Far Left Wins Big in France

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) landed a surprise win over the far-right National Rally (RN) in the second round of the 2024 French legislative election…

“None of the parties had received enough seats for an absolute majority in parliament, meaning the chamber will be cut up in different political groups with vastly different stances on the issues and little history of cooperation. A hung parliament could throw French politics into chaos with weeks of deliberation to determine who will serve as prime minister. Macron, who is extremely unpopular, may have to lead the country alongside a prime minister who opposes his centrist policies.”

Breitbart wrote on July 7:

“Following the disappointing results, the leader of the populist National Rally in the French parliament, Marine Le Pen said: ‘If there were not this unnatural agreement between Macron and the far left, the National Rally would be in an absolute majority’…”

After the huge win in the first round of elections, Macron banded together with the basically radical left NFP to convince many candidates to drop out of the race, so that ultimately only three major groups remained for the second round. The NFP took first place, Macron came in second and the RN took third place. To give the NFP the victory may backfire badly on France.

Daily Mail wrote on July 7:

“The New Popular Front (NFP) was formed last month, bringing together socialists, greens, communists and the hard-left into one camp…

“Despite projections widely considered disappointing for the anti-immigration, nationalist party (RN), it still increased its seat count in parliament to an unprecedented high…

“The snap elections in this nuclear-armed nation have potential impact on the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability. They’re almost certain to undercut Macron for the remaining three years of his presidency.”

Don’t They Know Better?

Bild Online wrote on July 8:

“The victory of Marine Le Pen’s far-right party in France was prevented. Nevertheless, the election result is not good news: because the left-wing extremist election winner is not a bit better.

“Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the left-wing ‘Popular Front’, sees NATO as an enemy and supports Vladimir Putin. He incites against Israel and encourages the Hamas terrorists. He spreads anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. He hates Germany and is against German reunification. It is all the more disturbing that some German politicians are now celebrating Mélenchon’s victory… I hope that these politicians, who otherwise like to stand against ‘hatred and agitation’, just have no idea what they are celebrating… Because if they are really happy about Mélenchon’s election victory (just because he’s not right-wing!), that would be a shocking sign.

“Because unlike some German politicians, France’s Jews don’t feel like celebrating. The chief rabbi of the Great Synagogue of Paris… called on French Jews to leave the country even before the election. And not because of Marine Le Pen, whose once openly anti-Semitic party… is still a red flag for many Jews. But because of the left-wing election winner, who is now being celebrated as the savior of democracy.

“The situation of the Jewish community is desperate… ‘The Jews are in the middle because they don’t know who hates them more.’…

“How can our politicians celebrate THAT? How can they be happy about Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who does not fight fervent and violent Jew-haters but sees them as allies?…”

The Left has also won big in Britain. Note the next set of articles.

Red Wave in Britain

Breitbart wrote on July 4:

“After 14 years of failed neo-liberal governance by the Conservatives-in-name-only, the Labour Party swept to victory in Thursday’s election as anti-Tory sentiment helped boost the leftist party to win a Tony Blair-style majority. While most of Europe has shifted to the right, Britain is set for a shift to the left, as Sir Keir Starmer [met] with King Charles today at Buckingham Palace whereupon the monarch [“blessed Starmer” and appointed] the leftist Labour Party leader as the next prime minister of the country with a majority of around 170 seats… [Charles “invited Starmer to form a government.”]

“Conservative political commentator Peter Hitchens [has] warned that Sir Keir Starmer has intentionally cast himself as a boring, managerial technocrat in order to obscure his true radical nature and his alleged plans to continue with the Blairite project of dismantling British institutions. During the tenure of Blair… the UK saw wide-sweeping constitutional reforms which continue to impact the country to this day, including the creation of a Supreme Court, the creation of locally devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, giving the Bank of England the ability to set interest rates without government approval, the introduction of a minimum wage, and the expansion of criminalising so-called hate speech.

“Like Blair, Starmer has tried to put forward the image of a moderate to the public and to downplay his history as a radical Trotskyite socialist, claiming to have moderated from the days when he served as the editor of Socialist Alternative, a magazine dedicated to promoting the Pabloite brand of communism which seeks to combine socialist economic theories with the green agenda. Just four years ago, Starmer admitted to holding many of the same views as he did as a young Trot…

“As a ‘green-red’ Pabloite, it is no wonder that climate-extremist policies will likely dominate his government, with the party vowing to achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2030, a plan which will fundamentally transform the British economy, likely raising the cost of living for millions, destroying domestic industry, and making the UK more reliant on foreign powers to meet its energy demands…”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Starmer and his Labour Party, calling it “our sister party in the UK,” according to Deutsche Welle, dated July 5 [DW’s comments are also included above in brackets.]

Britain’s Political Earthquake

The Associated Press wrote on July 5:

“Britain has experienced a run of turbulent years — some of it of the Conservatives’ own making and some of it not — that has left many voters pessimistic about their country’s future. The U.K.’s exit from the European Union followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine battered the economy, while lockdown-breaching parties held by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff caused widespread anger.

“Johnson’s successor, Liz Truss, rocked the economy further with a package of drastic tax cuts and lasted just 49 days in office. Rising poverty, crumbling infrastructure and overstretched National Health Service have led to gripes about ‘Broken Britain.’…

“In a sign of the volatile public mood and anger at the system, the incoming Parliament will be more fractured and ideologically diverse than any for years…”

Subsequently, Rishi Sunak resigned as Prime Minister, but confirmed he would stay on as leader of the Tory Party… for now.

According to the Sun, dated July 5, Piers Morgan said: “It’s an earthquake. This is a political and social earthquake for this country, the likes of which I haven’t seen in my lifetime… A disaster for the Conservative Party which cannot be understated. Whichever way you look at this, it’s a seismic night.”

Starmer Scraps Plans to Send Illegals to Rwanda

Breitbart wrote on July 6:

“On his first day in office, newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reportedly scrapped the plan to send illegal boat migrants to Rwanda rather than putting them up in hotels in Britain.

“The scheme to send illegals to have their often spurious asylum claims in processing centres in the East African nation of Rwanda first put forward by ex-PM Boris Johnson in 2022 to deal with the migrant crisis in the English Channel has been abandoned by the left-wing Labour government on its first day…

“Reform UK leader Nigel Farage… claimed that Sunak had called the election early to avoid the embarrassment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocking migrant removal flights as it did in the summer of 2022, sparking years of legal wrangling and putting all removals to Rwanda on hold. However, unlike Farage, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government has rejected the notion of the UK withdrawing from the Strasbourg-based court, the membership of which was unaffected by Brexit given that the ECHR is technically a separate institution from the European Union, despite being closely aligned.

“Indeed, Starmer — a strong opponent of Brexit — has suggested that he would seek closer ties with the EU on immigration, including potentially taking in a quota of EU migrants per year in exchange for a returns policy to allow the UK to send illegals back to the bloc…

“Nigel Farage… has argued that the government should task the Royal Navy to immediately return boat migrants back to the beaches of France, and to cut off payments to Paris if the French navy continues to escort migrants into British territorial waters.”

The UK in Five Years?

Rebel News wrote on July 5:

“I fear that the new prime minister, Keir Starmer, will be a hard-left activist PM despite his lack of a mandate. He’s got the power, and that’s all communists care about.

“Expect more censorship and more Islamism, as Keir Starmer seeks to stop the draining of votes to his left. Expect the U.K. to change its foreign policy towards Israel, to bring in more grievance-based, ethnic-based law. I think you’ll see more environmental extremism…

“I fear for the U.K. over the next five years, and there will be a tipping point at which it doesn’t matter if you cut off immigration because you’ve already lost control of the country.”

Britain’s New Radical Government

Breitbart wrote on July 6:

“Sir Keir Starmer swept to power this week in Britain after the spectacular self-destruction of the Conservative Party under Rishi Sunak. Starmer has claimed to have moderated the Labour Party from the far-left extremes under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, however, others warn that the former socialist activist turned PM has merely been obscuring his true revolutionary intentions.

“Much of the actual decision-making in the UK government is farmed out to cabinet ministers…

“Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up Secretary: Angela Rayner

“An acolyte of former Labour leader and radical socialist Jeremy Corbyn, Angela Rayner is now the most powerful woman in the UK. Her views on transgenderism have put her at odds with one of the UK’s most famous feminist writers, J.K. Rowling, who has accused the Labour Party of abandoning women in favour of woke transgender ideology… Rayner is perhaps best known for her views on Conservatives, infamously branding Boris Johnson’s cabinet as ‘scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic’. Rayner also controversially joined Starmer in posing for a picture kneeling during the Marxist Black Lives Matter riots…

“Foreign Secretary: David Lammy

“Lammy, a radically anti Brexit, London-born, Guyanese-heritage alum of the Tony Blair era, has been tapped as Britain’s top diplomat. Mr Lammy may find his past comments come back to bite him as he tries to forge diplomatic ties with the likely incoming Trump administration in the United States, with the Foreign Secretary previously joining London protests against Trump and calling the U.S. president a ‘neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath’, a ‘racist’ and a ‘disgrace’…

“Home Secretary: Yvette Cooper

“Another veteran of the Blair administration, Yvette Cooper will be tasked with protecting the nation’s borders, overseeing law enforcement and matters of national security. Cooper, an opponent of Brexit, has claimed that Labour will cut immigration, however, has refused to commit to a specific cap on annual influxes of foreigners… However, some have questioned her commitment to cutting immigration given that she once posted a picture of herself holding a sign saying ‘Refugees Welcome’.

“Defense Secretary: John Healey

“An ardent supporter of the war in Ukraine, Healey will likely continue the status quo in terms of the conflict with Russia. Coming from the hawkish wing of the Labour Party, Healey voted in 2003 in favour of the UK joining the war in Iraq, a decision which he has since acknowledged was a mistake.  Healey has committed to increasing UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of the nation’s GDP, above the 2 per cent mandated by the NATO alliance agreement.

”Justice Secretary: Shabana Mahmood

“One of the first female Muslims to be elected to the British Parliament, Mahmood will be tasked with overseeing the justice system, and the prison system, and protecting civil liberties in the UK. Ahead of the election Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed a crackdown on so-called ‘Islamophobia’, which critics have warned could see the reintroduction of de-facto blasphemy laws in Britain…

“Health Secretary: Wes Streeting

“The openly gay former head of education at Stonewall, a radical LGBT charity which has been at the forefront of pushing transgender ideology in Britain, Streeting will likely be at the centre of Labour’s plans to ‘simplify’ the process for people to legally change their genders. The party has argued in favour of removing the requirement of having multiple doctors sign off on the process as well as proof of two years of living as the opposite gender…

“Education Secretary: Bridget Phillipson

“Phillipson, another leading proponent of transgender ideology, has suggested that as Education Secretary, she would scrap requirements for teachers to inform children that there are only two genders. Last month, Phillipson said that it should be acceptable for biologically male transgender individuals who have penises to use female toilets, throwing into question Labour’s supposed commitment to protecting women’s spaces.

“Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary: Ed Miliband

“The former leader of the Labour Party and former cabinet minister, Ed Miliband returns to government to lead the ‘green’ energy transition in the UK. Labour has called for carbon emissions to be cut to “Net Zero” by the end of the decade, a plan which will likely result in widespread damage to the British economy…”

As can clearly be seen from the article, the downfall of Britain is inevitable.

NATO and Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 10:

“Ukrainian President… Zelenskyy has been looking to get large numbers of Western fighter jets as the planes to fend off Russia’s invasion continues… He said Russia was able to deploy 300 aircraft a day in its continued attacks on Ukraine… The discussion is only ever about 10 or 20 aircraft, Zelenskyy said. ‘Even if there are 50, that’s nothing… Until we have 128 aircraft, we won’t be able to compete with them in the sky.’ He did not give any further details on this figure…

“[Outgoing Secretary-General NATO chief] Jens Stoltenberg said it was still too soon to say when Ukraine would become a member of the alliance, but it was firmly on the path toward that goal…

“Ukraine will be receiving dozens of tactical air defence systems in the coming months… The deliveries would include at least four of the Patriot systems that Ukraine has requested. The US, Germany and Romania will send Ukraine additional Patriot batteries… The Netherlands and others will provide Patriot components to make up one more battery. Other allies will provide other air defense systems.

“Jens Stoltenberg… announced a $43 billion (€39.7 billion) aid package to Ukraine, a reduction from previous packages that is expected to decrease further the following year. However, the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) program, which was approved in June, is set to cement assistance for Kyiv in the future in the case of a Trump presidency.”

How to End the War in 24 Hours?

Focus wrote on July 5:

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants clarity from Donald Trump on how he wants to end the war in 24 hours. ‘If Trump knows how to end this war, he should tell us today,’ Zelensky said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. ‘If there are risks to Ukraine’s independence, if we should lose our statehood – we want to be prepared for that, we want to know that.’

“The former US president and candidate for the upcoming presidential election has repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. However, Trump has never revealed any details for this claim.

“In the interview, Zelensky agreed to meet with Trump and his team and listen to their suggestions. ‘We want to understand whether we will have the powerful support of the USA in November (after the US elections) or whether we will be alone.’”

Orban Visits Putin

The Guardian wrote on July 5:

“Viktor Orbán, Europe’s most pro-Russia leader, arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Vladimir Putin, days after making his first visit to Kyiv, as the Hungarian prime minister attempts to position himself as a peace broker between Russia and Ukraine. Orbán’s trip to Moscow drew strong rebukes from fellow EU leaders and came in the week that Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year…

“Brussels was quick to denounce the visit, saying Orbán did not speak for the EU and had ‘not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow’. ‘Prime minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia … The Hungarian prime minister is thus not representing the EU in any form,’ Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, wrote in a statement.

“Hungary has been at odds with other western countries over Orbán’s continued cultivation of close ties to Russia and refusal to send arms to Ukraine… Orbán acknowledged before his unannounced trip to Moscow that he was not representing the EU… ‘You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels. Even if the rotating EU presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, we cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end,’ he told Hungary’s public radio broadcaster Kossuth.

“During his visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, Orbán said he had asked Volodymyr Zelenskiy to consider a quick ceasefire that could accelerate peace talks. Both Zelenskiy and Putin swiftly rejected Orbán’s call for a ceasefire, with the Ukrainian leader saying his country ‘cannot just trust Putin in principle’…

“Orbán’s visit is the first by an EU leader to Russia since the Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, made a fruitless effort to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion in April 2022. Friday’s trip will cause further anxiety in Brussels and in EU member states, where many are already horrified that a leader who they feel has done everything to undermine European unity and the rule of law in recent years is now the bloc’s main representative for the next six months… The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote on X: ‘Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.’”

Euractiv wrote on July 5:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin told Viktor Orbán on Friday (5 July) that Ukraine must effectively capitulate if it wants peace, in a visit to Moscow by the Hungarian leader that angered the EU, US and Kyiv… The Kremlin leader repeated his demand that Ukraine withdraw all its troops from regions that Moscow has annexed and said Kyiv was ‘not ready to drop the idea of waging war until a victorious end’.”

Modi Visits Putin

The Guardian wrote on July 4:

“Narendra Modi will visit Russia on 8 and 9 July [this visit took place, as planned] and hold talks with Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said, in the Indian prime minister’s first trip to the country since it invaded Ukraine. Modi and Putin will discuss ‘prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as relevant issues on the international and regional agenda,’ the Kremlin said in a statement.

“Modi, who was re-elected for a third term in June, last visited Moscow in 2015. He has met Putin several times since at international summits and the leaders have spoken often by phone. Monday’s trip is expected to reaffirm the longstanding ties between the two countries, which date back to the cold war. Russia remains one of India’s most important trading partners, particularly on weapons and defence…

“Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. India and China have become key buyers of Russian oil after sanctions imposed by the US and its allies that shut most western markets for Russian exports.  Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine while emphasising the need for a peaceful settlement. The partnership between Moscow and Delhi has become fraught, however, since Russia started developing closer ties with India’s main rival, China, because of the hostilities in Ukraine.”

The biblically prophesied “kings of the East” are coming together, including “kings” or leaders from Russia, China, India, North Korea and other Far Eastern nations.

Trump or Biden? Germans Like Neither

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 5:

“The future of democracy in the United States is in danger, according to 67% of those polled. US President Joe Biden is more popular in Germany than his challenger, former President Donald Trump. However, only 28% of those surveyed… think he is the more convincing candidate while 9% say the same of Trump. The majority, namely 59% of respondents, are not convinced by either candidate…

“… almost six in 10 Germans are concerned about the future development of democracy in France…

“79% of Germans are disappointed with the work of the coalition government and only 19% think the coalition… has done a good job… If general elections were to be held this week, the three coalition parties would fall far short of a majority, receiving little more support than the center-right opposition bloc [of the CDU]…

“40% of people now say they feel unsafe in public spaces. Almost four in 10 respondents believe that the CDU/CSU is the most competent party to fight crime and criminality…”

Most Germans demand new elections, but the current government under Olaf Scholz refuses to comply.

Europe’s Nuclear Future Without the USA

Politico wrote on July 4:

“Ever since the advent of nuclear arms, Europe has been protected by an American nuclear umbrella. It was the United States that promised NATO allies that any nuclear aggression by the Soviet Union, and later, by Russia, would be answered with a barrage of U.S. missiles… But now, some European countries have begun to question whether that nuclear status quo will hold much longer…

“With the strong possibility that Trump could be reelected in November, European officials have reluctantly — and quietly — begun to debate whether Europe should do something that’s been unthinkable for most of NATO’s existence: develop a security architecture that’s not so dependent on the United States, including for nuclear deterrence…

“…some European countries have been modernizing their aircraft fleets, upgrading the warplanes they use to deliver American nuclear missiles stationed on allies’ territory as part of NATO’s ‘nuclear sharing’ program. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are part of the program, and Poland has been eager to join.

“… nuclear deterrence depends on political credibility, and there’s an unspoken fear in Europe that Trump would be less willing to come to the aid of European allies than his predecessors. Would Putin be so confident that Trump would be willing to risk a nuclear war to save Estonia?… Germany currently has an estimated 20 American tactical nuclear bombs stationed at the Büchel airbase in Rhineland-Palatinate. Washington retains control over the weapons’ use, but German Tornado bombers — meant to be replaced by American-made F-35s in the coming years — can carry them if needed…

“In late February 2022, Scholz announced that Germany would be upgrading its nuclear-capable warplanes… the future of Europe’s nuclear deterrence is being debated inside a few security policy think tanks, university faculties and specialist conferences in Germany… there’s the fact that it’s still not clear just what Trump might do vis-a-vis Europe in a second term…”

German-Turkish Controversy

The Guardian wrote on July 4:

“Turkey’s ambassador to Germany has been summoned to the foreign ministry in Berlin over the rightwing extremist ‘wolf salute’ displayed by the Turkish footballer Merih Demiral, as his goal celebration at the European Championship became the subject of diplomatic exchange… The Grey Wolves are classified as a rightwing extremist group with 18,500 to 20,000 members in Germany… However, neither the group nor the symbol are banned in Germany, unlike in neighbouring Austria and France, despite years of debate about doing so…

“Turks make up the largest single ethnic minority in Germany – 1.54 million in addition to 1.4 million German citizens who are of Turkish descent…

“Turkey’s president… Erdoğan has made a last-minute adjustment to his travel plans to allow him to fly to Berlin en route to Azerbaijan, to attend the national team’s quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday evening. Erdoğan was said by insiders to have made the decision in reaction to the fallout from the Demiral salute, telling his advisers he wanted to give the team his backing…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 4:

“Ankara has defended the Turkish player, describing Berlin’s reaction as ‘xenophobia.’ Ankara summoned the German ambassador on Wednesday over the reaction to Demiral’s gesture. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry later defended Demiral, saying the gesture he made was a historical and cultural symbol that did not target anyone during his celebration of joy.”

It was announced that Demiral was barred from playing at the European Championship tournament for two consecutive games. According to Die Welt, dated July 5, Erdoğan defended Demiral and continued: “Does anyone say anything about the fact that there is an eagle on the German jerseys? Does anyone say anything about the fact that there is a rooster on the French jerseys and why they act like roosters?”

Die Welt wrote on July 6:

“The former German national soccer player Mesut Özil [who also supports Erdogan and] who played 92 international matches for Germany in his career and became world champion in 2014, has a tattoo on his left chest above the heart that shows the symbols of the Gray Wolves… As a ‘scandal ‘ Turkish broadcaster TRT called the decision [by UEFA to ban Demirai]; the president of the football association… called it ‘unacceptable, illegal and political’.”

Erdogan attended the game with his wife. He did not show the wolf salute, but numerous Turkish fans in the stadium did. Turkey lost the game against The Netherlands.

Compulsory Military Service for German Men and Women?

The Telegraph wrote on July 4:

“A German general said women should be conscripted into the armed forces as part of plans to revive national service and counter Russian aggression. Carsten Breuer, the Bundeswehr chief of defence, said that in the interests of equality women should be drafted into the army and that national service for both sexes should be compulsory…

“Germany is on a mission to expand its army, with ambitions to become Europe’s biggest military spender… Gen Breuer said Germany needed 100,000 volunteers for an effective conscription force but it would struggle unless national service was made compulsory…

“Gen Breuer said he had ‘no doubt’ his army could repel a Russian invasion on Nato’s eastern flank, even if it occurred in the near future. ‘The paramount importance [is] achieving the readiness of Germany’s armed forces within the next five years. We call this kriegstüchtigkeit – being ready, capable and willing to fight. We are on the right track,’ he said.”

Express wrote on July 10:

“Germany’s attempts to bring its society to ‘war readiness’ are being stifled by real-term cuts to the country’s military budget…

“Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, reportedly wanted about £5 billion a year on top of the ministry’s £44bn budget to boost the country’s defence amid growing tensions between the Western military alliance and Russia. Weeks of negotiations between the governing coalition parties, however, granted the defence ministry just over £1 billion, not enough to cover the 2.2 percent annualised inflation rates of surging weapon prices.

“This massive blow came alongside reports Mr Pistorius’ plans to reintroduce a form of conscription in Germany from next year will need to be watered down. Leading ministers of the liberal FDP, part of the governing alliance with Olaf Scholz’s SPD and the Greens, have spoken out against the plan’s compulsory aspects, according to German news outlet Welt wrote.”

President Kamala Harris? A Total Disaster!

The New York Post wrote on July 4:

“After three and a half years of being lukewarm on Kamala Harris, Democrats are suddenly hot hot hot for the Vice President. The party is in full panic mode… Dems are now desperately trying to make Kamala happen…

“Harris, lover of Venn diagrams, school buses and recycling nonsensical phrases is always looking to be ‘unburdened by what has been’ — except her inartful command of the English language. She is our nation’s foremost purveyor of word salads, gifting us volumes of unintelligible verbal pileups completely devoid of meaning…

“Most of her speeches bring to mind the principal in ‘Billy Madison,’ who in his candid assessment of Adam Sandler’s character says, ‘At no point in your rambling, incoherent response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.’

“And yet, the Dems want to sell her as their big hope… Let’s be honest. In a debate, cackling Kamala will be shredded by Trump, a man who has about ten words in his lexicon but deploys them effectively, if not crudely…

“Beyond her blunders and ambition, she’s simply not a gifted politician. She was polling at a measly 3% before dropping out of the 2020 presidential race… Her management style has been called into question as staff defections mounted in the first two years of the administration… Then there’s the glaring migrant problem. She was appointed the border czar in March 2021, and failed to visit the U.S. Mexico border for months…

“Biden, in the heat of the 2020 racial madness, promised to pick a running mate, not by qualifications but by immutable characteristics — a woman and as the pressure mounted, a woman of color… But she is simply not presidential material and no amount of hype will get her over the line. We all know it.”

On July 5, during his first nationally televised interview after his devastating debate, he defiantly said to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he was “completely” ruling out quitting his 2024 bid. He said he might only do so if the Lord Almighty came out to tell him so, but “the Lord Almighty’s not coming down.”

Even left-wing outlets concluded that Biden is in complete denial. In addition, several Democrats on Capitol Hill expressed concern after the interview and repeated their call for Biden to step aside.

Media Guilty

Professor Turley wrote the following in an article published by the Ron Paul Institute on July 5:

“… the media is still struggling to explain to the public why they did not disclose the President’s condition earlier while promulgating the ‘cheap fake’ narrative. For weeks heading into the debate, media outlets repeated the claim that videos showing Biden’s confusion were false and misleading.

“Some are now reportedly admitting that they did not want to confirm ‘right-wing media’ accounts — an admission of shaping the news for political purposes.”

Piers Morgan wrote on July 9 in the New York Post:

“With all due respect to my esteemed media colleagues [in the USA], [they’ve] all known the truth about Biden’s fast-deteriorating physical condition and clear early dementia for several years, because he’s been literally showing them the evidence on an almost daily basis… And for telling the truth, we were branded liars, and scaremongers, and partisan pro-Republican hacks trying to distract from the real story — Trump.

“Now those who screamed loudest about Biden being fit and well for office are the same ones screaming the loudest about why he must quit the 2024 race because he’s unwell and unfit for office. This is not because they give a… about his health or want to finally be honest about it with the American people, but because they’ve belatedly realized that he can’t beat Donald Trump.

“It’s been a repulsive conspiracy of collusion, and to borrow the words of Lord Byron, their crocodile tears are ‘horrid and hideous.’”

Biden’s Inner Circle Hides the Truth

Daily Mail wrote on July 9:

“Members of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s inner circle of staff have been working for years to conceal the aging commander-in-chief’s cognitive decline from the public, according to a shocking new report. There has been increased scrutiny over 81-year-old Biden’s ability to continue in the Oval Office in the wake of his disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump in June.  Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Biden’s inner circle… have been working as ‘gatekeepers for the president.’

“The group uses a range of tactics, including scheduling only early meetings, not taking unvetted questions in public forums and declining high profile interviews with respected journalists. The group’s worries are not just over Biden’s mental abilities but also physical. A mooted plan to make a cross country journey to promote an infrastructure bill was nixed over concerns regarding his physical stamina…”

Big Pharma Responsible for Many Diseases?

Report 24 wrote on July 5:

“Donald Trump addresses the ‘unexplained’ growth of chronic diseases. The Republican presidential candidate wants to set up an investigative commission to investigate the extent to which Big Pharma can be blamed for problems such as autism, allergies, infertility and obesity… ‘We have seen a stunning increase in autism, autoimmune diseases, obesity, infertility, severe allergies and respiratory problems ‘ said Trump. ‘It’s time to ask what’s going on here?’

“The Republican, who bowed to pressure from Pfizer, Moderna & Co during Corona times, announced that he would open an investigation if he became President of the United States. He blames food, environmental factors and certain medications for the ‘epidemic’ of chronic diseases in the United States. “Every year we spend hundreds of billions of dollars treating these chronic problems instead of studying what’s causing them in the first place,” Trump said.

“He continued: ‘Too often our public health system is too close to Big Pharma – you make a lot of money, Big Pharma. Big corporations and other interest groups don’t want to ask the hard questions about what is happening to our children’s health. When Big Pharma defrauds American patients and taxpayers and puts profits over people, they must be investigated and held accountable…’

“If Donald Trump were to be re-elected President of the United States and actually install such a commission, this would definitely be a big step towards a largely independent control body. And who knows, maybe this would finally put some pressure on Big Pharma to produce better quality at cheaper prices.”

Iran’s New President

Reuters reported on July 6:

“Iran’s president-elect, a relative moderate who beat a hardline rival to win election but who will likely be constrained in how much change he can effect, urged Iranians on Saturday to stick with him on ‘the difficult road ahead’. Masoud Pezeshkian, the sole moderate in the original field of four candidates, won Friday’s run-off presidential vote… He will replace hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May.

“Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon, has pledged to promote a pragmatic foreign policy, ease tensions over now-stalled negotiations with major powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact and improve prospects for social liberalisation and political pluralism. However many Iranians are sceptical about his ability to fulfil his campaign promises as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not the president, is the ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic…

“Under Iran’s dual system of clerical and republican rule, the president cannot usher in any major policy shift on Iran’s nuclear programme or support for militia groups across the Middle East, since Khamenei calls all the shots on top state matters… Pezeshkian is faithful to Iran’s theocratic rule and has no intention of confronting the powerful security hawks and clerical rulers.

“Foreign leaders sent congratulatory messages to Pezeshkian, among them Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

Viganò Excommunicated

Breitbart wrote on July 5:

 “The Vatican’s doctrinal office has found former papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of ‘schism,’ declaring him excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Viganò’s ‘public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well known,’ [the] Vatican statement reads…

“The excommunicated person no longer belongs to the Church and is forbidden from receiving the sacraments… Viganò also criticized what he called ‘the deviated wing of the Society of Jesus [Jesuits],’ which has unfortunately become ‘a majority.’ Among these is Father James Martin, S.J., Viganò stated, a ‘well-known activist who promotes the LGBT agenda, chosen to corrupt the young people who will soon gather in Dublin for the World Meeting of Families.’… ‘I say to my brother Bishops: “If you are silent, the stones will cry out’ (Lk 19:40),”’ he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).”

The Associated Press added:

“About an hour before the Vatican decree was made public, he announced he would be celebrating a Mass on Friday for those who have been supporting him and asked for donations.”

Criminal Cartels in Mexico

MSN wrote on July 5:

“While it may sound surprising for Mexico’s drug cartels to be involved in internet service, those who follow the criminal groups’ activities aren’t at all surprised… Some gangs were involved in, for example, fuel theft, others were involved in vehicle theft and others specialized in robbing public transportation… Besides the billions of dollars cartels make from the drug trafficking industry… [they are also] involved in many illegal ventures that result in profits [including] engaged in extortion, the theft of petroleum and ores, weapons trafficking, migrant smuggling, and prostitution…

“Fuel theft… is a highly profitable activity for organized crime groups. In the first nine months of 2022, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Premex, lost $730 million from illegal pipeline taps… Mexico’s multibillion-dollar avocado industry, which continues to break records for exports every year, has also been one of the main targets for drug cartels… Extortion from cartels affects nearly 20,000 tortillerías, directly impacting the prices paid by Mexicans… establishments must pay between $135 and $190 weekly to multiple criminal groups to continue operating…

“In the past few years, extortions have been on the rise. Depending on the areas, some establishments would receive calls, emails, or in-person visits from armed men asking for the cartel’s fee… In Mexico City, there are many criminal organizations involved in activities such as drug dealing, but also charging extortion fees to small business owners like tortilla shops, street vendors, and taxi drivers.”

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.

Le Pen Wins and Macron Loses

Daily Mail wrote on June 30:

“Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) won the first round of legislative elections on Sunday, leaving incumbent president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lagging in third behind the left…

“Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and other economic concerns, as well as Macron’s leadership, seen as arrogant and out-of-touch with their lives. The National Rally party has tapped that discontent… Le Pen, the daughter of the party’s racist and anti-Semitic father Jean-Marie, said Macron’s alliance was ‘almost wiped out’ during the first round of voting.  

“The first round of this year’s election, called by Macron after a devastating loss in the European Parliament elections earlier this month, saw record levels of turnout. Polls suggested 67.5% of people voted in the national election, the highest participation in a regular format legislative election in France since 1981. The final turnout in 2022, the last time national elections were held in the nation, was just 47.5%.

“Despite the win, it is still not currently clear whether Le Pen’s party would win an absolute majority of seats in the new National Assembly lower house in the July 7 second round and claim the post of prime minister. The second round will see run-off votes take place in seats where there was no absolute majority, allowing the final shape of the National Assembly to form.  

“The vote could give 28-year-old RN party chief Jordan Bardella, a protege of its longtime leader Marine Le Pen, the chance to form a government, making it the first time the far-right takes the reins of power in France since the Nazi occupation during WWII. The last far-right leaders of France were Philippe Pétai and his prime minister, Pierre Laval, who headed the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. 

“Bardella has previously said he would only form a government if the RN wins an absolute majority in the elections, but the party has said that the far-right wunderkind would become the country’s prime minister, while Macron would stay president until his term expires in 2027 in an awkward power-sharing arrangement called ‘cohabitation’ in France.  Gabriel Attal, France’s current prime minister, said tonight that the ‘extreme right is on the verge of power’…

“Despite his humiliating third-place finish in the first round of voting, Macron called for a broad coalition to come together to stop the RN next weekend… Bardella hit back, telling voters that he would be the ‘protector’ of their rights and freedoms….”

The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28% and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists, who scored just 20%.

How the French Voting System Works

The Sun wrote on July 1:

“THE French public choose their president and MPs in separate elections – unlike in the UK where the country’s leader, the PM, is determined by which party has a majority in parliament. There are 577 seats – and constituencies – in France’s National Assembly. For an absolute majority in government a party would need 289 seats.

“France’s parliamentary elections are made up of two rounds, with the first kicking out anyone who fails to win 12.5% of votes in their area. If any candidates get more than 50% of the vote in their area, and at least a quarter of the local voter pool turns out to cast their ballot, they win a seat automatically. This doesn’t happen very often, but RN thinks this time it could happen in dozens of seats.

“The second round, for any seats which candidates do not win outright, is then a series of knock-outs fought either by two, three or sometimes four candidates.

“Some candidates may drop out before the second round on July 7 to give their allies a better chance over another candidate in a three or four-way race. French leaders are urging candidates and voters to act tactically to stop the far-right surge.”

French Press Blasts Macron

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“France’s establishment in shock! Will the right-wing populist party ‘Rassemblement National’ actually produce the prime minister? That’s what it looks like!…

“The press has identified a clear culprit: President Emmanuel Macron (46). And a very large part of the population is also angry and blames him for the rise of the right… Not only did he dissolve the National Assembly and thus initiate early elections, which only had 20 days to prepare – he also lost them by a huge margin!…

“’Le Figaro’ titles its commentary: ‘A French Tragedy’ and writes: ‘When historians look back on the dissolution of Parliament, only one word will come to mind: disaster!’ ‘What a field of rubble!’, says indignantly its Editor-in-chief and sarcastically writes ‘Thank Macron’ for the ‘regime crisis’…

“But between the right-wing populists (RN) and the left-wing extremists (‘New Popular Front’), it is clear to the ‘Figaro’ boss who is the lesser evil: ‘The RN’s program is certainly worrying in many ways, but on the other side [there is] anti-Semitism, Islamist leftism, hateful class struggle, tax hysteria… An ideology that would bring shame and ruin to the country.’… ‘End of an era’, writes the business newspaper ‘Les Échos’. However, the newspaper does not call for a blockade with the left. Reason: the left-wing extremists are simply not electable. Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is ‘a scarecrow’, his candidates wearing Palestine scarves are ‘just there to shock’, but otherwise have no political concepts.

“Politico… headlines: ‘Macron is already over. Can someone stop Le Pen?’ It also takes a hard stance against Macron: ‘The first round of the parliamentary elections on Sunday was a personal humiliation, just like his breathtaking rise to the presidency seven years ago.’ Now Emmanuel Macron is ‘facing a bitter, painful one…. Should he do everything he can to stop the far right or try to save what’s left of his once-dominant movement before it dies?’

“Many media outlets agree that Macron completely lost his gamble by dissolving Parliament after the EU elections. Die Zeit wonders what Macron was doing: ‘Rarely has a single man in a Western democracy made such a solitary decision. Whether due to overconfidence, hurt pride or other motives – this question will concern historians.’”

There is an interesting parallel to the situation prior to and leading to Hitler’s election in 1933. At that time, it was basically a fight between right-wing and left-wing extremists in Germany.

Terror Threat in Germany

Newsmax wrote on July 1:

“CNN reported Sunday that several U.S. military bases in Europe had detected terror threats on the continent… The U.S. Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany… raised its alert level to Force Protection Condition ‘Charlie’ on Sunday. In its report, CNN noted it is ‘not clear what intelligence triggered the heightened security.’

“Nonetheless, in light of the Paris Olympics in July and the European soccer championships in Germany, both countries are said to be putting in place active security measures. Germany is planning to roll out an additional wave of police officers, and France is also said to be taking precautionary measures. ‘French authorities actively monitor terrorist threats from organized groups and radicalized individuals,’ the U.S. Embassy in France said.  ’Attacks may happen with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, major sporting and cultural events, and other public areas that attract large numbers of civilians.’”

This is the second-highest alert. The highest alert pertains to a situation when a terror attack has occurred or when it is imminent to occur immediately.

Political Proceedings Against Höcke?

Bild Online wrote on July 1:

“The Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke (52) was sentenced to the next fine on Monday for using a Nazi slogan. The Halle regional court also found the AfD politician guilty in the second trial for using the symbols of unconstitutional organizations and imposed a fine totaling 16,900 euros. The 5th Criminal Chamber… saw it as proven that the AfD right-wing extremist had shouted ‘Everything for Germany’, a slogan of Adolf Hitler’s… Sturmabteilung (SA), with the help of his listeners, at his party’s regular meeting in Gera (Thuringia) in December 2023…

“Höcke first shouted the slogan in 2021 during an AfD election event in Merseburg (Saxony-Anhalt). At the first trial in May, Höcke was sentenced to a fine of 13,000 euros. In both cases he must also bear the costs of the procedure. The politician’s lawyers immediately filed an appeal against the May verdict. This judgment should be reviewed by the Federal Court of Justice.

“It is also expected that Höcke’s lawyers will appeal the second judgment handed down on Monday.

“In his final words, read from index cards, the politician asked the court – like his two lawyers before him – for an acquittal“.

In his closing statement, Höcke accused the court and, above all, the public prosecutor’s office of conducting a ‘political trial’ against him. He complained that the separation of powers in Germany was ‘broken in many places’ and that his proceedings ‘reeked of influencing the judiciary.’…”

As we have previously reported, it was largely unknown in Germany that the slogan “Everything for Germany” was allegedly a banned slogan from the Nazi era.

Hungary at the Helm

The Washington Post wrote on July 1:

“Hungary has spent the past few years railing against the European Union. For the next six months, Hungary will help lead it — and it’s set to be a wild and revealing ride. On July 1, Hungary, the E.U.’s disrupter-in-chief, takes up the rotating presidency of the Council of the E.U., a job that shapes the E.U. agenda but rarely makes headlines beyond sleepy Brussels.

“But the country’s slogan for its stint — ‘Make Europe Great Again’ — suggests Hungary plans to make the most of its turn at the E.U. microphone, likely by taunting E.U. allies and talking up a resurgent right. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes center stage at a moment when the success of hard- and far-right parties in recent elections has shaken Europe’s establishment and the world is mulling the possible return of a different populist firebrand, former president Donald Trump… Orban has strong ties to Trump’s political movement…

“Orban and the E.U. have been feuding for years, but he is particularly unpopular in Brussels right now because he’s held up financial support for Ukraine.

“… over the next six months, Hungary will need to find a balance between lambasting the E.U. and using it to promote its interests…”

In spite of Hungary’s ongoing quarrels with the EU, we do not foresee Hungary’s departure from the EU. Rather, it is conceivable that Hungary will play an important future role within the core nations of Europe.

Orban Visits Zelenskyy

The Associated Press wrote on July 2:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022… the main topic of the meeting will be the opportunity for building peace as Ukraine fights off Russia’s invasion…

“Orbán’s visit was a rare gesture in a relationship that has long been marred by tensions. Known as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest EU ally, Orbán has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to extend assistance to Ukraine and to sanction Moscow over its war, frustrating both Zelenskyy and other EU leaders.

“He has also accused Kyiv of mistreating an ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s western region of Zakarpattia, a community he has used to justify his refusal to provide weapons to Ukraine or allow their transfer across the two countries’ shared border…

“Orbán’s visit also comes as he seeks to recruit members into a new nationalist alliance that he hopes will soon become the largest right-wing group in the European Parliament. On Sunday, Orbán met in Vienna with the leaders of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, announcing the formation of the new group, ‘Patriots for Europe.’ The trio would need to attract lawmakers from at least four more EU countries to successfully form a group in Europe’s new parliament…”

Biden Must Go…

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on June 27:

“Millions just witnessed the end of a presidency live on television. Joe Biden’s performance during the debate was embarrassing… The administration can’t say it’s a ‘cheap fake’ — everyone saw it happen. Biden can’t survive this.

“It is political malpractice to let him continue to run for re-election. It is national malpractice to let him continue. Biden spent an entire week preparing for this debate, and this is the best he could do. That should terrify everyone.

“Let’s say that, shockingly, Democrats don’t intervene to replace President Biden as their candidate. Say, implausibly, 81-year-old Biden wins. He won’t be getting any sharper. During a second term, our president would continue to deteriorate, incapable of making proper decisions. That would be a disaster for the United States…

“Biden was so mumbling, so doddering, so lacking in command of the facts that it overshadowed everything… No wonder the White House keeps him hidden, away from the press and public events. The Democratic elite are pulling a con job on the American people, and it was exposed last night.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 29:

“‘There is nothing to sugarcoat here: This debate was a disaster for Joe Biden,’ said Ines Pohl, bureau chief of DW’s Washington D.C. studio. ‘The main objective for Biden tonight was to demonstrate that he is fit for office, but he failed miserably’… ‘The Democrats are in a state of panic.’’

What an Awful Choice!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 29:

“This week’s presidential debate made me both horrified and dismayed. Here was the world’s most powerful nation trying to decide which elderly candidate to select as its presidential candidate. Joe Biden was left looking feeble and halting before the bombastic Trump. At least Trump made some sense in what he said whether true or false…

“Few should doubt that President Biden is much too old for a second term… Democrats badly need a new leader…

“What a dark time in US history. America seems to be going the way of the old Soviet Union, with a decrepit leadership sitting atop a sea of corruption… Those who do not love the United States must be very happy now. Things could only get worse.”

They will. And Biden’s claim during the debate that the USA is respected in the world today was laughable.

Piers Morgan’s Take

He wrote in The Sun, on June 29:

“This wasn’t a mere car crash or train-wreck, as some are saying… It was a political earthquake of Biblical-level proportions. Only this quake lasted just 16 seconds. That’s how long it took Joe Biden to show horrified Americans, and the watching world, he is no longer fit to serve as President of the United States… And from that moment, which came just a few minutes into the 90-minute debate, Biden was a dead man walking, both metaphorically and sadly, almost literally…

“Biden stumbled on like a guy with senile dementia who’s escaped from his carer – and got lost in a hospital corridor…

“Setting aside political partisanship, this was a desperately sad moment for America… Frankly, I wouldn’t trust Joe Biden to even sit in a rocking chair without tumbling out of it, let alone have his supposed Commander-in-Chief fingers anywhere near a nuclear trigger.

“And shame on the First Lady, Jill Biden, for not stepping in before to save her husband from himself and such hideous ignominy…”

Jill Biden Should Persuade Her Husband to Pull Out of the Race

The Telegraph wrote on June 29:

“Jill Biden is under fire from Democrat donors for refusing to advise the president to pull out of the 2024 presidential race… Mrs Biden is considered to be the most influential voice in the president’s tight inner circle… On Saturday, several Silicon Valley ‘megadonors’ were trying to reach the first lady in an attempt to persuade her to convince Mr Biden to end his campaign in favour of a younger candidate, the [New York Times]  said…

“Mr Biden could be replaced by his vice president, Kamala Harris, though there are concerns she would prove even less popular than he is. Other options include Gavin Newsom, the charismatic governor of California, though he remains vocally supportive of the president staying in the race. Experts say it would be virtually impossible for the Democrats to oust Mr Biden at this late stage of the campaign, and that in reality the decision lies solely with the president…

“On Saturday, one poll revealed that 60 per cent of US voters believe Mr Biden should drop out of the race.”

Another poll reported that 72% want him out.

Biden’s Tall Tales

Report 24 wrote on June 29:

“After the disastrous debate for Joe Biden…, the global system media spread the narrative almost word for word: ‘Biden was weak, Trump lied’. The left-wing broadcaster CNN, of all people, destroys this fairy tale – it meticulously lists how many statements the darling of the left, Joe Biden, lied about…

“The fact that politically left-wing, globalist politicians in particular lie completely shamelessly and have these lies spread by bought journalists is nothing new. The fact that even this media is abandoning him has a new quality and suggests that Biden may soon be abandoned…

“Biden claimed that he was the only president during whose term no soldiers had to die anywhere in the world. In fact, it was Donald Trump who was almost the only US president in recent decades not to start a new war and not to order a counterattack even after an attack by Iran…

“This was followed by a series of false statements about the US healthcare system, where he made serious errors – he mixed up $15 and $35 for insulin and $200 and $2,000 for medication. Even the statements that fewer illegal immigrants came to the USA under his administration than under Trump were not accepted by the left-wing CNN, which was a minor sensation. In fact, millions of illegal immigrants are streaming into the USA and are causing massive social tensions.

“Under Biden, unemployment in the US rose rapidly. To disguise this, Biden boldly claimed that unemployment was 15 percent when he took office – in fact, he took office from Trump with unemployment at just 6 percent. Relative to the population of the United States, this is a brutal attempt to defraud the public.

“Biden also claimed that Donald Trump would want to abolish people’s already very poor social security in the USA, which is a clear lie. He also lied about the income taxes of US billionaires. The Covid period was also part of the demented US President’s cheeky tall tales. He claimed that Trump had demanded that Americans be injected with bleach – another free invention.”

Also note the next article.

Biden and His Life of Lies

On July 1, The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine:

“Under the thrall of her Rasputin-like adviser Anthony Bernal, the first lady is acting as if she is the candidate — at the expense of her husband and the country. She is the keeper of Biden delusions. ‘Joe, you did such a great job,’ she shrieked after commandeering the microphone at the debate after-party in Atlanta, as her downcast husband stood on stage gaping at her uncomprehendingly. ‘You answered every question!’ she gushed in a gratingly patronizing tone, like a nursery schoolteacher who hates kids. The whole world knew he did a terrible job. Even Joe knew. 

“But that’s the problem with habitual lying. It swallows you in delusion eventually. 

“You could see the emergence of Jill’s rival court in recent months as Joe faded and she embarked on a frenetic round of solo campaigning, always with Bernal, whom she calls her ‘work husband.’ Bernal was by her side when she swanned into Hunter’s gun trial in Wilmington in her finest designer threads last month to project presidential power on the yokels in the jury. You can see how she depends on Bernal by the knowing glances they exchange when Joe is going off the rails, as he did at Waffle House where they dragged him after the debate when he should have been in bed. As Joe babbled to random customers, Bernal turned to look at Jill and raised both eyebrows in an expression of alarm…

“The problem is that the reality of Dr. Jill doesn’t measure up to her delusions of grandeur. She will never be the candidate, no matter how many upbeat polls Bernal shows her about her popularity with suburban women. She’s not helping her husband or the country…

“Joe and his boosters pretend that he is ‘decent’ while Trump is morally deranged. Yet Trump has five well-adjusted adult children who adore him, while Biden’s two adult children are drug addicts, and Hunter got his widowed sister-in-law hooked on crack when he had an affair with her… Joe has lied for so long that he has come to believe his own lies — his uncle was eaten by cannibals, he was top of his class, he grew up in the black church, his father was a coal miner. The problem is that lies are contagious. Clearly the Biden family is afflicted…

“Worse still, there is contagion for all of us when we have a commander in chief who is a habitual liar. It sickens a nation… Ultimately lies become self-delusion and the habitual liar loses the ability to discern fact from fiction. It gets worse as the brain ages. Lies eventually impair the memory because it is too hard to keep track. 

“A lifetime of lies came crashing down on Joe Biden Thursday night in a display that can never be unseen. Lies have consequences.”

It was also reported that on Sunday, the Biden family encouraged Joe Biden to stay in the race. According to Breitbart, dated June 30, “[Convicted felon] Hunter Biden was described as being ‘one of the strongest voices’ [within the Biden “crime family”, according to Breitbart] encouraging the president not to drop out of the presidential race.”  The Guardian added that “senior democrats and donors have expressed exasperation at how his staff prepared him for the event.”

In addition, Obama and Bill Clinton are supporting Biden’s ongoing race.

Please read our editorial in this issue, titled, “Stop Lying!”

Europeans Respond

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“European politicians, already drowning in multiple crises of their own, were left shell-shocked and aghast at Joe Biden’s meandering performance…,  aware that a second Trump term had drawn that much nearer – with all that this implies for the rise of populism in the continent, the future of Nato, and for Ukraine and the Middle East.

“The voices of despair came from across the mainstream political spectrum, interspersed with the… call for Europe to prepare even more intensively for a Trump second coming… The German CDU foreign policy specialist Norbert Röttgen said: ‘This night will not be forgotten…’”

Biden Should Abdicate

Bild Online wrote on June 29:

“Doubts and concerns about Biden’s constitution and the outcome of the 2024 presidential election race are also growing in German politics. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (45, FDP) told BILD: ‘Concerns about the USA have not diminished after the TV debate, but now it’s really big.’… CDU party leader Friedrich Merz (68) said about the debate on the ARD talk show ‘3nach9’: ‘I was a bit afraid that it would go like this.’ Merz continued: ‘Biden is an old man, one asks oneself: Is he still up to the job?’”

Welt Online wrote on June 28:

“The TV duel was a disaster for the US President and a bad evening for many in the West. The media has too often been blind in glorifying Joe Biden – and blind with anger when it comes to Donald Trump. This is now taking its toll.”

ntv wrote on June 28:

“Biden’s popularity ratings were already in the basement before the debate. In many polls he is behind Trump. If Biden wants Trump not to become the next US president, if, as he said, he wants to save the soul of America, if he wants to preserve the democracy of the US, then this is the best way: he has to give up the candidacy… With that, Biden would be doing a great service not only to himself but also to his country.”

Supreme Court: Trump Immune from Criminal Prosecution

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of former President Donald Trump on Monday, holding in a 6-3 decision that presidents are covered by limited immunity from criminal prosecutions for actions taken while in office. The Court held, according to the summary of the decision: ‘Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.’

“The Court also ruled that a president is entitled to a pretrial hearing on immunity that can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court before a trial begins. This means that any trial of the former president will take place after the November 5, 2024, election...

“The case will now be remanded, and will likely result in the dismissal of some or all of the charges facing the former president in federal court in Washington, D.C., relating to the Capitol riot of January 6.”

Sentencing of Trump’s “hush money case” was delayed until September 18, if sentencing “is still necessary,” in light of the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity.

Another Legal Victory for Trump

NBC News wrote on June 28:

“The Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a former police officer who is seeking to throw out an obstruction charge for joining the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The justices in a 6-3 vote on nonideological lines handed a win to defendant Joseph Fisher who is among hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Donald Trump — who have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding over the effort to prevent Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

“The court concluded that the law… was only intended to apply to more limited circumstances involving forms of evidence tampering, not the much broader array of situations that prosecutors had claimed it covered. The court sent the case back to lower courts for further proceedings on whether the Justice Department could still prosecute Fischer under the new interpretation of the law.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that he was disappointed by the decision because of the impact it would have on the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 cases, although he stressed it would not affect the bulk of them…

“Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that the government’s view of the law’s reach ‘defies the most plausible understanding’ of the statute in question, 18 U.S. Code 1512. The provision carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years…

“The ruling may not affect Trump’s case. Prosecutors said that even if Fischer wins, Trump’s conduct would still be covered by a narrower interpretation of the statute.”

Breitbart added on June 30:

“Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley opined at the Hill saying that Friday’s Supreme Court decision holding that the most severe law cited in January 6 prosecutions does not apply to riots or protests effectively means that the oft-repeated accusations of ‘insurrection’ have been downgraded to mere trespassing.”

And so, the claims of the Justice Department and the left-wing mass media are going up in flames… again.

“Defiant Bannon Becomes Latest Biden Political Prisoner”

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon is scheduled to report to a federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to serve a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena from the [highly suspect] January 6 Select Committee created to investigate the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021… A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed, but ordered him to report to prison after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court rejected his last-minute effort to stave off his custodial sentence on Friday…

“Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out despite his incarceration… and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created as the man himself continues to be fully engaged in the broader 2024 political agenda…

“A defiant Bannon publicly restated his own defense Saturday, asserting the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoenas ‘don’t mean anything’ and returned to arguments addressing executive privilege. When asked what his endgame is during an interview with NBC News, Bannon said it was ‘victory or death of this republic… they shred the Constitution…’

“It’s a claim the Goldman Sachs banker made earlier this month during his speech at the conservative Turning Point USA conference…”

While Garland goes free, Trump supporters like Bannon are sent to jail for the SAME “infraction.” A shameful situation showing America’s hypocrisy.

Biden to Pay a Big Price

ABC News wrote on July 1:

“On the same day his close ally and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon reported to prison for contempt of Congress, former President Donald Trump again blamed President Joe Biden for what he claims is a ‘weaponization’ of the justice system, suggesting that Biden is ‘going to pay a big price’ for it… Trump’s latest comment… is a continuation of his rhetoric on ‘retribution’…

“… the Trump campaign’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that ‘President Trump was referring to the very big price Joe Biden will pay on November 5th when the American people overwhelmingly vote to evict him from the White House’… Just last week, during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, when Trump was asked about his idea of ‘retribution,’ he insisted, ‘My retribution is going to be success.’ But he went on to say that Biden ‘could be a convicted felon as soon as he gets out of office,’ claiming he has done ‘horrible things’ as president.

“Trump has in the past vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to ‘go after’ Biden should he be reelected to a second term. ‘I will appoint a real special “prosecutor” to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself,’ Trump posted on his social media platform in June… During an interview with Dr. Phil last month, he said he’d be OK with taking a ‘forgive and forget’ approach but that ‘sometimes, revenge can be justified.’

“Trump has also declined to say whether he’d try to prosecute Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the New York criminal case against him, insisting that the prosecutor ‘did some very bad things’ and that ‘we’re going to see what happens.’”

Prosecuting Opponents?

DNYUZ wrote on July 1:

“Former President Donald J. Trump over the weekend escalated his vows to prosecute his political opponents… Mr. Trump, using his account on Truth Social on Sunday, promoted two posts from other users of the site that called for the jailing of his perceived political enemies.

“One post that he circulated on Sunday singled out Liz Cheney… and called for her to be prosecuted by a type of military court reserved for enemy combatants and war criminals…  A separate post included photos of 15 former and current elected officials that said, in all-capital letters, ‘they should be going to jail on Monday not Steve Bannon.’ Those officials included Mr. Biden, Ms. Harris, Mr. Pence, Mr. Schumer and Mr. McConnell — the top leaders in the Senate — and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

“The list in the second post also had members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Ms. Cheney and… Adam Kinzinger… and… Adam Schiff, Jamie Raskin, Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren and Bennie Thompson…

“In a statement, the Trump campaign did not address Mr. Trump’s posts, instead repeating allegations of misconduct by members of the committee, saying ‘Liz Cheney and the sham January 6th committee banned key witnesses, shielded important evidence, and destroyed documents’ related to their investigation. The posts, which were amplified by Mr. Trump’s Truth Social account on Sunday afternoon, were still listed on his profile on Monday afternoon.

“The Biden campaign denounced the posts in a statement, saying that Mr. Trump ‘is doubling down on threats to our democracy,’ adding that ‘the Supreme Court has now paved the way for him to do exactly what he is saying he will if he wins.’…

“Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for the imprisonment of his political opponents, often singling out members of the Jan. 6 committee. But the two posts that Mr. Trump amplified on Sunday particularly stand out…

“One… invoked the dictatorial imagery of a televised military tribunal, which would strip Ms. Cheney of her right to due process, similar to the military courts used to prosecute terror suspects of Guantanamo Bay.”

Canada Unable to Defend Itself?

National Post wrote on June 30:

“Canada has run out of ammo, with no plan to reload…

“A few years ago, the Trudeau government essentially shut down Canadian-based production of military ammunition, in particular, the 155-mm artillery shell… The federal government decided Canada’s military did not need a secure supply of ammunition… so we went from domestically producing a sizeable quantity of ammunition  (which we used to train our armed forces soldiers, and stockpiled for our friends and allies)… to producing a trickle… In 2023, the Ministry of National Defence allocated $4.8 million to IMT Defence to bolster production. And this March, the three ammo facilities were promised $4.4 million to conduct research…

“The demoralizing impact on recruitment is obvious. Our troops have limited ammunition for training and aging equipment… 72% of the army’s vehicles and trailers are offline… the men and women in uniform don’t see any demonstrable proof that the federal government is actually seized of the issue of trying to get them the capabilities they need to better defend Canadians…”

Insanity Galore

The Daily Mail wrote on July 2:

“A primary school headmistress who was sacked and accused of assault after tapping her own toddler’s hand while he played with a bottle of hand sanitiser has been awarded more than £100,000. Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne was trying to get her three-year-old to stop playing with the bottle in her office when she used two fingers to attract his attention, an employment tribunal heard. The incident was witnessed by the teacher in charge of child safety who accused her of hurting her son and filed an official complaint. Police officers were called in and the head was suspended.

“Despite the police ruling that her actions were ‘reasonable chastisement’ by a parent, Ms Malabver-Goulbourne, 46, was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Yet an employment judge concluded there was no evidence that she had committed ‘physical chastisement or an assault’ and ruled her dismissal unfair.”

How far can today’s stupidity go?

Pride Parade in London

Daily Mail wrote on June 29:

“[London’s mayor] Sadiq Khan [led London’s Pride Parade. He] said: ‘I’m delighted that London’s diverse LGBTQI+ communities and allies are once again joining together in the heart of our capital for our world-renowned Pride celebrations and march of solidarity. Pride is one of the highlights of my year and it is an honour to have been on every march since I was first elected as mayor in 2016.

“’This incredible event is a shining light for LGBTQI+ rights and shows why our city is a beacon for openness and inclusion – a place where you are embraced and celebrated for who you are. Our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities make a huge contribution to life in London.

“’There is however still work to be done to achieve true equality, and as a proud ally, I’ll continue to stand side-by-side with our capital’s LGBTQI+ communities as we work to build a better London for all.’”

When viewing the accompanying photos in the article, picturing the attendees, one must ask where that “shining light” was supposed to be seen. They rather reflected utter darkness.

“… But Not in Istanbul, Turkey!”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

“Several hundred people briefly took part in a banned LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in Istanbul on Sunday, with Turkish police detaining some of the participants… The governor of Istanbul had earlier banned the  LGBTQ+ community from holding a Pride Parade, without giving any reasons for his move except to say that ‘illegal groups’ were wanting to hold a protest march without authorization.”

Istanbul shows London the way.

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.

Vatican Charges Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò With the “Crime of Schism” and “Denial of the Legitimacy of Pope Francis”

The Washington Post wrote on June 22:

“He has called Pope Francis a liberal ‘servant of Satan,’ demanded his resignation and suggested that the Vatican’s Swiss Guard arrest the 87-year-old pontiff. Now, after receiving years of withering verbal attacks, Francis appears to have struck back against Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States and the pope’s most ardent internal critic.

“The Vatican’s disciplinary body, the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal decree… assigning the senior cleric to a penal canon trial. The charges: the ‘crime of schism’ and ‘denial of the legitimacy of Pope Francis.’

“Such trials are exceedingly rare, and the move underscores a recent effort by the Vatican to take more-formal action against a gaggle of archconservatives who have sought to undermine Francis’s papacy from the inside. Conviction could lead to Viganò’s defrocking and excommunication, ending the career of the 83-year-old Italian who has been the leading symbol of resistance to a pope viewed by some traditionalists as wildly liberal…

“The crime of schism is defined as a rupture with the church’s ‘unity’ under the pope… The trial amounts to an answer to just how far the Holy See, where the pope rules as the supreme power, is willing to go in allowing dissent.”

Viganò has been outspoken against blessings of same-sex marriages and acceptance of homosexuals, and he pointed out the many sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church, charging Francis with ignoring the same.

One Papacy For All Churches

kathpress wrote on June 17:

“The Vatican has made proposals for a new understanding and a different exercise of the papal office, according to which the Pope could in the future be accepted as honorary head by other Christian churches… 

“The orientations collected under the title ‘The Bishop of Rome’ are the result of decades of theological dialogues that various Christian churches have conducted separately with the Catholic Church. 

“A new understanding and a different exercise of the papal primacy should ‘contribute to the restoration of Christian unity…’

“After the presentation, the study document elicited predominantly positive reactions….”

The Path to Unity

Domradio wrote on June 13:

“The papal claim to rule the entire church like a monarch is the main obstacle to Christian unity. The Vatican has now put forward proposals for a new understanding and exercise of the papal office… The paper, approved by Pope Francis, proposes several far-reaching changes for the Catholic Church…

“The first change concerns a new reading of the teachings of the First Vatican Council. In 1870 this proclaimed the dogmatic infallibility of the head of the church. It had also declared the Pope to be the supreme legislator and judge of the entire Christian Church. According to the paper, the decisions made at that time should now be integrated into newer theology, which no longer sees the church as a monarchy, but as a community… 

“It must then be clarified to what extent he, as the ‘Patriarch of the West’, is equal with the churches of the East on certain issues, while on others he would be the ‘primacy of unity in the community of the Western and Eastern churches’… 

“It is unclear how the Vatican proposals will be implemented under canon law. The Pope could, through church laws, put into effect some of these that concern his own power or the synodal constitution of the Church…”

And so, we will soon see the biblically prophesied return of the “Christian” daughter churches to the fallen woman in Revelation 17.

A New Argentina 

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Just as South and North Korea and West and East Germany became perfect Cold War laboratory experiments contrasting the blessings of democracy and capitalism with the destructive drudgery of communism, the reformist government in Argentina and the Marxist-led ones in Colombia and Brazil are inviting us to compare and contrast… Argentina’s new free-market President Javier Milei is lapping Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Brazil’s Inacio Lula da Silva in terms of economic achievement and the ability of people to live in freedom.

“Milei is also an ardent supporter of Israel’s right to exist and defend itself — while the Marxists have sided with the Hamas terrorists who massacred 1,200 Jews on Oct. 7 and now hide behind Gaza’s civilian population…

“Argentina — yes, the country that was until recently South America’s economic basket case — now has a primary fiscal surplus, the first in more than a decade and a half. March was the fourth straight month with more government revenues than non-interest spending: In other words Milei, who was inaugurated in December, has produced a government budget surplus every month since taking over.

“This surplus is partly because Milei has also delivered on another of his promises: paring back Argentina’s gargantuan state. He has halved the number of federal agencies, from 18 to nine, slashing public spending by up to 30%. Best of all, Milei is also making inroads against Argentina’s… inflation. Monthly inflation in May cooled for the fifth straight month… and now sits at 4.2%, compared to over 25% in December when Milei’s term began…

“Colombia this year expects to have its largest fiscal deficit since the Marxist Gustavo Petro took office in August 2022… In Brazil, meanwhile, the Lula government that took over in January 2023 produced the second-highest primary deficit in the country’s history last year, reversing the surplus produced in 2022 by conservative president Jair Bolsonaro… Polling shows that the new president remains popular with Argentines, especially among the young — in spite of a string of anti-Milei protests and riots, some organized with help from Brazilian sources…

“As the Venezuelan-born Manhattan Institute fellow Daniel Di Martino posted on X recently, Milei is the greatest threat to left-wing tyrants in the region. ‘Milei’s success will be the end [of] socialism in Latin America,’ wrote Di Martino.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 22:

“Argentine President Javier Milei is set to receive an award in Hamburg in northern Germany on Saturday… Milei is later expected to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, although a military honors reception has been canceled…

“It comes a day after Milei was snubbed by [extremely left-wing] Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country’s royals…”

Russia Threatens Revenge

 Reuters wrote on June 24:

 “Russia said on Sunday that the United States was responsible for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with five U.S.-supplied missiles that killed four people, including two children, and injured 151 more. The Russian Defence Ministry said four of the U.S.-delivered Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defence systems and the ammunition of a fifth had detonated in mid-air… Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said missile fragments had fallen just after noon near a beach on the north side of the city of Sevastopol where locals were on holiday.

“The incident generated a furious reaction among Russian public figures. The Defence ministry said U.S. specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from U.S. spy satellites, meaning Washington was directly responsible…

“Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and now views the Black Sea peninsula… as an integral part of its territory, though most of the world considers it still part of Ukraine… Russia will respond to Sunday’s attack, the Defence Ministry said, without elaborating…”

Netanyahu: USA Withholds Weapons From Israel and Is Lying About It

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… posted a video to social media earlier this week in which he thanked the Biden administration for its support, but urged it to stop withholding arms and ammunition. The White House claimed that it did not know what he was talking about, but Republican senators filled in the details: the Biden administration had been using bureaucratic tricks to delay weapons shipments since as long ago as January…

“Netanyahu explained: ‘We began to see that we had some significant problems emerging a few months ago. And in fact, we tried, in many, many quiet conversations between our officials and American officials, and between me and the president to try to iron out this diminution of supply… I raised this issue with Secretary Blinken. And I said that we are being told by our Defense Department officials that barely a trickle is coming in….’I don’t know what’s causing it. But I’m aware that there has been a great slowdown in the provision of the important ammunition and weapons. I’m not talking about F-35s or F-16s that are years down the line. I’m talking about what is necessary now to both win the war in Gaza quickly and avoid a war in Lebanon that, in the absence of such a correction, the risks of it breaking out are increasing.’

“It is suspected that the slowdown in arms shipment came at the behest of anti-Israel Democrats, as President Joe Biden faces dissent from Arab- and Muslim-American voters in key swing states like Michigan in a tough re-election.

“The White House criticized Netanyahu for his public comments earlier this week, to which Netanyahu responded, ‘I am willing to absorb personal attacks if that is what it takes for Israel to get the arms and ammunition it needs in its war for survival.’”

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“Netanyahu noted that he’s neither a Republican nor a Democrat. ‘I’m an Israeli patriot, and I speak on behalf of the Israeli people. I’m happy to see that in one poll after another when Americans are asked who do they support in this world, 80% percent say Israel and 20% say Hamas. Twenty percent supporting Hamas is still an incredible number,’ he said.

“If the Israelis get the weapons they need, Netanyahu is confident they can ‘finish the job.’  Once that happens, he said, a civilian government in Gaza is critical to a sustained peace in the region but will need to come ‘with assistance by Arab countries.’ ‘And then the third thing would be obviously some kind of deradicalization process that would begin in the schools and the mosques to teach these people a different future than the one of annihilating Israel and killing every Jew on the planet,’ he said.”

The relationship between Israel and the USA will deteriorate even more.

Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Men Must Be Drafted

The Associated Press wrote on June 25:

“Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza. The court ruled that in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel’s compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizens.

“Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women. These exemptions have long been a source of anger among the secular public, a divide that has widened during the eight-month-old war, as the military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get. Over 600 soldiers have been killed.

“Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could bolt the coalition, causing the government to collapse and leading to new elections…

“In a post on the social media platform X, cabinet minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, who heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, called the ruling ‘very unfortunate and disappointing… The state of Israel was established in order to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence. The Holy Torah will prevail,’ he wrote.”

Britain’s Battle For Rulership

Express wrote on June 21:

“Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, a bombshell new poll for the Daily Express has revealed. Reform UK’s support has increased to 20 per cent, up three per cent, after the party’s manifesto launch this week. The poll, from Whitestone Insight, said just 19 per cent of voters would back the Prime Minister’s party amid ‘disillusion’ among Conservative voters. Labour’s lead has fallen by two per cent, to 39 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 12 per cent.

“But the pollsters said Sir Keir Starmer’s party [Labour] would have a 288 seat majority, winning 469 seats, with the Tories securing just 67. Nigel Farage’s party would win six seats, the Greens would claim two, while the Liberal Democrats will have 61 MPs…

“But the Whitestone poll offered a glimmer of hope for the Conservatives as three quarters of Reform voters said they were terrified by the prospect of a Labour Government. It said 75% would be unhappy with Labour being in office for 10 years… And Whitestone revealed almost half of people are unhappy with plans to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote. Only 31 per cent backed the proposals. Even fewer backed Sir Keir’s plan to view EU citizens the right to vote, with just one in four supporting it.”

The U.S. Sun wrote on June 21:

“In a painful blow to the Tories the survey says that three in four of Farage’s vote comes from disgruntled former Conservative voters… It has him a mammoth 27 points ahead of Tory incumbent Giles Watling, despite the ex-actor winning an endorsement from Boris Johnson.

“Farage leads in every age group apart from 18-34-year-olds with only one in five 2019 Tory voters sticking with Watling.”

British Outrage Over Farage’s Comments on Russia and Ukraine

CNN wrote on June 22:

“Nigel Farage, a figurehead of the UK’s populist right, has sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West ‘provoked’ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Farage – who… was a pivotal figure in Brexit – is seeking to win a seat in parliament for the first time in next month’s general election [on July 4]…

“During an interview with the BBC Friday, Farage was asked if he stood by a tweet posted in February 2022 which called Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine a ‘consequence of EU and NATO expansion.’ ‘Why did I say that? It was obvious to me that the ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union was giving this man [Putin] a reason to his Russian people to say they’re coming for us again, and to go to war,’ he told the BBC’s Nick Robinson. ‘We’ve provoked this war – of course it’s his fault – he’s used what we’ve done as an excuse,’ he said. 

“Farage – a former EU parliamentarian – claimed to be ‘the only person in British politics’ to predict the invasion of Ukraine. Following his BBC appearance, Farage took to X and clarified his comments. ‘I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war with Russia,’ he wrote. ‘Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.’”

Breitbart added on June 22:

“The British political establishment went into full meltdown on Friday as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage suggested that Western expansionist policies in Ukraine ‘provoked’ the Russian invasion… In an apparent re-run of attempts to tarnish the Brexit movement with debunked claims of Russian influence, top political and media figures in Britain have once again tried to use the issue of Russia to derail Nigel Farage as his Reform party soars in the polls ahead of the July 4th general election…

“Such sentiments have become taboo in Britain, with both establishment Westminster political parties largely rallying around the war in Ukraine, which the UK has been a top funder of. It is therefore unsurprising that both the Conservative and Labour parties immediately chastised Mr Farage’s comments…

“However, Mr Farage’s diagnosis that attempts to expand both the European Union and NATO to Russia’s doorstep played a role in provoking the 2022 invasion of Ukraine has previously been expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg himself, who appeared to boast that the invasion made NATO enlargement more likely, and therefore the invasion had backfired against Putin’s desire to halt the expansion of the American-led alliance…

“Even members of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s team appeared to realise before the invasion that joining the Western military alliance would likely spark a war with Russia, with former senior advisor Oleksiy Arestovych saying in 2019 that ‘with a 99.9 per cent probability, our price for joining NATO is a big war with Russia.’ Arestovych argued this was a price worth paying, however, claiming that otherwise, Russia would merely seek to ‘absorb’ Ukraine in the coming years, regardless.”

Orban: Germany No Longer the Same

AFP wrote on June 21:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a visit to Berlin on Friday that Germany ‘no longer smelled and looked the same’, saying it had turned into a ‘colourful, multicultural world’ due to migration.

“The nationalist leader — who is staunchly anti-immigration — was set to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz later on Friday, when Hungary takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1… Orban said the face of Germany had changed beyond recognition compared to 10 years ago. ‘Hundreds of thousands’ of migrants have been ‘granted citizenship on a fast-track basis’, he claimed… Once an example for its ‘hard-working people’ and ‘order’, Orban said Germany ‘is no longer that’…

“Last year, Germany received 334,000 asylum applications, more than any other European Union country. Applications across the 27-nation bloc hit a seven-year high in 2023. Germany has taken in close to a million refugees in the past two years, many fleeing conflict, persecution or poverty.

“Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and is the EU’s longest serving leader, touted his own country’s tough line on migration, claiming he had ‘preserved…an island of peace’ in Hungary. Earlier this month, the EU’s top court fined Hungary 200 million euros ($213 million) and imposed a daily one-million-euro penalty for failing to follow the bloc’s asylum laws and illegally deporting migrants.”

Violent Crimes in Germany Through Male Immigrants

Breitbart wrote on June 23:

“Young foreign males are the driving force behind the violence ravaging Berlin, the chief of the German capital’s police force admitted… Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik tacitly conceded that the open borders agenda of the German government has led to more crime on the streets of its largest city. ‘To put it bluntly: according to our figures, the violence in Berlin is young, male and has a non-German background. This also applies to knife violence,’ Slowik said…

“The frank comments from the Berlin Police President come after a string of high-profile stabbings carried out in recent weeks by Afghan migrants. In one instance, a failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan went on a stabbing spree in Mannheim at a rally against the Islamification of Germany. The migrant knifeman stabbed multiple people, including a police officer, who ultimately died of his wounds. This was followed last week by another knife rampage by an Afghan migrant, who stabbed a fellow Afghani to death before wounding another three people.

“Last year saw a dramatic rise in violent crime among foreigners, making up 79,088 suspected violent criminals in 2023, a 14 per cent increase over 2022 when 69,086 non-Germans were suspected of violent crime. Commenting on the rise of violent crime among foreign populations within Germany, the Welt am Sontag newspaper wrote, ‘One thing is certain: many people’s sense of security has deteriorated. These are incidents that have shaken the country: knife attacks again, again committed by people who had fled war zones and found a new home in peace in Germany. And who then themselves became a threat to public safety. Violent crime continues to rise, and people without a German passport are significantly overrepresented in the statistics. Nobody is talking about isolated cases anymore.’”

The Propaganda of the Tagesschau

Report 24 wrote on June 21:

“With programs ‘in simple language’ you can potentially bring daily government propaganda closer to those who barely speak German. The Tagesschau [Germany’s first public broadcast company] is now attacking the AfD in very simple terms – and simply claims that it devalues ​​people and causes fear among homosexuals. While Correctiv’s Potsdam lie [note our previous articles in the Current Events] has just been finally collapsed, the ‘Tagesschau in simple language’ continues to agitate against the unpleasant opposition party and so-called right-wing extremists. It is blatantly claimed that they devalue people: right-wing extremists, such as those found in the AfD according to an ‘important authority’ (meaning the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is bound to the instructions of the red Ministry of the Interior), would allegedly say that foreigners are worth less than a German. They would also allegedly say that people with disabilities are worth less. Therefore, ‘many’ believe that the AfD could become ‘dangerous’.

“This tells the target group of this program that their value as a human being is being denied by the AfD. That should justify a ban on the party. The program also claims that homosexuals (as well as migrants) are afraid of the AfD. A steep thesis when you consider survey results that show high levels of support for the party among this group. A number of people with a migrant background who reject the Islamization of Germany and the plundering of the welfare state at their own expense also give their vote to the AfD.

“Now, of course, calls for the control and limitation of mass migration and the deportation of delinquent migrants do not mean that anyone’s ‘worth’ is questioned. In return, one could otherwise accuse the old parties of viewing migrants as more valuable than Germans; after all, it is the latter who pay for foreigners from all over the world and have to live with all the other negative consequences of mass immigration without receiving anything in return. Also, any law that restricts anyone in the world in any way would be right-wing extremist and dehumanizing – especially, of course, those laws that define crimes and their punishment…”

This is how politics is made and this is how the masses are seduced.

When You Resist the Corona Measures

Nius wrote on June 22:

“Because she let her father, who is a pastor, visit a dying person during the Corona period, the Gera regional court sentenced a former probationary judge [for perverting the course of justice!] to a suspended sentence [of one year in prison]. It is one of the cruelest chapters from the Corona period: hundreds of thousands of people had to die alone in nursing homes, without the company of their relatives or another person they could trust. 

“Judge Anna K. (37) defied the cruel ban on visits in April 2020 – and permitted her father to visit a woman for pastoral care who was 89 years old and dying in a nursing home in Jena. The man had previously tried in vain to obtain permission from the home management to visit her… Anna K. announced that she would appeal.”

This is so terrible to hear!

“What If It’s Dangerous to Be Right when the Government Is Wrong?”

Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on June 20, 2024 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“What if the National Security Agency (NSA) — the federal government’s 60,000-person strong domestic spying apparatus — has convinced Congress that it needs to cut constitutional corners in order to spy on every person in America?… 

“What if the Constitution requires warrants for searches and seizures and only permits warrants that are based on probable cause of crime? What if the Constitution requires that all warrants for searches and seizures specifically describe the place to be searched or the person or thing to be seized? What if the FISA Court issues warrants based on a lesser standard than probable cause of crime? What if that standard is probable cause of speaking with or knowing someone who has spoken with a foreign person? What if this is such an absurd and loose standard that it violates the Constitution, permits spying on anyone and ends up protecting no one except the spies who pretend to employ it?

“What if the NSA has convinced every president since George W. Bush that it needs to spy on everyone in America to keep us safe, no matter what the Constitution says? What if those presidents have bought that devil’s bargain? What if NSA spying is really done without any warrants? What if this spying captures in real time every keystroke on every computer and hand-held device — as well as the content of every email, text message, telephone call and fiber-optic cable transmission — in the United States 24/7? What if NSA computers have direct and unimpeded access to all mainframe computers of all telecoms and computer service providers in the U.S.?…

“What if Bush’s government was asleep at the switch on 9/11? What if 3,000 civilians died while the government slept? What if the government’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were perpetrated to divert our attention from its sleeping on 9/11?…

“What if the Franklin D. Roosevelt government knew of the attacks on Pearl Harbor before they came? What if it looked the other way knowing that the American people would react with fury and thus America could enter World War II, which FDR desperately wanted? What if 3,000 sleeping sailors died because the government looked the other way?…

“What if the government hates being caught spying and lying? What if it humiliates and frustrates and falsely charges and seizes the passports of those it hates and fears? What if the government hates and fears our freedoms?…”

Challenging questions. 

Proposal to Draft Women

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“A contentious provision in the annual defense bill requiring women to register for the military draft reportedly is worrisome for some vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking reelection in November. The provision in the National Defense Authorization Act was advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee this month…

“There hasn’t been a draft since 1973 during the Vietnam War…  The issue is bipartisan, but it divides some Republicans as well, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who supports including women in the draft, while Sen. Roger Wicker R-Miss., opposes it…

“The draft proposal has become a flashpoint in the Nevada race between incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat, and Republican nominee Sam Brown… Brown, an Army veteran whose face was severely burned from an improvised explosion device while serving in Afghanistan, highlighted his personal experience in a campaign video. ‘Look at my face. This is the high cost of war,’ Brown says in the video. Rosen’s campaign declined to comment.”

Breitbart wrote on June 24:

“Senate Democrats have added a provision to a yearly defense bill that would require women to sign up for the draft, prompting opposition from Republicans. The yearly bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes the fiscal year budget for the Pentagon, but it also authorizes policies and programs at the Pentagon. The House and Senate each pass a version that gets meshed together into one. This year, Democrats — who control the Senate and the committee drafting the defense bill — included a provision in their version that would require women to register for the draft… 

“The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), said he will try to strip it out of the bill. ‘I hope it will fall out, either on the floor or in conference,’ he told The Hill. Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), an Army veteran, told CNN he could not understand why the issue is a ‘sore point… We have had amendments that would have required women to register and we can’t get any real traction on the other side. We are going to try to do it. It makes sense. The military now is a mixed force,’ he told CNN.

“… under the Biden administration, the U.S. military is currently engaged in conflict in Iraq and Syria, as well as on ships in the Red Sea against Houthi rebels. U.S. troops are also involved in supporting Israel in its war against Hamas and Ukrainian forces in their war with Russia.”

Why Do We Make Wars?

The Telegraph wrote on June 23:

“The development of nuclear weapons has substantially changed the terms of any future global conflict… the lessons of history are seldom learnt… the question of how a third world war might erupt haunts us today more than at any time since the end of the last world war. The very act of guessing is proof of our expectation that warfare of some kind remains a fact in a world of multiple insecurities… regular threats from Russia about using nuclear weapons suggest that our fantasies may not be so wide of the mark after all…

“Why do we make war at all? War has been a characteristic of almost the whole of recorded history… There have been very few cultures in which warfare has not played a part, usually a central part, in the life of the community. In the historic period of states, from about 5,000 years ago, there are no examples where warfare was not accepted practice… Wars are always waged for something, whether it is pleasing the gods by seizing captives to ­execute or sacrifice, or coveting resources, or wars for belief, or extending power over others, or in the search for heightened security, or simply a war of defence against a predator. This mix of motives has remained remarkably constant.

“The seizure of resources is an obvious motivation for war, an explanation that extends from the ancient Romans as they destroyed enemy cities and grabbed slaves and treasure and exacted tribute, to the Japanese forces in 1942 when they captured the oil and raw mat­erials of South-east Asia needed for waging further war. Wars for belief also span millennia, from the Muslim conquests of the Middle East and North Africa in the early Middle Ages, and the age of Christian cru­sades that followed, to the current jihad campaigns of militant Islam…

“Pursuit of power is perhaps the most common explanation for war… The two world wars began with a major power picking on a lesser one – ­Serbia in 1914, Poland in 1939 – and then dragging other powers into the maelstrom. That might indeed happen with Taiwan, as it is already happening with Ukraine.

“The wars of the future draw on a grim heritage… And that heritage is the chief reason it is possible to imagine a future war. After the end of the Cold War, there was once a fashion for saying that war was obsolete – if only that were so, we might now live in a world without weapons and fear. While few would actively seek the Third World War, few envisaged or wanted the other two. The sad reality is that our understanding of why wars occur has so far contributed little to setting warfare aside as an enduring element in human affairs.”

It must be through the spirit if we want to save the flesh. Wars will only cease when Jesus Christ returns to this earth and establishes a righteous government… and when men will finally realize the horror and futility of war and when they will not learn war anymore. 

An Iron Dome for America?

Newsmax wrote on June 23:

“Trump promised that if elected, he will ‘prevent World War III’ and under his presidency will ‘build the great “iron dome” over our country, a dome like has never been seen before.’ The dome would be a state-of-the-art missile defense shield that would be built entirely in the United States…

“He noted in the attempted missile attack on Israel earlier this year, ‘300 missiles were shot into Israel. Only one of them got through and that was limping through that got hit. To think of it, why don’t we have that?’

“He added that late President Ronald Reagan also wanted an ‘iron dome,’ ‘but that was a long time ago.’ ‘We didn’t have the technology,’ said Trump. ‘Today, you have incredible technology…’”

Still, nothing will prevent America’s defeat in a coming nuclear war, as prophesied in the Bible. 

“House Prices Hit Record High as Sales Stall” in the USA

CNBC wrote on June 21:

“Sales of previously owned homes are sitting at a 30-year low and didn’t move much in May as prices hit a new record and mortgage rates remain high… The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed loan… is now right around 7%.

“… mortgage payment for a typical home today is more than double what it was five years ago. Not only have rates climbed, but home prices are more than 50% higher than they were five years ago.”

Houses are way overpriced and when the bubble bursts, many who bought homes recently with high mortgages may lose their homes and may have to walk away from them, as happened before.

Swimming in Debt

MSN wrote on June 21:

“America is cruising into an uncharted sea of federal debt, with a public seemingly untroubled by the stark numbers and a government seemingly incapable of turning them around. In the presidential race, there’s not much partisan difference or advantage on this subject. Donald Trump and President Biden have overseen similar additions to the nation’s accumulated debt—in the range of $7 trillion in each case—during their terms. The national response to both has been, by and large, to look the other way. History, however, offers some cautionary notes about the consequences of swimming in debt. 

“Over the centuries and across the globe, nations and empires that blithely piled up debt have, sooner or later, met unhappy ends. Historian Niall Ferguson recently invoked what he calls his own personal law of history: ‘Any great power that spends more on debt service (interest payments on the national debt) than on defense will not stay great for very long. True of Habsburg Spain, true of ancient régime France, true of the Ottoman Empire, true of the British Empire, this law is about to be put to the test by the U.S. beginning this very year.’ 

“Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office projects that, in part because of rising interest rates, the federal government will spend $892 billion during the current fiscal year for interest payments on the accumulated national debt of $28 trillion—meaning that interest payments now surpass the amount spent on defense and nearly match spending on Medicare.

“Washington has been adding to the national debt at an alarming pace. Not so long ago—beginning in the late 1990s—the federal government’s budget was actually in surplus, at least for a time. This year, it will be some $1.9 trillion in the red, the Congressional Budget Office forecast just this week.

“Only a dozen years ago, the aggregate government debt amounted to about 70% of the nation’s gross domestic product. This year, it will be about equal to the entire gross domestic product. By 2028, it is forecast to reach a record 106% of GDP, matching the record hit during the heavy spending to finance World War II. By 2034, barring changes in tax and spending policy, it is projected to hit 122% of GDP, the highest level ever recorded…

“‘Even if a country issues the leading reserve currency [creating more money], even if a country is the dominant geopolitical power, that just doesn’t bail countries out,’ says J.H. Cullum Clark, director of the Bush Institute-Southern Methodist University Economic Growth Initiative. ‘They do lose that status.’ Clark… points to the Roman Empire as an early cautionary tale. After establishing their empire as the world’s most powerful, Rome’s leaders began spending lavishly on imperial administration and the army in the third century. Emperors financed the resulting debt by debasing the currency, which generated high inflation. That weakened the empire’s stability and defenses, leading to its demise in the fifth century.

“After establishing a foothold in the New World, Spain financed its military adventures and globe-spanning empire with extensive borrowing from abroad and high taxation, eventually losing its status as Europe’s greatest power… France traveled much the same path and defaulted frequently on its debt. Ultimately, profligate borrowing and spending by the court at Versailles caught up with the royals, producing deindustrialization and fiscal crises that led to the revolution of 1789.

“China’s Qing Dynasty went through a similar cycle and encountered a similar fate. It was a leading world economic power, but spending and foreign borrowing in the 19th century led to damaging underinvestment in the infrastructure needed to keep advancing.

“Great Britain may offer the most compelling parallels. It oversaw the world’s most far-flung empire through the 18th and 19th centuries before war spending, including the fight against the American Revolution, produced high debt. It recovered but by the 20th century found that it could no longer afford the spending required to both maintain an army and navy to police the empire and to finance rapidly growing social programs. Debt began crowding out other investments, and economic weakness sapped the strength of the British pound. The pound ceased being the world’s leading reserve currency, and the British Empire soon declined. Clark says that, in the current environment, the event triggering a debt crisis could be a downgrade of America’s credit rating or the refusal of international financiers to continue lending…”

What is sorely overlooked in the article is the fact that GOD has determined and preordained when and how a nation should come to power, and for how long, before its demise. This is especially true, in our time, for the United Kingdom and the USA. 

Trump’s Green Card Proposal for Foreign Students Under Attack

The New York Post wrote on June 21:

“Former President Donald Trump has floated green cards for all foreign students who graduate from US universities and junior colleges in a podcast interview — prompting hardline immigration advocacy groups to lash out at what they called a ‘cockamamie proposal.’… 

“Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Post that the green-card handout… would unleash a ‘firehose of foreign cash’ by effectively ‘stapling a green card to the diploma’ of any US college graduate. If someone earns a PhD. at a university in a hard science, I personally will drive to their house and give them a green card,’ Krikorian said. ‘The issue is any foreign college graduate, even from a bogus two-year master’s program or gender studies [major], would get a green card. If this proposal were adopted, you would see an explosion of quickie, one-year master’s programs around the country as a way of selling green cards to foreigners,’ he added, which lobbyists and others would ‘exploit’ to earn profits from potentially ‘billions of people around the world.’

“‘There’s no percentage limit for any particular institution,’ Krikorian concluded. ‘Foreign students are one of the drivers of immigration because if you come here to study from Yemen or Cameroon, why would you want to go back?’”

“The green-card extension would cut against some of Trump’s promised immigration restrictions if he is elected to a second term — including plans for ‘nearly 20 million’ illegal migrants to be removed through the “largest mass deportation effort” in US history.”

Trump Campaign Backtracks

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“President Donald Trump’s campaign team is rewriting his Thursday night promise to grant green cards to any foreign graduates of four-year universities and two-year community colleges. President Trump believes ‘we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make  significant contributions to America … who would never undercut American wages or workers,’ said the statement from spokeswoman Katherine Leavitt…

“In the 2016 campaign and in the White House, Trump periodically veered from his American-first, low-migration campaign. Each time, he and his staffers backpedaled to the center amid protests by his base”. 

The Fate of Special Counsel Jack Smith

The Washington Examiner wrote on June 22:

“Judge Aileen Cannon [a Trump appointee] grilled attorneys in Florida on Friday about how much independence special counsel Jack Smith had over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. Cannon’s questions came as part of hearing on a request Trump made in February that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Attorney General Merrick Garland allegedly unlawfully appointed Smith as special counsel… The judge did not rule from the bench on Trump’s motion to dismiss his charges, and she has set aside three more days of hearings next week to continue the discussion, as well as address other pending legal disputes in the case…

“Toward the end of the hearing, Cannon also raised an issue Trump has been highly vocal about: what involvement, if any, Garland, and by extension President Joe Biden, had in the federal prosecutions against him. James Pearce, a prosecutor arguing on behalf of Smith, appeared caught off guard by Cannon’s question, according to Politico. Pearce eventually said he was ‘not authorized’ to discuss communications between Garland and Smith… The question came as part of Cannon’s quest to define how Smith acted independently of Garland while also acting as a subordinate to him…

“Cannon’s decision to hold a hearing on the special counsel question has drawn criticism from some who say that arguments surrounding special counsel appointments have been exhaustively entertained in courts… The scrutiny over Cannon’s pace comes after the judge had initially scheduled a trial to begin in May 2024 but then scrapped the date because of a logjam of legal motions and other incomplete pretrial steps. The judge has not yet set a new date…

“Cannon’s approach has been favorable to Trump, who pushed for a trial to occur after the presidential election. The buildup of unsettled disputes in the case and Cannon’s willingness to hold full hearings on matters that other judges might not normally hold has made the prospect of a post-election trial increasingly likely.”

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Alan Dershowitz, Harvard law professor emeritus, told Newsmax on Friday he is pleased with Judge Aileen Cannon, who has been criticized by liberals for her handling of former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. Dershowitz said Cannon was right to appoint an independent investigator to determine if any of the material seized from Mar-a-Lago during the FBI raid was lawyer-client privilege.

“‘The government shouldn’t be looking at it,’ Dershowitz said. ‘They shouldn’t have its own investigations. There should be an independent investigator.’ Dershowitz said even though he’s a liberal Democrat, he supports the judge. ‘I think she’s doing a wonderful job so far,’ Dershowitz said. ‘She is going methodically, not being rushed, not backing down… I hope she sticks to her guns.’’

Country May Come to Regret

CNN wrote on June 26:

 “The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation, handing the Biden administration a technical if important election-year victory.

“Of immediate significance, the decision means that the Department of Homeland Security may continue to flag posts to social media companies such as Facebook and X that it believes may be the work of foreign agents seeking to disrupt this year’s presidential race… the court ruled that the state and social media users who challenged the Biden administration did not have standing to sue…

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson were in the 6-3 majority. Justice Samel Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch, wrote a dissent that dubbed the case ‘one of the most important free speech cases to reach this Court in years.’ He said the challengers had brought forward enough evidence to establish standing [and] that America ‘may come to regret’ the majority ruling’].”

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Soon Free

The Associated Press wrote on June 24:

“Assange is expected to return to his home country of Australia after his plea and sentencing. The hearing is taking place in Saipan because of Assange’s opposition to traveling to the continental U.S. and the court’s proximity to Australia, prosecutors said. The guilty plea, which must be approved by a judge, brings an abrupt conclusion to a criminal case of international intrigue and to the U.S. government’s years-long pursuit of a publisher whose hugely popular secret-sharing website made him a cause célèbre among many press freedom advocates who said he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing. Investigators, by contrast, have repeatedly asserted that his actions broke laws meant to protect sensitive information and put the country’s national security at risk.

“… In a statement posted on X, WikiLeaks… applauded the announcement of the deal, saying it was grateful for ‘all who stood by us, fought for us, and remained utterly committed in the fight for his freedom.’ ‘WikiLeaks published groundbreaking stories of government corruption and human rights abuses, holding the powerful accountable for their actions. As editor-in-chief, Julian paid severely for these principles, and for the people’s right to know,’ WikiLeaks said.

“Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been lobbying for the United States to end its prosecution of Assange, told Parliament that an Australian envoy had flown with Assange from London. ‘Regardless of the views that people have about Mr. Assange’s activities, the case has dragged on for too long…’

“The deal ensures Assange will admit guilt while also sparing him from additional prison time…”

ntv wrote on June 25:

“Julian Assange offers good reasons to dislike him. He is radical and puts transparency above everything. That makes him controversial and also dangerous. But the hunt by Western powers for the activist was arbitrary and illegal. This had to come to an end…

“Assange, Wikileaks founder and political activist, who spent five years in a British high-security prison, having previously holed himself up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years: Suddenly he is free. In a video shared around the world, he climbs the steps onto the plane with his arms swinging. This is what it looks like when an unworthy legal drama comes to an end after far too many years. 

“In brief, what sparked the drama: In 2010, Chelsea Manning, an IT specialist for the US Army, handed over almost 500,000 secret documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraqto Wikileaks. Julian Assange makes it public. This includes a video that shows soldiers from a US attack helicopter shooting two Iraqi civilians. The two men are rescuing an injured reporter, lifting him into their car and then collapsing dead under machine gun fire. Two children who are clearly visible sitting in the front of the car are seriously injured…

“Among the 500,000 secret documents, some reveal alleged human rights violations, corruption and torture. Assange was charged with 18 counts of espionage and was on the run from US justice for the next 14 years. He faces 175 years in prison…

“It’s good that the threatened US trial has now been averted. Not because Assange only carried out journalism protected by freedom of the press… He is an activist and often acted radically, even ruthlessly. The documents published in 2010 contained tons of real names of informants and those involved. Wikileaks published everything without redaction… In 2016, the platform made the US Democrats’ internal email traffic public, thereby massively damaging Hillary Clinton’s election campaign. ‘I love Wikileaks,’ declared Donald Trump at the time and shortly afterwards moved into the White House.

“Nevertheless, none of this justifies accusing someone who exposes suspected war crimes of espionage. State secrets of this kind do not deserve protection. Investigative journalism also thrives on examining hidden facts for relevance and – if necessary – publishing them.

“Assange’s activism certainly doesn’t justify what happened to him… there was a lot of arbitrariness in his dealings with the Wikileaks boss. The Swedish judiciary issued an arrest warrant for rape allegations based on manipulated witness statements. A UN report made this public in 2020. No charges were ever filed and the arrest warrant remained in place for nine years. When the Ecuadorian embassy revoked Assange’s asylum in 2019, he was sent to the high-security Belmarsh prison, where he was held in solitary confinement. For five years, also without charges…”

He Is Free!

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote in the Ron Paul Institute on June 27, 2024:

“I offer this brief legal lesson in order to examine just how twisted the government’s views on speech have become in the Trump and Biden years, as the Department of Justice in both administrations has persecuted mercilessly and sought to prosecute aggressively the Australian journalist Julian Assange for his exercise of the freedom of speech…

“The case against Assange is a sham and is motivated by the U.S. intelligence community… It is a sham because the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech of all persons, not just Americans. Even though the materials Assange and WikiLeaks received had been stolen by Manning, because they were and are of profound interest to the public — American drones targeting civilians, secret U.S. military actions in countries with which the U.S. was not at war, and government lying to the public on a grand scale — the media is free to reveal them.

“The Supreme Court announced this legal principle in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971. There, Daniel Ellsberg, a civilian employee of the Pentagon, stole classified materials that demonstrated that U.S. Army generals had been lying to President Lyndon B. Johnson and LBJ had been lying to the public about military progress during the war in Vietnam. When Ellsberg turned the materials over to The New York Times and to The Washington Post, the Nixon DoJ obtained a court order barring their publication. Within days, the Supreme Court lifted that order and issued an opinion further expanding First Amendment rights — to include the right to know what the government has done. The court ruled that publishers are immune from civil liability and criminal prosecution when they publish data of material interest to the public, even if the data was stolen. Ellsberg, like Manning, was indicted for espionage. Yet, when the trial judge in Ellsberg’s case learned that the FBI had vandalized the office of his psychiatrist looking for his medical records, the judge dismissed the case…

“The feds have perfected three things — lying, stealing and killing. In the Assange revelations, we learned that they have excelled at what they have perfected. They don’t care about the Constitution or the rule of law, both of which they have sworn to uphold. The deep state is animated by a warped belief that its personnel are superior to the Constitution and can use the powers of government however they want, so long as they can get away with it… Assange is a hero. He exposed government without limits — the archenemy of personal freedom.”

The Future of Marriage?

npr wrote on June 19:

“Over the past few decades, cohabitation rates have nearly doubled, more children are being born outside of marriage and in recent months — there’s been buzz around polyamory and open relationships. 

“With younger generations less set on following tradition, marriage could look very different in the future.”

Please read our free booklet, “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.”

Criminal Sanctions for Lying Politicians

Study Finds wrote on June 20:

“If passed, Wales would become the first country in the world to introduce criminal sanctions for lying politicians. The proposals are being led by the former leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, who has described a ‘credibility gap’ in UK politics as a ‘gaping chasm.’ Price has pushed for such changes since the mid-2000s when he campaigned for the impeachment of Tony Blair over the war in Iraq….

“The problem with the current regime is a lack of enforcement. Beyond accountability to the electorate during elections, there are very few repercussions when politicians mislead the public. This is helping to fuel a mistrust of politicians, and casting doubt over what can be believed…

“It’s a bleak indictment of democracy that a law reminding politicians not to lie is even being considered.”

If this idea would be applied throughout the world, we fear that many more prisons would have to be built for all the lying politicians who would have to be incarcerated. In fact, virtually no politician might remain free.

The Nonsense of the Fairy Tale of Evolution

Bild Online wrote about Dinosaurs on June 21:

“Dr. Daniela Schwarz, paleontologist and dinosaur expert at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, told BILD: ‘Their ancestors were small, slim, four-legged lizard-like reptiles that hunted for insects.’ These animals were no longer than half a meter. Only in the course of evolution did the dinosaurs become real giants… [The claimed idea is, they ate more and more food.]

“The prehistoric giants are extinct, but live on in our birds. They are considered descendants of dinosaurs. The birds evolved from the smaller predatory dinosaurs... At first it was downy feathers that kept the dinosaurs warm. Later, real feathers in different colors developed, which were also used for courtship, i.e. to woo reproductive partners. And much later, real flight feathers developed – like the ones we know from our birds today.”

This nonsense is also taught to our children in schools. Dinosaurs did not evolve into birds. The entire evolutionary hypothesis is nothing more than a fairy tale and the imagination of anti-God scientists. As Bild itself writes: “They became extinct as a result of a huge asteroid impact on the earth 65 million years ago, i.e. in the so-called Cretaceous period.” If they became extinct due to a catastrophe, how could they evolve into birds?

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.

Defense Bill Automatically Registering Young Men for the Draft

Fox News wrote on June 14:

“The House of Representatives passed a measure on Friday automatically registering men aged 18 to 26 for selective service… While it hasn’t been invoked in over half a century, it’s mandatory for all male U.S. citizens to register for the selective service, also known as the military draft, when they turn 18. Failure to register is classified as a felony and comes with a host of legal challenges.

“Supporters of the amendment argue that it would cut down on bureaucratic red tape and help U.S. citizens avoid unnecessary legal issues, as well as cutting down on the taxpayer dollars going toward prosecuting those cases… The NDAA passed the House in a 217 to 199 vote, but it’s unlikely to be taken up by the Senate.” 

The Democrats in the Senate are not against the bill regarding mandatory and automatic registration, but in the words of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:

“Unsurprisingly, the legislation coming out of the House today is loaded with anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice, anti-environment, and other divisive amendments guaranteed not to pass the Senate… As we move forward with this year’s NDAA process, both sides will have to work together to pass bipartisan legislation that honors and respects all who serve in defense of our nation.”

These are frightening developments. As we have suggested for years, the draft will return, but it might even include many more people than previously anticipated.

America Prepares for Global War and the Draft

The Ron Paul Institute published on June 14 the following article by Dennis John Kucinich. Kucinich was a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013. He was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He is seeking re-election to the House of Representatives in November.

“Our government is planning a big draft, conscripting millions of young Americans for an even bigger war! I call to your attention a Democratic amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was slipped into the almost trillion-dollar Pentagon war spending bill, by voice vote, in the House Armed Services committee. The Democratic Amendment to H.R. 8070, the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) reads:  ‘Section 531. Selective Service System:  Automatic Registration.  SEC. 3. (a)(1) “Except as otherwise provided in this title, every male citizen of the United States, and every other male person residing in the United States, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six, shall be automatically registered under this Act by the Director of the Selective Service System.’

“… We know that America is fomenting wars around the world. We know that the military industrial complex controls our government. We know that we are on the precipice of a global war, provoking aggression rather than resolution with Russia, China and in the Middle East. The only winners in these wars are the war profiteers. They’re now going to take our children to fight in unnecessary, destabilizing, dangerous, debt-creating wars. Just today President Biden committed the U.S. to an additional decade of support for Ukraine’s war with Russia.

“There is no other conceivable reason to require more than 16 million American males to be automatically registered for the draft, other than to prepare for a large-scale war. The Selective Service System is the vehicle by which individuals are inducted into the armed forces.  This NDAA Automatic Registration amendment facilitates an efficient, large-scale draft. The new law will automatically register all males between the ages of 18 and 26.  Selective Service will notify in writing every young American male that they have been registered and will prescribe regulations which can require the registrant to provide ‘date of birth, address, social security account number, phone number and email address….’

“There are members of Congress who advocate that young women also be included in any draft, which could bring to 32 million the number of Americans of draft-eligible age. The U.S. currently has over 1,300,000 men and women, career soldiers, as well as volunteers, serving in the all-volunteer armed forces. According to the new automatic draft law, undocumented immigrants, between the ages of 18 and 26, numbering at least 1.5 million, could also be conscripted, if it were to apply to women as well as men… The last time a draft was instituted in the United States was during the Vietnam War, when 1.9 million Americans were conscripted…

“As Ukraine turns to conscription, there is push back coming from those who are subject to service but who understand they could well be facing a death sentence. In Israel, the growing ultra-orthodox worshippers have been exempt from military service since the founding of Israel, but the government is being pressed to expand its military ranks creating a political squeeze on the Netanyahu ruling coalition.  Conscription is under discussion in Germany and Italy, while at least nine other European Union countries already use the practice to replenish their armed forces.

“Resistance does occur during a draft.  During the Vietnam war, an estimated 60% of all draft-eligible young men found a means to avoid getting conscripted (including a future President by the name of Bill Clinton).  Some, fearful for their lives, fled to Canada or Sweden. The Vietnam War ripped apart the country.  The protests over the war, fueled by compulsory service and rising casualty numbers of US troops, led President Lyndon Johnson to decide, on March 31, 1968,  not to run for reelection.  The draft was ended in 1973 and was reinstated by President Carter on January 23, 1980….”

The connection between reinstating the draft and preparing for a global war should not be overlooked.

NATO Prepares for Global War

The Ron Paul Institute published on June 18 an article by Caitlin Johnstone, an independent journalist from Melbourne, Australia:

“NATO powers are rapidly escalating toward hot war with Russia at the same time the US is expanding its draft policies to make it easier to force more Americans go and fight in a giant war… ‘Allies are offering forces to NATO’s command at a scale not seen in decades,’ [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg said on Friday. ‘Today we have 500,000 troops at high readiness across all domains, significantly more than the goal [of 300,000 troops] that was set at the 2022 Madrid Summit.’…

“The US and several other nations also recently gave a green light for Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets inside Russia. The Netherlands and Denmark plan to supply Kiev with F-16s in the coming months, and say the advanced aircraft could be used to bomb Russia… This comes shortly after we learned that NATO is developing multiple ‘land corridors’ to rush troops to the frontline of a future hot war with Russia in eastern Europe.

“It also comes as we learn from Stoltenberg that NATO is considering increasing the number of nuclear weapons it has on standby, meaning ready to use in a nuclear war…

“This [is happening] at the same time US lawmakers are working to expand draft registration to women and to automate registration for men… The draft is one of those things that gets more disgusting the more you think about it… ‘Go fight and kill and die for your country.’… This is evil, this is ugly, and it needs to stop.”

We couldn’t agree with it more. And it WILL stop when Christ returns to rule the world in righteousness, and when people will not learn war anymore.

NATO Headquarters in Germany

Die Welt wrote on June 14:

“The headquarters for the planned NATO operation to coordinate arms deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces will be located in [Wiesbaden in] Germany… The base of the US armed forces in Europe, which have so far carried out the coordination tasks, is also there…

“The NATO project is also considered a precaution in the event of Donald Trump’s possible return to the US presidency from January 2025. Statements by the Republican in the past had raised doubts as to whether the USA would continue to treat Ukraine under his leadership as before by supporting Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia. The alliance fears that a political change in Washington could also affect the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces.

“Hungary will not take part in the new NATO project. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government fears that the project could push the alliance into direct confrontation with Russia… In order to ensure that Hungary does not prevent the necessary consensus for the project, the country was assured that it does not have to contribute financially and by providing personnel.

“Ideally, [the project] should officially start in July, when Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the other 31 heads of state and government of the NATO states meet in Washington for a summit.”

Germany’s leading role even in military matters, in spite of Germany’s currently ineffective government, is truly remarkable.

Relying on Nukes

The Associated Press wrote on June 17:

“The world’s nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their nuclear weapons as the countries deepened their reliance on such deterrence in 2023, a Swedish think tank said Monday.

‘We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War,’ said Wilfred Wan, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s weapons of mass destruction program… Earlier this month, Russia and its ally Belarus launched a second stage of drills intended to train their troops in tactical nuclear weapons…

“In a separate report, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, said the nine nuclear-armed states spent a combined total of $91.4 billion on their arsenals in 2023 – equivalent to $2,898 per second… The group said that figures show a $10.7 billion increase in global spending on nuclear weapons in 2023 compared to 2022, with the United States accounting for 80% of that increase. The U.S. share of total spending, $51.5 billion, is more than all the other nuclear-armed countries put together… The next biggest spender was China at $11.8 billion, she said, with Russia spending the third largest amount at $8.3 billion…

“SIPRI estimated that some 2,100 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles, and nearly all belong to Russia or the U.S. However, it said that China is also believed to have some warheads on high operational alert for the first time… Russia and the United States have together almost 90% of all nuclear weapons, SIPRI said.”

To produce and rely on nuclear weapons which are capable of annihilating all life on earth many times over is simply the epitome of utter insanity.

News on Russia and Ukraine

The Daily Mail wrote on June 17:

“Vladimir Putin has announced he will call a ceasefire and immediately enter peace talks if Ukraine is willing to pull back its troops from four regions occupied by Russian forces and give up plans to make a NATO membership bid. 

‘We will (call a ceasefire) immediately,’ Putin said in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry this morning, adding his proposal is aimed at a ‘final resolution’ of the conflict and that the Kremlin is ‘ready to start negotiations without delay’… President Volodymyr Zelensky has routinely refused to consider a deal that would see Ukrainian land surrendered to Moscow… But Putin’s troops currently control a significant amount of Donetsk and Luhansk, and in September 2022 Moscow unilaterally declared it had annexed those two regions well as parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Putin’s forces are also making gains across the border in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv…  

“Broader demands for peace that the Russian leader listed included Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, restrictions on its military force and protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country… Russia does not fully control either of the four regions it illegally annexed in 2022, but Putin said Kyiv must withdraw from them entirely if it wants peace…

“Zelensky and US President Joe Biden also sent what they described as a message of unified opposition to the Russian President, inking a key security agreement that will see Washington provide ten years of military and financial support for Kyiv… The Ukraine-US security pact… does not offer Ukraine any new money but includes a commitment by the White House to work with Congress on a source of sustainable funding for the future… But either side can terminate the agreement in writing with six months’ notice, which means a future US president – including Donald Trump if elected in November – could cancel the arrangement. Trump has been sceptical of providing additional military aid to Ukraine, at one point criticising the ‘endless flow of American treasure’ to Kyiv. More recently, though, he has expressed openness to lending money instead…”

Russia and Ukraine will unite… somehow.

Russia and North Korea Sign War Pact

The Associated Press wrote on June 19:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country faces ‘aggression,’ in a pact that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West… The two met as Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years…. Kim said the two countries had a ‘fiery friendship,’ and that the deal was the ‘strongest ever treaty’ between them, putting the relationship at the level of an alliance. He vowed full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Putin said that it was a ‘breakthrough document’ reflecting shared desire to move relations to a higher level. North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed a treaty in 1961, which experts say necessitated Moscow’s military intervention if the North came under an attack. The deal was discarded after the collapse of the USSR, replaced by a pact in 2000 that offered weaker security assurances. It wasn’t immediately clear if the new deal provides a similar level of protection as the 1961 treaty…

“Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking U.S.-led efforts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on the North over its weapons tests… China is North Korea’s biggest ally and economic lifeline, accounting for most of the country’s trade. .. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years,”

Express added on June 19:

“North Korea is reportedly providing Moscow with crucial munitions for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In return, Russia is offering economic assistance and technology transfers, which could significantly bolster Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.”

Die Welt wrote on June 19:

“According to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the nuclear powers Russia and North Korea have agreed to provide mutual assistance in the event of an attack by a third country. The treaty on all-encompassing strategic cooperation signed by Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang also includes mutual assistance in the event of external aggression against Russia or North Korea. The agreement is intended to take the cooperation between the two states to a new level.”

The Bible prophesies a future alliance of nations in the Far East, called the “kings of the east.” They would include countries such as China, Russia, North Korea and others—all being hostile to the West.

Netanyahu Dissolves War Cabinet

The Associated Press wrote on June 17:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential War Cabinet tasked with steering the war in Gaza, Israeli officials said Monday, a move that comes days after a key member of the body bolted the government over frustrations surrounding the Israeli leader’s handling of the war.

“The move was widely expected following the departure of Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief, earlier this month. Gantz’s absence from the government makes Netanyahu more dependent on his ultranationalist allies to govern and the dissolution of the War Cabinet underlines that shift as the eight-month-long war in Gaza drags on…

“Netanyahu has played a balancing act throughout the war between pressures from Israel’s top ally, the U.S., and the growing global opposition to the war and from his government partners, chief among them Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both have threatened to topple the government should Israel move ahead on a cease-fire deal…

“Gantz’s departure, while not posing a direct threat to Netanyahu’s rule, rocked Israeli politics at a sensitive time. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel finds itself at its most isolated. Gantz is now an opposition party leader in parliament… and without the support of Gantz’s party, Netanyahu is expected to be more beholden to the far-right allies”

The Guardian added on June 17:

“Netanyahu’s moves suggest an increasing confidence as the prime minister’s poll numbers have improved since the departure of Gantz, which has caused the latter’s polling to decline markedly…”

And so, the war will go on, and Israel’s enemies will increase.

Outright War with Hezbollah and Lebanon?

The Guardian wrote on June 19:

“The Israeli foreign minister, Israel Katz, has said a decision on an all-out war with Hezbollah was coming soon, as Israel’s generals announced late on Tuesday that they had signed off planning for an offensive into Lebanon…

“After threats by the Hezbollah chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to damage Haifa’s ports that are operated by Chinese and Indian companies, Katz said in a post on X: ‘We are getting very close to the moment of deciding on changing the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon.’ ‘In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely beaten,’ he added.

“Israel’s military later said ‘operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field’… Last week Hezbollah launched hundreds of drones and rockets, including more than 200 on a single day, and the Israeli military struck Hezbollah targets in return.”

Further Tensions Between Israel and the USA

The New York Post wrote on June 19:

“The White House canceled a high-level meeting with Israel that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video claiming the US was withholding military aid… In his video, speaking in English, Netanyahu declared that it was ‘inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.’…

“Meanwhile, the White House publicly expressed confusion over Netanyahu’s comments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying only one weapons shipment had been paused since the start of the war. ‘We genuinely do not know what he is talking about,’ she noted…

“This was the second time a meeting on the Iran strategic dialogue was canceled last minute. In March Netanyahu canceled a meeting after the US declined to veto a UN Security resolution that included a reference to a ceasefire in Gaza. Despite strained relations between Biden and Netanyahu, the Israeli leader is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious speech at a crucial moment for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.”

Given the many lies told by the White House and the Biden Administration, one is inclined to believe Netanyahu’s accusation rather than Jean-Pierre’s denial.

UK Ordered to Withdraw Military Base From Gibraltar

Express wrote on June 17:

“Spain has demanded the UK close its military base in Gibraltar, as political tensions between the two countries threaten to explode. Gibraltar enjoys a strategic location at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, where the straits between Europe and Africa are only 14 km wide. As such, the Oversees territory is routinely used by Royal Navy ships, RAF aircraft and other units that temporarily deploy to conduct training. The MoD also employs 952 personnel in Gibraltar, of which 528 are locally employed civilians. The remainder are military and UK-based civil servants. The presence of the base as well as Gibraltar’s status as a British colony have become sources of growing frustration and anger in Spain.

“Spain’s UN ambassador, Héctor Gómez Hernández, alleged that the UK was contravening an existing Resolution (3163) passed by the Assembly in December 1973. He called for the immediate demilitarization of Gibraltar at a session of the UN in New York. … In a written answer to a parliamentary question last year, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said 79 ships visited Gibraltar in 2022, as did 117 military aircraft. Additionally 2,000 to 3,000 personnel mostly from the British army were sent to the Rock for training exercises. These visits total approximately 12,000 to 14,000 personnel per year, based on 2022 data…”

We have suggested for many years that Gibraltar will ultimately fall into the hands of the Spanish.

UEFA Euro Championship Under Threat from ISIS?

The Sun wrote on June 14:

“The UEFA Euro 2024 championship presents a ‘wide spectrum of potential risks and issues’ amid a ‘very high level of risk’ from ISIS, [Security expert Will Geddes] has warned…  Working with analysts who have experience in military, intelligence and law enforcement, his team have seen ISIS make ‘very specific references to Germany.’…

“Over the course of the championship, Germany will play host to a whopping 2.7 million fans in 10 different stadiums – alongside 12 million more in fan zones. Will explained that the mammoth security op will range from snipers spread around the stadium to ‘super spotters’ hidden in amongst the public… ‘You have some 22,000 federal police that will be assigned particularly to the games… including hostile behaviour detection personnel…’ Further ‘foreign and neighbouring countries police forces’ brought in from across the globe will have had input from their own intelligence services and anti-terror units…”

Under Trump, ISIS was as good as gone. Now, ISIS is back.

Greece Introduces the Six-Day Week

Die Welt wrote on June 18:

“In view of an acute shortage of skilled workers, the Greek government is planning a far-reaching labor market reform from July 1. Employees should be given the option of a six-day week in the future. If the sixth working day falls on a Saturday, they receive a wage supplement of 40 percent, and on Sundays and public holidays, they even receive an additional salary of 115 percent… Civil servants are expressly excluded from the six-day week. In principle, however, this option is available in both the public and private sectors, particularly in areas such as banking, utilities and agriculture.

“Greece already has one of the highest average working hours in Europe at 2,036 hours per year, compared to 1,386 hours in Germany… Unions therefore reject the new regulation and are already complaining about ‘exploitative conditions’ due to the shortage of skilled workers…

“In addition, it remains unclear whether the introduction of the six-day week will actually lead to an increase in total working hours, as the EU Commission continues to stipulate a maximum weekly working time of 48 hours. Therefore, according to the new regulations, a maximum of eight additional hours should be possible…”

Attempts will increase in Europe and elsewhere to force or entice laborers to work on Saturday, the biblically-commanded Sabbath.

Biden’s Recent Embarrassing Moments

The Daily Mail wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden appeared to freeze on stage after giving remarks at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night before his old boss [Obama] took him by the arm and pulled the president away. The incident captured on video is the latest in a series of episodes that have plagued 81-year-old Biden…

“It comes just after other videos appeared to show Biden freezing or having other cringe moments in recent days and his penchant for public gaffes has faced increasing scrutiny as he seeks another term in office despite his advanced years.

At a recent Juneteenth celebration at the White House, video of Biden staring off as other attendees danced around him to the music went viral. The president then went on to slur some words during his speech at the event which sparked some concerns online.

“Last week while attending the G7 in Italy, video showed Biden wandering away from other world leaders while viewing a skydiving demonstration and giving a thumbs up in the other direction. The video then shows Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tap Biden on the shoulder and direct him back to the group where he throws on a pair of aviators.”

Biden’s incapability to run this country should be obvious to everyone. Note the next article as well.

Joe Biden Unfit for Office

The New York Post published the following article by Piers Morgan on June 17:

“I watched the viral clip of Barack Obama taken a frozen Joe Biden by the arm and leading him off stage at their star-studded $30 million LA fundraiser, and posted on X what I suspect everyone who watched it was thinking: ‘So embarrassing. The Democrats can’t let this go on, surely?’ Within a few hours, a staggering 7.5 million people had viewed my post and many thousands of those had liked, reposted or commented on it.

“As I thought, the vast majority shared my honestly held opinion that President Biden is no longer fit for the highest office in America. I don’t mean that he’s too incompetent for the job, although many would say he is. No, I mean that he’s too physically and mentally unfit to function at the extremely high level required to be leader of not just the United States, but also the free world.

“When the last Democrat to occupy the White House has to literally grab the current one because he notices he’s had yet another ‘senior moment’ and appears to be paralyzed like a statue on stage, it has to be the wake-up call everyone in the party must urgently heed before it’s too late, doesn’t it? We’re only five months away from the 2024 general election, but what is now painfully obvious is that Joe Biden’s already cooked as a candidate. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that he can possibly get through another four-year term of presidency — and everyone knows it.

“This is a once very eloquent, fast-talking, firebrand senator… who can now barely speak without talking gibberish, nor walk quicker than a snail on Mogadon, and who keeps falling over or forgetting what he’s supposed to be doing or saying…

“Biden is supposed to be America’s commander-in-chief but, at what is a very dangerous time for the world, I wouldn’t trust him now to order a restaurant meal let alone a military strike. So why is he still running? Why has nobody told him to stand aside for the good of the party and country, as incumbent Democrat presidents Lyndon Johnson did in 1968 and Harry Truman did in 1953? If they have, then why hasn’t he listened to them?

“We’re told he still believes he’s the only person who can beat Donald Trump because he beat him last time. But as I suspect the world will see when they have their first live TV debate on June 27, the controversial and now criminally convicted Republican candidate will eat Biden alive on stage and there will be no Obama there to rescue him. Just as bafflingly, why do so many high-profile Democrats persist in trying to convince us that Biden’s still got all his marbles intact?…”

Very well put. What are the Democrats up to, to have an incompetent leader run again for four more years? Politicians like Germany’s Olaf Scholz and California’s Gavin Newsom want to assure us that Biden is fit for the job. What utter ridiculous nonsense! Whom do they want to deceive? Of course, the White House and the mass media are again in denial… at least, so they pretend to be.

Note the next articles.

“Fact-checking” Biden’s Video

Breitbart, calling The Associated Press “Associated Pravda,” wrote on June 18:

“The Associated Press (AP) on Monday fact-checked a video of former President Barack Obama walking President Joe Biden off stage by citing one anonymous source who attended the event. The fact check comes after Biden’s aides became more quarrelsome with the media about coverage of Biden’s age, gaffes, and videos exposing moments of strange confusion… White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued Monday during a press conference that videos the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) research team clipped of Biden’s public glitches are ‘cheap fakes’ and published in ‘bad faith…

“The article [of the AP] admitted every detail seen on the viral clip, then printed a positive spin on Biden’s pause from a White House aide… Videos of Biden malfunctioning in public are real, the Trump campaign… said. ‘The truth hurts,’ Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung told Breitbart News. ‘When the Biden campaign is confronted with that cold, hard reality, they offer ridiculous claims that anyone who clearly sees Biden acting like a brain-dead dope is part of some media-wide conspiracy,’ he said. ‘That’s what happens when you have junior staffers and interns running Biden’s campaign strategy for a candidate who can barely walk and talk at the same time,’ Cheung added…

“Biden, whom Special Counsel Robert Hur described as ‘an elderly man with a poor memory,’ suffers from atrial fibrillation, peripheral neuropathy in his feet, and hyperlipidemia, according to his annual physical by physician Kevin O’Connor.

The health challenges might explain why he struggles to remain upright…”

Staring at a Ghost?

Breitbart wrote on June 18:

“On Monday’s episode of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Jon Stewart played the viral clip of Biden randomly wandering off on his own at the G7 summit, only for Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to gently guide him back to the press fold. Stewart said it was like Biden was ‘staring at what can only be considered ghosts or out-of-frame paratroopers.’ ‘And then, when he’s pulled back into frame, somehow giving the impression someone has quantum-leaped into his body,’ Stewart said, referring to Biden’s subsequent blank stare…

“Democrats and their media allies are scrambling to downplay mounting evidence of Biden’s cognitive decline as his poll numbers continue to languish at record lows less than six months ahead of the election.”

The Connecticut Bar Association Warns Lawyers About Criticizing Proceedings Against Trump!

On June 15, 2024, Law Professor John Turley wrote the following article which was published by Fox News:

“This week, I have received emails from Connecticut bar members over a message posted by President Maggie Castinado, President-Elect James T. (Tim) Shearin, and Vice President Emily A. Gianquinto warning them about criticizing the prosecutions of former President Donald Trump. The message from the bar leadership is chilling for those lawyers who view cases like the one in Manhattan as a raw political prosecution. While the letter does not outright state that such criticism will be considered unethical conduct, it states that the criticism has ‘no place in the public discourse’ and calls on members to speak publicly in support of the integrity of these legal proceedings…

“According to the Connecticut Bar, it is now considered reckless and unprofessional to make analogies to show trials or to question the integrity of the legal system or the judges in such cases. For example, criticizing Judge Juan Merchan for refusing to recuse from the case is considered beyond the pale. Many lawyers believe that his political contributions to Biden and his daughter’s major role as a Democratic fundraiser and activist should have prompted Merchan to remove himself (and any appearance of a conflict). I have been more critical of his rulings, which I believe were both biased and wrong.

“Yet, the Bar is warning lawyers that such comments can cross the line. The letter assures members that they are free to criticize but warn that attacking the ethics of a judge or the motivations behind these cases is dangerous and could spark violence…

“Like many, I believe that the Manhattan case was a flagrant example of such weaponization of the legal system and should be denounced by all lawyers… For those lawyers who view such prosecutions as political, they are speaking out in defense of what they believe is the essence of blind justice in America. What is ‘reckless’ to the Connecticut Bar is righteous to others…

“The letter goes further and suggests that lawyers should speak publicly in support of trials like the one in Manhattan, a view that ignores the deep misgivings over the motivations and means used in New York to target an unpopular figure in this city. You have the top Bar officials calling on lawyers to take a public position that is opposed by many lawyers and citizens in defending the integrity of these prosecutions…”

This is an appalling and outrageous position by a bar association which has become the spokesperson for the Biden Administration, the weaponized Justice Department and corrupt judges. Let us be clear. Cases against Trump WERE and are show trials and the integrity of the legal system HAS BEEN compromised. Note the next article in this context as well.

Garland Won’t Be Prosecuted!

Newsmax wrote on June 14:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland will not be prosecuted for contempt of Congress because his refusal to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case ‘did not constitute a crime,’ the Justice Department said Friday. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Justice Department official cited the department’s longstanding policy not to prosecute for contempt of Congress officials who don’t comply with subpoenas because of a president’s claim of executive privilege.

“The House voted Wednesday to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the audio recordings of Biden’s interview with a special counsel, which the White House has accused Republicans of wanting only so they can chop them up and use them for political purposes. On the last day to comply with the Republicans’ subpoena for the audio, the White House blocked the release by invoking executive privilege…

“Garland is the third attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress. He has defended the Justice Department, saying officials have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide information to the committees about special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation, including a transcript of Biden’s interview with him.”

A transcript, which might or might not be complete, is quite different from audio recordings. Regardless, Congress asked for audio tapes which Garland refused to provide. Others acting like Garland went to jail.

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.

Bannon to Be Jailed

Breitbart wrote on June 6:

“Former top Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon was ordered by a federal judge on Thursday to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving his four-month sentence for contempt of Congress. Bannon, 70, was convicted of contempt in July 2022 for defying a subpoena to testify before the congressional panel that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters. One of the masterminds behind Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign, he was sentenced to four months in prison in October 2022, but has remained free while appealing his conviction.

“A US federal appeals court upheld the conviction last month. US District Judge Carl Nichols revoked his bail at a court hearing Thursday and ordered him to report to prison by July 1. A defiant Bannon addressed reporters outside the Washington courthouse after the judge’s order, saying ‘there’s nothing that can shut me up and nothing that will shut me up… There’s not a prison built or a jail built that will ever shut me up,’ he said…

“Another top Trump advisor, Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress and began serving a four-month sentence in a Florida prison in March. Navarro, 74, is the highest-ranking former member of the Trump administration to spend time behind bars for actions stemming from the Republican former president’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.”

This is an outcry when comparing it to the next articles about Garland.

Merrick Garland in Contempt

On May 16, Politico reported:

“Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to recommend Attorney General Merrick Garland be held in contempt of Congress after the Justice Department refused to hand over the audio of former special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden…

“The White House notified lawmakers on Thursday that Biden was asserting executive privilege over the audio of Biden’s interview with Hur — effectively precluding Garland from facing criminal charges over defying the two congressional subpoenas.”

Newsmax wrote on June 11:

“The full House has cited only three sitting Cabinet officials to be in contempt of Congress: Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012, and Attorney General Bill Barr, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in 2019. The move Wednesday largely [is] symbolic, though, because the DOJ declined to prosecute Holder, Barr, and Ross in the previous instances and likely will do the same with Garland.”

The New York Post wrote on June 12:

“House Republicans voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress…

“Lawmakers approved the contempt measure along party lines, with 216 Republicans in favor and 207 Democrats opposed…

Breitbart added:

“The move — seen as symbolic, since Garland’s own officials would ultimately decide whether to press charges — is the latest escalation in hostilities between allies of Republican Donald Trump and the White House ahead of November’s election.”

Newsmax wrote:

“… it is unlikely that the Justice Department — which Garland oversees — will prosecute him. The White House’s decision to exert executive privilege over the audio recording, shielding it from Congress, would make it exceedingly difficult to make a criminal case against Garland.”

Nobody is above the law? This is just such a crying shame! There is truly no justice in the land, as the Bible says.

Hunter’s Laptop from Hell

Fox News wrote on June 7:

“Hunter Biden’s scandalous laptop, which was originally dismissed as Russian disinformation by many media outlets, pundits and even liberal allies in the intelligence community, was formally entered into evidence and confirmed by the FBI this week in his ongoing federal gun crime trial. The ‘laptop from hell,’ which is filled with videos and photos of drug use, sex acts, and sensitive business communications, was shown to the jury on Tuesday to try to prove the president’s son lied about using drugs on a gun purchase form. While the laptop has since been authenticated by a variety of news outlets, it was rejected when the New York Post first reported it in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election. Twitter, claiming the story violated its terms of service on hacked materials, locked the New York Post out of its account for weeks and even blocked users from sharing the story link…

“The Russian disinformation narrative stemmed in part from an open letter penned by 51 former intel officials… who declared that the laptop had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’ The letter… suggested the emails were hacked and could have been tampered with by the Kremlin in order to make its contents look incriminating. Among the signatories include former DNI-turned-CNN analyst James Clapper, former CIA Director-turned-MSNBC analyst John Brennan and former CIA chief of staff-turned-MSNBC analyst Jeremy Bash… Now, the U.S. government is saying this is not only legitimate, but it wasn’t tampered with…”

USA Today wrote on June 6:

“During the 2020 debate, Biden angrily defended his son (and himself)… ‘There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he’s accusing me of is a Russian plant,’ Biden said. ‘They have said that this has all the … five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s [Trump] saying is a bunch of garbage.’… It turns out the ones who were spreading garbage were Biden and these disinformation ‘experts,’ who along with a complicit mainstream news media, quashed and discounted an important story just weeks before the presidential election…

“The laptop story is important because the way it was handled is far from an isolated incident... Democrats and the legacy media often team together to form a narrative.  And anyone who questions this determined narrative is considered fringe or even dangerous.

“Take for instance the claims of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign ahead of his 2016 victory. Democrats wouldn’t let the accusation go and sought to taint Trump’s entire presidency with allegations of wrongdoing. The news media happily followed along…”

Fake news propaganda by the mass media!

Hunter Biden Convicted

The Associated Press wrote on June 11:

“Hunter Biden was convicted Tuesday of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs… Joe Biden has said he would accept the verdict involving his son and would not seek to pardon him….

“Hunter Biden’s legal troubles aren’t over. He faces a trial in September in California on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes…”

Breitbart added on June 11:

“Hunter faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 of fines, court filings say… ‘We don’t yet know what the sentencing guidelines would be if he’s convicted on all counts,’ NBC News reported, ‘but one legal expert said they likely would specify around a year in prison.’

“Hunter’s gun trial judge, Maryellen Noreika, recently delivered a one-year sentence to a defendant in a similar gun case. The defense asked for a six-month sentence, but Noreika gave him one year.”

The jury in Wilmington, Delaware, deliberated for only about three hours over two days. The date for sentencing has not been set yet but the timeline is usually within 120 days. That would place it no later than a month before the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. So has justice been served? Hardly. Note the next article.

Protecting Hunter

Breitbart wrote on June 12:

“The White House left open the idea that President Joe Biden might commute Hunter Biden’s pending federal sentence following his gun-related conviction… Joe Biden believes Hunter is a victim of the weaponization of justice, a person familiar with the conversation told Politico.”

To “commute a sentence” is the power to substitute a sentence imposed by the judiciary for a lesser sentence. So, nobody is above the law?

Newsmax wrote:

“According to the Justice Department, a presidential commutation could reduce, partially or totally, a person’s sentence once it has begun, ‘but it does not change the fact of conviction, imply innocence, or remove civil disabilities that apply to the convicted person.’”

Subsequently, Biden told a reporter that he would not commute Hunter’s sentence. We will see.

America’s National Debt

The Daily Hodl wrote on June 7:

“The US national debt just hit a new all-time high of $34.667 trillion…  That’s a $677 billion increase from the start of 2024, when the nation’s debt stood at $33.990 trillion…

“The new record high comes amid a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warning that the greater the nation’s debt, the less money Americans will earn. ‘The current law debt trajectory will reduce income growth by 12% over the next three decades and 13% annually by Fiscal Year (FY) 2049. Rapidly rising debt could reduce income growth by 33% over the next three decades and 42% annually by FY 2049.”

America will never be able to repay its debt.

Civil War in America?

Politico wrote on June 11:

“In a spring report titled ‘Disruptions on the Horizon,’ a quiet office known as Policy Horizons Canada, proposed American civil war as a scenario that Ottawa should consider preparing for.

“This hypothetical was tucked into the middle of the 37-page document which sketched the possibility in 15 spare words: ‘U.S. ideological divisions, democratic erosion, and domestic unrest escalate, plunging the country into civil war.’

“It’s an unsettling thing to find out your immediate neighbor is getting nervous about the possibility of gruesome violence in your home.

“There has been no shortage of apocalyptic forecasting about Trump-era American politics. Since the 2016 election, left-leaning nonprofits, political consultants and academics have indulged in endless speculation and role-playing exercises, ostensibly to help them defend democracy. In practice, much of this has amounted to self-indulgence…

“The Policy Horizons report struck me as different: not dark fan fiction (or anti-fan fiction) from American partisans, but a sober branch of a friendly foreign government contemplating our national crackup…”

US Supreme Court Upholds Right to Mifepristone

NBC wrote on June 13:

“The Supreme Court has preserved access to mifepristone, a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion case since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.

“In a unanimous decision, the high court ruled that abortion opponents who challenged the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the medication, and subsequent actions to ease access to it, lacked the legal right or standing to sue. The court notes that the doctors and groups suing the FDA ‘do not prescribe or use mifepristone,’ nor is the FDA requiring them to do so. ‘Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain,’ Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court’s opinion. Kavanaugh was part of the majority to overturn Roe…

“The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies. Last year the pill was used in more than six in 10 of the abortions in the U.S. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone and primes the uterus to respond to the contraction-causing effect of a second drug, misoprostol. The two-drug regimen has been used to end a pregnancy through 10 weeks gestation.

“The central argument of the conservative group challenging mifepristone is that the Food and Drug Administration overlooked serious problems with the drug when it eased restrictions on the drug, including making it available via mail in 2021… But the FDA has long argued its decision to drop in-person appointments to get mifepristone, among other requirements, came after 20 years of monitoring its safety. In that period the agency reviewed dozens of studies in thousands of women in which serious problems — including hospitalization — occurred less than 0.3% of the time… Because of the highly technical nature of reviewing drug data and research, courts have long deferred to FDA’s scientific judgements on safety and effectiveness…

“Kavanaugh acknowledged what he described as the opponents’ ‘sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and to FDA’s relaxed regulation of mifepristone.’ But he said they went to the wrong forum and should instead direct their energies to persuading lawmakers and regulators to make changes…”

Abortion (killing life after it has been conceived) is wrong and condemned by God.

Russian Warships in Cuba

Miami Herald wrote on June 12, 2024

“A group of Russian warships that sailed close to Florida shores, closely watched by U.S. destroyers, entered the port of Havana on Wednesday morning ahead of Russian military exercises in the Caribbean… the top of the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan was visible outside Havana Harbor before it submerged again…

“The official Russian government news agency Tass reported Wednesday that the Kazan, a modern nuclear submarine, is capable of ‘quietly approaching U.S. shores within 50 km and carrying out assigned combat missions… the submarine is equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles. Zircons travel so fast — nine times the speed of sound, or close to 7,000 miles per hour — that one could hit the United States in seconds from Havana…”

Unpleasant memories of the famous Cuba missile crisis under JFK?

The Church of Rome

CNA wrote on June 10:

“Pope Francis gazed over the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum during a visit to Rome’s historic Capitoline Hill on Monday in which he reflected on how the ‘Rome of the Caesars’ transformed into the ‘Rome of the Popes.’…

“Pope Francis praised ancient Rome as ‘a radiating center of civilization,’ which with its legal developments and organizational capacities built solid and lasting institutions and an ancient culture with ‘many good values, which on the other hand needed to elevate itself, to confront a greater message of fraternity, love, hope, and liberation.’”

“Telling” comments by a deluded pope.

Four Hostages Freed

The New York Post wrote on June 8:

“Israeli forces freed four hostages held captive by Hamas during a daring raid in central Gaza Saturday — including Noa Argamani, the young Israeli woman who became the tragic face of the terrorists’ murderous incursion on the Jewish state. The hostages… all were kidnapped at the Supernova music festival on the morning of Oct. 7, when savage Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people and kidnapped another 251 during their bloodthirsty rampage across southern Israel…

“Saturday’s raid was the largest single recovery of hostages captured by Hamas, bringing the total number rescued up to seven… The IDF acknowledged that civilians were killed amid the fighting, placing the blame on Hamas for holding the hostages in a civilian environment…”

Israel Condemned

Jordan News wrote on June 9:

“European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Saturday condemned the Israeli army’s operation in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza that killed over 200 people [based on numbers given by the Gaza Health Ministry]… Borrell said reports about another massacre against civilians are ‘horrific’ and urged immediate halt to what he described as a ‘bloodbath’ in Gaza…”

The Guardian added on June 9:

“Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, lashed out at critics of the operation in a post on X: ‘Only Israel’s enemies complained about the casualties of Hamas terrorists and their accomplices.’

“Gary Epstein, a writer for the Times of Israel, said: ‘Hamas engaged in kidnapping and hostage-taking. Hamas embedded itself in hospitals, schools and United Nations facilities. Hamas uses human shields. Hamas holds hostages in residential neighbourhoods. Where is the outrage? What is Israel supposed to do in these circumstances?’”

Israel Today wrote on June 9:

“A journalist and a doctor were among the family members holding Israeli hostages in their home in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday night. Following checks by the IDF and the Shin Bet, it can be confirmed that [journalist] Abdullah al-Jamal was an operative of the Hamas terrorist organization…”

The UN’s Hypocrisy

Israel 365 News wrote on June 9:

“Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for Palestinian-controlled territories, tweeted that she was ‘relieved’ four hostages had been ‘released.’ However, she went on to state that the operation ‘should not have come at the expense of at least 200 Palestinians, including children, killed and over 400 injured by Israel and allegedly foreign soldiers, while perfidiously hiding in an aid truck.’

“The figures cited by Albanese, who has a long-documented history of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric, including outright support for Hamas, come from the terrorist organization, which runs the Gaza Health Ministry.

“According to Israeli officials, the extraction force came under heavy fire during the operation, leading to a firefight in the heavily populated Nuseirat neighborhood. Hamas forces fired rocket-propelled grenades at the extraction teams and hostages from within civilian buildings, according to the IDF spokesperson…

“Albanese went on to assert that ‘Israel could have freed all hostages, alive and intact, eight months ago when the first ceasefire and hostage exchange was put on the table. Yet, Israel refused in order to continue to destroy Gaza and the Palestinians as a people,’ calling it ‘genocidal intent turned into action’… U.S. President Joe Biden has… rejected accusations of genocide leveled at Israel over its campaign against Hamas.

“Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, tweeted on Saturday that ‘Countries that celebrate the release of four Israeli hostages without saying a word about the hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands held in arbitrary detention by Israel, have lost moral credibility for generations and don’t deserve to be on any U.N. human rights body.’

“The U.N. Human Rights Council, which appoints special rapporteurs, has long been criticized for including some of the world’s worst human rights offenders, including current members such as China, Cuba and Eritrea.”

The UN’s hypocrisy is stunning and so is Europe’s hatred for Israel, but it is all according to prophecy. But note the following insightful article.

Israel Should Be Applauded

The New York Post wrote on June 10:

“Israel pulled off a hostage rescue that deserves to go down in the annals of extraordinary daring highly successful military operations, yet it is being condemned for it. The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council denounced the ‘heinous and terrorist crime that targeted defenseless innocents with brutality,’ while Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon have decried Israel’s alleged criminal tactics… The media coverage in the US has taken a skeptical or negative tone, emphasizing the civilian casualties.

“According to the laughably unreliable Gaza health ministry, the operations killed 274 Palestinian civilians. It stands to reason, then, that it was almost certainly fewer than that. The IDF says the toll was less than 100.  While everyone would prefer that every military operation [was] completely antiseptic, that’s not how the world works…

“One side wants to free non-combatants from their nightmarish imprisonment to live again at home with their families as they please; the other side grabbed innocent people in a bloodthirsty pogrom, has hideously abused them, and refuses to release them. 

“Once Israel forces encountered military resistance in dire circumstances, what were they supposed to do? Give the hostages back? Surrender? Apologize and ask to come back at some other time?… The Israeli military used the force necessary to get their operators and the hostages out alive, as any other country would have done (one commando was killed in the raid).

“Either out of profound moral confusion, enmity toward Israel, self-loathing of the West or all of the above, many people since Oct. 7 have confused victim with victimizer, hostage-rescuers with hostage-takers and the forces of civilization with the forces of barbarism.

“If Israel can’t even bring home its own, the world is truly upside down — just the way Hamas wants it.”

Europe to Control the USA

Fox News wrote on June 10:

“In May, officials in the European Union finalized a sweeping new law that will radically change business activities around the world and, by extension, the societies they operate in. The law… will not only apply to companies that are based in the European Union, but also to businesses headquartered in other countries that provide products and services in the EU… That means countless businesses within the United States will be affected by this law. 

“The [law] mandates that large businesses reduce and reverse biodiversity loss [the loss of a variety of living things and their interactions], limit water and land consumption, prohibit certain kinds of ‘disinformation,’ guarantee rights for labor unions, and adopt climate transition plans that phase out fossil fuels, among numerous other requirements. Large companies will also be forced under the law to adhere to numerous U.N. resolutions, EU regulations and international agreements…

“Failure to meet the EU requirements could result in massive fines equal to as much as 5% of a company’s net worldwide turnover. Companies who violate the law could also be sued by individuals or activist groups for alleged damages caused by their undesirable practices.”

America beware!

Attacks on European Politicians

Yahoo!News wrote on June 8:

“Danish authorities said Saturday that an attack on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, which she said left her ‘shaken’ but ‘fine’, was not thought to be politically motivated… The attack was widely condemned by leading European politicians, including EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who said it was a ‘despicable act which goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe’…

“In 2019, Frederiksen became the country’s youngest prime minister at the age of 41 and kept the post after emerging victorious in the 2022 general election. The incident follows a spate of attacks on European politicians from across the political spectrum ahead of this week’s EU elections.

“Several politicians in Germany [notably from the AfD] have been attacked at work or on the campaign trail. On May 15, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot four times at close range as he greeted supporters after a government meeting. Fico, who survived the assassination attempt, underwent two lengthy hospital surgeries.”

Macron and Scholz Lose Big in European Election

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on June 9:

“Right wing parties made major gains in European Union parliamentary elections Sunday, dealing stunning defeats to two of the bloc’s most important leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In France, the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen dominated the polls to such an extent that Macron immediately dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections. It was a massive political risk since his party could suffer more losses, hobbling the rest of his presidential term that ends in 2027.

“Le Pen was delighted to accept the challenge. ‘We’re ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration,’ she said…

“In Germany, the most populous nation in the 27-member bloc… the AfD overcame a string of scandals involving its top candidate to rise to 16.5%, up from 11% in 2019. In comparison, the combined result for the three parties in the German governing coalition barely topped 30%.

“Scholz suffered such an ignominious fate that his long-established Social Democratic party fell behind [the AfD], which surged into second place…

“The four-day polls in the 27 EU countries were the world’s second-biggest exercise in democracy, behind India’s recent election. At the end, the rise of the far right was even more stunning than many analysts predicted…

“The center-right Christian Democratic bloc of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which already weakened its green credentials ahead of the polls, dominated in Germany with almost 30%, easily beating Scholz’s Social Democrats, who fell to 14%, even behind the AfD…

“EU lawmakers, who serve a five-year term in the 720-seat Parliament, have a say in issues from financial rules to climate and agriculture policy. They approve the EU budget, which bankrolls priorities including infrastructure projects, farm subsidies and aid delivered to Ukraine. And they hold a veto over appointments to the powerful EU commission… Since the last EU election in 2019, populist or far-right parties now lead governments in three nations — Hungary, Slovakia and Italy — and are part of ruling coalitions in others including Sweden, Finland and, soon, the Netherlands. Polls give the populists an advantage in France, Belgium, Austria and Italy.”

The New York Post wrote on June 9:

“In the Netherlands, anti-immigrant populist Prime Minister Geert Wilders increased his seats of the European Parliament from one to seven — though liberal parties narrowly won the most votes… In Belgium, the Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced he would resign after national elections in the nation of 11.5 million people saw his center-right party’s vote share projected to drop to less than 5%…. Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party [came] out on top…”

No Early Elections in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10, 2024

“Germany will not hold a snap election as demanded by the opposition despite bruising EU election results for all three parties in the ruling coalition, the spokesman for Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said. Steffen Hebestreit rejected calls from Bavaria’s state premier, Markus Soeder, to follow in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron…  ‘The election date is next fall as planned, and we plan to follow that through,’ Hebestreit said…

“A call for snap elections also came from Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which saw a surge in support at the elections for the European Parliament. Weidel accused the German government of making policies against Germans, saying, ‘People have had enough.’”

Jews Worried

JTA wrote on June 11:

“The success of German extremists in Sunday’s European Parliament election has mainstream Jewish leaders and politicians worried. Some say they fear the country is veering into political territory that resembles the era just before the rise of the Nazis here nearly a century ago…

“Government statistics show that most antisemitic crimes whose perpetrators are identified are committed by someone with a far-right background. But many crimes are never solved…”

European Court Fines Hungary

The Guardian wrote on June 13:

“Hungary has been ordered to pay a €200m (£169m) fine for its refusal to uphold the rights of asylum seekers… by the bloc’s highest court. The European court of justice in Luxembourg also ordered Budapest to pay €1m a day until it complies with EU laws guaranteeing refugees the right to claim asylum inside Hungarian borders.

“In a major judgment issued on Thursday, the court said Hungary had shown ‘deliberate evasion’ in applying EU policy, which it described as ‘an unprecedented and exceptionally serious infringement of EU law’ and ‘a significant threat to the unity of EU law and to the principle of equality of the member states’…

“Responding to the judgment, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, described the court’s ruling as ‘outrageous and unacceptable’, adding: ‘It seems that illegal migrants are more important to the Brussels bureaucrats than their own European citizens.’ The legal ruling comes less than three weeks before the Hungarian government takes charge of the rotating presidency of the EU council of ministers. It highlights the profound challenge to the bloc…”

With the ongoing fighting between Hungary and the rest of the EU members, it will be interesting to see what will happen when Hungary takes over the presidency of the EU council on July 1, 2024.

Preparing For War

CNN wrote on June 9:

“Conscription, rationing, and subway stations turned into bunkers. For the first time since the Cold War, Germany has updated its plans should conflict erupt in Europe, with ministers citing the threat by Russia. The 67-page document… envisions the complete transformation of daily life for German citizens in the event of war. Under wartime conditions, mandatory conscription into the army would be reinstated and skilled laborers aged over 18 could be made to work certain jobs including in bakeries and post offices – as well as being prevented from quitting their jobs. Doctors, psychologists, nurses and vets may also be repurposed in military and civil service roles.

“Rationing would also be brought in. In the event of dwindling food supplies, the government would stockpile food to provide citizens with ‘one hot meal a day’ for an undisclosed period of time, according to the document. Federal reserves would include foods like rice, pulses and condensed milk. Other key resources such as petrol and oil could also be rationed with coupons if they become scarce.

“It also outlines civil protection measures including transforming underground stations into makeshift bunkers and preparing hospitals for an influx of patients… The document warns that Germany’s hospitals would have to prepare to treat large numbers of patients over a long period of time…

“On Wednesday, German Defensive Minister Pistorius was quoted by newspaper Der Spiegel as saying: ‘We must be ready for war by 2029.’ Pistorius added, ‘We must not believe that Putin will stop at Ukraine’s borders when he gets that far.’ Similarly, voices from within the British government have expressed the need to be war-ready. Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in February stated that ‘war is coming’ to Britain by the end of the decade…

“In recent weeks Russia has issued some of its starkest warnings to the West yet… The Russian leader specifically pointed to a breakdown in Russia’s relations with Germany, claiming that the appearance of German tanks in Ukraine had resulted in a ‘moral, ethical shock,’ because ‘the attitude towards [Germany] in Russian society had always been very good, very good.’ ‘Now, when they say that some more missiles will appear that will strike targets on Russian territory, this, of course, is ultimately destroying Russo-German relations,’ he added.”

The Sun wrote on June 7:

“GERMANY has revealed its plans for war with Russia, with provisions ranging all the way from national service to bin collection… National conscription would return and citizens could ‘be drafted at any time’… All of Germany’s tanks and military vehicles would get priority on roads and railway lines throughout the country – limiting normal traffic. Air traffic could also be blocked at a moment’s notice as well as public transport including buses, subways and trains.

“Companies across the country would focus on making defence products… If World War 3 was to break out between Nato and Russia, Germany would become a crucial port to ferry through troops, weapons and more… In order to protect Germany – a large number of its troops would move to border its eastern flank. Nato soldiers from its allies would also be housed, fed and protected on German soil as they moved to fight Putin’s troops.

“National media would be made to broadcast important war announcements ‘immediately’…

“Only days ago, Putin vowed to send his terrifying set of long-range missiles to allies across Europe after learning of the West’s renewed support for Ukraine…  Today Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine has the right to strike inside Russia when hitting ‘legitimate, military targets.’

“Vladimir Putin has threatened all-out war if Ukraine uses Western weapons to hit Russia. The tyrant singled out Britain — warning ‘countries with small territory and dense populations’ should be careful… Putin said: ‘Constant escalation can lead to serious consequences. Nato members, particularly in Europe, should beware of what they are playing with.’”

Still, Russia will not attack Britain, and there will only be war between Russia and continental Europe after Europe has destroyed the USA… and Britain, in nuclear warfare.

Much More Money for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 13:

“G7 leaders plan to use interest from $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine… The world has already committed €297 billion ($321 billion) in aid to Ukraine. But the country clearly needs more…. Washington wanted to use the seized [frozen Russian] money to bankroll Ukraine’s war effort. As most of the funds seized took place in Europe, Brussels said no, due to the huge legal black hole created by freezing assets when the West is not directly at war with Russia… After two years of wrangling, a compromise has been found… Instead of spending the $300 billion principal amount, the new plan will utilize the interest made on those assets — estimated to be a few billion a year — as collateral for a one-off loan of up to $50 billion for Ukraine…

“Ukraine’s government… requires $100-150 billion annually to run the country and the war… Worse still… only half of the latest $61 billion committed by the Biden administration will go directly to Ukraine. The rest will boost the US Department of Defense’s coffers. There is also a large disparity about what countries have promised and delivered…. Ukraine’s need for aid is likely to remain high for several years, including billions for the reconstruction of damaged power infrastructure during the conflict, and the rebuilding of cities once it is over….

“Kyiv is now preparing hikes to income tax, excise duties, sales tax and other indirect levies…”

Newsmax added on June 13:

“Beyond the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit… The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Italy…  is hosting the summit.”

Another shocking example describing the curse of war and the damage it inflicts upon everyone. 

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.

Many Palestinians Favor Hamas

Israel Today wrote on June 3:

“The majority of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria believe that the Hamas terrorist group will emerge from the war with Israel strengthened. To the question, ‘Do you estimate that the war will end with a rise or fall in the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians?’ 55% said the terror group’s popularity would rise. Only 13.1% thought Hamas’s popularity would decline and 27.3% said its popularity wouldn’t change.

“The Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre, an Arab NGO in Jerusalem, conducted the survey almost eight months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

“Nearly 40% of respondents said the attack served ‘national Palestinian interests’ while 30.2% thought it would hurt those interests. Another 23.5% said it didn’t hurt or help. More than 41% of those surveyed said that the war would end in Hamas’s favor. Only 6.3% said it would end to Israel’s advantage.”

This totally destroys the often repeated wrong left-wing narrative that only a small minority of Palestinians support Hamas.

Hamas Unable to Strike Again?

The New York Post wrote on May 31:

“President Biden announced a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without defeating Hamas Friday — claiming that the terrorist group is now incapable of ‘carrying out another October 7th.’ Biden asserted that Hamas had been all but crushed militarily…

“Netanyahu’s office… insisted Israel’s war will not end [and there will NOT be a permanent ceasefire] ‘until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.’”

The seeming naivety of Joe Biden is stunning.

Biden Attacks Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Biden suggested in an interview published in Time magazine on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for ‘his own political self-preservation.’…

“The only Israelis suggesting that Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war are on the far left of the political spectrum. The Israeli public supports the continuation of the war in Gaza until victory by overwhelming margins. Biden has been hostile to Netanyahu since the latter won his election in November 2022, refusing to meet with the Israeli leader for nearly a year. He traveled to Israel after the October 7 attacks, but has since backed efforts to oust Netanyahu.

“Biden resents Netanyahu because the Israeli leader is resisting American pressure to accept a Palestinian state as an outcome of the war. The Israeli public overwhelmingly backs Netanyahu’s position on the issue after decades of Hamas terror.”

There will never be a deep friendship between Biden and Netanyahu.

Hungary vs. EU

AFP wrote on June 2:

“Tens of thousands of Hungarians rallied at a ‘peace march’ Saturday called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is increasingly stoking fears of a war between the West and Russia…

“As Moscow’s closest EU ally despite its invasion of Ukraine, Orban has refused to send weapons to Kyiv while blocking European military aid. He has repeatedly said Ukraine ‘cannot win’, claiming that ‘most people want’ a ceasefire and peace negotiations…

“On Friday, Orban accused the defense alliance of ‘dragging’ Hungary into war over Ukraine, comparing it to how Adolf Hitler had pressured the country into joining World War II.”

Interesting comments and comparisons.

UK Uninformed About Europe

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“More than 370 million people are entitled to vote [in European elections] between June 6 and 9, an electorate second in size only to India’s. As the EU has continued to centralise power, the European Parliament has become less like an international assembly and more like the legislature of a superstate. That superstate is taking shape right next door to us and, although we are each other’s largest trading partners, our relations have often been marred since Brexit by the tendency in Brussels to see us as a rebel province.

“In short, you might think we would be interested. So why so little coverage? Is it that we have become more insular as a result of Brexit?…

“No, what we are seeing is a reminder that this country was never especially community-minded in its outlook. In 1950, as Labour’s then foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, put it: ‘Britain is not “part of Europe”, she is simply not a Luxembourg.’

“As long as we were members, we did our best to pay attention. Turnout at our European elections may have been in the low thirties, but at least we had a vague idea of who Jacques Delors and Jean-Claude Juncker were. The moment we left, though, our gaze snapped back to the Commonwealth and the other English-speaking democracies…”

The situation is not unlike the one in the USA where most Americans are not interested as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And this means, there will be a rude awakening soon for both the UK and the USA.

UK in Political Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“Nigel Farage has vowed to lead a ‘political revolt’ against the Conservatives and Labour, after announcing he will lead the Reform Party for the next five years and stand for Parliament in the Essex seaside town of Clacton. The veteran Brexiteer argued that Britons are ‘furious’ at how both Labour and the Conservatives have approached the immigration crisis, adding there is also ‘deep anger’ at the rate at which public services are ‘disintegrating’….

“Mr Sunak suffered the darkest hour of his election campaign yesterday afternoon. During a dramatic 60 minutes, the Prime Minister suffered a double blow as Nigel Farage entered the fray and a new poll predicted a Tory wipeout…. Writing in The Telegraph yesterday, [Farage] alleged that the UK has been ‘failed by two main parties’ who have ‘conspired to accelerate our decline’… He argued that neither the Tories nor Labour have a ‘plan to pull this country out of a deep economic hole’ and that both are ‘hooked on a deadly addiction to mass immigration‘. The Reform Party leader… claimed that voters feel ‘sick’ at the Government’s ‘policy of betrayal’.”

It was stated that Farage’s intervention “risks handing Sir Keir Starmer [Labour’s party leader] a ‘blank cheque’ to reverse Brexit.” The UK’s general election will be held on July 4. Whatever the outcome, we do not believe that Brexit will ever be reversed.

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“While Farage is arguably one of the most impactful post-World War II political figures in the United Kingdom — having led the charge to lead the country out from under the thumb of the European Union and the unelected cadre of Brussels bureaucrats — he has never held office in Britain, a point frequently brought up by his detractors…

“That is not to say, however, that the populist campaigner is without a history of electoral success, having been elected to serve as a British Member of the European Parliament from 1999 until the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in 2020. In the most recent election in which he meaningfully campaigned — the 2019 EU Parliament elections — Farage’s Brexit Party secured a staggering 5.2 million votes compared to 1.5 million for Theresa May’s Conservatives…

“… chief political correspondent for the globalist Financial Times newspaper, Jim Pickard… said that while it is an ‘aberration’ for third-party candidates to win seats in the House of Commons, he ‘wouldn’t bet against Farage right now.’”

Germany’s Conscription—Coming?

The Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote on May 29:

“In the debate about various conscription models, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees the sending of muster questionnaires to young adults as the first step. In the event of a defense, conscription would be automatically activated immediately, said the SPD politician on Wednesday during a visit to troops in northern Germany. However, they couldn’t be drafted at all because [the government] does not know where or who the 18-year-old young men actually are. ‘We are currently working on rebuilding military registration – and that is why the question of sending out muster questionnaires is a first step.’

“In view of the armed forces’ personnel needs, Pistorius emphasized how important for the Bundeswehr the ability is to grow in the reserves. They are formed from the training of those doing military service or from the other male and female soldiers. Compulsory military service is currently suspended. According to Pistorius, those who decided this in 2011 for fiscal reasons simultaneously destroyed all structures that made military registration possible. But this is mandatory.”

With his conflicting and contradictory statements, Pistorius is hard to pin down, but the bottom line is: He needs to be watched.

Deutsche Welle reported on June 5:

“‘We must be ready for war by 2029,’ the defense minister said during a questioning session in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag… ‘In an emergency, we need strong young women and men who can defend this country.’ Pistorius also said that, for that reason, he believed a ‘new form of military service’ was necessary, that ‘cannot be completely free of obligations.’”

Mexico Elects Claudia Sheinbaum

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country’s 200-year history… The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor said that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory… Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country. She will start her six-year term Oct. 1. Mexico’s constitution does not allow reelection.

“The leftist has said she believes the government has a strong role to play in addressing economic inequality and providing a sturdy social safety net…

“Just as the upcoming November rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has underscored deep divisions in the U.S., Sunday’s election revealed how severely polarized public opinion is in Mexico over the direction of the country, including its security strategy and how to grow the economy.”

The Associated Press added on June 3:

“Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, vowed to continue on the direction set by the populist leftist leader… López Obrador claims to have reduced historically high homicide levels by 20% since he took office in December 2018. But that’s largely a claim based on a questionable reading of statistics. The real homicide rate appears to have declined by only about 4% in six years.”

U.S. Banks Indebted and Near Bankruptcy

The Daily Hodl wrote on June 2:

“Unrealized losses in the US banking system are once again on the rise, according to new numbers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In its Quarterly Banking Profile report, the FDIC says banks are now saddled with more than half a trillion dollars in paper losses on their balance sheets, due largely to exposure to the residential real estate market…

“The FDIC also says that the number of lenders on its Problem Bank List rose last quarter. According to the agency, [63] banks are on the brink of insolvency due to financial, operational, or managerial weakness or a combination of such issues.”

Our Political Injustice System

On June 3, Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column:

“I’ve long criticized our current US justice system – on all levels – as becoming much more about political justice than blind justice. The bizarre trial and conviction of former President Donald Trump last week on 34 felonies only reinforces my concerns.

“The New York District Attorney, Soros-backed Alvin Bragg, has been notorious for downgrading felony charges against others to misdemeanor charges. According to a recent article in the Daily Mail, Bragg had downgraded 60 percent of felony cases to lesser charges, resulting in violent criminals being released on the streets and a crime wave across New York City. But when it came to Donald Trump, Bragg lurched in the other direction, upgrading what normally would have been misdemeanor charges against anyone else to 34 felony charges against the former president. How can this sudden ‘about-face’ be explained other than politics?…

“Regardless of one’s view of Donald Trump, it is a disturbing development in our society when justice is treated more like a football game where you root for your ‘team’ rather than a way of preserving our freedom and liberty in an equal way for all.

“The real goal of the trial was political. None other than George Soros’ son Alex let the cat out of the bag recently when he advised fellow Trump-haters how to take advantage of the trial result. He posted on Twitter after the verdict, ‘Democrats should refer to Trump as a convicted felon at every opportunity. Repetition is the key to a successful message and we want people to wrestle with the notion of hiring a convicted felon for the most important job in the country!’

“It was not about justice in any way. It was all about being able to call the likely Republican presidential nominee a ‘felon’ so as to undermine his support among voters. In other words, election interference.

“The market has a way of prevailing, however. The repeated attempts at using ‘lawfare’ to remove Trump from the political scene have all backfired and actually have served to make the former president even more popular among voters. Immediately after Trump’s conviction on the 34 charges he began sending out fundraising appeals based on his ‘persecution’ by the state of New York. As of this writing, he has, according to press reports, raised over $200 million for his campaign.

“The politicization of justice is not limited to the Democratic Party. The wind sown by political opponents of Donald Trump may well become the whirlwind they reap when their own political opponents are in positions of power. When that is the case, we all lose.”

Sadly, the left-wing mass media is unable or unwilling to read the handwriting on the wall. And the few conservative media outlets dwell on unrealistic hopes and wishful thinking for the future.

“What a Farce!”

Piers Morgan wrote in The Sun on May 31:

“WHAT a farce. That was my instant reaction as I left the recording of Thursday night’s BBC Question Time to hear the bombshell breaking news that Donald Trump had been convicted on all counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. And my feelings only intensified on the journey home into utter incredulity that such a stinking, stupid, senseless act of self-harming partisan political claptrap had been allowed to happen.

“Trump’s no angel, we all know that. But for America to drag one of its 46 presidents through a criminal court over this tawdry, tacky, pathetically trivial case is so damaging to the country’s reputation. Frankly, who cares if Trump did or didn’t have a one-night stand with a porn star 18 years ago, and then paid her off to keep quiet about it?

“Is that any worse than what Bill Clinton did when he had ‘sexual relations’ with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office and then lied to the American people about it, or paid Paula Jones off with $850,000 to settle her sexual harassment case against him? And don’t even get me started on JFK and all his sexual shenanigans which included one of his myriad girlfriends Judith Exner passing classified CIA plans for the assassination of Fidel Castro to Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana.  

‘There’s a sickening hypocrisy behind the Democrat campaign to beat Trump in the 2024 election by trying to incarcerate him for doing far less serious things with Stormy Daniels than their own presidents did with women. And Trump’s conviction sets a horribly dangerous precedent for US political parties to weaponize the justice system against their opponents.

“But the reason it’s so dumb as well as dangerous is because it will inevitably make Trump an even stronger candidate to win back the White House against an ageing, ailing, deeply disliked President Biden.

“Within [a few] hours of the verdicts, his presidential campaign received a staggering $34 million in donations, nearly doubling its single day fundraising record. [Within 24 hours after the verdict, his campaign received 53 million dollars, with 1/3 coming from new donors.]

“Money talks in elections, and Trump’s enraged support has never looked more fired up, or more determined to see him re-elected. Even if he’s jailed when he’s sentenced in July, it will only make him a bigger and more popular martyr…”

To be clear, even an incarcerated Donald Trump could still be elected President and run the country from his prison cell.

A Machine-Gun Mob-Style Hit Job

Express wrote on May 31:

“Former prime minister [Boris Johnson] defends the US presidential candidate [Donald Trump], saying the case against the Republican was a ‘load of stunted-up old nonsense’ [and a] ‘machine-gun mob-style hit job.’…

“Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour opponent Sir Keir Starmer have both refused to criticise the jury’s verdict… But Mr Johnson… called the conviction ‘authoritarian and corrupt’… ‘It was nakedly political. It was completely artificial.’… “

Johnson is right, and Sunak’s and Starmer’s “political correctness” is sad.

Even CNN Trashes Verdict

Breitbart wrote on May 31:

“CNN legal analyst Elie Honig has published an article in New York magazine pointing out many of the procedural flaws behind the prosecution of former President Donald Trump… Among other problems, Honig noted that no state prosecutor had ever tried to enforce federal election laws before. Many legal observers have said that the Manhattan district attorney had no authority or jurisdiction to do so.

“Honig wrote: ‘The charges against Trump are obscure, and nearly entirely unprecedented. In fact, no state prosecutor — in New York, or Wyoming, or anywhere — has ever charged federal election laws as a direct or predicate state crime, against anyone, for anything. None. Ever. Even putting aside the specifics of election law, the Manhattan DA itself  almost never brings any case in which falsification of business records is the only charge.”

Honig also wrote:

‘“The judge donated money — a tiny amount, $35, but in plain violation of a rule prohibiting New York judges from making political donations of any kind — to a pro-Biden, anti-Trump political operation, including funds that the judge earmarked for ‘resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.’”

This is so telling. This whole corrupt circus show trial makes one sick.

Will Merchan Impose Jail Time?

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on May 31:

“Don’t think the political games are done just because Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan have engineered a kangaroo-court conviction of President Donald Trump: Sentencing is still ahead. Conveniently…, Merchan set that hearing for July 11, just four days before the Republican convention opens. That gives him a perfect time to look at the polls and see if President Biden needs yet more help. If Trump’s current narrow lead increases these next six weeks, bet on Merchan to demand hard time.

“Yes, legal experts say it’s beyond rare for a judge to send a first offender, convicted of a non-violent crime, to prison. But this judge has proven himself more than willing to burst far past the boundaries of decency where Trump is concerned. It’s no secret that the whole dog-and-pony show was politically driven… Why would [Merchan] refrain from an unprecedented punishment, especially if the verdict alone isn’t slowing Trump’s momentum?

“If [Trump’s] polling [is] even better [than Trump’s currently lead over Biden by 6 points], come July 11, Merchan’s fellow Democratic hacks will be in full panic, demanding he ‘save the country’… Ordering Trump behind bars is no more outrageous than all the other violations of norms in this case.”

Reuters wrote on June 3:

“Donald Trump said on Sunday he would accept home confinement or jail time… but that it would be tough for the public to accept… ‘You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.’”

Trump also said that he told his lawyers not to beg the judge not to send him to prison. Law Professor Alan Dershowitz does not think that Merchan will be so stupid as to imprison Trump, but he might give him a suspended jail sentence. Note the next article.

The Whole Thing Was Made Up

Newsmax wrote on June 2, 2024:

“New York City Judge Juan Merchan will likely sentence former President Donald Trump to up to three years in prison, but will suspend the sentence, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘The judge, I’m sure, made up his mind what he was going to sentence him to before the verdict came back, because he knew what the verdict was going to be based on the instructions. The jury had no choice but to convict.’ The trial, meanwhile, ‘wasn’t a trial’ but a ‘predetermined, orchestrated result,’ Dershowitz said… ‘Nobody could have won’ the case, as it ‘didn’t matter what the facts or the lawyers were,’ said Dershowitz…

“‘There are dozens of appealable issues… I’ve never seen so many reversible errors.’ But even though ‘any first-year law student’ could win the appeal, that wouldn’t necessarily happen in New York because the appellate judges are elected by the same people ‘who were on the jury and that hate Donald Trump, so this has to get outside of New York City in order for there to be any kind of justice,’ said Dershowitz…

“Further, ‘the whole case was made up’ by imagining that Trump was trying to cheat on his taxes or hide a campaign contribution, said Dershowitz. ‘[Alvin Bragg] searched up and down to find the crime,’ he added. ‘He couldn’t find one. So he made one up… out of whole cloth. And I think any reasonable appellate court would find so many errors in this that they would reverse the conviction, not remand it for a new trial, but reverse it, dismiss it, and condemn the prosecutors for bringing it.’”

Since all of this seems to be so clear, shouldn’t the judge and the prosecutor be disbarred?

Biden “Responds”

Axios wrote on May 31:

“President Biden addressed former President Trump’s criminal conviction for the first time Friday, warning that it’s ‘reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict… The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed…

“‘Our justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that… That’s America. That’s who we are. And that’s who we’ll always be, God willing,’ he concluded.”

What hypocrisy. Note the next two articles.

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“On Friday’s ‘Mark Levin Show,’ Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that there is ‘an extraordinary double standard’ in how Democrats pivoted from openly undermining the credibility of and attacking Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito over flags at his house [flown by his wife] to now demanding unquestioned agreement with the ruling in… former President Donald Trump’s trial… The whole thing just smacks of corruption.’”

One should also recall how leading Democrats viciously attacked the US Supreme Court for abolishing Roe v. Wade.

Biden Attacks Trump

Media ITE reported on June 4:

“‘For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,’ Biden said at a fundraising event in Greenwich, Connecticut… ‘But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice… ‘Something snapped in this guy for real’ after the 2020 election, Biden said. ‘It’s literally driving him crazy.’ Biden also called Trump ‘unhinged.’”

Witness Tampering?

The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine on June 2:

“The president flew into Wilmington, Del., on Sunday night, where his 54-year-old son’s felony gun trial begins Monday,  and will spend the whole day there with no official duties. Joe Biden’s looming presence in the strange small city leaves nobody in any doubt of the message he is sending to Delaware special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutors, the judge, and the jury pool being chosen Monday: You mess with my son, you mess with me. 

“It’s all very subtle, in a flagrant way, much like Joe’s impromptu visit to Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau and former lover of Hunter, just nine days before his son’s trial, at which she is the star witness for the prosecution. It was Hallie who threw Hunter’s new handgun in a trash can in October 2018 out of concern for his drug-addled mental state, creating a ticking legal time bomb that would propel him into court six years later. It was Hallie who found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his truck. Hallie, 50, even shared his crack addiction for a time, amid multiple drug rehab efforts.

“In a trial based on the allegation that Hunter lied on the gun shop’s federal background form on Oct. 12, 2018, when he checked ‘No’ on the question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to” various narcotic drugs, Hallie’s understanding of his drug use will be key. Hunter’s defense is that the day he bought the gun was a rare day of sobriety…

“The potential for witness tampering in Joe’s late-night visit to Hallie was obvious… conspicuous Hunter sightings alongside his father have accelerated in the last two weeks… Perhaps the most flagrant of all was the May 23 state dinner for the president of Kenya where, yet again, the indicted first son rubbed shoulders with Attorney General Merrick Garland…

“Hunter’s California tax trial in September is high risk for Joe, as it will encompass 2014 and 2015, during which Hunter was earning $1 million from Burisma and his VP father had the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the corrupt energy company fired.”

Biden seems to be getting away with his seemingly inappropriate conduct. Democrats are silent, and Republicans don’t speak much either. This country continues to go down on every level.

Biden’s Executive Order

BBC News wrote on June 4:

“ US President Joe Biden’s announcement of his executive action aimed at curbing migrant arrivals on the US border… will stop migrants who cross unlawfully from receiving asylum, and will make it easier for immigration officers to remove people in the US who are there illegally.

“The action takes affect when the southern border is ‘overwhelmed’, but the White House’s description did not come with any hard numbers that defined what an overwhelmed border would be. Biden’s announcement was met with criticism from Donald Trump’s campaign, and some of Trump’s key Republican allies. It was also met with criticism from some Democrats and migrant advocacy groups.

“And in Mexico, there was uncertainty of what the executive action could mean for the border cities where many try to cross into the US.”

Newsmax added on June 4:

“President Joe Biden’s new border plan is just window dressing, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday… Johnson reminded people Biden said four months ago he had done all he could do. ‘He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,’ Johnson said. ‘Remember that he engineered it’… Johnson noted Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued 64 executive orders to open up the border…

“The House speaker said, if Biden was really concerned about the border, he would have issued the executive order a long time ago…”

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“Whereas the law says that Biden and [impeached] Mayorkas must detain illegal migrants, the pair have instead released nearly all of them, more than 3.9 million by my conservative estimates. Those releases encouraged even more foreign nationals to come here illegally from all over the globe. That surge has overwhelmed border agents to such a degree that they couldn’t stop nearly 1.7 million others from entering illegally and evading Border Patrol apprehension.

“A compliant media largely ignored this crisis until the Mayorkas impeachment and negotiations over a Senate border bill last winter pushed it to the fore… He’s using a 72-year-old immigration authority — section 212(f) — to bar migrant asylum claims…

“His new executive order is simply a deceitful press stunt he hopes will shore up his rock-bottom ratings from voters on the crisis.”

It’s all about politics and the desire to be elected.

Fauci Personifies Systematic Failure

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to disavow business, church, and school closures during his testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday while continuing to justify mask and vaccine mandates during a line of questioning with Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). ‘Dr. Fauci’s testimony before this subcommittee underscores a shocking lack of accountability,’ Cloud said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News following Fauci’s testimony. ‘His claims of ignorance about key decisions — whether it’s the arbitrary six-foot distancing rule, school closures, or funding dangerous research in Chinese labs — are both disturbing and unacceptable. Fauci personifies the systemic failure within our federal agencies, where passing the buck is the norm, not the exception,’ the congressman continued.

“During his line of questioning, Cloud went through a list of coronavirus mitigation measures that Fauci supported throughout the pandemic, beginning with business closures, asking if that was justified… [continuing with] church closures…, mask mandates for adults, mask mandates for children, mask mandates for children under five… vaccine mandates for employees, vaccine mandates for students, and vaccine mandates for the military…

“Cloud took to social media after his line of questioning to the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief, writing, ‘I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified?… He refused to disavow those measures, despite knowing they were ineffective,’ the congressman added.”

Fauci’s performance throughout his “tenure” was horrible, but no admission of guilt or an apology can be detected. This means, in a similar situation, he would recommend the same terrible and insane measures.

Fauci’s God Complex

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“… as two weeks to stop the spread turned into two years of moving the goalposts… it was clear the doctor was developing a God complex. And much of our media became higher clergy genuflecting at every turn. Many adherents found in Fauci a religious purpose, with a mask and a needle serving as virtue symbols and ‘Trust the science’ as their main recitation.

“Anyone with questions or objections was a heretic to be shamed. We were forced to mold our society around these arbitrary and draconian rules…  Parents who advocated for schools to reopen were ostracized and called ‘grandma killers.’… there was no humility and no openness from Fauci & Co. — only suppression and control…. He leaves in his wake a tidal wave of American distrust in institutions. And an absolute inability to see his role in dissolving that trust.”

Planning Another Epidemic?

Ezra Levant wrote in Rebel News on June 1:

“One of the things I hated about the pandemic and the lockdowns was it was as if every country was acting in lockstep. It’s as if everyone was following Anthony Fauci or Theresa Tam in the United States and Canada. But they, too, were following the marching orders from the World Health Organization run by Doctor Tedros. And really, underneath it all, run by the Chinese Communist Party, which installed Tedros.

“What I think we should take away from that is that the decisions in your town, in your school, and at your workplace were not made in your town, at your school, or in your workplace. Odds are, they were concocted… at the… World Health Organization (WHO).

“The WHO is having its annual get-together called the World Health Assembly right now in Geneva, Switzerland. In response to that, I started seeing ads for a trucker-style convoy to come and protest against it.

“Covid-19 was one of the worst things that ever happened to us. It destroyed our lifestyle, destroyed our income, destroyed our family connections, destroyed our sense of community, and destroyed our civil liberties. It was the worst moment in many people’s lives. But for the public health bureaucrats, especially the globalist ones who are not rooted in any jurisdiction, it was the best time of their lives. They had power. They had respect. They were on TV every day.

“Obscure, unknown nobodies like Doctor Theresa Tam were suddenly being called Canada’s top doctor… Those people want another pandemic… so they can offer themselves up as the solution themselves and their plans and their budgets and their powers… We’re here because the decisions being made for you about you are not happening in the Canadian Parliament or your local legislature. They’re happening by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, diplomats and politicians at the United Nations.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The Butcher of Tehran Dead

The New York Post wrote on May 20:

“Iran’s hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when a helicopter carrying the reviled leader known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ crashed in a remote region of the country Sunday… Raisi, 63, his foreign minister and other passengers were found dead after the rescuers discovered the helicopter crash site early Monday. State news agency Mehr reported ‘all passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred.’ An Israeli official quickly denied the country had any involvement in the crash.

“Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with the final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear program, said First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber would take over as interim president… Raisi was flying a US-made Bell 212 helicopter at the time of the crash…

“The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Since Iran’s ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, provoking Israel’s assault on Gaza, conflicts involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East. A long ‘shadow war’ between Iran and Israel also broke into the open last month with tit-for-tat exchanges of drone and missile fire.

“Messages of condolence have been pouring in from Iran’s allies, including the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Raisi ‘a true friend of Russia,’ while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was ‘deeply shocked and saddened.’…

“Under Iranian law, Mokhber will be president for a custodial period of 50 days, at which point an election must be held to choose Raisi’s successor. But the real succession drama would center around who steps up to be the Islamic Republic’s next supreme leader, a role currently held by 85-year-old Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei. Most pundits believed the likely competition to succeed Khamenei came down to a two-man race between Khamenei’s son Mojtaba and Raisi…

“Days after Iran’s failed missile and drone attack against Israel last month, Raisi rattled his saber at an annual military parade, threatening a ‘massive and harsh’ response should Israel retaliate, and warning that if Tehran had wanted to carry out a bigger attack, ‘nothing would remain of the Zionist regime.’…  He was sanctioned by the US in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 known as the ‘death committee’ at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war… In 2022… Raisi unleashed a thuggish security crackdown on young people across the country that killed more than 500 people and saw more than 22,000 detained.”

It is quite interesting and telling to focus on those countries and leaders who quickly uttered their appalling condolences for the butcher and mass murderer Raisi.

Hypocritical EU’s Shameful Conduct

Breitbart wrote on May 20:

“European Council President Charles Michel, a Belgian centrist-liberal, was quick to make an expression on behalf of the whole European Union… ‘The EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.’

“Theo Francken, a [Belgian] Eurosceptic Member of Parliament… expressed concern at the European message. Responding first to the announcement that the EU was acting in ‘solidarity’ with Iran to help it in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the politician stated, ‘Are you totally crazy? This guy is a first class mass murderer. What’s next? Saving [Putin]? What a club of geopolitical dwarfs is this EU commission’.

“On Monday after Michel’s message of sympathy was broadcast, Francken responded again, calling it hypocritical for European leaders to express condolences to Iran while the regime is holding a European diplomat and aid worker hostage. He said: ‘Oh boy, European condolences for the death of a butcher and cruel mass murderer. Where are all those fake tears for Olivier Vandecasteele and Johan Floderus your EU diplomat who is still been kidnapped by the regime. You don’t speak in my name.’

“That Michel did not speak in the name of all Europeans gained some traction, and shortly after Geert Wilders, the right-populist presently working to form a new government in the Netherlands joined the call. Decrying ‘EU solidarity with evil’, he wrote Monday morning: ‘not in my name’.

“The earliest expressions of sympathy for Iran came from its allies worldwide, with statements published by the Chinese and Russian Presidents, India, Pakistan, and even OPEC. The Hamas terror group and Yemen’s Houthi militia, both militarily backed by Iran in their wars against the West, also sent ‘deepest condolences’…”

The EU, under German leadership, will turn out to be one of Israel’s greatest enemies.

Turkey Of Course

Newsmax wrote on May 20:

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday expressed his condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, saying Raisi was a ‘valuable colleague and brother.’ ‘As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr. Raisi with respect and gratitude,’ Erdogan wrote on social media platform X, adding Turkey stood by Iran in this difficult time.”

Nothing less could be expected from mass murderer and anti-Semite Erdogan. The Bible predicts horrible conduct by Turkey against Israel.

US Sends Condolences

Israel 365 News wrote on May 21:

“The US State Department on Monday sent condolences to the government of Iran, expressing grief over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi…

“Despite the condolences, former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on state television that the United States was ‘one of the main culprits’ in the crash due to sanctions that affected Iranian aviation.”

Shameful!

A Moment of Silence

Israel Today wrote on May 21:

“Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, observed a minute of silence on Monday in memory of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi… ‘The Security Council has simply become a danger to world peace,’ said… Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, in response to the event…

“‘What’s next: Will the Council dedicate a moment of silence to commemorate Hitler?’ he added.”

Good question!!!

“Iranian Supreme Leader Renews Pledge to ‘Eliminate’ Israel”

Newsmax wrote on May 24:

“At the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed when his helicopter crashed on Monday, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reiterated his commitment to destroy Israel…

“‘The promise to eliminate Israel will be kept, and we will see the day when Palestine extends from the sea to the river,’ Khamenei said.”

Iran puts the world on notice, but the world chooses to be willfully ignorant.. or worse.

A Palestinian State?

MSN wrote on May 22:

“The Spanish, Irish and Norwegian governments announced Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state, saying there would be no peace in the Middle East without it. Israel denounced the move as giving aid to its enemy, Hamas… In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of the Israeli ambassadors to Spain, Ireland and Norway…

“More than 140 other countries around the world recognize a Palestinian state, but most are outside Europe. Before Wednesday’s announcement, only a few countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Sweden, had formally recognized it.”

Egypt vs. Israel

Al Jazeera wrote on May 12:

“Egypt says it will formally join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip.”

Biden—Jekyll and Hyde

The New York Post wrote on May 11:

“The deadly, chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s decision to throw open the southern border without a plan for handling the millions of illegal crossers are just two of the many head-scratching decisions that have turned his tenure into a synonym for failure. A common thread is that his debacles were unforced errors. Doing nothing would have produced far better outcomes than the actions he took…

“Biden’s sudden military freeze smacks of a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. If the freeze stops Israel’s plan to eliminate Hamas, it will guarantee more Islamic terrorism and another war, which will mean more civilian casualties on both sides…

“Can Saudi Arabia really trust an administration that mercilessly undercut America’s closest ally?

“Should European allies be worried that they, too, will somehow run afoul of a White House that treats its enemies better than its friends? Then there’s Ukraine, which has another reason to worry, while Russia and China must be delighted to see American weakness in action…

“Biden remains unmoved by the evidence that he is playing with fire by appeasing America’s enemies and punishing its friends.”

The EU will become America’s enemy.

Biden’s Blackmail Beyond Despicable

The New York Post wrote on May 13:

“The Washington Post reports, citing four sources, that the White House has offered Jerusalem ‘sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group’s hidden tunnels’ if the IDF doesn’t go full-scale into Rafah… And this follows the freeze in many munitions the Pentagon was about to send over — including precision bombs…

“None of this makes sense except as a strategy for appeasing the pro-Hamas protesters… It’s beyond despicable, and yet another gross violation of the president’s oath of office….”

Biden Back Peddles…

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“The administration of  President Joe Biden has informed Congress of a planned $1 billion (€0.92 billion) weapons shipment to [Israel], official sources said. The weapons package includes $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million for tactical vehicles, and $60 million for mortar rounds…

“On Monday, national security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the administration would continue to support Israel’s defense needs. Kirby said Biden is ‘going to continue to provide Israel with all of the capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that.’”

Clear and consistent? Laughable. It could not be more ambiguous.

Spain At War With Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“Spain has said it will now refuse permission for ships carrying arms for Israel to stop at its ports, a day after it denied permission for a vessel to dock at one of its ports… Spain has been among the most critical voices of Israel’s Gaza offensive and is seeking to rally other European countries to accept the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state… Madrid has halted arms exports to Israel after it launched a military onslaught against the Palestinian, militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

ICJ “Orders” Israel to Halt Offensive in Rafah

Deutsche Welle reported on May 24:

“The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to [immediately] halt its [military] offensive in Rafah amid mounting international criticism… Though ICJ orders are legally binding, the court has no police or military force to enforce them, and Israel is unlikely to abide by the ruling, insisting it has the right to defend itself from Hamas militants…

“Similarly, Russia has so far ignored a 2022 order by the court to halt its… invasion of Ukraine.”

Note this ridiculous “order” in light of the next article.

Hamas Attacks from Rafah

Breitbart wrote on May 26:

“Hamas fired rockets at the Tel Aviv area [from Rafah] on Sunday, marking the first time in four months that a barrage reached central Israel from Gaza, and emphasizing the importance of Israel’s fight against Hamas in its last stronghold…

“Last week, The Times of Israel reported that the IDF believes Hamas has the capability to launch rocket attacks on central Israel from the Rafah area, and when troops advance further into the city, the terror group is likely to carry out such an attack… The fight against Hamas in Rafah continues…”

Germany to Arrest Netanyahu

Newsmax wrote on May 22:

“[Scholz spokesman Steffen Hebestreit] said Wednesday it will abide by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and detain Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he step foot on German soil. The ICC on Monday issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes in its military response to Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. The ICC also issued arrest warrants [for] Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its military leader Muhammad Deif, and its Qatar-based political leader Ismail Haniyeh on charges of war crimes.

“A dramatic appeal written in German and English and posted Tuesday on X by Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany was rebuffed by the administration of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz…  ‘This is outrageous!’ Prosor wrote… ‘The Chief Prosecutor [of the ICC] equates a democratic government with Hamas, thereby demonizing and delegitimizing Israel, and the Jewish people… He has completely lost his moral compass. Germany has a responsibility to readjust this compass. This disgraceful political campaign could become a nail in the coffin for the West and its institutions…’”

This is beyond appalling. But it shows where Germany’s alliances are. Note the next article.

Habeck’s Controversial Statements About Israel

MSN wrote on May 26:

 “For the first time, a member of the Federal Government, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), has accused Israel of breaking international law in the war against Hamas. The Union finds the statements ‘completely incomprehensible and unacceptable’. All that can be heard from the traffic lights (Ampel collation) in the Bundestag about Habeck’s statement is silence…

“Habeck receives support from both the AfD faction and the Left Party.”

Compulsory Military Service Proposed in Italy

Euractiv wrote on May 21:

“Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s League party has submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies proposing a mandatory six-month period of military or civilian service for all young people aged between 18 and 26, while the far-right party’s centre-right allies, including Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, oppose the measure.”

Compulsory Military Service in the UK?

Express wrote on May 25:

“TEENAGERS will be signed up for compulsory National Service under bold new plans unveiled by Rishi Sunak. All 18-year-olds will have to take part in some kind of civic duty by enrolling for 12 months in the armed forces. Or they could instead opt to join the police, fire service or another body that does work in the community for one weekend every month. The Prime Minister announced his eye-catching proposal as he drew up the finishing touches to his general election manifesto…

“National Service – abolished 64 years ago – has only been in place in the UK twice in the modern era, once during the First World War, and again from 1939…

“The move comes as… a Labour government would give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote…”

 It is predicted that Sunak will lose the general election by a landslide.

Pope Attacks America

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“Climate change has brought the world to the ‘breaking point,’ Pope Francis asserted in his introduction to a 3-day climate summit to be held in the Vatican in May. A firm believer in the climate ‘crisis,’ the pontiff wrote that he has ‘heartfelt concerns’ for ‘our suffering planet,’ contending that ‘the world in which we live is collapsing’ because of humanity’s failure to adequately address the crisis…

“Pope Francis has singled out the United States as particularly responsible for the climate ‘emergency’ because of the ‘irresponsible lifestyle’ of its citizens…”

What about China and other “polluters”?

In a related article, CAN wrote on May 12:

“On Mother’s Day, Pope Francis entrusted all mothers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking everyone to remember to also pray for all the mothers who have gone to heaven…”.

Except, no mother has ever gone to heaven, including the “Virgin Mary.” It would appear that the Pope doesn’t even know that!

Francis Attacks US Conservatives

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“Pope Francis… asserts that a conservative [especially referring to conservative Catholic bishops] ‘is someone who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that. It is a suicidal attitude.’… Pope Francis has never hidden his disdain for Americans… Francis asserts that climate change skeptics are ‘stupid’ to refute compelling evidence of a climate emergency.”

The Pope’s accusations against America are becoming more and more hateful, but are in line with the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Supernatural Events in the Catholic Church

The Independent wrote on May 17:

“The Catholic Church has had a long and controversial history of the faithful claiming to have had visions of the Virgin Mary, of statues purportedly weeping tears of blood and stigmata erupting on hands and feet mimicking the wounds of Christ. Church figures who claimed to have experienced the stigmata wounds, including Padre Pio and Pope Francis’s namesake, St Francis of Assisi, have inspired millions of Catholics…

“Francis himself has weighed in on the phenomenon, making clear that he is devoted to the main church-approved Marian apparitions, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, who believers say appeared to an Indigenous man in Mexico in 1531… When confirmed as authentic by church authorities, these otherwise inexplicable signs have led to a flourishing of the faith… That has been the case for the purported apparitions of Mary that turned Fatima in Portugal, and Lourdes in France, into enormously popular pilgrimage destinations…”

More of these lying wonders will occur in the near future.

Pope’s Stance on Guns and Condoms

Reuters wrote on May 10:

“Pope Francis criticised the weapons and contraceptive industries on Friday, accusing them of destroying or preventing life…

“Francis, 87, has long been a fierce opponent of the arms industry. He has also reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s longstanding ban on artificial birth control [including the use of condoms], though he supports natural [but very unreliable] ways of avoiding pregnancy.”

While he is right about the abuse of weapons, he is very wrong about the use of contraceptives.

China and Russia… the Everlasting Friendship

Express wrote on May 18:

“Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at Policy Exchange… noted that the relationship between the presidents of the two countries have an important connection, which should terrify the West. Xi and Putin see each other as allies in a parallel international and ‘multipolar’ world order that can challenge a Washington-led global consensus… ‘I do think that all those in Europe who have recently thought that perhaps they were making inroads with Xi around putting some pressure on Putin regarding Ukraine will have to take a really long hard look in the mirror.’

“This comes as Putin visits China to celebrate the 75th year of formal China-Russia relations. The visit is packed with gestures that underline the mutually beneficial friendship that has blossomed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Xi said the friendship between China and Russia was ‘everlasting’ and had ‘become a model for a new type of international relations’. Xi also described Putin as his ‘best friend’ and Putin said that Xi was ‘warm and comradely’ and ‘like a brother.’

“However, political commentators have said that Xi holds all the cards, with Putin eager to further the relationship with one of the only countries willing to help fund his war in Ukraine  Former US president Donald Trump has accused Putin and Xi of getting together to ‘do damage.’… ‘They are right now together working on plans [to] do damage, because that’s ultimately what they’re thinking about doing damage.’”

China and Russia will be allies in their coming war with Europe.

Coming… A European Army

wbj.pl wrote on May 18:

“… the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, just beyond the eastern border, has rekindled the European debate about the need to have its military potential…

“According to Eurobarometer research published in 2022, the vast majority of EU citizens (81 percent) support a common defense and security policy – in every EU country, this support is at least 2/3 of citizens. About 93 percent of EU residents agree that countries should work together to defend the territory of the Community, and 85 percent believe that defense cooperation should be strengthened at the EU level.”

Sending Troops Into Ukraine?

Fakti.bg wrote on May 9:

“The government in Warsaw will not simply stand behind the borders in case Ukraine is threatened with imminent defeat. Rather, it is much more likely that Poland will send troops into Ukraine ‘to prevent the worst’. Such an opinion was expressed by the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, in an interview with the German publication T-mobile.

“At the same time, he imagines that Romania will also officially commit to the defense of Moldova.”

The New York Times wrote on 16:

“NATO allies are inching closer to sending troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a move that would be another blurring of a previous red line and could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war… Ukrainian officials have asked their American and NATO counterparts to help train 150,000 new recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment.”

According to the Ron Paul Institute, dated May 18:

“Last month, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur… said in the interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse that all NATO countries already have NATO personnel stationed in Ukraine, but that they aren’t directly engaged in hostilities as they are there in advisory roles… ‘The reality is that every NATO member country already has military personnel in Ukraine, such as military attaches or people who travel to Ukraine from time to time,’ the Estonian defense chief said…”

Sad State of Affairs in Ukraine

The Associated Press wrote on May 18:

“A divisive mobilization law in Ukraine came into force Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers… The legislation… will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country. It also provides incentives to soldiers, such as cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car, that some analysts say Ukraine cannot afford.

“Lawmakers dragged their feet for months and only passed the law in mid-April, a week after Ukraine lowered the age for men who can be drafted from 27 to 25. The measures reflect the growing strain that more than two years of war with Russia has had on Ukraine’s forces, who are trying to hold the front lines in fighting that has sapped the country’s ranks and stores of weapons and ammunition.

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed two other laws Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers fivefold...

“The U.S. last week announced a new $400 million package of military aid for Ukraine, and President Joe Biden has promised that he would rush badly needed weaponry to the country to help it stave off Russian advances. Still, only small batches of U.S. military aid have started to trickle into the front line, according to Ukrainian military commanders, who said it will take at least two months before supplies meet Kyiv’s needs to hold the line.

“Thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the draft since Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022, some risking their lives as they tried to swim across a river separating Ukraine from neighboring Romania and Hungary…”

Germany Expels Ukrainian Soldiers

MENAFN wrote on May 19:

“The German government has taken steps to address concerns regarding Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi symbols while undergoing military training in the country. In a revelation made on Wednesday, Berlin disclosed that seven Ukrainian troops participating in military exercises were found sporting far-right extremist symbols. These soldiers were promptly expelled from the training program and sent back to Ukraine.

“According to estimates from the German military, approximately 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers received training on German soil in 2023, as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM UA) initiated in November 2022. German instructors, along with personnel from other EU member states, have been involved in training Ukrainian military personnel.

“The expulsion of the soldiers came to light in response to an inquiry by the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party (AFD). The German government clarified that incoming Ukrainian military personnel are explicitly warned against the use of Nazi insignias upon their arrival for training. Despite these incidents, Berlin sought to downplay the potential threat posed by Ukrainian far-right nationalists to any future peace process between Kiev and Moscow. The government emphasized that it does not perceive Ukrainian extremist nationalists as a significant obstacle to a possible peace process in Ukraine.

“Instead, the German government reiterated its stance that Russia’s imperialism lies at the root of the ongoing conflict, characterizing it as an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine that poses a threat to security in Europe.”

Scholz Works For Russia?

Focus wrote on May 20:

“[The Green Party] Anton Hofreiter is considered one of the harshest critics of the Chancellor when it comes to Germany’s Ukraine policy. Now he is making an outrageous accusation about Olaf Scholz…  After the invasion of Russian troops and while Scholz announced his ‘turning point’, Hofreiter demanded ‘more leadership’ from the Chancellery. In interviews last year he made it clear that in his opinion the ‘main problem’ lay in the Chancellery. And a few months ago, Hofreiter settled accounts with the Chancellor on the Taurus issue and accused him of ‘catastrophic defeatism’ and ‘dramatically poor communication’…

“Now Hofreiter has attacked the Chancellor again – and more sharply than ever before… ‘People who deal with this say the strategy is to always support Ukraine half-heartedly until Ukraine is ready to negotiate and give up large parts of its territory’…

“Hofreiter’s statements are highly explosive and contain an outrageous accusation… that Scholz only supports Ukraine pro forma and is actually acting in Moscow’s interests to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table…”

The outrage over Hofreiter’s statements, which have some merit, is downright ridiculous. Scholz just stated that Ukraine will not be a part of NATO for the next 30 years.

Ukraine Will Have To Give Up Territory

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 24:

“Long gone are the days when Ukraine was at least winning the war on the western news sites’ headlines.

“Now, slowly but surely, the MSM has had to face the fact that the outmanned, outgunned and outmaneuvered Ukrainian forces will not win this war on the battlefield, will not get back to pre-war borders, much less reincorporate the Crimean peninsula… Colonel Oleksandr Bakulin… accepted that territory will need to be given up during negotiations…”

Poland’s “Transformation”

LifeStiteNews wrote on May 17:

“The mayor of Warsaw ordered the removal of religious symbols, i.e., crosses and crucifixes, from City Hall while urging employees to use transgender ‘pronouns’ and respect same-sex relationships… The ban on religious symbols will not apply to ‘religious symbols for personal use worn by people working in the office, for example in the form of a chain, tattoo or armband.’

“Going forward, events organized by the city hall must not include prayer of any kind… The document also notes that employees will be subjected to compulsory ‘diversity training.’”

Coming… Conscription in Germany?

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Germany could bring back conscription for all 18-year-olds amid fears out an all-out NATO- war with Russia, leaked military plans reveal. Military planners are discussing three potential plans, two of which involve a compulsory military year for all men once they turn 18.

“It is understood that officials are in the final stages of discussions with German defence minister Boris Pistorius expected to go public with official plans next month…  Mr Pistorius, during a trip to Washington last week, said he was ‘convinced’ that Germany ‘needs a form of military conscription’. He also previously described the country’s decision to suspend compulsory military service in 2011 as a ‘mistake’. 

“In one proposal being considered by military planners in Berlin, all men and women would be subject to conscription once they turned 18. Germany’s previous policy on compulsory military service only applied to men. To include women would require changing the nation’s constitution… but ministry insiders reportedly believe the change would ‘most likely to receive societal approval’.

“Another proposal, which is viewed by the defence ministry as a ‘a strong signal’ to both allies and rivals, would only apply to 18-year-old men, but would not see everyone selected, the leaked reports revealed. Young men would be required to complete an online form and could then later be chosen for service.

“A third option under consideration avoids conscription and instead focuses on ‘optimising’ the current military system through more proactive recruitment campaigns.

“News of the defence ministry’s potential conscription plans comes just days after Vladimir Putin declared his nuclear forces were at full combat readiness in preparation for a global war…”

Recently, Pistorius became silent regarding conscription, leading Bild Online to assume that it was off the table. That conclusion is woefully naive and  premature.

Germans for Conscription

Bild Online wrote on May 12:

“46 percent are FOR compulsory military service, only 33 percent are against it. There is even greater support for general compulsory service (social or military service). Here 56 percent are in favor, 26 percent against…

“Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (57, CSU) is pushing the pace: ‘A master plan for the introduction of compulsory military service is needed quickly,’ said Söder…

“Until 2010, the military service law said: Every young man, if he is suitable, has to serve in the Bundeswehr for nine months. Former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU) shortened conscription to six months and then suspended it from July 2011 during peacetime. Since then, compulsory military service has only been applicable in ‘cases of tension or defense’.”

This does not correspond with the information in the next article.

Germans Not Afraid of War

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 22:

“… only around a third of Germans (36%) believe a Russian attack on NATO territory by 2030 is likely or somewhat likely, while 48% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely. Only 23% consider it likely or somewhat likely that Germany could become the target of a Russian attack this decade. Some 61% consider it unlikely or somewhat unlikely… 39% are convinced that it is very poorly or rather poorly prepared for an attack.

“… only 30% of Germans would be prepared to take up arms to defend the country in the event of a military attack, while more than 50% would not fight.”

However, sadly, this will change.

Pistorius in Washington

Bild Online wrote on May 10:

“He is giving the speech at an elite university in the USA. But it is also directed at Germany, also at his own party – at the ditherers and pacifists among the comrades! Liberation Day was celebrated in Germany, the end of the Second World War 79 years ago. And now Boris Pistorius (64, SPD), Germany’s Defense Minister, stands in front of almost 250 students and professors at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and says: ‘We are ready to take the lead.’

“Who does he mean?

“Germany’s military and its political leaders – and probably himself too. It is HIS keynote speech. He is making HIS era! Title: ‘Steadfast, capable and ready: Germany’s security renaissance and transatlantic defense.’ An announcement to the world – and also to all his comrades and nostalgics who have long been calling him a ‘warmonger’. It’s Pistorius’ declaration of war…

“Germany needs to grow up militarily, says the Defense Minister!… Pistorius mentions China and Russia in the same breath, in the same sentence – as a common threat. The economic power of Germany should also become a military power… [a] strong leading military power!… a military power alongside the USA!… And for that… he wants ‘a kind of conscription’. Because: ‘We must ensure our military endurance in a state of national or collective defense… Defense thinking means thinking in worst-case scenarios. The time of the peace dividend is over… Germany is making national and collective defense its priority – this is new in German history.’

“Just as Germany benefited from the West ‘as a frontline state during the Cold War’, Germany will now defend the eastern border of the free West against Moscow: ‘Our particular focus remains the defense of our allies on NATO’s eastern flank… ‘From the far north to the Balkans, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean.’ Otherwise: where our interests are threatened – i.e. worldwide…

“It all sounds like more… more than has been heard from the Chancellery so far. The speech: NOT coordinated with the Chancellery. Someone wants to lead. More than just the troops…”

More Money For War

ntv wrote on May 11:

“The head of the arms company Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, is expecting large orders from the federal government’s 100 billion special fund. ‘You can assume that in the end between 30 and 40 billion euros will come to us from the special fund,’ said the manager… ‘For air defense, trucks, ammunition, our share in the F35 program, and much more.’…

“The special fund for the Bundeswehr was made available by the federal government shortly after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022. However, the budget is expected to be used up by 2026. Papperger therefore called on the federal government to provide secure financing for the Bundeswehr for the period afterwards.

“If the Bundeswehr’s special fund announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is used up, there will be ‘only two options’, said Papperger. ‘You can take on new debt or reallocate money from the budget.’ There is ‘no alternative’, said the manager, ‘either one or the other’. Because ‘otherwise the turning point [“Zeitenwende”] would be over in 2026’ and you would be ‘worse off than before’.

“Germany would then have ‘more military equipment’, but would no longer be able to ‘pay for its use’. You also need personnel… In order to play in ‘the same league with the Americans’, according to the Rheinmetall boss, large European defense companies would have to join forces. ‘We need a European arms champion.’…”

Manfred Weber for War?

Civilek.info wrote on May 10:

“War psychosis is increasingly prevailing among Western European politicians, and in the European Parliament election campaign, they are apparently trying to make as serious statements as possible on the pro-war side. The other day in the BR24 television program, for example, Manfred Weber, the [German] faction leader of the European People’s Party [and CDU member], stated… that “’we need a European nuclear weapon.’

“He said that if French President Emmanuel Macron offers France nuclear weapons to Europe, it is ‘an offer from France that we have to talk about.’… Manfred Weber has now said he is ‘disappointed’ that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German government have been ‘reticent’ and that there has been no response to Macron’s proposal… [He also stated that he] supports the introduction of a general compulsory [military] service year.”

“Stephan Protschka, the president of the Bavarian AfD, accused Weber and the politicians who support him of inciting war…”

Pistorius Must Do MORE!

Bild Online wrote on May 15:

“The traffic lights [Ampel coalition] are putting pressure on Boris Pistorius (64, SPD): His own MPs are urging the Defense Minister to finally arm the Bundeswehr’s most important weapons (missiles, cruise missiles, artillery shells) for possible use. An extraordinary event!

“… the debate about a possible Taurus delivery to Ukraine revealed how poorly equipped the troops really are. The MPs learned to their horror that although the Bundeswehr had 600 of these important cruise missiles in storage, only 300 were actually operational. The other half would first have to be modernized. But the Bundeswehr has so far made no move to get the Taurus completely ready for an emergency. The manufacturer informed MPs that there is still no contract for the overhaul of the aging Taurus missiles. According to previous estimates, this would cost a three-digit million amount.”

The CDU opposition supports the traffic light decision. Note their statement:

“Pistorius and his machine are once again in a deep sleep. If Pistorius does not want to voluntarily go down the path to military proficiency, Parliament must show him the way.”

AFD Under Surveillance

Reuters wrote on May 13:

“A German high court on Monday ruled that domestic security services could continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially extremist party, meaning they retain the right to keep it under surveillance. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), charged with protecting Germany’s democratic order from extremist threats, has classified the AfD as potentially extreme since 2021.

“Judges at the higher administrative court in Muenster upheld a lower court’s 2022 finding that the designation was proportionate and did not violate the constitution, or European or domestic civil law. ‘The court finds there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy,’ the judges wrote. ‘There are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background.’

“The potentially extremist designation means security services can wiretap the party and recruit informants inside it.”

Leading AfD Politician Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 14:

“A regional court in the eastern German city of Halle ordered on Tuesday far-right politician Bjoern Hoecke to pay 100 fines at a daily rate of €130 each for using a banned Nazi slogan. 

“Höcke, the leader of the [AfD] in the eastern state of Thuringia, was accused of knowingly using the slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers… In 2021, Höcke allegedly said at an AfD rally:… ‘Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany.’ Prosecutors say Höcke, a former history teacher, knew that ‘Everything for Germany’ was a banned slogan of the SA. 

“He denied this during the trial, describing the phrase as an ‘everyday saying.’”

He is right. Note the next article.

Miscarriage of Justice Against Björn Höcke

Report 24 wrote on May 16:

“Björn Höcke is said to have deliberately used a Nazi slogan: Because he uttered the slogan ‘Everything for Germany’ during a campaign speech in 2021, he has now been sentenced to a fine totaling 13,000 euros. It’s just unfortunate that so far hardly any German has associated these words with the NSDAP and identified them as forbidden. Contemporary documents show: The alleged slogan of the Sturmabteilung was used by Christian trade unions as well as by Social Democrats during the Weimar Republic. Politically correct media have used them in recent years and decades, as have politicians from other parties. The use obviously only becomes a crime if the ‘perpetrator’ is an AfD man.

“In fact, countless users on social networks comment that they had never associated these three words with the National Socialists and that they were therefore not aware of the ban. Did you know them as SA slogans? At least not us in the editorial team. And even the left-wing taz, which normally celebrates every verdict against the AfD and its representatives, commented in an article: ‘Did you know that “Everything for Germany” is a forbidden slogan from National Socialism? Probably 99.9 percent of Germans didn’t know that until recently.”

AfD Bans Its Top European Candidate

Euro News wrote on May 23:

“… the AfD banned Maximilian Krah, its top European election candidate, from campaigning for the upcoming European election. He subsequently stepped down from the leadership role following internal party pressure.

“Krah recently copped backlash after he told an Italian newspaper not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals.”

With these controversial measures, the AfD will lose supporters.

Report 24 wrote on May 24:

“But the real problem is not necessarily Krah’s statements about SS officers (incidentally, the left-wing Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ explicitly addressed the officers and not the SS as a whole), but rather the perception of the AfD as a whole by the other parties…”

No Longer Tax Exempt?

Die Welt wrote on May 16:

“The non-profit [tax-exempt] status of the online blog ‘Der Volksverpetzer’ has been withdrawn. Co-founder and managing director Thomas Laschyk announced this in a video on Tuesday. We ‘suddenly no longer meet the requirements’…

“‘Der Volksverpetzer’ describes itself as an ‘anti-fake news blog’ on its own website. ‘We are committed to fighting hatred, agitation, fake news and conspiracy myths. The aim is to refute claims made by extremists and conspiracy ideologists through fact checks, for example. Publications from many media outlets are also criticized by the authors of the ‘Volksverpetzer’…

“Recently… it was announced in a letter that the blog would no longer be allowed to issue donation receipts from April 23rd. In addition, the non-profit [tax-exempt] status has been withdrawn – retroactively since 2021. There is therefore a risk of additional payments…. With the loss of the non-profit [tax exempt] status, the exemptions from taxes such as trade tax no longer apply. In addition, donations without receipts are not tax deductible – which is likely to reduce the willingness of supporters to pay… Laschyk claims… that the [IRS] has announced that the work of the ‘people’s rabble-rousers’ is too close to that of journalists. Journalism that serves the common good is currently not recognized as [having] a separate charitable purpose.

“The Frankfurt tax office had already revoked Attac’s non-profit [tax-exempt] status in 2019 because the organization, which was critical of globalization, had expressed itself too strongly in day-to-day politics. It is not uncommon for organizations such as ‘Volksverpetzer’ or ‘Journalistenwatch’ to operate in a legal gray area. The traffic light [Ampel] coalition declared in its coalition agreement that it wanted to create legal certainty for non-profit journalism. Which hasn’t happened yet.”

These are extremely dangerous developments.

Lauterbach’s Nonsense

Nius wrote on May 7:

“Karl Lauterbach is the first member of the federal government to say what must be the logical consequence of green politics: he announces restrictions for citizens. ‘It won’t work without restrictions,’ wrote the Health Minister at X. What this means: restrictions on eating, mobility, travel and consumption. That means: Citizens should restrict their lives in a wide variety of areas for the traffic light [Ampel] government’s climate policy… ‘Even inventors can’t change the fact that we eat too much meat, drive too much, travel too much and consume too much’…

“NIUS asked the Federal Ministry of Health what Lauterbach meant by ‘restrictions’ [and] how he wanted to implement them… The request remained unanswered.”

This is not just ridiculous nonsense, but it is dangerous nonsense.

“Was Eurovision Always THAT Bad?”

Daily Mail wrote on May 12:

“Once a family favourite to gather around the TV for, the Eurovision appears to have become an on-screen raunch fest with displays of near full-frontal nudity, thongs, and corsets. Eurovision viewers have taken to social media to slam the iconic song contest’s 68th edition which took place in Malmo, Sweden, after several artists stormed the stage in outfits that left little to the imagination.  After the finale last night, X… was flooded with comments about how ‘bad’ and sleazy’ this year’s performances were in terms of racy costumes and sets…

“But the tiny outfits and racy get-ups didn’t stop at the artists, as the UKs Olly Alexander, 33, turned up the heat as he performed his song Dizzy while surrounded by scantily-clad male dancers… the group of five danced provocatively against each other on the floor and against the walls of the set while engaging in the occasional suggestive near-kiss…

“Bambi, who describes themselves as a ‘queer witch’, performed their song while wearing a pointed black headband, dark lipstick, and sharp black nails… On Tuesday, a commentator on Kan warned viewers that Bambie’s performance of their song, Doomsday Blue, would be ‘the most scary’ of the night, involving ‘a lot of spells and black magic and dark clothing, Satanic symbols, and voodoo dolls’…

“Swiss act Nemo walked away victorious at the contest, where they become the competition’s first non-binary winner…”

Sick!

Satanism, Transgender and LGBTQ

Report 24 wrote on May 9, 2024:

“Baphomet (or the ‘Goat of Mendes’) [is] not only one of the most well-known symbolic figures of Satanism… but also [has] high status among transgender activists… half human and half animal, male and female, good and evil …

“In August 2018, Satanists from the Satanic Temple erected a seven-foot-tall statue of Baphomet as a symbol of Satan in front of the government building in Arkansas. In addition to the goat-headed God, this also showed two ‘smiling children’ who blissfully looked up at Satan…

“Back in August 2019, Satanic Temple co-founder Lucine Greaves announced that the temple would be comprised largely of LBGTQ+ people who felt rejected and disenfranchised by the traditional religious institution…”

Parents Cannot Refuse Their Children’s Participation in LGBTQ-Ideology

Breitbart wrote on May 16:

“A federal court… upheld a Maryland school district policy that does not allow parents to opt their young K-5 children out of curriculum about gender identity and sexuality…

“The Muslim, Jewish, and Christian parents… argued that the district’s refusal to allow their young children to opt out of reading of LGBTQQIAAP2S+-themed books or participation in the curriculum violated their right to raise their children in accordance with their faith and how their faith defines identity and sexuality. Parents also argued the material is not age-appropriate for such young students….”

Tattoos Linked to Cancer

The Daily Mail wrote on May 27:

“Tattoos have been linked to a deadly type of blood cancer for the first time. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden found that tattooed individuals had a 21 percent higher risk of lymphoma, compared to people without tattoos.

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting infections.

“The link is thought to lie with carcinogenic chemicals in the tattoo ink. When it is injected into the skin, it is be interpreted as something foreign and the immune system is activated, causing a low-grade inflammation in the body which can trigger cancer.

“Some 46 percent of 30 to 49 year-old Americans have at least one tattoo, while 22 percent of all ages, on average, have more than one.”

The Bible prohibits tattoos.

Trump and Biden Violated Constitution

Bloomberg wrote on May 24:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked former President Donald Trump on his response to the Covid-19 pandemic… ‘Trump presided over the greatest restriction of individual liberties this country has ever known. He did not stand up for the Constitution when it really mattered,’ Kennedy said… ‘I don’t recall any part of the United States Constitution that creates an exemption for pandemics,’ he said…

“Kennedy’s… independent campaign threatens the hopes of the major party candidates. With a national polling average near 10%, Kennedy is potentially the best-performing third-party presidential candidate in three decades. The outcome of the election could depend on whether Kennedy draws more support away from Trump or… Biden.”

The Guardian added on May 24:

“Kennedy, 70, brought Libertarians to their feet by promising to pardon government whistleblower Edward Snowden, currently exiled in Russia, and drop espionage charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder battling US attempts to extradite him from Britain…

“Kennedy accused Trump of allowing the government to abuse individual liberty during the pandemic. He said: ‘I think he had the right instinct when he came into office. He was initially very reluctant to impose lockdowns, but then he got rolled by his bureaucrats. He caved in and many of our most fundamental rights disappeared practically overnight.’ Kennedy earned further applause when he asserted: ‘All of our constitutional rights were ploughed under. They closed all the churches but they kept open the Walmarts and the liquor stores.’…

“He went to take aim at the current president, too. ‘When President Trump left office, the assault on the constitution intensified. President Biden violated a freedom so fundamental that James Madison didn’t even think to put it in the Bill of Rights.’ Kennedy accused Biden of ‘a programme of coercion and information control’ during the pandemic, repeating… claims that Biden colluded with the FBI to coerce social media sites to allow government agencies to carry out ‘an obscene orgy of federal censorship’. He said it went from ‘medical misinformation’ to ‘an entire censorship industrial complex’ that also suppresses critics of the war in Ukraine.”

The extreme left-wing Guardian stated that the “claims that Biden colluded with the FBI” were “unfounded” and that “Coronavirus vaccines were deemed safe and effective by the US government and its regulatory agencies as well as the World Health Organization. The first two years of Covid vaccines saved an estimated 3m lives in the US alone.” This unfounded and false propaganda is appalling. In what world does the Guardian live?

The Most Shocking Moment of His 60-Year Legal Career

Professor Dershowitz wrote on May 23 in the Daily Mail:

“I watched in disbelief as Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen told the jury one seeming lie after another… I wouldn’t buy a used car from this man, let alone rely on his testimony to send a presidential candidate to prison.  Most significantly, I haven’t heard any evidence that Trump committed a crime…

“Never in my 60 years of practicing law and teaching and writing about the U.S. legal system have I seen such a weak criminal fraud case… New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan should throw it out of court – and rule that Cohen’s testimony is so unreliable that the jury should not even consider it. This judge has the power to do just that… But he won’t. For even more shocking than the pathetic flaws of this case is the palpable bias that this judge holds against Trump.

After the defense called their key witness, former Cohen legal adviser Robert Costello, Judge Merchan made ruling after ruling denying Costello the ability to speak – inexplicably dismissing his testimony as hearsay and irrelevant.

“I was shocked, along with the other lawyers watching in the audience… the judge truly revealed his apparent unhinged prejudice against Trump when he exploded after Costello, a lawyer himself, expressed his surprise over the mystifying rulings. Merchan lost control over the perceived slight and angrily ordered the court police to clear the room… ‘Do you raise your eyebrows at me?’ Merchan shouted at Costello. ‘Did you stare at me?’ He sounded like a paranoid schizophrenic… Then Merchan threatened to exclude all of Costello’s testimony against Cohen from the trial. I was flabbergasted… the idea that a judge would punish Trump by denying him an opportunity to present evidence over the actions of a witness is preposterous. It’s unethical. It’s unconstitutional.

“So, could Trump be convicted despite all of this? Of course, he can. The Manhattan pool consists largely of people who voted against Trump and don’t want him to be elected in 2024. But the weakness of the prosecution’s case and the jaw-droppingly pervasive bias exhibited by this judge against Trump will provide him with an excellent opportunity to appeal if he is found guilty…”

Trump Permitted to Attend Son’s Graduation

The New York Post wrote on May 17:

“The 45th president was permitted to attend the ceremony by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Juan Merchan, who called off the day’s planned proceedings in the ‘hush money’ trial of the onetime commander-in-chief.”

At least the totally biased judge conceded in this regard. Even he must have felt that prohibiting this would have been a bridge too far. But note the next article.

A Travesty of “Justice”

Miranda Devine wrote for The New York Post on May 26:

“Joe Biden is salivating at the prospect of his political archrival being convicted in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial in Manhattan, with jury deliberations set to begin this week. If Donald Trump is found guilty in the first criminal prosecution of a former president, it will be a travesty of justice and a clear attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election. But the ploy risks backfiring on Biden in the same way that Republican attacks on Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky did…

“According to Politico, as soon as the jury comes back, Biden will deliver a statement addressing the verdict in a ‘White House setting — not a campaign one — to show his statement isn’t political.’… Nothing Biden can say will be cleansed of the taint of political dirty tricks… Biden is… trying to avoid fueling the suspicion that he weaponized the DOJ to go after his political rival, aided by Democratic DAs Alvin Bragg in New York and Fani Willis in Georgia, because he has nothing in the way of achievements or vision to run on in his own right…

“It’s clear to even Trump-deranged observers that Manhattan Supreme Court Acting Justice Juan Merchan is a political hack. He was cautioned last year by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct over donations, albeit modest, to Biden and other Democrats. His daughter, Loren Merchan, has been profiting from the trial through her consulting firm as her Democrat clients reportedly raise millions in campaign donations through emails citing the trial over which her father is presiding. It was a no-brainer for Merchan to recuse himself, and yet he refused, sullying the reputation of the New York legal system… Merchan has been a paragon of bias.

“He gave free rein to prosecution star witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, a convicted perjurer and con man who revealed in court that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization because he was angry his bonus had been cut… By contrast, the judge muzzled defense witnesses — if he allowed them to be called at all…

“Merchan’s handling of the trial has been such a disaster that any guilty verdict will almost certainly be overturned on appeal. But that will only happen after the election, which allows Biden to smear his opponent as a ‘convicted felon’ which, of course, is the whole point…”

A Rigged Trial

Newsmax wrote on May 29:

“Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus… attacked a New York State law that allows the prosecution [in the Trump case] to go last when presenting closing arguments, calling it unconstitutional. ‘How does a defense go first when it doesn’t even know what the crimes are that turned a misdemeanor into a felony?’ Dershowitz said. ‘They had to wait until they heard it from the prosecutor’s closing argument and then had no chance to rebut.’

“Dershowitz said if he was on the defense team, he would’ve said he had nothing to say and that he would wait for the prosecutors to present their case and then respond to it. ‘You can’t make me respond to a case I haven’t heard yet,’ Dershowitz said.”

Unconstitutional Jury Instructions

Breitbart wrote on May 30:

“Jurors in the Trump business records trial do not have to agree on what crime former President Donald Trump allegedly committed in order to convict him, but would just have to agree that he falsified or caused someone else to falsify business records with the ‘intent of committing or hiding that crime.’

“… according to the AP, the jury just has to unanimously agree that ‘something unlawful was done to promote Trump’s election campaign,’ but they do not have to agree on what that unlawful thing was.

“Conservative legal experts and media pundits criticized those convoluted instructions… Mark Levin, lawyer and conservative show host, called it ‘grotesque’ on Truth Social, posting:

“‘The grotesque trial charade gets even worse this morning. The Stalinist clown judge directed the jury that they can choose among three areas of crimes to convict the former president:

‘“1. Violations of federal election law (which no one in that courtroom is familiar with, and the judge specifically prevents Brad Smith from testifying about);

‘“2. The falsification of business records; and

‘“3. Tax violations.

“Of course, the issue for all of the above is the requirement of a criminal intent. Furthermore, the idea that jurors can pick 1 of the 3, and they don’t have to unanimously agree on which of the three, is another shocking development….’”

Trump Found Guilty

The New York Post wrote on May 30:

“Donald Trump has become the first former US president to be convicted on criminal charges. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on the morning of July 11 and Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said Trump can remain free without bail until that date.”

Sadly, in the Trump-hating state of New York, with a corrupt prosecutor, a thoroughly biased judge, and a totally rigged trial with faulty jury instructions and many other appealable errors, this outcome was not unexpected. But it has been said that this obvious miscarriage of justice might guarantee Trump’s victory in November. 

Guiliani Fired After Raising “Election Fraud”

The New York Post wrote on May 10:

“Ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed WABC radio canned him from his daily show to appease… Biden… The once-beloved ‘America’s Mayor’ blasted station owner John Catsimatidis as a hypocrite who touts the right to free speech while stopping Giuliani from ‘telling the truth’ about the ‘stolen’ 2020 presidential election… he was cut from the station’s ‘The Rudy Giuliani Show’ for allegedly violating a company-wide policy ‘not to state, suggest or imply that the election results are not valid….

“But according to Giuliani, he had never been told about the policy. Even more disorienting, he claimed the ‘stolen’ 2020 election was a main focus of his show, which he has been hosting since 2021. ‘Those of you who listen to me on WABC or this show are going to find it very, very strange to believe that there was such a policy,’ Giuliani said…

“Giuliani accused Catsimatidis of firing him in an attempt to get in good with the Democrats, who he claimed are gearing up to steal another presidential election.

“The canning — costing Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer his $15,000-per-month salary — is the latest in a series of financial blows. He faces a mountain of legal bills to fight criminal cases in Arizona and Georgia, where he was charged with trying to overturn the 2020 election — as well as multiple civil cases, including by the voting machine firms Dominion and Smartmatic…

“Giuliani, who is also a former federal prosecutor, had his law license suspended in New York City in 2021. He faces disbarment for ‘his utter disregard for facts,’ which ‘denigrate the legal profession,’ a panel said last year.”

That verdict is still out. And to have an alleged policy prohibiting to talk about the results of the 2020 election is more than telling and clearly constitutes censorship and the suppression of free speech. 

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.

Israel Moves Into Rafah

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

“Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city…

“The U.N. warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of Rafah and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom… The Israeli foray overnight came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war…”

Rafah Not the End

Israel Today wrote on April 30:

“As signs of an imminent IDF operation in Rafah intensify, there is growing concern that Israel will unnecessarily exercise self-imposed restraint by acting with insufficient force, so as not to upset the Biden administration, the Egyptians, or the ICC prosecutor at The Hague. Meanwhile, Hamas is exploiting the prolonged waiting period and preparing well for the ground operation in this sector, which will undoubtedly pose complex operational challenges for the IDF…

“The Rafah operation will not complete the task of decisively defeating Hamas. Even after it is over, much more work, and a deeper impact, will be needed inside the territory before Hamas’s remaining capabilities are destroyed and a new reality emerges. This was also the case following ‘Operation Defensive Shield’ 22 years ago. It will not be quick and easy…”

Netanyahu To Be Blamed?

Newsmax wrote on April 30:

“Former President Donald Trump heaped criticism on Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the Israeli prime minister has been ‘rightfully criticized’ for Iranian-backed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

“Trump said the attack, in which at least 1,200 Israeli civilians were massacred and about 250 others taken hostage, should never have happened and blamed Netanyahu for not seeing it coming… ‘They have the most sophisticated equipment. They had — everything was there to stop that. And a lot of people knew about it, you know, thousands and thousands of people knew about it, but Israel didn’t know about it, and I think he’s being blamed for that very strongly. And now you have the hostage situation.”…

“Trump was a staunch supporter of Israel during his presidency — he recognized Jerusalem as the nation’s capital, moving the U.S. embassy there; approved of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights; and backed the historic Abraham Accords peace agreement between Israel and several Arab nations. But he said he had a bad experience with Netanyahu regarding the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani via a U.S. drone strike at an Iraqi airport in January 2020. ‘As you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack,’ Trump said. ‘And I said, “What’s that all about?’ Because that was going to be a joint [operation] and all of a sudden, we were told that Israel was not doing it. And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something.”’”

Trump also reacted angrily when Netanyahu immediately congratulated Biden as the next President while Trump attempted to question the election result. It is untrue that Israel knew or could have known ahead of time exactly when and how an attack by Hamas would occur. It is therefore unfair to blame Netanyahu in this regard.

EU States to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

The Cradle wrote on April 29:

“The EU Foreign Policy Chief, Joseph Borrell, said on 29 April that several EU member states are anticipated to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May… including Ireland, Malta, Spain, and Slovenia…. Other EU states, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, have already recognized the state of Palestine.

“… Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat… wrote on social media that ‘Recognition of a Palestinian state following the October 7 massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians.’…

“Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Madrid would recognize Palestine by the end of July, adding that other western nations would follow suit without giving specifics… Israeli officials have made known their opposition to a two-state solution, with one claiming, ‘A two-state solution after what happened on October 7 is a reward to Hamas.’…

“The majority of UN member states, 140 to 53, recognize the state of Palestine…”

Biden Throws Israel Under the Bus

JNS wrote on April 28:

“Former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum told JNS that U.S. President Joe Biden is willing to abandon Israel to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election. ‘To him, it’s all about winning elections, and he is willing to throw Israel under the bus,’ Santorum told JNS… in Budapest, Hungary on Friday. ‘The Biden administration has been anything but supportive of Israel. It has done the bare minimum to keep some sort of lid on the outrage that would come from America if it didn’t support Israel,’ he added.

“The U.S. State Department’s top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf reiterated on Wednesday that… the Biden administration has not given approval to an IDF military operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, where four of Hamas’s six remaining battalions are entrenched… Earlier this month, Biden called on Israel not to ‘move on Haifa,’ apparently confusing the northern Israeli city with Rafah…

“Biden ‘has not just attacked Israel, he also directly attacks… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on national security issues when everybody else would be doing the exact same things’ in Netanyahu’s position, said Santorum. ‘President Biden is doing everything he can to pressure Israel into doing things that are not in their national security interests. He is doing everything he can to support Iran as being the power in the Middle East,’ he added.”

US Withholding Weapons From Israel

Breitbart wrote on May 7:

“The U.S. withheld certain bombs from Israel to prevent their use in an attack on Hamas battalions in the town of Rafah… The Biden administration opted to pause a shipment of some 3,500 bombs to Israel last week because of concerns the weapons could be used in Rafah… The decision to pause the shipment and consider slow-walking others is a major shift in policy for the Biden administration and the first known case of the U.S. denying its close ally military aid since the Israel-Hamas war began… Critics of Biden’s decision have argued that withholding weapons that Congress has already authorized, absent any finding of human rights violations by Israel, is unconstitutional and violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.”

The New York Post wrote on May 9:

“President Biden said Wednesday that ‘I’m not supplying the weapons’ if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves forward with a full attack on the Hamas-controlled city of Rafah — before signaling he wants Israel to surrender the Gaza Strip’s transitional administration to Arab states…

“Biden [said] the arms denied to Israel could expand to artillery shells as well — before saying that he was in talks with five Arab leaders about [Arab nations] potentially occupying Gaza after Israel defeats Hamas, which could conflict with Jerusalem’s plans to administer the area… It’s unclear if any Arab states actually would want to administer Gaza, which was controlled by Egypt until the 1967 Six-Day War — though Cairo has since relinquished its claims.”

Turkey to Cut All Trade With Israel?

Express wrote on May 2:

“Turkey has announced that it will halt all trade with Israel as tensions worsen over the war in Gaza… Israel’s Foreign Minister Katz said that any attempts to block imports and exports would be breaking agreements, and labelled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He wrote on X: ‘This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements.’…

“Turkey’s trade ministry said on social media: ‘This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.’”

No Two-State Solution

Israel365News reported on May 2:

“In a recent interview with Time magazine, former President Donald Trump said, ‘I’m not sure a two-state solution anymore is gonna work…There was a time when I thought two states could work. Now I think two states is going to be very, very tough.’ ‘We are grateful to President Trump for expressing the view of the pro-Israel community and coming out against the reckless pursuit of the two-state solution,’ said Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365 and a member of the Keep God’s Land leadership committee. ‘Biden has repeatedly used October 7th as an excuse to pressure Israel into accepting a Palestinian terror state, when that would simply be a gross reward for terrorism.’…

“‘Trump is a true friend not only of the State of Israel but of truth and a sense of historical justice that the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. The statement of former president Trump corrects a historical injustice of American administrations that promoted the dangerous so-called “two-state solution”’, said Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council. “This statement is important, and I call on other leaders to join…’

“International attorney and Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel Mark Zell said, ‘Many have questioned where President Trump stands now on Israel, the Palestinians and Judea & Samaria.  I have consistently maintained that he is rock solid on these issues just as he was in the White House…’

“Many have speculated that a second Trump term would bring significant changes to America’s relationship with Israel, and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”

Israel’s Minimal “Retaliation”

Reuters reported on April 19:

“Israel launched a strike on Iranian soil on Friday… in the latest of the tit-for-tat exchanges between the regional arch foes whose long-running shadow war has broken into the open.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed his country would respond after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel on April 13. Tehran’s action, its first-ever strike on Israel, had been in retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on Tehran’s embassy compound in Damascus on April 1.”

The New York Post published on April 21 the following article by John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, 2018-19, and US ambassador to the United Nations, 2005-06.

“With Israel facing overwhelming pressure from President Biden, its… retaliation against Iran was an exercise in minimalism… Biden muscled Israel’s war cabinet but bent his knee to our mutual adversaries in Iran, revealing by this unforced error crippling weakness in the White House.. Our global adversaries, especially Moscow and Beijing, must have marveled at Biden’s sophistry, which sadly rises to the level of Lenin’s scorn for “useful idiots.”…

“Israeli and US missile defenses were not as fully tested as first thought. Largely unnoticed, The Wall Street Journal and CBS reported that half of Iran’s 120 ballistic missiles failed, either at liftoff or before being shot down. If true, out of 320 Iranian projectiles, Israel’s missile defenses faced only around 60 ballistic missiles, plus 30 cruise missiles and 170 much-slower drones… if Iran launches more properly functioning missiles next time, we may not be so successful.”

Israel to Stop Iran and Its Proxies

The New York Post wrote on April 19:

“Post-Oct. 7, Jerusalem is intent on peeling back these threats and eliminating them. That includes destroying Hamas’ remaining four battalions in Rafah alongside their command-and-control leadership. [They] will not be deterred from completely destroying Hamas.

“Hezbollah is next… Netanyahu is determined to drive Hezbollah away from its northern border… Hamas and Hezbollah, however, are only heads of a hydra. Israel is also determined to destroy the Hydra itself — the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps]…

“Yet Israel’s fights with Hamas, Hezbollah and the IRGC are not its most important fights vis-à-vis Iran. Khamenei’s rapidly expanding nuclear-weapons program remains Jerusalem’s overarching existential threat… At the moment, Tehran is only theoretically just days from a nuclear breakout, not weeks or months…

“Jerusalem’s biggest strategic challenge in first containing and then eliminating Iran as a regional and existential threat is the White House. President Biden and his national security team still believe they can negotiate with Tehran.  Biden’s permissive environment and ever-present fears of escalation are thwarting Israel’s efforts to decisively win against Iran.

“Israel needs Biden to lean into winning this war against Khamenei… If not, ultimately, Israel will have no choice but to go it alone and militarily take out Iran’s nuclear program — if not Khamenei’s regime itself, as well.”

“Levites Tune Up For the Third Temple”

Israel 365 News wrote on April 26:

“A group of about two dozen Levites gathered in the Old City to practice their singing while wearing garments designed for use by the Temple musicians in the Third Temple… The Levites also blew silver trumpets that had been prepared for use in the Third Temple…’

“In the Bible, the tribe of Levi included Moses and Aaron. Kohanim (priests) are descendants of Aaron and his descendants became a subset of the tribe of Levi. The other members of the tribe were chosen by God to forfeit their portions of land in Israel and to serve in the Temple. The Levites performed various functions in the Temple including guarding and serving all the musical needs. ‘

“Jewish communities are scrupulous about perpetuating the status of the Levites, which is passed from father to son. Only Jewish men whose fathers were Levites are considered eligible…”

Blinken: Anti-Israel Protests Hallmark of American Democracy

Reuters and Die Algemeiner wrote on April 26:

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that ongoing protests at US universities over Israel‘s war in Gaza are a hallmark of American democracy, but criticized what he called the ‘silence’ about Palestinian terrorist group Hamas…

“During the campus protests, which have spread across the US and picked up support in other countries, students and even some faculty have expressed support for Hamas, called for Israel’s destruction, and even threatened to target Jews on campus.”

What Blinken pretends not to understand is that these antisemitic demonstrations are in support of Hamas.

Majority of Young Americans in Support of Hamas

The Algemeiner wrote on April 19:

“A greater proportion of young Americans [18-29] sympathize with the Palestinian people and government than with the Israeli people and government, while almost one in five sympathize with Hamas and a growing number want the US to end or reduce its alliance with the Jewish State, according to a new poll…. while 52 percent of young people sympathize with Israelis, 56 percent sympathize with the Palestinian people…

“… a majority of young people [18-25] have said they believe Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack was justified on the basis of legitimate grievance. Another poll found 51 percent said that Israel should be ‘ended’ as a country and ‘given to Hamas and the Palestinians.’”

Violent Student Protests

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

“What does Joe Biden have to say about the rowdy student protests against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza that have rocked American college campuses in recent weeks? Almost nothing. The president has so far avoided the contentious subject as it is likely to complicate his reelection campaign.

“The 81-year-old Democrat, who will face Republican Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, has publicly addressed the demonstrations only once and briefly, even as students have clashed with police and several hundred people have been arrested at universities across the country…

“Biden’s reluctance to weigh in on the biggest and most prolonged unrest to rock U.S. campuses since the Vietnam war protests of the 1960s and ’70s has not gone unnoticed by Trump. ‘There’s a big fever in our country, and he’s not talking,’ the 77-year-old tycoon said Wednesday during a campaign rally.

“Trump urged college presidents to ‘remove the encampments immediately, vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses.’ As for the demonstrators at Columbia University, he called them ‘raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers.’”

Subsequently, the New York Post wrote on May 2:

“President Biden broke 10 days of silence about pro-terror anarchy on college campuses Thursday, saying the US is not a ‘lawless country’ and ‘order must prevail’ while acknowledging the right to peaceful demonstrations — and rejecting calls to bring out the National Guard. Biden, 81, spoke for three-and-a-half minutes in the White House Roosevelt Room after taking sustained criticism for or his lack of public comments as chaos raged across the country…

“The president has a long-held aversion to protests… but has tried to avoid antagonizing anti-Israel activists as polls show the conflict risking his re-election prospects in battleground states such as Michigan.”

It’s all about votes and election!!!! Meanwhile, antisemitic and at times violent protests and demonstrations continue throughout the USA, and also in Europe. Subsequently, Biden gave another speech on May 7, condemning antisemitism and violence. However, his actions against Israel do not support the contents of his speech. 

Antisemitism in America Just Like in Germany in the 1930s

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video Wednesday blasting antisemitism on American college campuses, saying the atmosphere had become like Germany in the 1930s, and calling on leaders to do more to fight it.

“Netanyahu was responding to a wave of radical anti-Israel and antisemitic protests at Columbia University and other college campuses… In a two-minute address in English, Netanyahu — who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the campuses engulfed by radical protests today — warned about the historic precedents for today’s protests. ‘Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities,’ Netanyahu said. ‘They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty. This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s.’

“He called the responses of several university presidents ‘shameful,’ adding that ‘more has to be done.’…

“Funding for the protests is reportedly coming from a variety of radical sources — including, according to the UK Daily Mail, Democratic Party mega-donor George Soros. The Wall Street Journal also reported this week that the protests fit a strategy promoted by Hamas and other Iran-backed groups to undermine western support for Israeli security…”

Foreign Aid Package and Johnson’s Betrayal

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

“Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivered President Joe Biden a $61 billion gift on Saturday afternoon, reversing his months-long pledge to never advance foreign aid without first securing America’s border….

“Johnson, once again, violated the Hastert Rule. Only 101 Republicans voted with Johnson, while 112 — a clear majority — opposed.”

Under the Hastert rule, the speaker is not to allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill. Dennis Hastert explicitly adopted the majority of the majority rule after becoming Speaker of the House.

Clarifications on the Foreign Aid Package for Ukraine and Israel

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

“[Regarding the adopted and signed] $95 billion… aid package for Ukraine ($60.84 billion), Israel ($26 billion) and the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan ($8.12 billion)…,  “80% of the Ukrainian funding will go to the replenishment of American weapons and stocks and our facilities and our operations,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Saturday.”

What hypocrisy!

Verhofstadt’s Attack on Conservative Americans

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

“One of the most ardent supporters of the war in Ukraine, former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt beamed: ‘America is back where it should be: Supporting Freedom.’ [He] added: “But I will for my life never forget that in the Republican group – the party of Reagan – a majority of 112 traitors voted against!”

“Verhofstadt… has increasingly used bombastic rhetoric against American conservatives during the Ukraine war… [he called] for an EU travel ban to be imposed on American journalist Tucker Carlson for having the temerity to interview Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Verhofstadt also called for the EU to impose sanctions on Carlson for supposedly being a “propagandist for the Russian regime”.

Dangerous men like Verhofstadt are on the rise in Europe.

Worldwide Military Spending Soars to Record High

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

“The global defense budget saw its largest yearly increase in 14 years in 2023, according to the think tank SIPRI. Russia’s war in Ukraine, the China-Taiwan crisis and other global conflicts played a significant role… top spenders such as the United States, China and Russia [were] ratcheting up their military budgets.

“Military spending is up in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania and North and South America. It’s the first time since 2009 that annual spending has increased in all geographical regions… Countries across Europe spent another year fearing security threats from Russia. Poland increased its military spending the most of all European countries, by 75% from 2022, to $31.6 billion in total…

“It’s likely… military expenditures in 2024 will once again find an increase in spending…

“[Niklas Schörnig, a political scientist at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt] said he had a pessimistic outlook… He said he also hoped the United States and China could negotiate to keep the regional conflict with Taiwan under control. Even if they could, he said, ‘this current geopolitical situation is like a powder keg…’”

A powder keg ready to explode…

Poland Ready For Nuclear Weapons

Politico wrote on April 22:

“Polish President Andrzej Duda said Poland is ‘ready’ to host nuclear weapons on its territory if NATO decides to reinforce its eastern flank… ‘If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing on our territory as well, in order to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready for it,’ he added…”

Arming EU with Nuclear Weapons

Breitbart wrote on April 28:

“President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of undermining French sovereignty and military deterrence after the head of state ‘opened the debate’ about creating a common European defence armed with nuclear weapons.

“In an interview published on Saturday evening with the Ebra group of regional French newspapers, Mr Macron said per Le Figaro: ‘I am in favour of opening this debate which must include anti-missile defence, the firing of long-range weapons, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil.’ ‘Let’s put everything on the table and look at what truly protects us in a credible way,’ he continued, but maintained that France would keep ‘its specificity but is ready to contribute more to the defence of European soil’.

“‘Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians. And there is nuclear weapons: French doctrine is that we can use them when our vital interests are threatened. I have already said that there is a European dimension to these vital interests,’ the president said…

“… while the French leader was initially a proponent of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow and appeared to be hesitant to broaden the conflict, he has since recast himself as one of the leading hawks in Europe, similarly calling for a ‘debate’ about sending NATO troops into Ukraine.”

Even though the mass media may portray it differently, Macron has many supporters in other European countries. And then there is Trump. Note the next article.

If Trump Is Elected

The Friday Times wrote on May 1:

“In the European Parliament elections, Macron asserts that far-right parties espouse a pacifist stance, whereas globalists are perceived to be driving the world towards war….

“The potential for a right-wing victory in the European parliamentary elections has prompted concern among the US and UK governments. They are uncertain about the nature of the European policy that will emerge, particularly in Germany and France… Germany… has decided to renew its army at this point and has increased its war budget. This is because Germany has the greatest industrial, financial and economic power in the EU.

“Germany’s decision to meet with the President of Turkey during this critical period suggests that it views Turkey as the closest ‘neighbour’ to Germany in terms of Europe’s prosperity and reliability. Turkey’s military capabilities and the development of military technology, its underground energy resources and energy grid, and most importantly, its strategic location between Europe and Asia, make it a country of significant geopolitical importance. And so a meeting was held between the President of Germany and the President of Turkey…

“Should Trump prevail in the forthcoming US presidential election, he will inevitably instruct Germany and Europe to curtail economic relations with China… Europe is understandably concerned about the potential implications of a Trump presidency. Upon assuming power in the United States, Donald Trump will find that Europe, particularly Germany, will be placed in a quandary between China and the United States…. the European Parliament, the US elections, and Trump’s rhetoric of ‘making America great again’ will all contribute to the emergence of a predominantly economic-oriented struggle that will have far-reaching implications…

“It can be reasonably presumed that preparations for war are underway. One can observe that intelligence and espionage activities have increased on all sides. It is to be expected that economic disputes will intensify…”

Europe’s Populist Parties on the Rise

The Sun wrote on April 30:

“Just look at the latest election forecasts across Europe. While centre-left, green, and liberal centrist parties look set to suffer significant if not major losses, an assortment of national populist and ultra-conservative parties look set for major gains.

“In France, Marine Le Pern’s lead in the polls is growing… In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s party is still dominant, as is Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party in Hungary. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany is still in second place [even though there was a perhaps temporary decrease in popularity] while Belgium’s Flemish Interest also looks set for major gains.

“In Austria and the Netherlands, the Freedom parties are likewise topping the polls while in Sweden the Sweden Democrats, which just launched its election campaign with the slogan ‘My Europe Builds Walls’, a reference to the ongoing refugee crisis, is effectively already the kingmaker in Swedish politics.

“Contrary to all those columnists and commentators who routinely like to dismiss populism as a refuge for pensioners, it’s actually now drawing considerable support from the young. In Germany, for example, a… new study of some 2,000 young people, aged between 14 and 29, found that 22 percent of them plan to vote for the national populist Alternative for Germany, compared to only nine percent two years ago… In France, for example, at the most recent presidential election, the under-35s were more likely than the over-35s to vote for Marine Le Pen, who is also targeting disillusionment with the country’s disastrous experiment with mass immigration.

“Like their parents and grandparents, many younger voters are profoundly worried about what mass immigration, the ongoing refugee crisis, and the spread of radical Islamism mean for the future of their liberal societies, including their hard-won rights for women and same-sex couples. In fact, another recent study found that populist parties are now winning much higher levels of support among LGBT people than they did in the 2000s, many of whom are also deeply concerned about how, if at all, their crucial rights will be maintained if radical Islamism continues to assert itself across Europe…

“… in America, Donald Trump is making major inroads among Latino, Hispanic, and African American voters who are utterly fed-up with the woke left and how Joe Biden has completely lost control of their southern border. While Trump is still leading Biden in six of the seven battleground states that will decide the election in November, many minority voters have watched in horror as elites demand utterly ludicrous policies like ‘defunding the police’, or going soft on crime and drug addiction in major cities, all the while knowing it won’t be them who have to suffer the consequences of these decisions…

“And as Europe’s rapidly approaching elections will almost certainly reveal, until elites pull their heads out of the sand by both acknowledging and addressing these concerns, the populist wave that’s now engulfing the old parties and politicians will only continue to get bigger and bigger.”

France to Send Troops Into Ukraine?

The Sun wrote on May 2:

“FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has declared he will send his countries brave troops to Ukraine if Putin breaks through the frontline. If French troops are deployed to Ukraine it could be the biggest sign of Nato resistance so far… Macron made the… declaration during an interview where he said sending across troops would become a ‘legitimate’ course of action should Kyiv ask for any help. He made it clear that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ever made a request for back-up then he would feel obliged to help…

“If France was to send their troops into Ukraine’s backyard then it could cause major issues within Nato. The French would prove to be the first set of troops with Nato links to step up to Putin’s war machine and go head-to-head with the Russian army… The reason why it could cause a potential major issue is as Article 5 in Nato’s handbook states that all members are obliged to defend each other if there is an attack. Russia[ns] are thought to be well aware that if they attack and kill French troops then it could draw in UK, German and even US troops into the battle.”

German Conservatives Vote For Compulsory Military Service

Barron’s wrote on May 7:

 “The German conservatives on Tuesday voted in favour of restoring compulsory military service as the country aims to revive its army in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The CDU-CSU alliance, currently Germany’s largest opposition party, approved a motion tabled by its youth wing at a party conference calling for a temporary return to conscription.

 “The conservatives have already pledged to introduce a year of compulsory community service for young people, which could be completed in the army or by working in civil society. But the youth wing argued this would take too long to introduce and put forward a period of compulsory service for a limited number of people…”

All would be evaluated, and some of those would be drafted. Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius seems to support a similar concept.

Lawsuit Against Trump “Stinks to High Heaven”

Newsmax wrote on April 23:

“Former Arkansas Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee told Newsmax on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal trial in New York City is a ploy by Democrats ‘to attack a political opponent using the gears of government.’… ‘Trump has the uncanny ability to control the news cycle, no matter what else is going on,’ Huckabee said. ‘Joe Biden can barely mumble his way through a response to a question if he takes them at all, and he usually takes them from pre-arranged reporters.’…

“Huckabee went on to say that ‘a lot of people’ watching Trump’s criminal trial over alleged attempts to hide payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, are unconvinced of the former president’s guilt. He implied that the ongoing legal cases against Trump might actually win him support from voters. ‘I think a lot of people are watching this trial in New York and they’re saying, “Let me see if I get this right. Hillary Clinton clearly was involved in trying to rig the 2016 election by the phony Steele dossier that resulted in the complete fabrication of a story called the Russia hoax, and somehow that was fine. She never got really accused or charged with anything,”’ Huckabee said.

“He continued, ‘Donald Trump is sitting in a New York courtroom for a charge that doesn’t even fit in New York and already had run the statute of limitations. They had to make up a legal strategy in order for this to even go to trial and I think people are saying this is a clear attempt by the current administration to attack a political opponent using the gears of government, and it stinks to high heaven.’”

Breitbart wrote on April 22:

“Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said Monday on Fox News Channel’s ‘America Reports’ that former President Donald Trump’s New York trial for allegedly falsifying business records is an ‘embarrassment.’

“Turley said, ‘… The fact that we are actually talking about this case being presented in a New York court room leaves me in utter disbelief… You had this misdemeanor under state law that had run out… They zapped it back into life by alleging that there was a campaign finance violations under the federal laws that doesn’t exist…’”

A Sham Trial That Shames America

The New York Post published on April 16 the following commentary by Piers Morgan:

“There are many reasons to criticize Donald Trump… But one thing you can’t say about Trump is that he’s a bad father… So, I can only imagine how both he and his youngest son, now 18, must have felt when the judge in Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial suggested yesterday that he could be jailed if he tries to skip a day in court, even if it’s to be at Barron’s graduation from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach on May 17…

“In the annals of American presidential history, has there ever been a cheaper, more demeaning, and utterly pointless attempt to shame and humiliate one of the only 46 men to be President of the United States?

“This whole Stormy Daniels saga is so pathetic… You can have a moral disapproval about it… but the idea that it has now led to a criminal trial where Trump faces up to 10 years in prison is ridiculous. It’s patently obvious that Manhattan’s DA, Alvin L. Bragg, has been driven by political malice… And there’s such a stinking hypocrisy about the way Democrats have tried to destroy Trump for alleged sexual peccadillos. Bill Clinton had sex with an intern in the Oval Office when he was a sitting president and paid $850,000 to settle a case with Paula Jones, who accused him of harassing and assaulting her while he was Arkansas governor.

“Yet I don’t remember Clinton enduring any criminal trial. However, I do remember him attending his daughter Chelsea’s graduation from Sidwell Friends High School in 1997, embracing her off stage after she received her diploma, and then making an emotional speech to all the students speaking of his great pride.

“It’s outrageous that Donald and Barron Trump should be deprived of the same shared experience. Should the moment come next month when Judge Merchan bans him from attending, Trump should ignore him and go to the graduation. If Merchan then tries to jail him for doing what any loving father in America would do in the same situation, Trump will win the election by a landslide.”

Compromised Judge Dismisses Proper Motion For Mistrial in Trump/Stormy Daniels Case

Professor Jonathan Turley wrote on May 8 in the New York Post:

“Judge Juan Merchan… allowed the prosecutors to get into the details of the affair [between Trump and Stormy Daniels] despite the immateriality of the evidence to any criminal theory… The value of the testimony was entirely sensational and gratuitous, yet Merchan was fine with humiliating Trump… The most maddening moment for the defense came at the lunch break when Merchan stated, ‘I agree that it would have been better if some of these things had been left unsaid.’

“He then denied a motion for a mistrial [based] on the testimony and blamed the defense for not objecting more. That, of course, ignores the standing objection of the defense to Daniels even appearing, and specific objections to the broad scope allowed by the court… Merchan said that he is considering a limiting instruction for the jury to ignore aspects of the testimony… The court was told that this would happen, it happened, and now the court wants to ask the jury to pretend that it did not happen. Merchan knows that there is no way for the jury to unhear the testimony. More importantly, the prosecution knew that from the outset…

“You have a judge who should have recused himself given his daughter’s major role as a Democratic activist and fundraiser. You have a gag order that is allowing a New York Supreme Court justice to regulate what the leading candidate for the presidency may say in an election on the weaponization of the legal system. You have a lead prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, who not only left the Biden Justice Department to revive this case, but once worked for the Democratic National Committee. You have a case based on two dead misdemeanors shocked back into life by a still mysterious theory of an undefined crime….”

You have an attempt by desperate Democrats to use the “Justice System” to secure a win for Biden and to stop Trump from becoming the next President. 

Trump Held in Contempt

cbs news wrote on April 30:

“The judge… held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order that limits what he can say about those involved in the [New York] case, and warned him that he could be jailed if he violates the order again.

“Judge Juan Merchan said Trump violated the order nine times in recent weeks in posts on Trump’s Truth Social platform and campaign website, many of which targeted Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, key witnesses in the case. Merchan fined Trump $9,000, or $1,000 for each violation, and ordered him to delete the posts. All nine posts were taken down by Tuesday afternoon.

“The judge announced the ruling from the bench… He wrote that Trump ‘violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding.’

“Merchan wrote that New York law doesn’t allow him to impose a fine higher than $1,000 per violation, which ‘unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the [defendant] can easily afford such a fine.’ He said a higher fine might be appropriate in those cases, but since he does not have that discretion, the court ‘must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment.’

“He concluded with a warning to Trump: ‘Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.’

“[The gag order] barred Trump from commenting on likely witnesses, potential jurors, court staff, lawyers for the prosecution and others connected to the case. The judge later expanded that order to cover his own family members…”

Many legal experts state that gag orders are unconstitutional. This is especially true for the gag order at hand. They also feel that the judge is compromised and biased and should recuse himself. They also feel that imprisonment may lead to mass protests or even civil unrest. Subsequently, Trump was held in contempt again for violating the judge’s ridiculous gag order, ordered to pay another $1,000 fine and threatened with jail for up to 30 days. Trump’s response: “The constitution is more important than jail.”

The Pervasive Hypocrisy of the Federal Government

The New York Post wrote on April 24:

“Hypocrisy is Washington, DC’s lifeblood, so it was a nice change when DC Judge Ana Reyes lambasted the Justice Department for instructing two lawyers in its Tax Division to disregard a congressional subpoena in the Hunter Biden investigation, all while it has been zealously prosecuting Trump officials for the very same offense…

“It’s about time someone in authority called out the hypocrisy and egregious double standard permeating every corner of the federal government, and if even a Biden-appointed judge like Reyes can see the problem, you know we’ve reached a tipping point.”

Immunity For the President?

Professor Turley wrote on April 25 in the New York Post:

“There are cliffs on both sides of this case. If the court were to embrace special counsel Jack Smith’s arguments [in the retention of documents case], a president would have no immunity from criminal charges, even for official acts taken in his presidency.

“It would leave a president without protection from endless charges from politically motivated prosecutors. If the court were to embrace Trump counsel’s arguments, a president would have complete immunity. It would leave a president largely unaccountable under the criminal code for any criminal acts… No immunity or complete immunity each holds obvious dangers.”

Breitbart wrote on April 25:

“A majority of Supreme Court justices sympathized with Donald Trump’s attorneys’ arguments that a president does enjoy some level of immunity that endures past the term of office. The court heard oral arguments regarding if Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as Special Counsel Jack Smith claims… Smith’s prosecution in D.C. has been on hold until the Supreme Court weighs in, likely in late June…

“There is no indication that a majority of justices would agree some kind of immunity exists that would summarily end the current prosecution. But if there is some type of standard to determine immunity, the usual practice would be to strike the lower court’s opinion and send it back down to the lower court with the test – a remand that undoubtedly would be a victory for Trump’s legal team.

“In further good news for Trump, even the three liberal justices seemed open to there being some level of presidential immunity that endures past the term of office. It is possible those justices concur in part with a decision to implement an immunity test while dissenting in part.”

Depending on what course the Supreme Court takes, a final decision could be delayed in Smith’s document retention case until after the election.

Trial Delayed in Document Case

The New York Post wrote on May 7:

“A federal judge in South Florida scrapped a planned May 20 trial start date in former President Donald Trump’s classified document case — a move that will likely push proceedings back until after the Nov. 5 election… Should Trump succeed in delaying the remainder of his trials until after the election and win back the presidency, he will have the authority to instruct the Justice Department to call off Smith’s prosecutions, an unprecedented intervention by a commander in chief in his own defense.”

Trump’s Take

Newsmax wrote on April 25:

“Former President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday that he had a ‘very good session’ before the Supreme Court during his hearing for presidential immunity.

“Even if he wasn’t allowed to be there. Trump was occupied by his ‘disgraceful’ criminal trial in New York and not allowed to be in Washington, D.C. Trump said… ‘You need presidential immunity to do the right thing. And sometimes you may do the wrong thing. I mean, that’s possible, too… Ideally, you’re going to do all the right things, that includes going to war and ending wars and sometimes starting wars, and you know you have to make very tough decisions as president… But you can’t be criminally tried if you make a mistake…’”

So, true Christians are willing to vote for a president who will have to make decisions to start wars???

German Fake Trial Begins

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

“The first of three trials linked to a far-right coup plot begins in Germany on Monday, with the defendants accused of preparing to commit high treason and belonging to a terrorist organization. All the suspects… were allegedly plotting to overthrow the German government… Some 25 people were arrested and are now in detention awaiting the upcoming trials…

“The alleged military arm of this group is to face court in Stuttgart on April 29. The nine defendants are represented by 22 lawyers, while more than 300 witnesses have been named, including 270 police officers… The alleged ringleader of the ‘Reichsbürger’ group facing charges is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a 72-year-old estate agent from Frankfurt and descendant of an aristocratic family. He was allegedly earmarked for the role of provisional head of a German state by his supporters. His group is accused of planning to storm the German parliament and detaining prominent politicians…

“Reuss’ supporters allegedly fantasized about deploying German army helicopters, flown by soldiers that back their cause. They are even accused of planning a violent takeover of the arms business Heckler & Koch, based in Oberndorf am Neckar, the Bundeswehr’s main supplier of small arms…

“The federal prosecutor’s office says the group was planning a violent coup d’etat and aiming to negotiate a new treaty with the World War Two allies, particularly Russia… Rulings in all three trials linked to the alleged coup attempt of Prince Reuss and his co-conspirators are not expected before 2025.”

Many feel that these trials are conducted to distract from the miserable and incompetent performance of the German government and especially Germany’s unpopular federal minister of the interior, Nancy Faeser. These “trials” and the underlying accusations, which would have to be established by the EVIDENCE, will be similar to the show trials conducted against Trump. In other words, a sham and a farce.

Biden’s Insane Capital Gains Tax Proposals

Newsmax wrote on April 24:

“In his 2025 budget proposal, Biden outlined plans to elevate the top marginal rate on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends to 44.6%. This rate, if enacted, would surpass any seen in over a century… Moreover, the combined federal-state rate could exceed 50% in several states when factoring in state capital gains taxes. For instance, California residents would potentially face a 59% rate, while those in New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York could confront rates ranging from 53.4% to 55.3%.

“… capital gains taxes, particularly when not indexed to inflation, impose a form of double taxation and disproportionately affect certain demographics. Small business owners, for example, may find themselves grappling with inflated tax liabilities on gains that are partly attributable to inflation rather than real profit… China, for instance, maintains a capital gains tax rate of 20%, significantly lower than Biden’s proposed rate…

“The history of the capital gains tax underscores the magnitude of Biden’s proposal. Initially introduced in 1922 at a rate of 12.5%, the tax has evolved over the decades but has never approached the proposed levels. Additionally, Biden’s plan includes measures to address tax implications upon inheritance, potentially adding further complexity to the tax code. The proposal to eliminate a stepped-up basis upon the transfer of assets upon death could result in a mandatory capital gains tax event, affecting families’ financial planning and estate management… When someone dies, and the asset transfers to an heir, that transfer itself will be a taxable event, and the estate is required to pay taxes on the gains as if they sold the asset…”

When Christ returns, these insane tax laws will end once and for all.

Trump’s Bible Blasphemous

ChurchLeaders wrote on April 24:

“Pastor Loran… Livingston… argued the fundamental practices of reading the Bible and praying directly affect a believer’s mindset and interaction with the world—including in the area of politics. ‘Some of you bring politics into the church. You think politics is spiritual stuff,’ Livingston said. ‘Don’t be talking to me about my spiritual responsibility to vote. I don’t have a spiritual responsibility to vote. I have a civic privilege… you say, ‘Wow, there’s a Bible out now that includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Isn’t that wonderful?’… Livingston replied, ‘No. No, it’s disgusting. It’s blasphemous. It’s a ploy.’

“Recently, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump began promoting the ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’ The King James Version of the Bible includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Pledge of Allegiance. Lee Greenwood’s handwritten chorus of ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ is also included. ‘The gospel is not an American gospel,’ Livingston argued…

“Livingston was appalled that anyone would endorse and purchase such a Bible that prints texts containing the words ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ alongside Scripture, which states, ‘of him, by him, through him, and from him… ‘If you glory in that kind of mess, political mess, you do not know what the Word of God says,’ shouted Livingston.”

Politics and religion are a dangerous and poisonous mix.

Drag Queen’s Performance Wrong on Every Level

The New York Post wrote on April 25:

“Video of a drag queen in Massachusetts leading a group of young kids to chant ‘Free Palestine’ has sparked fierce backlash… The encounter, which unfolded at a ‘Queer Storytime for Palestine’ event organized by the Valley Families for Palestine group in Amherst last week, had gone viral by Thursday as outrage mounted…

“Furious critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy of a drag queen touting the phrase given the harsh treatment of LGBTQ people in Gaza… ‘Often times members of the LGBTQ+ community seek refuge in Israel as their lives are endangered and their families excommunicate them. Were these children taught these points?’… ‘If people can’t see that drag queens teaching kids to chant “Free Palestine” is wrong on every level, then they seriously are part of the problem,’ British TV host and politician Nigel Farage raged…

“The organizers of the event had earlier shared a slew of photos on an Instagram account of the young children and their parents watching and smiling as the drag queen performed for them… The group also boasted of the ‘important lessons’ the kids learned during the storytime event….”

LGBT Champions in Scottish Schools

Mail On Line wrote on April 18:

“Scottish primary schools have appointed children as ‘LGBT champions’ and are being encouraged to ask children as young as four if they are gay, lesbian or transgender… A Scottish government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to doing everything we can to make Scotland the best place to grow up for LGBTQI+ young people. This includes funding LGBT Youth Scotland to deliver a range of projects, such as the LGBT Charter programme.’”

The handwriting is clearly on the wall. Scotland, beware!

Biden Blesses Abortion

Israel 365 News wrote on April 28:

“President Joe Biden was on the stage in Tampa when Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, the state’s former Democratic gubernatorial nominee, went on a rant, slamming an upcoming law restricting abortion to within six weeks of gestation. The president seemed to bless her comments by crossing himself in a Catholic gesture of devotion… Biden went on to ‘blame’ former President Trump, pledging to install abortion as a ‘constitutional right’…

“Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia), a Roman Catholic… tweeted, ‘Life beginning at conception is not only a religious belief, but a scientific fact.’ ‘Biden’s use of the Sign of the Cross in support of abortion is a disgusting insult toward… Catholics whom he claims as his own,’ President of CatholicVote Brian Burch said…”

Arizona Abortion Law Repealed

The Associated Press wrote on May 1:

“The Arizona Legislature approved a repeal of a long-dormant ban on nearly all abortions Wednesday, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is expected to sign it [which she did subsequently.]

“Two Republicans joined with Democrats in the Senate on the 16-14 vote in favor of repealing a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the state’s highest court recently allowed to take effect. The ban on all abortions — which provides no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, and only allows for procedures done to save a patient’s life — would still be active until the fall.

“Hobbs said in a statement that she looks forward to quickly signing the repeal, with a ceremony scheduled for Thursday. ‘Arizona women should not have to live in a state where politicians make decisions that should be between a woman and her doctor,’ Hobbs said. ‘While this repeal is essential for protecting women’s lives, it is just the beginning of our fight to protect reproductive healthcare.’”

What about the right and the LIFE of the unborn child?

Abortion and Election

Newsmax wrote on May 1:

“Treading into a topic Democrats use as an election weapon against conservatives, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned pro-life conservatives seeking to restrict abortion. ‘Remember this as a politician: You have to have heart, you have to have what your heart determines, and you have to fight for what’s in your heart, and what’s the right thing to do, but remember, you also have to get elected,’ Trump told his Wednesday rally from the Freeland, Michigan, airport tarmac in a speech that aired live…

“Abortion restrictions should not be decided by the unelected Supreme Court, Trump said… Conservative states can be more restrictive and liberal states can be more permissive, but ultimately late-term abortions cannot be allowed under a Supreme Court precedent, Trump said.”

Trump’s stance is unsupportable. When Christ rules this world, crazy elections and desperate attempts to get votes, while willing to compromise, will be a thing of the past. Thank God for that.

“Closing 50 Years of Battle”

The Associated Press wrote on May 6:

“It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages… The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall… The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. But this comes amid long-term declines in membership and influence…

“The United Methodist Church was the last of the major U.S. mainline groups to liberalize its policies on sexuality in part because of its large presence in rural, small-town and Southern areas, where a more conservative sexual ethos prevails…”

New Bill Threatens Christian Faith

Lee Fang wrote on May 2:

“The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to advance a bill that would empower the federal government to crack down on student protests by defining antisemitism in a way that includes certain criticism of Israel. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, the bill’s passage reflects a broader national trend…

“All of these laws — federal and state — require government entities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism… the IHRA definition counts ‘the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis’ as antisemitism… some conservative Christian voices who believe that Jewish contemporaries of Jesus played an integral role in his crucifixion have expressed fear that the IHRA definition could be used to restrict authentic expressions of the Christian faith…

“Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called the Lawler legislation a ‘ridiculous hate speech bill’ that would empower a new Department of Education speech police. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said the bill ‘could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.’ Former Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., tweeted that the bill is ‘flagrantly unconstitutional under the First Amendment.’ Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a Jewish lawmaker who represents a district that includes the Columbia University campus, said the bill ‘threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech.’…

“The Lawler bill is now headed to the Senate [for a hot debate]… Several pro-Israel groups support the legislation…”

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 1:

“Rep. Matt Gaetz also criticized the bill, stating that it disregards the Constitution and the common understanding of words. ‘This evening, I will vote AGAINST the ridiculous hate speech bill called the ‘Antisemitism Awareness Act.’ Antisemitism is wrong, but this legislation is written without regard for the Constitution, common sense, or even the common understanding of the meaning of words,’ Gaetz wrote. ‘The Gospel itself would meet the definition of antisemitism under the terms of this bill! The bill says the definition of antisemitism includes ‘contemporary examples of antisemitism’ identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). One of those examples includes: ‘…claims of Jews killing Jesus…’ The Bible is clear. There is no myth or controversy on this…’”

LifeSiteNews added on May 3:

“…the legislation that was rushed through without the normal procedure of allowing debate and amendments… Twenty-one Republicans opposed the bill… Seventy Democrats also opposed the bill…

“[Daily Wire commentator Ben] Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew and Harvard University law school grad, said the bill is ‘obviously unconstitutionally vague,’ on his show Thursday. He also said the New Testament clearly said the Jews did hand over Jesus to Pontius Pilate to be killed… Other conservatives pointed out the bill could punish Biblical beliefs. ‘Did the House of Representatives just make parts of the Bible illegal,’ Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk wrote on X Wednesday night. ‘Yes. The New Testament,’ Tucker Carlson replied….”

Please view our recent sermon from April 23, 2024, titled, “Who Killed Jesus Christ?” 

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.

Strong Earthquake Hits New York City

The New York Post wrote on April 4:

“A rare earthquake rocked the New York City area Friday morning, swaying buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets — the strongest temblor to strike near the Big Apple in 140 years… Tremors could be felt as far north as New Paltz, New York — about 80 miles away — and as far south as Delaware, about 130 miles…

“The last time an earthquake with a magnitude close to 5 struck near New York City was back in 1884… That quake appeared to have been centered in Brooklyn.”

The Sun added on April 6 that “some X users are pushing outlandish theories linking the quake to the rare solar eclipse that will occur on Monday, April 8… ‘It’s not a coincidence that the magnitude earthquake in NJ was 4.8, and the solar eclipse is on 4/8,’ posted one user. His claim caused a stir among other users. ‘4.8 is a man-made measurement… the eclipse is nature,’ one person countered…”

And the Daily Beast reported on April 5 that “far-right congresswoman” Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on x: “God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come.” The outlet continued: “It’s not the first time [she] alluded to an apocalyptic reckoning if… Trump isn’t elected president in November. Last year, she likened him to Jesus Christ himself because he, like the Christian messiah, was arrested and persecuted by ‘radical, corrupt governments.’”

To associate the New York City earthquake and the solar eclipse with Christ’s coming is of course nonsense. See our article below, titled “Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ.” So would be any ludicrous suggestion that God would be angry with Americans because they might not vote for Trump (In fact, a true Christian should not vote at all, compare our Q&As https://www.eternalgod.org/why-we-must-not-vote-in-governmental-elections/  and https://www.eternalgod.org/is-it-a-sin-to-vote-in-the-presidential-election/ ).

On the other hand, Christ has warned for the end time of “earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7), calling them, and many other occurrences, “the beginning of sorrows.” (verse 8). He also spoke of “fearful sights and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11), indicating serious damage caused by these great and terrifying signs. A solar eclipse, which is actually not uncommon, can hardly qualify as such a “fearful” and “great sign” from heaven.

Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ

Study Finds wrote on April 4:

“Does the upcoming solar eclipse signal the second coming of Jesus? In all likelihood, no, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating that it does… The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, which will be visible over parts of North America, has brought with it a slew of predictions that Jesus might be returning sooner rather than later…

“Religious theories surrounding this eclipse are part of a larger pattern of attempts to find meaning in astronomical events that goes back thousands of years.

“One of the more famous examples from the ancient world of people finding meaning in the skies occurred in 44 B.C.E., when a comet appeared in the skies over Italy just four short months after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Roman authors Pliny the Elder and Suetonius claimed that the comet was visible for about a week and that it was so bright, it could be spotted in the late afternoon. Many Romans interpreted its appearance and lingering presence as a sign that Caesar had ascended to the heavens and had taken a seat among the many gods of Rome. Caesar’s deification was made official by a vote of the Roman senate less than two years later.

“A few examples from the past 30 years further illustrate this phenomenon. In December 2020, speculation ran wild in some Christian circles that a planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn signaled the return of the fabled ‘Star of Bethlehem’…

“For at least 10 years, televangelist John Hagee has promoted theories linking various ‘blood moons’ as signs that the apocalypse is approaching. A tragic example is the religious movement known as Heaven’s Gate. Members of this movement believed that there was a spacecraft hidden in the tail of the Hele-Bopp Comet, which appeared in 1997. This spacecraft, they thought, was coming to transport them to a higher level of consciousness. In March 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate movement committed ritualized, mass suicide through a lethal combination of phenobarbital, vodka and asphyxiation…

“Most of these end times predictions are rooted in North American evangelical views on the apocalypse, many of which originated or at least share an affinity with evangelical author Hal Lindsey’s popular book, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth.’ In this book, Lindsey predicted that the apocalypse would occur in the 1980s, and to make his argument, he stitched together a number of disparate events and phenomena to construct an apocalyptic narrative that included Soviet helicopters, the establishment of the state of Israel and nuclear warfare. Lindsey was wrong, of course; the 1980s did not bring about the apocalypse. But this way of thinking – of seeking to find significance in various random events like eclipses – persists among some Christians… But… attempting to predict such timing by means of things like eclipses is, at the very least, not terribly ‘biblical.’”

In spite of wrong predictions and looking at somewhat irrelevant occurrences and developments, when judged in light of Bible prophecy, the fact remains that we are living in the end time and the “last days,” which means that Christ will return soon. However, most who believe in or hope for this event are looking at the wrong “signs.” In addition, Christ told us that no one knows the exact timing of His coming, and that He would come at a time when we do not expect it. For the Truth, which is quite confusing for many, please read our free booklet, “How Can We Know That Christ’s Return Is Near?” 

Please view our new program, ‘Solar Eclipse and the Coming of Christ—Comments on News and Prophecy, April 6, 2024.”  

Jewish Superstitions

JTA wrote on April 8:

“The rabbis of the Talmud are famous for their disagreements. But they presented a united front on eclipses, calling the celestial event ‘a bad omen for the whole world.’ The attitude was common across the ancient world, when eclipses could not be predicted and were experienced as frightening, though astronomy was more developed by the time the Talmud was written in the fourth century… Because an eclipse can take place only around the time of a new moon, they are always adjacent to the start of a new Jewish month. (The month of Nisan begins Monday night.)

“… is not traditional for Jews to say a blessing on an eclipse, but some rabbis have pointed to all-purpose blessings reserved for witnessing natural wonders and major demonstrations of God’s might as appropriate for the moment…

“Others say an eclipse provides an apropos moment to reflect on the majesty of the natural world and the power of light over dark even without a religious obligation to offer a blessing… others [have said] that it would be wise to put away one’s tzitzit, or ritual fringes, during the minutes when the sun is blotted out, as Jewish law does not require them to be worn at night.

“Geoffrey Mitelman, a Conservative rabbi… concluded that the process of the eclipse would be experienced as an event whose impact is in some ways akin to the splitting of the Red Sea in the Passover story…”

And on and on the nonsense goes…

The New Bundeswehr to Become War-Ready!

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 4:

“The new Bundeswehr is to become ‘war-ready’ and flexible, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said as he announced his plans to restructure the German army… Pistorius, currently Germany’s most popular politician according to the polls, had chosen the date quite deliberately — the 75^th anniversary of the founding of NATO. At the time, it was a turning point in world politics: A new alliance of Western states against the threat posed by socialist-communist states in the East.

“Pistorius now also wants a turning point – for ‘his’ Bundeswehr. ‘Nobody should get the idea of attacking us as a NATO territory,’  he said in Berlin on Thursday… The long-term plan for reform is to move the armed forces away from laborious long-term missions — such as in Afghanistan, Mali, Kosovo or the Horn of Africa — towards national defense…. According to Pistorius, he wants to make the troops ‘fit for war.’

“The Bundeswehr’s operations will soon be coordinated in one place: the so-called operational command, where previously, domestic and foreign operations had been managed separately… Pistorius also wants to make the Bundeswehr fit for a relatively new front in global wars, and plans to establish a new branch of the armed forces, in the cyber and information warfare…

“There will also be a support command for medical supplies and logistics, or attacks with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, which will be available to all branches of the armed forces… He also said he wants to give himself and his team six months to implement the reform…

“Many observers had expected Pistorius to present his ideas for the potential reintroduction of compulsory military service though nothing along those lines came on Thursday. But the Bundeswehr remains short of new recruits… Pistorius is apparently continuing to examine models of compulsory military service and has taken a look at the practice in Scandinavian countries. On Thursday, however, he merely mentioned that models had also been considered in the event of a ‘reintroduction of compulsory military service.’…”

As we have warned for many decades, Germany is clearly preparing for nuclear, biological and chemical warfare… and the world is still sound asleep.

Most Germans for EU Army

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 5:

“Germans feel that there’s a high global security threat… Seven out of 10 consider the threat to peace and security in Europe to be very serious or serious, much higher than five years ago, and the result appears to be more support for NATO and the European Union

“… most German voters are open to the idea of a European defense force: Almost six out of 10 German citizens currently support the formation of a joint EU military… One in three people currently believes that EU membership has advantages for Germany overall…”

At this point, most Germans are still in favor of NATO and Germany’s cooperation with it. But this will change too in time. Most Germans are also in favor of reinstating compulsory military service. 

“The Germans Have Lost Their Minds!”

Report 24 wrote on April 3:

“The church’s decline in values ​​is progressing.

“The Good Friday service deals with Jesus’ last words: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!’ This is how the ARD [Germany’s first public television company] announced the bizarre spectacle that was offered to viewers on Good Friday. Dancing is still often banned on this so-called silent holiday, but the Protestant Church obviously doesn’t believe in this: the service shown on ARD was introduced by a dance performance that gave rise to worrying associations with demonic possession.

“Many believers must have felt God-forsaken in view of this performance… Many users associated the spectacle with exorcisms, some brought the depiction of epileptic seizures into play… According to their own statements, commentators initially thought the dancer was Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock… What does that say about the German political and media apparatus?

“The embarrassing performance caused people to shake their heads far beyond the country’s borders. In English, one X user stated: ‘The Germans have literally gone mad. You’ve lost your mind. Crazy.’ ‘Demonic possession is not art,’ criticized another user. This is obviously seen differently in the modern church.

“The fact that the church is moving further and further away from its values ​​– and therefore also its believers – is nothing new. Just remember the German Evangelical Church Conference last year, where a pastor announced that God was ‘queer’. It is no longer surprising that people are increasingly leaving the church. Both the Protestant and Catholic churches today are at the service of the powerful and their agendas, not at the service of people and communities. For religious people this is sheer betrayal.”

Whatever “values” the big churches might have had, they are long gone.

Gag Orders Unconstitutional

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano wrote on April 4, 2024 in Creators.com:

 “… last week, a justice of the New York State Supreme Court — that’s the trial court in New York — entered a gag order prohibiting former President Donald Trump from criticizing the daughter of the justice. The daughter is a fundraiser for Democratic clients who use the prosecution of the former president in their fundraising solicitations. The daughter has voluntarily entered the marketplace of ideas by her professional work, much of which is aimed at the former president.

“Put aside the unseemly appearance of a trial judge signing an order to insulate his own daughter from political criticism by a public figure whom the daughter and her clients publicly criticize; these gag orders are direct assaults on the freedom of speech… In Trump’s case, it is exquisitely unfair for the judge’s daughter to use the criminal prosecution of Trump as a fundraising tool while her father — the judge in Trump’s criminal case — has silenced Trump himself from commenting publicly about this…

“The Supreme Court has ruled consistently since the 1960s that the whole purpose of the First Amendment is to keep the government out of the business of speech. Government may not favor or disfavor speech; and it may not evaluate the content of speech. Thus, it may not encourage or deter or punish speech…. If government could evaluate the content of speech and punish what it characterizes as intolerance or disinformation, we’d have no freedoms remaining. Government is the negation of liberty. It exists by stealing, prohibiting and compelling. Speech is the last bastion against the government’s totalitarian impulses. If the government could punish the speech it hates and fears or the speech its patrons don’t want to hear, we will have no freedoms remaining.”

The conduct of this particular prejudiced judge [Justice Juan M. Merchan] in the New York criminal hush money case involving former porn actress Stormy Daniels is truly outrageous. He should recuse himself or be disqualified. But like biased and compromised Judge Arthur Engoron in the wrongfully decided New York civil “fraud” case against Trump (where there were no victims and no one was damaged), there is little hope that these Democratic Trump-hating judges will do so, showing how corrupt and weaponized–as well as how authoritarian and dictatorial–our legal system has become.

Ecuador Violates Mexican Sovereignty

The Associated Press wrote on April 6:

 “The Mexican president has quickly moved to break off diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president who had sought political asylum there after being indicted on corruption charges… Ecuador’s presidency said in a statement: ‘Ecuador is a sovereign nation and we are not going to allow any criminal to stay free.’… [Mexico called Ecuador’s conduct] an ‘authoritarian act’ and ‘a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico.’ [Allegedly,] a number of diplomats suffered injuries during the break-in…

“Diplomatic premises are considered ‘inviolable’ under the Vienna treaties and local law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lived inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years because British police could not enter to arrest him…

“Mexico [said it] would take the case to the International Court of Justice ‘to denounce Ecuador’s responsibility for violations of international law.’”

That Ecuador violated international law is without dispute.  This is another example of authoritarian and dictatorial hypocritical conduct by a government which does not care about the law. Sadly, these kinds of behavior are increasing rapidly all over the world.  In addition, it seems that Ecuadorian criminal gangs are very active in Mexico.

Deutsche Welle added on April 7:

“Other countries in the region, including Bolivia, Chile, Cuba and Venezuela, expressed outrage at Ecuador’s actions, while Honduras called on the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to convene an emergency meeting over the matter.

“Whereas Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his ‘solidarity’ with Mexican President Lopez Obrador, condemning the storming of the embassy in ‘the strongest possible terms,’ Nicaragua went a step further, following Mexico’s lead by severing diplomatic ties with Quito” [Ecuador’s capital]. 

Russia-Friendly Populist Elected Slovak President

BBC News wrote on April 7:

“Populist Peter Pellegrini has been elected president of Slovakia, succeeding the liberal Zuzana Caputova. Mr Pellegrini, 48, defeated the pro-Western Ivan Korčok, a former diplomat, with 53% of the vote. A former prime minister, he is an ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, and shares the PM’s dovish attitude towards Russia. Mr Fico and his allies now control Slovakia’s parliament, government, and soon the president’s office.

“Slovakia had been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies before Mr Fico came to power in October on a pledge to halt supplies of Slovak Army military stocks to Kyiv. With Mr Pellegrini replacing Mrs Caputova, Ukraine has now definitively lost a voice of support in an EU and Nato capital. Mr Fico has called for an end to Western military support for Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire, and peace talks with Moscow. He said recently President Vladimir Putin had been ‘unfairly demonised’ and argued admitting Ukraine to Nato would mark the beginning of a third world war… Once Mrs Caputova steps down in June, there will no longer be any high-level official in Slovakia – a country which barely a year ago donated its entire fleet of MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine – who unequivocally backs Kyiv’s effort to defend its territory with force…

“Robert Fico’s government recently set its sights on Slovakia’s public broadcaster, submitting plans to abolish the institution and replace it with one under virtual state control. Those plans were put on the back burner after a surprisingly poor showing from Peter Pellegrini in the first round of the presidential election two weeks ago. The opposition fears a reinvigorated Robert Fico will resubmit them – and they say President-elect Pellegrini is unlikely to stand in his way…”

Russia’s supporters increase.

No More Weapons for Israel?

Reuters wrote on April 6:

“Representative Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker and a key ally of Joe Biden, signed a letter on Friday from dozens of congressional Democrats to the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging a halt to weapons transfers to Israel…. Support from Pelosi, a veteran member of Biden’s Democratic Party, for stopping the transfer of weapons to Israel showed that the view is increasingly becoming mainstream in the party…

“[The letter] was signed by Pelosi and 36 other Democrats including Representatives Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (members of the extreme-left radical “squad”).

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “America’s Betrayal of Israel!” 

The Associated Press wrote on April 7:

“Israel said the attack that killed the aid workers and their Palestinian driver was a tragic mistake. Its military dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others, saying they violated the army’s rules of engagement…. The World Central Kitchen attack has increased pressure on Europe’s governments to move from criticism to suspending arms sales to Israel.

“The United Nations’ Human Rights Council passed a nonbinding resolution to that effect Friday. Among European countries in the 47-nation body, only Germany voted against it, as did the United States. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Thursday that his country had stopped selling weapons to Israel and urged other nations to do the same. In February, Canada announced it would stop future shipments… In Britain, more than 600 British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, pressed the government to… stop shipping weapons to Israel…

“Germany is the second-biggest weapons supplier to Israel and approved 326.5 million euros ($354 million) in defense exports last year… Asked Friday under what circumstances Germany would consider suspending weapons deliveries to Israel, government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann replied that ‘weapons exports are always case-by-case decisions … taking into consideration political and human rights questions.’”

The opposition of Israel’s “friends” and “allies” grows…

Netanyahu Will Enter Rafah

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 8:

“Netanyahu set a date for an IDF operation in Rafah to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions, as the United States reiterated its opposition to such a step… ‘This victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there. This will happen; there is a date,’ Netanyahu said in a brief video message he issued to the public on Monday night.

“He spoke after the IDF removed Brigade 98 from Gaza, a move believed to be necessary so the troops could rest and regroup in advance of any further military activity in the enclave. It sparked speculation, however, that Israel had decided not to send the IDF into Rafah. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to leave the government if the IDF did not enter Rafah or if it prematurely ended the war.”

Israel Prepared to Strike Iran’s Nuclear Sites?

The Sun wrote on April 9:

“… a Western security official has revealed that Israel will respond to any attacks by striking Iran’s nuclear targets directly. Israeli forces have been conducting air force drills in preparation for the dangerous escalation… Iran is home to several nuclear sites – including power plants, uranium mines and research reactors…

“There is no way to tell exactly how Iran would respond to an attack on its nuclear sites or whether either country would resort to actually dispatching nuclear weapons…”

What we can tell exactly is that the situation in the Middle East gets more and more troublesome and dangerous.

Britain Woefully Unprepared for War

Daily Mail wrote on April 6:

‘It is still 90 seconds to midnight’: the stark admission by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in January 2024, marking the second year in a row the world’s fate, according to the Doomsday Clock, has been held on such a precarious threshold.

“The war in Ukraine, North Korean peacocking and the breakdown of a deal with Iran to limit proliferation have all contributed to talk of the nuclear threat returning to headlines in recent years. Fear is exploited by the Russian propaganda machine, with Putin and his cronies repeating explicit warnings of Moscow’s preparedness to use ‘all available means’ to protect her people should they feel threatened – and the possibility of ‘accidental’ Armageddon reaching London.

“The revived threat of an attack on the capital has revealed the ‘beyond embarrassing’ holes in Britain’s ability to defend against attacks on the mainland with various programmes of astronomical expense to the taxpayer… an attack on London could kill and injure more than a million people…

“A missile attack on London would cause untold casualties, tear apart bridges to [the] rest of the country and vaporise almost everything around ground zero. In an instant, a 500kiloton nuclear bomb… would raze buildings and kill nearly 100 per cent of the those within half a mile. If dropped on Westminster, that would mean the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, St Thomas’s Hospital and Westminster Abbey being completely obliterated by the thermal blast.

“As the explosion forms a towering mushroom cloud in the air, fires would spread over a large area, even putting people in underground shelters at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. And within a fraction of a second, the heat would cause a high-pressure shockwave to spread out from the blast, tearing through buildings with powerful force. Travelling at supersonic speed, this would smash windows and cause mass injuries even miles from the point of impact…

“But it is not only the nuclear threat that poses a direct challenge to Britain’s defences, experts warn. The war in Ukraine has shown the urgency of anti-missile defence systems – and the UK has long left itself exposed to all manner of attacks from above… With capability only to deflect a finite number of attacks, and reliant on its partners to restock, questions remain over for how long the country could defend itself.”

The development of these weapons of mass destruction shows the incredible insanity and stupidity of mankind and its leaders. Britain will be attacked and destroyed in a nuclear war… but the attacker won’t be Russia.

“Heatwaves Linked to Climate Change”

BBC wrote on April 9:

“A group of older Swiss women have won the first ever climate case victory in the European Court of Human Rights. The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change. The court said Switzerland’s efforts to meet its emission reduction targets had been woefully inadequate. It is the first time the powerful court has ruled on global warming…

“The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK… The Court ruled that Switzerland… had violated the right to respect for private and family life.”

These kinds of highly controversial decisions will have far-reaching consequences for Europe.

Ghana’s Fight Against Homosexuality

LifeSiteNews wrote on April 5:

“Ghana Member of Parliament (MP) Sam George recently defended a bill that would criminalize homosexual behavior — and its promotion — against pressure from the West to quash the legislation. ‘Ghana is not the 51st state of the United States. Ghana is a sovereign state on its own,’ George said on New Dawn Africa Channel when asked to comment on U.S. Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller’s denunciation of the bill, which was sponsored by George. ‘I’d expect Matthew Miller to respect the tenets of democracy,’ said George, stressing that Ghana is ‘opposed to cultural imperialism’ and adding that Miller ‘should be more interested in the loss of life of (c)hildren in American schools to gun violence.’

“The legislation, which has not yet been signed into law, punishes homosexual behavior with six months to three years in jail, and also punishes the support or promotion of such behavior with three to five years in prison. The bill includes an outright ban on same-sex ‘marriage,’ same-sex adoption, and other public displays of homosexual or transgender behavior. The bill also seeks to clamp down on transgender ideology by banning mutilating procedures for gender-confused individuals.

“New Dawn asked George if he was concerned that Ghana might face treatment from the West similar to the economic punishment imposed on Uganda when it enacted its own anti-homosexuality law. The World Bank halted all new lending to Uganda in 2023 after the law was passed, driving them to seek funds from China, and the Biden administration officially removed Uganda from an African trade deal last year in response to the anti-sodomy law… George advised companies that ‘want to lose $100 million in profit’ to ‘pack up and go,’ because ‘another company will come into Ghana and do business.’…

“He pointed out that Western countries, including the U.S., are hypocritical for continuing to trade with Middle Eastern countries like Qatar that legally punish homosexuality with jail time. He suggested that this is because the U.S. profits handsomely from business with these nations…

“Asked to elaborate on why Ghana’s anti-sodomy bill is so important, George suggested that it is tied up with the definition of the family, which is in turn core to a nation’s identity… He further pointed that homosexuality takes both a financial and psychological toll upon countries, citing money spent to care for AIDS patients as well as the cost of suicide, more common among homosexuals…  ‘The CDC says that homosexuals are 400% more likely to be suicidal.’”

Hypocritical America’s desire to dictate and impose its “values”—or the lack thereof—on other countries overlooks the fact that America does no longer speak with authority or credibility.

Gender Theory Contrary to Human Dignity

The Associated Press wrote on April 8:

“The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave violations of human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that it said reject God’s plan for human life. The Vatican’s doctrine office issued ‘Infinite Dignity,’ a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. After substantial revision in recent months, it was approved March 25 by Pope Francis, who ordered its publication…

“In its most eagerly anticipated section, the Vatican repeated its rejection of ‘gender theory,’ or the idea that one’s biological sex can change. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said people must not tinker with that or try to ‘make oneself God.’”

It is clear that Joe Biden’s obsession with transgender people stands in direct opposition to the Catholic Church’s teaching. Is Biden still considered now to be a “good Catholic”?

Scotland’s Pandora’s Box

Breitbart wrote on April 9:

“Police Scotland received around 8,000 complaints under the [Hate Crime] law [to “protect” the LGBTQ2AIS+ community] in the first seven days of its implementation, which according to analysis by The Telegraph, would surpass the total number of crimes reported annually (416,000) if the trends continue…

“The chairman of the Scottish Police Federation David Threadgold warned that the man-power hours required to deal with such a large number of complaints will impact the police force’s ability to deal with actual crimes, with the force already failing to solve a growing number of crimes like sexual assault, shoplifting, and car theft. Scotland has also been plagued by a drug epidemic, with the small nation having the highest drug-related deaths per capita in all of Europe…

“Threadgold went on to suggest that the law was being ‘weaponised’ by the public in order to settle personal grudges against fellow citizens or to wage political feuds, while suggesting that the government encouraging the public to report instances of ‘hate’ has clearly blown up in their face.”

The term LGBTQ2AISA+ means “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or sometimes questioning), intersexual, asexual and two-spirited.” The plus-sign signifies a number of other identities, and is included to keep the abbreviation “brief” when written out; the full abbreviation is sometimes referred to as LGBTTTQQIAA. Has one ever heard of such nonsense before? The Scottish law is a ridiculous left-wing radical attempt to change society, with predictable consequences.

Trump’s Changed Position on Abortion

Axios wrote on April 8:

“Former President Trump issued a formal statement on Monday with a simple calculus in mind: his position might infuriate conservative activists — but they’ll vote for him in November anyway… Trump has spent months privately wrestling with how to insulate himself from Democratic attacks on abortion, knowing that the issue could be one of his biggest vulnerabilities in the 2024 election. By declining to endorse a national ban on abortion — and suggesting he would leave legislation up to individual states — Trump is seeking to blunt the potency of the Biden campaign’s messaging. He’s also trying to thread a needle with conservatives: taking credit for the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade, while resisting a national ban because ‘we must win’ elections to get anything done.

“SBA Pro-Life America, the leading anti-abortion group, said in a statement that ‘we are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position.’ Former Vice President Mike Pence went a step further, saying in a statement, ‘Trump’s retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020.’ Doug Stafford, chief strategist for Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) PAC, tweeted: ‘I’m not sure a major candidate has ever produced a worse statement on Life than the one I just watched.’ He later deleted the post. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a top Trump ally who has introduced legislation to restrict abortion at the federal level after 15 weeks, said he ‘respectfully’ disagrees with the former president.

“Trump lashed out at Graham and SBA president Marjorie Dannenfelser on Truth Social Monday afternoon, arguing that Republicans who are ‘unrelenting’ on abortion ‘are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency.’

“Biden officials still see plenty to work with, including Trump’s inconsistent history on abortion and the fact that his latest statement effectively endorsed strict abortion bans in dozens of states. As recently as last month, Trump said that a national 15-week abortion ban with exceptions could be ‘very reasonable.’”

Trump’s new position is clearly wrong and unbiblical. At one time, Trump was “pro-choice”; now, in large part due to the influence and support of evangelicals, he is “pro-life”… sort of. Sadly, Robert Kennedy Jr. recently endorsed a similar position. As politicians, they compromise to get more votes. This is shameful and undignified, and another example as to why true Christians must have nothing to do with politics.  

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.

Germany Shifts Tone

DNYUZ wrote on March 29:

“German officials have begun to question whether their country’s support [for Israel] has gone too far… The change in stance also tracks with the evolving position of Germany’s most important ally, the United States…

“Until recently, German public opinion seemed firmly behind the government’s support of Israel’s military campaign. But polls by public broadcasters in recent weeks show that nearly 70 percent of Germans surveyed felt Israel’s military actions were not justifiable… The matter has become inescapable for Mr. Scholz…”

Germany’s “friendship” with Israel—which was really overshadowed all along by Germany’s “friendship” with and support for the Palestinians—will become more and more strained.

Trump Too?

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“Former U.S. president Donald Trump said Israel’s behavior in conducting its retaliatory attack on the 2.3 million people of Gaza has done tremendous damage to how the Jewish state is perceived around the world, putting them ‘in trouble’ and encouraging antisemitism…. ‘You have to finish up your war… Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done.’… Trump suggested that [the major rise in antisemitism] is a natural result to the devastation the Israeli army is inflicting upon tens of thousands of innocent lives… ‘you (Israel) fought back. And I think Israel made a very big mistake. I wanted to call (Israel) and say don’t do it,’ he said…

“‘You have a lot of people on the outside that are not friendly to Israel, and they’re never going to be friendly to Israel. And you have to be very careful. You’re in a very treacherous neighborhood,’ he proposed…

“In a late January interview, U.S. Col. Douglas Macgregor said the populations in the Middle East Arab nations such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Turkey ‘are so angry and so enraged, they’re ready to fight, regardless of what the costs are, to destroy Israel.’”

Trump’s and Netanyahu’s friendly relationship turned somewhat sour when Netanyahu wasted no time in congratulating Biden for his “victory” over Trump after the last election.

Israeli Strike Kills Seven Aid Workers

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 2:

“Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a ‘tragic case of an unintentional strike’ by Israeli forces on ‘innocent people.’ Seven people working for the US food aid charity World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Australian, British and Polish citizens are reported to be among the seven aid workers killed in an alleged Israeli air strike… The Israeli military has expressed ‘sincere sorrow’ and has promised an investigation.

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken [said] that Israel should ‘do more to protect innocent civilian lives, be they innocent Palestinian children or aid workers.’ Israel’s conduct of its war in Gaza with its rising civilian death toll has been causing increasing consternation in Washington…”

Israel Strikes Syria

CNN wrote on April 2:

“Iran has vowed to retaliate after it accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday, in a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that once again appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

“The airstrike destroyed the consulate building in the capital Damascus, killing at least seven officials including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry… ‘According to our intelligence, this is no consulate and this is no embassy,’ Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told CNN…’This is a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.’”

“The Height of Hypocrisy”

Die Welt wrote on April 2:

“It is a symptom of the moral wear and tear of our time that we have almost become accustomed to the hypocrisy of dictatorial regimes. This applies to Russia as well as to Iran. The most recent example: the furor over Israel’s attack on part of the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, which Tehran branded as a violation of international law.

“However, it was mainly top Iranian terrorists who died, including the commander of the Quds Force for Syria and Lebanon. The Revolutionary Guards and their foreign arm, the al-Quds Force, are rightly classified as terrorist organizations by the USA. It is the height of hypocrisy that Iran is claiming the rules of diplomacy that the mullahs’ regime itself has always flouted.

“Think of the 444-day hostage-taking of the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 shortly after the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983 and the one on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992. More than 90 people died.

“Iran is also known to abuse diplomatic immunity to carry out terrorist attacks. Most recently, for example, in the case of Assadollah Assadi, who, as a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Vienna, planned a terrorist attack in Paris and was convicted for it by a Belgian court.

“So it is quite ridiculous for Iran to now claim diplomatic immunity for terrorist generals who coordinated military operations against Israel. Iran is waging an openly declared war to eliminate Israel and is currently supporting Hamas and Hezbollah’s war against the Jewish state, both financially and with weapons.

“And the military who are waging and coordinating this war on Iran’s side are, of course, a legitimate military target, regardless of whether Tehran puts the mask of diplomacy on them or not. Neither the media nor politicians should fall for this transparent maneuver.”

Persecution of Jews in Canada

The Times of Israel wrote on March 29:

“Canadian Jews have begun to worry about the very viability of their community of some 400,000 people. They fear for its future amid growing hostility to Jews on the streets, antipathy in government toward Israel and bureaucratic regulation they say limits their ability to practice their faith.

“A recent example of the regulation was the government’s introduction last year of new animal welfare-related limitations on kosher meat production… many Canadian Jews view the move on kosher meat as fresh evidence that their society… is becoming inhospitable….”

Antisemitism—including antisemitism sponsored or supported by many governments—is clearly on the rise.

Erdogan Loses Election in Istanbul and Ankara

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered their worst defeat in more than 20 years in local elections, losing the mayoralties of both Istanbul and Ankara to opposition candidates. The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) narrowly won the overall popular vote for the first time in decades, elevating Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to become Erdogan’s major rival for national influence…  AKP’s parliamentary majority is no longer large enough to push through a new constitution without a referendum, which the results suggest Erdogan would lose…

“In the capital city of Ankara, CHP candidate Mansur Yavas won by such a significant margin that he declared victory before half of the votes were counted…

“Sunday’s election more than doubled the number of female mayors in Turkey, another signal that Erdogan’s Islamist grip on Turkish politics might be slipping. Most of the new women mayors were members of the more secular CHP, plus a few from the People’s Democracy Party (DEM), a pro-Kurdish party that is sometimes stripped of its seats by Erdogan’s government because it is supposedly linked to Kurdish separatist militants…”

Elections for the Turkish presidency will occur in 2028. Much can still happen till then.

CNBC wrote on April 1:

“… while Erdogan’s opponents are celebrating the weekend’s result, it’s still by no means the end of the road for the Turkish president and his hold on power, some analysts note… ‘It would be naïve and erroneous to assume that this setback marks the beginning of the end for Erdogan.’… ‘[He] will not move towards greater political accommodation given his aversion to share power and will not tone down his polarizing rhetoric due to this stinging defeat… Rather, he is likely to respond forcefully (but not necessarily immediately) to the challenges posed by the opposition’s victory in the local elections.”

Erdogan is a ruthless dictator who, like Putin, crushes his opponents. Turbulent times in Turkey are to be expected.

Europe in a Pre-War Era

BBC News wrote on March 30:

“[Polish Prime Minister Donald] Tusk warned the next two years of the war would decide everything, adding: ‘We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War.’… Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council, has warned Europe must be prepared for war before.”

The Independent wrote on March 29:

“Europe is in a ‘pre-war era’ reminiscent of 1939… For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming “real’ again,” Tusk said… ‘We have not experienced a situation like this since 1945,’ he said…”

Europe is indeed in a pre-war era, but the outcome will be quite different from what many people believe.

Holy War Against Ukraine?

Newsmax wrote on March 29:

“The Russian Orthodox Church this week approved a document declaring its country’s self-described ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine as a ‘holy war’ being waged to protect Russia’s ‘spiritual space.’ The declaration was made in a document approved during a gathering of the World Russian People’s Council, which brought religious, cultural, and political figures together at the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow… ‘From a spiritual and moral point of view, the special military operation is a Holy War, in which Russia and its people, are defending the single spiritual space of Holy Russia,’ said the document…

“The document added that the war was waged to protect ‘the world from the onslaught of globalism and the victory of the West, which has fallen into Satanism,’ and declared that once the war is over, ‘the entire territory of modern Ukraine should enter the zone of Russia’s exclusive influence.’ ‘The possibility of the existence of a Russophobic political regime hostile to Russia and its people on this territory, as well as a political regime controlled from an external center hostile to Russia, should be completely excluded,’ the declaration said.

“Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church and the World Russian People’s Council, is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In February 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine began, Kirill declared that Ukraine and Belarus remain part of ‘Russian lands’ and condemned Ukrainians fighting back against the invasion as ‘forces of evil.’ He also presented the war as Russia’s battle for Christianity’s future…

“Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, told Newsweek earlier this month that in places where Russia has arrived in Ukraine, it has worked to ‘exterminate all other religions besides the well-controlled and weaponized Russian Orthodox Church.’ Meanwhile, the Institute for Religious Freedom, based in Kyiv, said last year that Russia’s military has destroyed, damaged, or looted almost 500 religious buildings, with the numbers continuing to climb.

“Shevchuk said it is a challenge for his church not to become militant or ‘fall to the same temptation the Russian Orthodox Church fell into and become an instrument of hatred.’”

One might be tempted to think that Putin is the beast and Kirill the false prophet, as their actions clearly reflect what the beast and the false prophet will do. But we know, of course, that the beast will be of German (or Austrian) descent, arising in Germany, being hostile to Russia, and the false prophet won’t belong to the “Orthodox Church.” Still, Putin’s and Kirill’s actions seem to be influenced by the same dark powers which will finally possess the beast and the false prophet.

Haiti an “Open-Air Prison”

Express wrote on April 1:

“Haiti’s crisis has got so bad that the country has now been described as an ‘open-air prison’ as armed gangs continue to kill unarmed civilians and the humanitarian crisis deepens. In recent weeks, the gangs have ramped up their violence as they forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. A transitional government has been formed to run the country before elections are held, but the gangs continue to cause chaos on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince… children are among the most impacted, often caught in crossfire or being kidnapped by gangs as they aim to raise funds from ransoms. Sexual violence has also made the streets incredibly unsafe for women.

“William O’Neill, the UN’s designated independent expert on human rights, based in New York, said: ‘Schools, hospitals, key government institutions, everything now is at risk… Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area is essentially an open-air prison. There’s no way out — air, land, or sea. In fact, it’s not even so open-air anymore because people are afraid to leave their houses.’

“Many in Haiti are now going without essentials, including food. Gang violence has also seen over 350,000 people displaced in their own country. Mr O’Neill continued: ‘Gangs in the Artibonite department have attacked farm properties and also stolen hundreds of livestock belonging to residents, assets which often represent farmers’ life savings… Furthermore, along the northern coast… the Village de Dieu gang continues to use motorboats to … attack, loot, and steal from residents, local businesses, and humanitarian actors.’ To pay the ransoms demanded by gangs for the liberation of kidnapped family members, many have been forced to sell their homes and take out loans…”

When anarchy rules, that is the result.

Huge Earthquake Strikes Taiwan

Breitbart wrote on April 3:

“Taiwan was struck by the largest earthquake in 25 years in the early hours of Wednesday morning, collapsing buildings and triggering landslides, killing several and leaving tens of dozens missing… As noted by Britain’s BBC, China has been fast to offer aid to Taiwan, but Taiwan has turned down the suggested assistance from Beijing, which claims all of Taiwan as its own territory and is frequently discussed as a Russia-Ukraine style invasion risk.”

Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. In 1999, an earthquake measuring 7.6-magnitude killed 2,400 people.

“We Will Be Slaves”

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared in no uncertain terms recently that establishing a Central Bank Digital Currency in the country will be ‘the end of freedom; we will be slaves if we allow that to happen.’ ‘The truckers in Canada were protesting the COVID mandates, the lockdowns, masking mandates, vaccination mandates, and others,’ Kennedy [said]… ‘they were exercising a right that we all take for granted in this country: the right to assemble, the right to protest, the right to petition their government…  the government instead condemned them as right-wing fascists and racists… 

“‘The government used facial recognition systems and other intrusive technologies to identify the participants,’ he recounted, ‘and weaponized that information against them to freeze their bank accounts so they couldn’t purchase diesel for their trucks, buy food for their kids, or pay their mortgages or rents… ‘The truckers in Canada were never charged with a crime. They were certainly never convicted. It was just (that) they were doing something the government didn’t like. So the government was able to destroy their lives, and that is a very dangerous power to give government. And that’s why I’m against Central Bank Digital Currencies because that is part of the path to getting us where China is today…

“Kennedy is far from alone in his alarm over the prospect of a CBDC being introduced in the U.S. or Canada… U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act last month to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency that Republican sponsors of the bill believe could turn the nation into a ‘surveillance state’ by handing over control of personal finances to federal government agencies… ‘Big government has no business spying on Americans to control their personal finances and track their transactions,’ said Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, a co-sponsor of the bill.”

The irony is, according to biblical prophecy, Americans and Canadians, among others, will become slaves, but in a more drastic and terrible way than even suggested in the article.

Biden Much Worse Threat to Democracy Than Trump

Breitbart wrote on April 2:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat turned independent running for president in 2024 as a third party candidate, said [on CNN] the argument can be made President Joe Biden is a ‘much worse threat to democracy’ than former President Donald Trump… pointing to the fact that Biden, 81, has weaponized federal agencies, using them to censor his political opponent….

“Kennedy continued, explaining that ‘the greatest threat to democracy is not somebody who questions election returns, but a president of the United States who uses the power of his office to force the social media companies, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter to open a portal and give access to that portal to the FBI, to the CIA, to the IRS, to CISA, to NIH to censor his political critics.’”

The CNN moderator did not like that answer.

Trump Blasts “Corrupt” Judges and Legal System

Newsmax and Reuters wrote on April 2:

“Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted the New York judge presiding over his trial on charges of falsifying records regarding a payment to silence a porn actress after the judge expanded a gag order on him.

“Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Monday amended a week-old ban on Trump making public statements about witnesses, jurors, and others connected with the case after the presumptive Republican nominee lashed out at the judge’s daughter, a Democrat political consultant, in several posts on his Truth Social platform. ‘I just was informed that another corrupt New York Judge, Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I cannot talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom with respect to a case that everyone, including the D.A., felt should never have been brought,’ Trump posted on Truth Social… ‘This Judge should be recused, and the case should be thrown out’

“Trump then turned his attention to President Joe Biden… ‘Please remember, ALL of these Lawsuits, Charges, and Indictments that have been brought against me have been orchestrated and coordinated by Crooked Joe Biden, the White House, and the DOJ, as an ATTACK ON CROOKED’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME. This has never happened before in our Country… THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN CORRUPTED & POLITICIZED AT A LEVEL NEVER SEEN BEFORE… UNDER CROOKED JOE BIDEN WE HAVE BECOME A THIRD WORLD NATION. OUR BORDERS ARE GONE, OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS WEAPONIZED, OUR ELECTIONS ARE CORRUPT. IT DOESN’T GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT!!!…’

“Earlier Monday, Trump posted a $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case,.. ‘I had to pay New York State in order to appeal a corrupt decision by a biased, crooked and highly overturned judge. It’s supposed to be the other way around – you appeal before you pay,’ Trump wrote Tuesday morning… The bond prevents New York Attorney General Letitia James from going after Trump’s properties, including Trump Tower, his 370-acre resort and golf course in Westchester, and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. CNN reported that the bond is underwritten by Knight Specialty Insurance, a California-based insurance company. It was not disclosed what collateral Trump used to secure the bond.”

Our corrupted legal system cannot get any worse? Oh yes, it can, and it will. We have just seen the beginning.

Excommunicate Biden (and Many Other Catholic Democrats)

LifeSiteNews wrote on March 28:

“The former prefect of the Vatican’s highest doctrine office, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, condemned U.S. President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, saying it is ‘infanticide’ and that those promoting ‘infanticide’ should be ‘excommunicated.’ ‘The word “abortion” is too much a soft word. The reality is killing, murder of a living person,’ said… Müller. ‘There’s no right to kill another person…’

“Cardinal Müller likened the killing of the unborn and the elderly to the ‘Nazi’ times, saying that ‘it’s absolutely unacceptable that you can say you are a Catholic and promote and justify killing of human persons, human beings [from] the beginning in the mother’s womb, until the last respiration [with] euthanasia… Killing of ill people, like in the Nazi times, is euthanasia.’

“Biden is very public about his self-professed Catholic faith, but Cardinal Müller suggested that while Biden is ‘nominally a Catholic, in reality he is a Nihilist’…

“The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong, because it kills an innocent human being, thus violating the Church’s prohibition on murder…”

If the Pope and the Catholic Church were to act true to their own teaching, Biden, Pelosi and other high-ranking Catholic Democrats, openly supportive of abortion, would HAVE to be excommunicated. But this applies to hypocritical Europeans too (see the next article). Of course, the Catholic Church can’t really be serious about its proclaimed stance against killing human beings, because it has been guilty of murdering opponents and “heretics” throughout its existence.

No Equality Without Abortion?

BioEdge wrote on March 21:

“France’s decision to include a right to abortion in its constitution has revived moves to include it in [the] European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. ‘Deciding about one’s own body is a fundamental right: there is no equality if women cannot do so; it is impossible without the right to abortion,’ said Karen Melchior, a Danish Member of the European Parliament. 

“… Amending the Charter requires a unanimous vote from all members of the EU. It is unlikely that Poland, Malta, or Hungary, at least, would agree. So despite speeches by activists, it is unlikely that the EU will be following in France’s footsteps.

“Not everyone in France has welcomed the abortion amendment. Nicolas Bauer, a lawyer… believes that it will weaken doctors’ right to conscientious objection.”

In addition, does the unborn have no rights? It is amazing that pro-abortion activists—including many Catholics—are unwilling to even address this undeniable fact.

Shameful Conduct in the Female Soccer Realm

Breitbart wrote on March 29:

“Former U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star Megan Rapinoe has launched an all-out war against current USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert for daring to post a video by a Christian who opposes transgenderism. The 20-year-old Albert had reposted a video by a teen who faced serious mental health issues that caused him to think he might be transgender. The teen says that after he found God, he realized he was not trans and detransitioned. But after being attacked by Rapinoe [who is openly lesbian and took a knee, in protest of “racism,” during the national anthem] and her rabid gender ideology cohorts, Albert fell on her sword and apologized for posting the video.

“‘I want to sincerely apologize for my actions on social media,’ Albert wrote in an Instagram story this week… ‘Liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive, and hurtful was immature and disrespectful, which was never my intent. I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that, and for that, I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to get to play this sport and on the world stage and I promise to do better,’ she added.

“Rapinoe had attacked Albert and pushed the false claim that ‘kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate.’ Indeed, more and more studies are finding that suicide threats increase after transitions and are not higher in trans-leaning teens before transition procedures. Rapinoe, who retired from professional soccer last year, went all-in for transgender athletes after she was safely out of the game and did not have to face playing with men on her team or the teams of her opponents.

“Many jumped to social media to blast Rapinoe for her hypocritical stance in favor of transgender athletes now that she is safely out of the game.”

Too bad that Albert felt a need to apologize, due to pressure from Rapinoe and other radicals. Newsmax suggested that Albert did not write the apology, but somebody else did, and that she just signed off on it, as she might have been threatened with being expelled from the US national soccer team, if she had not. Who knows? In our ungodly society, none of that sounds too far-fetched. Note the next outrageous article.

Easter Sunday and Transgender Day of Visibility

Breitbart wrote on March 30:

“Biden issued an official proclamation on Good Friday, reading, ‘We honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives.’

“The official proclamation continued: ‘NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility. I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.’

“Biden’s chosen day for the inaugural celebration is Easter Sunday, a day on which [nominal] Christians — including Biden, who discusses his Catholic faith often — celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

Express wrote on March 30:

“Joe Biden released a statement ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility… This year, Transgender Day of Visibility will fall on the same day as Easter Sunday, causing outcry from Christians across the US. March 31st will mark Easter Sunday and the 15th annual Transgender Day of Visibility – which is celebrated internationally, not just in the US.

“Christians have taken to social media to express their outrage at the clash of the two celebrations, arguing that it is disrespectful to their religion.”

Biden’s fascination with the transgender people is ridiculous.

Transgender Nonsense and Biden’s Ongoing Provocations

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s X account tweeted: ‘Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, I have a simple message to all trans Americans: I see you. You are made in the image of God, and you’re worthy of respect and dignity.’…

“Biden’s transgenderism statement was slammed by Christians and critics of transgenderism… ‘To say that humans who block puberty, take cross-sex hormones, and cut off their body parts because they were “born in the wrong body” are “made in the image of God” is quite an insult to God…’”

At Least 50 Days of “Celebration”

Breitbart added on March 30:

“The Biden administration’s decision to honor ‘Transgender Awareness Day’ on Easter Sunday has caused widespread controversy. However, many Americans may be unaware that there are more than 50 LGBTQIA2S+-themed holidays.”

Breitbart then published a list of many of the above-mentioned days. They include days in March (called the “Bisexual Health Awareness Month”), days in May (referred to at times as “Agender Pride Day”), days in June (called the LGBTQ Pride Month), days in October (called the LGBTQ History Month), and days in November (called the Trans Awareness Month). Days themselves might be called National Transgender HIV Testing Day; Nonbinary Parents Day; Lesbian Visibility Day; Agender Pride Day; LGBTQ Families Day; Queer Youth of Faith Day; International Drag Day; Gay Uncles Day; Bisexuality Day; International Lesbian Day; National Coming Out Day; National LGBT Center Awareness Day; Transgender Awareness Week; Intersex Day; Pansexual Day; Transgender Parent Day; Omnisexual Visibility Day; and many others.

This is the world in which we live!!!!

Scotland’s New Hate Crime Laws to “Protect” Transgender Persons Cause Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on April 1:

“The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force today… critics say the laws could be used to stifle free speech and that gender-critical activists could be jailed for using the wrong pronoun for a transgender person… Earlier today it was revealed by Scottish minister Siobhian Brown that people ‘could be investigated’ for misgendering someone online. It means a person could be arrested for calling a trans woman ‘he’ if the police decided to do so. … The new laws sparked a furious response by concerned Scots…  with many holding up gender critical slogans. Some of the signs read, ‘a man can’t become a woman. simple’…  ‘truth is not hate speech’, ‘keep trans ideology out of our schools’…

“The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) also warned of the risk of vexatious complaints… Critics, many of whom including the Harry Potter author [J K Rowling] hold gender-critical views [meaning they do not endorse change of gender by transgender people], have said it would be weaponised against them….”

Breitbart wrote on April 2:

“J.K. Rowling won a significant victory over Scotland’s new speech restrictions after daring the police to arrest her over comments criticising transgender ideology, as Police Scotland said they would not take criminal actions against the Harry Potter author after activists reported her statements to law enforcement… [She vowed] that she would stand by any other woman who runs afoul of the new speech codes, saying, ‘If they go after any woman for simply calling a man a man, I’ll repeat that woman’s words and they can charge us both at once.’”

Physical Resurrection of Jesus?

Breitbart wrote on March 30:

“A recent poll reportedly found that a large percentage of registered voters believe that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead… The Daily Signal, citing a Scott Rasmussen National Survey poll, reported Thursday that almost 70 percent of registered voters believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection.”

The equation of “bodily” resurrection with “physical” resurrection is clearly wrong. Jesus did NOT physically rise from the dead. Please see our Q&A on this topic. https://www.eternalgod.org/what-will-we-be-in-the-first-resurrection/

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.