Japan’s Shinzo Abe Assassinated

JTA wrote on July 8:

“Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan who boosted relations with Israel as part of his effort to increase his country’s global influence, was assassinated at a campaign rally on Friday. Abe, 67, who led Japan from 2012 to 2020 after a short stint in 2006-2007, was speaking at a rally in Nara when he was shot multiple times from behind…

“Abe was a staunch nationalist who sought to dramatically change Japan’s pacifist postwar character, increasing military spending and becoming more engaged with several world powers… Increased diplomacy with Israel was a prime example of Japan’s foreign policy shift during Abe’s consequential second tenure as prime minister… ‘I am determined, together with Prime Minister Netanyahu, to make further efforts to strengthen Japan-Israel relations, so that the potentials are fully materialized,’ Abe said [in 2014].”

The Sun wrote on July 8:

“Abe died after being brutally gunned down in a bloody assassination – with the lone gunman armed with a homemade weapon…. Tetsuya [the gunman who was captured and confessed to the crime], who formerly served in Japan’s navy, lives locally and cops have since discovered a possible explosive device in his home. Japan is regarded as one of the world’s safest countries and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere…. It was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the days of prewar militarism in the 1930s… Doctors said Abe had bled to death, suffered deep wounds to his neck, and one of the bullets entered his heart.”

Unbelievably, Biden, when mourning the assassination of Abe, used the occasion to speak out against gun violence. Apart from being utterly insensitive, it made no sense at all. Despite some media reports to the contrary, Abe and Trump shared an ongoing friendship as well.

Breitbart reported on July 8:

“Former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly honored ex-Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday morning, saluting their long friendship in the hours leading up to the late leader’s death… ‘Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot…’ Trump said in a statement. ‘He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much…’

“Trump and Abe met several times while both men were in office and kept up the key alliance between Japan and the U.S. in the face of increasing regional activity by China… In August 2020,Trump called Abe the greatest prime minister in Japanese history during a call between the two leaders, days after the Japanese premier said he was stepping down for health reasons.

“The two men spoke at length, and Trump told Abe he had done a ‘fantastic job’ and that the relationship between their two countries was stronger than it has ever been… The end result was stability for both nations and the preservation of a bilateral relationship that remains to this day.”

However, this close relationship between Japan and the USA may not continue.

Biden Pushed to Sign Executive Order on Abortion

The left publication Salon News wrote on July 8:

“Facing mounting backlash from progressive lawmakers and activists over his tepid response to the Supreme Court’s (decision overturning Roe v Wade), President Joe Biden on Friday plans to sign a limited executive order aimed at bolstering access to abortion for people living in GOP-led states that have rushed to ban the procedure…

“The order, as summarized by the White House, also expresses the Biden administration’s commitment to shielding the right of pregnant people to ‘travel safely to another state to seek the care they need’ as Republican lawmakers look to bar residents from crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.

“Biden’s unilateral action comes as members of his own party and advocacy organizations are vocally criticizing the administration for failing to respond with sufficient urgency to the… [decision of the] Supreme Court… ‘What the president and the Democratic Party needs to come to terms with is that this is not just a crisis of Roe, this is a crisis of our democracy,’ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a recent interview. ‘This is a crisis of legitimacy, and President Biden must address that.’ The White House’s outline indicates that the president is not going to utilize federal property to open abortion clinics in Republican-led states, a step that Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have urged him to take.

“Warren and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., have also suggested that ‘federal agencies could explore opportunities to provide vouchers for travel, child care services, and other forms of support for individuals seeking to access abortion care that is unavailable in their home state.’

“While Biden’s order is expected to make clear that paid sick leave is available to federal workers who need to travel to obtain reproductive care, the executive action appears to be limited to government employees.”

We only quoted the substance of the article and omitted the disturbing polemic of this left-wing publication. It shows the widening rift inside the Democratic Party between more liberal moderates and extreme leftists.

Life Site wrote on July 8:

“‘Long gone is the Democratic Party of ‘safe, legal, and rare,’” declared a statement issued by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America… President Marjorie Dannenfelser. ‘President Biden has once again caved to the extreme abortion lobby… Democrats will stop at nothing to promote their agenda of abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth… including dangerous mail-order abortion drugs…’”

The Strange Case of the Alleged Rape of a 10-Year-Old Girl

Breitbart wrote on July 13:

“An illegal alien is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl whose story was cited by President Joe Biden after she traveled from Ohio to Indiana to seek an abortion… The rape swept international headlines after Biden repeated the story twice during speeches at the White House. Biden cited the case as evidence that girls and women would have to travel out of red states to seek abortions following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last month… Despite Biden’s claims, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost noted that although Ohio has hugely limited abortion across the state, its law allows for medical emergencies which include cases like the 10-year-old girl who was raped. ‘She did not have to leave Ohio to find treatment,’ Yost said.”

Newsmax added on July 13 that the 27-year-old man “confessed” to the rape and has been charged with first-degree felony rape, continuing:

“The child’s case first made headlines when Dr. Caitlin Bernard — an Indiana-based physician who provides abortion services — referenced, through the media, the harrowing story of a pre-teen girl crossing state lines from Ohio to Indiana, solely to get an abortion. And once President Biden acknowledged the story, a public backlash developed on two fronts — against the person who allegedly committed the crime, and whether Indiana authorities had properly reported the statutory rape.”

In spite of the reports, serious questions regarding this entire story remain.

Before the story broke regarding the alleged arrest of the accused rapist, the New York Post published on July 12 the following opinion piece by attorney and Professor Jonathan Turley:

“What is even stranger than the utter lack of confirmation of the story is the utter lack of interest in confirming it — or in the welfare of the child herself… some of us noted that the Ohio law actually does not prohibit abortions after six weeks but after ‘fetal heartbeat has been detected.’ Being three days over the six-week line is not a bar on abortion. More importantly, it also has the exceptions for cases like this one. In fact, Ohio says abortions are allowed ‘to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman,’ which would certainly be the case for a 10-year-old…

“There have been a number of false or inaccurate claims made about abortion law and the Dobbs decision, including false claims that women can be prevented from traveling for medical care or that ectopic pregnancy treatments are now barred as abortion in some states. These false accounts can be a dangerous form of disinformation if women believe that they cannot receive treatment for legal procedures… Whether this is a case of criminal victimization or political exploitation, we should all be motivated to find out the truth.”

Biden—the New Dictator?

On July 8, The New York Post published the following opinion:

“President Biden never promised to ‘make America constitutional again.’ Though he took office preaching the need for ‘unity,’ he increasingly rules like an elective dictator, relying on executive orders instead of working with Congress for legislative solutions. But leftists supporters are furious that Biden has not seized far more power to inflict their values on the rest of America… Leftists are angry that Biden did not issue a decree making abortion legal…

“… law professor Jonathan Turley observed, ‘President Biden has arguably the worst record of losses in [federal court] the first two years of any recent presidential administration.’

“On his first day in office, Biden issued an executive order compelling people to wear face masks any time they were on federal property… Last September, Biden decreed that every American working for a company with more than a hundred employees must get a COVID vaccine injection. The Supreme Court obliterated that mandate in January, ruling that there was no basis in federal law for his decree.

“Last November, the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s attempt to perpetuate a national moratorium on evictions of renters. Six Justices scoffed that the administration’s legal defense relied ‘on a decades-old statute that authorizes . . . measures like fumigation and pest extermination.’ In April, federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the Biden administration’s mask mandate for air travel, ruling that agencies were not permitted to ‘act unlawfully’…

“Despite being told again and again that he can’t just make law, leftists still insist Biden act unilaterally on abortion, guns and the environment. Ironically, despite four years nonstop howling about the peril from President Trump, many leftists understand nothing about the danger of absolute power.”

They sure don’t, and that is VERY dangerous, as it paves the way for tyranny and a dictatorship. Canada, under leftist Trudeau, is perhaps one of the best examples for this development.

Biden, Johnson and Macron… Out of Touch With Reality

The New York Post wrote on July 10:

“This is an Age of Rage, and it is only beginning… Boris Johnson… is a bust. The prime minister who made Brexit happen was knifed by his own Conservative Party. It’s a death by a thousand cuts, most of them self-inflicted….  In the big picture, public rage — the force that brought down Boris Johnson — has also paralyzed the presidency of Emmanuel Macron…  and given Joe Biden the worst popularity ratings since polling began. And the tidal wave of anger is still growing…

“Johnson’s colleagues made a pre-emptive strike before Britain’s voters turned on the party as a whole. The French public had no choice but to return Macron to the presidency in April’s elections: He was the least-worst alternative to the ex-fascist Marine Le Pen and the neo-communist Jean-Luc Mélenchon… Macron, a little man with Napoleonic plans, is now struggling to build a coalition.

“The American public have another two years of Joe Biden’s masterful leadership to look forward to. But the voters will get the chance to register their disgust in the midterms. They are… sure to massacre the Dems in November…

“Leftists are pleased that the original bad boys of populism are out — first Donald Trump, then Benjamin Netanyahu, now Boris — but there is no normal to return to. The voters trusted their leaders when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out — and their leaders panicked. Elected politicians outsourced the biggest challenge since World War II to the control freaks at the CDC while leaving it to corporate chemists to actually come up with the vaccines.  And the Biden administration still won’t tell us where it thinks COVID-19 came from.

“Emmanuel Macron’s restrictions on movement would have brought a gleam to the eye of a Vichy colonel: Not since the days of Marshal Pétain had the French needed an official pass to go beyond the end of the street. At least Macron played the role of dictator with unerring conviction.

“Boris Johnson imposed three merciless lockdowns, then broke his own COVID rules. Joe Biden ordered the cruel and pointless masking of children, then ambled about maskless in front of the cameras.

“The leaders of the Western democracies proved they neither understood nor cared about the suffering of their peoples…

“The post-COVID economy is a disaster. We have an unnecessary energy crisis, and the credibility of democracy itself is tumbling into an income gap that keeps getting wider. The trust between rulers and ruled has been broken.

“The worst of it is, no one forced our leaders to opt for lockdowns, mask mandates, infant vaccinations, mad money printing and green boondoggles. This was the experts’ ill-informed idea of good government.

‘Johnson and Biden both turned left after winning office, imposing expensive and unworkable green energy policies, and raising taxes even as they promised to revive their economies. Biden, with his usual integrity, will blame Vladimir Putin  or white supremacy when the Democrats lose both House and Senate in the midterms…

“We are ruled by halfwits and hypocrites without conviction or competence…”

Sadly, this is SO very true.  

Biden a “Great Zionist” and True Friend of Israel?

 The Algemeiner wrote on July 13:

“As US President Joe Biden kicked off his Middle East trip in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Israeli leaders hailed the regional visit as a ‘journey of peace’ and called for global cooperation to arrest Iran’s nuclear program… Prime Minister Yair Lapid remarked at the greeting ceremony… that Biden once called himself a Zionist, saying that ‘you don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.’ ‘You were right, and in your case: a great Zionist and one of the best friends Israel has ever known,’ the Israeli premier added.

“Biden reaffirmed that stance in his own remarks, calling the connection between the Israeli and American peoples ‘bone deep.’ ‘With this trip we have reaffirmed the unshakable commitment by the United States to Israel’s security, including partnering with Israel on the most cutting-edge defense systems in the world,’ Biden said.”

Biden, who was greeted at his arrival as “brother Joseph,” also said in an interview which was recorded before his trip but shown on Israeli TV after his arrival that he would use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. But words are cheap. It will remain to be seen what the USA will do in case of a serious crisis.

Agreement Between the USA and Israel Regarding Iran?

JTA wrote on July 14:

“After releasing a joint statement that demonstrates unity on the need to counter the Iranian nuclear threat, U.S. president Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid gave statements that demonstrate radical differences in their approach to doing so. The document released on Thursday, the second day of Biden’s visit to Israel, is a 1,500-word statement titled ‘The Jerusalem Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership.’ It states that the United States is committed ‘never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon’ and is ‘prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome.’

“But after the leaders’ meeting Thursday, Biden and Lapid gave a joint press conference in which Biden said that working to prevent a nuclear Iran, ‘I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome.’

“Lapid struck a different note… ‘Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force.’”

Deutsche Welle added on July 14:

“‘We will make sure Israel will be able to defend itself by itself,’ Biden said during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.”

G.O.P. Voters Ready to Leave Trump Behind?

DNYUZ reported on July 12:

“As Donald J. Trump  weighs whether to open an unusually early White House campaign, a New York Times/Siena College poll shows that his post-presidential quest to consolidate his support within the Republican Party has instead left him weakened, with nearly half the party’s primary voters seeking someone different for president in 2024 and a significant number vowing to abandon him if he wins the nomination…. A clear majority of primary voters under 35 years old, 64 percent, as well as 65 percent of those with at least a college degree — a leading indicator of political preferences inside the donor class — told pollsters they would vote against Mr. Trump in a presidential primary…

“Overall, Mr. Trump maintains his primacy in the party: In a hypothetical matchup against five other potential Republican presidential rivals, 49 percent of primary voters said they would support him for a third nomination. The greatest threat to usurp Mr. Trump within the party is Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who was the second choice with 25 percent and the only other contender with double-digit support. Among primary voters, Mr. DeSantis was the top choice of younger Republicans, those with a college degree and those who said they voted for President Biden in 2020…

“Should Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump face off in a primary, the poll suggested that support from Fox News could prove crucial: Mr. Trump held a 62 percent to 26 percent advantage over Mr. DeSantis among Fox News viewers, while the gap between the two Floridians was 16 points closer among Republicans who mainly receive their news from another source…”

The Radical Government of Michigan

Life Site News wrote on July 8:

“Michigan’s radically pro-abortion Democratic governor on Wednesday reaffirmed her commitment to defending legal abortion in her state, characterizing the ability to kill unborn babies as ‘a great part of [Michigan’s] legacy.’

“Whitmer, who imposed some of the harshest COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in the United States during the coronavirus epidemic, said that abortion falls under the state’s commitment to ‘civil rights,’ ‘bodily autonomy,’ and the ability of residents to create a ‘great quality of life.’”

What happened to civil rights and quality of life in Michigan when terrible and unconstitutional lockdowns and restrictions were imposed on the citizens during the pandemic crisis?

Vatican Joins Paris Agreement … What’s Really Behind It

Life Site wrote on July 8:

“The Vatican announced today that it has formally joined the Paris Climate Agreement… The Vatican claims that in joining the Paris Agreement it is expressing its solidarity with the poor and future generations as those most affected by ‘climate change.’…   however, it has long been noted by pro-life advocates, that the 2015 Agreement includes an underlying agenda to push abortion, contraception [that are, or can be, abortifacient], and sterilization as necessary means of controlling the population and minimizing human consumption and use of the earth’s resources…

“Many see the Vatican’s accession to the Paris Climate Agreement today as yet one more step along what Voice of the Family called ‘the steady reversal of the Holy See’s former vigilance on this issue [of abortion] and the increasing incidence of the Vatican and international anti-life and anti-family forces working together, despite the Holy Father’s public condemnations of abortion.’”

The article also pointed out:

“Today’s announcement comes only one day after the European Union adopted a resolution… in which the E.U. defends abortion as a ‘fundamental human right’ and ‘calls on the governments of those [US] states which have passed laws and other measures concerning bans and restrictions on abortion to repeal them and to ensure that their legislation is in line with internationally protected women’s human rights.’”

The collaboration between the EU and the Vatican is obvious.

Pope Francis and Retirement

The Associated Press wrote on July 12:

“Pope Francis said he would not live in the Vatican or return to his native Argentina if and when he ever retires, but would instead like to find a church in Rome where he could continue hearing confessions. ‘I’m the bishop of Rome, in this case the emeritus bishop of Rome,’ Francis said in an interview… Francis, 85, denied he was planning to retire any time soon but repeated that ‘the door is open’ after Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 became the first pope in 600 years to step down…

“Some cardinals and canon lawyers have long questioned Benedict’s decisions in retirement, including his continuing to wear the white cassock of the papacy and keeping his papal name, Benedict, rather than reverting back to his birth name, Joseph Ratzinger. They say those choices and Benedict’s continued presence in the Vatican created confusion among the faithful and enabled Francis’ traditionalist critics to use Benedict as a conservative point of reference, threatening the unity of the Catholic Church.”

Germany’s Fear of Disaster

Deutsche Welle reported on July 10:

“Canada has announced it will return to Germany a repaired turbine of the Russian Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which is a core source of the gas supply to Germany. It comes as the pipeline prepares to undergo maintenance from July 11 to 21. Although the maintenance is nominally routine, the tension with Russia and the sanctions status in allied countries like Canada had prompted German leaders to consider the possibility of a longer shutdown.

“The repairs come amid Canadian sanctions against Russia extending ‘to land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery.’ Ukraine had urged Canada not to return the repaired part, saying it would undermine sanctions against Russia [and] it would be ‘setting a dangerous precedent that will lead to the weakening of the sanctions regime imposed on Russia.’ [Ukraine] stressed the turbine must be returned to Ukraine rather than Germany. The country argued that Germany could rely instead on Ukrainian pipelines to transport a sufficient amount of gas…

“Fears are growing in Germany regarding a difficult winter, should Russia maintain its reduced gas supply. Peter Adrian, the president of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), warned that the crisis could take its toll not only on citizens in need of heating their homes, but also on companies and Germany’s economy at large. Adrian told the dpa news agency that this could trigger a serious recession, predicting a decline in economic output of up to 10%. ‘The clock is ticking and, as businesses, we have to think about the worst case scenario,’ Adrian said, warning of ‘disaster’ should Russia fail to turn the gas supply back on after the conclusion of the pipeline’s maintenance on July 21.”

Frictions between Germany and Ukraine are increasing as well. On Monday, Canada’s ambassador to Kyiv was summoned over the decision that Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called “unacceptable.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 13:

“Russian energy company Gazprom appeared to cast doubt Wednesday on the prospects of quickly restoring the flow of natural gas to full capacity through a major pipeline to Western Europe. Gazprom reduced the gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1 to Germany by 60% last month. The state-owned gas company cited technical problems involving a piece of equipment that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The Canadian government said over the weekend that it would allow the gas turbine that powers a compressor station to be delivered to Germany, citing the ‘very significant hardship’ that the German economy would suffer without a sufficient gas supply to keep industries running and generate electricity. Gazprom tweeted Wednesday that it ‘does not possess any documents that would enable Siemens to get the gas turbine engine … out of Canada.’ It added that ‘in these circumstances, it appears impossible to reach an objective conclusion on further developments regarding the safe operation’ of a compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline, which it said is ‘of critical importance.’…

“Nord Stream 1 runs under the Baltic Sea and is Germany’s main source of Russian gas, which recently has accounted for about 35% of the country’s total gas supply… German politicians have dismissed Russia’s technical explanation for last month’s reduction in gas flowing through Nord Stream 1, saying the decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and further push up energy prices… German officials are concerned that Russia may not resume gas deliveries at all, pointing to a possibility that it might cite another technical detail as a reason to keep the gas turned off.”

Russia stated that it is not certain that gas deliveries will resume on or about July 21, as this may also depend on Europe’s conduct regarding their sanctions against Russia. 

Italian Government Near Collapsing–Again?

 Reuters reported on July 14:

“Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s coalition government risked collapse on Thursday after the 5-Star Movement, one of its members, failed to support a parliamentary confidence vote including measures to offset the cost of living crisis. Straight after the vote, Draghi headed to the Quirinale Palace in Rome to meet President Sergio Mattarella, the supreme arbiter in Italian politics, and the two men held talks for almost an hour….

“The confidence vote had become a focal point for tensions within Draghi’s broad coalition as its parties prepare to fight each other in a national election due by early 2023….The 5-Star decision to boycott the vote plunged Italy into political uncertainty and risked undermining efforts to secure billions of euros in European Union funds, tackle a damaging drought and reduce its reliance on Russian gas.

“It could lead to national elections as early as September or October after other coalition parties said there should be a vote if 5-Star no longer backed the government…. Draghi, Italy’s sixth prime minister in the past decade, had been seen as providing reassurance that Italy would respect any conditions attached to the new mechanism but his departure would create fresh uncertainty.”

After World War II, Italy’s governments have been one of the most unstable in Europe. After the fall of Israel’s coalition, we might also see a collapse of the unstable coalition in Germany very soon. 

Alarm Over Ukraine Weapons Smuggling

UK Today News reported on July 12:

“Nato and EU states are pushing for better tracking of weapons they have supplied to Ukraine in response to fears that criminal groups are smuggling them back out of the country and on to Europe’s black market. Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, western states have pledged more than $10bn in military support, from portable rocket launchers and armoured vehicles to rifles and vast amounts of ammunition… ‘All these weapons land in southern Poland, get shipped to the border and then are just divided up into vehicles to cross: trucks, vans, sometimes private cars,’ said one of the western officials. ‘And from that moment we go blank on their location and we have no idea where they go, where they are used or even if they stay in the country.’…

“Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, said in April that its investigations indicated that weapons trafficking from Ukraine into the bloc to supply organised crime groups had begun and was a potential threat to EU security… ‘Initially, Ukrainian officials maintained registers of firearms handed out to civilians, but this practice was abandoned as the war progressed and firearms have been distributed without records since then,’ it said…”

This was so predictable, and it will not help the development or maintenance of any “friendship” between Ukraine and Europe.

Part of Bosnia and Serbia to Join Russia?

Newsweek wrote on July 9, 2022

“… secessionist threats by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik is a ‘dream come true’ for Russian President Vladimir Putin… who promised… that ‘we are not leaving our friends.’… Dodik said in June… that Serbia would ‘wait for the appropriate global circumstances’ to achieve its plan of seceding from Bosnia. This also comes amid fears of instability in the Western Balkans, potentially fueled by the Russian war in Ukraine, which prompted Germany to plan to deploy troops with the European Union’s peacekeeping mission in Bosnia…

“Dodik [is] a Putin supporter who serves as the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency… Dodik’s goal to break apart half of Bosnia and unite it with neighboring Serbia has led the United States and the United Kingdom to impose sanctions against him earlier this year over attempts to fuel conflict and destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Bosnia has already gone through a war from 1992-1995 that left over 100,000 people dead before a deal, known as the Dayton Accords, was reached to end the conflict. The agreement created Bosnian Serb and Bosniak-Croat bodies who were connected by joint Bosnian institutions and a tripartite presidency…

“Dodik and Putin have similar goals when it comes to Bosnia which includes strengthening Serbian-Russian alliance as they both want to block Bosnia from seeking an EU and NATO membership…”

Ukrainians to Become “Russians”

Reuters wrote on July 11:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday extending a simplified Russian naturalisation process to all citizens of Ukraine, a document published on the government’s website showed.

“Previously, a simplified procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship applied only to residents of the self-proclaimed breakaway territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine, which Russia seeks to ‘liberate’ from Kyiv’s control, as well as the Russian-occupied regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the state news agency TASS reported.”

Putin to Meet with Iran’s and Turkey’s Leaders

The Associated Press reported on July 12:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Iran next week… a day after the U.S. warned that Tehran could provide Moscow with drones for its action in Ukraine…. The White House said Monday that it believes that Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with ‘hundreds’ of drones, including those capable of carrying weapons, for use in Ukraine…

“During a trip to Tehran next Tuesday, Putin will attend a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Iran and Turkey, the so-called Astana format of meetings for Syria-related talks… Putin’s visit to Iran will follow U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week, where Iran’s nuclear program and malign activities in the region will be a key subject of discussion…. Putin will also have a separate meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

The claim by the White House that Iran is to send drones to Russia has been highly disputed as being inaccurate in some of the conservative media, such as the Ron Paul Institute and Breitbart which referred to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as “one of the key perpetrators of the ‘Russia collusion’ hoax in 2016 and 2017.”

Turkey vs. Greece … and the USA

Greek Reporter wrote on July 10:

“Far-right nationalist Turkish politician and Erdogan ally Devlet Bahçeli released a map that indicates that the Greek islands in the Aegean and even Crete belong to Turkey. Bahçeli is one of the founders of The Grey Wolves, a nationalist, Islamist, and fascist group that is considered a terrorist organization across much of the world. Throughout the 1970s, the Grey Wolves conducted guerilla attacks against minorities, artists, and leftists in Turkey…

“In June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned Greece to demilitarize its islands in the Aegean, saying he was ‘not joking.’ He spoke during Turkish military exercises near the islands… The Turkish leader also claimed that the US bases in Greece may be targeting his country instead of Russia. ‘There are nine US bases right now. They were established in Greece. Against whom were they established? The answer they give is ‘against Russia.’ We don’t buy it, take no offense,’ Erdogan said during a joint press conference with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.”

No More Speeding?

The Drive wrote on July 6:

“The European Union officially adopted a mandate Wednesday requiring all new vehicles sold in the EU to include technology that could prevent drivers from speeding when activated…

“ISA regulations say that if a vehicle speeds on any road, the system—when activated—must warn the driver or even automatically slow down the vehicle until it reaches the posted speed limit… As of July 2024, all new vehicles sold in the EU must be equipped with ISA.”

Will then many police officers be out of a job?

Dollar Nearly Equal to Euro—Helping or Hurting?

Fortune wrote on July 7:

“The U.S. dollar has been surging so much that it’s nearly equal in value to the euro for the first time in 20 years. [The exchange course has been between 1.02 Dollars and 1.00 to the Euro, for several days now.] That trend, though, threatens to hurt American companies because their goods become more expensive for foreign buyers. If U.S. exports were to weaken as a result, so, too, would the already-slowing U.S. economy…

“Yet there’s a positive side for Americans… A strengthened dollar… delivers bargains to American tourists sightseeing in Europe, from Amsterdam to Athens…

“In the meantime, the dollar’s rise is complicating an already uncertain outlook for the United States, the world’s biggest economy…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 12:

“The euro has taken a major beating against its US peer since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, falling to its lowest level in 20 years… The general worsening of the eurozone’s outlook amid soaring gas prices and fears of Russia cutting off natural gas supplies is dragging down the shared currency. The oversized reliance of major economies such as Germany and Italy on Russian gas has left investors unnerved, with economists forecasting a much quicker and more painful recession in the euro area than in the US… Bets that the euro would continue its fall below parity have increased in recent days…”

It won’t be the world’s strongest economy for long, if that assessment is even true…

Express wrote on July 13:

“THE EURO is facing a huge crisis after the single currency plummeted below the value of the US dollar for the first time in nearly 20 years – further deepening Eurozone recession fears. The bloc’s currency plunged to $0.9998 against the greenback, breaking below the $1 level for the first time since December 2002, before the euro back up to $1.0023. It has already sunk by nearly 12 percent this year, deepening fears the Eurozone could be plunged into a disastrous recession. The situation was worsened on Wednesday when it was revealed US consumer price inflation had soared to 9.1 percent – the highest in more than 40 years.

“The euro only briefly brushed parity against the US dollar this morning, but it was enough to send shockwaves through Europe’s biggest stock market indexes…”

Next Recession Worse Than 2008

Newsmax wrote on July 8:

“Next Recession Is Coming, Likely Worse Than 2008…

“The United States has experienced at least 34 recessions since 1857, occurring every 10-15 years on average, with the last one taking place in 2008 – and that means Americans are due for another one very soon. And we’re likely going to get it.”

Many feel that the USA is already in a recession, which indeed will get worse.

Musk Ends Deal With Twitter

Reuters wrote on July 8:

“Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla and the world’s richest person, said on Friday he was terminating his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter because the social media company had breached multiple provisions of the merger agreement… In a filing, Musk’s lawyers said Twitter had failed or refused to respond to multiple requests for information on fake or spam accounts on the platform, which is fundamental to the company’s business performance…. Musk’s abandonment of the deal and Twitter’s promise to vigorously fight to complete it casts a pall of uncertainty over the company’s future and its stock price during a time when worries about rising interest rates and a potential recession have hammered Wall Street.”

CNBC added:

“Musk is apparently paying attention to the stock price, too, according to the letter, ‘and is considering whether the company’s declining business prospects and financial outlook constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect giving Mr. Musk a separate and distinct basis for terminating the Merger Agreement.’”

We may recall that Twitter blocked many posts which were not in accordance with their left-wing agenda.

Another Nail in the Coffin of Evolution

Study Finds wrote on July 9:

“Charles Darwin’s natural selection theory is being put to the test. Darwin’s theory expounded that organisms which can better adapt to their environment are more likely to survive and produce more offspring. However, a new study by British researchers reveals natural selection may be making society more unequal… natural selection is favoring poorer people with little education…[natural selection] is pushing against genes associated with highly educated individuals, people who have more lifetime earnings, those who have a low risk of… major depressive disorders, and those with a lower risk of coronary artery disease.

“‘Darwin’s theory of evolution stated that all species develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual’s ability to compete, survive, and reproduce,’ says lead researcher David Hugh-Jones, a professor from UEA’s School of Economics…”

The study showed the exact opposite of what Darwin postulated. But the theory of natural selection or the survival of the fittest is one of the chief cornerstones of the theory of evolution. Without it, the theory collapses for that reason alone.

Noah’s Ark Rebuilt

Fox News wrote on July 10:

“The Ark Encounter park [in Kentucky] is a full-size representation of Noah’s Ark, based on the Genesis flood narrative in the Bible. The structure is roughly 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high…

“The Ark Encounter features the most authentic full-size replica of Noah’s Ark in the world…  It was built according to the dimensions given in the Bible — and has three decks of teaching exhibits.”

What will Bible-denying “scientists” say when the REAL Ark is found?

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.

Armageddon

CBS News reported on July 1:

“As the U.S. prepares for what some in the industry are calling ‘airmageddon,’ travelers are bracing for a possible meltdown at airlines, airports and security and customs checkpoints, not to mention hotels and hotel services… 3.5 million people are expected to fly this holiday weekend. Airfares cost, on average, 14% more, and in some markets have quadrupled. And hotel rates are up a whopping 23% since 2021.

“And all this is happening as the major airline and travel stakeholders spar over delays and cancellations. The airlines are blaming the [FAA] for delays, the FAA claims the airlines are flying schedules they can’t physically support, pilots are blaming the airlines for increased workloads and flying hours they claim could be a safety issue, passenger complaints against airlines are up 300% over 2019, and the U.S. Department of Transportation is contemplating emergency rulemaking options… In the U.S., the DOT reports that the airlines have lost or mishandled 21% more bags this year than last.

“Earlier this week, Delta issued an unprecedented July 4 weekend ‘air waiver’ to its customers, citing ‘operational challenges.’ The airline admitted it expected trouble in supporting its schedule — meaning, they don’t have enough pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers and other employees to staff all their scheduled flights, among other challenges  — over the next four days, and encouraged travelers to rebook for other flights and other days without being charged any fees or penalties. The airline was essentially asking their passengers not to fly. No other U.S. airline has so far matched that waiver.

“…Airlines are also parking dozens of 50-seat regional jets because they don’t have the pilots to fly them — and because at current fuel prices the airplanes are unprofitable to operate. Translation: Secondary market cities in the U.S., such as Ithaca, New York, and Toledo, Ohio, will have severely reduced — or in some cases, no — airline service by Labor Day.”

Another sign of America’s failing economy.

WHY Airline Delays and Cancellations

LifeSiteNews published an opinion by “American Thinker”  on July 4:

“Every night, I hear a report on the network news announcing the number of flights canceled… Thousands of flights are axed on any given day. Many more are delayed. News readers just read the report, without any substantive questioning about why there’s suddenly a great shortage of pilots. The weather is the only excuse ever offered, and that doesn’t work when there are no storms slowing things down.

“What’s going on? We’ve never had a pilot shortage before. We may currently have more air travelers needing flights than a year ago, but not more than before COVID – and yet here we are, facing an entirely new problem. It’s so bad that American Airlines is offering pilots on its regional carriers double and triple pay for the month of July if they’ll take extra flights.

“It’s not hard to figure out what’s happening – despite the seeming prohibition on our pilots saying anything about it… Nobody is questioning this fiasco beyond some Fox Business report of a lot of pilot retirements. It just is, apparently. [The Fox Business report says] that it’s ‘expensive to become a pilot.’ Give me a break! That’s never been an issue before. So why even consider it now? What job does one get where advanced training doesn’t cost money?

“… if pilots refuse to get the jab, they can no longer fly due to mandates. We have a perfect storm: If pilots are vaccinated, many can’t fly because of vaccine injury – a state far, far more common than our government would lead you to believe. They are desperate to keep that fact hidden…”

Die Welt reported that in 2021, an unprecedented number of 2.5 million Germans went to a doctor because of side effects from corona vaccinations. These reported side effects were felt to be serious enough to see a doctor. The article also pointed out that the public reports of side effects were far below the actual number of established cases. It was also stated in the news that those who have received vaccinations are running a risk of becoming reinfected (The Wall Street Journal, July 5).

Is Joe Biden Set on Destroying the USA?

Breitbart wrote on July 3:

“U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed blocking all new drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the world cries out for more energy from more sources far from Russia, the Middle East, and the OPEC oil cartel.

“Biden is also moving to shut down exploration and production of oil and gas on onshore federal lands…”

These are incredibly shortsighted and dangerous concepts.

The “Wisdom” of Kamala Harris and the Fall of Joe Biden

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“Harris spoke about her concern about the Supreme Court ending abortion rights for women, calling it ‘outrageous on every level.’.. She argued the right to abortion was fundamental to the founding of the United States…. Harris also compared abortion to slavery, recalling the government once tried to ‘claim ownership over human bodies.’”

At the same time, Breitbart reports on July 4 that only “18 percent of independents approve of President Joe Biden’s job performance, while 68 percent disapprove and 13 percent neither approve nor disapprove.” In general, “Biden’s job approval rating is down to the lowest of his presidency, 30 percent as of Saturday. On Monday, Biden was not only at his lowest approval rating to date, but also at his highest disapproval rating at 58 percent.”

The New York Post added on July 5 that “71 percent of respondents don’t want Biden to run for a second term in 2024.”

The Ron Paul Institute stated on July 5: “Biden has a big problem: Americans do not believe him. According to a Rasmussen poll earlier this month, only eleven percent of Americans believe Biden’s claim that Russian president Vladimir Putin is to blame for high prices… President Biden’s attempts to bring down gasoline prices are bound to fail because he does not understand the problem… The strangest part of this idea that Americans must suffer to hurt the Russians is that these policies aren’t even hurting Russia! On the contrary: Russia has been seen record profits from its oil and gas exports since the beginning of the Ukraine war. According to a recent New York Times article, increasing global oil and gas prices have enabled Russia to finance its war on Ukraine. US sanctions did not bring the Russian economy to its knees, as Biden promised. They actually brought the American economy to its knees while Russian profits soared.”

But what choices do the Democrats have? It appears that every potential alternative candidate is at least as bad or even worse than Biden.

Another Mass Shooting in America

Newsmax wrote on July 5:

“Highland Park, Illinois, Mayor Nancy Rotering says the gun used in the mass shooting Monday at a Fourth of July parade [killing at least six and injuring more than 30 others] was ‘legally obtained.’”

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“A red flag law, a waiting period for gun purchases, licensing requirements, and numerous other gun controls did not prevent the July 4, 2022, Highland Park attack.”

The suspected crazy and undoubtedly demon-influenced shooter dressed in women’s clothing to conceal his facial tattoos and to disguise himself to aid his escape. He fired over 70 rounds. “The massacre marked the 309^th mass shooting in the USA this year,” according to the New York Post, dated July 5, continuing, “Five other mass shootings broke out in the US on July Fourth, including incidents in Boston, Chicago and Richmond, Virginia. The Highland Park shooting, meanwhile, joined the list of 13 mass murders in the United States with 20 victims or more since 2013.”

What is wrong with these people? Let us never forget that Satan and his demons are ruling this sick and evil world.  It must be through a change of mind and the nation’s return to the TRUE God and the rejection of Satan if we want to save the body.

Fox News wrote on July 6:

“Fox News contributor Bill Bennett brought attention to what he called young male mass shooters’ ‘deeply spiritual problems’…. [He reacted to the July 4 parade mass shooting and said:]

“‘I think you need police. You need parents, for sure. You need schools. You need to clean up social media. You need all that. But you know, you may need an exorcist, too. … If you look at these boys – these men, these young men – they have deeply spiritual problems, deeply. If you go into the labyrinthine caves of the Internet way down, and I don’t recommend it – it’s ugly stuff. And these guys dwell there. They live there. They drench themselves in it. And it’s as ugly and evil as it gets. Where are the ministers? Where are the rabbis, the priests?… It’s a deeply spiritual void, I think, that these young men have in their hearts and their souls. And I think it needs to be addressed. And I don’t think we get at it, frankly, with these externalities – as important as some of them may be – and they may be. We need to do it all, but we need to do more.” 

The Disunited States

DNYUZ wrote on July 2:

“… the United States appears to be drifting apart into separate nations, with diametrically opposed social, environmental and health policies… The most immediate breaking point is on abortion, as about half the country will soon limit or ban the procedure while the other half expands or reinforces access to reproductive rights. But the ideological fault lines extend far beyond that one topic, to climate change, gun control and L.G.B.T.Q. and voting rights….

“Historians have struggled to find a parallel moment, raising the 19th-century fracturing over slavery; the clashes between the executive branch and the Supreme Court in the New Deal era of the 1930s; the fierce battles over civil rights during Reconstruction and in the 1950s and early 1960s; and the rise of armed, violent groups like the Weather Underground in the late ’60s. For some people, the divides have grown so deep and so personal that they have felt compelled to pick up and move from one America to the other.”

Newsmax wrote on July 1:

“56% of Americans believe the government is ‘corrupt and rigged’ against them. 49% agreed they ‘more and more feel like a stranger in [their] own country.’… In one question, voters were asked if it will be ‘necessary, at some point soon, for citizens to take up arms against the government.’ Overall, 28% of voters agreed, 59% disagreed, and 12% weren’t sure…

“Newhouse and Benenson, who discussed their findings on CNN, found the percentage of Americans pondering a physical fight against government tyranny as ‘alarming.’ ‘These are stunning results,’ said Newhouse. ‘We knew the mood of the country was not positive, but it is so much worse than we thought it was.’… ‘Democrats don’t trust Republicans. Republicans don’t trust Democrats. Democrats think Republicans are getting disinformation. Republicans think the same thing about Democrats. There is no middle ground here whatsoever.’”

A country divided cannot survive.

Pope on Communion for Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians

LifeSiteNews wrote on July 4:

“Pope Francis has broken his silence on the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which grants states the power to outlaw abortion, saying that bishops must be ‘pastoral’ with pro-abortion politicians…. On distributing Communion to pro-abortion politicians like Pelosi, Francis, who spoke in Italian and without aides present, said, ‘When the Church loses its pastoral nature, when a bishop loses his pastoral nature, it causes a political problem. That’s all I can say.’…

“Responding to the Pope’s comments, Catholic writer and catechist Deacon Nick Donnelly wrote on Twitter that by ‘pastoral’ Francis means ‘permissive.’”

We would agree.

Pope on Just War, Arms Sales and the UN

CNA reported on July 1:

“In an interview published Friday, Pope Francis said that he believes it is time to rethink the concept of ‘just war.’… A war may be just, there is the right to defend oneself. But we need to rethink the way that the concept is used nowadays,’ Pope Francis said…. ‘I have said that the use and possession of nuclear weapons are immoral’…

“… the pope said that there is ‘an entire infrastructure of arms sales’ that supports war today. ‘A person who knew about statistics told me, I don’t remember the numbers well, that if weapons were not manufactured for a year, there would be no hunger in the world,’ he said….

“The pope also said that the situation in Europe today shows that the United Nations ‘has no power’ to stop a war….”

Herbert W. Armstrong was present at the 1945 UN conference and wrote in the Plain Truth that after listening to the speeches and declared goals, he concluded that the UN would not bring about world peace.

Israel’s New General Election in November

Israel 365 wrote on June 30:

“Israel’s Knesset on Thursday set November 1 as the date for the country’s next general elections….

“The Knesset approved in third and final reading a bill to disperse itself, meaning that Yair Lapid is set to become caretaker prime minister at midnight on Friday, replacing Naftali Bennett. Bennett, who announced on Wednesday that he will not run in the election, will become alternate prime minister after Yair Lapid becomes the premier….

“Long-time political partner Ayelet Shaked will replace Bennett as the head of Yamina. She has said she would be open to joining Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu in forming a right-wing government.”

The Algemeiner wrote on July 3:

“Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday formally invited opposition leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, for a security briefing… Netanyahu is a rival of Lapid’s for the premiership in the upcoming elections to be held on November 1…

“He did not receive direct security updates from the previous prime minister, Naftali Bennett, while he was in office.”

France for EU Army

Express wrote on July 1:

“EMMANUEL MACRON’s dreams of a united European defence system were ‘accelerated’ during France’s presidency of the EU…. According to an EU diplomat speaking to Euractiv, the war marked ‘an unprecedented geopolitical situation that has led the EU to activate a real defence policy’…

“The French President has also called on EU members to make themselves available to act independently of the US and NATO… The idea has always been seen as a distant prospect, due to a lack of political will from member states wary of sending their troops into action under an EU flag…. The invasion of Ukraine has, however, triggered a series of policy changes across Europe, in particular, Germany.”

Macron’s star is setting, but his idea of a powerful European Army is still shining bright and gets even brighter.

Boris Johnson’s Trouble

The Guardian wrote on July 6:

“It has been with some fascination and no little scorn that media outlets in continental Europe have received news of Boris Johnson’s latest travails. That the British prime minister appears to have been tripped up by his own untruths does not appear to have surprised many commentators or headline writers. The speed of the unravelling of the UK government, or ‘Boris Johnson’s sinking ship of fools’, as the conservative German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung describes the cabinet, has, however, raised eyebrows after such a long period of ‘getting away with it’, as one Dutch newspaper put it.

“In Germany, Der Spiegel writes that Johnson ‘obviously failed to see the calamity that had been building for the past few days…’ Of the case of Christopher Pincher, the deputy chief whip who was appointed by Johnson despite the prime minister having known of past complaints about his alleged sexual behaviour, Der Spiegel writes: ‘The Pincher case… just happened to be the last drop in a bucket full to the brim of stinking pigswill at the door of the office of the British premier.’

“The liberal leaning Süddeutsche Zeitung felt there was enough in the Johnson back catalogue to list a mouthwatering ‘selection’ of 13 misdemeanours, covering everything from the mystery of who had paid for the prime minister’s Caribbean holiday… to the mishandling of the pandemic…

“The paper writes: ‘That he is not a man of integrity one might have reckoned with. When Johnson became the British prime minister in 2019 the former foreign minister and mayor of London had a longstanding reputation for buoyantly stepping from one blunder to another. And once arrived in the highest echelons of the government, he just kept going in the same vein…’

“In France, an early morning news bulletin on the biggest public radio station, France Inter, headlined ‘Storm in Shakespeare-land’, described Johnson’s premiership as being in chaos after ‘countless scandals based on alcohol, wandering hands and lies’… Le Monde remarked that ‘up until now Johnson had seemed able to withstand every scandal’, but asked ‘will this be the final blow?’

“An answer to the question of whether this really could the end for Johnson is offered in the Netherlands by the liberal newspaper Trouw, which suggested that the latest cabinet resignations ‘could well spell the death blow for Boris Johnson’s premiership’. In Belgium, Ivan Ollevier… offered a similar analysis while admitting that Johnson ‘always seems to get away with it’… The Flemish newspaper De Standaard felt the same. ‘Much has already been written, but the end of Prime Minister Johnson now seems very close…’

“In Spain, La Vanguardia’s Rafa Ramos recognised that the prime minister would fight to the last to keep his position… ‘There are three weeks to go until the summer recess and Johnson will nail himself to his desk chair if need be,’ the journalist writes. ‘But his position is more precarious than ever. As Hemingway said, one goes bust gradually, and then suddenly.’”

Johnson Resigns

The Associated Press reported on July 7:

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday amid a mass revolt by top members of his government, marking an end to three tumultuous years in power in which he brazenly bent and sometimes broke the rules of British politics. [Johnson] who took Britain out of the European Union and steered it through COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine was brought down by one scandal too many — this one involving his appointment of a politician who had been accused of sexual misconduct. The messiest of prime ministers did not leave cleanly. Johnson stepped down immediately as Conservative Party leader but said he would remain as prime minister until the party chooses his successor. The timetable for that process will be announced next week. The last leadership contest took six weeks. But many want him to go now, with some Conservative politicians expressing fear he could do mischief even as a caretaker prime minister…

“Critics said the [resignation] speech showed Johnson, to the end, refusing to take responsibility for or admit his mistakes… In his rise to power he showed many of the same habits and abilities that would carry him far but also spell his downfall: He was an ebullient, attention-loving mayor of London; a journalist who was fired for making up a quote and filed exaggerated stories about EU excesses…  He became known for his light regard for the truth and his glib and offensive remarks…

“Now with a leadership election upon them, the Conservatives will have to decide whether they can stomach Johnson as a caretaker leader, a job that normally entails saying little and doing nothing.”

Thomson/Reuters added on July 7:

“After days of battling for his job, Johnson had been deserted by all but a handful of his closest allies after the latest in a series of scandals sapped their willingness to support him… The crisis comes as Britons are facing the tightest squeeze on their finances in decades, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with soaring inflation, and the economy forecast to be the weakest among major nations in 2023 apart from Russia….

“It also follows years of internal division sparked by the narrow 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and threats to the make-up of the United Kingdom itself with demands for another Scottish independence referendum…”

t-online wrote on July 7:

“Boris Johnson realized far too late that he had to give up his post as British Prime Minister. What remains is a country that looks like a shambles… With his Brexit campaign, Johnson ruined his homeland… Even Johnson’s Brexit campaign was nothing more than a big gamble: When he decided to support leaving the EU, he had previously prepared two different columns for Britain’s ‘Daily Telegraph’: one for and one against Brexit…

“Johnson’s daring course may have spelled the end of the UK in the long run…

“The Brexit chaos will remain Johnson’s legacy, but it is only a part of his tumultuous political career. Johnson’s argumentative approach to the corona pandemic will also stick… the ‘Partygate’ revelations [made] clear that the prime minister and his staff were not too particular about the corona rules….

“What remains is a country that is tottering into a more than uncomfortable future. Whoever succeeds Johnson must prepare for difficult years in a politically and economically divided country.”

Johnson Wants to Recreate the Roman Empire!

Israel 365 News wrote on July 4:

“Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party, has always been controversial but he raised the volume last week when he suggested that the best way to unite Europe was by recreating the Roman Empire! His vision of the Roman Empire in the 21st century is based on a partnership that included Turkey and the North African states. At the NATO summit in Madrid last month, he told reporters that this would be based on the Mare Nostrum, the Latin term for the Mediterranean Sea.

“It is interesting to note that 19th-century Italian nationalist fascists used the term to describe Italy as the successor state to the Roman Empire. The term was again taken up by Benito Mussolini for use in fascist propaganda, in a similar manner to Adolf Hitler’s lebensraum system of colonialism…

“Johnson has compared his country to the Roman Empire on several occasions. Last year, he blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on uncontrolled immigration, adding that the same problem was to blame for the current global warming, a problem which threatened to return the world to the ‘dark ages.’…

“This claim citing immigration as the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire was widely contested on social media… ‘Even though England was under Roman rule, its origins are in Germany,’ Rabbi Winston said. Britain was a part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years after the Britons were conquered by Julius Caesar in 54 BCE… Roman goddess Britannia became the female personification of Britain. But the Britons were Germanic in origin.

“‘English is a Germanic language, not a romance language. But even Germany saw itself as the inheritor of the title of the Roman Empire. The Nazis referred to themselves as the Third Reich, as the presumed successor of the medieval and early modern Holy Roman Empire of 800 to 1806 (the First Reich) and the German Empire of 1871 to 1918 (the Second Reich).’…

“[Britain] has a tendency to hate Jews and like Arabs,’ Rabbi Winston said. He noted that all of Britain’s Jews were expelled in 1290 by an edict that was not rescinded until 1655. Blood Libels which falsely accuses Jews of murdering Christian boys in order to use their blood in the performance of religious rituals originated in 12th century England.

“One of the worst anti-Semitic massacres of the Middle Ages took place in York in 1190. The city’s entire Jewish community was trapped by an angry mob inside the tower of York Castle. Many members of the community chose to commit suicide rather than be murdered or forcibly baptized by the attackers.’ Imperialism is anti-Bible,’ Rabbi Winston said. ‘If you believe in the world to come, in God’s judgment, you wouldn’t endanger that by cruelly conquering others…’”

Truth mixed with error. Rabbi Winston confuses Germany with Germanic—a quite common mistake of ignorance. Further, African nations will not be part of the revised Roman Empire, which WILL exist soon, and neither will be Britain. However, Britain and some African nations will be conquered by the revived Roman Empire.

Britain Unprepared for World War III

Express wrote on July 1:

“Boris Johnson’s pledge to increase defense spending falls far short of what is needed if the Ukraine war spills over to other European countries and escalates into a Third World War, former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West has warned on GB News. As the war shows no signs of abating and Russian troops are making advances in Ukraine, fear is mounting over the possibility of Putin targeting other neighbouring countries – the latest country under threat was Lithuania over its blockade of Russia’s enclave of Kaliningrad…

“A baffled Lord West raised his concerns on GB News, saying: ‘…the government still has not added any spending to defence in the near term. There are shortfalls in stock holdings. There are shortfalls in the maintenance of equipment, which is not ready. There are shortages in numbers… As of earlier last week, we had 17 major warships operational in our Navy, once the greatest Navy in the world – which is dreadful…They’re not actually willing to fight, and they’re not going to be able to fight…’”

A nuclear war between Russia and Britain is not prophesied, but a nuclear war between Britain and Europe is…

Nuclear World War III and the Danger of Annihilation

Truthout wrote on July 3:

“Joe Biden and top subordinates have refused to publicly acknowledge the danger of nuclear war — even though it is now higher than at any other time in at least 60 years…. In the aftermath of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, President John F. Kennedy was more candid. Speaking at American University, he said: ‘A single nuclear weapon contains almost 10 times the explosive force delivered by all the allied air forces in the Second World War… The deadly poisons produced by a nuclear exchange would be carried by wind and water and soil and seed to the far corners of the globe and to generations yet unborn.’…

“At the time of Kennedy’s presidency, nuclear war would have been indescribably catastrophic. Now — with large arsenals of hydrogen bombs and what scientists know about— ‘nuclear winter’—experts have concluded that a nuclear war would virtually end agriculture and amount to omnicide (the destruction of human life on earth)…

“The Biden administration and the bipartisan leadership in Congress have made clear that their basic approach to the surging danger of nuclear war is to pretend that it doesn’t exist… the denial heightens the risk of exterminating almost all human life. There’s got to be a better way.”

Indeed there is, but human governments will not be able to bring this better way about. Quite to the contrary, they will engage in nuclear war which WOULD destroy ALL LIFE on this planet, if not stopped. But JESUS CHRIST will return just in time to end this madness of stupid human misrule by power-hungry incompetent politicians and prevent the human race from committing “omnicide.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Ukraine and Masks

Thomson/Reuters wrote on July 3:

“Germany is discussing security guarantees for Ukraine with its allies in preparation for a time after the war, but these will not be the same as for a member of the transatlantic alliance, German Chancellor Scholz told the broadcaster ARD on Sunday.

“Scholz, who took office in December, has faced accusations at home and abroad of failing to show leadership in the Ukraine crisis and failing to convey empathy for citizens struggling with the soaring inflation that it has helped to fuel.

“… the Social Democrat chancellor[‘s] mechanical style of communication has earned him the nickname ‘Scholzomat…’ [He] said Germany would not shut schools and non-essential businesses again if infection rates rose significantly this year, but that face masks would play a bigger role…”

Scholz’s hesitant and “cautious” political conduct and approach towards Russia and Ukraine continues, while he is contemplating once again to limit liberties and freedoms for the citizens in his own country.

Negative Consequences for Germany’s Addiction to Russian Oil

Breitbart wrote on July 3:

“Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that Germany’s addiction to Russian gas would have extremely negative long-term consequences appears to have been proven prophetic, with officials in the country now warning of ‘chaotic conditions’ and [of a] severe economic recession should they lose access to Moscow’s supply…

“According to various European and German news sources, the country’s officials are now firefighting regarding the possible worsening of the already severe gas crisis which has seen one major energy company enter existential financial difficulty… The German government is now looking to pass emergency legislation imposing a financial levy on all energy companies — whether they are involved in Russian gas imports or not — to split the costs of rising prices in an attempt to keep infrastructure afloat…

“Issues surrounding the purely economic elements of the crisis are far from the only ones to arise, with warnings that a sudden loss of gas in the country would be extremely difficult to reverse on the local level due to safety mechanisms within home boilers… a loss of supply would result in a fuse being triggered in hundreds of thousands of boilers across the country — fuses that could only be reset by trained professionals, a process that would take a significant amount of time…”

Germany’s failed relationship with Russia will have self-imposed serious and long-lasting consequences.

“‘Biblical’ Swarms of Giant Crickets Ravage Western US Crops”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 2:

“Farmers in the western United States are battling new outbreaks of Mormon crickets, ancient insects that can grow to almost three inches (8cm) in length… Mormon crickets are not new to Oregon, which was among the worst-hit states; they are native to western North America and their name dates back to the 1800s when they ruined the fields of Mormon settlers in Utah. The US West is currently amid a decades-long ‘megadrought’ that has dried up water resources and challenged farming and ranching operations across the region….

“These outbreaks can be extraordinary, as the species often travel in groups of millions or billions of individual insects… Last year, 10 million acres in Oregon, which has seen the worst of the swarm, were destroyed by Mormon crickets and grasshoppers…”

Historic Drought in Italy

The Guardian wrote on July 5:

“Italy has declared a state of emergency in five northern regions and announced emergency funds over a worsening drought that has plagued the Po valley in recent weeks… Italy is facing an unusually early heatwave and a lack of rainfall, particularly in the northern agricultural Po valley, which has been hit by its worst drought in 70 years… the drought threatens more than 30% of national agricultural production and half of the farms in the Po valley…

“The Po River is the peninsula’s largest water reservoir, much of which is used by farmers… Another consequence of the drought is that hydroelectric power production has fallen sharply. Hydroelectric plants, mostly in the mountainous north of Italy, account for nearly 20% of national energy production.”

God does not leave Gentile Nations without warning, either.

And Now a New Hysteria Involving Monkeypox

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 1:

“The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that Europe needs to take ‘urgent’ action against the spread of monkeypox… The WHO’s Europe chief [Hans Kluge] said that 31 countries in the European region had now identified cases. He also reported that around 90% of known infections have been reported in Europe. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recorded more than 5,000 cases in 51 countries worldwide…  Kluge said that almost all cases were reported in men, especially men who have sex with other men… most people who catch the virus experience symptoms such as rash, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting and chills…

“Germany and the UK, among others, have already started vaccinating vulnerable people. Reports of the virus outside of Africa were rare until May. It is considered endemic in several African countries and has been sickening people in parts of central and west Africa for decades…”

One should be able to connect the dots.

50^th Anniversary Pride Parade in London

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“More than a million people flocked to central London on Saturday for a record-breaking 50th-anniversary Pride parade. The three-hour-long procession retraced part of the route of the first Pride parade in 1972 and was led by veterans of the fight for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as well as those questioning their sexuality or gender identity (LGBTQ)… Among those marching was a contingent from Ukraine, who criticized homophobia in Russia.

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the 50th anniversary a ‘milestone,’ and paid tribute to the bravery of those who arranged the first events…

“The first Pride, in March 1972, saw just a few hundred marchers met by a heavy uniformed police presence. It took place just five years after homosexuality was decriminalized in the UK… In the 1980s, the campaign would go on to fight against then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s legislation against the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in schools… Now, as LGBTQ people in the UK experience greater inclusion and equality, Pride in London is more celebration than protest.”

How the world has changed…

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

US Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

Breitbart wrote on June 24:

“The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade on Friday, holding… that the Constitution does not include a right to abortion and returning the issue of abortion laws and regulations to state legislatures… With Roe overruled, the issue of abortion now goes back to the states to pass whatever restrictions on abortions the voters of each state choose to adopt.”

The Associated Press wrote on June 26:

“Friday’s outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states… Thomas… wrote a separate opinion in which he explicitly called on his colleagues to put the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage, gay sex and even contraception cases on the table. But Alito contended that his analysis addresses abortion only…”

Many misconceptions regarding Roe v. Wade exist. Contrary to public opinion, the case did NOT guarantee an unrestricted nationwide right to abortion. The Britannica Encyclopedia explains:

“The Supreme Court [in Roe v Wade] disagreed with Roe’s assertion of an absolute right to terminate pregnancy in any way and at any time and attempted to balance a woman’s right of privacy with a state’s interest in regulating abortion. In his opinion, Blackmun noted that only a ‘compelling state interest’ justifies regulations limiting ‘fundamental rights’ such as privacy and that legislators must therefore draw statutes narrowly ‘to express only the legitimate state interests at stake.’ The Court then attempted to balance the state’s distinct compelling interests in the health of pregnant women and in the potential life of fetuses. It placed the point after which a state’s compelling interest in the pregnant woman’s health would allow it to regulate abortion ‘at approximately the end of the first trimester’ of pregnancy. With regard to the fetus, the Court located that point at ‘capability of meaningful life outside the mother’s womb,’ or viability, which occurs at about 24 weeks of pregnancy.”

Also, many misconceptions exist regarding the most recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade.  As Fox News wrote on June 25:

“… many [are] acting as if abortions had been banned nationwide. In response, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., explained… that in reality ‘nothing has been banned’ – as the ruling simply reversed the regulatory power over abortion laws to the state legislatures, as prescribed by the 10th Amendment for those powers not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution.”

Still, the national and international condemnation of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade is telling, and those who are ringing the alarm bell, favoring abortion, can be found in any religious affiliation. Note the next article.

National and International Condemnations

Chuck Schumer

Fox News reported on June 24:

“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [Catholic] called Friday ‘one of the darkest days our country has ever seen.’…

Merrick Garland

“Attorney General Merrick Garland [conservative Jew] said that the Department of Justice ‘strongly disagrees’ with the Supreme Court, and that it delivered a ‘devastating blow’ to reproductive freedoms in America…

Ilhan Omar

“Rep. Ilhan Omar [Muslim] compared the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade to decisions legitimizing slavery and concentration camps….

Barack Obama

“Former President Obama [Protestant Christian] slammed the Supreme Court for having ‘not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent,’ but having ‘relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.’…”

Business Insider wrote on June 24 that Obama said: “Join with the activists who’ve been sounding the alarm on abortion access for years — and act. Stand with them at a local protest.”

Nancy Pelosi

Fox News wrote on June 24:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [Catholic] on Friday said the ‘Republican-controlled’ Supreme Court ‘achieved the GOP’s dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions… This cruel ruling is outrageous and heart-wrenching…’

Joe Biden

“President Biden [Catholic] on Friday urged Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade by codifying abortion rights into federal law… while urging protesters to remain peaceful and saying ‘violence is never acceptable.’… The president said Roe v. Wade ‘reaffirmed basic principles of equality that women have the power to control their own destiny, and to reinforce the fundamental right of privacy.’”

Reuters added on June 26: “Biden, a lifelong Catholic, condemned the ruling, calling it a ‘sad day’ for America and labelling the court’s conservatives ‘extreme.’”

Fox News wrote on June 24: ‘‘Excited to hear ‘devout Catholic’ Biden condemn today’s Supreme Court decision that any devout Catholic would agree with,’ Washington Times columnist Tim Young remarked, pointing out the irony in Biden’s position.”

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 24:

“Biden decried the pro-life victory as stripping women of the ‘right to choose’ to murder their unborn children, claiming abortion should be an ‘intensely personal decision… Biden assured his fellow abortion supporters that while the overturning of Roe v. Wade ‘casts a dark shadow over large swaths of the land,’ there remain ‘many states in this country that still recognize a woman’s right to choose’…. Biden reminded the public that ‘the Supreme Court’s decision does not prevent [a woman] from traveling from her home state to the state that allows it.’…

“Biden’s statements were met with immediate backlash, with many implying the president is a hypocrite for consistently calling himself Catholic while flagrantly denying the Church’s explicit condemnation of abortion.”

Biden stated that the right to travel must be upheld, referring to the right to travel from one state to another to have an abortion.  This is ironic as he abolished the right to travel during the coronavirus crisis.

 Emmanuel Macron

Fox News wrote on June 24:

“French President Emmanuel Macron [baptized as a Catholic, an agnostic today] tweeted Friday… ‘Abortion is a fundamental right for all women. It must be protected. I wish to express my solidarity with the women whose liberties are being undermined by the Supreme Court of the United States.’”

 Boris Johnson

Express added on June 24: “Prime Minister Boris Johnson [formerly Catholic, now Anglican] called the decision a ‘big step backwards.’ He added: ‘I have always believed in a woman’s right to choose and I stick to that view, that’s why the UK has the laws that it does.’”

Justin Trudeau

MSN on June 24 wrote that leftist “Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau [Catholic] also called the news ‘horrific,’ saying that ‘no government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.’”

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 24: “Trudeau’s claim that no government or politician can tell a woman what to do with her body is at odds with the COVID vaccine mandates he imposed on federal workers and for travel. People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier called Trudeau a ‘hypocrite’… Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) President Jeff Gunnarson blasted Trudeau for his comments… ‘What’s horrific is that we have a Prime Minister who is absolutely callous toward the some 100,000 pre-born Canadian children who are killed every year by abortion. What is truly horrific is the disembowelment, dismemberment, and decapitation of these innocent human beings,’ noted Gunnarson… Trudeau for years has professed his support for abortion despite claiming to be Catholic…”

Lisa Paus

Deutsche Welle reported on June 24 that “Germany’s Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus [member of The Greens; her religion is designated as “Christian”] said she was ‘shocked’ by the development.”

Jacinda Ardern

The Guardian wrote on June 24 that “New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern [formerly Mormon, renounced her faith in favor of the LGBT movement], said… the ‘removal of a woman’s fundamental right to make decisions over their own body’ was ‘incredibly upsetting.’”

Kamala Harris

Breitbart added on June 26:

“Vice President Kamala Harris [Baptist] on Friday mourned the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade… She warned that other rights guaranteed by the court such as same-sex marriage, contraception, and interracial marriage were threatened by the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade…. ‘Today I invite all people to stand together in defense of one of the most fundamental ideals and principles for generations, for centuries…’

Hillary Clinton

“Two-time failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton [Methodist] on Friday condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. ‘Today’s Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women’s rights and human rights…’”

Praise for the Decision

Fox News wrote on June 25:

Donald Trump

“Former President Trump praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade… When asked whether he feels he played a role in the reversal of Roe v. Wade, after having appointed three conservative justices to the high court, the former president told Fox News: ‘God made the decision.’…

Mike Pence

“Former Vice President Mike Pence celebrated the court’s decision… ‘Today, Life Won. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life, and I commend the justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions… Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land.’…”

Franklin Graham

Newsmax wrote on June 24:

“Franklin Graham praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, calling the abortions of more than 60 million fetuses since the landmark court ruling 50 years ago a ‘genocide against the unborn’… ‘Today, abortion is not illegal in the United States… I wish it was wiped out completely but it’s not. There are going to be many states that will permit abortions, but I believe this is a step in the right direction.’… ‘We have a lot of evils in this world and abortion is one of those evils and I hope and pray that one day it will be terminated in this country in every state,’ he added.”

The Vatican

Newsmax reported on June 24:

“The Vatican’s Academy for Life on Friday praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, saying it challenged the world to reflect on life issues, but also called for social changes to help women keep their children… The Roman Catholic church teaches that abortion is murder because life begins at the moment of conception and ends with natural death. Pope Francis has compared having an abortion to ‘hiring a hit man’ to eliminate a problematic person.”

The Vatican’s statement that women must be helped to keep their children is of utmost importance.

The Vatican’s Hypocrisy

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

“U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica… despite her position in support of abortion rights… Pelosi met with Francis on Wednesday before the Mass and received a blessing…”

Both seem to be oblivious to the obvious hypocrisy they are both showing.

American Jewish Perspective

JTA wrote on June 24:

“American Jews favor abortion rights, more than any other religious group, according to public polling. And traditional Jewish law permits (and even requires) abortion in some circumstances, particularly when the life or health of the pregnant person is at stake.”

That position is appalling.

Prohibiting Contraception?

Boston Globe wrote on June 24:

“In an opinion concurring with his conservative colleagues on the Supreme Court to overturn the fundamental right to an abortion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote on Friday that striking down Roe v. Wade should also open up the high court to review other precedents that may be deemed ‘demonstrably erroneous.’ Among those, Thomas wrote, was the right for married couples to buy and use contraception without government restriction from the landmark 1965 ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut.

“‘In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,’ Thomas wrote… ‘we have a duty to correct the error established in those precedents.’…

“In Griswold, the Supreme Court invalidated a law prohibiting birth control…”

Apart from the legal technicality as to who has jurisdiction to decide the issue, the substantive question is as to what is meant by “contraception.” Are they talking about the pill AFTER conception [so-called telemedicine abortions, ENDING a pregnancy], or are they referring to measures preventing pregnancy? If the latter is meant and contraception before pregnancy was to be prohibited, that would be a ludicrous and extremely serious ungodly outcome.

Civil War in the USA?

Fox News wrote on June 24:

“Liberal media outlets, with most of the noise emanating from MSNBC and CNN, went full scorched-earth after the Supreme Court… send abortion back to the states. Journalists, pundits and guests quickly gave emotional reactions to the news, claiming that a ‘legal Civil War’ was imminent and lamenting the Supreme Court as a partisan institution bent on destroying women’s rights…

“NBC’s Chuck Todd immediately reacted to the news by claiming many Americans believe the Supreme Court is ‘rigged.’…

“CNN’s legal analysts also weighed in on the ramifications of the ruling, with Toobin predicting that the result would lead to ‘legal civil war.’ ‘It’s going to be legal chaos, forget the legal Civil War,’ legal analyst Lauren Coates similarly stated. Lawyer and Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick joined MSNBC just after the ruling and stopped herself short of agreeing with the Civil War phrase, but added that the Court’s decision would at the very least lead to’”immense bickering.’ ‘There are two countries [now]. There are quite literally red states and blue states,’ she added.”

t-online wrote on June 24:

“With their decision on Friday to leave abortion laws to the respective states and thereby potentially criminalizing millions of women, America’s top judges are driving the country into an unprecedented political and social divide… The USA is no longer only divided politically and socially. Two different legal systems are emerging – one in the states governed by Democrats, the other in the states governed by Republicans. It is a legal ditch that is becoming more and more obvious….

“The most powerful democracy in the world is in danger of collapsing because of these internal political struggles…. The most important world power threatens to fail for the foreseeable future…  the US will be busy trying not to plunge into civil war amid social tensions…”

This nation is terribly divided. Note the next article as well.

A Divided Nation—and Newsom the New Democratic Star?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 25:

“Gavin Newsom (California) called the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade sickening and beckoned women in other states to California, their ‘sanctuary’ for free abortion care… Greg Abbott (Texas) celebrated the ruling and promised he will ‘always fight to save every child from the ravages of abortion.’ The disparate responses from the governors of the two most populous states in the nation highlighted the stark political divide in America, deepened by radically different approaches to healthcare, gun control, the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ rights, immigration and now, once again, reproductive rights…

“The gulf between red and blue states has widened significantly in recent years. That reversed a long trend that started just after World War II of growing uniformity across the country, as legal racial segregation ended in the South and the federal government and courts expanded rights for all American citizens. The split on abortion closely reflects public opinion in the states. In California, Oregon and Washington, for example, roughly 60% of residents said abortion should be legal in all or most cases… By contrast, only about 40% of people took that position in the most strongly antiabortion states, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Utah and Idaho…

“[Newsom] also used the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision as an impetus for signing a bill that protects abortion providers in California from liability when caring for patients traveling from areas where the procedure is now banned or access is narrowed. Newsom said the law counters one passed in Texas last year allowing private citizens to sue anyone who ‘aids or abets’ an abortion in the state after about six weeks of pregnancy…

“Last year, as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic became highly partisan, mask and vaccine mandates became political battlegrounds. California was the first state to announce that it would require all public employees and healthcare workers to show proof of vaccination or be tested weekly. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law last year banning employers from firing workers who refuse a COVID-19 vaccination if those employees claim a medical or religious exemption…

“In 2004, as the newly elected mayor of San Francisco, [Newsom] decided to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of state law. More than 4,000 couples wed before the California Supreme Court put a halt to the issuances; those unions were later nullified. The young mayor instantly became the national face for the gay marriage movement, much to the chagrin of both social conservatives and some gay rights activists, who worried his action would set back their cause. National Democrats chastised Newsom at the time and he was put on the defensive when John Kerry lost the presidential election that year.

“But with Democrats eventually embracing same-sex marriage, which was made legal nationwide after a 2015 Supreme Court decision, Newsom is now seen as an early leader on that issue….”

Many Democrats would like to see Newsom become the next President.

No Longer a Great Nation

Newsmax wrote on June 25:

“‘It is no longer a great nation,’ Trump told his crowd in Mendon, Illinois, at a rally…  ‘It is a nation in decline — hate to say this to you… It is no longer energy independent or energy dominant… It’s a nation that is begging Venezuela and Saudi Arabia for oil… It’s a nation that surrendered in Afghanistan, leaving dead soldiers, American citizens, and $85 billion worth of the finest military equipment in the world behind… It’s a nation that allowed Russia to devastate a country, Ukraine, killing hundreds of thousands of people, and it will only get worse… It’s a nation that has weaponized its law enforcement against the opposing political party like never before. A nation that no longer has a free press or a fair press…

“‘It’s a nation where free speech is no longer allowed, where crime is rampant, where the economy is collapsing, where more people died of COVID in 2021, than in 2020… It’s a nation that is allowing Iran to build a massive nuclear weapon… and China to use the trillions of dollars that [it] has taken from us to build a military rival. It will be just a disaster for the world… Perhaps most importantly, a nation that… is no longer respected or listened to around the world… It is a nation whose economy is floundering, whose stores are not stocked, whose deliveries are not coming, and whose educational system is ranked in the lowest quadrant of 45 countries and yet spends more money per student than any other country by three times.’”

Sadly, his assessment is very true. He hopes that beginning in 2024, things will change for the better. But will they?

Violence, “Incitement” and “Insurrection”

The Sun wrote on June 25:

“Anti-abortion demonstrators gathered outside the Arizona Capitol Friday night forcing lawmakers to huddle in a basement after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling. SWAT team members with the Department of Public Safety fired tear gas from the second floor of the old Capitol building to disperse protesters in the mall between the current House and Senate buildings. KPHO-TV reported the officers opened fire when several anti-abortion protesters started banging on the glass doors of the Senate building.

“Arizona is among the eight states where abortion clinics paused abortion services… The incident sent Senate lawmakers into the basement for about 20 minutes… Stinging tear gas wafted through the building afterwards, forcing the Senate to move its proceedings to a hearing room instead of the Senate chamber…

“Huge crowds of protestors gathered outside the Supreme Court and in multiple cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco and New York City… At least 25 people were arrested in New York with one police officer estimating that 17,000 gathered in a march in Washington Square Park… Protesters clashed with police in Los Angeles after some threw fireworks and other objects…”

Fox News added on June 25:

“Arizona Senator Kelly Townsend said abortion protesters are holding her and other lawmakers ‘hostage’ inside the Capitol building in Phoenix.”

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on June 24:

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) on Friday joined protesters outside the Supreme Court to call the institution ‘illegitimate’ and urge supporters ‘into the streets’ to fight for abortion… Ocasio-Cortez [Catholic] is one of 27 House Democrats who recently opposed a bill that bolstered security measures for the justices, following protests outside their homes…

“Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) also told protesters, ‘The hell with the Supreme Court—we will defy them….’ ‘You see this out here?’ Waters added, referencing the size of the protest outside the Court. ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’… Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas)… condemned Democrats whom he believes are inciting [violence].”

Congresswoman Maxine Waters [“Christian”] is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. As beliefnet reports, “She also said God was ‘on our side’ when she urged her party in late June to take on members of the Trump administration. ‘If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere,’ Waters said.”

How are the events in Arizona and elsewhere, described above, any different from Donald Trump’s statement on January 6, 2021 when he called for peaceful protests, saying, make your voices heard “peacefully and patriotically.” In addition to Obama’s statements, quoted earlier, if Trump is supposed to be held accountable for the “insurrection” of January 6, 2021, why would Ocasio-Cortez and Maxine Waters not have to be held accountable for “inciting” violent acts, occurring now?

Thoughts About Abortion, War and Violence

On June 27, Dr. Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute publication:

“The Supreme Court undid one of its worst mistakes last week when it overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision declaring a constitutional right to abortion. The Constitution reserves to the states the authority to write and enforce laws regarding murder. Since the question of whether or not to legalize abortion revolves around whether abortion is murder, it is not a federal issue. Roe was thus an illegitimate usurpation of state authority… Murder is certainly an act of aggression. Therefore, even though all humans have a right to bodily anatomy, this does not justify abortion.

“No one ever asked an expectant mother, ‘how’s the fetus?’ Instead, people ask about the baby. This implicitly acknowledges the unborn child’s humanity and thus the child’s right to live. The denial of this right has warped our constitutional system. More importantly it has contributed to the devaluing of human life that is the root of much of America’s moral crisis. A society that devalues life will not respect liberty. Therefore, all who value liberty must protect the right to life. This does not just include ending abortion. It also includes rejecting the militaristic foreign policy that kills innocents in the name of ‘freedom and democracy.’

“Just as pro-life conservatives should be antiwar, progressives should reject the violence government commits against its own citizens via taxation, income redistribution, and the fiat money system that robs average Americans to benefit politicians and elites. Rejecting the use of force, including government force, will lead to a society that values and protects our lives, liberty, and property.”

Coach Can Pray

The Associated Press wrote on June 27:

“The Supreme Court sided with a football coach from Washington state [Kennedy] who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court’s conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The justices said the coach’s prayer was protected by the First Amendment. ‘The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike,’ Justice Neil Gorsuch  wrote for the majority.

“In a dissent… Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the coach decision ‘sets us further down a perilous path in forcing states to entangle themselves with religion.’

“Kennedy… wanted to continue praying on the field himself, with students free to join if they wished. Concerned about being sued for violating students’ religious freedom rights, the school asked him to stop his practice of kneeling and praying while still ‘on duty’ as a coach after the game. The school tried to work out a solution so Kennedy could pray privately before or after the game. When he continued to kneel and pray on the field, the school put him on paid leave.”

Monkeypox Underrated?

npr wrote on June 25:

“On the surface, the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. doesn’t look that bad, especially compared with other countries…. But in the U.S., the official case count is misleading… The outbreak is bigger — perhaps much bigger — than the case count suggests… Infections have been largely found in men who have sex with men…

“… as the need for testing grew — and the disease became more common than officials initially predicted — the testing system set up by the CDC stopped functioning well, because it actually deters doctors from ordering a monkeypox test. Providers have to go out of their way to order a test.”

One HAS to ask: WHY are tests discouraged??? Could it have something to do with the nature and origin and transmission of the sickness?

Germany Revokes Ban on Promotion of Abortion

AFP wrote on June 25:

“Germany’s parliament on Friday removed a… law that limits the information doctors and clinics can provide about abortion. One of the most controversial sections of the penal code, Paragraph 219a, prohibits the ‘promotion’ of abortion… [The law was adopted] in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler had taken power… The Bundestag decision came just hours before the US Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion in the country…

“Germany’s ruling coalition, comprising Buschmann’s Free Democrats, the Social Democrats and the Greens, had made a pledge to remove the law when they signed up to govern together. The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the far-right AfD voted against scrapping the law.

“Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker of the CDU argued that while a woman may face difficulties because of an unwanted pregnancy, ‘we are also thinking of the child’s right to live.’ She pointed this out as the ‘key difference’ between the ruling coalition and her party… Despite dating back to the darkest chapter in German history, the law was applied until recently. Courts handed out penalties to doctors for offering information on the internet about pregnancy terminations….

“Women wishing to have an abortion must have an obligatory consultation at an approved center… After the consultation, patients must wait for three days… before making a decision. Around 100,000 abortions are carried out in Germany annually, although the number has dropped in recent years… In large parts of the vast southern state, no hospitals offer the procedure. Many people opt to cross the border to Austria instead.”

Nuclear-Capable Missiles for Belarus

Aljazeera wrote on June 25:

“Russia will supply Belarus with missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads after the president complained about nuclear-armed NATO flights coming close to the Belarusian border…

“Lukashenko expressed concern about the ‘aggressive’, ‘confrontational’, and ‘repulsive’ policies of Belarus’s neighbours Lithuania and Poland.”

Belarus, as well as Ukraine, will ultimately be a part of a full-fledged military alliance with Russia.

No One Will Come to Israel’s Aid

Israel 365 wrote on June 27:

“… for Ukrainians, the situation must be particularly galling. After all, it has been barely 20 years since the Budapest Memorandum was signed, in which Russia, the U.S. and the U.K. pledged to refrain from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against Ukraine if the country gave up its nuclear weapons. They also pledged—among other things—to respect Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty according to its then-current borders.

“Clearly, there have since been blatant Russian violations of the Memorandum, notably the 2014 annexation of Crimea and then the 2022 invasion of Ukraine…

“For Israel, the message is stark and unequivocal: It must remember that should it cede vitally important strategic territory at the behest of foreign governments, it could well tempt its adversaries to launch a deadly assault on it, because it would be far more vulnerable and exposed than before. Moreover, Israel should remember that it can expect scant support from other countries, which will be reluctant to come to its aid. For, as Yossi Cohen [former director of Mossad] warned… if Israel is attacked, it must be prepared for the possibility that ‘no one will come.’”

NATO to Grow by 650 Percent

UPI wrote on June 27:

“The NATO chief [Jens Stoltenberg] announced plans to shore up NATO’s eastern flank nearer Russia by boosting NATO’s quick-response forces by 650%. The force would grow from 40,000 to 300,000 as part of the ‘biggest overhaul of our collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War.’”

Sweden and Finland Give In to Erdogan

The Guardian wrote on June 28:

“[An] agreement has been reached between Turkey, Finland and Sweden to allow the two Nordic countries to become Nato members…  [Swedish prime minister] Andersson hailed the deal as a ‘very good agreement’, rejecting claims that she had conceded too much to Erdoğan in order to persuade him to drop his veto…

“Turkey had said it would block the applications of Sweden and Finland unless it received satisfactory assurances that the Nordic countries were willing to address what it regards as support for Kurdish groups it designates as terrorist organisations, in particular the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK)…

“The Nordic countries said they confirmed that the PKK was a proscribed organisation and, in a key concession, would ‘not provide support’ to the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union party (PYD) and People’s Protection Units (YPG) groups that have been active in the fight against Islamic State in Syria… all three countries said they would work together on extradition requests.

“Sweden is home to 100,000 Kurdish refugees and Turkey has called for the extradition of individuals it says are linked to the PKK or the Syrian YPG. Stoltenberg said Finland and Sweden had agreed to ‘further amending their domestic legislation’ to give Turkey the anti-terror reassurances it had sought, and would be ‘cracking down on PKK activities’ and ‘entering into an agreement with Turkey on extradition’.

“US president Joe Biden congratulated the three countries on securing the deal, which he described as ‘a crucial step towards a Nato invite to Finland and Sweden, which will strengthen our alliance and bolster our collective security.’ Boris Johnson greeted the announcement by tweeting: ‘Fantastic news as we kick off the Nato Summit. Sweden and Finland’s membership will make our brilliant alliance stronger and safer.”

These are very troublesome and dangerous developments, and the [willful?] blindness of Biden and Johnson is amazing, as they should be able to see clearly that Putin will consider these developments as provocations, while Turkey under dictator Erdogan is being given dangerous powers.

Germany’s Military Ambitions

Express wrote on June 29:

“In February, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany announced it would sharply increase its defence spending to more than two percent of its economic output. Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisted ‘we will have to invest more in the security of our country to protect our freedom and democracy’… Some French politicians have since blasted the move, which they perceive to be an attempt to overtake France’s military power.

“Les Patriotes official Joffrey Bollée wrote in a post on Twitter: ‘Germany completes its power! After having used the EU as a stepping stone and as a tool to weaken France, Germany is now displaying its military ambitions.’ He insisted that France ‘must urgently counter this project and keep our first rank in terms of defence’.

“Mr Bollée and others appear to have taken particular issue with Mr Scholz’s claim Germany will possess the greatest military force in Europe. The Chancellor last week told the German Parliament the country should boast [the] ‘largest conventional army’ among European NATO state members…

“Les Patriotes President Florian Philippot saw this as a simple act of power play over France. He wrote: ‘In a few weeks, the German Chancellor repeated twice and forcefully that “Germany will soon have the largest army in Europe” (implied, ahead of France)! It might be time to wake up, right?!’”

If Germany under weak and indecisive Chancellor Scholz is already perceived as displaying its military ambitions, only imagine how the world will look when the “beast” comes to power.

G-7 Meeting in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on June 26:

“Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) began three day talks on Sunday in Germany’s Bavarian Alps with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine set to dominate the agenda.

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden are also set to discuss proposals to tackle the sharp rise in food and oil prices across the world, as well as inflation, with the leaders of Canada [Trudeau], France [Macron], Italy [Draghi], Japan [Kishida] and the United Kingdom [Johnson]. One of the first announcements was a $600 billion (€568 billion) infrastructure initiative to help developing countries tackle climate change.”

Incredibly, Biden thanked Scholz for his leadership on the Ukraine crisis, saying his leadership had been crucial. What an unbelievable joke, uttered by one failing leader to another. And what a group of “leaders” has been assembling in Germany!

Joe Biden Has the Worst G7 Summit Since Jimmy Carter

The New York Post wrote on June 28:

“This G-7 has to be judged the worst G-7 meeting since the one in Japan in 1979 that also took place amid a global energy crisis and rising inflation. The other factor these two summits, 43 years apart, have in common: an out-to-lunch American president.

“Both the 1979 meeting and this week’s meeting attempted to create an oil buyers’ cartel to limit oil imports but with opposite targets in mind. In 1979, the G-7 wanted to limit imports from the Middle East (the attempt failed immediately). Today the G-7 wants to limit imports from Russia… while begging the Middle East, and especially the dominant producer Saudi Arabia, to increase oil exports to the West.

“As in 1979, when the other G-7 leaders were harsh toward President Jimmy Carter at the summit, this week France’s Emmanuel Macron… advised [Biden] that the Saudis and other top Persian Gulf producers are close to current maximum capacity and as such aren’t able to bail out Biden even if they wanted to…

“Biden… appears oblivious to the fact that Europe is looking for a face-saving way to ease existing sanctions that threaten to harm their own economies more than Russia’s.

“Another parallel between Biden’s position and the dismal Carter years:… In 1979, Saudi Arabia was enraged that the United States sat back during — even encouraged — the fall of the shah in Iran, thus handing over Iran to radical Islamists who have destabilized the Middle East ever since. The Saudis resent Biden calling them moral monsters one day and coming begging for more oil at a lower price the next day, while reopening the futile negotiations with Iran that will have only one outcome — a nuclear-armed Iran….”

“If You Think Joe Biden Is Bad, Just Imagine President Kamala…”

On June 28, the New York Post published the following opinion by Piers Morgan:

“Picture the scene:

“It’s July 4, 2023, and President Kamala Harris is about to address the American people about Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Poland.

“She’s been leader of the free world for six months since Joe Biden, implementing the 25th Amendment, abruptly resigned on the grounds of physical and mental incapacity after the Democrats suffered the worst midterm election mauling in history, losing 120 House seats and eight Senate seats…

“President Harris’ tenure in office has bordered on the miraculous, in that she has managed to be even worse than her predecessor — something political experts didn’t think was possible.

“In fact, her presidency has been a catalog of calamities, dominated by woke-ravaged lunacy. Her first decision was to make freshperson Congressperson Megan Rapinoe her vice president, saying how delighted she was to appoint the first gay woman to such high office…

“Schools are in meltdown after she made Meghan Markle the new education secretary and her first act was to make it a firing offense for teachers to even mention the names of… American icons like Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Neil Armstrong and Mickey Mantle because they all ‘looked like the cruel white supremacists in the royal family’ from whom she was forced to escape.

“Illegal immigration has exploded after Harris declared an immediate path to full US citizenship for anyone who turns up to attempt illegal entry on the southern border and identifies as a legal immigrant…

“Crime has also dramatically increased after President Harris’ new secretary of homeland security, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, introduced a substantial defunding of the police, which led to instant widespread lawlessness…

“Gas prices are now $12 a gallon after Harris signed an emergency executive order banning all US government dealings with Saudi Arabia… The Saudis responded by saying, ‘This is why we don’t let women drive cars’ and giving all their oil to China and Russia, massively worsening America’s energy supply crisis.

“Inflation has continued surging to 15%, a full-blown recession is raging, another Great Depression is looming, and her only response has been to give an interview to Jen Psaki on MSNBC…

“If President Harris’ domestic agenda is a disaster, then her performance on the international stage has been a catastrophe of biblical proportions.

“She withdrew all US weapons supplies to President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine after discovering he had cracked ‘totally, like, inappropriate’ trans jokes when he was a comedian. This woeful inaction of woke-induced military hardware cancel culture promptly emboldened Russia to attack and seize Kyiv, thus completing their illegal takeover of the entire country…

“But her most shocking move was to unilaterally disarm the United States of all its nuclear weapons because Putin said he would too if America went first… Of course, like Adolf Hitler in 1939, Putin went back on his word, and has attacked Poland, telling NATO if they respond, he will nuke them to rubble.”

In spite of his biting sarcasm, Morgan does describe a horrifying and not all that unrealistic scenario.

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.

Some Thoughts About the War in Ukraine

The Ron Paul Institute wrote the following on June 20:

“Putin is to be condemned for launching this war– as is virtually any leader who launches any war. Putin can be termed a war criminal… secondary condemnation belongs to the US (NATO) in deliberately provoking a war with Russia by implacably pushing its hostile military organization, despite Moscow’s repeated notifications about crossing red lines, right up to the gates of Russia…

“Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war… American sanctions against Russia have turned out to be far more devastating to Europe than to Russia… There are already deep cracks in the European façade of so-called ‘NATO unity.’ Western Europe will increasingly rue the day that it blindly followed the American Pied Piper to war… NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened… Europe will sooner or later return to the purchase of inexpensive Russian energy… Europe already perceives the US as a declining power… a Europe that perceives the US already in decline has a little incentive to join the bandwagon against China…

“We now see how massive US sanctions against Russia, including confiscation of Russian funds in western banks, is causing most of the world to reconsider the wisdom of banking entirely on the US dollar into the future…

“One of the most disturbing features of this US-Russian struggle in Ukraine has been the utter corruption of independent media. Indeed Washington has won the information and propaganda war hands down, orchestrating all Western media to sing from the same hymnbook in characterizing the Ukraine war… Nor, of course, is the Russian press to be trusted either… serious analysts must dig deep these days to gain some objective understanding of what is actually taking place in Ukraine…

“China and Russia have now been decisively pushed ever more closely together… That the US can split… Russian and Chinese cooperation is a fantasy. Russia has scientific brilliance, abundant energy, rich rare minerals and metals… China has the capital, the markets, and the manpower to contribute to what becomes a natural partnership across Eurasia.

“Sadly for Washington, nearly every single one of its expectations about this war are turning out to be incorrect…”

We have omitted much of the questionable rhetoric in the article, but what we published above is quite interesting. Please view our recent message, “Biden’s Ministry of Truth and Consequences of the Ukraine War.” 

Anadolu Agency reported on June 17:

“Russia is not concerned that Ukraine could get the status of a European Union candidate ‘because the EU is not a military organization,’ Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday… On future relations with Ukraine, he said Moscow remains willing to build relations with anyone, but ‘only our army and navy can be the guarantors of our security.’”

Putin Back on the World Stage

CNN wrote on June 22:

“When Russian President Vladimir Putin dials into the virtual BRICS summit hosted by Beijing on Thursday, it will be his first time attending a forum with the heads of major economies since launching an invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

“For Putin, this could offer a welcome picture: his face beamed onscreen alongside other leaders whose countries make up this acronymous grouping: China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa — a signal that Russia, though battered by sanctions and remonstrations for the invasion, is not alone.

“It’s a message that may resonate even more clearly as China and Russia, weeks before the invasion, declared their own relationship to have ’no limits,’ and as each of the BRICS leaders have avoided condemning Russia outright… and run foul of Western friends…. the decision by the group to press ahead with its 14th annual summit does reflect a view held by BRICS countries on the global order and, by extension, the situation in Ukraine, that departs from that of the West, experts say…

“The BRICS summit is followed days later by the meeting of a bloc of the world’s leading advanced economies, the Group of Seven, which have been united in their voice against Russian aggression, and kicked Moscow out of their bloc following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.”

The formation of some of the future participants of the “kings of the East” is in the making…  

UK Army Commander: Prepare to Fight in Europe in WW III

The Daily Mail wrote on June 18:

“Britain’s top army general has told his troops to prepare to fight and beat Putin’s armies in a European land war… General Sir Patrick Sanders, who assumed overall command of the British Army this week, warned soldiers ‘we are the generation that must prepare the Army to fight in Europe once again’ as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rocks global stability… ‘I am the first Chief of the General Staff since 1941 to take command of the Army in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power…

“It comes as Putin menaces NATO countries and this week taunted former Soviet states in Europe by declaring: ‘They are part of historic Russia’…”

A war on European soil will be fought in the future, involving a United States of Europe and Russia, but Britain will not be a part of that fight.

Disastrous Defeat for Macron

Breitbart wrote on June 20:

“… the French public has refused to grant President Emmanuel Macron a parliamentary majority as Marine Le Pen’s populists on the right and an ecological alliance on the left surged at the ballot box to strip the once self-described ‘Jupitarean’ leader of his ability to govern France firmly.

“Just under two months after securing a second term as President of France, Emmanuel Macron and his Ensemble! coalition have suffered a disastrous result in the final round of voting in the parliamentary elections on Sunday, securing just 245 seats, far short of the 289 necessary to maintain a governing majority…

“The night’s true victor… was perhaps Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), which saw a surprising result of 89 candidates elected to the National Assembly, the most in the history of the party…

“Though Mr Macron… had promised in 2017 that his presidency would unify France by doing ‘everything in the five years to come so there is no more reason to vote for the extremes,’  he has apparently failed on this front, with the socialist NUPES coalition headed by far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon winning 131 seats, making the hard left the largest opposition voting bloc in the parliament, should the group of socialists, communists, and greens maintain a unified front… something which could prove difficult for Mélenchon…

“The beleaguered president will most likely need to turn to the centre-right Les Republicans, meaning Macron may need to shift to the right to pass legislation [But for now, the Republicans have ruled out a partnership.] … The loss of his parliamentary majority may also see Macron diminished on the world stage… it remains to be seen how effective Macron will be at casting himself as the premier leader in Europe.

“Upon the retirement of Angela Merkel in Germany and the subsequent elevation of Social Democrat (SPD) Olaf Scholz as chancellor — who is the head of a somewhat precarious ‘traffic light’ coalition government including the Greens and the centrist-liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) — the mantle of head honcho in the European Union appeared to be within grasp for Macron. Yet, Sunday’s results may throw such a vision in doubt….”

DNYUZ wrote on June 20:

“France woke up on Monday wondering whether President Emmanuel Macron would be able to govern effectively… fueling fears of political gridlock. ‘Ungovernable!’ read the front page of Le Parisian, a daily newspaper.”

With a greatly weakened Emmanuel Macron and an indecisive and mostly inconsequential German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who follows, rather than leads, the world, without knowing it, is waiting for the beast to arrive in Europe.

Full-Fledged War Between Israel and Iran on the Horizon

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 20:

“Israel is intensifying its campaign to thwart Iran’s nuclear, missile and drone programs with a series of covert operations targeting a broader range of key targets… The new moves are the latest evolution of a strategy that has been dubbed the Octopus Doctrine by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett…

“After failed Iranian attempts in recent years to target Israeli civilians around the world, including in Africa, Asia and South America, Israel has been warning its civilians not to travel to Turkey, especially Istanbul, due to an immediate threat posed to them by Iranian units looking to harm Israelis… Israeli concerns reached a fever pitch on Friday night when Israeli officials in the Hebrew media advised Israeli tourists in Istanbul to stay in their rooms and not answer the door to strangers amid a warning that Iran had given the go-ahead for a deadly attack in Turkey… Mr. Bennett made it clear that Israel would do everything to foil those terrorist attacks…

“Israel has carried out more than 400 airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria since 2017. Most recently, Russia and Syria accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike earlier this month that shut down the international airport in Damascus. Israel and Iran have each used mines to hit their rival’s ships in waters across the Middle East. Israel says it has shot down advanced drones sent from Iran.

“Iran, in turn, has accused Israel of carrying out a massive airstrike on one of its drone facilities and retaliated for the strike by firing missiles at a compound in northern Iraq that Tehran said had been used by Mossad agents to organize the attack. Israel has used drones and sabotage—including cyberattacks—to target Iran’s nuclear and missile programs…

“The evolution of the Israeli policy comes as U.S.-led efforts to broker a new deal to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities with Iran appear to be on the brink of collapse. Iran has removed surveillance cameras from various nuclear-related sites across the country and expanded its advanced centrifuge work…”

JTA wrote on June 21:

“Israeli security forces evacuated Israeli citizens from their Istanbul hotel last week, allegedly ahead of an Iranian hit-squad that was intent on kidnapping or killing them.”

In addition, according to Israel 365 of June 17: “Israel’s actions in Jerusalem will lead to a ‘religious war… [that] will reach the US, Europe, and the entire world’… These are threats coming from PA Chairman Abbas’ official spokesmen and advisors.”

Israel Today added on June 17:

“Despite all the warm words in Jerusalem, there’s no sign that this EU hostility is about to ease… It promotes the Palestinian narrative that seeks to delegitimize Israel through lies about its ‘illegal’ settlements and alleged Israel Defense Forces’ aggression; it funds NGOs devoted to harming and destroying Israel; in an aggressive move in 2015 against Israeli ‘occupation’ of the disputed territories, it started to label products from the ‘West Bank.’… von der Leyen announced the transfer to the Palestinian Authority of some 214 million euros (about $224 million). This money had previously been frozen because of the incitement against Israel in Palestinian schoolbooks. Now it’s been unfrozen, even though the incitement remains…

“The Europeans are playing the double game so familiar in the West—pledging support for the Jewish people while empowering Israel’s mortal enemies…. This twin-track has long been the strategy of both Britain and America…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Israel Attack Iran?”. Please also note our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to Build the Third Temple in the Face of Violence?” 

Coalition in Israel Collapses

The Times of Israel wrote on June 20:

“After months of dysfunction, Israel’s 24th Knesset is set to come to an end, as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced Monday that they would submit a bill next week to voluntarily dissolve the Knesset. The dramatic joint statement by the two architects of the so-called change government, which put an end to 12 straight years of the Benjamin Netanyahu premiership, said that all efforts to save the government had been ‘exhausted,’ due to numerous rebellions by wayward MKs…

“Following the Knesset’s dissolution, Lapid is slated to become caretaker prime minister until a new government is sworn in, as per the original coalition agreement. Bennett is expected to become alternate prime minister, a post Lapid currently holds, and will also be responsible for the ‘Iran file,’ Hebrew media reports said.

“Given legal and holiday constraints, new elections are expected at the end of October, possibly the 25^th…”

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Israel moved closer on Wednesday to its fifth election in less than four years after lawmakers gave an initial nod to dissolve parliament, with a comeback by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu already dominating the campaign… The Knesset voted unanimously to dissolve in a preliminary reading of a bill expected to be finalized next week.”

Israel Today wrote on June 22:

“… elections could still be avoided if opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu succeeds in forming a government before the Knesset is dissolved. Can he do it? Netanyahu currently controls 55 Knesset seats. He needs 61, a bare minimum majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament… The other party in the opposition, the Joint List, an anti-Zionist Arab party, can be immediately ruled out as a potential partner…”

Israeli observers say that Netanyahu’s chances to form a coalition government before the final vote of the Knesset next week to dissolve parliament and set the dates for new elections are very slim…

Better Relations Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey

Reuters wrote on June 22:

“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Turkey for the first time in years on Wednesday for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan aimed at fully normalising ties that were ruptured after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi… Erdogan said last week he and Prince Mohammed would discuss ‘to what much higher level’ they can take ties during talks in Ankara…

“In a statement following the talks, the two countries emphasized determination on ushering in a new period of cooperation in bilateral relations… The two countries also discussed improving cooperation in trade and sectors such as defence, energy and tourism among others…”

The Bible prophesies the formation of a confederacy between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other nations against Israel (Psalm 83:1-8). 

“Deadliest Earthquake in Afghanistan in Two Decades”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 22:

“1,000 people died after a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan. The death toll is likely to rise as search efforts continue… The magnitude 6 quake struck around 44 kilometers (27 miles) from the city of Khost, located near the border with Pakistan…

“The disaster comes as Afghanistan battles a humanitarian and economic crisis that has worsened since the Taliban seized power last year.  Many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and the chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces from the country…

“In 2015, more than 200 people were killed in northeastern Afghanistan and neighboring northern Pakistan as a major earthquake hit. Around 1,000 people were killed in a 6.1-magnitude quake in 2002, four years after another devastating 6.1 earthquake and subsequent tremors in Afghanistan’s remote northeast killed at least 4,500 people.”

There will be “great earthquakes in various places” (Luke 21:11).

Rumors Regarding Sick Francis’s Resignation Persist

 The Daily Mail wrote on June 20:“Pope Francis has fuelled speculation that he could resign after postponing a trip to Africa and announcing an unusual meeting of cardinals. Hobbled by pain in his knee and forced to use a wheelchair in recent weeks, the 85-year-old pontiff postponed a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan last week. He also announced an unusual decision to hold a consistory to name new cardinals during a Vatican vacation month and arranged meetings to ensure his reforms stay intact. The extraordinary consistory will be held on August 27, a slow summer month at the Catholic headquarters, to create 21 new cardinals – 16 of whom will be under the age of 80, thereby eligible to elect his successor in a future conclave….

“On August 28, Francis will then pay a visit to L’Aquila and the tomb of Celestine V – the first pope to have resigned from the papacy, in the 13th century….The moves have triggered intense speculation about his plans for the future, including the most radical – that he was planning to step down. The resignation of a pope was once almost unthinkable until Benedict XVI renounced his reign in 2013, citing his declining physical and mental health….  in May, as reported by various Italian media, Francis joked about his knee during a closed-door meeting with bishops: ‘Rather than operate, I’ll resign.’

“But Vatican insiders do not yet think Francis is on the verge of handing over the papal keys… A trip to Canada at the end of July is still on the pontiff’s schedule, and the pope continues to receive injections in his knee and physical therapy, according to the Vatican.

“As a child, Francis had one of his lungs partially removed. Today, besides his knee issue, he suffers recurring sciatic nerve pain.”

When he became pope, Francis declared that his papacy would be short.

Pope No Plan to Resign?

Newsmax wrote on June 23:

“Pope Francis on Wednesday told a group of Brazilian bishops that he had no plans to step down despite recent rumors that he will resign. In a Portuguese translation of the Vatican newsletter, Archbishop Roque Paloschi said Francis told the bishops that, ‘I want to live my mission as long as God allows me and that’s it.’

“Paloschi added that ‘resignation does not cross his mind.’”

His wording, though, “as long God allows me,” is telling.

America’s Belief in God

GALLUP wrote on June 17:

“The vast majority of U.S. adults believe in God, but the 81% who do so is down six percentage points from 2017 and is the lowest in Gallup’s trend. Between 1944 and 2011, more than 90% of Americans believed in God. Gallup’s May 2-22 Values and Beliefs poll finds 17% of Americans saying they do not believe in God…

“Fewer Americans today than five years ago believe in God, and the percentage is down even more from the 1950s and 1960s when almost all Americans did. Still, the vast majority of Americans believe in God, whether that means they believe a higher power hears prayers and can intervene or not. And while belief in God has declined in recent years, Gallup has documented steeper drops in church attendance, church membership and confidence in organized religion, suggesting that the practice of religious faith may be changing more than basic faith in God.”

But the real question is, do those who believe in God believe in the true God of the Bible? Otherwise, “in vain” do they worship God, teaching for doctrines the commandments and philosophies and ideas of men.

In Favor of Killing Babies?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 17:

“[In a speech to religious conservatives in Nashville, Tennessee, Donald Trump] claimed that Democrats were in favor of killing babies… and said the education system was so distorted that teachers could not teach the Bible but were allowed to teach Kindergarten children they could pick their gender… And he repeated his… claims that his defeat to Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud…

“’Our children are captives to unhinged Marxist educators who are pushing inappropriate sexual, racial and political material on our children from the youngest possible age,’ he said… ‘The current education system is so upside down that school prayer is banned. But drag shows are absolutely allowed… The biggest applause line came when he teased a possible 2024 run, something he has floated repeatedly without yet announcing… He added that he would consider pardons for people arrested in connection with the January 6 attack...”

Supreme Court Expands Gun Rights

The Associated Press wrote on June 23:

“In a major expansion of gun rights, the Supreme Court said Thursday [in a 6-3 decision] that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense…

“Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects ‘an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.’ The decision struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry one in public. The justices said that requirement violates the Second Amendment right to ‘keep and bear arms.’… “

The New York Post added on June 23:

“In a separate opinion concurring with Thomas, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that Thursday’s ruling does not preclude state and local restrictions on gun ownership by felons and the mentally ill — or laws banning the carrying of firearms in ‘sensitive locations’ like schools and government buildings.”

Trespassing in the US Capitol

Breitbart wrote on June 17:

“The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a group of nine staffers from CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for allegedly trespassing in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night, according to Fox News…

“Fox News’s Jesse Watters reported that the Colbert staffers were let into the House office building by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). There have been calls for Schiff to resign from his post on the January 6 Committee over this breach of security. In addition, many want to see Colbert’s staffers arrested and charged with the same crimes as those who entered the Capitol on January 6.”

It is ironic that Adam Schiff is a member of the sham-and-farce-committee trying to establish Trump’s responsibility for the January 6 “insurrection.”

We Are in a Recession Now

Newsmax wrote on June 18:

“The United States may not be in an official recession yet, according to the federal government, but the nation is ‘in a recession now,’ and tens of millions of American families already believe the worst is already happening because prices are going up higher than their incomes, and their savings are being rapidly depleted, Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, told Newsmax. ‘We’re in a big mess, and we’re going to be already over the cliff on the economy,’ Forbes said…

“‘Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve believes that the only way to control inflation is by crushing demand… ‘When they talk about a soft landing or trying to slow the economy down, that means making people poor… Consumer debt is going up, and credit card debt is going up… Mortgage payments are going to be very bad when those adjustable mortgage rates are readjusted later this year… And when heating oil prices come in this winter, when you’re paying twice as much as you were before and you have to heat your home, that’s going to be a disaster…’

“Meanwhile, the government is releasing lower inflation numbers based on the ‘so-called consumer price index,’ said Forbes, so one must take the numbers with a ‘grain of salt.’ ‘What people feel is, How much are they paying for food? How much are they paying for fuel? What are they paying on their mortgage rates? What are they paying for college and the basic things that they have to do on a day-to-day basis?’

“On that level, Steve Moore, another economist, said, ‘You know the official rate is maybe 8.5%. [But] people feel it’s more like 20%, so the cost of living is going up rapidly, and what’s bad about inflation? Among other things, it’s a hidden tax and the [government’s] reckless overspending…’ This also means that even when people get pay raises, they’re still behind, according to Forbes.”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Civil War, Violence and Misery in the USA.” 

Biden’s Gas Relief as Likely as a “Purple Cow Jumping Over the Moon”

The New York Post wrote on June 22:

“President Biden repeated his charge that high gas prices are Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s fault… Gas remains almost $5 a gallon nationwide and analysts predict $6 a gallon is coming [In California, for example, the average gas price a gallon has already exceeded $6.]. A Rasmussen poll found that just 11% of voters blame Putin for gas prices; almost five times as many blame Biden.

“Another Rasmussen poll found that only 27% of likely voters approve of Biden economic policies and 74% believe the economy has ‘gotten worse’ during his presidency.

“Biden portrayed himself Wednesday as a consumer savior for proposing to suspend the 18-cent-agallon federal gasoline tax for 90 days. He said the US government could afford to suspend gas taxes (which finance highway repair) because the federal deficit declined last year. He didn’t mention that the deficit is $1 trillion this year and will surge in the coming years…

“The White House PR team should have added a drawing of a purple cow jumping over the moon. It is just as likely as Biden delivering $1-a-gallon relief. A White House economic adviser summarized the administration’s struggle on gas prices: ‘They’re fighting about narrative rather than fighting about substance … Nobody thinks there’s going to be a compelling solution.’

“While the president delivered his awkward pitch, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell demolished one of Biden’s chief talking points during testimony Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) asked him: ‘Would you say that the war in Ukraine is the primary driver of inflation in America?’ Powell replied, ‘No. Inflation was high, certainly before the war in Ukraine broke out.’”

“Joe Biden’s Political Future in Europe”

Adam Dick wrote the following in the Ron Paul Institute of June 23:

“President Joe Biden’s popularity among American voters has been in descent since he took the oath of office in January of 2021. Indeed, by May 25 of this year, Biden’s approval rating, as related by Paul Bedard in a Washington Examiner editorial, had fallen below that of every president back through Harry Truman at that point in their presidencies. And Biden’s approval rating has continued to drop since then…

“One option for the career politician who may not want to step away from the political power just yet is to look for opportunity in Europe. Less than 4 in 10 Americans polled say they support Biden, and a majority disapprove. In at least some countries in Europe, in contrast, polling suggests majority support for Biden.

“Spring polling numbers from Pew Research Center indicate confidence in Biden was at 53 percent in France, 56 percent in both Spain and Great Britain, and a whopping 64 percent in Germany…  Europe may be a land of political opportunity for Biden after so many people in his home country electorate and even in his own party have soured on the prospect of him seeking reelection as US president… Maybe Biden could even hold a high government office in Ukraine…”

It is beyond belief that Biden should have such approval rates in parts of Europe, especially Germany. It can only be explained by total ignorance and utter distortion of the facts by the mass media in those countries. The same could be said about President Clinton’s and President Obama’s incredible popularity in Germany. 

Germany’s Energy Crisis

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“The energy crisis appears to only be going from bad to worse in Germany, with the country announcing that it was triggering the second level of its three-tier gas emergency plan, with the last and final level being available to the state allowing authorities to begin rationing supply. It comes shortly after Moscow dramatically reduced the amount of gas it is supplying to the central European state, which has become heavily addicted to Russian energy exports in part as a result of the country’s obsession with its climate change agenda.

“According to a report by Die Welt, Germany’s Economics and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck announced the move to the second level of emergency powers on Thursday, with the country now aiming to fill its gas storage tanks before winter hits. ‘We are in a gas crisis. Gas is now a scarce commodity. The prices are already high and we have to be prepared for further increases,’ the publication reports Habeck as saying…. The minister then proceeded to call on ordinary Germans to cut their own energy usage…”

New Rules for Transgender Athletes

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“World swimming’s governing body FINA adopted new rules for [male-to-female] transgender athletes… only permitting swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s competitions…

“Female-to-male transgender athletes (transgender men) are eligible to compete in men’s swimming competitions, as their physical makeup at birth puts them at a disadvantage, if anything… FINA also intends to create an ‘open category’ to allow transgender athletes to compete in a separate class at elite level…

“The new rules drew mixed reactions. British swimmer Sharron Davies said that she was proud of FINA… On the other hand, advocacy group Athlete Ally called the new eligibility criteria ‘discriminatory, harmful, unscientific.’”

It is sad that in this God-defying world, these kinds of issues even exist and will have to be discussed and regulated.

Pelosi, Harris and the Drag Queens

IFN wrote on June 16:

“… the Left has been using drag queens to advance the LGBT agenda and groom our children. For example, Fisher-Price has just introduced a set of RuPaul drag queen figurines marketed to children as young as one. To celebrate Pride month this year a gay bar in Dallas, Texas, hosted a ‘family friendly’ drag show targeted at children… at the event children threw dollar bills at scantily-clad drag queens and went on stage with them. And now two prominent Democratic leaders—U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris—are proudly hanging out with drag queens to show support for the radical LGBT agenda.

“In an episode of the RuPaul Drag Race show which aired on June 10, 2022 on Paramount +, Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes a guest appearance and gives strong support to the drag queens. In the episode Pelosi states: ‘It is my honor to be here to say to all of you how proud we all are of you. Thank you for the joy and beauty you bring to the world. Your freedom of expression of yourselves in drag is what America is all about. I say that all the time to my friends in drag.’…

“Vice President Kamala Harris, however, would not let Speaker Pelosi steal the show in giving support to drag queens… Harris and her husband appeared at the Capitol Pride event in Washington, DC, and both went on stage with the drag queen winner of season thirteen’s RuPaul’s Drag Race… After the event Harris posted on Instagram a picture of herself hugging the drag queen with the words ‘Love is love. Happy Pride!’”

“That is what America is all about!” Maybe it’s true…and so, the downfall of America is irreversible. Please view our new sermon, “Rumors, Fake News and the Truth” .

No Conversion Therapy for Confused Minors

Breitbart wrote on June 18:

“The Biden administration promised this week to ban ‘conversion therapy’ for minors who claim they are members of the opposite sex… Now, in sync with pro-transgender activists and clinical organizations, President Joe Biden’s White House is using an overly broad definition of ‘conversion therapy,’ seemingly in the hopes of silencing ‘gender identity’ critics — all while promoting puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones, and even surgeries for sex-questioning youth…

“Florida Medicaid found that there is ‘low or very low quality’ evidence that so-called ‘puberty blocker’ drugs protect the mental health of minors who want to live as members of the opposite sex. Another study completed by the Heritage Foundation suggests making puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones easier for minors to access has increased youth suicide rates…

“But why is the federal government so eager [to] push gender ideology onto younger generations, while also preventing counselors and religious leaders from exploring alternatives?…  there is a great deal of money to be made from ‘gender transitions.’ A report released in December 2020 found that the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was valued at $267 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 14.4 percent from 2020 to 2027.”

It’s the same with the push for vaccines. Big Pharma makes a fortune. See below.

Covid Vaccinations for Infants

Breitbart wrote on June 19:

“The Biden administration’s long-predicted coronavirus vaccine program tailored exclusively for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers began Saturday on the back of requests from the pharmaceutical industry.

“The shots will expand the nation’s vaccination push down to children as young as six months with an estimated 18 million possible recipients to be targeted.

“President Joe Biden hailed what he called the ‘monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus,’ adding ‘for parents all over the country, this is a day of relief and celebration.’ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously recommended approval of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for use among the child target group.

“A recent survey asked parents with children under the age of five if they plan to get their youngest children vaccinated. A majority, 52 percent, said they are either not getting their children vaccinated or are ‘not sure.’ Of the 52 percent, specifically, 34 percent said they will ‘not’ get their children vaccinated, and 17 percent said they are not sure. Forty-eight percent however, said they plan to do so.

“The government has already been gearing up for the vaccine expansion, with millions of doses ordered for distribution to doctors, hospitals and community health clinics around the country.”

Another example of greed and insanity in our times. Note the next article.

Did Russia Fake Its Covid Vaccine Trial?

The Daily Mail wrote on June 21:

“Russia appears to have faked trial results of its flagship Covid vaccine, according to an analysis. A team of researchers in Australia and Singapore, who pored over the original study, have uncovered what they believe is proof the Kremlin fabricated efficacy data. Russian scientists claimed the jab produced nearly identical results across five different age groups when the trial was published last year. It sparked claims among some experts the results were ‘too good to be true’, given the tiny numbers of infections that occurred in each cohort.

“Now researchers have run the trial through a simulation model 50,000 times to test the likelihood of the results being genuine. They found the chance of replicating the same efficacy across all five age groups again was just 0.02 per cent…. Hundreds of millions of people are thought to have been vaccinated with Sputnik worldwide. Around 70 countries had placed orders worth up to £7billion before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine….”

The question is, however, how reliable and SAFE are the vaccines which have been approved by Western nations?

Lockdowns Led to Global Mental Health Crisis

Daily Mail wrote on June 21:

“Covid lockdowns have created a ‘global crisis for mental health’, the World Health Organization has admitted. An international report by the UN agency found two years of restrictions have led to ‘significant mental health consequences’, especially for young people. The WHO now estimates more than a billion people around the world are living with a mental health disorder as a result, a quarter more than pre-Covid. It said there had been an even bigger rise among children…

“Curbs imposed to control Covid led to feelings of ‘social isolation, disconnectedness and uncertainty about the future’, the report added. The admission comes despite the WHO hailing China’s lockdowns at the start of the pandemic and warning that lifting measures too early in Britain may cause a ‘deadly resurgence’ in 2020.

“Schools were closed nationally at least twice over the course of the pandemic, with students also forced to learn from home because of individual closures. More than 100 countries also shut down schools during the peak of the first wave… The most common types include anxiety, depression and developmental disorders like autism.”

The Foolishness of Man!

Germany Considering Mask Mandates for the Winter

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 18:

“The German government is considering a proposal that would require citizens to wear masks indoors every winter in anticipation of annual COVID waves.  According to German newspaper Die Welt, the proposal would require mask wearing in all public spaces, including restaurants, bars and retail stores, throughout the entire winter season of October to March. It is unclear if the proposal would extend to schools or other settings with young children.

“The justification being given for the annually renewing mandate is the idea that COVID, like the flu, experiences an uptick in cases during the cold weather, and the widely disputed idea that mandating the wearing of masks could limit the spread of the highly survivable virus… at least 47 studies have indicated that masks are ineffective at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.  An additional 32 studies… suggest that mask wearing can actually negatively impact one’s health… Many are concerned that masking has caused needless and even irreparable harm.’”

It’s mere lunacy…

Austria Scraps Unsuccessful COVID Vaccine Mandate

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 23:

“Austria is scrapping an already-suspended COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Health Minister Johannes Rauch said on Thursday. [He said:] ‘… today that means the abolition of compulsory vaccination… No one is getting vaccinated because of the compulsory vaccination…’

“Originally, the plan was to threaten those who refused vaccination with a fine of up to €3,600 ($3,780), as of March 15. But by the beginning of March there were few signs that people were responding to the possible financial penalties, and the law was suspended… In February, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen signed into law a mandate for all eligible adults over 18 in the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The move sparked fierce protests…

“Last month, Austria announced it would be dropping its mask wearing mandate  though the health ministry said it may return later in the year.”

These mandates were stupid ideas from the outset. 

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.