday was the first Turkish head of state to visit the Vatican since 1959, and given the tense relations between the Sultan wannabe from Istanbul and the Pope, some wondered how the two leaders would be able to conduct a peaceful meeting. Turns out they had nothing to worry about, they both can’t stand the fact that Israel still insists Jerusalem is its capital, and now a US president is backing them up…

“Three years ago, in April 2015, Pope Francis and the Turkish leader were entangled in a fierce dispute over Turkey’s refusal to accept its responsibility for the 1915 Armenian genocide. Aware that conceding responsibility for the death of a million and a half innocent civilians would put modern Turkey’s Ottoman ancestors in the same category as Nazi Germany, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, Ankara denies that there even was an Armenian genocide, never mind who did it…

“So, to be clear, that whole Armenian genocide thing is put aside, so that everybody can concentrate on getting the Jews to give up their crazy idea about Jerusalem belonging to them.”

The Battle for Mount Zion

Breaking Israel News reported on February 1:

“Mount Zion, a site of great importance to the Jewish people, is almost entirely owned by the Vatican. It happens to also be a focal point of a political battle being fought, oddly enough, underground. Harry Moskoff is an executive producer and writer of The A.R.K. Report, an account of his research into the location of the lost Ark of the Covenant.

“One segment of his documentary will focus on Mount Zion specifically, located directly west of the Old City outside of the ancient walls. Moskoff notes that when the Bible refers to Mount Zion, it is actually using one of the names for the Temple Mount, which is also known as Mount Moriah. In that regard, he will investigate a theory of his that King David moved from his palace in the City of David, located on the southern slopes of the Temple Mount, to Mount Zion in the latter parts of his life. While some archaeologists believe that King David is buried near the City of David, Moskoff contends that his tomb is in fact located on Mount Zion…

“Eli Dan, who served as assistant director of the Diaspora Yeshiva, a Torah institution on Mount Zion, which was charged with running the compound of King David’s Tomb after the Six-Day War in 1967, has witnessed what he describes as a ‘long and complicated war’ with the Vatican. ‘The Vatican fought for years to gain control of Mount Zion,’ Dan told Breaking Israel News.

“‘Their main interest lies in the room where the Christians believe the Last Supper was held… The previous Pope promoted a political agenda that advanced the Palestinian cause because he wanted to gain control of the site,’ he elaborated. ‘But that room is in a building adjacent to the Tomb of King David.’

“Dan explained that King Solomon, King Hezekiah, and several high priests are also believed to be buried at the site. ‘The battle going on now for Mount Zion goes much deeper,’ Dan added. ‘The battle is for the identity of the site: whether it is a Jewish religious site, a Catholic site,  or whether it is simply a tourist attraction with no religious significance.’”

For more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Vatican’s Fight for Mount Zion and Jerusalem,” and read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

Former Pope Benedict in Last Phase of His Life?

Reuters wrote on February 7:

“Former pope Benedict said in a letter published in an Italian newspaper on Wednesday that he is in the last phase of life and on a ‘pilgrimage towards home’. Benedict… in February 2013 became the first pope in six centuries to resign… Since his resignation, the 90-year-old Benedict, a conservative German whose seven-year papacy was marked by mismanagement and financial scandals, has been living in a former convent in the Vatican gardens.

“He has made only a handful of public appearances, mostly at major Church events but has received friends. Those close to him say he is still sharp mentally but has mobility problems and needs a walker to get around.”

Israel to Deport African Migrants

Newsmax reported on February 4:

“Israel began warning thousands of African migrants Sunday that they must leave by the end of March, officials said, under a plan that could see them jailed if they refuse. On January 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced implementation of a plan to deport about 38,000 migrants who had entered the country illegally, mainly Eritreans and Sudanese…

“For now, the notices are being given only to men without families, officials said. Israeli newspaper Haaretz said ‘anyone recognised as a victim of slavery or human trafficking, and those who had requested asylum by the end of 2017 but haven’t gotten a response’ would also be exempt for now…

“Israel refers to the tens of thousands of African migrants who entered the country illegally from neighbouring Egypt as ‘infiltrators’. Israeli officials tacitly recognise that it is too dangerous to return Sudanese and Eritreans to their troubled homelands, but local media say the notices do not specify where departing migrants would be sent. Aid workers and media have named Uganda and Rwanda, although both countries deny being a destination for migrants being expelled involuntarily.

“Public opposition to the plan has been slow to build, but some Israeli airline pilots have reportedly said they will not fly forced deportees. Academics have published a petition and Israeli Holocaust survivors wrote an open letter to Netanyahu last month pleading with him to reconsider. The UN refugee agency has called on Israel to scrap the plan, calling it incoherent and unsafe.

“A 2016 UN commission of inquiry into Eritrea’s regime found ‘widespread and systematic’ crimes against humanity, and said an estimated 5,000 people flee the country each month. The International Criminal Court has indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide linked to his regime’s counter-insurgency tactics in the Darfur conflict.”

These developments are just terrible, and no country seems to be without guilt when reviewing their immigration practices. Please view Norbert Link’s recent message, “What If Ruth Had Lived Today?”

Poland Denies Responsibility for Holocaust in World War II

Reuters reported on February 5:

“Israel’s education minister said on Monday he was ‘honored’ Poland had canceled his visit to Warsaw this week because he refused to back off of condemnation of a bill that would outlaw suggesting Poland was complicit in the Holocaust. ‘The blood of Polish Jews cries from the ground, and no law will silence it,’ Bennett later said in a statement. ‘The government of Poland canceled my visit, because I mentioned the crimes of its people. I am honored.’

“…Israel has denounced the Polish Holocaust bill, which passed in parliament last week and is awaiting a decision by President Andrzej Duda over whether to sign it. The Polish measure would impose prison sentences of up to three years for mentioning the term ‘Polish death camps’ and for suggesting ‘publicly and against the facts’ that the Polish nation or state was complicit in Nazi Germany’s crimes.

“Poland’s rightwing nationalist government says the bill is necessary to protect the reputation of Poles as victims of Nazi aggression. Israel says the law would ban true statements about the role that some Poles played in Nazi crimes. The bill has drawn criticism from the United States and condemnation from a number of international organizations as well as Polish minority groups.

“Poland, which had Europe’s biggest Jewish population when it was invaded by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at the start of World War Two, became ground zero for the ‘final solution’, Hitler’s plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe. More than three million of Poland’s 3.2 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of the Jews killed in the Holocaust. Jews from across the continent were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in Poland, including Auschwitz, Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor.

“According to figures from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Nazis also killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians. ‘The death camps in Poland were built and operated by the Germans, and we cannot allow them to evade responsibility for these actions,’ Bennett said. ‘However, many Polish people, all over the country, chased, informed or actively took part in the murder of over 200,000 Jews during, and after, the Holocaust. Only a few thousand people… risked themselves to save Jews.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 4:

“Germany alone carried out the Holocaust, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said amid a row over Poland’s bill about Holocaust terminology… ‘Individual collaborators’ in Nazi-occupied regions during World War II did not change the fact that Germany was responsible for the Holocaust, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a Foreign Office statement on Saturday. Poland could be assured that ‘every form of historical falsification such as the term ‘Polish concentration camps’ runs into clear rejection on our part and will be sharply condemned,’ Gabriel added.”

However, Gabriel’s statements were clearly political. Note the following dated but still very relevant article:

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 2, 2018:

“Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan blasted German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Tuesday for comparing the Jewish State’s policies in the disputed West Bank territory to the former racist apartheid system in South Africa… Gabriel, who frequently boasts about his anti-fascist credentials because he rejected his father’s hardcore Nazism, has been engulfed in a number of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel scandals…

“‘There are two central narratives to Jewish history in the 20th century – the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. Sigmar Gabriel has already tried to undermine the core of each of them,’ Dr. Efraim Zuroff, head of the Jerusalem Office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told the Post in December… ‘In the past, Gabriel claimed that Social Democrats suffered the same fate as Jews during the Third Reich, a ridiculous assertion with no basis in fact, that undermines the uniqueness of the Holocaust and falsely relativizes the uniquely horrific fate of European Jewry at the hands of the Nazis and their helpers.’”

To deny the Holocaust is nonsense. To deny that Poles collaborated with the Nazis is equally nonsense. To criminalize those who deny the Holocaust is nonsense. To criminalize those who use the term “Polish death camps” is equally nonsense. In all these examples, a sound mind is lacking, while deceitful politics wins. In addition, JTA reported on February 6 that “Poland isn’t the only country to police what can be said about the Holocaust. Countries such as Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia have also been accused of whitewashing the past. But they haven’t received the widespread condemnation that Poland has.”

Germany’s Far-Right AfD Climbs and Climbs

DPA/The Local wrote on February 6:

“A poll published by INSA on Monday predicts that the Social Democrats and Christian Union would no longer be able to form a majority government, if elections were held now.

“The poll also puts the anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on 15 percent, just two percent behind the Social Democrats (SPD) on 17 percent. Merkel’s Christian Union (CDU/CSU) would win 30.5 percent of the vote, the poll predicts.

“As the CDU/CSU enter the final stages of trying to thrash out a new deal for a grand coalition government with the SPD [which was finally entered into on Wednesday, see articles below], the poll makes worrying reading for the main parties. Their proposed government has already been dubbed a ‘coalition of losers’ due to the fact that both parties leaked millions of votes at the ballot box in September’s national election. The SPD’s vote share of 20.5 percent was their worst result since the Second World War.

“The popularity of the far-right AfD has been creeping up in recent weeks, with several polls putting them on 14 percent or above. They entered the Bundestag for the first time in September after winning 12.6 percent of the vote. The party was set up in 2013 and fought the election of that year on an anti-Euro platform, but failed to make it over the 5 percent hurdle needed to make it into parliament.

“Last year they ran a campaign fiercely critical of the government’s refugee policy, which had led to over a million people applying for asylum in Germany since 2015.

“The leadership of the AfD rejects the label of far-right, preferring to describe themselves as conservative. However, they remain highly controversial due to various statements by senior party members… Björn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, has lambasted Germany’s culture of remembrance of the Holocaust, labelling the Holocaust Memorial in central Berlin a ‘memorial of shame.’ Party leader Alexander Gauland, meanwhile, said during election campaigning last year that Germany should be proud of the service of its soldiers in two world wars.

“The party has also been sharply criticized for its attitude to Islam, which it describes as “not belonging to Germany.” There are roughly 4.7 million Muslims in the Bundesrepublik, making up 5 percent of the population.”

Merkel (CDU) and Schulz (SPD) Reach Coalition Deal to Form New German Government

On February 7, the Local published the following article in collaboration with AFP and DPA:

“… the coalition deal has been struck. Now it will be put to a vote of the membership of the SPD…

“The SPD managed to wangel the Foreign Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Labour Ministry out of the talks. They appear to have done pretty well for themselves there. While they held the foreign and labour posts during the last administration, they have added the powerful finance ministry to their portfolio. The centre-left party will also hold onto the justice, family and environment ministries, all of which they held in the last government…

“The CSU, meanwhile, have been given a role at the Interior Ministry which appears to be something of a novelty as it will include responsibility for Heimat (home) – that rather untranslatable German word is a nod to conservatism and its current obsession with ‘German values.’ [Very conservative] CSU leader Horst Seehofer is coming to Berlin to take on the role of interior minister. At the end of last year it seemed like his career was over, but he appears to have rescued it to some degree…

“The only question is – with so many key ministries going to the other parties – what have the CDU kept for themselves? One assumes they have kept defence, but there is not much going other than that.”

Deutsche Welle added on February 7:

“If the [SPD] voters approve the deal — and it could well be close — Merkel could then appoint a Cabinet and the parties could sign the coalition contract. Then, if all goes to plan, Germany would have a new government by Easter…

“The two sides have agreed to tighten Germany’s arms export controls — last updated in 2000 — and will specifically exclude all countries taking part in the war in Yemen. This would be a significant change, as it would mean that Saudi Arabia, historically one of the best customers for German arms outside the EU and NATO, will no longer be receiving German weapons…

“The parties also promised a special focus on… ‘fair taxation of companies — especially the internet giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon in Europe.’… the two parties agreed to a ‘billion-euro program’ to extend Germany’s broadband reach to close gaps in a country where many rural areas do not have adequate online access. There will… be ‘a right to a fast internet by 2025’ — in other words, a law guaranteeing all Germans broadband internet connection…”

Bloomberg wrote on February 7:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bloc has concluded a coalition agreement that hands a half-dozen ministries — including the key foreign and finance portfolios — to her Social Democratic allies, a move that will likely bolster the country’s commitment to greater European integration… Martin Schulz will serve as foreign minister…

“While Merkel sets policy guidelines for the government as chancellor, SPD-led finance and foreign ministries will allow Schulz to make good on his pledge to deepen euro-area cooperation and reach out to France’s Emmanuel Macron, who says the 19-country currency bloc should have a joint budget and finance minister…

“The deal was worked out by a core of about 15 leaders and must now be approved by a broader group of roughly 90. While the pact clears a key hurdle to a fourth term for Merkel, the SPD’s pledge to let its 464,000 members vote on the agreement augurs several more weeks of uncertainty… If SPD members reject the pact, Merkel would have to choose whether to pursue a minority government reliant on opposition votes to pass legislation, or to return to the ballot box for an election that polls suggest would resolve nothing.

“Another alliance between Merkel’s Christian Democratic-led bloc and the SPD, a ‘grand coalition’ between the two biggest parties, appeared almost impossible after the Sept. 24 election, when the SPD suffered its worst defeat since World War II. Schulz initially vowed he wouldn’t again enter a cabinet with the chancellor who’s led Germany for 12 years. He changed position after Merkel’s bid to form a multi-party government with the Greens and the pro-market Free Democrats collapsed in November. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier helped prod the CDU and SPD to the negotiating table, saying the country needs a stable government rather than a repeat election.”

The Washington Post wrote on February 7:

“If the SPD members vote in support of the final coalition treaty next month [on March 3], a new government will go into effect late March or early April. If they don’t, Merkel will likely be forced to form a minority government, and it could mean the end of SPD leader Martin Schulz’s career, and even Merkel’s…”

As we predicted that Merkel and Schulz would be successful in striking a deal, so we predict that the SPD membership will vote for the grand coalition. German papers commented that in order to stay in power, Merkel has given up almost everything else. Bild Online wrote: “The operation was successful, but the patient (Merkel and the CDU) is almost dead” [“Operation gelungen, Patient (fast) tot.”]. Der Spiegel wrote about a “clear defeat for Merkel” [“eindeutige Niederlage”]. At the same time, die Welt commented about the “powerful political ‘master-accomplishment’ [‘machtpolitische Meisterleistung’] of Martin Schulz.” Also note the next article.

Schulz: “Germany Will Lead Europe Again!”

Express wrote on February 7:

“Martin Schulz has promised Germany will lead ‘fundamental EU change’ after forcing his way into Angela Merkel’s cabinet as part of the controversial coalition agreement. The former European Union president suffered a disastrous election, but Mrs Merkel’s poor results insured he would be a key part of the coalition, which was finally agreed today. And Mr Schulz hailed the deal with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives as a watershed moment for European policy.

“… Mr Schulz said: “You’ll forgive me for thanking Mrs Merkel and Mr Seehofer, especially regarding the European policy chapter of this deal, because what we wrote down in this coalition agreement about the European Union and its future will be a fundamental change of direction in Europe. With this coalition agreement, Germany will take an active and leading role in the European Union again.’…

“Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the biggest opposition party, tweeted: ‘Things could not get worse for Germany,’ calling the coalition deal ‘insane’ as it did not contain an upper limit for migration.

“Speaking in December, Mr Schulz called on EU member states to sign up to a ‘United States of Europe’ by 2025 or risk being kicked out of the bloc. He called for a new treaty to formally convert the EU into the United States of Europe, along the lines of the United States…”

“Germany Is the Leading Breaker of EU Rules”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on February 6:

“No other country seems to lecture EU states as much as Germany. But, embarrassingly, Angela Merkel’s government is in breach of European regulations more than anyone else…

“New figures from Germany’s Economics Ministry reveal that Angela Merkel’s government currently faces no less than 74 infringement proceedings for failing to adequately and timely convert EU rules into German law…

“The violations cover key issues affecting health and safety, including air pollution, traffic noise, fire protection measures and water quality, according to the ministry’s figures…

“To a certain degree, the new revelations are a deja-vu of 2003, when Germany was the first country to break deficit rules that apply to all 19 euro-zone countries. Frugal European countries, especially Germany, had been pushing for strict regulations to limit budget deficits and debt levels. When Germany failed to reign in its deficit… it agreed with France the rules didn’t apply.

“The new figures also show that Germany sometimes simply doesn’t bother to create the necessary corresponding laws.”

Christians Immune from the Flu?

Politico reported on February 6:

“An evangelical minister [Gloria Copeland]… sparked an uproar Tuesday by suggesting that Christian faith makes people immune from the flu…

“Public health experts immediately panned the remarks… John Auerbach, president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health and a former Centers for Disease Control associate director for policy, said people are best protected against the flu by getting a flu shot…

“Copeland and her husband co-founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. Both were members of Trump’s evangelical advisory board, which disbanded after Trump took office. Other members included former Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann and Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.”

While Christians are not immune from sickness, asking God for healing is always important, and flu shots have proven not to be as helpful as doctors would want us to believe.

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 State of the Union

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 31:

“Key passages of President Trump’s first State of the Union harkened back to the dark imagery and tone of his presidential campaign. Those hoping for a reset of his presidency should take note…

“In his first official State of the Union address, President Trump did not disparage anyone by name. He did not attack Hillary Clinton or the media, two of his favorite targets. He did not encourage divisions between Republicans and Democrats – in fact, he paid lip service to bipartisanship, calling on lawmakers to work together for the American people. So much for the good news.

“But while the beginning – and to some extent the end – of his very long speech could still be characterized as having a somewhat upbeat theme, with its focus on the economy and American pride, the tone of Trump’s remarks in the middle of the speech became increasingly dark and menacing.

“The immigration-themed passages, in particular, painted a frightening picture of an America supposedly victimized by both legal and illegal immigration. Trump’s depiction of immigrants wreaking havoc on ordinary Americans reached its low point when he exploited pain for political purpose. Just like during the presidential campaign, he drew attention to parents in the audience whose children were killed by gang members who were also undocumented immigrants.

“Interestingly, the immigration part of the speech was also the most detailed passage of what was otherwise an address lacking in specifics. Trump reiterated what he called the four pillars of immigration reform: a path to citizenship for the so-called Dreamers; a border wall; ending the diversity visa lottery; and a drastic reduction in family migration.

“He said immigrants can bring in an unlimited number of distant relatives. This is false. Only immediate family members – not distant relatives – can be sponsored by citizens or  green card holders. Importantly and ominously, Trump not only linked undocumented immigration to gang violence, he also linked two key paths to legal immigration – the diversity visa lottery and family migration – to terrorism.

“While Trump used the word ‘compromise’ to describe his offer of a path towards citizenship for the Dreamers coupled with a drastic reduction in legal migration, his depiction of America as a nation threatened by immigration actually seems to leave little room for compromise with the Democrats on that issue…

“While Trump’s first State of the Union speech will surely be well-received by his political base and will also resonate with a good part of the Republican Party, its deeply nativist and beleaguered tone are anathema to anyone who considers the United States a nation of immigrants… Having said that, the speech does have at least one useful effect: It should finally end any futile talk about Trump as a potential ‘uniter’…”

The Washington Post wrote on January 30:

“[In his State of the Union address,] President Trump claimed that a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of relatives and said he would end what he calls ‘chain migration,’ which refers to the practice of immigrants bringing other members of their families to the United States. His administration has said immigration should be based on skills and merit and less on family ties.

“Under current law, citizens can sponsor their spouses, children, parents and siblings. Trump would restrict family migration – ‘chain migration’ as he puts it – to spouses and minor children…”

“Long, Uneasy Love Affair of Israel and U.S. Evangelicals May Have Peaked”

The Washington Post wrote on January 28:

“Over the past half-century, many American evangelicals came to support Israel through an end-of-days theology… Many Jews, for their part, have long viewed the missionary work of evangelicals and their messianic, prophetic beliefs with suspicion. Christian proselytizing… is frowned upon by many Israelis, and Messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus, are largely shunned…

“[Vice President Mike] Pence’s speech to the Knesset last week, deeply steeped in biblical references, was a testament to the spiritually rooted support for Israel in President Trump’s White House. Pence himself has said he is ‘an evangelical Catholic.’…

“Israel’s ties to evangelicals date to before the state was established, when British evangelical leader William Hechler worked with Theodor Herzl — known as the father of Zionism — to advocate for a Jewish homeland. But it has been a conflicted relationship… younger evangelicals [are] increasingly exploring the Palestinian perspective…

“Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, an American Israeli who played a key role in fostering the relationship between American evangelicals and Israel… said:  ‘You have evangelicals in the White House, you have Trump who is susceptible to their influence and their constituency, you have a right-wing prime minister in government in Israel, and everything is good… But… that can change tomorrow, literally, in both cases…’”

The relationship between the USA and the State of Israel, as well as the Jewish people in general, will drastically deteriorate.

Netanyahu: Israel Will Retain Jerusalem’s Holy Sites

The Algemeiner wrote on January 26:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would retain Jerusalem’s holy sites in any peace deal during a public interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday… ‘Our position is that Jerusalem should remain united under Israel’s sovereignty with complete religious rights for those of all faiths.’…”

Europe, and especially the Catholic Church, will not accept that position, and changes are forthcoming.

America Fails in Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 29:

“It seems as if there is no end in sight to the spate of deadly attacks occurring relentlessly in Afghanistan, killing scores and throwing lives in disarray… A string of brutal attacks over the past several years, killing and injuring hundreds of innocent Afghans, have shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in Afghanistan and made it once again a staple of international headlines… Both the Taliban and the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) have claimed responsibility for the violence.

“… Many Afghans believe the attacks they have witnessed in January mark only the beginning in the latest bout of violence. Fears abound about the number of casualties rising in the coming months. The alleged peace talks that were mentioned only a few weeks ago are now but a distant memory.

“… The latest attacks can be regarded as a response to the recent US military offensive in the Afghan provinces Helmand, Nangarhar, Kunduz and others, said A.D. Mohammad Arif, an Afghan security expert. ‘The Taliban usually start their offensive after the winter (as a spring offensive), but they have now brought it forward in response to the US’ new Afghanistan strategy. They want to show that they are far from being defeated,’ Arif told DW.

“Unlike in previous years, the US, along with Afghan security forces, began its offensive against the insurgents in the winter this year. The move is part of the US’ new Afghan strategy, unveiled by President Donald Trump in August 2017. Trump then affirmed that he would increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan and remain engaged in the country until it no longer needed them…

“Nicole Birtsch, an Afghanistan expert at the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), is also of the view that the recent attacks could be a reaction to the air strikes and anti-insurgent operations the US military and Afghan security forces have been jointly carrying out against the Taliban…”

It appears that America’s foreign policy is doomed to failure in just about every respect.

Taliban Controls 70 Percent of Afghanistan

The Week wrote on January 31:

“A BBC study found that Taliban fighters are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan and have full control of 14 districts… since 2014, when foreign combat troops left the country, the Taliban has taken control of places like Sangin, Musa Qala, and Nad-e Ali in Helmand province, where from 2001 to 2014, hundreds of U.S. and British troops died while trying to get it back under government control.

“The BBC says that in addition to being in full control of 14 districts, the Taliban is open and active in 263 districts, meaning 15 million people, or half of Afghanistan’s population, live in areas where the Taliban has a regular presence.”

Hawaii Debacle… Worse than Originally Believed

The Associated Press wrote on January 31:

“Hawaii emergency management officials knew for years that an employee had problems performing his job. Then, he sent a false alert warning of an imminent missile attack earlier this month. The worker had mistakenly believed drills for tsunami and fire warnings were actual events, and colleagues were not comfortable working with him, the state said Tuesday. His supervisors counseled him but kept him for a decade in a position that had to be renewed each year.

“The problems in the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency went beyond one troubled employee. The agency had a vague checklist for missile alerts, allowing workers to interpret the steps they should follow differently. Managers didn’t require a second person to sign off on alerts before they were sent, and the agency lacked any preparation on how to correct a false warning.

“Those details emerged Tuesday in federal and state reports investigating how the agency mistakenly blasted cellphones and broadcast stations Jan. 13 with a warning that led hundreds of thousands of people to believe they were about to die in a nuclear attack. It took nearly 40 minutes to retract it.

“Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi resigned as the reports were released. Officials revealed that the employee who sent the alert was fired Friday. His name has not been revealed. A second worker quit before disciplinary action was taken, and another was being suspended without pay, officials said…

“Compounding the issue was that the state Emergency Management Agency had no prepared message for a false alarm… In addition, software at the Hawaii agency used the same prompts for both test and actual alerts, and it generally used prepared text that made it easy for a staffer to click through the alerting process without focusing enough on the text of the warning that would be sent…”

America on the Wrong Track

Newsmax wrote on January 29:

“Sixty-three percent of millennials say things in the U.S. are off on the wrong track while just 18 percent say the nation is headed in the right direction…

“19 percent approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing, while 17 percent neither approve nor disapprove and 63 percent disapprove. 12 percent approve of the way Congress is handling its job, 25 percent neither approve nor disapprove and 61 percent disapprove. 24 percent have a favorable impression of the Republican Party, while 62 percent have an unfavorable view. 44 percent have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, compared to 43 percent who have an unfavorable impression… 85 percent said they believe the government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves and their friends, while 14 percent disagreed.

“The survey, conducted Jan. 2-16, polled 1,844 adults ages 18-34. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.95 percentage points.”

America is clearly on the wrong track, and only heart-rending repentance of the American people and a return to the TRUE God of the BIBLE would change this.. .which is not expected to happen. In this context, note the next article.

Trump’s Approval Rating Way Up

Newsmax wrote on January 31:

“President Donald Trump’s approval rating has jumped 10 points in a month and now stands at 42 percent, according to a new Monmouth University Poll. Fifty percent disapprove of his job performance. Overall, it is a marked improvement for Trump, who had a 32 percent approval rating last month, while 56 percent disapproved of his job performance.”

What Will Trump Do in 2018?

On January 26, Project Syndicate published the following article by Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“There is still a big question mark hovering over US foreign policy in the form of Trump himself. It is entirely unclear what the president wants, what he actually knows, and what his advisers are and are not telling him. A coherent foreign policy may not withstand Trump’s mood swings and spontaneous decisions…

“So, looking back at 2017, one gets the impression that while US foreign policy remained largely intact, it has also become completely unpredictable. To that extent, 2018 seems likely to be a year of substantially increased risks, especially given the tensions in the Persian Gulf and Lebanon, the war in Syria, the hegemonic struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the nuclear brinkmanship on the Korean Peninsula…

“In the case of North Korea, which is quickly working toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland US, such a conflict could even entail the use of nuclear weapons. Nothing about this situation inspires optimism, especially now that the US is led by a president whom few can trust, and whose policies must be divined from the muddle of his tweets.

“In fact, the Trump factor could be the single most significant source of uncertainty in international politics this year. The US is still the world’s foremost power, and it plays an indispensable role in preserving global norms. If America’s policies are difficult to predict, and if Trump’s behavior undermines the reliability of the US government, the international order will be vulnerable to immense turmoil.

“As the US approaches its midterm elections in November, it will be important to consider how domestic political events might shape the country’s foreign policy. If the Republicans lose their majorities in either or both houses of Congress, and if Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel in the Russia investigation, presents his findings around the same time, then Trump will feel his power quickly eroding.

“The critical question for 2018, then, is what Trump will do if he finds himself threatened domestically at the same time that a foreign-policy crisis erupts… One need not be a doomsayer to regard the coming months with considerable skepticism and concern.”

As there is little or no international trust in Donald Trump’s intentions and his predictability, the explosiveness of worldwide reactions in 2018 will indeed be manifold and wide-spread.

Trump Will Come After the EU

The Sun wrote on January 28:

“DONALD TRUMP has threatened to confront the EU over ‘unfair’ trade in a warning shot for European leaders. The US President told Piers Morgan he would be ‘coming after’ EU states, according to the TV presenter… The US President filmed the interview with Piers in Davos, where he made a speech to world leaders telling them his ‘America First’ policy will end up helping the whole world…

“[Morgan said:] ‘He was very scathing about the EU – he said his own dealing with the EU had been pretty problematic and he actually gave a stark warning that he is coming after them on trade. I would not be surprised – the biggest trading partner of America in the world is the EU, 650-odd billion dollars a year.’”

Europe Ready to Hit Back at Trump

The Guardian wrote on January 29:

“Brussels has warned that it stands ready to retaliate and potentially open up a transatlantic trade war if the US delivers on apparent threats to restrict European imports… a spokesman for the European commission told reporters in Brussels that the EU was ready to hit back if its importers were made to suffer.

“[Trump’s] comments [in the interview with Piers Morgan, see previous article] appeared to bring closer the possibility of a clash over trade between the EU and the US. Last summer, the EU commissioner for trade, Cecilia Malmström, warned that, should such a ‘trade war’ between the US and the EU be waged, it would be ‘extremely unfortunate’ for the whole world.

“In a formal submission last month to the US steel investigation, the European commission had said any ‘sweeping measure targeting many steel products and all countries for national security reasons is not justified’.

“On Saturday, there was great relief in Belfast after a surprise ruling preventing the US from imposing a 292% import tariffs on planes partly made by British workers. The US commerce department said in December that the UK and Canada had given aerospace firm Bombardier, which employs over a thousand people in Northern Ireland, unfair subsidies. However, the case, which centred on a complaint by US rival Boeing, was dismissed by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), in a move which was also warmly welcomed in Downing Street.”

Further alienation between the US and the EU can be expected for 2018 and beyond.

“Youth Movement to Create United States of Europe Party”

Express wrote on January 26:

“A GRASSROOTS movement across European Union nations who back a United States of Europe is preparing to announce continent-wide candidatesfor the European Parliament elections as they vow to change politics across the bloc towards a closer union of member states…

“Volt’s goals appear similar to the vision set out by key EU figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Parliament’s Brexit spokesman Guy Verhofstadt. Mr Juncker has been particularly forthright in his calls for a United States of Europe that will tie the member states ever more tightly together… Although Volt would be the first continent-wide party, the idea of MEPs representing the whole bloc has also been put forward before by Brussels chiefs. In September, a proposal was put forward to transform the European Parliament after Brexit, with 51 seats being handed to a pan-European group of MEPs…”

The strong and powerful unification of continental Europe is ongoing and inevitable. Note the next articles.

Macron: EU Must Pull Together to Compete with US and China

The South China Morning Post, AP, AFP and Bloomberg wrote on January 25:

“French President Emmanuel Macron told the world’s business elite in Davos Wednesday that the European Union must pull together to compete with China and the US – and called on the ‘less ambitious’ EU countries not to ‘block the more ambitious in the room’. Macron said that those using the euro currency must be able to agree on a ‘much stronger’ and ‘fair’ system…

“Macron, a former Rothschild investment banker, is the darling of this year’s World Economic Forum… The French leader last came to the forum as a government minister in 2016. He used that visit to make contact with global big bosses, helping build his international credentials 18 months before the French elections that brought him to power.”

Germany’s Grand Coalition Negotiations… Time is Running Out

The Local wrote on January 26:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Friday for a quick end to the last stretch of tortuous negotiations to forge a government for Germany, in a race against time to stop her power slipping away at home and abroad.  As she arrived for the final round of talks with potential partners in her fourth government, the Social Democrats, (SPD) she said the country and Europe could not afford to wait much longer…

“A leading member of her Christian Democrats, Michael Grosse-Brömer, later said the parties hoped to wrap up the negotiations by February 4th, although he allowed for an additional two-day grace period. That timetable is even more ambitious than one Merkel had previously laid out, which had set a deadline of February 11^th… In Germany, there is talk about the autumn of her reign, even if no serious candidate has emerged to rival her…

“SPD leader Martin Schulz said as he headed to the talks with Merkel that ‘given the challenges coming from China, from the United States, we need a strong, pro-European Germany’… Not only are the stakes high for Merkel, but also for Schulz and the SPD… Polls this week showed… both [parties are] apparently losing ground from September.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 29:

“Six hours of nighttime talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats led by Martin Schulz were adjourned early Monday morning with ‘all sides’ ostensibly still working toward a February 4 deadline… In what was portrayed as a joint statement, Grosse-Brömer said ‘all sides’ were ‘determined to find solutions.’

“… the three parties [are] still at odds on a SPD call to allow relatives abroad to join refugees granted subsidiary protection status… Alongside refugee policy, however, key disagreements also remained on labor policy and health insurance…”

Sticking Points Remain

Handelsblatt Global wrote on January 31:

“By the end of this week, Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats hope to agree on a long list of issues to renew their ‘grand coalition.’…

“More than four months since Germans voted in a federal election, they’re still waiting for a new government. That’s a post-war first. No one can say with any certainty whether the political deadlock will end with another ‘grand coalition’ between Angela Merkel’s conservative party alliance and the center-left Social Democrats, a minority government (another first), or even with new elections (yet another first)…

“All three parties are pro-Europe and favor more integration, but differ over how much more. The SPD’s Mr. Schulz, who used to be president of the European Parliament, would love to create a ‘United States of Europe.’ Ms. Merkel isn’t ready to go that far. But she does support most of the EU reforms proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron. His ideas are to create a euro-zone budget and finance minister, and to transform the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) – a bailout fund – into a European Monetary Fund. Ms. Merkel’s Bavarian partner, CSU leader Horst Seehofer, is more critical of a mighty Brussels…

“If there’s one issue that could blow up the negotiations, it’s how to deal with the influx of migrants… In the exploratory talks so far, the conservatives pushed through a tentative agreement to cap refugee numbers at between 180,000 and 220,000 per year, and to let only 1,000 family members a month join their relatives who are already in Germany. The Social Democrats have since challenged that compromise, and now want to let in more family members…

“The military budget is another sticking point. Ms. Merkel’s conservatives want defense spending to reach NATO’s target of 2 percent of national output by 2024… How the conservatives intend to convince the Social Democrats to aim for the 2-percent target is a mystery. But they will try…

“The three parties have also been wrangling over Germany’s role in supplying weapons to troops in foreign conflicts. The Social Democrats have long been pushing for tighter restrictions to countries fueling the conflict in Yemen, and got a plan to ban arms sales to that region into the preliminary document. But don’t expect Ms. Merkel’s conservatives to throttle sales much. Germany’s is the world’s fifth-largest arms exporter; many jobs depend on the sector… defense spending could be a mine field.”

But still: We dare to say with certainty that the CDU/CSU and SPD will hammer out a grand coalition, under Merkel and Schulz.

Subsequently, Deutsche Welle wrote on February 1, 2018:

“German lawmakers have agreed to lift the suspension of family reunifications for migrants with so-called ‘subsidiary’ status. The reunifications bill is a breakthrough in Angela Merkel’s bid to forge a new government…

“From August 1, a maximum of 1,000 additional migrants will be allowed to settle in Germany per month, provided they are direct relatives of refugees already living in the country… The new migration law forms crucial part of the Union and SPD’s grand coalition policy blueprint.”

Abominable Testing of German Carmakers on Humans and Monkeys

The Telegraph wrote on January 29:

“German carmakers were engulfed in a new scandal on Monday after it emerged they had tested potentially dangerous exhaust fumes on human subjects.

“A research group set up by Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, the maker of Mercedes, deliberately exposed human test subjects to toxic exhaust chemicals for hours at a time in an attempt to prove they were not carcinogenic between 2012 and 2015. Details of the human testing were exposed only days after it emerged that the carmakers had carried out similar tests on monkeys.

“The revelations sent shockwaves through the German establishment. Barbara Hendricks, the German environment minister, described the experiments as ‘abominable’. ‘These tests on monkeys and humans cannot be justified ethically in any way,’ a spokesman for Angela Merkel said. ‘The outrage felt by many people is completely understandable.’…

“The same group was responsible for a similar 2014 test in the US in which ten monkeys were exposed to diesel fumes for several hours, details of which emerged over the weekend… Car manufacturers were yesterday scrambling to condemn the tests and contain the damage…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 29:

“German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks…[stated] that the auto industry and the scientific community must explain their role. ‘The fact that an entire industry has apparently tried to conceal brazen and dubious methods of scientific research makes it even more monstrous.’”

Handelsblatt Global added on January 29 that these “experiments elicit references to Germany’s Nazi past.”

It is terrible what people are willing to do in the name of science and profitmaking. Also note articles below, discussing cloning of monkeys and attempts of creating human-animal hybrids. 

Austria—the Bridge-builder

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 30:

“The EU migrant redistribution scheme ‘isn’t working,’ Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said while welcoming Hungary’s Viktor Orban in Vienna. The two leaders called for opposition to illegal migration to Europe…

“The countries of the Visegrad Group — Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic — have repeatedly clashed with other EU states over a policy of refugee relocation since unprecedented numbers of displaced people began arriving in 2015. Orban has been especially vocal in his rejection of EU migrant quotas, which would see some people relocated to Central Europe…

“Orban said that migration was the biggest danger today to the hopeful future of central Europe.’ ‘When I say that the future needs to be protected I mean that we have a culture, a Christian culture… We have a way of life, and we want to protect this way of life,’ Orban said.

“Both leaders called for more protection on the EU’s external borders… ‘Our great aim in Austria is to be a bridge-builder in this respect between the Visegrad states and the countries in Western Europe,’ Kurz said.”

The UK’s Failing Army 

The Guardian wrote on January 29:

“The argument over the UK’s defence budget and the shape of the armed forces has been raging for a while but the debate has reached boiling point this month. Newly appointed secretary of state for defence, Gavin Williamson, and the chief of the general staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, have been arguing for an increase in spending to meet a £20bn funding shortfall and stave off cuts to key capabilities and personnel numbers…

“Even if Williamson makes a series of sweeping changes, the results will take years or even decades to be implemented…”

By then, it will be too late for the UK.

Free Movement for EU Citizens Will End

The Telegraph wrote on January 31:

“Theresa May has promised that freedom of movement for EU citizens coming to Britain will end on Brexit day in March 2019. Brussels had insisted free movement must continue to the last day of any transition period, meaning EU citizens would be free to settle in Britain until at least the end of 2020.

“But the Prime Minister has made it clear that changing the rules on migration as soon as Britain leaves the EU is a must for her in negotiations over the transition period, which begin next week.”

“Inevitable 9.0 Earthquake, Tsunami Will Hit Canada’s West Coast”

Global News Canada wrote on January 24:

“The threat of the ‘big one’ hitting Western Canada has been looming for years. Experts say a powerful magnitude 9.0 earthquake could rip through the Pacific Coast, killing thousands and causing tsunami waves up to 20 metres high. The last destructive earthquake like this happened on Jan. 27, 1700, and experts say it is ‘inevitable’ that another one will hit the coast… [Some] experts believe the chance of it happening in the next five decades are actually one in three… The west coast of Vancouver Island and the U.S. states along the Pacific Coast will be hit the hardest…

“An example is the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that rattled northeastern Japan in 2011, claiming at least 15,000 lives and leaving more than half a million people homeless. This earthquake triggered a powerful tsunami — sending waves reaching up to 40 metres high into the coastline, destroying entire towns and triggering one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters. And there was the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 that killed more than a quarter of a million people — making it one of the most deadly natural disasters in modern history… the scale of these disasters are examples of what ‘we can expect’ from the Cascadia earthquake…”

The Bible shows that in these end-times, terrible earthquakes and huge tsunamis will occur all over the world, and much earlier than in 50 years.

Ireland’s Demon Problems

Christian Today wrote on January 25:

“Ireland urgently needs more exorcists to tackle an ‘exponential’ rise in demand for help with ‘demon possession’, a Catholic priest has said… He is ‘baffled’ Church leaders are not doing more and accused them of being ‘out of touch with reality’ if they do not see the need for more priests to drive out demons… ‘What I’m finding out desperately, is people who in their own minds believe – rightly or wrongly – that they’re afflicted by an evil spirit… I think in many cases they wrongly think it…’

“Collins’ remarks comes after the International Association of Exorcists (IAE), a group of 400 Catholic leaders and priests, reported a dramatic increase in demonic activity in recent years… The Church’s guidelines recommend that each diocese has at least one priest who is trained to recognise the difference between demonic activity and mental illness.”

It is very true that people might believe that they are directly influenced or even possessed by demons, while this is not true at all. On the other hand, there can be no denial that demonic activities are on the rise. Note the next article.

Invite Mary into your Home to Defeat the Devil?

Vatican News reported on January 28:

“Pope Francis celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sunday… on the occasion of the translation of the Icon of Mary ‘Salus Populi Romani’, Salvation of the Roman People… the Icon was returned to its home in the Borghese Chapel in the Basilica after it was restored…

“The image of Mary Salus Populi Romani is an object of particular devotion for people of Rome, and for Pope Francis as well, who routinely comes to the Basilica to venerate the Icon, especially before and after his Apostolic journeys throughout the world. In his homily during the Mass, the Pope focused especially on the idea of Mary as Mother…

“Pope Francis recalled that our ancestors have taught us, in the difficult moments of life, to always turn to Mary, to gather together ‘under the mantle of the Holy Mother of God.’ Mary, he said, ‘guards our faith, protects relationships, saves us in stormy weather, and preserves us from evil.’ When Mary our Mother is in the home, ‘the devil does not enter.’… Christians cannot be ‘neutral or detached’ from Mary, our Mother, he said, or we will lose our identity as children.”

These are very dangerous concepts. The true Mary of the Bible is dead and in her grave, waiting for the first resurrection from the dead. When we invite “Mary” as a living being into our homes, asking her to help us, we are inviting someone who is not associated at all with the true God.

Successful Cloning of Monkeys… Are Humans Next?

The Associated Press and Fox News reported on January 26:

“For the first time, researchers have used the cloning technique that produced Dolly the sheep to create healthy monkeys, bringing science an important step closer to being able to do the same with humans. Since Dolly’s birth in 1996, scientists have cloned nearly two dozen kinds of mammals, including dogs, cats, pigs, cows and polo ponies, and have also created human embryos with this method. But until now, they have been unable to make babies this way in primates, the category that includes monkeys, apes and people. ‘The barrier of cloning primate species is now overcome,’ declared Muming Poo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai… Poo said the feat shows that the cloning of humans is theoretically possible. But he said his team has no intention of doing that…

“Instead, he said, the goal is to create lots of genetically identical monkeys for use in medical research, where they would be particularly valuable because they are more like humans than other lab animals such as mice or rats. The process is still very inefficient – it took 127 eggs to get the two babies – and so far it has succeeded only by starting with a monkey fetus. The scientists failed to produce healthy babies from an adult monkey, though they are still trying and are awaiting the outcome of some pregnancies. Dolly caused a sensation because she was the first mammal cloned from an adult…

“At the moment, because of safety concerns, federal regulators in the U.S. would not allow making a human baby by cloning, and international scientific groups also oppose it… People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals condemned the monkey-cloning experiments. ‘Cloning is a horror show: a waste of lives, time and money – and the suffering that such experiments cause is unimaginable,’ PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement.”

Scientific experiments with animals are, for the most part, terrible reflections of man’s inquisitive cruel mind. In most cases, animals are subjected to unspeakable suffering, as the article points out correctly. 

Humanzees Next—Or Already There?

The Sun wrote on January 18:

“A HUMAN-chimpanzee hybrid was born in a Florida lab 100 years ago before being killed by panicked doctors, claims a renowned scientist. Evolutionary psychologist Gordon Gallup coined the term ‘humanzee’ which refers to a human-chimp crossbreed – a scientifically possible hybridisation which was attempted throughout the 20th century… Gallup, who developed the famous mirror ‘self-recognition’ test which proved primates could acknowledge their own reflection, claims his former university professor told him that a humanzee baby was born at a research facility where he used to work… ‘They inseminated a female chimpanzee with human semen from an undisclosed donor and claimed not only that pregnancy occurred but the pregnancy went full term and resulted in a live birth. ‘But in the matter of days, or a few weeks, they began to consider the moral and ethical considerations and the infant was euthanised’…

“The most infamous humanzee project was conducted by Russia biologist Ilya Ivanov, also in the 1920s, who tried and failed to create a Soviet super-soldier using human sperm and female chimps. Another reported case happened in Maoist China in 1967 where a female primate became pregnant with a human-hybrid only to die from neglect after the lab’s scientists were forced to abandon the project following the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution.

“Gallup’s term humanzee became well known in the 1970s after the emergence of a creature known as Oliver – a bald chimp who walked on his hind legs. But tests conducted on Oliver in 1996 proved once and for all that the animal had 48 chromosomes and was therefore not a human-hybrid…

“Gallup, who teaches biopsychology at the University at Albany in New York, insists that humans can be crossbred with all the great apes – not just chimpanzees… ‘I’ve also coined what would be the appropriate terms to refer to human-gorilla hybrids and human-orangutan hybrids which would be a “hurilla” and a “hurang.”’”

The Nazis under Hitler also tried, unsuccessfully, to create “humanzees.” God created animals after the animal kind, and man after the God kind. Man is not an animal. Animals only reproduce according to their kind, and the same is true for man. This shows the total impossibility of the Evolution Theory. HOWEVER, what would not be possible in nature (man would not interbreed with animals and produce offspring), could theoretically be possible in the Satan-inspired laboratories of man and man’s artificial and unnatural “experimentations.” God said at the famous incident regarding the tower of Babel, that if He were not to intervene and confuse the languages, nothing would be impossible for man at that time. We might have reached that time now, and Christ will have to intervene very soon to stop man’s dangerously mad ideas and endeavors.

Scientific Study on the Universe Proves Existence of God

Christian Headlines wrote on January 26:

“Astrophysicists at the Université de Montréal studied 909 planets and 355 stars and discovered that, unlike our solar system, planets in other systems are similar in size with regular spacing between their orbits…

“In our solar system, Jupiter, the biggest planet, is 28.5 times larger in diameter than the smallest planet, Mercury, and the inner planets have surprisingly large spaces between their orbits. The researchers noted that the variations could suggest our solar system formed differently than others in the universe. Weiss said these disparities ‘would not occur if the planet sizes or spacings were drawn at random’…

“…the study certainly shows something highly unusual about our planetary arrangement: Our oddball solar system, made up of a few rocky planets in the inner part, with one right in the habitable zone, and a couple of big gas giants in the outer part protecting the rocky planets, is exactly what life requires…”

The scientific study does not, of course, reflect on the fact that these findings point at a Creator, but that is exactly what they do. And since GOD created the universe and all life forms on earth, including humans, He has the unique right to demand of us to live by His standards.. and not the ungodly, sick and immoral abominations of man’s inventions.

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.

2018 Shutdown of the US Government

Newsmax wrote on January 20:

“A procedural vote to advance legislation passed by the House to fund the federal government through next month failed in the Senate on Friday, less than two hours before a midnight deadline passed to avert a shutdown. The vote… failed 50-49…

“Most Democrats rejected the continuing resolution that would have kept the government open until Feb. 16 to try to force Republicans to negotiate a permanent solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program [the “Dreamers”]. Only five Democrats voted to advance the resolution… However, four Republicans voted against the measure… Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, was absent for the vote…”

Since 1976, there have been 18 shutdowns. But this is the first shutdown ever to occur while a single party controls both the White House and Congress (House and Senate).

The Daily Mail wrote on January 20:

“The federal government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday… marring the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration in a striking display of Washington dysfunction…”

On Monday, the shutdown was lifted for three weeks after votes in the Senate and the House. The Democrats are blamed for giving in to President Trump and the Republicans.

Media Blames Democrats for Betraying Dreamers

The Washington Post wrote on January 23:

“In exchange for reopening the government through Feb. 8, the majority leader promised that the Senate will consider the status of ‘dreamers’…  the undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country illegally as children… [Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell delivered a carefully worded speech on the Senate floor, saying it was his ‘intention’ to address the dreamer issue, whether in the next spending bill or thereafter. He did not offer a specific promise to protect dreamers, and he suggested that he would offer nothing if the government shut down again, but he said he would follow an evenhanded process…

“The deal that reopened the government did nothing to ensure the House will act on a bill that the Senate passes, and conservatives aligned with the Freedom Caucus predicted that the bipartisan proposals currently being considered would be dead on arrival in their chamber… House leaders said they’re still acting as if the deadline to deal with DACA is March 6, which is when Trump announced last year that he would end the program…

“Keeping the president as contained as possible and largely hidden from view deprived Democrats of the boogeyman they expected when they decided to force the shutdown… Over the weekend, aides like [Mick] Mulvaney, [John] Kelly and [Marc] Short warned Trump to stay out of the fight and let it play out on Capitol Hill. … McConnell and [Ryan] also believed that the Democrats were in a politically tricky position, and called Trump multiple times to ensure he remained locked into the approach…

“This morning’s clips are brutal for Senate Democrats, especially [Senate Democratic Leader Chuck] Schumer. The mainstream media coverage is portraying them, almost universally, as weak-kneed and hapless. They’re getting mocked on the right and hammered even harder from left-leaning outlets… The consensus on the left side of the media is that Schumer made a fool’s bargain… He could prove skeptics wrong over the next two weeks, of course, but for now he is not getting the benefit of the doubt…”

It appears that Schumer tries to placate his critics by changing positions, but in doing so, matters will only get worse. Note the next article:

Politico wrote on January 23:

“The Senate minority leader, through an aide, informed the White House on Monday that he was retracting the offer he made last week to give Trump well north of the $1.6 billion in wall funding Trump had asked for this year, according to two Democrats. And now they say Trump will simply not get a better deal than that on his signature campaign promise…

“In the now-infamous cheeseburger summit last Friday with Trump, Schumer offered a large increase in border wall spending as a condition for a broader deal to help Dreamers. But after that offer was rebuffed — prompting the three-day government shutdown — the president has now ‘missed an opportunity to get the wall,’ one Democratic aide said…

“Republicans aligned with Trump are unlikely to go for any bill that does not offer a major boost in border wall funding, given the president’s strong feelings about the issue…”

This does not sound to be great news. Trump already declared that if there is no wall, then there is no DACA.

The Week added on January 25:

“The White House delivered an outline of its proposal on immigration to members of Congress on Thursday, which includes a pathway to citizenship for up to 1.8 million undocumented young people brought to the United States as children…

“The proposal also calls for $25 billion for border security, including building parts of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; the end of a diversity visa lottery system; and the scaling back of family-based immigration.”

Trump Lawyer Reportedly Created Shell Company to Pay Off Porn Star

The Week wrote on January 19:

“A month before the 2016 presidential election, President Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen set up a private company in Delaware to pay former adult film star Stephanie ‘Stormy Daniels’ Clifford $130,000 to keep quiet about alleged sexual encounters with Trump, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“On Oct. 17, 2016, Cohen established Essential Consultants LLC, then used a bank account linked to the company to send $130,000 to the client-trust account of an attorney representing Daniels. Pseudonyms were reportedly used to conduct the business, with Clifford referred to as ‘Peggy Peterson.’ Records also show that on Sept. 30, 2016, Cohen started an entity in Delaware called Resolution Consultants LLC, but on Oct. 17, just two minutes after creating Essential Consultants, he dissolved Resolution Consultants. Cohen denies paying off Daniels.’”

What is remarkable about this story is that it was reported by a highly respected conservative publication. While a denial of payment in this case seems highly dubious and while a settlement, per se, is not evidence of guilt, the reported underlying circumstances seem to amply support the conclusion that money was paid for highly inappropriate sexual behavior.

According to The Daily Mail, dated January 19, Daniels “told In Touch that they had slept together on a previous occasion, shortly after the birth of his youngest son… she described the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the future president in a hotel room at the Harrah’s Casino in Lake Tahoe following a celebrity charity golf tournament… Daniels, now 39, told ‘In Touch’ that Trump, then a reality TV star, lured her into conversations and sex with a promise that he would get her a role on his show, ‘The Apprentice.’… Daniels said that Trump deflected questions about his wife, the future first lady, despite the fact that she was at home with an infant son while he was making publicity appearances…”

Daily Mail added:

“Daniels has previously denied that she engaged in any type of sexual relationship with Trump, in a statement released by the president’s longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump has also denied having an affair with her.”

Even though Sodom and Gomorrah describes homosexual conduct rather than adultery, the principle of God’s anger with inappropriate sexual behavior by American Presidents (such as Kennedy, Clinton and now Trump, if true) certainly applies.

How the Most Unpopular President in US History Could Be Reelected in 2020

Express wrote on January 19:

“DONALD TRUMP ended his first year in office as the most unpopular US President on record and the past year since his inauguration has been filled with surprises, controversy and disagreements but… he could win a second term…

“The past year has been eventful for Mr Trump as he fights continued allegations over connections with Russia, escalated the rhetoric with North Korea, fought the battle at home over healthcare and fired the head of the FBI, amongst taking swipes at the media and announcing plans to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. He is the only US President since Harry Truman to have a negative net approval rating after a year in the White House and finds himself an unbelievable 24 points below where Barack Obama was at the same time in his presidency.

“Mr Trump’s honeymoon period did not last long, as eight days after his inauguration he had managed to achieve a majority disapproval rating. The Republican businessman managed to win the presidency despite being extremely unpopular in many parts of America and was only the fifth US President in history to win despite losing the popular vote, the previous being George W Bush in 2000… Despite the overall drop in public opinion, Mr Trump’s approval ratings have remained stable since July. He had a positive net approval rating in 17 states during 2017 – all of which he won in the 2016 presidential election and has regularly outperformed the polls, suggesting he could potentially win another election… Mr Trump defied many experts and polling figuring in the last election and with US politics so divided, if he retains the support of his core base he could win a second term in 2020.”

As our long-time readers and listeners know, we stated our belief that Donald Trump would become the Republican presidential candidate when he announced his run for presidency, and also, that he would become the next US President. Many scoffed at our stance at the time, claiming this would never happen (Subsequently, of course, once he became President, some self-appointed lying “prophets” came forward stating that they “always” knew that he would be President). We have also stated our firm belief that Donald Trump WILL be reelected in 2020, IF the USA will have elections in 2020. All of this is based on our understanding of biblical prophecy… and NOT on opinion polls or human reasoning.

Is US Quietly Preparing for War with North Korea?

Business Insider wrote on January 19:

“While much of the world has celebrated the progress in talks between North Korea and South Korea ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month… the US has taken steps to move heavy firepower to the region. And though the US says it will delay its yearly military exercises with South Korea until the end of the Paralympics in March, it has elsewhere trained for scenarios that seem tailor-made for fighting North Korea…

“Besides the exercises, the US has for the second time ever positioned both its nuclear-capable bombers in its territory of Guam, just a short flight from North Korea…

“At a meeting of foreign ministers from 20 countries this week in Vancouver, British Columbia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed sanctions implementation for North Korea, while Secretary of Defense James Mattis briefed them on the US’s plan for military strikes.”

Mike Pence Speaks to Israel’s Parliament

JTA wrote on January 22:

“Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem by no later than the end of next year during an address to Israel’s parliament. In his address Monday, the first by a U.S. vice president to the Knesset, Pence also called the Iran nuclear deal a ‘disaster’ and said ‘the United States of America will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement.’

“As he began to speak, Arab-Israeli lawmakers from the Joint Arab List party began waving signs protesting the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, leading to their expulsion from the Knesset chamber… Pence cited passages from the Bible and alluded to biblical history, as well as the parallels between the founding of the United States and Israel, many times during his 30-minute address…”

However, as our Q&A in this issue points out, the friendly relationship between the state of Israel and the USA will not continue.

EU Opposes USA and Sides with Palestinians against Israel

The EUObserver wrote on January 22:

“The EU has restated its opposition to US plans on Jerusalem during a visit to Brussels by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. ‘I want to reassure president Abbas of the firm commitment of the European Union to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as the shared capital of two states,’ EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday… She spoke alongside the Palestinian leader, who urged the EU to ‘swiftly recognise the state of Palestine’…

“The meeting came in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s decision, last year, to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Mogherini referred to Trump’s decision with disdain on two occasions on Monday… France, on Monday, said the EU should open talks on an association treaty with Palestine as an ‘interim accord’ ahead of its future statehood…”

Ultimately, the EU, under German leadership, will enter into an accord or a confederacy with Arab countries against the State of Israel.

Initial Win for Schulz… SPD Approves Coalition Talks with Merkel

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 21:

“Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday voted to begin coalition talks with Angela Merkel’s conservatives in a bid to end the country’s political limbo following September 24 elections. The vote in favor of going ahead with talks, taken at an SPD conference in the former capital, Bonn, attended by some 600 delegates from various state party organizations, came despite considerable rifts within the party. Of the votes, 362 were in favor of talks compared with 279 against.

“The contract that emerges at the end of the coalition negotiations will then be voted on by the SPD’s full 440,000-strong membership, which will thus decide whether the so-called ‘grand coalition’ of Germany’s main parties is finally established…

“Merkel has said that she wants to conclude the negotiations by February 12. If they are successful and Merkel receives the necessary absolute majority in the Bundestag to retain her position as chancellor, she could possibly begin her fourth term in office before Easter…

“In a speech at the congress, SPD leader Martin Schulz… spoke of the blueprint for coalition talks agreed at the preliminary talks as a ‘manifesto of a European Germany that is conscious of its responsibility for liberty, democracy, cohesion and solidarity in Europe.’ He said French President Emmanuel Macron had told him in a telephone conversation on Saturday that France was afraid that the extreme right could come to power in Germany if the German government did not work with its neighbor to support the European idea…”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on January 21:

“Germany’s political class is breathing a sigh of relief, at least for now… Following an emotional debate that seemed to split much of the party’s membership, delegates narrowly voted 362-279 in favor of a blueprint haggled out last week for another so-called grand coalition… The hard work, however, is only just beginning…

“The onus now falls to SPD party leader Martin Schulz, a man who just three months ago had vowed to lead his party into opposition following a huge defeat for his party in September’s elections. But the failure of coalition talks between Ms. Merkel and two other smaller parties, the Free Democrats and Greens, forced the SPD into a rethink… Still, it is hardly a given that the party’s base will vote in favor of a final coalition agreement. The SPD’s debate before Sunday’s vote exposed a wide generational gap in the center-left party, as younger members have led opposition to another grand coalition with Angela Merkel. In other words, the SPD’s more pragmatic wing has won a key battle, but it has yet to win the war…”

We take it for granted that there will be a grand coalition between Merkel and Schulz… something which we have pronounced for months. We also take it for granted that Angela Merkel will be the next German Chancellor, to push forward the European unification project, and that Martin Schulz will play a key role within the new German government regarding European developments. We state this in spite of movements within the SPD to isolate Schulz, asking for his resignation.

AfD’s Immigration Proposals

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 18:

“Thursday marked a historical moment for the Reichstag. It was the first time since the old parliament building burned down in 1933 that a far-right party has been able to present a draft law in the venerable Prussian-era edifice, a building revamped and reopened for the new democratic age in reunified Germany during the 1990s.

“Unsurprisingly, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) chose to present a bill to the chamber that reflected the key policy that has elevated them to the third-largest political force in the Bundestag: stopping immigration. Specifically, their bill was an alteration to Germany’s Residence Act that would permanently ban refugees with ‘subsidiary protection’ status from bringing over their close relatives from war-torn countries.

“Subsidiary protection is an intermediate status defined under European law, which ‘applies when neither refugee protection nor an entitlement to asylum can be granted and yet serious harm is threatened in the country of origin’… Once granted, it entitles the asylum seeker to a one-year residence permit, which can be extended on reapplication, as well as the right to work…

“The AfD went on to add that any relatives of refugees who might be in danger back home in Syria or Afghanistan should instead move to ‘pacified, or uncontested zones in their home country, or else in protective camps in a neighboring country.’”

This sounds pretty much like the position held by President Trump.

AfD Secures Chair of Powerful Budget Committee

The Local wrote on January 23:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured the chair of the country’s powerful budget committee on Tuesday, after being repeatedly shunned for top parliamentary jobs which were shared out among more established parties. The move comes after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) agreed Sunday to open coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, leaving AfD lawmakers as potentially the largest opposition grouping — traditionally called on to head up scrutiny of government finances. MPs from the eurosceptic party will also chair the committees on law and consumer protection and of tourism.”

Italy’s Persecution of the Jews under Mussolini

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 23:

“The Italian parliament on Tuesday held a session recalling the 80th anniversary of the 1938 racial laws it approved under the rule of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini… The 1938 racial laws allowed Italy’s fascist authorities to deprive Jews of fundamental rights, including expelling them from public life by stripping them of their jobs or expelling them from schools. The laws were later expanded to ban marriage between Jews and non-Jews, and strip them of citizenship if they had arrived in Italy after 1919…

“Over the past four years, Italy has witnessed a resurgence of far-right activity…”

One should not forget the collaboration between Mussolini and the Pope; as well as the Italian Catholic Church’s strong support of the racial laws against the Jews.

Germany and Poland Close on Europe

Euraktiv Poland wrote on January 18:

“On Wednesday (17 January), Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz met with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Berlin… ‘We have many common issues, problems on the European and world agenda, we should coordinate activities between the main countries in the EU that are France, Germany and Poland,’ said Czaputowicz, expressing hope for a quick meeting within the framework of the Weimar Triangle.

“‘We are close to Germany’s position on the most important issues concerning the vision for and the role of the EU’, but noted that Poland has a ‘slightly different’ position than France. Warsaw was open to dialogue with Paris, expressing hope that soon also a meeting at the highest level will take place. He added that Poland has always been in favour of strengthening ‘this traditional form of cooperation’ between Germany, France and Poland.”

It is hardly imaginable that Poland will not play an important role in the process of unifying Europe.

German-French Collaboration

Euractiv France wrote on January 23:

“On the 55th anniversary of the 1963 [Élysée Treaty], the French National Assembly and the German Bundestag both adopted, on the same day [Monday, January 22], a resolution calling for the strengthening of Franco-German relations.

“The presidents of the National Assembly and of the Bundestag, invited respectively to their counterpart’s institutions, have reaffirmed the importance of Franco-German relations. ‘France and Germany are not simply a couple: our two countries form a family!’ stated the President of the French National Assembly Francois de Rugy, while Bundestag President Wolfgang Schaüble called for ‘further developing together the basis of our close relations.’”

UK Loses EU Satellite Centre to Spain Amid Post-Brexit Security Concerns

Politico wrote on January 18:

“Spain was picked Thursday as the new host of a data center that protects military information gathered by the EU’s satellite program, which must move from the U.K. after Brexit. The secure facility helps ensure the security of the Galileo satellite program — used by government defense programs as well as for civilian uses. The center, currently located in Swanwick, England, is a backup for the main infrastructure in Paris. The European GNSS Program Committee voted today ‘by a large majority’ in favor of relocating the U.K. center to Spain, said a Commission spokesperson.

“The move comes amid concerns over such a facility being located in a non-EU country. Even if the U.K. stays in the Galileo program, like Norway or Switzerland, non-EU member countries are excluded from participating in security aspects. ‘Given the overriding importance for the Galileo program of maintaining the business continuity of the backup site, it is necessary that the U.K. backup site … is transferred to a location in the EU27,’ the spokesperson said.

“The technical infrastructure is the latest facility that has to move from the U.K., following the relocation of two EU agencies: the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority.”

Turkey Attacks Syria

Euractic wrote on January 22:

“The Turkish military on Saturday launched operation ‘Olive Branch’, its second major incursion into Syrian territory during the seven-year civil war. The operation, where Turkish war planes and artillery are backing a major ground incursion launched with Ankara-backed Syrian rebels and Turkish tanks, aims to oust the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia from its enclave of Afrin…

“But the operation is hugely sensitive as Washington relied on the YPG to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from their Syrian strongholds and the Kurdish militia now holds much of Syria’s north… US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said yesterday he was ‘concerned’ about the offensive, saying the United States was in Syria with the aim of defeating the jihadists. But Erdoğan expressed impatience with US demands to set a clear timetable for the operation, saying the campaign would be over ‘when the target is achieved’… Erdoğan insisted Turkey had discussed the operation in advance with Russia, and Moscow was in ‘agreement.’”

Pope Accuses Clergy Sex Abuse Victims Of Slander

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:

“Pope Francis had hoped to help repair the wounds of decades of sexual abuse in the church during his trip to South America this week, but his parting comments in Chile have left Catholics there stunned. Victims have accused a local bishop of covering up the crimes of Chile’s most notorious child abuser and allowing them to continue. But on Thursday, Pope Francis criticized the allegations against the bishop, saying they amounted to ‘slander’ due to lack of evidence…

“Francis told Chilean reporters it was slanderous that the victims of pedophile priest Fernando Karadima were accusing Bishop Juan Barros of covering up the abuse. ‘The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I’ll speak out,’ Francis said. ‘There is not one shred of proof against him. It’s slander.’ Barros was invited to several events with Francis.

“‘As if I could have taken a selfie or a photo while Karadima abused me and others and Juan Barros stood by watching it all,’ tweeted Barros’ most vocal accuser, Juan Carlos Cruz. ‘These people are truly crazy, and the pontiff talks about atonement to the victims. Nothing has changed, and his plea for forgiveness is empty’…

“Patricio Navia, political science professor at Diego Portales University in Santiago, said Chileans appreciated that Francis had gone much further than Chilean bishops in acknowledging sexual abuse, but his apparent U-turn on Barros would erase any good will. Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online database BishopAccountability.org, said in that statement Francis ‘has just turned back the clock to the darkest days of this crisis.’ ‘Who knows how many victims now will decide to stay hidden, for fear they will not be believed?’”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 19:

“The church is losing its influence in the nation… A new poll… showed that the number of Chileans calling themselves Catholics fell from 74 percent in 1995 to 45 percent last year…”

The End of Bitcoin? Dictatorships Would Like to Think So!

The Week wrote on January 19:

“The bitcoin boom may be over. And the death of the cryptocurrency craze may well come at the hands of government regulators. Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities plan to block domestic access to central cryptocurrency trading platforms and related services. Subsequent stories suggested officials in Russia and South Korea might pull similar moves.

“In response, the price of a single bitcoin — the world’s premiere digital currency — has plummeted. Over the weekend, bitcoins were valued at nearly $14,500. That price tag plunged below $9,500 on Wednesday, before bouncing back Thursday — though still only to $12,000. Worse still, bitcoin has been on a slow slide since December, when it topped out at almost $20,000 per coin.

“Is the bubble really bursting? Only time will tell… China’s government actually already banned official cryptocurrency exchanges late last year…

“On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that ‘legislative regulation [of cryptocurrencies] will be definitely required in [the] future.’ And on Thursday, South Korean officials said they were considering following China’s lead, and shutting down crypotcurrency trading via exchanges. Some of the resulting selloff was clearly a news-induced panic…”

Authoritarian governments (including China and Russia) are anxious to destroy bitcoin, as they see it as a threat which they have a hard time managing or controlling. Similar comments to that effect have been made in Europe (see article below). It reminds one of the biblical warning that a time will come when no one can buy or sell unless he has accepted the mark of the beast. But this time has not quite arrived. To therefore conclude that bitcoin is failing now is premature. Apart from continuing stories of irresponsible conduct of established banks, such as Wells Fargo’s ongoing problems, and governmental shutdowns and failing governments due to bickering and/or incompetent politicians, note the following article:

Express added on January 19:

“Bitaccess co-founder Mo Adam… dismissed concerns, claiming it would be impossible to completely ban bitcoin… Speaking to CBC, he said: ‘This is a very recurring theme in the bitcoin world: when more governments become aware of bitcoin, they get scared but then eventually come around it. And then business as usual continues.’…

“Forecast [from] a panel of experts predict bitcoin will remain top dog, with a market cap of $597.95 billion… This comes as Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel are set to launch a joint clampdown on trading cryptocurrencies. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said yesterday that the two countries will make joint proposals to regulate the bitcoin cryptocurrency at the next summit of the G20 group. The European Union has previously proposed treating‎ cryptocurrency markets as a security threat linked to criminal ‎laundering and terrorists.”

Bitcoin will prove to be a thorn in the flesh of many autocratic governments, the banking system, and the world economy. Drastic measures are to be expected, under the disguise of a security threat, and as far-fetched as it may sound, phenomena like bitcoin MIGHT contribute to the rise of a dictatorship in Europe.

Berlin Bitcoin Capital of Europe

The Local wrote on January 23:

“The German capital was first dubbed the ‘Bitcoin Capital of Europe’ by the Guardian in 2013 and since then a number of other businesses have been keen to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Nowadays people can buy an apartment, book holidays, eat and drink in a number of trendy bars and even pay for further education using the controversial cryptocurrency Bitcoin…

“One of the first universities in Germany to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment is the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT). The ESMT Berlin EMBA is ranked highly in the world for career progress and first started accepting Bitcoin payments in December 2016… Niels Göttsch is the owner of Leuchtstoff Kaffeebar in Berlin which introduced Bitcoin payments in 2012 and has been fascinated by cryptocurrencies for a very long time…”

The Drive to Remove “Offensive” Material from the Internet

The EUObserver wrote on January 19:

“Social media outlets Instagram and Google Plus are joining ranks with other IT firms as part of a broader European Commission effort to remove online hate speech… [in addition to] Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft… Facebook had recently hired another 3,000 people, on top of an existing staff 4,500, all tasked to remove the material. Out of a sample of just under 3,000 notifications of hate speech over a six-week period for all the platforms, Facebook performed the best and had removed 89.3 percent of the content in under 24 hours. YouTube managed 62.7 percent and Twitter 80.2 percent.

“Racist comments against ethnic minorities, anti-muslin hatred, and xenophobia dominated the take downs… Similar national efforts in Germany, where companies risk a €50 million fine, saw a satirical magazine Twitter account shut down within days of the law being enacted.”

We should realize that Satan is behind this move in an attempt to prevent God’s servants from proclaiming powerfully the Godly teaching and condemnation of ungodly conduct, which has been labeled by liberals as “hate speech.”

Unprecedented Snow and Dark Weather vs. Global Warming

nbc15 wrote on January 17:

“The latest blast of wintry weather brought accumulations as far south as the Gulf Coast! Wednesday morning started off with snow cover in all 50 states and 52.3 percent of the country covered in the white stuff. To have snow on the ground in all 50 states at the same time, is a fairly rare feat. The last time all 50 states had snowfall on the ground at the same time was on February 12th, 2010… Typically, the hardest state to get accumulating snowfall is Florida. This season has already featured three snowfall events in northern Florida!”

The Guardian wrote on January 18:

“Sunshine is in short supply across a swathe of north-west Europe, shrouded in heavy cloud from a seemingly never-ending series of low pressure systems since late November and suffering one of its darkest winters since records began. If you live in Brussels, 10 hours and 31 minutes was your lot for the entire month of December. The all but benighted inhabitants of Lille in France got just two hours, 42 minutes through the first half of January… Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute has declared December 2017 ‘the second darkest month since 1887’, when it began measuring, after the 10.5 hours of sun recorded at its Uccle weather station last month were beaten only by a bare 9.3 hours in 1934…

“Rouen in Normandy had an even more depressing first half of the month, with just 2.5 hours of sunshine compared with a full-month norm of 58.6, Météo France said, while Paris’s 10 hours were also a far cry from the 62.5 hours the capital usually averages in January.  Even southern French sun-traps such as Bordeaux and Marseille fell a very long way short of their usual ray quota in the first half of the month, basking in just 10.3 and 26.9 hours respectively against monthly averages of 96 and 92.5.

“Health experts say a shortage of sunshine can lead to seasonal depression, whose symptoms include a lack of energy, a desire to sleep and a perceived need to consume greater quantities of sugar and fat…

“The inhabitants of north-west Europe, however, can count themselves lucky. Moscow recorded just six paltry minutes of direct sunshine in the whole of December, shattering the previous record low of three hours, set in 2000. The Russian capital normally averages a bleak 18 hours of sunshine in the last month of the year… Roman Vilfond of Moscow State University’s meteorological unit [said:] ‘The darkest month in the history of our weather observations…’ The daily Moskovsky Komsomolets reported a surge in visits to psychiatrists.”

Daily Mail wrote on January 20:

“Snowfall of the decade! The heaviest snow in EIGHT YEARS falls on Scotland as hordes of skiers create SIX MILE traffic jams in the hills – and there is more on the way in England too. A yellow warning remains in place across the midlands, northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It follows up to a foot of snow falling yesterday, with temperatures expected to sink as low as -11C last night.

“More snow is expected today, adding up to 6in to the 14in already blanketing parts of the Scottish highlands… forecasters have warned snow could make it as far south as London on Saturday night into Sunday.”

All of this does not quite fit with the concept of man-made global warming or climate change.

5 ½-Foot-Tapeworm in Person Shocks Hospital

Newsmax reported on January 20:

“Public health specialists are warning about the dangers of hidden parasites after media reports of a 30-year-old Fresno, Calif., man who showed up at a hospital emergency room with a 5 ½-foot-long tapeworm he may have acquired from improperly prepared sushi.

“Dr. Kenny Banh… said the man showed up in the emergency room of UCSF Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center last August and told him he was stricken with stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea after eating sushi. Then, while using the bathroom, he noticed something hanging from his rear end, which he was able to remove… He said the patient was convinced he got the tapeworm from eating raw fish because he ate sushi or sashimi almost daily…

“Concerns about sushi-related parasites have been rising in recent years. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released guidelines for controlling parasites in seafood by cooking the food or freezing it for certain amounts of time. Last January 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases that wild salmon caught in Alaska’s icy waters were found to be infected by a Japanese tapeworm known as Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense… [They are] among the most common tapeworms and can grow up to 30 feet, and live for years in the human body…

“Last May, researchers reported in the British Medical Journal Case Reports that sushi’s growing popularity may be driving an increase in parasite infections. In one case, doctors found parasite larvae in the gut lining of a 32-year-old man who had recently eaten sushi. The man had been vomiting with stomach pain and a fever, but doctors did not suspect the parasite until the man mentioned recently eating sushi. According to The Guardian, the worm was from the genus Anisakis, which causes the condition known as anisakiasis. ‘When humans eat raw or undercooked infected fish or squid, they ingest nematode larvae,’ the CDC reports. ‘Once inside the human body, the larvae can invade the gastrointestinal tract. Eventually, the parasite dies and produces an inflamed mass in the esophagus, stomach, or intestine.’

“According to the CDC, some people will experience a tingling sensation after or while eating raw or undercooked fish or squid, which could actually be the parasite moving in the mouth or throat.

“Tapeworms are only one type of parasite that can infect the human body. Others that can enter the human body through food and water include:

“Giardia — a protozoan that causes giardiasis in humans. This parasite is ingested via contaminated food and water, and affects the small intestine as it begins to multiply and colonize. Symptoms: Flatulence, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, weakness, and weight loss. Giardiasis symptoms are frequently found in travelers but resolve in a few weeks without treatment.

“E. vermicularis — a nematode parasite that strikes 209 million adults and 30 percent of children worldwide, according to a study published in the American Family Physician journal reports. This parasite is also present in the intestine and the infection may last four to six weeks. Symptoms: Perianal and vaginal itching, urinary tract infection, appendicitis, and weight loss.

“Filarial worms — a roundworm that causes filariasis. This parasite circulates in the blood and, upon maturing, enters the lymphatic system and develops while it lives there for more than five years. It affects the lymphatic nodes and causes retention of fluids resulting in swelling. Symptoms: Swollen feet and lower limbs, skin hardening and thickening.

“Hookworm — also known as necator americanus is found widely in the Americas and Caribbean. The hookworm attaches itself to the intestinal walls and feeds on human blood. Symptoms: Anemia, physical and mental retardation in children.

“Guinea worm — a roundworm that causes Guinea worm disease by entering the stomach and intestine from untreated water. Symptoms: There are no significant visible symptoms when the parasite enters the body. But a year later, the worm ruptures the skin surface, often near the lower limbs, causing painful wounds that can lead to bacterial infections and blood poisoning.”

Terrible Side Effects of Anti-Influenza Drug

CBS DFW (CBS 11) wrote on January 18:

“More families have come forward with stories about frightening side effects in children who took Tamiflu. CBS11 first broke the news of a 6-year-old Allen girl who tried to jump out of a window after taking the anti-influenza drug. She is now back to normal, but her family wasn’t alone…

“Lindsay Ellis of Indianapolis was a healthy 11-year-old before she had the flu last year. Then she began hallucinating bugs on her body and the devil’s voice in her ear… Ellis says doctors believe it was a reaction to Tamiflu. Lindsay was hospitalized for nearly two months, had a feeding tube and was incoherent and unable to move her hands or feet for several weeks… A year later, she still suffers tremors…

“[Japan] banned Tamiflu for youth ages 10 to 19 in 2007 after several dozen instances of neuropsychiatric events… The FDA has listed 559 cases of hallucinations from Tamiflu since 2009.”

Before one falls into the trap of taking drugs and receiving vaccinations against the flu, one should surely research the facts and consider the potential consequences. And one should not just trust the assertions of doctors depending on the pharmaceutical industry… note the next article.

Medical Marijuana in Germany… Legal, but Difficult to Get

Handelsblatt Global wrote on January 19:

“Chronically and terminally ill patients in Germany can’t get enough cannabis. Demand for medical marijuana has far outstripped supply since becoming legally available early last year to patients suffering from debilitating pain… Prior to legalization, only some one thousand people suffering from certain diseases such as cancer or chronic pain had permission from Germany’s federal drug institute (BfArM) to use cannabis for medical purposes…

“Within 10 months, more than 13,000 people had applied, according to a survey of three large health insurers by the Rheinische Post newspaper. Nearly two-thirds of the applications were approved, and some of the remainder are pending further information from patients and their physicians…

“Cannabis is also being used to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable disease that prevents the brain from sending signals correctly through the body…

“The dilemma now facing Germany, which has some of the strictest narcotic drug laws in Europe, is how to get more weed, which is currently imported from countries with legalized operations, like Canada and the Netherlands. A program to produce its own medical marijuana is underway: Last year, Germany’s federal drug institute issued 10 tenders for companies to grow up to 2 tons per year through 2021 and 6 tons from 2022 onward. The first harvest is scheduled for next year. There’s just one hitch: The law requires companies to have previous experience with medical marijuana, which German companies don’t have…

“Growing your own is not an option, which Mr. Weiglein learned the hard way. With a prescription to purchase cannabis since 2009, he saw the monthly cost for his daily 3-gram dose soar from €900 to €2,400 under the new law last year. Apart from the price (one dose of 5 grams of medical marijuana costs €30 in the Netherlands, compared to €125 in Germany), he also had trouble finding his preferred varietal or sometimes any of the 16 varieties at all in local pharmacies. So he grew his own from seeds purchased in the US, got caught, went to court and lost.

“Another hurdle for German patients to clear in obtaining medical marijuana is finding physicians willing to prescribe it…”

“Swimming Bacteria Defy Darwin’s Theory”

Christian Headlines wrote on January 19:

“Tiny biological motors that give bacteria the power to swim possess a complexity that baffles scientists and undercuts Darwin’s theory of evolution… Each of the proteins involved in the bacterial motor’s function is essential…

“Charles Darwin himself admitted that the discovery of such irreducible complexity would destroy his assumptions. ‘If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down,’ he wrote in On the Origin of Species.

“Nevertheless, the researchers said a biological ‘quantum leap’ spurred the evolution of bacterial motors. Lead researcher Morgan Beeby likened the quantum leap to what would happen if the necks of giraffes suddenly increased in length because a giraffe gave birth to offspring with necks a meter longer, rather than because an extended series of random mutations over many years favored longer-necked giraffes.”

The Theory of Evolution is one of the most ridiculous fairy tales ever invented by man, under Satan’s influence.

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.

Hawaiian Emergency Alert Inexcusable

CNN reported on January 14:

“An emergency alert notification sent out on Saturday claiming a ‘ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii’ was a false alarm, according to state leaders and emergency officials, who blamed it on an employee who ‘pushed the wrong button.’ ‘BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,’ the emergency alert read.

“… the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency… responded on Twitter, saying, ‘NO missile threat to Hawaii.’… A second emergency alert was sent to phones in Hawaii 38 minutes after the initial message confirming the false alarm…

“On Saturday evening, former Defense Secretary William Perry warned it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that a nuclear war could start by accident… Officials also said they are reviewing why some sirens on the island were triggered by the alert when they shouldn’t have been…”

The Huffington Post wrote on January 14:

“The alert forced people to act quickly and make difficult decisions… Many sent messages of ‘Goodbye’ and ‘I love you,’ in fear they wouldn’t be able to say it again…

“Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called the slip-up ‘totally inexcusable.’ ‘The whole state was terrified,’ he tweeted Saturday… After the alert was broadcast across the islands, Rep. Gabbard told CNN that ‘the people of Hawaii just got a taste of the stark reality of what we face here of a potential nuclear strike on Hawaii.’ ‘This is a real threat facing Hawaii,’ she added.”

The Washington Post added on January 14:

“Around 8:05 a.m., the Hawaii emergency employee initiated the internal test, according to a timeline released by the state. From a drop-down menu on a computer program, he saw two options: ‘Test missile alert’ and ‘Missile alert.’ He was supposed to choose the former; as much of the world now knows, he chose the latter, an initiation of a real-life missile alert… Part of what worsened the situation Saturday was that there was no system in place at the state emergency agency for correcting the error…”

That such an inexcusable poor procedure should even be possible is frightening. In the meantime, we are assured that Hawaii has worked on their system to make it more safe. Whether this will be so, and whether it will be enough to assure the public that future alarms will be tests or genuine, depending on the circumstances, remains to be seen.

Actor and Comedian Jim Carrey Blames Donald Trump and Corrupt Congress

Breitbart wrote on January 14:

“Actor Jim Carrey warned that President Donald Trump’s insistence on ‘alienating the world’ will eventually thrust America into unimaginable agony. ‘I woke up this morning in Hawaii with ten minutes to live,’ Carrey wrote on Twitter Saturday, apparently referencing to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message sent to citizens of Hawaii warning them to ‘seek immediate shelter’ from a ‘ballistic missile threat.’ ‘It was a false alarm, but a real psychic warning,’ Carrey continued, adding of Trump, ‘If we allow this one-man Gomorrah and his corrupt Republican congress to continue alienating the world we are headed for suffering beyond all imagination.’”

Sadly, Jim Carrey has a valid point, as America IS heading “for suffering beyond imagination,” but the warning should be addressed to ALL politicians of ALL parties, as well as independents, who are far too eager to support America’s frightening politics and ungodly “values.”

“A Massive Wake-Up Call for All of Us”

The Week wrote on January 16:

“Saturday’s incident was precisely the sort of executive-function-testing fiasco you could see [Trump] having difficulty grappling with… while it wasn’t the president’s fault that a state employee created an international panic, nor is he the original author of the Korea standoff, there is no question that the [threats] emanating from his Twitter account have heightened tensions and increased the risk of accidental calamity…

“The mayhem in Hawaii also raised the specter of an accidental nuclear war… the history of the nuclear age is replete with near-misses…

“Apart from the risk of global annihilation, expanding America’s nuclear arsenal would be a massive and pointless incineration of national wealth. Studies estimate that the United States has spent about $1 trillion a decade designing, building, and maintaining its nuclear weapon inventory, most of which has always been completely unnecessary…”

False Nuclear Alarm in Japan

Express wrote on January 16:

“A JAPANESE broadcaster caused widespread fear by incorrectly claiming North Korea had launched a ballistic missile, just hours after Pyongyang had escalated its war of words with Trump by calling him a ‘lunatic.’”

The New York Post wrote on January 16:

“Japan’s public broadcaster on Tuesday issued a false alarm about a North Korean ballistic missile launch, just days after the same blunder terrorized residents of Hawaii for nearly 40 minutes. The broadcaster, NHK, corrected the mistake in minutes and issued an on-air apology. ‘The news alert sent earlier about NK missile was a mistake. No government J alert [a nationwide warning system in Japan] was issued,’ it said…”

The Foul Mouth of American Presidents

The Hill wrote on January 15:

“President Trump is accused of using the word ‘s… hole’ to describe some African countries, Haiti and El Salvador. The president has been slammed in the media for his reported use of profane language…But according to historians, we’ve had our fair share of presidential [inappropriate language].

“‘I have interviewed six presidents of the United States. I have traveled with them. I have been in their homes. They’ve been in my home on multiple occasions. I have flown on Air Force One with them and commercial jets and private jets and car caravans and Winnebagos. Went to Disney World with one. They all have used the “S-word.” Even that old gentleman, Ronald Reagan, would sometimes occasionally, rarely use the “F-word.” So, the White House is going to endure,’ conservative author Doug Wead said…

“Sometimes choice words were reserved for the political opponents. President Reagan famously referred to enemies a few times as ‘SOBs’… former President Obama once called Mitt Romney a ‘bullsh…’… Richard Nixon… was caught on White House tapes using numerous vulgarities… Likewise, President Johnson was accused of often using the ‘N-word’ when talking about African-Americans…

“In 2000, George W. Bush was caught on a hot mic during a campaign rally calling Adam Clymer, a reporter with The New York Times, a ‘major league a… hole’.

In fact, both the younger Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, are quoted… as dropping the ‘F-bomb.’

“George W. Bush even had this to say about two former colleagues. ‘[Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] never made one f—-ing decision.’… In 2008, [Bill] Clinton forgot to hang up a phone call with reporter Susan Phillips before saying he wouldn’t take any ‘s…’ from Obama, then a candidate…”

News With View, dated January 15, published additional bad examples:

“Abraham Lincoln: ‘… There is nothing to make an Englishman s… quicker than the sight of General George Washington.’… John F. Kennedy: ‘This is obviously a f… up.’ Harry Truman: ‘General Douglas MacArthur [is] a ‘dumb son of a b…’ and Nixon [is]… a shifty-eyed g…d… liar.’”

Great examples for our children to learn from, but it serves as a warning and a reminder for all of us to be careful with our language. Now, the discussion evolves around whether President Trump said that Haiti, El Salvador and certain African countries are ‘s…holes’ [which he denies] or ‘s…houses’ [which some present in the meeting allegedly admit, compare the Independent, dated January 15, 2018.] Great distinction! Others, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, seemed to have confirmed Trump’s use of words, as originally reported, having himself called some countries as “h…holes” in the past (see Breitbart, January 15.)  

However, the left-wing narrative evolves around the accusation of Trump making racist comments (when preferring immigrants from Norway over immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and certain African countries). This is hard to decipher within the context of his alleged statements. Obviously, he spoke about the countries, not the people. Also, it is interesting that the Washington Post had reported the following on January 12, which was subsequently conveniently omitted by the left-wing media, in order to support the racist agenda:

“Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically.”

America’s Monumental Debt

The Week wrote on January 13:

“The U.S. debt is $20.5 trillion and rising…

“Apart from a four-year stretch during the economic boom of the late 1990s, the federal government has run a budget deficit every year since 1970. In 2017, the shortfall was $666 billion. The national debt is now slightly larger than the size of the entire U.S. economy… Overall, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects the national debt to surpass $30 trillion by 2028…

“Like any credit card user, the government must pay interest on its debt. For much of the past decade that hasn’t been a major problem, because of historically low interest rates… [but] interest rates are expected to rise steadily in the coming years. As a result, the CBO estimates, the cost of servicing the national debt is expected to nearly triple by 2027 — leaving the government paying more on interest payments than on national defense…

“About three-quarters [of the debt is owned by] investors in the form of Treasury securities sold by the government to raise money. The rest is intragovernmental debt that comes from Washington borrowing against government trust funds, such as Social Security and Medicare. Americans own most of the public debt… Foreign investors own about 30 percent of the nation’s total debt, or about $6.3 trillion. America’s biggest foreign creditor is China, which holds about 5 percent of the total debt, followed closely by Japan. This could become a problem if the U.S. ever damaged its credit rating…

“President Andrew Jackson briefly paid off the national debt in 1835, partly with proceeds from lands seized from Native American tribes. Otherwise, the U.S. has been in hock for nearly every year of its existence, beginning with the bill for the Revolutionary War. The debt peaked after World War II, ballooning to 119 percent the size of the GDP in 1946, but it swiftly shrank during the postwar economic boom. The debt load bottomed out at about 24 percent of GDP in 1974, and has been rising ever since. But it was after the Great Recession in 2007 that the debt really began to explode…

“Theoretically, paying down the debt is simply a matter of spending less and collecting more in taxes. But voters don’t like spending cuts or tax increases, so politicians who want to be re-elected avoid them. Depending on whether they’re in power or out, both Democrats and Republicans are conveniently inconsistent in their views on the debt. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama chided Bush for ‘unpatriotic’ deficit spending on the Iraq War and tax cuts, which helped increase the total debt by 101 percent during the Bush years. But Obama increased the debt by 68 percent during his own presidency, arguing that deficit spending was necessary to rescue the economy. Likewise, Republicans who warned that Obama was spending away the country’s future have now embraced deficits, arguing that their $1.5 trillion tax plan will pay for itself by generating economic growth — a contention that most economists say is unrealistic..

“In sheer dollars, the U.S. is the most indebted country in the world, followed by Japan ($11 trillion) and China ($5 trillion). But in relation to the size of its economy, Japan’s debt is the biggest in the world by far. Japan’s debt is more than 240 percent the size of its economy, with Greece carrying the world’s second-largest debt load at 180 percent. By that same measure, the U.S. sits at 12th in the world…”

Sooner or later, the worldwide bubble will burst…

Further Disunity between Turkey and USA

The Telegraph wrote on January 16:

“Turkey’s president has called on Nato to take a stance against the US, a fellow ally, over its plans to form a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led border security force in Syria. Turkey has been threatening to launch a new military offensive in Syria against Syrian Kurdish militias, which Ankara considers to be terrorists because of their affiliation with [an] outlawed group fighting an insurgency in southern Turkey.

“On Monday President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Washington of creating an ‘army of terror’ in Syria, along the border with Turkey, and vowed to crush the US-backed border force… Ties between Turkey and the US have deteriorated over the latter’s support of the Kurdish militia, known as the People’s Defense Units, or YPG, which Turkey says is a major threat to its security… The US however has relied on the YPG – the backbone of a Syrian force that drove Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) from much of northern and eastern Syria with the help of US-led airstrikes.

“The coalition has said the new force, expected to reach 30,000 in the next several years, is a key element of its strategy in Syria to prevent the resurgence of Isil… Mr Erdogan on Tuesday reiterated that Turkey planned an imminent intervention in the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. Asked whether he planned to discuss the Kurdish-led border force with President Donald Trump, Mr Erdogan said he had no plans to call the US leader.”

Relationship between USA and Turkey Continues to Deteriorate

Reuters wrote on January 18:

“Turkey has warned its citizens against travel to the United States, saying Turks face the risk of arbitrary arrest and should take precautions if they do decide to travel, the latest tit-for-tat volley in a diplomatic feud between the NATO allies. The comments from the Turkish Foreign Ministry come after the U.S. Department of State this week warned U.S. citizens planning to visit Turkey to reconsider due to ‘terrorism and arbitrary detentions’.

“Ties between Washington and Ankara, the biggest Muslim country in NATO and a major U.S. ally in the Middle East, have been strained by a number of disputesin recent months, including the U.S. arrest and conviction of a Turkish banker in an Iran sanctions-busting case… The trial against the banker included testimony of corruption by senior Turkish officials. Ankara has said it was based on false evidence and supported by the network of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric Ankara blames for orchestrating a failed coup in Turkey in 2016.

“Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup. Turkey has called for his extradition, but the United States says sufficient evidence has yet to be put to a court…”

Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem within a Year?… That’s a “No.”

Reuters reported on January 17, 2018:

“President Donald Trump denied on Wednesday that the planned relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would take place within a year, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the controversial move to happen by then… U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month the embassy move was ‘probably no earlier than three years out, and that’s pretty ambitious,’ a timeframe that administration officials have attributed to the logistics of finding and securing a site as well as arranging housing for diplomats…

“Netanyahu… said on Wednesday: ‘My solid assessment is that it will go much faster than you think – within a year from now.’ Asked about Netanyahu’s comment, Trump told Reuters in an interview that was not the case. ‘By the end of the year? We’re talking about different scenarios – I mean obviously that would be on a temporary basis. We’re not really looking at that. That’s no.’”

It is clear that the USA is stalling, as the move could occur within a day.

Sebastian Kurz Meets With Angela Merkel

The Local wrote on January 17:

“Angela Merkel and her Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz clashed over immigration in their first meeting Wednesday, with the seasoned German chancellor saying Vienna’s resistance to sharing out refugees across the bloc was ‘wrong’… Austria has sided with countries such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic that reject the scheme, agreed by a majority of EU leaders in 2015, to share 160,000 migrants around the bloc to help frontline states like Greece and Italy. Just some 32,000 were relocated by the end of 2017.

“Kurz, who was Austrian foreign minister at the height of Europe’s migrant crisis, was one of the fiercest critics of Merkel’s contentious decision in 2015 to open Germany’s borders to those fleeing conflict. The move prompted an influx of nearly 900,000 asylum seekers to Germany that year alone, although arrivals have slowed significantly since then.

“Kurz came to power after taking over the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) last year and yanking it to the right, with a hardline stance on immigration. His government is the only one in Western Europe to feature the far right after he struck an alliance with the controversial Freedom Party (FPÖ). Merkel stressed the ‘close cooperation’ between Germany and Austria and their shared positions on many issues…”

Kurz Trying to Calm German Fears

Politico wrote on January 18:

“Sebastian Kurz used his first visit to Germany as Austrian chancellor to assuage fears his right-wing government might break with other European nations on immigration, pledging ‘increased cooperation’ at a joint press conference with Angela Merkel… ‘We are not just neighbors, but partners,’ said Kurz. ‘Germany is perhaps our most important partner.’”

Germany and Austria Need Each Other

Handelsblatt wrote on January 17:

“Sebastian Kurz is in Berlin to convince Angela Merkel that he’s pro-European. But the German leader also needs Austria’s rising star, who has the ear of Eastern Europe’s populists… though Austria might be one-tenth the size of Germany, these two leaders need each other…

“Austria, of course, has a cultural affinity with many of these countries that were once in a union with Austria’s Habsburgs. Though that union may have ended with World War I, Vienna has maintained close ties, trade and financial links ever since. But it was Austria’s rightward shift and Mr. Kurz’s election that was celebrated in capitals like Budapest, Warsaw and Prague, where right-wing populist leaders have taken charge…

“If Mr. Kurz plays his cards right, he could become something of a middleman in Europe for the so-called ‘Visegrad countries’ of Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Ms. Merkel no doubt hopes he will prove a moderating influence rather than a typical far-right leader…

“That influence is all the more important since Austria will take over as chair of the European Council, one of two legislative bodies in the European Union, in the second half of this year – at a crucial time when broad reforms of the 28-nation bloc are being discussed. Austria might be small, but with the backing of his eastern neighbors, the youthful Chancellor Kurz has a chance to punch well above his weight – and perhaps even force Ms. Merkel to view him as her equal.”

Preliminary Deal for Grand Coalition in Germany

The EUObserver reported on January 12:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian allies (CSU) struck a preliminary deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on Friday (12 January) to open formal coalition talks… The three German parties… support turning the eurozone emergency fund… into a full-blown European Monetary Fund under parliamentary control and anchored in EU law. This would turn the fund into a European institution rather than an intergovernmental body…

“European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker welcomed ‘a significant, positive, constructive, forward-looking contribution to the European policy debate.’…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 14:

“Schulz has promised to let the party [the SPD] have the final say on whether to re-enter a grand coalition. On Saturday, 600 delegates will be asked to give the green light to enter formal talks, while more than 400,000 rank and file SPD members will have their say at a special party conference in Bonn the following day.”

Express wrote on January 15:

“The [proposed deal for a grand coalition] begins: ‘The EU is a historically unique successful peace project and so it should remain in the future… Germany has an infinite debt to Europe. Also because of this we are under an obligation to turn it into a success. To Germany, a strong and united Europe is the best guarantee for a good future in peace, freedom and prosperity.’

“A successful deal would help Europe take ‘its destiny in its own hands’… ‘We want to… formulate a European response to international developments and challenges, notably in the US…’

“They said this and other aims could be achieved by giving the EU – and especially the Parliament – more power… With Britain leaving the EU, Germany proposed working even closer with France, strengthening an alliance from which both sides have talked about punishing Britain. The passage is a clear dig at Britain and a blatant attempt to place Germany and France at the influential heart of the EU.

“The coalition proposal said: ‘The renewal of the EU will only succeed when Germany and France act together with combined strength. As a result, we want to renew and strengthen the French-German cooperation.’”

The world has been placed on notice what Germany wants to accomplish if a grand coalition should become reality. At the moment, Schulz is touring Germany in an attempt to convince many in his own party that such a coalition is necessary.

The Local wrote on January 16:

“While Social Democrats (SPD) leader Martin Schulz continues to promote the new edition of a grand coalition after an agreement was reached with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on Friday, more and more of his colleagues are speaking out against it. ‘We have members who say yes and those who say no – and in between we have a large number of those who are indecisive,’ North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state leader Michael Groschek told radio station WDR2 on Tuesday. According to Groschek, there is still a lot of uncertainty within the SPD before the vote on coalition negotiations at the party congress in Bonn on January 21st.

“The vote in Bonn is important because it will determine whether or not the SPD will formally enter into coalition negotiations with Merkel’s Christian Democrats-Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance. Approval among SPD delegates from NRW is moreover crucial for Schulz as almost a quarter of them will vote at the party congress. But Schulz is optimistic… Deep scepticism however runs through the party, because of fears that to again govern in Merkel’s shadow will force the SPD to betray its ideals and further damage its voter appeal.

“On Monday, the executive committee of the SPD in Berlin voted 21 to 8 against negotiations on a new edition of the grand coalition. The SPD’s state executive committee in Saxony-Anhalt similarly spoke out against it on Saturday. The party’s state executive board in Brandenburg on the other hand supported the start of negotiations on a grand coalition with a recent vote of 9 to 2.

“If the SPD delegates give the thumbs up at the party congress on January 21st, formal coalition talks could in theory begin as soon as the following day.”

If the SPD decides against a grand coalition, new elections would be all but necessary… an outcome, which nobody seems to want. Note the next article.

Fighting for the Grand Coalition

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“Leading Social Democrats in Germany are engaged in a fierce battle of willsahead of a crunch vote on Sunday over whether to endorse in-depth coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel’s conservatives. The party has become the focal point of a tense political drama almost four months after an inconclusive election left Germany in a state of limbo. If delegates at a special conference on Sunday vote against a grand coalition, Germany will be heading either for new elections or a minority government, neither of which is a popular choice and will leave Merkel’s political future hanging by a thread.

“Martin Schulz, the SPD’s embattled leader, has been criss-crossing the country this week in an effort to secure party members’ backing for a deal…

“The rise of the rightwing populist and anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) looms large in the debate. Some in the SPD say that by siding with Merkel, the party would ease the way for the AfD – which entered the Bundestag for the first time in September – to become the largest opposition force in parliament…

“The looming decision has plunged Germany’s oldest political party into nothing less than an existential crisis. Leading the opposition to a coalition is the party’s youth wing, the Jusos (Young Socialists), who have coined the phrase ‘NoGroKo’ to sum up their campaign against what they say would be nothing short of a betrayal of social democratic values… Kevin Kühnert, the head of Jusos, has emerged as a political star and is regarded as the biggest danger to Merkel, having rallied the party base and won considerable support for his cause. The 28-year-old politics student from Berlin has called the mood among the party’s base ‘devastating’…

“Even if SPD delegates vote in favour of a coalition, the drama will be far from over. More serious talks between the SPD and the conservatives could begin immediately and would be expected to last around two weeks, but Schulz would then insist on putting the final agreement to the party’s 450,000 members in a postal vote, which could take a further three weeks.”

The Most Powerful German in Brussels

Politico wrote on January 12:

“The most powerful German in Brussels — a man with seven political lives — just pulled off his latest comeback… EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger received some welcome news from home. Exploratory coalition talks in Berlin between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats had produced a position paper laying out policy priorities for the coming years. Among them: a statement that Germany was ‘ready to pay higher contributions to the EU budget.’…

“In less than a year, the eagle-nosed German had climbed back from a potentially career-ending scandal over what critics saw as racist and homophobic remarks to being in a position to shape the future of the EU…

“The challenges are myriad. Brexit will blow a big hole in the bloc’s finances and there’s little agreement among national governments over what to do about hot-button issues like migration or defense, not to mention agricultural subsidies and development aid for recalcitrant members like Poland and Hungary. But a German budget commissioner can be a powerful figure in the EU, especially if he has… the backing of his government at home…”

Controversial #MeToo Movement Reaches Germany

The Local wrote on January 16:

“As accusations of sexual misconduct against famous men swept through the media in the Anglophone world late last year, Germany stayed silent. That changed this month when one of the country’s most famous directors was accused of rape. In early January, the liberal newspaper Die Zeit became the first German publication to publish sexual assault allegations against a powerful figure in the film industry…

“Die Zeit emphasizes the research that it put into the article before it was published. The newspaper noted its concerns about the #MeToo campaign… ‘We knew we had to be cautious, given the hysterical features that the #MeToo debate has occasionally exhibited,’ Die Zeit deputy editor-in-chief Sabine Rückert wrote. But she goes on to say that the two journalists who investigated the piece conducted 50 interviews over a period of two months. As well as questioning the women themselves, they conducted interviews with people who were acquainted with the allegations from the time they allegedly occurred… The newspaper came to the conclusion that it was ‘highly likely’ that the attacks took place…

“Despite how intensively researched the Die Zeit article was, it faced immediate criticism. Writing in Die Welt, the court correspondent Gisela Friedrichsen described the accusations as ‘execution via the media.’ ‘The supposition of innocence, the statute of limitations and even investigative work seems to be irrelevant’ to Die Zeit, Friedrichsen claimed. Accusing Die Zeit of ignoring the fact that the crimes took place over 20 years ago – and thus beyond the statute of limitations – Friedrichsen argued that the newspaper knew that there was no chance of the police investigating the crimes.

“She also accused the women of using the public attention created by #MeToo to maximize their publicity. ‘These actresses kept their silence for decades and then only spoke when they knew they would get maximum exposure – and when there was as good as no chance that their accusations could be checked,’ she wrote.

“Friedrichsen also compared the accusations to another case which has been cited frequently in Germany since #MeToo started making headlines in the autumn – that of [a] Swiss weatherman [who] was accused by several women in 2010 of sexual assault and the women’s allegations were extensively reported in the media. [He] spent four months in German custody as the claims were investigated. But prosecutors dropped the case after establishing that his chief accuser had inflicted the wounds herself, which she claimed had resulted from the rape. The case also caused scandal when it was found out that the magazine Bunte had paid women €50,000 to publicize their allegations…

“The accusation of trial by media has also met with resonance in legal circles. Alexander Stevens, a Munich lawyer who specializes in sexual assault cases, complained in an article for anwalt.de that the #MeToo debate was making a mockery of the presumption of innocence… He warned that… it was reckless to make hasty judgements on sexual assault cases… He argued that it is particularly important to uphold the statute of limitations, as ‘it is difficult or impossible to prove sexual crimes 10, 20 or 30 years later when there are no witnesses or proof. In no other crime are false statements – intentional or otherwise – more likely.’…”

The article points out very real problems with the worldwide #MeToo movement.

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.

No More Alliance between Pakistan and USA

Breitbart wrote on January 5:

“Pakistan’s foreign ministry claimed to annul its alliance with the United States after the Trump administration reportedly suspended an estimated $1 billion in security aid for refusing to take decisive action against jihadists who are fighting American troops and their allies in Afghanistan…

“Pakistan has long rejected accusations from the United States, Afghanistan, and India that it supports terrorist groups in South Asia. The Afghanistan-Pakistan region is home to the ‘highest regional concentration’ of terrorist groups in the world, according to the U.S. military.

“In response to the Trump administration’s aid cuts, Pakistan’s opposition leader Imran Khan has urged Islamabad to expel some American diplomatic personnel and cut off supply routes for the U.S./NATO-led coalition forces as well as close its airspace to American troops.”

The Bible prophesies that Far Eastern nations, including Pakistan and India, will form an alliance in opposition to the West… especially Europe. Before and while this is happening, any collaboration with the USA will diminish and disappear. This is not only true for Far Eastern countries, but also for “allies” such as Europe. Please note our articles below on the coming United States of Europe under German leadership.

“Fire and Fury”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 5:

“‘Fire and Fury,’ the new tell-all book from journalist Michael Wolff about the chaotic, unhappy inner workings of the Donald Trump White House is full of juicy stories – betrayal, accusations of treason, infighting, and name-calling… Wolff… spent months conducting interviews and watching the routine inside the White House…

“The White House has dismissed Wolff’s book as ‘lies,’ and sent a letter to publisher Henry Holt & Co. to stop the book’s release. In response, the company brought forward the publication to Friday instead of next week. Wolff… has presented records of his interviews with both President Trump and several staffers, including former adviser Steve Bannon, as evidence that the stories presented in the book are true.

“On Friday, Wolff also jokingly thanked the president for increasing his book sales by trying to suppress it.”

Wollf has been accused of fabricating stories, changing names and dates and even resorting to lies to get access to the White House, but the most substantial accusations in his book, especially pertaining to Steve Bannon, have so far not been repudiated, except that Bannon apologized for his comments of treason by Donald Trump Jr., according to a report of Deutsche Welle on January 8:

“After accusing Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, of committing treason by meeting a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer, Bannon reversed his comments by reaffirming his support for the administration and praising Trump Jr as ‘both a patriot and a good man’… He [was also quoted in the book as saying] that a prosecutors’ probe into possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and the Kremlin would ‘crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.’ Despite backtracking, Bannon stopped short of denying the comments.”

Trump’s Twitter War Diminishes US Credibility

Star Tribune wrote on January 7:

“Countries are unsure whether to take his words as policy pronouncements or believe they can be safely ignored. If Trump’s threats are seen as hollow, what does that do to American credibility? In a series of Twitter posts on Saturday, Trump reacted to questions about his mental fitness by calling himself a ‘very stable genius.’ Even if there is a recognition that Trump’s tweets may be largely intended to let off steam or reassure his domestic base, there is an increasing sense that the credibility of the administration, and the presidency itself, is being eroded.

“While allies do not necessarily take his Twitter posts as policy pronouncements, they still create significant confusion, said Pierre Vimont, former French ambassador to Washington and former top aide to the European Union foreign policy chief. Even in areas where allies agree… ‘we have a hard time understanding the real policy line from Washington,’ Vimont said.”

President Trump’s posts on Twitter are most certainly unpresidential… but then, his followers don’t care a bit about that. But Trump’s tweets DO backfire… note our article below, titled, “Trump vs. Trump.”

Does Donald Trump Suffer from Dementia and/or Lack of Capability?

Daily Mail, January 9, 2018:

“United States President Donald Trump is being dragged on Twitter after he appeared to not know the words to the National Anthem during his appearance at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia. He appears to do pretty well in the beginning, but later his mouth appears to go awry. Twitter was quick to take Trump – who has been a vocal critic of football players who do not stand for the National Anthem – to task for appearing to mumble his way through it.

“But tweeters also wondered whether Trump’s botched Anthem singalong was more a sign of forgetfulness and early dementia. The public debate about Trump’s mental health has intensified in the face of author Michael Wolff’s assertion that he is increasingly forgetful.”

In an apparent attempt to counter allegations pertaining to Mr. Trump‘s mental instability, forgetfulness and dementia, USA Today reported on January 9 that “Trump and his top advisers sat down Tuesday with 25 members of Congress — 16 senators and nine representatives, 15 Republicans and 10 Democrats. And in an unusual move, the White House opened nearly an hour of the meeting to the press.” The meeting dealt with immigration issues and the passing of the spending bill by January 19 to prevent a government shutdown. The publically broadcast meeting was designed to show that Mr. Trump is in control.

The Washington Post wrote on January 9:

“He acted the part, listening intently and guiding the conversation with the control of a firm but open-minded executive… President Trump on Tuesday tried to show that he could do his job… Trump sought to definitively answer the question that has been nagging at him for the past week: Is the 71-year-old mentally fit to be commander in chief? And for the 55 minutes that the scene unfolded on television, the president demonstrated stability, although not necessarily capability. In trying to erase one set of queries (is he up for the job and a ‘very stable genius,’ as he claimed on Twitter?), he inadvertently opened another: What, exactly, is going to be in that immigration bill? On that, Trump left a cliffhanger.

“The former reality television star… offered captivating television drama, [but] he also muddled through the policy by seeming to endorse divergent positions… [Trump’s conduct] so alarmed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that he interjected himself… ‘Mr. President, you need to be clear, though,’ McCarthy said… Later, again attempting to nudge the president back on track to a more conservative plan, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) made a similar pitch for precision. ‘We have to be very clear, though,’ Perdue urged…”

For the Time Being… Dreamers Protected from Deportation

The Associated Press and Newsmax reported on January 10:

“A federal judge [of the 9^th Circuit] on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.

“Alsup said lawyers in favor of DACA clearly demonstrated that the young immigrants ‘were likely to suffer serious, irreparable harm’ without court action. The judge also said the lawyers have a strong chance of succeeding at trial. DACA has protected about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. The program includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.

“U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would be phased out, saying former President Barack Obama had exceeded his authority when he implemented it in 2012. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice said the judge’s decision doesn’t change the fact that the program was an illegal circumvention of Congress, and it is within the agency’s power to end it…  ‘DACA covers a class of immigrants whose presence, seemingly all agree, pose the least, if any, threat and allows them to sign up for honest labor on the condition of continued good behavior,’ Alsup wrote in his decision… DACA recipients are commonly referred to as ‘dreamers,’ based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act…”

More Confusion as to Trump’s Position

The Week wrote on January 10:

“President Trump is being criticized by immigration hard-liners after signaling his flexibility Tuesday to work with Democrats on an immigration deal, including a solution for the 800,000 ‘DREAMers’ brought to the United States illegally as children. A frustrated Tucker Carlson wondered ‘what was the point of running for president’ on Fox News while Ann Coulter, the author of In Trump We Trust, called it the ‘lowest day of his presidency.’ Trump praised his own ‘performance’ at the bipartisan meeting, saying he ‘got great reviews’ and ‘I’m sure their [TV] ratings were fantastic.’ The president, however, called the court system ‘broken and unfair’ after a federal judge ruled the administration must continue accepting and processing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal applications while lawsuits are pending.”

One should not forget that previously, repeated promises were made by the Trump Administration and also by Paul Ryan NOT to deport Dreamers. God hates those who give their word and don’t keep it. This does not exclude politicians in high places. Note the next article. On the other hand, conservatives pointed out that Trump had promised during his presidential campaign that Dreamers would never obtain amnesty or American citizenship.

Trump vs. Trump

The Washington Post wrote on January 10:

“Trump himself had expressed support for DACA on Twitter in September, just days after Department of Homeland Security officials rescinded it. ‘Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!’ the president wrote in a Sept. 14 tweet. Another read: ‘Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!…

“Those lines seemed to capture the program’s benefits in a nutshell, Alsup wrote in a 49-page order. ‘We seem to be in the unusual position wherein the ultimate authority over the agency, the Chief Executive, publicly favors the very program the agency has ended,’ the judge wrote. ‘For the reasons DACA was instituted and for the reasons tweeted by President Trump, this order finds that the public interest will be served by DACA’s continuation… The main, if not exclusive, rationale for ending DACA was its supposed illegality. But determining illegality is a quintessential role of the courts,’ Alsup wrote…

“[Alsup] noted that the plaintiffs had suggested the administration had terminated the program so it could be used as a bargaining chip to demand funding for a border wall. And again, he cited the president’s Twitter feed as evidence… The tweet in question, posted by Trump on Dec. 29, read: ‘The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc.’ Alsup granted a request by the plaintiffs to take ‘judicial notice’ of the tweet. Alsup’s order notwithstanding, Trump appeared to double down on the proposal Tuesday night, stubborn as ever. ‘Our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border,’ he tweeted, ‘which must be part of any DACA approval.’”

Trump To Bring About Extinction of Human Race?

Breitbart wrote on January 8:

“Yale professor and clinical psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee has warned that President Donald Trump may bring about the ‘extinction of the human species’ because of his mental instability. Lee, who has briefed members of congress on the president’s psychological state, insisted that her extreme prediction was ‘not hyperbole’ but ‘reality.’ Dr. Lee [told] Newsweek that the situation is so grave that ‘a public health emergency’ should be declared that would need to be ‘responded to as quickly as possible.’

“After a series of tweets from Trump that appeared to threaten North Korea with nuclear war, Lee was one of the hundreds of self-described mental health experts who issued a statement calling the President’s mental health into question after he responded to a challenge from North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un…

“Following on Trump’s assertions on social media of his mental stability and intelligence, Lee said that deflecting or projecting ‘are often concerning signs,’ and seemed to suggest that Trump could even be a candidate for forcible commitment…”

What a circus… It is remarkable that Breitbart under Executive Chairman Steve Bannon would publish a report like this. Subsequently, Bannon stepped down from Breitbart.

Newsmax reported on January 9:

“Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen Bannon is resigning — unable to quell a firestorm over his remarks in a new book disparaging President Donald Trump and his eldest son. The [news site] announced the exit on its website Tuesday afternoon. The New York Times reported the departure was forced by his former financial patron, Rebekah Mercer.”

Further Outrage Caused by Trump’s Vulgar Comments

The Week wrote on January 11, 2018:

“During a meeting with both Democratic and Republican senators on Thursday, President Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as ‘s… countries’… Trump asked why they would want people from ‘all these s… countries’ coming to the United States. Trump…  said the U.S. should try to instead attract people from Norway and similar countries. In a statement, the White House did not dispute the remarks, merely saying Trump ‘will always fight for the American people’…

“Paul Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, [said] that he and the Haitian government ‘vehemently condemn’ President Trump’s comments on Haiti and other countries being s…’

“The Haitian government has formally summoned a U.S. official to explain the comments, Altidor said, and Haiti’s embassy in Washington, D.C., has heard from outraged Haitian-Americans demanding Trump apologize for what he said. ‘Haitians fought along U.S. soldiers in the Revolutionary War and we continue to be great contributors to American society,’ Altidor said.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 11:

“Previously, the Trump administration announced it would end a temporary residency program that allows nearly 60,000 Haitians to live in the US.”

Sessions’ Foolish Hypocritical Witch-Hunt

The Associated Press wrote on January 5:

“The Trump administration announced Thursday that it was ending an Obama-era policy to tread lightly on enforcing U.S. marijuana laws. The declaration renewed anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that has long shadowed the bright green leafy drug still forbidden under federal law but now legal in a majority of states as medicine and in a handful of those for recreational purposes…

“In 2013, President Barack Obama’s attorney general advised prosecutors not to waste money targeting pot growers and sellers that were abiding by state laws, but to go after flagrant violations such as trafficking across state lines or selling to minors…

“Advocates for the drug that is classified in federal law in the same category as heroin have argued that it has medicinal qualities and causes less harm than alcohol…

“Pot proponents along with some members of Congress, including Sessions’ fellow Republicans, roundly condemned the change in direction Thursday and said it was an intrusion upon the rights of states whose voters had approved use of the drug. ‘If … Congress allows the Department (of Justice) to crack down on individuals and state governments, it will be one of the biggest derelictions of duty I will have witnessed,’ said U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska…

“It was not clear how Thursday’s announcement might affect states where marijuana is legal for medical purposes. A congressional amendment blocks the Justice Department from interfering with medical marijuana programs in states where it is allowed. Justice officials said they would follow the law, but would not preclude the possibility of medical-marijuana related prosecutions…”

Such incredible hypocrisy by ALL involved parties supporting or at least not opposing Sessions on this issue.

AG Sessions’ Unconscionable “Guidance”… Congress MUST Act Now!

Newsmax and The Associated Press reported on January 7, 2018:

“Forty-six states — including Sessions’ home state of Alabama — have legalized some form of medical marijuana in recent years… Eight of those states also allow recreational marijuana… Among the guidance that Sessions rescinded was the so-called Ogden Memorandum of 2009 that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana patients and distributors who complied with state laws…

“Georgia state Rep. Allen Peake, a Republican who sponsored a bill in his state’s legislature that legalized possession of medical marijuana in 2015, denounced the move. ‘I’m very disappointed in Jeff Session’s actions,’ Peake said Friday in a telephone interview. ‘He will be hurting the grandfather with Alzheimer’s, the soccer mom with breast cancer, the college student with Crohn’s disease, the young child with seizures — these are the people that will be impacted by this action by the attorney general.’

“[Some] legal protection… for medical marijuana growers, processors, sellers and users is a temporary measure sponsored by Republican California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer prohibiting the U.S. Department of Justice from using government funds to target them. Rohrabacher, in a conference call with reporters and four other members of Congress, said Sessions’ move should galvanize national support for marijuana legalization…

“Many politicians, including Republicans, have cast Session’s move as an infringement on states’ rights. Only Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas do not allow any access to marijuana…

“Georgia’s General Assembly passed that state’s medical marijuana law in 2015. Called Haleigh’s Hope Act, it was named for a girl who was suffering from hundreds of seizures a day… ‘This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get,’ [Peake] said. ‘Cancer doesn’t ask if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. There are people of all races and creeds who benefit from medical cannabis, so that’s why it’s so crucial that Congress get together and take action.’

“The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment that restricts U.S. attorneys from taking legal action against people who use medical marijuana or produce it was maintained in a last short-term funding bill passed by Congress. But that funding bill expires on Jan. 19… Rohrabacher said a better, more permanent solution is a bill he submitted last year that amends the Controlled Substances Act so it doesn’t apply to people who produce, possess or deliver marijuana in compliance with state marijuana laws… New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level.”

The amendments and repeal of the ridiculous federal restrictions of medical marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act are long overdue, but because of the incredible influence of the money-grabbing pharmaceutical industry, Congress has so far refused, in a cowardly political fashion, to do what is right. But ironically, Sessions’ foolish action and the uproar it created, coupled with the double-talk of the White House, might cause a desired change.

Time for Sessions to Resign

The Week wrote on January 7:

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under broad criticism for his performance at the Justice Department in general and specifically his decision, reported Thursday, to do away with an Obama-era policy permitting states to legalize marijuana without federal meddling.

“Among Sessions’ critics are Republican lawmakers including Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.), who slammed Sessions’ pot policy on the Senate floor, and Reps. Mark Meadows (N.C.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio), who published an op-ed Friday calling for him to resign because ‘he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world.’ Sessions is ‘really on borrowed time,’ Republican strategist Brian Darling told The Hill.”

United States of Europe a Worthwhile Goal

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 8:

“European Commissioner Günther Oettinger, 64, says in an interview with DER SPIEGEL that a United States of Europe is a worthwhile goal…

“Oettinger [said:] ‘… Konrad Adenauer also spoke of the United States of Europe as did, much earlier, Victor Hugo. What they meant is more relevant than ever: There are challenges that we Europeans can only meet together — controlling migration, for example, and making research more effective, and our militaries… As bad as Brexit is, it has brought Europeans together to a certain degree…

“Austria’s new government has earned a chance. There is nothing in their coalition agreement that is inconsistent with European law and the rule of law… The completion of the economic and currency union is an urgent task that we should complete before European elections in spring 2019…'”

The establishment of the United States of Europe is just a matter of time. The comment that nothing in the Austrian coalition agreement violates European law is a startling and at the same time frightening admission. Note our articles below on Austria.

“The American Void—Time for Germany to Learn to Lead”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 5:

“The liberal world order that the United States spent seven decades building is disintegrating. The U.S…. is withdrawing from the global stage on three different fronts: militarily, morally and a key leader of the international community…

“In recent years, Germany has shown a greater willingness to take on the responsibility commensurate with a country that is the most economically powerful and populous in Europe… Looking ahead… Germany will have to lead. But where to?…

“The new global situation will… mean a departure from the good Germany. When principles collide with pragmatism, when values clash with interests, Berlin will be forced to make difficult decisions…

“German foreign policy experts are still debating how radically the estrangement between the U.S. and Europe has become. Atlanticists are calling for optimism, even though Trump, so far, has served to affirm the worries of the pessimists. They continue to cling to the illusion that, Trump aside, trans-Atlantic relations are actually still entirely intact. They see the U.S. president as a painful, but temporary illness. They believe that once America returns to health, the status quo will return to trans-Atlantic relations.

“The problem with that view, however, is that America’s retreat from its role as a shaper of global politics began before Trump — and it won’t end with his departure, either…”

France to Counter Trump in China

The New York Times wrote on January 9:

“President Emmanuel Macron of France, during a three-day visit to China this week, has worked at every turn to win over China’s leaders, hoping to reinvigorate ties between the two countries as they grapple with the strident nationalism of President Trump. Mr. Macron and President Xi Jinping, during meetings this week, articulated a vision sharply at odds with Mr. Trump’s worldview. They spoke of a need for free trade and rallied against protectionism.

“They embraced multilateralism and praised institutions like the United Nations. And they emphasized the importance of working together to combat climate change, as the United States backs away from global efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Mr. Macron… repeated one of his favorite jabs at Mr. Trump, saying it was time to ‘make our planet great again.’… Analysts said Mr. Macron was positioning himself as a reliable ally of China at a time when… [t]he United States, under Mr. Trump, is withdrawing from the world stage…”

The “Liberal” EU and the Right-Wing Visegrad Group

The Guardian wrote on January 6:

“… the EU’s biggest challenge in 2018… comes from within. It has been slowly emerging along the bloc’s central and eastern flanks since the so-called Visegrád Group of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic acceded in 2004…

“Front and centre in this fight is Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, who… has called for the defence of Europe’s ‘Christian culture’ against ‘Muslim invasion’…

“Orbán now claims a new friend in the almost but not quite neo-fascist coalition that won power in Austria at the close of 2017. But it is Poland, under the ugly tutelage of the authoritarian Law and Justice party, that has emerged as his closest ally…

“Speaking alongside Orbán in Budapest last week, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister, predicted a ‘year of great battles’ against western Europe’s multicultural and integrationist values…”

The strong far-right position of the Visegrad Group and Austria will not lead to a disintegration of an united Europe, but rather, it will influence the entirety of Europe and especially core European nations to move further towards the right.

Turkey vs. the EU

The Telegraph wrote on January 5:

“[The] EU must end [its] ‘hypocrisy’ of letting Turkey think it can become [a] fully-fledged member says… President Emmanuel Macron of France [said], who added that progress on the application was not possible given human rights concerns. Mr Macron’s remarks came during a tense press conference with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as the French leader warned against flouting the rule of law and freedom of expression while his counterpart accused some writers and journalists of acting as ‘the gardeners’ of terrorism.

“During the exchange, the authoritarian Turkish leader, who ordered the arrest of up to 55,000 security force members, judges, academics, journalists and activists in the wake of the 2016 failed coup, said his country was ‘exhausted’ after 54 years in the ‘antichambre’ of the EU… But Mr Macron said that political developments in Turkey were effectively blocking its EU accession bid…

“Ankara was hoping to warm frosty relations with Europe during Mr Erdogan’s trip, but the talks were overshadowed by concerns over Turkey’s huge post-coup crackdown and the arrest of journalists. Over 140,000 people have been sacked or suspended, accused of links to the movement run by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the attempted coup…

“Mr Macron suggested that the pair should work towards a ‘partnership’ rather than full membership to ensure that ‘Turkey remains anchored in Europe’… [a]fter signing multi-billion euro trade agreements… The talks came as Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for a fresh start in his country’s rocky relationship with Germany, holding out the prospect of closer economic cooperation if ties improved…”

Muslim Turkey will never become a member of the “Christian” EU, but a partnership, as suggested by Macron, is very likely, due to a mutually developing antagonism toward the state of Israel.

German Military Recruits More and More Minors

Deutsche Welle reported on January 9:

“The German government has admitted that the Bundeswehr is recruiting more minors than ever before as it continues its complex transition from a conscription-based to a volunteer military… the Defense Ministry said that some 2,128 under-18s had been recruited as volunteers into the military in 2017, including 448 young women. Ninety of the 2,128 recruits were still underage at the end of their six-month trial period. That represented a continuing increase, with the number of underage recruits more than tripling since 2011… when Germany ended conscription.

“Left party Bundestag member Evrim Sommer… used the opportunity to condemn the trend… ‘Young people should not be used as cannon fodder in the Bundeswehr as soon as they come of age. As long as Germany recruits minors for military purposes, it cannot credibly criticize other countries. The German government is endangering its own efforts towards an international ban on the use of child soldiers.’

“… in a 2014 report on Germany, the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) noted that, ‘Some advertising campaigns for the armed forces specifically target children, and representatives of the armed forces are sometimes present within the school context, speaking with pupils and organizing activities.’

“… The Bundeswehr is not allowed to advertise recruitment drives directly to minors, though that does not stop military officers giving talks in high schools, something else that is criticized by peace campaigners… ‘The Bundeswehr does all it can to make itself attractive to young people,’ said [Wolf-Christian Ramm, spokesman for the children’s rights group Terre des Hommes International Federation]. ‘They have videos on YouTube and ads that talk about all the fun of joining the military, and compare it to playing an adventure game. That’s a part of the problem too. That hides the fact that military service is dangerous and can be deadly.’”

The same terrible and ungodly praxis of trying to make the military attractive to children and teens is also used in many other “civilized” Western countries, including the USA.

Dangerous New German Law Leads to Suppression of Opinion

The Local wrote on January 5:

“On January 1st the Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (network enforcement act) came into force. Germans are furiously debating whether it is a necessary tool against hate speech or a form of censorship…

“The Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz was formulated by the German government last year in response to a rising tide of hate speech on the web. It obligates social media companies to delete offensive posts within 24 hours of them being reported, with the companies facing huge fines if they fail to comply. But days after it came into force, the legislation has had hefty criticism.

“The AfD have labelled it ‘censorship legislation’ after two of their MPs had their accounts on Twitter blocked. Party deputy leader Beatrix von Storch was unable to tweet for twelve hours after she attacked Cologne police for sending a New Year’s greeting in Arabic on Twitter… Her colleague, MP Jens Maier, also fell foul of the law after he described former tennis star Boris Becker’s son Noah as a ‘little half-negro’ on the social media platform. Becker has since indicated that he will take legal action over the tweet, which he describes as racist.

“AfD leader Alexander Gauland responded to the blockades by saying that ‘private individuals, in this case Twitter employees, should not be taking over the work of judges.’

“It is not just the far-right who have been hit by the legislation, though. Satirical magazine Titanic was banned from using Twitter for two days after it parodied von Storch by using the phrase ‘barbarian hordes’ in a tweet. Even after the satirical magazine was allowed back onto the platform on Friday, three tweets remained blocked for readers in Germany.

“Twitter has so far rejected requests from the media to clarify its deletion policy. In the deleted tweets, the company says that the content is unavailable ‘due to local law.’ Dietmar Wolff, head of the Association of German Print Media (BDZV) complained of the law that it was encouraging social media companies ‘to decide when in doubt against freedom of expression.’…

“Justice Minister Heiko Maas, who was largely responsible for bringing the law onto the books, came to its defence on Thursday. Speaking to Bild, he argued that the law would prevent calls to murder, hate speech and Holocaust denial, all of which he claimed were attacks on other people’s freedom of expression. But the law also faced criticism from inside the government. Christian Social Union (CSU) deputy Dorothee Bär said it had ‘led to chaos’ since it came into force. ‘Nobody knows why things are being deleted,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t help anyone if certain views can no longer be expressed because a company decides that they are not acceptable.'”

These are indeed dangerous and frightening developments. If that new censorship law can be used to justify deleting comments at whim, then it is clearly illegal, and the laughable opinion of Germany’s highly controversial Justice Minister is blatantly wrong. After all, Germany is not a dictatorship … so far…

Austria Wants to “Restore Order” by “Locking Away” Migrants

Daily Mail wrote on January 5:

“Migrants in Austria will be held in disused barracks and subjected to curfews in order to restore ‘order’, under proposals announced by the country’s far-right deputy leader. Heinz-Christian Strache said that the plan should be introduced amongst a raft of drastic measures, such as taking money and mobile phones from new arrivals, to combat Europe’s ‘open’ migration policy…

“Mr Strache, who has repeatedly batted away accusations of fascism despite his party being founded by former Nazis, wants the government to usurp charities to take control of asylum issues. Under the plan, he said that asylum seekers in Austria could be sent to live in ‘underutilised’ barracks and told to return to the building at a specified time every evening. ‘Order is needed, as long as there is an open asylum procedure,’ he said, announcing the plan.

“But the call provoked fury from rival politicians who said that the policy amounted to internment whereby migrants are ‘locked away’ and denied the chance to ‘stand on their own two feet’…  The FPO has been given control of Austria’s interior, defence and foreign ministries under the coalition agreement with new chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the world’s youngest elected leader…

“Despite raising eyebrows across Europe with the decision to enter an agreement with the FPO, Mr Kurz has vowed to commit to hard-line election promises on migration and asylum. In a 182-page coalition agreement, the two parties said they would take money from new asylum seekers which would be used to cover the initial costs of care. Mobile phones belonging to migrants would also be seized so that that data contained on the devices could be used to determine their identity and route into Europe. The measures also outline how benefits and payments offered to new arrivals will be cut, while they will be barred from accessing many social services during their first five years.”

National Post wrote on January 6:

“Strache back-pedalled from his remarks in a press conference with the chancellor yesterday, suggesting Kurz may have exerted pressure behind closed doors. ‘Housing refugees in barracks is currently not an issue,’ a subdued Strache said. ‘There are currently no plans for mass accommodation.’”

However, the other measures mentioned above are still “on the table,” as part of the coalition agreement, which is telling in light of comments quoted earlier herein that nothing in that coalition agreement violates European law.

Facebook Removes Christian Website for Upholding Biblical Teaching

Christian Headlines reported on January 9:

“Facebook has removed the Christian ministry ‘Warriors for Christ’ page, saying the page violated community standards on bullying and hate speech. Warriors for Christ, a West Virginia-based ministry, are a group that opposes any sinful behavior. Its Facebook page had more than 225,000 followers. Its administrators frequently post memes that criticize LGBT rights and abortions, among other topics. Videos from Pastor Rich Penkoski are also posted on the page.

“The page was first taken down on Dec. 29. The page was reinstated after an online petition called for Facebook to reverse its decision. The page was then again removed last Friday.

“Penkoski told The Christian Post that the group’s Christian beliefs are being ‘censored.’ ‘We can’t even use the term “LGBT” in any context whatsoever or else it immediately gets flagged and banned. If we type those four letters out in our page, it gets removed,’ Penkoski said. He said that only 3 percent of their 3,000 posts referred to LGBT issues. The organization’s focus is counseling, he added. ‘Yet, homosexuality is the focus that everyone keeps talking about with us. We talk about abortion. We talk about adultery. We talk about fornication… When Facebook pulled our page [for the first time], we were actually counseling with a young woman who was suicidal.’

“The second time the page was pulled, Penkoski said he did not receive an explanation and was told the decision could not be appealed. ‘Your Page “Warriors for Christ” has been removed for violating our Terms of Use. A Facebook Page is a distinct presence used solely for business or promotional purposes. Among other things, Pages that are hateful, threatening or obscene are not allowed,’ the email reads. ‘We also take down Pages that attack an individual or group, or that are set up by an unauthorized individual. If your Page was removed for any of the above reasons, it will not be reinstated. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in the permanent loss of your account.’

“Facebook did not comment, but instead pointed to their policies on hate speech and bullying, which says bullying or harassment is not tolerated and pages that ‘attack’ people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender and gender identity will be removed.”

Woe unto those who call evil good and good evil.

J.P. Morgan Regrets Calling Bitcoin a Fraud

CNBC wrote on January 9:

“J.P. Morgan Chase CEO said he regrets calling bitcoin a fraud. ‘The blockchain is real,’ Dimon tells Fox Business. Dimon remains concerned about how ‘governments are going to feel about bitcoin when it gets really big….

“The price of bitcoin declined 1.4 percent to $14,760 Tuesday…The digital currency is up more than 1,500 percent in the past 12 months.”

California Flu Outbreak

The Los Angeles Times wrote on January 9:

“California health officials said Tuesday that the state’s flu season could turn out to be one of the nastiest the state has seen in a long time… Most people in California and nationwide are catching a strain of influenza A known as H3N2, which tends to be deadlier than other strains. H3N2 was the culprit in Australia’s most recent flu season, which led to record numbers of sick people as well as the nickname ‘Aussie flu.’

“… officials are recommending a flu shot for everyone over 6 months old. Experts say the flu shot may only be 30% effective this year, but can reduce the severity of symptoms for people who still get the flu. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take effect. Among the 27 Californians under 65 who have died from the flu, 30% had been vaccinated against the flu…”

We must be allowed to ask whether these vaccinations actually CAUSE flu sickness, rather than preventing it. How can 30% of vaccinated persons catch the flu, if such vaccinations are so important and successful and designed to prevent flu sickness? And what about the nonsensical allegation that it takes two weeks for the flu shot to become effective? By then, the flu has passed in most cases, while the poison of the vaccinations remains in the body. Clearly, medical science has it all backwards.

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.

American Withdrawal

The Inquirer/Daily News wrote on December 29:

“In 2017, Donald ‘America First’ Trump relinquished America’s 70-year role as global leader, a post already diminished by his two predecessors. Nowhere is the U.S. withdrawal more evident than in the Middle East.

“Even in Israel, whose government lauds Trump for his strong support and recognition of Jerusalem as its capital, the president’s erratic behavior stirs caution. Trump’s admirers and detractors have both reached the same conclusion: The Mideast is entering a new era where Washington is no longer the major player. And as the United States pulls back, Russia and Iran rush in (along with Turkey and even China). Their interests are in conflict with America’s – and guarantee future problems for Washington…

“Israelis, Arabs, Kurds – all are trying to calculate how to operate in a new era where the United States is no longer the main player to turn to in a dicey region…”

The Decline of American Influence

The Washington Post wrote on December 28:

“… the largest trend today is the decline of American influence. Not the decline of American power… but a decline of its desire and capacity to use that power to shape the world… this erosion of U.S. global leadership is already causing other countries to adjust…

“This month, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel declared that ‘the most important changes affecting our Western world and, indeed, the world as a whole’ stem from ‘the United States’ current withdrawal under Trump from its role as a reliable guarantor of Western-influenced multilateralism.’ That shift, he noted, ‘is accelerating the transformation of the global order . . . and the risk of trade wars, arms races and armed conflicts is increasing.’

“For Europe, Gabriel argued, the situation is almost existential. Since the end of World War II, he said, ‘Europe had been an American project in the United States’ clearly understood interests. However, the current U.S. administration now perceives Europe in a very distanced way, regarding previous partners as competitors and sometimes even as at the very least economic opponents.’ He urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands and decouple itself from U.S. foreign policy.

“Consider also the speech in June by Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, in which she thanked the United States for its seven-decade-long stewardship of the international system and strongly implied that, under the Trump administration, American leadership of that system had reached its end…”

The Bible has predicted that the time would come when America would lose the pride of its power.

The American Empire Is Crumbling

The Week wrote on December 29:

“America’s power and global influence have plummeted like a stone during the Trump presidency… In the years after the Second World War, America constructed what amounted to a globe-spanning empire… Western Europe in particular, which was a smoking crater after the war, was rebuilt quickly under the astoundingly generous Marshall Plan…

“The American imperial framework consisted of the overwhelming strength of the U.S. military… the U.S. dollar as global reserve currency and U.S. Treasury bonds as key global asset; and most importantly, the mostly-accurate perception among Western powers that sheltering under the American security umbrella was a good deal…

“Now… Western powers are dealing with the shocking possibility that America is best considered an enemy. In his first foreign policy tour, while cozying up to the brutal Saudi monarchy, Trump offended Western European leaders for no reason, especially Angela Merkel, who said afterwards that ‘[t]he era in which we could rely completely on others are gone, at least partially.’ Trump also badly cracked the U.K. alliance simply by impulsively retweeting a British fascist, stoking fury across the country…

“The likeliest… nations to fill some of the power vacuum are Germany and France…”

 The downfall of America has long been prophesied in the Bible. Please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Trump On Track to Exceed 2,000 False or Misleading Claims

National Post wrote on January 3:

“With just 18 days before President Donald Trump completes his first year as president, he is now on track to exceed 2,000 false or misleading claims, according to our database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president. As of Monday, the total stood at 1,950 claims in 347 days, or an average of 5.6 claims a day.

“… There are now more than 60 claims that he has repeated three or more times. The president’s impromptu 30-minute interview with the New York Times over the holidays, in which he made at least 24 false or misleading claims, included many statements that we have previously fact-checked…

“Trump… repeatedly takes credit for events or business decisions that happened before he took the oath of office — or had even been elected. Sixty-one times, he has touted that he secured business investments and job announcements that had been previously announced and could easily be found with a Google search. With the successful push in Congress to pass a tax plan, two of Trump’s favourite talking points about taxes — that the tax plan will be the biggest tax cut in U.S. history and that the United States is one of the highest—taxed nations — have rapidly moved up the list. Trump repeated the falsehood about having the biggest tax cut 53 times, even though Treasury Department data shows it would rank eighth. And 58 times Trump has claimed that the United States pays the highest corporate taxes (25 times) or that it is one of the highest-taxed nations (33 times). The latter is false; the former is misleading, as the effective U.S. corporate tax rate (what companies end up paying after deductions and benefits) ends up being lower than the statutory tax rate.

“We also track the president’s flip-flops on our list, as they are so glaring. He spent the 2016 campaign telling supporters that the unemployment rate was really 42 percent and the official statistics were phony; now, on 46 occasions he has hailed the lowest unemployment rate in 17 years. It was already very low when he was elected — 4.6 percent, the lowest in a decade — so his failure to acknowledge that is misleading…”

Trump: “Steve Bannon Has Lost His Mind”

 The Telegraph wrote on January 3:

“Donald Trump has publicly disowned Steve Bannon as the pair fell out spectacularly over a new book revealing embarrassing details about the White House. The US president said Mr Bannon, who ran Mr Trump’s election campaign and advised him in office, ‘has nothing to do with me or my presidency’. Mr Trump claimed his former chief strategist had ‘lost his mind’ and ‘rarely’ met him one-on-one before leaving the White House last August.

“The president also accused Mr Bannon of leaking ‘false information’ to ‘make himself seem far more important than he was’. The comments, issued through a rare statement in the president’s name, complete a remarkable break down in trust between the two men most credited with Mr Trump’s presidential win… He is also quoted as saying Mr Trump repeatedly tried to meet Vladimir Putin but that the Russian president ‘couldn’t give a… about him’… The comments threatened to challenge Mr Trump’s claim that the Russian investigation is a ‘witch hunt’ and baseless…

“On Wednesday afternoon, the White House entered all-out rebuttal modes as they attacked Mr Bannon – quoted at length in the piece – and the book itself…”

Bannen also revealed some very intimate details about Trump’s private life. Trump responded by saying that “Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates.” However, that Steve Bannon had a very important and some say, decisive role in the White House cannot be denied. That he would stay on amicable terms with Donald Trump after his departure was not to be expected. After leaving the White House, Bannon returned to Breitbart News as chairman and the host of the radio show Breitbart News Daily on Sirius/XM Patriot. Further ugly confrontations between Trump and Bannen will follow, even though Newsmax wrote on January 4:

“Steve Bannon responded to President Donald Trump’s blistering assault by calling the president ‘a great man’ and saying, ‘I support him day in and day out.’… Trump’s legal team issued a ‘cease and desist’ to Bannon; and the White House tore into Bannon as well, saying the president was ‘disgusted.'”

Jeff Sessions’ “Extremist Anti-Marijuana Crusade” Breaks His Alleged Promise

CNN reported on January 4:

“Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday rescinded a trio of memos from the Obama administration that had adopted a policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws.

“The move essentially shifts federal policy from the hands-off approach adopted under the previous administration to unleashing federal prosecutors across the country to decide individually how to prioritize resources to crack down on pot possession, distribution and cultivation of the drug in states where it is legal.

“While many states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana use, the drug is still illegal under federal law, creating a conflict between federal and state law. Thursday’s announcement is a major decision for an attorney general who has regularly decried marijuana use as dangerous.

“In a written statement Thursday, Sessions called the shift a ‘return to the rule of law’ but he did not go as far as some advocates had feared he might, stopping short of explicitly directing more prosecutions, resources or other efforts to take down the industry as a whole…

“Sessions’ shift at the Justice Department comes days after marijuana became officially legal under laws in California, the largest state. Voters in California approved the measure in November 2016, but the legal, commercial sale of marijuana under state law just went into effect with the new year.

“A majority of states allow the use of medical marijuana and eight, including the entire West Coast and the District of Columbia, allow recreational use…

“The immediate reaction to Thursday’s news from the marijuana industry and some members of Congress was alarm. Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, tweeted that the issue ‘must be left up to the states,’ ran counter to what he had been previously told by Sessions and threatened to hold up confirmation of DOJ nominees.

“Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon, where marijuana is also legal, similarly blasted the move. ‘Trump promised to let states set their own marijuana policies. Now he’s breaking that promise so Jeff Sessions can pursue his extremist anti-marijuana crusade. Once again the Trump administration is doubling down on protecting states’ rights only when they believe the state is right,’ Wyden said in a statement.

“One issue that may be potentially litigated is how the new memo affects medical versus recreational marijuana use. Congress voted in its last session to extend a spending provision known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which blocks the Justice Department from using federal funds to impede the implementation of state medical marijuana laws.

“Sessions’ new memo does not explicitly set forth how prosecutors should treat medical marijuana…”

The New York Times added on January 4:

“The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, maintained that President Trump was not going back on a campaign promise to refrain from using federal authority to shut down sales of recreational marijuana in states where they were legal. The Justice Department move, she said, “simply gives prosecutors the tools to take on large-scale distributors and enforce federal law. The president’s position hasn’t changed, but he does strongly believe that we have to enforce federal law.”

This typical political doubletalk by the White House reveals nothing and unsuccessfully attempts to satisfy everybody, while it satisfies nobody. Highly controversial Attorney General Sessions’ position regarding medical marijuana is unconscionable and wrong. The position of the federal government in regard to medical marijuana has been widely held as being entirely hypocritical. Litigation is to be expected.

The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals already found in August of 2016 in a landmark decision that you cannot be prosecuted in federal court if you comply with state law regarding the use of medical marijuana. In this light, Sessions’ memo, which does not distinguish between medical and recreational marijuana, might very well be considered by the court system as being unlawful and unconstitutional, even though one never knows what the US Supreme Court might decide.

Russia Continues to Support Assad

Reuters reported on December 29:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in a new year’s greeting that Russia will continue supporting Syria’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, the Kremlin said on Saturday…

“Putin stressed that Russia would ‘continue to render every assistance to Syria in the protection of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, in the promotion of a political settlement process, as well as in efforts to restore the national economy,’ the Kremlin said.”

The much praised collaboration between Putin and Trump pertaining to Syria does not to seem to have any validity.

Russia and Turkey Sign Troublesome Missile Deal

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“Turkey and Russia have signed an accord regarding the supply of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles to Turkey…

“The S-400 accord, reportedly worth some $2.5 billion, has caused concern in the West because Turkey is a member of NATO and the system cannot be integrated into NATO’s military architecture.”

This is mainly directed against the USA… as the Bible predicts terrible hatred of many Turks against America and the state of Israel.

Russia and China Continue to Support North Korea

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea…  The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world’s second biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach U.N. sanctions…

“The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland…

“The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea.

“North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear program that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia…

“In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that U.S. officials say is often used to undermine sanctions.”

The UN sanctions against North Korea seem to be a farce when it comes to China and Russia.. .even through both powers DENY having any involvement of providing North Korea with oil.

North Korea Continues to Prepare for “Pre-Emptive Nuclear Attacks” against USA

Bloomberg wrote on December 30:

“North Korea promised on Saturday to continue preparing ‘pre-emptive attacks with nuclear force’ in the face of U.S. ‘blackmail’… ‘Do not expect any change in its policy,’ the state’s official media arm [said]…”

“KCNA said the regime has been working toward ‘bolstering the capabilities for self-defense and pre-emptive attacks with nuclear force,’ in response to ongoing ‘nuclear threat and blackmail and war drills’ by the U.S.

“North Korea has tested missiles at least 16 times in 2017, and threatened the use of a hydrogen bomb small enough to fit on a missile. More than one North Korean missile flew into the air space of neighboring Japan, and new models of rocket have flown to heights that some military analysts predict could reach the mainland U.S…”

One should not underestimate the desires of North Korea’s crazy dictator. It seems the entire country is being held captive by strong demonic influences.

Turmoil in Iran

The Associated Press reported on December 31:

“A wave of spontaneous protests over Iran’s weak economy swept into Tehran on Saturday, with college students and others chanting against the government just hours after hard-liners held their own rally in support of the Islamic Republic’s clerical establishment. The demonstrations appear to be the largest to strike the Islamic Republic since the protests that followed the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election. Thousands already have taken to the streets of cities across Iran, beginning at first on Thursday in Mashhad, the country’s second-largest city and a holy site for Shiite pilgrims…

“Trump tweeted out support for the protests Saturday. ‘The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most….’ he tweeted. ‘Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!’

“It’s unclear what effect Trump’s support would have. Iranians already are largely skeptical of him over his refusal to re-certify the nuclear deal and Iran being included in his travel bans…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 3:

“The elite branch of Iran’s military has hailed ‘the end of sedition’ as it embarks on a crackdown against anti-government protests. The country’s supreme leader blames foreign agents for the unrest that killed 21 people.

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guard promised ‘very serious penalties’ for protestors on Wednesday, the same day it declared the ‘end of the conspiracy’ after a week of unrest rocked the country… The government crackdown and blackout of certain social media channels resulted in the protests dwindling down to several thousand according to Jafari…”

Iranians are deeply divided as to their government’s stance towards the West. Dictatorial measures will only “work” for so long.

Europe’s Move Towards the Far Right and the Far Left

JTA wrote on December 22:

“… a closer examination suggests that 2017… has been a watershed year for the continent’s far-right and far-left movements. They have had unprecedented successes in a series of elections thanks to discontent, economic anxiety, nationalistic sentiment and xenophobia.

“The first upset came in March, when the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom for the first time since its creation in 2006 became the country’s second largest, with 13 percent of the vote…  In December, the Austrian Freedom Party, founded by a former SS officer in the 1950s, for the second time in its history joined the coalition government after garnering 26 percent of the vote in elections two months earlier…  In September, the populist Alternative for Germany entered parliament for the first time with its best electoral result ever: 12.6 percent of the vote in the federal election. And in Bulgaria, the far-right Volya party entered parliament for the first time in elections that also saw the successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party double its voters to become the country’s second-largest.

“But the real shocker came this spring in the two rounds of the presidential election in France, which is home to both Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations. In May, France’s National Front achieved its best electoral result ever when 34 percent of voters cast their votes for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential election won by Emmanuel Macron… Like nearly all of Europe’s far-right and anti-Muslim parties, the National Front has formally distanced itself from supporters and members who espouse anti-Semitism. But such declarations were generally met with suspicion by Jewish community leaders… In France, where wartime collaboration with the Nazis is still the subject of acrimonious debate, the gains of the far right and far left were widely seen as signs of the breaching of conventions held in place after World War II and the growing polarization in society.

“… the National Front is believed to enjoy the backing of 13.5 percent of Jewish voters… In the Netherlands, Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders polled 10 percent among Jewish voters despite his party’s support for a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals… Many blame the revival of far-right parties in countries where bitter memories of Nazism had kept such movements at bay on leaders who admitted into the European Union at least 2 million refugees from the Middle East since 2015. Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the European Conference of Rabbis, said the far-right renaissance in Europe ‘is a counterreaction’ to the pro-refugee policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who took the lead in welcoming the immigrants… The rise of the far-right Freedom Party to power in Austria ‘is a backlash against Merkel’s policy,’ Goldschmidt said…

“Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Croatia have moved to close their borders to newcomers in open defiance of Brussels’ decision to welcome them… Fears of Muslim immigration this year were a main theme at one of the largest nationalist rallies in the recent history of Central Europe: On Nov. 11, some 60,000 people attended a march in Warsaw that featured anti-Muslim banners and anti-Semitic chants. In nearby Hungary, the rightist government placed the immigration issue squarely at the center of a campaign against the Jewish and pro-immigration billionaire George Soros, which some critics said had anti-Semitic overtones.”

Boycotting Austria?

The EUObserver wrote on December 29:

“France’s former foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has called on the EU to boycott Austria’s upcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the EU as well as Austrian ministers belonging to the country’s far-right coalition party… ‘These are the heirs of Nazism that have come to power in the new Austrian government,’ Kouchner wrote in a letter published in French daily Le Monde on Thursday (28 December).

“The letter was co-signed by Benjamin Abtan, the founder of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement, and Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, founders of the Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France group. They said that other EU leaders have met the rise to power of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in Austria with ‘silence and a guilty apathy’, and that they were ‘concerned’ about the party’s ‘ideology of hatred’… A boycott of the Austrian presidency would mean a de facto standstill of the European legislative machine for six months.”

There will be no boycott of Austria in Europe.

Division between American Jews and Israel

JTA wrote on December 20:

“This hasn’t been a good year for Israel and American Jews. The two poles of world Jewry, each boasting about half of the globe’s total Jews, have never quite seen eye to eye on everything from religion to politics. But this year — particularly the last six months — has seen those disagreements balloon into public spats over the future of the Jewish people and Jewish values…

“American Jewish leaders say Israel takes their support for granted, paying no heed to demands for recognition or religious pluralism. Israeli leaders, meanwhile, wish American Jews would defer to the political, military and diplomatic realities that constrain the country…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really likes President Trump. Most American Jews do not. Perhaps more than anything else, that division has animated the ideological split between Israel and American Jews… Trump… maintains high approval ratings among Israelis as a whole — certainly higher than his predecessor, Barack Obama, whom American Jews supported in droves…

“The majority of American Jews… favor a Palestinian state, which neither Trump nor Netanyahu embraces wholeheartedly… A September poll showed that 77 percent of American Jews viewed Trump unfavorably… A June survey by the Pew Research Center on America’s image abroad found that some 81 percent of Israelis held a positive view of the United States under Trump.”

France Singling out Jews for Tax Evasion Allegations

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 30:

“In Paris’s 12th arrondissement, on Bercy Street by the banks of the River Seine, on the 13th floor of the Ministry of Finance is France’s tax authority headquarters… Under the radar, a secret department has been created with the sole purpose of handling tax evasion by French Jews…

“Tax authorities do not usually establish departments targeting a specific nationality or religion…”

This is rather revealing!

Jews Under Threat in Germany

Breitbart wrote on December 30:

“Former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Charlotte Knobloch claims that Jews are increasingly under threat in public and may require police protection to lead a normal life without harassment and violence.  Ms Knobloch, who is now the President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, said that Jews are increasingly under threat, Die Welt reports. ‘Aggressive anti-Semitism, from verbal hostility on the Internet and in the analogue world to desecration and destruction to physical attacks are commonplace in Germany,’ she said. ‘Jewish life can only take place in public under police protection and the strictest security precautions, or it must be completely cancelled for security reasons,’ Knobloch added.

“The Jewish leader spoke about several recent anti-semitic cases including the vandalism of a Menorah in the city of Heilbronn, and the cancellation of a public Menorah lighting in Mülheim/Ruhr due to security issues. ‘Anti-Semitism is strengthening on the right and the left, in the Muslim community and also in the middle of society…’

“Many have blamed the influx of Muslim migrants under Chancellor Angela Merkel for the growth in anti-Semitic incidents. Fashion mogul Karl Lagerfeld blamed Ms Merkel directly earlier this year, saying: ‘One cannot – even if there are decades between them – kill millions of Jews and then bring millions of their worst enemies in their place.’

“In a survey of Jews in Germany, many said that most of the violent attacks they experienced came from Muslims, while far-right and far-left attacks were mostly limited to verbal harassment or harassment online. After U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would be moving the U.S. Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing the city as the capital of Israel, Germany saw anti-Semitic protests which were denounced by the Chancellor and her government. Despite the opposition to the protests, some, like German police union head Rainer Wendt, slammed Merkel. ‘The same politicians who continue this immigration and deportation drama by illegally allowing in more and more foreigners from the most anti-Semitic region of the world and not even deporting the offenders among them, then proclaim that they are doing everything against anti-Semitism,’ Wendt observed.”

Is history repeating itself, as it was experienced in Europe under Hitler and Mussolini?

What’s In Store for Germany in 2018?

The Local wrote on December 29:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel has still yet to successfully form a coalition government, even though federal elections took place three months ago. With pressure mounting and her popularity waning, Merkel will have to go back to the political negotiating table with her opponents and form a government in 2018…

“Germany’s economic upswing is expected to continue… Of 48 industry associations, two-thirds will continue to see production expansion in 2018. Economic growth has been taking place for ten years…

“Real estate prices in major German cities will increase… Construction of new properties will keep housing prices in check, despite the demand for hundreds of thousands of flats.

“Mutterschutz (maternity leave) benefits will be extended to students, interns and even high school pupils, with financial assistance kicking in six weeks before birth and eight weeks afterwards…

“Lower Saxony is set to get an additional national holiday, most likely on Reformation Day, which was a nationwide public holiday in commemoration of Martin Luther’s 500th birthday in 2017…

“Starting on March 20th, there will be free streaming for users of Netflix, Sky Go or Maxdome – thanks to a change in the European Parliament’s rules that previously barred free streaming. This means that when on holidays in France or Spain, for instance, you’ll be allowed a limited amount of free streaming with your online subscription services.”

Extended maternity leave benefits for high school students? But what can we expect when considering the liberal sex “education” classes in Germany’s schools?

The Incredible Shrinking Britain

Politico wrote on January 3, 2018:

“A few recent events illustrate how Brexit has taken its toll on Britain’s foreign policy. In June, the U.K. lost a humiliating U.N. General Assembly vote over the Chagos Islands. London had tried to block an effort by Mauritius to refer a dispute over the islands to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a stone-cold move that would have been unthinkable 18 months ago, several EU and NATO partners chose to abstain, rather than support the U.K. Then in late November, the U.K. failed to secure a second term for its judge serving in the ICJ, losing against a challenger from India. Having deemed it ‘impractical’ to exercise its veto against a coalition of developing countries, the U.K. found itself without a seat on the court for the first time since it was set up in 1945.

“Such incidents are superficial compared to the bigger picture: For power summitry that really matters — like the G7 — the U.K. presence has been barely noticeable since its domestic conundrums started to pile up. One sherpa present at the 2016 Ise-Shima summit, just before the Brexit referendum, recalled that ‘no one took notice whenever the U.K. raised an issue, and just simply changed the topic.’ Silent treatment is cruel, even in the clubhouse of power-alphas.

“The truth is that Britain’s strategic importance has been waning with an exponential half-life, even before Brexit… Brexit will seriously erode the U.K.’s public finances… Brexit could very well be the country’s worst geo-economic miscalculation to date. The U.K.’s global role springs from its close relationships with continental Europe (from which it is abdicating) and the White House. The declining affinity between the U.K. and the U.S. in recent years has proven the limits of Britain’s influence over a range of issues, from a transatlantic trade pact to intervention in Syria. And the era of America First makes it unlikely it will return anytime soon…”

The truth is, Britain “won’t return” at all to an important and influential position on the world scene prior to Christ’s return…

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.

When Christmas Made History

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:

“There is virtually no evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was born on December 25th. The date was… already celebrated by other major [pagan] religions as the supposed day of winter solstice. One of these religions was the Roman Sol Invictus cult, officially set up by Roman Emperor Aurelian on December 25th 274 AD…

“The mighty Frankish King Charlemagne united much of Europe under his banner even before being crowned emperor in 800 AD. On Christmas that year, Pope Leo III named him ‘emperor of the Romans,’ marking the legendary leader as a successor to ancient Roman caesars. Charlemagne’s rule ushered in an age of… Christian expansion…

“The US civil war ended with the defeat of the southern Confederation in 1865. On December 24th of the same year, a group of confederate veterans met in Tennessee to establish a secret society dubbed the Ku Klux Klan. The infamous organization uses violence in the name of alleged white superiority…”

December 24 and 25 have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but it is interesting that important famous and infamous historic events took place on these days; showing that the god of this world is the real ruler and originator of Christmas who is busy to work out some of his schemes on these very days. It is well-known that, especially in the Western world, Christmas is high season for insane and unaffordable spending; suicide; drunkenness and other abusive behavior; as well as broken relationships.

The History of the Christmas Tree

The Week wrote on December 24:

“As with many Christmas traditions, its roots go back to pagan times. Some Northern European pagans believed that the sun was a god and that he went through a yearly period of ill health in winter. They put up evergreen boughs on the winter solstice, around Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year — the evergreens reminding them of all the greenery that would grow again when the sun god regained his strength and spring arrived. Ancient Egyptians followed a similar tradition, adorning their homes with green palm fronds to mark the return of Ra, a hawk-headed god who wore the sun as a blazing crown. And ancient Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture…

“The Eastern European cities of Tallinn and Riga both claim to have hosted the first Christmas tree: Tallinn in 1441, Riga in 1510… Around the same time, medieval Germans were incorporating evergreens into their own Christmastime rituals, via the ‘Paradise Tree’: an apple-adorned fir… Christmas trees didn’t make it into the home until Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation…

“Legend has it that as George Washington was crossing the Delaware River on Dec. 25, 1776, Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British were busy decorating trees and getting drunk. Suffice to say, they were in no state to fight the ensuing battle, and lost…”

In fact, Christmas trees are even much older than that. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah strongly condemns their use in Jeremiah 10.

Crazy Justifications of Christmas Lies

The Week, December 21:

“Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for children…  many parents worry about whether they should encourage their children’s belief in the physical reality of Santa, about the potential impact of lying to them and what to do when their children realize they’ve been duped…

“Research in the field of developmental psychology suggests that such fantastical beliefs are not actually harmful, but are associated with a number of positive developmental outcomes… With age, a child’s thinking develops to the point where they start to notice Santa does magical things that physical objects can’t…

“If you choose to extend your child’s belief in Santa, and your child realizes you have deceived them, how will they respond?… it is highly unlikely a single lie will cause irreparable damage. Children are also discovering the truth about Santa at around the same time they are starting to understand that some lies, like Santa lies, are told with good intentions… It might be a good idea to give modest gifts from Santa and save the big ones for parents, because no matter what your family income, every child deserves to feel loved by Santa on Christmas morning.”

This ridiculous article was written by an assistant professor of psychology. It shows how ungodly this world is… and due to their wrong education and false premises, psychologists belong on the top of the list of deceived and deceiving “experts.”

Angela Merkel Still the Queen of Europe

Politico wrote on December 21:

“… it’s too soon to count out the veteran chancellor, the EU’s longest-serving leader, who’s been in office since 2005. Merkel is likely to bounce back in 2018 with a new government committed to moving European integration forward in partnership with Emmanuel Macron…

“SPD leader Martin Schulz has identified reviving the European Union as the urgent priority that justifies reversing his party’s decision to go into opposition… The former European Parliament president convinced his comrades to explore a renewed coalition with the conservatives by brandishing the goal of a ‘United States of Europe.’… Schulz’s message was in tune with the German political and business establishment…

“Older German politicians recall how conservatives Wolfgang Schäuble and Karl Lamers took ambitious proposals to Paris in 1994 for a ‘core Europe,’ allowing what would become the eurozone to move ahead faster in integration… Merkel has made clear she believes she finally has a French partner with whom she can work on strengthening the eurozone, boosting European defense and reforming EU migration and asylum policies…

“People who have talked to Merkel say she was reluctant to run for a fourth term and only resolved to do so after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency, raising fears of a leadership vacuum in the Western world. Those worries have proved well founded. With America no longer dependably committed to free trade, multilateral governance or economic cooperation, and Britain durably sidelined by Brexit, the chancellor is the last experienced Western stateswoman capable of calm, steady leadership in a dangerous world.

“In the European Union… only Merkel can call the shots and strike a balance between North and South, East and West, left and right. ‘She is still the queen of Europe,’ said an EU diplomat… ‘If you want to get something done, you go to her.’”

Even though Angela Merkel’s reputation within the German public has diminished drastically (half of those asked in a recent poll prefer that she resigns before the end of her next term), Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz would prove to be an interesting leadership team, especially when it comes to the future of Europe. Note the next article.

Martin Schulz… Gone and Back?

The EUObserver wrote on December 27:

“For a few brief weeks in early 2017, it appeared Martin Schulz was set to make one of the most dramatic political career trajectories in recent EU history – from president of the European Parliament to German chancellor, and de facto the most powerful leader on the continent. But it wasn’t to be. After a few weeks on the campaign trail for his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the ‘Schulz Effect’ turned out to be the ‘Schulz Bubble’. That bubble duly burst, and by the end of 2017, Schulz had taken his party to their worst result in 70 years. It was a bitter comedown for the man who only a few years previously was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU…

“Schulz battled on as party leader of the SPD, and – in a bizarre twist – may now find himself in 2018 returning to the centre-stage as German foreign minister, or one of the other senior posts in Angela Merkel’s cabinet in another ‘Grand Coalition’. That is because of the dramatic and unexpected collapse, in November, of the so-called ‘Jamaica’ coalition being negotiated between the victorious CDU of Merkel, and its sister Christian Social Union party from Bavaria, the Greens, and the liberal pro-market FDP.

“Despite an earlier pledge that his SPD would be returning to opposition to lick its wounds, Schulz will now begin formal talks in early January with the woman who defeated him in September, and if coalition negotiations are successful, will take the foreign ministry or one of the other top jobs in Berlin in early 2018.

“A remarkable return… For Schulz, hopeful and then humiliated at the ballot box in September, his political career resembles nothing less than a (badly-burnt) phoenix arising from the ashes.”

Austria Hope for a United Europe?

The EUObserver wrote on December 21:

“[Austrian Chancellor Sebastian] Kurz’s vision of the EU future seems more conducive to continental unity than most alternatives on offer… the young leader pledged to support a strong Union… He explained that this would mean stronger integration in strategic fields such as foreign policy, defence and a new asylum system… He also defended a euro governance based on rigorous fiscal rules…

“Kurz’ sober and moderate Europeanism makes him an ideal advocate of the European project…

“Austria is in many ways special. A small republic heir to a great multinational Empire, a natural bridge between East and West, with a political culture… it will be able to make a difference.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:

“The Austrian chancellor has urged the EU to consider establishing ‘safe areas’ in refugees’ countries of origin [rather than redistributing them in European countries]. But in a controversial twist, he said Brussels should organize it and ‘back it militarily.’”

Christians Divided on Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 24:

“The divide between evangelicals and other Christian denominations reflects two views of Jerusalem — one traditional and political, the other literal and theological. The key to understanding this rift is the evangelical belief in what is necessary to pave the way for the second coming of Jesus…

“Hours before the declaration on Dec. 6, Jerusalem’s Orthodox Christian patriarchs and heads of local churches sent Trump a letter predicting that ‘such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division.’…

“When Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would be visiting Israel — a visit that was later postponed — many members of the local Christian clergy said they would refuse to meet with him…  evangelical Christians constitute less than one-tenth of 1% of the population of Israel… [about] 2% of the country’s population… belong to… Orthodox and Catholic denominations…”

The  New York Post added on December 24:

“Pope Francis called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his traditional Christmas Day speech in a stinging rebuke to President Trump who inflamed tensions in the region by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…

“It’s the second time that the pontiff has criticized Trump’s decision on Jerusalem. Earlier in December, he noted that the Holy City is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and called for its identity to remain unchanged.”

The Daily Mail wrote on December 24:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the terrorist atrocities and deceitfulness of ‘populist leaders’ witnessed in 2017… The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trump when he shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.”

Anti-Semitic Iran Opposes Israel and Hypocritical UN Remains Silent

Daily Wire wrote on December 27:

“On Wednesday, the government of possibly the most anti-Semitic government on earth shocked the world by announcing that Jerusalem will never be the capital of Israel and the Jewish people… the government of Iran passed a bill declaring Jerusalem forever as the capital of the non-existent country ‘Palestine’… Predictably, there were 207 ‘yes’ votes and no abstentions or opposition.

“Despite the fact that Iran declared Jerusalem the capital of ‘Palestine,’ the United Nations somehow missed the opportunity to pass, let alone offer, a resolution condemning the announcement. Last week, of course, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”

Turkey and Europe vs. the USA and Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 28:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope for good relations with the European Union and Germany, after a year of tense relations between Berlin and Ankara… ‘We don’t have a problem with Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium. It’s exactly the opposite, the leaders of those countries are old friends of mine,’ Erdogan said…

“‘On the issue of Jerusalem, I wanted support from them; they are on the same page as we are,’ Erdogan said, referring to opposition to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the contested holy city as the capital of Israel. He said he called German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently to thank him…

“‘Now some other necessary steps need to be taken. In this context, a Palestinian state should be recognized,’ he said. ‘Some countries will recognize a Palestinian state; a number of EU states would immediately recognize Palestine.’”

The Bible shows that Turkey will work with Europe and many Arab nations against the USA and the state of Israel.

Moving Embassies to Jerusalem?

The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:

“Liviu Dragnea, leader of Romania’s Social Democratic Party and President of the Chamber of Deputies, announced last week: ‘We have to take the United States as an example and move our embassy in Israel… All the central institutions in Israel are in Jerusalem, ambassadors and embassy staff are going from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I think we should seriously consider moving the Romanian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.’…

“Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN after Trump’s declaration that ‘many countries are ready to move their embassy to Jerusalem,’ including Romania. The Czech Republic and the Philippines have announced their intent to move their embassies to Jerusalem.”

Newsmax reported on December 24 that “Guatemala President Jimmy Morales announced on Sunday that his country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.”

Israel Withdraws from UNESCO

The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Friday to submit his official letter of withdrawal to the organization. Israel joins the United States in its withdrawal from UNESCO. The U.S. gave its notice in October, and plans to leave the organization at the end of next year in accordance with the rules of the organization… Israel… will end its membership at the end of 2018 as well… the decision was made due to the attempts by UNESCO to ‘disconnect Jewish history from the land of Israel.’

“… the prime minister’s decision to pull Israel from UNESCO also came as a show of support for the United States… Nevertheless, the withdrawal letter will also contain a proviso that allows Israel to rescind its decision, should UNESCO revise its conduct and change its behavior and attitude towards Israel before the end of 2018.”

UN Sanctions “Act of War” against North Korea?

The Telegraph wrote on December 24:

“North Korea warned on Sunday that the latest round of United Nations sanctions were tantamount to an act of war and complete economic blockade… Sunday’s statement was the culmination of the latest round of warmongering rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington after US Defence Secretary James Mattis cautioned on Friday that ‘storm clouds are gathering’ over the Korean peninsula…

“The UN security council unanimously voted to step up its sanctions against North Korea on Friday in retaliation against its most recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in November 29, which it claimed was capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to the US mainland… The US-drafted restrictions seek to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea… The resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year, and threatens to reduce the quantity even further if Pyongyang carries out another nuclear or ICBM test…

“The pariah regime continued that its nuclear weapons were a ‘self-defensive deterrence’ to counter America’s ‘blackmail and hostile moves’ and that those who voted for sanctions would face revenge… The White House has ‘dramatically’ stepped up preparation for a military solution in recent months amid fears diplomacy is not working… Meanwhile, American troops based in South Korea have been told to remain alert and report suspicious individuals…”

Water Not Free

The Alternative News Network wrote on December 27:

“Is water a free and basic human right, or should all the water on the planet belong to major corporations and be treated as a product? Should the poor who cannot afford to pay these said corporations suffer from starvation due to their lack of financial wealth? According to the former CEO and now Chairman of the largest food product manufacturer in the world (Nestle), corporations should own every drop of water on the planet — and you’re not getting any unless you pay up…

“This is a company that actually goes into struggling rural areas and extracts the groundwater for their bottled water products, completely destroying the water supply of the area without any compensation…

“As reported on by Corporate Watch, Nestle and former CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe have a long history of disregarding public health and abusing the environment to take part in the profit of an astounding $35 billion in annual profit from water bottle sales alone. The report states: ‘Nestlé production of mineral water involves the abuse of vulnerable water resources. In the Serra da Mantiqueira region of Brazil, home to the ‘circuit of waters’ park whose groundwater has a high mineral content and medicinal properties, over-pumping has resulted in depletion and long-term damage.’ Nestle has also come under fire over the assertion that they are actually conducting business with massive slavery rings…

“Nestlé… has done nothing for more than one billion people worldwide who have no access to drinking water. It, instead, has a proven track record of exploiting labor, destroying the environment, engaging in human rights violations, and of course of making big profits. Consider this:

“Brabeck chairs the 2030 Water Resources Group, a collaborative effort between business (includes PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company), government and other organizations that looks for ‘practical solutions’ to address water scarcity. PepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle rake in a combined $110 billion a year selling bottled water worldwide… Nestlé controls one-third of the US market and sells 70 different brand names for which it draws water from 75 springs located all over the country…”

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 Vetoes U.N. Security Council’s Draft Resolution on Status of Jerusalem

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The United States was further isolated on Monday over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn. The remaining 14 council members voted in favour of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which… expressed ‘deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.’ ‘What we witnessed here in the Security Council is an insult. It won’t be forgotten,’ U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said after the vote, adding that it was the first veto cast by the United States in more than six years…

“The U.N. draft resolution affirmed ‘that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council…

“Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The draft U.N. resolution had called upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Haley and Trump for the veto in a video clip posted on his Facebook page…

“Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said the Palestinians would seek a rare emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Trump’s decision. Under a 1950 resolution, an emergency special session can be called for the General Assembly to consider a matter ‘with a view to making appropriate recommendations to members for collective measures’ if the Security Council fails to act. Only 10 such sessions have been convened, and the last time the General Assembly met in such a session was in 2009 on Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories. Any outcome of such a session is non-binding, but carries political weight.”

CNN wrote on December 18:

“Palestinian leaders slammed the US decision, citing it as further proof the White House could no longer play an impartial role in any Israeli-Palestinian peace process… Expecting the US veto, the Palestinians immediately changed their focus from the Security Council to the United Nations General Assembly, where each member has one vote and no country — not even the United States — can veto a resolution…

“Speaking in favor of the resolution before the vote, France and the United Kingdom insisted the final status of Jerusalem should only be determined in negotiations… The proposed resolution comes almost exactly one year after UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which criticized Israel for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, calling them ‘a flagrant violation under international law.’ In the vote, taken in the waning days of the Obama administration, 14 of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution; the United States abstained, allowing it to pass.

“At the beginning of her speech, Haley made clear the results would be different if the vote were taken again. ‘Given the chance to vote again on Resolution 2334, I can say with complete confidence that the United States would vote no,’ said Haley, slamming the resolution as a hindrance to the exact peace process it was intended to advance…

“‘We will take legal, political and diplomatic action against Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem,’ Abbas said on Monday… In addition, Abbas signed 22 agreements and treaties in a move to solidify Palestinian standing in international affairs…”

The current 15 members of the UN Security Council are:

The five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA.

The current ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly are:

Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Not much was to be expected from most of these member states, except perhaps, under “normal” circumstances, the UK and some of America’s European allies.

US Will Take Names of Those Voting against It in UN General Assembly

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“The UN General Assembly will vote on a measure that would require the US to rescind its decision regarding Jerusalem. US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to countries that support the resolution… ‘All these nations that take our money and then vote against us at the Security Council and they vote against us potentially at the Assembly,’ Trump said at the White House. ‘They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes… Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,’ he concluded.

“The remarks follow a stern warning delivered by US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday, who threatened to ‘take the names’ of countries that vote in favor of the draft resolution rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital… Turkey and Yemen requested the emergency session on behalf of the Arab group of countries and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation.”

U.N. General Assembly Condemns USA

The Associated Press wrote on December 21:

“The U.N. General Assembly has voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to declare President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital ‘null and void.’ Thursday’s vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was significantly lower than its supporters had hoped for… It is noteworthy that 21 countries were absent.

“In that sense, it was a victory for the United States, with Trump’s threat to cut off U.S. funding to countries that oppose his decision having an impact.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 21:

“The United States and Israel were joined by Guatemala, Honduras and Togo [as well as small islands, namely Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau] in opposing the measure. Washington’s North American neighbors Canada and Mexico abstained [as well as Australia, the Philippines, Panama, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina and South Sudan] along with several eastern European countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic [Croatia, Hungary] and Romania. Alongside many Middle Eastern countries, much of western Europe supported the measure, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain…

“Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu… slammed the UN as a ‘house of lies.’… Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that the vote showed the ‘illegality’ of Trump’s Jerusalem move…”

CBS News added:

“In the end, major U.S. aid recipients including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa supported the resolution. The absent countries included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close U.S. ties.”

Breitbart reported on December 21:

“The leader of the populist Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and new Austrian Vice-chancellor, Heinz Christian Strache, has also expressed a desire to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem. As early as July Mr Strache called for the international community to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, saying it would be ‘absurd’ not to.”

In the end, Austria voted FOR the resolution, following Germany’s lead. Note below many more articles about Heinz Christian Strache.

Trump Administration: Western Wall Will Be Part of Israel

JTA wrote on December 15:

“The Trump administration said it cannot envision an outcome in which the Western Wall [in eastern Jerusalem] is not part of Israel — the first signal by any U.S. administration that it recognizes a claim to Jerusalem outside the 1967 lines… Israel captured eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Six-Day War…”

JTA wrote on December 18:

“The Western Wall is the outer wall and the largest remnant of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by Rome in 70 C.E. during the Jewish wars. Since 135 C.E. — the launch of the Jewish exile in the wake of the failed Bar Kochba revolt — Jews have directed prayers from wherever they are toward the destroyed Temple. There are indications throughout the Dark and Middle Ages of Jewish worship at the Wall, but the Encyclopedia Judaica dates permanent worship at the site to the early 1500s, probably a result of an influx of Jewish refugees from Spain into the city. Depictions of pious Jews praying at the site were a cliche by the late 19th century.

“Jordan’s almost absolute ban on Jewish worship at the Western Wall during its 1949-1967 occupation of Jerusalem became a sore point for Diaspora Jews, as well as for Israelis… Israel extended administrative control to eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, within a month or so of the Six-Day War. It declared the ‘complete and unified Jerusalem’ the capital of Israel in a 1980 law that was amended in 2000 to define borders that included the Old City; the law refers to the ‘Holy Places’ as being under Israeli protection…

“The wall abuts the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism, and the third holiest in Islam. Muslims believe its Al Aqsa mosque is where Muhammad ascended into heaven in his Night Journey… ‘For the United States to take this position formally is obviously a significant departure from previous policies,’ said Yousef Munayyer, the director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. ‘It has huge implications. There has been no formal American position on the holy sites that gave sovereignty to either party.’”

The control of the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, as well as the building of a third temple will become the cataclysm which will ignite the powder keg in the Middle East.

New National Security Strategy of the USA

Fox News wrote on December 18:

“President Trump on Monday unveiled a national security strategy that enshrines his ‘America First’ approach into U.S. policy, stressing American strength and economic security and putting rivals like China and Russia on notice. ‘America is in the game and America is going to win,’ Trump said, making clear that the United States will stand up for itself even if that means acting unilaterally or alienating others on issues such as trade, climate change and immigration…

“Trump, who released his 68-page national security strategy ahead of his speech, said he is making good on campaign pledges that he promised would ‘revitalize the American economy, rebuild our military, defend our borders, protect our sovereignty and advance our values.’ Trump’s national security strategy, a document mandated by Congress, is based on four principles: protecting the homeland by restricting immigration, pressuring trading partners, building up the military and otherwise increasing U.S. influence globally…

“‘China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,’ the strategy document says. ‘They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.’ The strategy accuses the two nations of ‘developing advanced weapons and capabilities that could threaten our critical infrastructure and our command and control architecture.’”

President Trump also said this (quoted from the transcript of his speech, as published by Al Jazeera News):

“We have withdrawn the United States from job-killing deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the very expensive and unfair Paris Climate Accord. And on our trip to Asia last month, I announced that we will no longer tolerate trading abuse. We have established strict new vetting procedures to keep terrorists out of the United States, and our vetting is getting tougher each month. To counter Iran and block its path to a nuclear weapon, … I declined to certify the Iran Deal to Congress…

“In Afghanistan, our troops are no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies of our plans… And we have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help.

“Our efforts to strengthen the NATO Alliance set the stage for significant increases in member contributions, with tens of billions of dollars more pouring in because I would not allow member states to be delinquent in the payment while we guarantee their safety and are willing to fight wars for them.  We have made clear that countries that are immensely wealthy should reimburse the United States for the cost of defending them. This is a major departure from the past, but a fair and necessary one – necessary for our country, necessary for our taxpayer, necessary for our own thought process.”

The “affected” NATO countries, including Germany, already declared that there will be no way that they will reimburse the USA for anything. This will further continued alienation.

Largest US Tax Overhaul in More Than Three Decades

Bloomberg wrote on December 20:

“After a year of infighting, frustration and failure, President Donald Trump and his Republicans finally have something to celebrate. The Senate early this morning passed the largest U.S. tax overhaul in more than three decades with barely a vote to spare, bringing Trump to the brink of his first big legislative win…

“The legislation — passed before Christmas, as Trump urged just two months earlier — quiets questions about the fractious party’s ability to govern. The measure’s repeal of the Obamacare insurance mandate also helps salve the wounds from Republican struggles to repeal the broader law earlier this year.

“But the celebration may be short-lived. Congress must quickly pass a spending bill by Friday to avoid a holiday government shutdown. The new year will bring more spending showdowns, Russia probe revelations and a midterm election in which the Democrats are increasingly favored to take back at least one house of Congress. The tax bill, with most of its benefits going to corporations and the rich, will provide ample fodder for the campaigns ahead.”

Subsequently, the US House of Representatives approved another short-term funding bill until January 19, 2018 to keep the federal government running.

Europe Worried About Trump’s Tax Reform

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 19:

“European finance ministers are worried. They say the US’s big tax reform bill contains measures that would unfairly disadvantage European business and contravene global fair-taxation rules…

“Last week, the finance ministers of Europe’s five biggest economies — Germany, France, the UK, Spain and Italy — wrote an anxious letter to their American colleague, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, and copied it to all senior Republican politicians in the Congress and Senate. The letter’s thrust: The draft US tax bill would… represent a thinly disguised form of trade war. ‘The United States is Europe’s single most important trade and investment partner,’ the finance ministers wrote… A day later, a similar letter was sent to Mnuchin by the European Commission’s four most senior economic officials and made many of the same points. The two letters didn’t get much of an answer — at least not a public one…

“Are the criticisms from Europe justified? In a word: Yes…  The US… proposes to play unfairly by taxing profits that have already been taxed in Europe…”

Whatever is happening in the USA these days causes opposition in foreign countries, especially in Europe.

The Trump “Tax-Cut” Will Complicate the Tax System

The Week wrote on December 18:

“You’ll be able to file your taxes on a postcard. That was the sales pitch the Republican Party made when it started out on tax reform. The whole idea was to make the tax code simpler and fairer. Now the House and Senate have hashed out a final compromise bill… So how did they do at living up to their promise? Not good.

“Jammed through at incredible speed, with virtually no public hearings or debate, the tax bill is a complete mess of glitches, opaque wording, and complications. Despite the bill’s rapid-fire pace, a group of tax experts was able to survey the tax code changes and compile at least some of the major problems. Not only will the Republicans’ tax bill increase the ways the wealthy and connected can game the tax code and avoid paying their fair share — it will likely make the tax system vastly more complicated, not less…”

Saudi Arabia vs. Yemen and Iran

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“A MISSILE fired at Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was shot down moments before it hit a royal palace today… The Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information tweeted: ‘Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Houthi missile targeting south of Riyadh.’…

“[A previous] November 4 attack triggered the tightening of a longstanding Saudi-led blockade of Yemen – already on the verge of famine. Saudi Arabia angrily accused its arch foe Iran of supplying the missile to the rebels, a charge Tehran strongly denied.

“On Thursday, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley presented what she called ‘undeniable’ evidence that last month’s missile was ‘made in Iran’. A brutal civil war has been raging in Yemen for over two years and the conflict has claimed over 16,000 lives. A military alliance led by Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes against the Houthi movement, which now controls much of Yemen.”

Germany Still Looking for a Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats have agreed to start talks on forming a government on January 7. The exploratory talks should end by January 12… The results of the exploratory talks will then be discussed within each their parliamentary parties and among the parties’ respective boards and Merkel’s CDU…

“Last Friday, Schulz announced that the parties had agreed to start preliminary talks although the SPD carefully noted that it wanted to keep open the possibility of a softer ‘cooperative coalition,’ while the CDU is mainly interested in forming a grand coalition… To date, the longest Germany has gone without a ruling government coalition was the 86 days that the CDU, CSU and SPD needed to agree to a grand coalition under Merkel’s leadership in 2013. The current talks have now surpassed that record.”

Key Positions for FPO in Austria’s New Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“People’s Party (OVP) leader Sebastian Kurz will become the next chancellor and coalition partner Freedom Party (FPO) head Heinz-Christian Strache [successor to the late Joerg Haider] will become vice-chancellor in the new Austrian government. Strache will also be minister for sports and public servants. Five other ministries go to Strache’s Freedom Party. They include the key interior, defense and foreign ministries.

“Kurz’s People’s Party will have seven ministers and one deputy. They include the finance, economy and justice ministries.”

Austria’s New Government Sworn In

The Huffington Post wrote on December 18:

“Austria’s new coalition government was sworn in on Monday, which includes members from the far-right Freedom Party for the first time in more than a decade… European countries met the ascendance of the new coalition with caution.

“… Austria’s president, Alexander Van der Bellen, announced his approval of the new coalition on Saturday after being promised that the new leaders would take on ‘a pro-European direction.’ ‘Sebastian Kurz and Heinz-Christian Strache have assured me that Austria is and will remain a strong country in the heart of Europe and that it will play an active role in the future shaping of the E.U.,’ Van der Bellen said…

“When Austria’s far-right Freedom Party entered government in the year 2000, there was an international backlash and harsh warnings from the country’s closest allies. The European Union imposed several months of sanctions on Austria, and Israel recalled its ambassador in protest. At the time, European governments believed an openly xenophobic party that was founded in the 1950s by a former Nazi SS officer and embraced nationalist views needed to be collectively isolated and contained. But in the years since, Europe has radically changed how it sees the far right… there are none of the same warnings from the EU today…”

Deepening Relationship with Germany

Deutsche Welle added on December 18:

“Austria’s new right-of-center coalition government wants to further deepen relations with Germany, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Monday before he assumed office. ‘Many personal, economic, political and cultural ties bind us to Germany,’ [he] told Germany’s Bild newspaper…

“As foreign minister, Kurz frequently criticized Berlin over immigration policy, and FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache once called German Chancellor Angela Merkel ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe.’… While Vienna’s incoming government encountered mixed responses in Germany, Merkel’s conservative Bavarian allies, the CSU, have been positive. ‘With Sebastian Kurz, Bavaria and Germany have one more ally in Europe,’ Alexander Dobrindt, the head of the CSU’s parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, told Die Welt newspaper…”

Maintaining its Distance

The Jewish Press wrote on December 18:

“The State of Israel is maintaining its distance in dealing with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in Austria’s new coalition government, according to a statement issued by the government on Monday (Dec 18.)…

“The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed ‘grave concern’ over reports of the new coalition. ‘The FPÖ has a long history of anti-Semitism and xenophobia and we are concerned about the fact that they will control government ministries in the new Austrian government,’ said Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the EJC. ‘However, we hope that rather than as expected — that the Freedom Party will have an undue influence on the direction of the government led by the People’s Party — the Chancellor and his party will be able to discipline the intolerant elements within the FPÖ.’”

Historically, Hitler was not taken seriously either and his initial declarations of friendship and cooperation with the Jews were readily and naively believed… so much so that initially, Jewish bankers supported him and his party.

Friendlier Ties with Russia

The EUObserver wrote on December 18:

“Kurz’s coalition wants to see friendlier relations with Russia, and says that EU sanctions are a source of unwelcome tension.

“Tusk wrote a letter to Kurz on Monday, saying he trusts the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union. Austria is the latest country to add to the sceptical chorus within the EU about the effectiveness of Russian sanctions…”

Friendlier ties with Russia will be very temporary, if at all. Note the next article.

Russia Practiced Full-Scale Invasion of Europe

The Sun wrote on December 20:

“RUSSIA has practised a full-scale mock invasion of the West that includes capturing Baltic states, bombing Germany and invading neutral countries, it has been revealed. The terrifying war drills were carried out in September and featured troops, artillery, tanks, missile attacks and naval and air force raids. At the time, Putin claimed the exercises were for anti-terror purposes and were purely defensive in nature. However, [Bild Online] reported that the drills were a dry-run for a ‘shock campaign’ against Western European NATO countries…

“Over two days, Russian fighter jets also flew mock sorties through the Baltic and North Seas, swooping down onto the edges of Germany and the Netherlands. These were designed to be a practice run for destroying high-value targets such as power reactors, airports and other forces, including naval battalions, practised invading neutral Finland, as well as Sweden, Norway and Poland…

“General Petr Pavel, head of NATO’s military committee, warned in September: ‘All together, what we see is a serious preparation for big war… when we look it in the big picture, we have to be worried, because Russia was not transparent.’”

The Bible tells us that Europe will be so worried in the future because of rumors from the East, that they will attack countries such as Russia and China.

Catalonia: Separatist Groups Win Absolute Majority

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

“[O]usted regional President Carles Puigdemont was set to regain power in Catalonia after his… party captured 34 seats. Together with the 36 seats of the two other pro-independence parties, the separatists are headed for an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional parliament…

“Speaking from exile in Brussels, Puigdemont called the election a victory for the ‘Catalan Republic’ as well as a ‘slap in the face’ to Spanish Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy…

“Catalan National Assembly Vice President Agusti Alcoberro… demanded the release of imprisoned secessionist politicians and ‘the restitution of the government,’ sacked by Madrid…

“The pro-independence forces garnering an absolute majority could be a significant blow to the government of Prime Minister Rajoy [In fact, it is a total disaster for the Spanish government.]… The vote on Thursday had been ordered by Rajoy in the aftermath of a highly contested independence referendum on October 1 and a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence, both of which were ruled unconstitutional. The central government in Madrid also sacked Puigdemont’s regional government and took direct control of the region…

“Deposed regional President Puigdemont campaigned for his pro-independence… party from Brussels, where he had fled to avoid imprisonment by the Spanish authorities. Other pro-independence leaders currently in jail in Spain… campaigned… through letters, social media and prison-time phone calls.”

The question is, what will be Spain’s next move, since previous actions backfired terribly.

Bitcoin Threat to Banks and Worldwide Economy?

The Independent wrote on December 14:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes banks are going the way of the dinosaur, and bitcoin may be the meteor that brings about its extinction. The head of state appeared on a youtube video posted December 12 where he ponders in Hebrew ‘Is the fate of banks that they will eventually disappear? Yes. The answer is yes.’ He continued: ‘Does it need to happen tomorrow? And do we need to do it through Bitcoin? That’s a question mark.’

“The 70-second video shows Netanyahu discussing the function of banks, which he says act as middlemen and to protect their customers by offsetting risks and preventing theft… ‘The truth behind what I just said is what’s propelling bitcoin upwards,’ Netanyahu concluded.”

Express added on December 18:

“Independent research analyst Ronnie Moas predicted over the summer that the value in Bitcoin would reach as high as $5,000 (£3,738) when the digital currency was trading at just $2,600 (£1,943). Since then, Bitcoin has surged to $20,000 (£13,582) in value as of Monday, according to prices tracked on Coinbase.

“Now, Mr Moas, the founder of Standpoint research, claims the growth will shoot above $300,000 (£224,280) and become the ‘most valuable currency in the world’. He told CNBC: ‘Bitcoin is already up 500 per cent since I recommended it in the beginning of July, and I’m looking for another 500 per cent move from here. His claims are based on the idea that since only 21million Bitcoin can ever exist, increasing demand for the digital currency will naturally drive its price up, he said.

“Mr Moas said: ‘I don’t know how much gold there is in the ground, but I know how much bitcoin there is, and in two years there will be 300 million people in the world trying to get their hands on a few million bitcoin. ‘This mind-blogging supply and demand imbalance is what is going to drive the higher price.’… [a] study by Anglia Ruskin University, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University released on Friday said Bitcoin could pose a threat to [and could have a “knock-out effect” on] to the financial stability of traditional currencies and markets.”

These developments are not surprising in light of the incompetency, untrustworthiness, unproductivity and deceptive conduct of many banks.

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.

“Lord’s Prayer: Pope Francis Calls for Change”

The BBC wrote on December 8:

“Pope Francis has called for a translation of a phrase about temptation in the Lord’s Prayer to be changed. The current wording that says ‘lead us not into temptation’ is not a good translation because God does not lead humans to sin, he says. His suggestion is to use ‘do not let us fall into temptation’ instead, he told Italian TV on Wednesday night.

“The Lord’s Prayer is the best-known prayer in Christianity. The pontiff said France’s Roman Catholic Church was now using the new wording ‘do not let us fall into temptation’ as an alternative, and something similar should be used worldwide. ‘Do not let me fall into temptation because it is I who fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and then sees how I fell,’ he told TV2000, an Italian Catholic TV channel…”

Bild Online added on December 8:

“The Lord’s Prayer is the most important and the most recited prayer of Christianity. Moreover, it is also the prayer that Jesus Christ himself taught to his disciples. From the believer’s perspective, to change it would be to correct the words of God 2000 years later… The current Lord’s Prayer is based on the New Testament, which was passed down in Greek…

“In France, the debate within the church has been decided… Since the first Sunday of Advent, in France the plea is now: ‘do not let us be tempted’.

“German-language theologians also think that an adjustment would make sense. Last week, however, the bishop of Regensburg, Rudolf Voderholzer, warned of ‘falsifying the words of Jesus’. The plea ‘do not lead us into temptation’ was passed down in exactly these words in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, said the former Professor of Dogmatics. ‘If we were to correct Jesus by saying “No, Jesus, you can’t have said that; we know better and will now correct you”, then we would soon end up with an entirely new bible based on our human ideas. The bible would no longer be the testimony of God’s revelation’, the diocese quotes one of the bishops’ earlier sermons. It is very likely that the German Bishops’ Conference will soon address Pope Francis’ criticism of the translation.”

On December 8, Fox News published a commentary by Scott Gunn, an Episcopal priest:

“Pope Francis has suggested that Catholics learn a new line when they say the Lord’s Prayer… This beloved prayer is said by nearly all Christians weekly, if not daily… No, the pope is not trying to put new words in Jesus’ mouth. Yes, I am grateful for what the pope is asking, even though I am not a Roman Catholic.

“There are two reasons I am grateful for the pope’s request to change ‘lead us not into temptation’ into ‘do not let us fall into temptation.’ First, these new words are actually closer to what Jesus said. Second, they offer better theology.

“Despite our ideas to the contrary, Jesus did not walk around speaking the English of the King James Bible…

“The English wording that we use when we pray the Lord’s Prayer comes from Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible from the late 1300s. Matthew 6:13, the newsworthy line, reads, ‘and leede us nat in to temptacioun.’ Starting in the later years of the 20th century, Bible scholars began offering better translations into English from the original languages of the Lord’s Prayer. The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible gives us Matthew 6:13 like this: ‘And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.’

“Why is this better? God does not create temptation for us… The Letter of James (1:13-14) in the New Testament puts it like this: ‘No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it.’…

“… Jesus Christ took on human flesh and knew every aspect of human life except for sin. Jesus knew what it was like to be tempted, because he was tempted by Satan. So our God knows the pain and struggle of temptation and does not will it upon us. Pope Francis would have us pray ‘do not let us fall into temptation.’ It’s a subtle difference. But it is an important difference. In this better translation, we are praying for God’s guidance to keep us away from temptation.”

Actually, the comments by Pope Francis and also by Scott Gunn in the above-quoted article have merits. The suggestions are not to change Christ’s words, but to clarify His words. We discuss in great detail the words of the “Lord’s Prayer” in our free booklet, “Teach Us To Pray,” copyright 2006. When explaining from the Bible the meaning of the clause, “Lead Us Not into Temptation,” we also state this:

“The New Testament Greek word for ‘temptation’ (‘peirasmos’), and the Greek word for ‘to tempt’ (‘peirazo’), can also mean, ‘trial’ and ‘to test.’ The same is true for the Hebrew words in the Old Testament, ‘massah’ and ‘nasah,’ which can mean ‘temptation’ and ‘tempt,’ or, ‘trial’ and ‘test.’…”

At the end of that section, we give the following summary:

“When we ask God the Father to protect us from temptation, or serious and sore trials, we understand that God never tempts us to sin. Rather, temptation to sin comes through our own desires, the society around us, and Satan the devil. Christ tells us to ask the Father to protect us from the temptation to sin.

“We also understand that God tests us to get to know us better. His tests are for the purpose of strengthening us and enabling us not to sin. We should not ask God the Father to withhold tests from us, but rather, as Christ tells us, ask the Father not to allow the trials we go through to be too difficult for us to bear. Conversely, we should ask the Father for strength and wisdom not to test Him, by doubting Him and His powers, by limiting—in our minds—His ability to help us, by trying to force our will upon Him, and by even questioning His involvement in our lives.”

Please note our new StandingWatch program, “The Lord’s Prayer—Does Pope Francis Really Want to Change It?” 

“Weapons Sales Up Again Worldwide”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Arms sales are increasing around the world… the main beneficiaries are armaments groups in the US and Western Europe…

“The global trade in arms and military services increased again in 2016, for the first time in five years. It was up 1.9 percent on the previous year — and 38 percent compared to 2002. These new figures are from the latest report on the international arms industry by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It says that in 2016 the world’s 100 biggest armaments groups sold $374.8 billion (€317.7 billion) of weapons and weapons systems.

“Particularly in the United States, armaments groups are producing and selling more weapons. According to the report, sales from US firms rose 4 percent in 2016, totaling $217.2 billion. This was not only because of the US’ own military deployments abroad: The figure was also boosted by the purchase of large weapons systems by other countries. The US group Lockheed Martin — the biggest weapons producer worldwide — did lucrative business selling its new F-35 to countries like Britain, Italy and Norway. Its biggest customer, though, is the United States Air Force.

“Big American players like Lockheed Martin make up the majority of the top 100 armaments groups researched by SIPRI’s experts. Once again, the report clearly shows that the majority of arms come from American companies — a total of 57.9 percent of all global arms sales. Western Europe takes second place in the list of the most important suppliers of arms, followed by Russia with 7.1 percent of arms sales around the world.

“The picture is more mixed in the Western European countries. While French and Italian firms are selling fewer arms, German and British groups — despite Brexit — increased their turnover. The German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, for example, and Rheinmetall, which makes military vehicles, profited from the demand for their products in Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia…

“The SIPRI researchers believe China may also be a top weapons manufacturer. The country does not, however, appear in their statistics, because the experts have no reliable data on the Chinese arms trade…

“There is no question but that wars prompt individual states to procure weapons. When crises threaten, countries spend more money on more modern arms: They buy new warships, fighter jets and tanks, and armaments groups sell more as a result. But according to SIPRI expert Fleurant, the majority of weapons are sold by arms manufacturers to the defense ministries of their own countries, not abroad. Thus the new SIPRI report not only provides information about who is selling and buying how many weapons: It also says something about how safe the world as a whole currently feels.”

Trying to find salvation in an arms race will never work. Actually, wealth gained through the sale of weapons for the purpose of fighting in war is ungodly.

“Nobel Peace Prize Winner: Nuclear War Is ‘One Tiny Tantrum Away’”

The Week wrote on December 11:

“While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on Sunday, the director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) warned that ‘the deaths of millions may be one tiny tantrum away.’ During the ceremony in Oslo, Beatrice Fihn said the world has a choice to make — ‘the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us’ — and said the risk of using nuclear weapons is ‘greater now than during the Cold War.’

“As North Korea continues to test missiles, including some believed to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to the continental U.S., and the war of words between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to escalate, a ‘moment of panic’ could lead to ‘the destruction of cities and the deaths of millions of civilians,’ Fihn said.”

Sadly, this warning is so true and relevant.

“Military Assessment: Major Report Warns US ‘Will Lose the Next War’”

The website of nzherald published the following on December 11:

“The world is looking bleak. From the nuclear bluster of North Korea, China’s relentless power creep in Asia and Russia’s covert invasion of Ukraine, the international situation is as dire as at any time during the Cold War. So is the world’s self-proclaimed ‘policeman’, the United States, up to the challenge? A new in-depth report from strategic think-tank Rand Corporation thinks not…

“‘US forces today… are failing to keep pace with the modernising forces of great power adversaries, are poorly postured to meet key challenges in Europe and East Asia,’ the report reads… Projected combat scenarios in Europe and Asia both present grim outcomes, the report finds…”

“Czech Leader Slams EU ‘Cowards’ on Jerusalem Stance”

y-net wrote on December 10:

“Milos Zeman, president of [the] only European country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital following [the] US announcement, says European Union states ‘are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement.’…

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Saturday evening on a two-day official visit to Paris and Brussels, vowing not to accept [a] ‘double standard’ from Europe on Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…

“The Europeans’ objection to the move was so strong, that Israeli officials stress that Israel’s main problem is actually with Western European countries rather than with the Arab, central and Eastern European countries, whose reactions were predictable and measured. Israeli state officials blasted the ‘European hypocrisy,’ saying that while the European foreign ministers rushed to strongly condemn Trump’s announcement, they failed to condemn the rockets fired at the southern city of Sderot over the weekend…”

The Bible prophesies that ultimately, Europe will become Israel’s most dangerous enemy.

Netanyahu vs. Erdogan

y-net wrote on December 10:

“Speaking during a joint press conference with [the] French president in Paris, Netanyahu says he won’t take lectures on morality from a leader ‘who bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey and who jails journalists’; [he] tells Macron ‘just as Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would ‘not take lectures’ from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who over the weekend issued a tirade against Israel, accusing it of being a ‘terrorist state that murders children’…

“Later on, Erdogan’s office issued a statement slamming Netanyahu’s remarks in Paris. ‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks targeting the Republic of Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,’ a spokesperson said, adding that Israel, which disregards international law, has ‘occupied’ the Palestinian people’s hundreds-of-years-old homeland and systematically violates United Nations resolutions, must first account for its own actions.”

The relationship between Israel and Turkey will continue to deteriorate.

Burning of Israeli Flags in Berlin, Germany

The Local wrote on December 11:

“Israeli flags were burned at the Brandenburg Gate on Friday during a pro-Palestinian demonstration against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Ten people were arrested and investigations were launched into the violation of a foreign state’s sovereign signs. On Sunday evening, an Israeli flag was also burned on the edge of a protest march from Berlin’s Neukölln district to Kreuzberg, which was attended by around 2,500 demonstrators.

“Government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that the government strongly condemned protests in German cities where ‘hatred’ of Israel and Jews was expressed. Seibert noted that Berlin had a ‘particular responsibility toward Israel and Jewish people in general’ because Nazi Germany slaughtered six million Jews in the Holocaust.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday denounced the burning of Israeli flags to protest against the United States’ decision last Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…

“Germany’s interior minister [Thomas de Maziere] has also criticized the burning of Israeli national symbols in Berlin… German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told Bild that despite understandable criticism of the US decision, ‘there is no right and also no justification to burn Israeli flags, incite hatred against Jews or question the right of Israel to exist.’… Justice Minister Heiko Maas also said there was no place for any sort of anti-Semitism.”

Anti-Semitism is again raising its ugly head all over the world. Note the next article as well.

Anti-Semitism Outbursts Across Europe

JTA wrote on December 10:

“On Saturday, protestors against the Jerusalem decision burned an Israeli flag in Stockholm…

“The Israeli-Jewish Congress… called on European governments not to allow the use of Trump’s declaration to serve as a ‘pretext’ for anti-Semitism… ‘It is unconscionable that Jews are under attack on the streets of Europe, whether by terrorists hurling Molotov cocktails or openly and brazenly calling for the mass murder of Jews in Malmo, Vienna and Paris,’ European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor said in a statement. ‘We call on European governments to take strong punitive action against those who perpetrated these acts and call for the immediate arrest of anyone… making murderous chants.’

“At other protest rallies about Jerusalem in Austria, France and Malmo, Sweden, participants chanted, respectively, in Arabic about an ancient massacre of Jews, freedom for Palestinian terrorists and shooting Jews.”

Peace Talks in Middle East… Where Is America?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday said that while Netanyahu has repeatedly announced a new US-led peace initiative, European diplomats have received no information on such a plan, even when US State Secretary Rex Tillerson was in Brussels last week. ‘They’ve announced to us some kind of American initiative. We’ve been waiting for several months. If it’s not the case, then perhaps the European Union should take the initiative, but it’s too early to say,’ said Le Drian while in Brussels.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 8:

“The move [to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital] … disqualifies the United States as a mediator… That means that it is now up to us – the Europeans, the Germans – to come up with new ideas and new formats, as difficult as that may be. Wherever possible, those new ideas should be developed in cooperation with moderate Arab countries…

“For German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who has been demanding that Germany be more courageous on foreign policy, the new situation in the Middle East presents a perfect opportunity. No other conflict should be as important to Europe as the one between the Israelis and the Palestinians…”

In light of America’s failure to be any credible broker, the EU WILL get involved.

No Role for the USA in Middle East Peace Talks

The Associated Press wrote on December 13:

“The Palestinian president said Wednesday his people will not accept any role for the United States in the Mideast peace process ‘from now on,’ following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Mahmoud Abbas spoke at a gathering of heads of state and top officials from Islamic nations at a summit in Turkey that is expected to forge a unified Muslim world’s stance against Trump’s move. Abbas called Trump’s decision a ‘crime’ that threatened world peace. He called on the United Nations to take charge of the peace process and create a new mechanism, arguing that Washington is no longer ‘fit’ for the task. The Palestinians are committed to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas said, but after Trump’s seismic shift on Jerusalem, Washington is not accepted as a fair negotiator. The speech marked a significant shift in Abbas’ approach toward the United States, after years of focusing on courting U.S. goodwill because of Washington’s role as sole mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Immediately after Trump’s announcement last week, Abbas had said the U.S. effectively disqualified itself as a broker, but Wednesday’s speech was more sharply worded and delivered to a global audience. Last week, Abbas aides said the Palestinian leader would not meet with Mike Pence during the U.S. vice president’s planned visit to Israel and the West Bank next week. Abbas had initially planned to meet with Pence in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem, but two senior aides have said the meeting would not take place because of Trump’s pivot on Jerusalem. The Istanbul gathering of heads of state and top officials from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation is also an opportunity for the Muslim world to offer its strongest response yet to Washington’s move. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan— the current president of the OIC — called on countries to urgently recognize the Palestinian state and Jerusalem as its capital…

“Israel has considered Jerusalem its capital since the state’s establishment in 1948 and sees the city as the ancient capital of the Jewish people… The Palestinians equally lay claim to Jerusalem and want the eastern part of the city as capital of their future state… The Old City, located in east Jerusalem, is home to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. These include the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.”

Does Trump Help in Building the Third Temple?

Newsweek wrote on December 11:

“Activists lobbying for the construction of a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem said Trump was playing a similar role to the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great, who allowed the Jews to return to Israel from exile. Jews also praised Cyrus for helping them build a second Jewish temple in the same place where the first had been destroyed.  Judaism’s First Temple stood from around 957 B.C. to around 586 B.C., and its Second Temple stood from around 515 B.C. to 70 A.D., according to the Hebrew Bible. Now, some Jews said Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital paved the way for the construction of a Third Jewish Temple in the same place the Second Temple had been before it was demolished.

“‘There have been amazing advances towards bringing the Temple this year. It was clear that Trump was part of that process, guided by Hashem [God],’ said Asaf Fried, official spokesman for the United Temple Movement, an association lobbying for the Third Temple’s construction on the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is the elevated area above Jerusalem’s Western Wall that was once the site of Judaism’s two temples. The site is the third holiest place in Islam and has been the source of conflict between the two religions. It is currently under Israeli sovereignty but is administered by a Muslim religious trust. Jews are permitted to visit the site but are not allowed to pray there…

“The Temple Mount is believed to be the site where Abraham demonstrated his devotion to God by taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed… The Western Wall is all that is left of the Second Temple. Advocates for a Third Temple were supportive of Trump even before he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday. Evangelical Christians, who are staunch supporters of Trump, believed that a Third Temple would be built before the ‘end times’ that would usher the second coming of Jesus Christ…”

It is interesting that May 14, 2018, will be 70 years since the founding of the State of Israel. It was after 70 years, following the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, that the command to rebuild the Temple became a point of urgency as the Books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi reveal.

The interspersing of end-time events in these prophecies in conjunction with rebuilding the Temple makes President Trump’s proclamation all the more interesting. His action has been describes as “defiant” and has found no support outside of Israel and America.

Germans Trust Russia More Than the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 9:

“A new survey published by German public broadcaster ARD shows Germans trust Russia more than the US. America’s brand appears to have suffered considerably since the election of Donald Trump as US president last year. The poll… showed that 28 percent of respondents felt Moscow was a reliable partner, compared to 25 percent for Washington. The result is the first time the public’s trust in the US has fallen below Russia in over a decade…

“More than 90 percent said Paris was a reliable partner, while more than 60 percent said Britain, which has been trying to exit the European Union (EU), was a reliable partner… Nearly 60 percent of Germans had a favorable view of the US when Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, left office. That dropped to 35 percent at the beginning of Trump’s presidency.

“The decline in Germany has reflected a worldwide trend. ‘Attitudes have taken a dramatic turn for the worse, especially in Western Europe and Latin America,’ the surveyors said… the US’s favorability had only dramatically improved in one country: ‘Only in Russia has the image of the United States improved by a large margin.’”

As we said from the outset, the Presidency of Donald Trump will lead to an overall worldwide rejection of the USA (with perhaps a few exceptions such as, temporarily, Russia and Israel).

Germany’s Martin Schulz a European Radical?

Politico wrote on December 7:

“Germany is rediscovering Europe. After a prolonged, conspicuous absence, Europe has reemerged in recent weeks at the top of Germany’s political agenda, renewing hopes in some quarters (and fanning fears in others) that the Continent is poised to take a great leap toward closer integration. ‘We want a United States of Europe, thundered Martin Schulz, seemingly out of nowhere, at the annual convention of his Social Democrats (SPD) on Thursday…

“Merkel’s failure to build an alliance with the Greens and liberals has left a grand coalition as Germany’s only hope to form a majority government… After vociferously ruling out a grand coalition both before and after Merkel’s attempt to build a three-way alliance collapsed, Schulz’s credibility is at stake. Nothing less than the pursuit of a United States of Europe, it seems, would justify such an about-face. Schulz, who was roundly criticized both inside and outside his party for not emphasizing his European credentials during the campaign, has now moved to the other extreme. If his call for a U.S. of E weren’t enough of a jaw dropper, Schulz added that any country that refused to jump on board by 2025 should be kicked out of the EU altogether.

“The reactions weren’t long in coming. Alexander Dobrindt, a leader of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, called the SPD leader a ‘European radical.’”

Martin Schulz is a person who should be watched. And so are Sebastian Kurz andFPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache (see next article).

Austria Set to Have New Government Soon, while Germany Is Stalling

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“Set to become Europe’s youngest political leader, Sebastian Kurz has predicted a new government will be formed before Christmas. He said the far-right FPÖ has ensured the government will have a ‘pro-European’ stance…

“According to local media, the FPÖ [under FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache]reportedly secured top positions in the foreign, defense and interior ministriesduring coalition talks and agreed to a ban on public referendums to leave the EU.

“The far-right party also guaranteed support for EU sanctions against Russia despite its pro-Kremlin stance… If Kurz’s conservatives form a government with the FPÖ, it will mark the first time the party enters power in a decade.”

At the same time, coalition talks in Germany are proceeding rather slowly. As the Local reported on December 13, the “Social Democrats have been considering a third option [in addition to a Grand Coalition and new elections] – a ‘cooperation coalition’ or ‘KoKo’ – which could involve the SPD and the CDU/CSU forming an alliance and agreeing on some issues while leaving potentially conflict points to parliamentary debates… [believing] a ‘KoKo’ could free them up to oppose the CDU on issues such as social justice while working with them on Europe and digitalization. The SPD and CDU/CSU are moreover divided on issues such as health care and tax cuts.”

However, a “KoKo” does not seem to find much support in the German public.

EU Takes Over Global Trade Stage

Politico wrote on December 8:

“The international trading system created by the U.S. after the Second World War has a new leader — the European Union. The EU on Friday announced the conclusion of a landmark trade agreement with Japan — covering economies worth about 30 percent of the world’s GDP. That comes after scoring a trade deal with Vietnam in 2015 and Canada last year…

“EU-linked trade agreements are piling up at the same time the U.S. is retreating from the world stage. U.S. President Donald Trump’s decisions to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement,  and to block the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement system, along with his threats to hit China with tariffs, have raised the risks of a global trade war, for which there is little appetite elsewhere. That leaves the EU as the indispensable partner for world trade…”

Even in trade, the EU is taking the lead, while the USA is retreating.

“Twenty-Five EU States Sign PESCO Defense Pact”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“European Union member states on Monday moved ever closer towards establishing a defense union, after the European Council adopted the creation of a new European defense and security cooperation network known as PESCO. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which was first set out in the Lisbon Treaty, will allow members states to jointly develop military capabilities, invest in shared projects and enhance their respective armed forces…

“With 25 of the EU’s current 28 member states joining the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), there seems to be a great deal of consensus among member states but a few remain on the fence. The new defense union is expected to address immediate threats without having to rely on NATO for all of the EU’s defense needs… The countries that have chosen not to take part are Malta, Denmark – which has special opt-out status – and the UK (which is set to withdraw from the bloc in March 2019).

“Mogherini, described the move as ‘historic,’ while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hailed the move on Twitter, posting: ‘She is awake, the Sleeping Beauty of the Lisbon Treaty: Permanent Structured Cooperation is happening.’…”

This is just a first step towards the prophesied creation of a powerful EU army.

Brexit Deal?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 8:

“The EU and UK have reached an initial agreement on Ireland, citizenship rights and a divorce bill… paving the way for the two sides to move onto the next phase of negotiations on the future relationship in the areas of trade, defense and security, pending final approval at next week’s EU summit.

“The EU had been calling for clarity on three key issues — the Irish border, a financial settlement and the rights of EU-UK citizens  — before any future trade talks. The EU and the UK have reached a tentative agreement on these issues, with the ‘caveat that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ as part of a final Brexit deal…”

Alabama Earthquake–Jones Beats Moore

McClatchy wrote on December 12:

“The election of Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate complicates — and could all but doom — Republican efforts to score any big wins for President Donald Trump. The narrowing of the Senate Republicans’ already-slim majority represents a huge loss to the GOP, which failed this year to deliver on a campaign promise to repeal Obamacare and has struggled to pass spending legislation.  Yet Jones’ victory over Republican Roy Moore also comes as a relief to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell championed Moore’s primary opponent and called on the nominee to leave the race after several women came forward to complain that Moore had pursued them as teenagers.

“The GOP struggled throughout 2017 when it controlled 52 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Tuesday’s loss is sure to boost the influence of maverick Republican senators such as Susan Collins of Maine, who was one of three Republicans to oppose the Senate’s latest effort to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Collins has played a critical role in the current tax debate as well…

“Moore would not necessarily have been a guaranteed Republican vote on anything. He railed against McConnell and establishment Republicans in the Alabama Republican primary and told Fox News in September that he wouldn’t have voted for the Republican health care plan…”

Defeat for Trump

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“The result is a blow to Trump… Jones becomes the first Democrat in a quarter of a century to win an Alabama Senate seat… A civil rights lawyer, Jones had never run for political office. He was best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen who killed four black girls in Birmingham’s 1963 church bombing…

“The defeat of Moore, a 70-year-old controversial Christian conservative, spells trouble for US President Donald Trump and his political base, as well as shrinking the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49, in turn making the passage of Trump’s legislative agenda on taxes, healthcare and security more problematic…

“Twice ousted as state Supreme Court chief justice… Moore was fighting [for] the seat vacated when Attorney General Jeff Sessions left to serve in Trump’s administration… Moore was removed from his position as state Supreme Court chief justice the first time after he refused to remove a boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument at the state court building. The second time he was permanently suspended was for urging state probate judges to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples.”

Newsmax added on December 13:

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday he knew Roy Moore could never win the general election for the Senate seat from Alabama. In an early morning tweet Wednesday, Trump explained why he endorsed Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., over Moore in the Republican primary. ‘The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!’ In the general election, Trump endorsed Moore…”

A Day in the Life of Donald Trump

The New York Times wrote on December 9:

“Around 5:30 each morning, President Trump wakes and tunes into the television in the White House’s master bedroom. He flips to CNN for news, moves to ‘Fox & Friends’ for comfort and messaging ideas, and sometimes watches MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ because, friends suspect, it fires him up for the day.

“Energized, infuriated — often a gumbo of both — Mr. Trump grabs his iPhone. Sometimes he tweets while propped on his pillow, according to aides. Other times he tweets from the den next door, watching another television…

“The ammunition for his Twitter war is television. No one touches the remote control except Mr. Trump and the technical support staff — at least that’s the rule. During meetings, the 60-inch screen mounted in the dining room may be muted, but Mr. Trump keeps an eye on scrolling headlines. What he misses he checks out later on what he calls his ‘Super TiVo,’ a state-of-the-art system that records cable news.

“Watching cable, he shares thoughts with anyone in the room, even the household staff he summons via a button for lunch or for one of the dozen Diet Cokes he consumes each day.

“But he is leery of being seen as tube-glued… On his recent trip to Asia, the president was told of a list of 51 fact-checking questions for this article, including one about his prodigious television watching habits. Instead of responding through an aide, he delivered a broadside on his viewing habits to befuddled reporters from other outlets on Air Force One heading to Vietnam. ‘I do not watch much television,’ he insisted. “I know they like to say — people that don’t know me — they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources — you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don’t get to watch much television…’

“Mr. Trump spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television, sometimes with the volume muted, marinating in the no-holds-barred wars of cable news and eager to fire back… When the guests depart, the remote control comes back out. He is less likely to tweet at this hour, when the news he would react to is mostly recycled from hours earlier. But he watches Ms. Pirro and her fellow Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, and sometimes ‘hate-watches’ CNN to get worked up, especially Don Lemon… From there it is off to bed for what usually amounts to five or six hours of sleep. Then the television will be blaring again, he will reach for his iPhone and the battle will begin anew.”

Newsweek added on December 9:

“This is the same Trump who famously told reporters who asked him about Roy Moore allegations in November that he didn’t know about the allegations because he does ‘not watch much television… The truth doesn’t come as much of a surprise –– since he’s taken office, the president tweets frequently about the stories and escapades of various broadcast news corporations, often offering praise for Fox News or promoting its reports, while putting forth harsh criticism of liberal-leaning networks like CNN…”

Even before he became President, his main source of information being television was well known.

“Trump ‘Infuriated’ by Haley’s Comments on Sexual Allegations Against Him”

On December 11, Newsmax re-published the following article by the Associated Press:

“Donald Trump sailed past a raft of allegations of sexual misconduct in last year’s presidential election. Now the… spotlight is turning back to Trump and his past conduct…

“With each day seeming to bring new headlines that force men from positions of power, the movement to expose sexual harassment has forced an unwelcome conversation on the White House… But a Capitol Hill investigation into Trump’s conduct appears unlikely. The Senate and House Ethics Committees investigate members of Congress, not presidents, and Republican-led committees are not apt to investigate Trump on sexual misconduct unless there is some sort of connection to the ongoing Russia probe…

“The president’s advisers were stunned Sunday when one of the highest-ranking women in the Trump administration [Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations] broke with the White House line and said the accusers’ voices ‘should be heard.’…

“Sixteen women have come forward with a range of accusations against Trump, many after the release of the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape last October in which Trump was caught on an open microphone bragging about groping women…”

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly interviewed four of these women on her show and stated afterward that, having practiced law for ten years, she felt that the case made against Donald Trump was credible.

Fires Continue to Rage in California

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 14:

“Fire officials confirmed Thursday that a firefighter died while battling the Thomas fire, which ranks as the fourth-largest in the state’s modern history…

“Despite a couple of days of reduced winds and feverish efforts by firefighters to establish new containment lines, the 242,500-acre Thomas fire has surpassed the size of the Zaca fire, which scorched Santa Barbara County in 2007…

“Firefighters have taken advantage of a two-day lull in winds to increase fire containment to 30%. Those efforts could be tested soon, however, as forecasters predict a new blast of Santa Ana winds… and sundowner windsover Santa Barbara County…

“In Thursday’s incident report, fire officials said they didn’t expect to reach full containment of the blaze until Jan. 7 — more than three weeks from now…

“The fire has destroyed more than 900 homes in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since it began Dec. 4…”

Witchcraft on the Rise in the USA

CBS New York wrote on December 8:

“At a time when participation in traditional religions is declining among Americans, the practice of witchcraft is said to be on the rise… Nestled in the heart of the Hudson Valley is the Church of the Eternal Circle, the only legally recognized Wiccan Church in the state of New York… It’s estimated that as many as a million people identify as being a witch in the U.S. with 20 percent of that population said to be in New York.

“… members say witchcraft is actually grounded in love and spirituality… They say magic is simply the belief that you can make anything happen. ‘It’s kind of like prayer’… There is… a love for the goddess of creation and inspiration… A somber celebration marked the start of winter. Known as the night of souls, it’s when witches honor their ancestors…”

Terrible!

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.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Capital of Israel and Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem

The New York Times wrote on December 6:

“President Trump on Wednesday officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing decades of American foreign policy. Mr. Trump made the formal announcement during a speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, with Vice President Mike Pence standing behind him.

“The following is a transcript of his remarks…

“‘In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city, and so importantly, is Israel’s capital. This act passed congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. And was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. Yet, for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law’s waiver, refusing to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city. Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time. Nevertheless, the record is in.

“‘After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…

“‘It was 70 years ago that the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries…

“‘Jerusalem is today and must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the stations of the cross, and where Muslims worship at Al Aqsa Mosque.

“‘… consistent with the Jerusalem embassy act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace…

“‘The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif…”

It is interesting that President Trump did not say that Jerusalem was the exclusive capital of Israel; that he declared support for a two-state solution if both sides agree (which will never happen; see next articles); that the status quo at the Temple Mount is not to be changed; and that Muslims are to be able to worship at the Al Aqsa Mosque. Finally, even though he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (not excluding the possibility that the eastern part of Jerusalem might ALSO become the capital of a Palestinian state), he signed a waiver delaying the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for at least six months, and it is expected that he will continue signing waivers for the next 3 to 4 years, according to ABC News of December 5.

All in all, it seems his big announcement was “much ado about nothing,” except that it upset the rest of the world.

Trying to Please the Evangelicals?

Fox News wrote on December 5:

“There are millions of evangelical eyes on Trump, waiting to see if he will keep his campaign promise to move the embassy, longtime Pastor John Hagee told Fox News. ‘I can assure you that 60 million evangelicals are watching this promise closely because if President Trump moves the embassy into Jerusalem, he will historically step into immortality,’ Hagee said.

“‘He will be remembered for thousands of years for his act of courage to treat Israel like we already treat other nations. If he does not, he will be remembered as just another president who made a promise he failed to keep which would generate massive disappointment in that strong evangelical base that went to vote for him against Hillary Clinton,’ he added…

“A March 2016 Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans didn’t express an opinion when asked if the U.S. embassy should move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But of those who did have an opinion, Americans were split with 24 percent supporting a move and 20 percent disagreeing with relocation.”

Warnings and Reactions

The Daily Mail wrote on December 6:

“In Gaza, U.S. and Israeli flags were burned and in the West Bank Hamas declared Friday a ‘day of rage,’ raising the specter of mass violence in the occupied territories… Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump…”

AFP wrote on December 5:

“Warnings multiplied on Tuesday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Trump in a speech that the status of Jerusalem is a ‘red line’ for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel.”

Newsmax wrote on December 6:

“Pope Francis… called on Wednesday for the city’s ‘status quo’ to be respected… The Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with both sides agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its ‘united and eternal’ capital…

“The Vatican and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1994… The Vatican signed its first treaty with the ‘State of Palestine’ in 2015.”

The EUObserver wrote on December 6:

“Trump’s decision comes despite warnings by Germany, France, EU officials, and Arab and Muslim leaders that the Jerusalem move would make the conflict worse. Recognising Jerusalem ‘as the capital of Israel does not calm a conflict, rather it fuels it even more,’ German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said… He called Trump’s plan ‘a very dangerous development’…

“Gabriel echoed French president Emmanuel Macron… [who] restated the EU and UN position that Israel and Palestine must share ‘Jerusalem as their capital’ in future.”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 6:

“Former German Ambassador to Israel Rudolf Dreßler told DW that the United States would seriously harm the Middle East peace process with an embassy move… Now Russia, China and the EU will take over this role [of negotiating with Israel and the Palestinians].

“… if renewed violence should become a reality — for instance, with a third intifada — then Germany and all of its EU partners will have a lot to deal with. We will have to determine how to reformulate the EU’s role against the backdrop of Trump and Netanyahu’s policies in Israel…”

Saudi Arabia Might Strike a Deal with Israel against Iran

Israel National News reported on December 3:

“A bombshell report suggests that Saudi Arabia [is] ready to sign a deal with the Jewish state… Prime Minister Netanyahu’s former national security advisor Yaakov Nagel told the Telegraph that Saudi Arabia is so desperate to ink an agreement with Israel that it is prepared to move forward despite lack of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia’s traditional position forbids negotiations with Israel until a two-state solution is implemented…

“Israel has long been rumored to be holding covert ties with Saudi Arabia and Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said last week that Israel enjoys warm relations with many Arab countries despite the fact that these countries officially refuse to recognize Israel’s existence… ‘We are talking about a dozen Islamic countries, including the Arab countries that understand the potential of relations with Israel…’”

In the end, many Arab nations will join forces to fight Israel, and according to Psalm 83, Ishmael or Saudi Arabia will be one of them.

“UK Woos Israel as Relationship with EU Breaks Down”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 27:

“As Britain proceeds with the dissolution of its marriage to its long-term partner, the European Union, it has started to court new companions, among them Israel.

“Brexit — the process the UK has initiated for withdrawing from the EU, which is estimated to impact economic growth, create financial instability and cut jobs — is a challenge, but it also presents ‘huge’ opportunities for Israel, said Hugo Bieber, chief executive of the chamber of commerce UK Israel Business (UKIB), who led the chamber’s largest business delegation to Israel last week with a similar message to Israeli firms.”

The ongoing friendly relationship between the USA, the UK and Israel—many times in opposition to Europe’s viewpoint—will not continue.

Dealing with North Korea

The New York Times wrote on December 3:

“The news last week from the Korean Peninsula about yet another ballistic missile launch was déjà vu all over again. This one had an estimated range of 8,100 miles — long enough to hit Washington, D.C., or anywhere else in the continental United States. President Trump responded with angry tweets…

“… a military response is highly unlikely… All sides realize that the human and economic costs of another Korean war are simply unfathomable. Several American presidents have tried to persuade the Kim dynasty to abandon its nuclear ambitions, through a combination of sanctions and negotiations. But these efforts have been unsuccessful.

“… the United States and its allies ought to… wage financial warfare against Mr. Kim and his cabal. The United States must take the lead by ramping up a covert campaign against the regime’s criminal enterprises. This effort ought to include a full-court press of dirty tricks, coercion, heavy-handed threats and even direct action, all covert and deniable, against Kim’s financial wizards…

“Such tradecraft must also be applied outside North Korea and Asia against the businesses and banks in Europe, South America and elsewhere that enable Kim’s criminal empire to flourish… And as North Korea is recognized as a state sponsor of terror, helping groups like Hezbollah with arms and expertise, a numbing slew of lawsuits should be filed seeking damages; those damages will result in the forfeiture of North Korean assets — open and hidden — around the world…”

This may sound good, but it is nothing more than a balloon of hot air and wishful thinking. The idea that all countries would participate in such an endeavor is naïve and illusionary. Furthermore, the assertion that war is highly unlikely is very optimistic, to say the least. The sad truth is that nuclear war between the USA and North Korea is a distinct possibility, and the reaction of many countries, including of European nations, might be hostile towards the USA. Note the next articles.

Threat of Nuclear World War III

The Week wrote on December 4:

“My mind is consumed with thoughts of what could happen if my greatest fear comes true: that North Korea makes the tragic mistake of conducting the first atmospheric nuclear weapons test since 1980, spreading radioactive fallout throughout the Pacific Ocean and eventually around the world… Such a test would likely garner a military response from the Trump administration, a response that could very well take us down a path to war. And I have no illusions of what such a war would look like: nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons used; millions of people dead; trillions of dollars in damage… A Third World War is not even out of the question…

“North Korea… could very well consider the Trump administration’s response a full-throated first step towards the destruction of its nuclear program or perhaps the realization of Kim’s worst fear: a move towards regime change. If that is the case, Pyongyang would feel it had nothing to lose, and would likely fire whatever nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons it has at any target in its sites. If America did not destroy all of Kim’s nuclear tipped missiles, and North Korea has indeed perfected all of the technological milestones needed to attack a U.S. city, which is possible, Pyongyang would certainly fire any and all remaining missiles towards America. Even just one nuclear detonation on a major U.S. city like Los Angeles could result in over a million casualties. You could easily assume there would be millions more casualties if North Korea successfully launched nuclear attacks on Seoul or Tokyo, with metro populations totaling 60 million…

“I have been in Washington for too long and know how this could all very well play out – indeed, how it most likely would play out. The optics of an above-ground test, a mushroom cloud spreading radioactivity all over the globe being amplified over and over by social media, would very likely be the straw that broke the nuclear camel’s back. A second Korean War would be almost unavoidable… It seems the choice for war or peace in Northeast Asia is in North Korea’s hands. I just hope they realize it.”

There will be wars and rumors of wars, for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Europe Under Threat of North Korea

The Washington Post wrote on November 29:

“North Korea’s recent tests have also put a range of European capitals on the map of Pyongyang’s possible targets… Cities like Paris, London or Berlin are all located much closer to North Korea than Washington D.C…

“So far, North Korea has focused on its archenemy, the United States, even though European politicians have acknowledged that an escalation of the conflict could easily draw Europe into the dispute…

“Yet… Europe’s role in pressuring it into halting its program remained mostly unchanged — and largely rhetorical. As well as condemning the missile tests, European top officials have also lashed out at Trump for threatening Pyongyang… Europe’s reluctance to fully support the U.S. stance toward handling the North Korea dilemma is likely being welcomed by Russia, which similarly condemned the test on Wednesday and indirectly appeared to warn the United States of overreacting…

“The measured response by the Kremlin, which is ironically known in Europe for its often aggressive military operations, and its striking similarity to Western Europe’s approach, likely has a lot to do with the fact that none of their capitals are currently in the sights of North Korea’s missiles. Yet, at the same time, the diplomatic solution they all favor has made little head way so far…”

Due to its policy of duplicity, Europe might very well find itself sitting between two chairs, not knowing where to turn. When the awakening comes, Europe might react with desperation and furor. In this context, the following article by Reuters, dated December 4, is interesting: “Last week, Norbert Roettgen, a member of Merkel’s conservative party and head of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, decried a ‘deplorable’ lack of leadership in educating Germans about the need to invest more in their own defense and security.”

A Decisive Role for  Germany?

Bloomberg wrote on December 3:

“The [German] government believes that it can use its experience of reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to give peace [with North Korea] a chance. The reasoning is both humanitarian, to avert the risk of nuclear brinkmanship, and economic self-preservation, to protect regional trade routes that are vital to its continued status as the world’s third-biggest exporter. An armed conflict ‘would be close to a catastrophe for us economically,’ Volker Stanzel, a former German ambassador to China, said in an interview…

“Relations were not always on ice. Back in 1984, when the Berlin Wall still stood as a bulwark between east and west, North Korea’s Kim Il Sung — the grandfather of Kim Jong Un — visited East Germany, touring a collective farm and reportedly receiving treatment at an East Berlin hospital. East German leader Erich Honecker reciprocated two years later with a trip to North Korea, where Kim Il Sung requested East German help in building a synthetic-fiber plant.

“Then in the spring of 2000, as Berlin was still getting to grips with its rediscovered role as the seat of government for a reunified Germany, a delegation from North Korea came knocking at the door of then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s administration… Almost two decades on, the conflict has sharpened exponentially, though Merkel is taking a similar tack. In September, she suggested that the six-power talks that led to a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear activity could be a model for dealing with the U.S.-North Korean conflict. ‘Europe, and Germany in particular, should be ready to take a very active part’ in any such initiative, Merkel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper…

“North Korea offers another chance for German leaders to show they’re serious about a more active global role, said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to the U.S. who heads the annual Munich Security Conference… Diplomacy may have its limits, however. Sweden and Norway also have established ties to Pyongyang without any noticeable outcome. While Germany’s goodwill is appreciated, any attempts at dialogue with Pyongyang are unlikely to be feasible, since North Korea doesn’t want a mediator or broker to talk to the U.S…

“Volmer, the former deputy foreign minister… says, Merkel is right to suggest stronger engagement on the issue. She shouldn’t ‘just leave it to an unpredictable duel between Trump and Kim Jong Un.’”

Even though any attempts by Germany to bring peace with North Korea through talks would be unsuccessful, it is still interesting that Germany sees itself more and more as a powerful influence on the world scene and the leader of Europe.

Germany vs. USA—“Relations Will Never Be the Same”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“German Foreign Minister [and vice chancellor] Sigmar Gabriel… spoke about strained relations with the United States under the administration of President Donald Trump. ‘The US no longer sees the world as a global community, but as a fighting arena where everyone has to seek their own advantage,’ Gabriel said. The Social Democrat argued that German foreign policy must be more daring, and not simply follow the line from Washington. ‘Germany can no longer simply react to US policy but must establish its own position…even after Trump leaves the White House, relations with the US will never be the same’… Gabriel brushed off criticism that after 72 days without a new government, Berlin could hardly be called upon to take a prominent role in shaping global policy.”

The Hill added on December 6:

“German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said… that the Trump administration looks more and more at Europe as a ‘competitor or economic rival’ instead of as an ally… he also said that Germany needs to be able to ‘define our own position and, if necessary, draw red lines, in partnership, but oriented around our own interests.’”

Germany first?

A Radically Different Europe under a German Grand Coalition?

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“The Social Democrats (SPD) had repeatedly insisted they would not join Merkel’s conservatives in another grand coalition… but on Thursday… SPD delegates cleared the way for party leader Martin Schulz to begin negotiationswith Merkel as soon as next week…

“… the talks are not expected to yield agreement any time soon… And the negotiations could still fail… Schulz on Thursday appeared to widen the gap between himself and Merkel in one critical area, Europe, by proposing a far more integrated club that mirrors another union across the Atlantic. ‘I want a new constitutional treaty to establish the United States of Europe,’ Schulz said. The treaty, he said, would go into effect by 2025. European Union members that don’t accept the new agreement would be forced to leave the bloc…

“French President Emmanuel Macron… has detailed a far-reaching plan to more tightly bind users of the euro currency through a common finance minister and budget…

“Schulz was reelected as SPD leader on Thursday with 82 percent of the vote…”

Deutsche Welle added on December 7:

“The SPD motion said the ‘open-ended’ talks could start as early as next week and would lead to three options: a new grand coalition; the acceptance of a Merkel minority government or, if negotiations fail, new elections.”

President Trump’s Military Expansion Only a Mirage?

Politico wrote on December 3:

“President Donald Trump came into office pledging the largest defense spending spree since the administration of Ronald Reagan — assuring the troops that they would see ‘beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment.’ But that vision remains little more than a mirage, top Pentagon officials, lawmakers and defense industry executives lamented during a gathering this weekend at Reagan’s presidential library…

“During his insurgent presidential campaign, Trump promised to expand the Army from 476,000 active-duty to troops to 540,000. He [stated] that the Navy needs to be much larger, pledging to boost the number of warships from 275 to 350. More missile defense systems, an upgraded nuclear arsenal and hundreds of additional fighter aircraft were also on his wish list…

“But lawmakers and the administration have taken few concrete steps to lock in any sustained increase in defense spending close to the 3 percent to 5 percent a year that Defense Secretary James Mattis says is needed to make the vision a reality…

“Even as the Trump administration requested more military spending for this year, Pentagon officials were managing expectations — telling Congress that the buildup would not kick in until the administration’s upcoming budget for the 2019 fiscal year, which starts next October. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said he hopes Congress will still reach an agreement that lets the administration put at least some of Trump’s pledges into motion… But he acknowledged doubts that Congress can do that, even if it lifts the budget caps.”

This does not look good for the effectiveness of the US military.

The Unpopular Senate Tax Bill

The Associated Press wrote on December 2:

“Republicans muscled the largest tax overhaul in 30 years through the Senate early Saturday, taking a big step toward giving President Donald Trump his first major legislative triumph after months of false starts and frustration on other fronts… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell… shrugged off polls finding scant public enthusiasm for the measure, saying the legislation would prove its worth…

“The measure focuses its tax reductions on businesses and higher-earning individuals [and] gives more modest breaks to others…  Even an official projection of a $1 trillion, 10-year flood of deeper budget deficits couldn’t dissuade GOP senators from rallying behind the bill… Democrats derided the hastily written, scribbles-in-the-margin crafting of the bill in the final hours Friday night…”

The hastily revised 479-page bill was disseminated shortly before the final vote, without giving the senators a real chance to read, let alone absorb the bill. The Republicans are guilty of the same deplorable maneuvering which the Democrats engaged in when adopting Obamacare. Note the next article.

The New Senate Tax Bill—Blessing or Curse?

The Week wrote on December 2:

“In the dead of night, the Republican tax bill passed the Senate on a party-line 51-49 vote, with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the lone dissenting Republican. It will now either have to be reconciled with the already passed House bill, and passed again by both chambers, or simply passed by the House as is and sent on to President Trump. But regardless of the coming parliamentary procedural hurdles, the lessons of Friday’s vote are clear: Some version of this tax bill is going to become law. And that is very bad for America.

“It’s almost wrong to call this legislative monstrosity a tax bill at all. It is more a top-to-bottom restructuring of American society – one which is a sharp attack on several bedrock American values: education, homeownership, and entrepreneurship…

“The biggest single goal of this bill is a huge tax cut for the top 1 percent. The bill slashes taxes on corporations, increases tax benefits for foreign dividends, and cuts taxes for ‘pass-through’ corporations (which will immediately become the new hotness in tax shelter legal chicanery)…

“At every point Republicans relied on lies… They held no hearings… they did not even release the final text until the last possible moment. House Speaker Paul Ryan lied constantly about its contents. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin repeatedly promised an analysis ‘showing’ that the bill would not increase the deficit by turbo-charging growth. This was such a preposterous lie that he didn’t even bother faking the numbers. The secrecy prevented people from examining how it is stuffed full of quiet corporate handouts, only some of which have been discovered – like a big one to General Electric.

“This bill will explode the deficit. And make no mistake, when it does, Republicans… are going to immediately start demanding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – indeed, under congressional rules Medicare is due for a $25 billion cut in 2018 alone…”

If this is true, then Republicans have a lot to answer for, when judged by God.

Ending the Obamacare Mandate—Blessing or Curse?

The Hill wrote on December 2:

“Senate Republicans have approved the repeal of ObamaCare’s individual mandate as part of their tax-cut bill, a major step toward ending an unpopular part of the health-care law… The Senate tax bill must still be reconciled with House legislation that does not include the mandate’s repeal. But that is unlikely to be a major issue, given support in the GOP conference for repealing the mandate.

“It’s unclear what repeal of the mandate will mean for ObamaCare. Many experts and health-care groups warn that repeal will destabilize ObamaCare markets, leading to premium increases or insurers simply dropping out of certain areas…

“Moderate Republicans are now pushing for bipartisan ObamaCare fixes to help stabilize insurance markets, setting up a showdown with conservatives… Repealing the mandate also saves $300 billion over ten years in subsidies that otherwise would have been spent on consumers, according to the Congressional Budget Office, providing savings for the tax cuts. The CBO estimates that 13 million fewer people will have health insurance over the next decade without the mandate, and it projects that premiums will rise 10 percent. But it also projects markets will remain stable in ‘almost all areas of the country.’’

It would be devastating for many if premiums would indeed be raised again… given the abominable increase of premiums by greedy insurance companies, which ALREADY have taken place for 2018.

“Slightly Nervous” Outlook for 2018 Economy

Bloomberg wrote on December 4, 2017:

“As 2017 enters its final month… let’s just say what we see makes us slightly nervous about 2018… Pockets of the bond market… look troublesomely bubble-like… the flattening of the yield curve is worrying some bond investors… With government paper offering… meager returns, money has been flowing into corporate bonds…

“Sales of new corporate debt denominated in euros are also setting records this year…”

What this may mean is that the US economy is a bubble which may burst in 2018, and that the dollar is losing its economic strength, which may all be bad news for the US economy.

Most Destructive Wildfire Season in California’s History

The Huffington Post wrote on December 6:

“It’s been the most destructive wildfire season in California history, and it’s getting worse. Conditions in California are especially ripe for devastating fires at the moment, with tinder-dry undergrowth; strong, volatile winds; and terrain that’s difficult for firefighters to traverse. Those natural catalysts are compounded by the proximity of several current fires to large population centers.

“In just the past three days, multiple fires have started in the hills of Los Angeles and surrounding cities, burning more than 83,400 acres. As of Wednesday morning, most of them were barely contained, if at all.”

By Thursday evening, more than 100,000 acres had been burned in the Los Angeles area. In addition, as fire in San Diego broke out (the “Lilac” fire) which had burned more than 2,500 acres by 4:00pm.

AI’s Murderous Weapons

The Daily Star wrote on December 3:

“Chinese and Russian Artificial Intelligence (AI) are set (to) leave US systems in their dust… an earth shattering report… claimed the US has rapidly fallen behind its rivals… Former deputy SDI, Robert Work, said the Pentagon needed to pour billions into researching advanced computing and robotics, or risk Russia developing murderous AI machines. Moscow hardman Vladimir Putin believes the country will develop the best AI and become ‘the ruler of the world’. [The] Russian military [is] building drones, robots and cruise missiles that could make deadly decisions without the need of humans.

“The advancement has panicked US billionaire Eric Schmidt who said China was also gaining on the US and could overtake Washington in five years. [He said:] ‘Let’s talk about immigration. Shockingly, some of the very best people in AI are in countries that we won’t let into America… Iran produces some of the top computer scientists in the world. I want [them] here. I want them working for Alphabet and Google. It’s crazy not to let these people in.’”

These events are indeed ironic and at the same time devastating for the USA. We should also take note of the development of robots, drones and missiles, which could make DECISIONS without human input.

USA Withdraws from UN Global Compact on Immigration

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 3:

“The United States has announced it is withdrawing from the Global Compact on Migration. The non-binding UN migration pact was meant to boost international cooperation on migration issues… In September 2016, all 193 UN member states of the General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The non-binding declaration includes a set of pledges to protect migrants, foster migrant integration, develop guidelines on the treatment of vulnerable migrants and strengthen global governance of migration, among other issues.

“‘The New York Declaration contains numerous provisions that are inconsistent with US immigration and refugee policies and the Trump Administration’s immigration principles. As a result, President Trump determined that the United States would end its participation in the Compact process that aims to reach international consensus at the UN in 2018,’ the US statement said…

“The Trump administration has withdrawn from several international commitments made under the Obama administration, including the Paris climate accord and Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. In October, the United States said it will withdraw from UNESCO, citing what it called the UN culture and education body’s ‘anti-Israel bias.’”

The USA is becoming an exclusive country, and its voice is becoming irrelevant and undesired on the world scene.

US Supreme Court Upholds Muslim Travel Ban

The Washington Post wrote on December 5:

“The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Trump’s request to fully enforce his revised order banning travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries while legal challenges to it proceed in lower courts. It was a victory for the White House, which has seen the courts trim back various iterations of the travel ban, and it bodes well for the administration if the Supreme Court is called upon to finally decide the merits of the president’s actions.

“Two lower courts had imposed restrictions on Trump’s new order, exempting travelers from the six countries who had ‘bona fide’ connections with relatives — such as grandparents, aunts or uncles — or institutions in the United States. Those exemptions to the president’s order, issued in the fall, were along the lines of those imposed by the Supreme Court last summer on a previous version of the travel ban.

“But in an unsigned opinion Monday that did not disclose the court’s reasoning, the justices lifted the injunctions, which had been issued by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland… The latest iteration of the travel ban, the third Trump has issued, bars various people from eight countries: Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. Six of the countries have Muslim-majority populations.”

This means, the Supreme Court “overruled” without any explanation its prior ruling and struck exemptions for travelers from the six countries who have “bona fide” connections with relatives — such as grandparents, aunts or uncles — or institutions in the United States.

German Pilots Refuse to Carry Out Deportations; Appeals against Deportations Are Skyrocketing

Deutsche Welle reported on December 4:

“… the [German] government said that 222 planned flights were stopped by pilots who wanted no part in the controversial return of refugees to Afghanistan, which has been deemed a ‘safe country of origin’ in some cases, despite ongoing violence and repression in parts of the country.

“Some 85 of the refusals between January and September 2017 came from Germany’s main airline Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings. About 40 took place at Dusseldorf airport… The majority of the canceled flights, around 140, took place at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest and most important hub…

“Germany remains the main destination for refugees and migrants to the European Union — so much so that in 2017, Germany processed more asylum applications than all 27 other EU countries combined… the number of asylum seekers appealing their decisions has increased significantly… Nearly every second ruling made by the BAMF (the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) in the first half of the year was brought before a judge… the courts side with about one in every four asylum seekers who appeal their status. According to public broadcaster NDR, these suits have cost Berlin about €19 million ($22.5 million) from January to November 2017, an increase of €7.8 million from the previous year.

“In order to reduce the number of appeals and speed up deportations, the government has proposed a program to begin in February 2018 that would see rejected asylum seekers given 3,000 euros as an incentive to accept deportation.”

These highly unpopular developments are bound to give support to right-wing anti-immigration movements and parties in Germany, such as the AfD.

“Gay Marriage in Austria Approved by Constitutional Court”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“Austria’s top court has ruled that current laws are discriminatory and must be lifted by 2019. Same-sex couples have so far only been afforded ‘registered partnerships’… the court ruled that ‘the distinction between marriage and registered partnership … cannot be upheld at this day and age without discriminating against same-sex couples. The resulting discriminatory effect is seen in the fact that through the different title of the family status, people living in same-sex partnerships have to disclose their sexual orientation even in situations in which it is not, and must not be, relevant and … are highly likely to be discriminated against,’ the court said in its ruling…

“The ruling will remove the words ‘two people of different sex’ from the law on marriage… Austria has lagged behind several of its Western European neighbors in approving same-sex marriage. Even Germany surprisingly took the step in the run-up to last year’s general election, although critics said Chancellor Angela Merkel was primarily looking to neutralize a probable opposition talking point.”

Outrageous Decision in France

The Independent wrote on December 5:

“France has ordered a halal supermarket in Paris to close because it does not sell pork or wine. The Good Price mini-market in Colombes did not comply with the conditions of its lease, which stated the shop must act as a ‘general food store,’ the Court of Nanterre ruled.

“The local authority argued members of the local community were not being served properly because the shop did not sell pork or alcohol products. A bailiff’s report said the store almost exclusively stocked halal products.”

Spain vs. Catalonia

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“A Spanish judge withdrew a European arrest warrant for Catalonia’s exiled pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers on Tuesday. Supreme Court magistrate Pablo Llarena said that the individual warrants were no longer valid as the alleged crimes were committed as a group and that the politicians under investigation had illustrated their ‘intention to return to Spain’ in order to run for upcoming elections in Catalonia. The judge kept a Spanish arrest warrant in place however, which means the Catalan leader would be detained immediately upon arrival in Spain…

“Puigdemont fled to Belgium after declaring his region independent from Spain in a referendum that saw voters in Catalonia vote overwhelmingly to secede from Madrid’s control – although the ballot was not sanctioned by Madrid and less than half of the electorate turned out to vote. The court’s decision came as campaigning began for Catalonia’s regional elections on December 21, called by Madrid after it dissolved Barcelona’s parliament over the ‘rebellion’ of its leaders… Along with Puigdemont and his ministers in Brussels, all eight are under investigation for rebellion, which can carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.”

Jews Wrote Some of the Most Popular Christmas Songs

The Star, republished by JTA, wrote on November 30:

“It’s hard to think of words or music that conjure up the Christmas season more quickly than the opening of ‘The Christmas Song.’ The images evoke a classic, timeless Christmas… And though the song has become a worldwide symbol of Christmas, like nearly all the modern songs that now define this fundamentally Christian holiday it was written by Jews… Those songs include: ‘Do You Hear What I Hear,’ ‘Silver Bells,’ ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Holly Jolly Christmas,’ ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,’ ‘Winter Wonderland,’ ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,’ ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!’…

“… Between 1881 and 1914 more than two million Jews left Russia, with America the prime destination. No single city was affected more by the influx of Jews than New York, where the Jewish population grew from approximately 80,000 in 1870 to 1.4 million in 1915, or almost 28 per cent of the city’s population… Forbidden from nearly all professions and restricted from pursuing higher education, a surprisingly large number found their way into the world of popular music…

“The overwhelming impulse among the children of Jewish immigrants was to assimilate, and the first step in becoming ‘American’ nearly always involved changing their names… Most not only left their names behind, but all traces of their Jewishness as well.

“… as the holiday season approaches, it is important to remember that they came from the children of Jewish immigrants, desperate to leave their pasts behind and join mainstream America. And today, at this polarizing moment in our history, when the place of immigrants in our society is under intense scrutiny, it might be valuable to remember that these songs of immigrants, songs that came out of America’s melting pot, have become the voice of the world’s Christmas.”

It is indeed paradoxical that President Trump’s fight against immigrants is accompanied with his desire to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas.” What is also remarkable is the tendency of many Jewish immigrants (who fled Russian persecution) to ignore their unpleasant past and leave their roots behind; only to have to deal with American persecution, while still being able to assimilate with mainstream views. Sadly, the embrace of the pagan Christmas season was the wrong kind of reaction.

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.