The Butcher—Iran’s New President

The Sun wrote on June 19:

“Iranian hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi has won a landslide victory to be declared the country’s next president – but he has a bloody history steeped in murder and executions, activists claim… The 60-year-old’s securing of the office means all arms of the Iranian regime are now in the hands of ultra conservative hardliners… Iran’s president is the second-highest ranking official in the country, second only to the Ayatollah… As head of Iran’s judiciary, the traditionalist cleric is a close ally of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose confidence he has gained after holding key positions of power over four decades.

“Raisi earned his ‘Butcher’ nickname [as he] was allegedly [involved] in the mass execution of political prisoners… It’s reported that he was a key member of the so-called ‘Death Commission’ which ordered thousands to be killed in the massacre of 1988… Amnesty International have… said that Raisi should face investigation for ‘crimes against humanity’ and torture…”

Thomson/Reuters wrote on June 19:

“… dissidents inside and abroad said popular anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms kept many Iranians at home… another deterrent for many pro-reform voters was a lack of choice, after a hardline election body barred heavyweight moderates and conservatives from standing… A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday: ‘Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process’ – a likely reference to the disqualification of candidates.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed the election as a victory for the nation over ‘enemy propaganda.’… Raisi, 60, has been the head of the nation’s judiciary since 2019 and belongs to the ultraconservative camp that most deeply distrusts the United States… The EU and the US have imposed sanctions on Raisi for his role in the human rights violations…

“But even though the president has significant influence to set direction on a wide range of issues, from economic policy to foreign affairs, ultimate power in Iran lies with the supreme leader, Khamenei. Nevertheless, many observers see Raisi as a possible successor to Khamenei, who turns 82 next month, as supreme leader.”

Khamenei served two terms as president before becoming supreme leader when the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died in 1989. It will be interesting to see how the EU and the USA are going to act now towards the new Iranian president whom they have sanctioned for human rights violations.

Bennett Warns the World

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

“Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett… said at the Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem [on Sunday] that ‘of all the people that (Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei could have chosen, he chose the hangman of Tehran, the man infamous among Iranians and across the world for leading the death committees that executed thousands of innocent Iranian citizens throughout the years.’…

“Bennett said Raisi’s election as Iranian president was ‘the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement and to understand who they’re doing business with. These guys are murderers, mass murderers: a regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction that will enable it to not kill thousands, but millions…’”

But the world is not listening. Note the next article.

Reuters added on June 20:

“Negotiators for Iran and six world powers on Sunday adjourned talks on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal and will return to respective capitals for consultations as remaining differences still need to be overcome, officials said. ‘We are now closer than ever to an agreement but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains and bridging it is not an easy job,’ Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state TV from Vienna.”

US Takes Down Iran-linked News Sites

The Associated Press wrote on June 22:

“American authorities took down [roughly three dozen websites] of Iran’s state-linked news websites they accused of spreading ‘disinformation’ on Tuesday, a U.S. official said, a move that appeared to be a far-reaching crackdown on Iranian media amid heightened tensions between the two countries…

“The takedowns come as world powers scramble to resurrect Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal and just days after the election victory of Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi… [He] ruled out the possibilities of meeting with President Joe Biden or negotiating over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militias… such as Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels…”

However one may want to look at news reports coming from Iran, to seize their websites sets dangerous precedents.

New Violence in Israel

The Times of Israel reported on June 18:

“Palestinian worshipers clashed with Israeli police on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Friday afternoon, amid fears of renewed fighting with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip over the situation in the Holy City. Police said the clashes began after Friday afternoon prayers at the holy site in the Old City with a procession of several hundred people, dozens of whom refused to disperse when they arrived at the exit to the compound and began hurling rocks at police… The clashes occurred after the Israel Defense Forces conducted airstrikes on Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday night in response to ongoing arson attacks from the enclave…

“On Tuesday, thousands of Jewish nationalists marched through parts of Jerusalem’s Old City, with some chanting racist slogans, as Israel reportedly warned Hamas, via Egyptian mediators, of a tough and immediate response to any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip…”

There will be no peace…

Ready to Invade the Golan Heights?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 17:

“The pro-Iranian Shi’ite Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement announced that its Golan Liberation Brigade is ready to embark on a campaign to ‘liberate the Golan’ when the Syrian government gives the command, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute’s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (MEMRI-JTTM). In an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Ahed News website, spokesman Naser Al-Shammari said the brigade’s fighters have received advanced training and have weapons that can attack deep inside Israel.

“Shammari said that ‘the Golan Liberation Brigade was established by the Al-Nujaba movement to serve as its main pathway to participation with the brothers in Syria in the campaign to liberate the Golan [Heights], which is drawing nearer every day.’ He voiced support for the proposal by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that a violation in Jerusalem would mean regional war… [Nasrallah] claimed that all resistance movements would join against the Jewish state.

“[Shammari] also said that such a war… would [also be directed against] the United States, in addition to others in the region that collaborate with America and Israel….”

EU Highest Court Tells Jews How They Must (and Mustn’t) Live!

Israel 365 wrote on June 17:

“Jewish community leaders in Europe say the EU is not only outlawing certain methods of kosher and halal slaughter but is also instructing Jews and Muslims as to how to practice their own religions… This was the result of a recent ruling by the European Union’s highest court. It upholds bans in Belgium on manufacturing both kosher and halal meat, outlawing a practice in which livestock is slaughtered without initially being electrically stunned unconscious…

“However, the December 17 decision by the Court of the European Union takes it a step further… Shimon Cohen [is] campaign director for Shechita UK, a London-based organization that lobbies against attempts to ban shechita, or kosher slaughter. A secular court … ‘has no right to tell me how to practice. That’s gross overreaching.’

“Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the European Conference of Rabbis, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that for the court ‘to seek to define shechita is absurd.’…

“In addition to the court exceeding its purview, Cohen said that the court ‘lumped Muslim and Jewish customs together.’ The two religions have distinct methods for ritual slaughter. ‘The court’s ruling makes as much sense as moving Shabbat to Sunday because Christians are fine with it,’ Cohen said.”

“So-called Christians,” he should have said. True Christians know that the Sabbath is still in force and effect, while Sunday, a pagan holiday, has no place in godly worship.

Germany’s Invasion of Russia 80 Years Ago—but Let’s Not Distort History

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday looked ahead to next week’s 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, calling it ‘an occasion for shame.’ In her video podcast, she also criticized the ongoing crackdown against political opposition figures and civil society in Russia and Belarus… Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s commemorations, Merkel noted how millions lost their lives — especially in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and other former Soviet republics —  when Adolf Hitler’s forces invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941…

“The invasion of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine violated international law, she added. For Germany and the EU, Merkel said the situation was unacceptable….

“On Friday,  German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke at the German-Russian Museum in Berlin-Karlhorst… While representatives from the 15 countries comprising the former Soviet Union were invited to partake, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk declined the invitation [calling the museum venue ‘an affront’ because of its ‘Russian’ focus and because the wartime persecution of other countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states was being ‘simply ignored.’].”

Steinmeier’s somewhat controversial speech has been reported, as follows, by Deutsche Welle on June 18:

“Steinmeier said… that the German war against the Soviets was carried out with ‘murderous barbarity.’ ‘It weighs on us that our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers who waged this war, were involved in these crimes,’ he added….

“’From the first day the German campaign was driven by hatred, by antisemitism and anti-Bolshevism, by racist madness against the Slavic and Asian peoples of the Soviet Union,’ Steinmeier said. ‘Those who waged this war killed in every possible way, with unprecedented brutality and cruelty,’ he added. ‘It was German barbarism, it cost millions of lives and devastated the continent.’…

“He added that after the war, many Germans did not want to hear about the wartime suffering of people in the Soviet Union, whose story had been obscured by the Cold War and the division of Europe behind the Iron Curtain.”

This makes it sound as if every German soldier having fought in Russia was guilty of crimes of murderous unprecedented barbarism, hatred, and racist madness. This is of course simply untrue.

Deutsche Welle also reported the following on June 18:

“On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched its invasion of the former Soviet Union, which was code-named Operation Barbarossa. The attack involved 3.3 million troops along an 1,800-mile (2,900-kilometer) front, making it one of the largest invasion forces in history. Adolf Hitler famously broke the non-aggression pact, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, signed in secret between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union weeks before the war began in August 1939. The German invasion less than two years later caught the Soviets by surprise…

“Steinmeier’s office said in a statement that the series of memorial events this week is intended to draw attention to the suffering of the Soviet Union, which at 27 million incurred the highest number of casualties during World War II, 14 million of whom were civilians… ‘Only those who learn to read the traces of the past in the present will be able to contribute to a future that avoids wars, rejects tyranny and enables peaceful coexistence in freedom,’ Steinmeier said Friday.”

Steinmeier’s last statement, as quoted above, is correct. However, to say, as DW does, that the Soviets were caught by surprise, is only correct if implying that they did not expect Hitler’s invasion so soon.  Neither Stalin nor Hitler intended to abide by the non-aggression pact; both were preparing for war; and Stalin intended to invade Germany, but Hitler preempted him. War is terrible—each war fought by humans—and must be condemned. The suffering of Russian soldiers and civilians was severe, but so was the suffering of Germans who had to flee when the Russians invaded countries such as Hungary or Poland, where Germans lived for decades, as well as many German civilians, including women, when retaliating Russian forces invaded Germany.

According to the Bible, the same scenario will play out again in the future… but with even much more devastating and terrible atrocities and dimensions. See chapter 4 (especially pages 14-16) of our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy… From Now Until Forever.” 

EU to Sanction Hungary over anti-LGBT Law?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on June 15:

“The EU could impose funding restrictions on Hungary over legislation that bans the dissemination in schools of content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, the bloc’s equality chief told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday. Speaking shortly before Hungary’s parliament approved the ban, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said Brussels was prepared to take measures similar to those imposed on Polish regions that had declared themselves ‘LGBT-free.’…

“The Hungarian government… has said the ban on LGBT+ content was aimed at ‘protecting the healthy physical and mental development of children.’…

“In November, Dalli presented the first EU strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality… Backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Dalli said the strategy had gained broad support from the 27 member states…”

But not from God.

Who is Europe’s Enemy?

Politico wrote on June 14:

“At a news conference on Sunday following the G7 leaders’ summit, French President Emmanuel Macron made clear that he was focused more on threats closer to the European homeland [rather than China or Russia], and said it was crucial for the alliance to recognize its true adversaries… ‘Who is the enemy?’ Macron asked. ‘Every power, every actor that wants to harm the territorial integrity of the members of the alliance, that threatens the security of members of the alliance, [is the enemy]… So we must prepare, in our plans, ways and means to protect ourselves in the face of that…’

“… some seem to worry that Biden will be too soft on the alliance — including Macron who… demanded recognition of Europe’s broader efforts to develop so-called strategic autonomy, the push to build up capabilities on the Continent.”

The king of the North (Europe’s future leader) will hear troubling rumors or “news” from the east and the north (the Far East, including Russia, China and others), apparently perceived as threatening Europe’s security, and he will go out against those nations “with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44).

Austria’s Chancellor on the Defensive

Der Spiegel Online worte on June 20:

“Investigators are looking into both Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and many of his closest allies. There have been allegations of lying under oath and of cronyism. The young head of government is facing his most difficult challenge yet.

“For years, Kurz’s political career followed a constant upward trajectory. The Vienna native was first appointed to a cabinet post at the age of 24. At age 30, he promised that he would do everything differently if he were elected chancellor – more efficiently and more transparently. Now, four years later, his job-approval ratings are sliding. The ‘House of Kurz’ is in danger of collapsing like a house of cards, says the media. The heat is on the Austrian chancellor.

“Matthias Strolz, former head of the NEOS party, accuses Kurz and his team of ‘structurally fascist methods’ due to their repeated verbal attacks on the country’s public prosecutors. Leading politicians with the Green Party say the behavior of their coalition partner is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unworthy’ of such a party. The initiators of an anti-corruption referendum said last Tuesday that Austria is ‘approaching a tipping point,’ and that respect for the rule of law and the country’s democratic institutions has recently been eroding. Among the critics is the ÖVP’s former spokesman for judiciary issues….

“The avalanche that has been careening toward the chancellor for the last several months threatens to knock over central pillars of the Kurz system – assuming state prosecutors haven’t overplayed their hand. Kurz himself is suspected of having provided false testimony to a parliamentary investigative committee and he could find himself in court as early as this fall. Meanwhile, close confidants like Finance Minister Gernot Blümel and Chief of Staff Bernhard Bonelli are also under investigation for different infractions. Other former ÖVP ministers and dignitaries with close ties to the party likewise find themselves in the judiciary crosshairs. All of the accused reject the allegations that have been leveled against them…

“Still, short of a conviction of the chancellor, a collapse of the coalition is considered highly unlikely… As things currently look, the committee will issue him a summons for a session in July. A decision as to whether to initiate possible criminal proceedings will likely only be made after the summer break.

“In the Chancellery… they have already started working on the story of a persecuted, unrelenting and successful chancellor who is innocent of any wrongdoing… Kurz himself says he sees no cause for concern – neither for himself nor for his party. ‘I am confident that in Upper Austria in September, we will win the ninth state parliamentary election in a row.’”

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Sebastian Kurz, who has been nicknamed “holy Sebastian.”

A New Catastrophe in the Making…

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

“A ban on farm feed made of animal remains introduced during the BSE crisis is to be lifted in the EU to allow cheap pig protein to be fed to chickens over fears that European farmers are being undercut by lower standards elsewhere… The EU’s member states have already endorsed the regulation, with only France and Ireland abstaining…

“The first case of BSE was reported in 1986 in the UK. The disease was spread widely by farmers feeding cattle with the meat and bone meal of dead and infected animals. More than 4m cattle were slaughtered in the UK and 178 people died after contracting the human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, understood to be passed along by consuming infected beef…

“The UK continues to ban the use of PAP in the feed of farm animals. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘… following our departure from the EU there is no legal obligation for us to implement any of these changes…’”

From one pandemic to the next…?

USA Halts Lethal Aid Package to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on June 18

“President Joe Biden’s White House halted a proposed package of lethal aid to Ukraine, according to a Politico report. State Department officials and the Pentagon worked to develop the aid proposal before the White House National Security Council put it on hold ahead of Biden’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The package’s development came in response to Russia’s massive military buildup near the Ukrainian border earlier in 2020…

“The United States considered including short-range air defense systems, small arms, and anti-tank weapons, Politico reported, but those plans are now on hold….”

It is not a surprise, then, that Ukraine did not feature prominently during Biden’s and Putin’s meeting in Geneva. Putin already got what we wanted prior to the summit. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Putin Won Big Time in Geneva.” 

Abolishing or Restoring the Draft?

The Ron Paul Institute republished an article on June 18 that had originally been published by the Future of Freedom Foundation:

“Young people might think the matter [of the draft] is irrelevant, given that there hasn’t been conscription since the Vietnam War. That is naive, wishful, and dangerous thinking. Every 18-year-old male is required, on pain of a felony conviction, to register for the draft. The reason? Because in the event of some major foreign war, make no mistake about it: The Pentagon will not hesitate to restore the draft because it will need soldiers to fight, kill, and die. Young men — and also most likely young women — will begin receiving draft notices ordering them to report to military facilities for training and ‘service’ to ‘their country.’

“… the possibility of a draft [is] even more likely. And once it happens, there is little anyone will be able to do to stop it. In fact, in the event of another major foreign war, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started jailing people for just challenging the draft, as US officials did in World War I…

“In fact, there is actually no difference between slavery and conscription. Under slavery, a person is being forced to serve his master. That’s what conscription is based on. It’s a system in which the individual is being forced to serve his master, with the master being the federal government, and specifically the Pentagon…

“Proponents of the draft say that sometimes it is necessary to force people to fight for ‘freedom.’ But that’s ridiculous because if you have a system where the government can conscript people, you no longer have a free society. Freedom has been destroyed in the name of protecting freedom…”

You might want to read our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”

America Could Lose Its Next War

War on the Rocks wrote on June 17:

“For several years, analysts have been sounding the alarm that the United States and its allies might not prevail in a high-level conflict with a near-peer adversary… American forces may be defeated even if its commanders don’t make any mistakes. Unfortunately, there exists a longstanding taboo in American strategic culture against the contemplation of defeat. To the extent that the possibility U.S. forces might lose on the battlefield is acknowledged at all, prescriptions for dealing with it fail to account for all the ways in which this defeat might transpire…

“U.S. decision-makers can no longer afford to pretend that defeat is not a real possibility. And, so long as policymakers do not take losing seriously, they are unlikely to take the difficult steps needed to prevent such a defeat…

“The most effective deterrent force is not necessarily the same thing as the most effective war-fighting force, as the military capabilities that appear most impressive to either adversaries or allies may not be the same as those that prove most effective on the battlefield once conflict begins…

“It is much more unpleasant to envision losing than winning — but this does nothing to change the fact that defeat is an increasingly plausible possibility in a war…”

The article makes the common mistake of looking at China or Russia as America’s enemies in a potential war. The real enemy will be Europe, but this does not change anything as to the sentiments expressed in the article.

US Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Couples as Foster Parents

RT wrote on June 17:

“The US Supreme Court has ruled that the city of Philadelphia violated the US Constitution when it ended a contract with Catholic Social Services (CSS) because the group refused to work with same-sex couples as foster parents. In a unanimous decision issued on Thursday, the court said the city failed to neutrally apply its non-discrimination policy when it ended CSS’s long-standing contract in 2018. ‘CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs,’ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. ‘It does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else.’

“The city relies on contracts with private agencies to place displaced children with foster families. CSS, which had been among those contractors for more than 50 years, had a policy against placing children with unmarried or same-sex couples…The ACLU tried to diminish Thursday’s ruling as ‘very narrow,’ saying it stemmed from the language of Philadelphia’s foster-services contract, but a city official acknowledged that the decision has ramifications for other public services… CSS is vastly outnumbered by agencies that gladly place children with same-sex foster parents…”

So, the US Supreme Court decision did NOT prohibit such practice; it only permitted CSS, under the circumstances of the case, to refuse from participating in it.

Oregon Police Officers Resign En Masse in Protest

ABC News reported on June 17:

“A team of 50 police officers who serve on a specialized crowd-control unit in Oregon and respond to Portland’s ongoing, often violent protests have resigned en masse after a team member was indicted… and accused of fourth-degree assault stemming from a baton strike against a protester last summer… Last summer, when Portland became the epicenter of Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, the team was on the front lines. Many demonstrations devolved into clashes with officers late at night, and at times ended with vandalism, property damage and fires. The crowd-control team was the unit often directed to disperse groups after police declared unlawful assemblies or riots…

“In late October, the president of the police union, the Portland Police Association, sent the mayor and police chief a letter, urging both to ‘stand up and publicly support Police Bureau members who voluntarily serve on the Rapid Response Team.’ ‘Our RRT members do not volunteer to have Molotov cocktails, fireworks, explosives, rocks, bottles, urine, feces and other dangerous objects thrown at them,’ wrote Daryl Turner, then-president of the union. He noted that the team members volunteer for the work without any specialty pay…”

This seems to be so upside down…

Covid Mandates New “Fascist Dictatorship”

Life Site News wrote on June 17:

“A survivor of the Holocaust has denounced… public health policies during the COVID-19 crisis… In an interview earlier this year with German attorney Dr. Reiner Fuellmich, Vera Sharav, a long-time medical activist, drew on her experience under the Nazi regime as she warned about ‘unprecedented oppressive and repressive elements’ instituted in the coronavirus era.

“She told Fuellmich that ‘as a child survivor of the Nazi reign of terror I learned indelible lessons about the nature of evil. I know the consequences of being stigmatized and demonized as a spreader of disease.’ Born in Romania during the Second World War, Sharav was held in a Ukrainian detention center as a child and ultimately lost her father in the Holocaust.

“‘We were required… to wear a yellow Star of David to identify us, to segregate Jews,’ she said. ‘Exclusionary laws barred the family from normal life, from attending ordinary activities. Our property was impounded, we were forbidden to participate in all educational, religious, cultural gatherings. Travel was forbidden for Jews, so there was no escape. These painful memories from my childhood sensitized me to the threat posed by current restrictive government dictates.’

“Sharav blasted today’s ‘medical mandates’ as ‘a major step backward toward a fascist dictatorship’… ‘What they are doing with this virus is to institute absolutely unprecedented oppressive and repressive elements that imprison us in our homes,’ she said. ‘Mandatory masks are an insidious psychological weapon. They demean our dignity as free human beings,’ she added. ‘They do not work in this or any epidemic and they are the symbolic equivalent of the yellow star.’ Lockdowns likewise have ‘this time around proved to be [a] very effective tool for social control but they failed to change the course of the virus. People are being conditioned to submit passively to government dictates,’ while ‘children who are deprived of an education are being conditioned to distrust people’…

“The Holocaust survivor condemned the state of the medical establishment, drawing comparisons between contemporary medical policies and those employed by the Nazis. ‘Today, debate is forbidden. A doctor is not allowed to say that the virus is being exploited to maintain a state of fear. Doctors and scientists who express views that challenge official dictates are treated as heretics. They are threatened with loss of livelihood,’ and ‘muzzled and vilified by the media’ for speaking out about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, she said. ‘Fear and propaganda were the psychological weapons the Nazis used to impose a genocidal regime, and today some are beginning to understand why the German people didn’t rise up: fear kept them from doing the right thing,’ Sharav said…

“‘We’re being tracked, surveyed,’ Sharav told Fuellmich, pointing to the rise of vaccine credential systems, like ‘green passports,’ which she said create ‘an apartheid two-class society,’ with ‘one class privileged, the other reviled and discriminated against. Sound familiar? Will ghettos, detention camps follow?…’”

Can one really argue with that? The writing is clearly on the wall…

Just the Beginning?

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

“Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as the country battles one of Asia’s worst outbreaks, with a cumulative total of more than 1.3 million cases and 23,000 deaths.

“‘You choose, get vaccinated or I will have you jailed,’ Duterte said in a televised address on Monday following reports of low turnouts at vaccination sites in the capital, Manila.”

WHO: Do NOT Vaccinate Children!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 21:

“In America, national, state, and local governments are pulling out all the stops to advance giving experimental coronavirus shots to children down to the age of 12. Up next, babies and children up to age 11. The shots are ‘safe and effective,’ the propagandists proclaim. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a different approach. The WHO says do not vaccinate children, at least not yet.

“At its website, the WHO offers this advice regarding giving experimental coronavirus vaccines… to children:

“‘Children should not be vaccinated for the moment. There is not yet enough evidence on the use of vaccines against COVID-19 in children to make recommendations for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19…’”

Now, what about THAT?

Brainwashed in the USA

The Daily Mail wrote on June 19:

“The most bitterly funny story of the week is that a defector from North Korea thinks that even her homeland is ‘not as nuts’ as the indoctrination now forced on Western students… A staff member [of Columbia University in New York City] ticked her off when she revealed that she enjoyed classics such as the books of Jane Austen… but the staff member replied: ‘Did you know those writers had a colonial mindset? They were racists and bigots and are subconsciously brainwashing you.’

“After encountering the new requirement for the use of gender-neutral pronouns, she concluded ‘Even North Korea is not this nuts… North Korea was pretty crazy, but not this crazy.’… Eventually, she learned to keep quiet, as people do when they try to live under intolerant regimes…”

And so, the USA is descending more and more into the abyss of ridiculous confusion.

More British Nonsense

Daily Mail wrote on June 20:

“The BBC has sparked a discrimination row after only allowing people from ethnic minorities to apply for a trainee position. The broadcaster is advertising a one-year, £17,810 trainee production management assistant role with its Science Unit in Glasgow, but the position is ‘only open to black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates’.

“Positive discrimination is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, but ‘positive action’ is allowed for trainee and internship roles in areas where there is under-representation….”

Whatever happened to competence, no matter what the skin color or ethnic background?

Farage: Don’t Trust “Chameleon” Boris Johnson

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has changed like a ‘chameleon,’ winning election as a conservative, but now bowing to President Joe Biden’s campaign slogans, according to British Brexit architect Nigel Farage… ‘Don’t trust Boris Johnson; he’s not really a conservative; he cozied up to Biden,’ Farage said… Farage’s jaw dropped from a pair of notable shockers by Johnson, including calling Biden a ‘breath of fresh air’ and adopting leftist virtue-signaling ideology from Biden, saying ‘We’re building back better together, and building back greener, and building back fairer, and building back equal, and in a more gender neutral way, perhaps a more feminine way.’…

“‘Boris was elected as a conservative, and he’s now governing as a green. He’s obsessed with climate change, with carbon taxes, with carbon reduction, making British consumers ultimately paying massive bills for all of this.’…

Trump: “No, I have not Conceded”…  after admitting Defeat…

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Former President Donald Trump denied that he ever admitted defeat in last year’s presidential election… ‘No, I never admitted defeat,’ Trump said, adding that he has ‘not conceded.’ Last week during an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump said ‘shockingly, we were supposed to win easily at 64 million votes and we got 75 million votes and we didn’t win, but let’s see what happens on that.’

“Trump also refused to rule out that he will be reinstated as president this August, saying ‘I’m not going to comment on that. I’m going to just see what happens. If the election was fraudulent, people are gonna have to make up their own minds. It’s not going to be up to me. It’s going to be up to the public. It’s going to be up to, perhaps politicians, I don’t think there’s ever been a case like this where hundreds of thousands of votes will be found.’

“Commenting on reports that he would become speaker of the House next year, Trump said, ‘I have seen talk about that, but it’s nothing that I’ve ever considered,’  [He did say the opposite before].… Concerning speculation that he would run for president again in 2024, Trump remained evasive…”

Trump’s stories seem to change by the day…

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 Hypocrisy of our Leaders

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“At least one good thing has emerged from the G7 summit: we now know that President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President Bieber of Canada and the various other world leaders… are… hypocrites.

“Note how their personal rules on mask-wearing, ‘social distancing’…, quarantining and so on differ quite markedly from the ones they’ve been imposing on us… these last 18 months.

“… when they’re posing for one of their staged photographs they all pretend, for propaganda purposes, that they are Covid regulation compliant…

“The [subsequent] photo of the President and First Lady, the Queen, President Bieber, and Prince Charles [was] clearly in breach of the arbitrary ‘two metre’ social distancing rule. Nor is any of them wearing masks. Nor, one can safely assume, is any of them at risk of being put on an NHS Track and Trace watchlist and forced to quarantine at home because they’ve been found to have come into contact with someone who tested ‘positive’.

“… a number of these people have been permitted to travel from foreign countries in aeroplanes — something again which has been largely forbidden…

“I personally have no objection to seeing a 95-year-old widow chatting to a slightly confused looking elderly gentleman and his wife at a cocktail party without being encumbered by ridiculous muzzles. Nor do I have a problem with the lack of social distancing…

“What I do very much object to is the extraordinary mix of arrogance, double standards, and muddled thinking on display here among our governing elites.

“For example: if the Queen is allowed to socialise without a muzzle now, what was the point of subjecting her to the ordeal a few weeks ago of having to sit, masked and isolated without the comforting proximity of her loved ones, at her beloved husband’s funeral?

“And: if Covid is still such a clear and present danger so great that it justifies the continued theft of our freedoms by the state, how come we’re prepared to place our world leaders in encounter scenarios so risky that any one of them could catch a deadly bug and die at any time?

“And: if the jabs are so effective and if all the world leaders in these photographs have been vaccinated, then why do the waiting staff still have to wear muzzles?

“We’re being played. It’s one rule for the elite, another rule for the rest of us. And the reason for these double standards is very simple: none of them believes a word of what they’re telling us about the pandemic.”

The sentiments expressed in the article are telling.

Biden’s Claim to Power and Brutality

Die Welt Online wrote on June 11:

“… a 78-year-old, who was recently considered to be a man from the day before yesterday, seizes power: Joseph Robinette, known as ‘Joe’, Biden … nobody should underestimate his claim to power, his awareness of power, his brutality, if necessary. The host in Carbis Bay, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, received clear announcements from Biden even before the meeting.

“Biden is not a fan of [Johnson]… whom Biden once called a ‘physical and emotional clone of Trump’. Without Johnson as the driving force behind the Brexit campaign, the EU might not have left the EU, which is also on Biden’s negative list for Johnson…

“Alongside all of his ‘we’ rhetoric, the new leader of the western world knows how to pursue tough national interest politics…”

This is a slightly different picture from how Biden is normally portrayed in the press. But then, it may describe Biden, or it may be inadvertently referring to forces behind him pushing him into a certain direction. As one famous German poet wrote: “You think you are pushing but you are being pushed.”

Johnson Clashes with EU Leaders

Bloomberg wrote on June 12:

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson clashed with European Union leaders, warning the U.K. could suspend parts of the Brexit agreement if a dispute over trade rules for goods shipped to Northern Ireland is not resolved. Johnson said on Saturday that Britain could act unilaterally unless the bloc agrees to a compromise when the current grace period governing trade in the region expires on June 30… ‘I’ve talked to some of our friends here today, who do seem to misunderstand that the U.K. is a single country, a single territory,’ Johnson said. ‘I just need to get that into their heads.’…

“The escalation follows a series of what were clearly some tense meetings with his European counterparts… EU officials confirmed there was strong disagreement behind closed doors… the EU has threatened to retaliate…

“U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stepped up his rhetoric against the bloc… ‘we will not allow the integrity of the U.K. to be threatened,’ he said.

“In the six months since the U.K. completed its divorce from the EU, relations between the two sides have deteriorated, with a series of arguments over unrelated issues, including vaccine sharing, supermarket supplies, and fishing rights for French boats in British waters… Tensions between the U.K. and EU have been rising for months…”

The already extremely fragile and sometimes hostile relationship between the EU and the UK is bound to deteriorate even further.

Trump Strikes Back at Macron

Newsmax wrote on June 12:

“French President Emmanuel Macron’s welcoming President Joe Biden to the G7 ‘club’ Saturday drew a rebuke of the 45th president of the United States. Former President Donald Trump derided Macron’s disingenuous G7 statement, where the Trump critic stated: ‘I think it’s great to have a U.S. president part of the club and very willing to cooperate.’

“Trump responded via a statement Saturday from his Save America PAC:

“‘This was a quote by the President of France. He and many other Leaders before him, in France and throughout Europe, were ripping off the United States like never before. We were treated very unfairly with horrible trade deals, and paying for a large portion of their defense.

“‘They were taking advantage of the United States and therefore, of course, they like Biden because now they will be allowed to return to their old ways of ripping off our Country. If I were a leader of these countries, I too would like Biden far better than President Trump. They will now get very rich off the United States just like they have in the past until a change is made…’”

Historic Low Relationship between Russia and the West

NBC News wrote on June 11:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an exclusive interview Friday with NBC News, called former President Donald Trump a ‘colorful individual’ and said he can work with President Joe Biden. Putin compared the two presidents at a time when relations between Russia and the United States are at a historic low… ‘Well even now, I believe that former U.S. president Mr. Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual, otherwise he would not have become U.S. president,’ Putin told NBC’s Keir Simmons during a wide-ranging and, at times, contentious interview. ‘… he didn’t come from the U.S. establishment. He had not been part of big-time politics before, and some like it, some don’t like it but that is a fact.’

“As for Biden, Putin said the current White House occupant ‘is radically different from Trump because President Biden is a career man. He has spent virtually his entire adulthood in politics.’…”

Putin also said, according to Breitbart: “We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years.”

Illinois News added on June 11:

“Russia’s deputy ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky [said that] EU-Russia relations are ‘currently in the lowest decline in history.’ He warned the European block against interfering with the situation in other countries, including taking action against Moscow’s close ally, Belarus…”

Biden Meets Putin

The Associated Press wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their summit on Wednesday with an agreement to return their nations’ ambassadors to their posts in Washington and Moscow and a plan to begin work toward replacing the last remaining treaty between the two countries limiting nuclear weapons. But the two leaders offered starkly different views on difficult simmering issues including cyber and ransomware attacks originating from Russia.

“Putin insisted anew that his country has nothing to do with such attacks, despite U..S. intelligence that indicates otherwise. Biden, meanwhile, said that he made clear to Putin that if Russia crossed certain red lines — including going after major American infrastructure — his administration would respond and ‘the consequences of that would be devastating.’”

Express wrote on June 16:

“The two parties also adopted a joint declaration, reaffirming their commitment to the principle ‘that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never be fought,’ the document, shared on the Kremlin website, said.”

Bible prophecy tells us, however, that nuclear wars will be fought in the future. Many observers feel that the meeting did not accomplish much, if anything, for the USA. Note the next articles.

The Geneva Meeting

Breitbart wrote on June 16:

“President Joe Biden gave Russian President Vladimir Putin almost everything he could have wanted at their Geneva summit. He elevated Putin above other leaders, including American allies; and failed to force any real concessions on Russian policy. The degree to which the summit was a disaster became evident when Putin emerged for his press conference — alone with a forum all to himself… The opportunity to defend his own position, and to attack the United States, without fear of contradiction was a massive gift to the Russian president…

“Biden tried to use his own press conference to make all kinds of claims about tough talk to the Russian president during their two-hour meeting… It was impossible to verify Biden’s claims without Putin there to respond…

“Putin walks away from Geneva with no significant response to cyberattacks; with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline… and with no real pushback against his aggression in Ukraine…

“What Biden does not get… is that… Putin cares about… power… Putin leaves Geneva a winner, and Joe Biden got nothing.”

Reuters wrote on June 17:

“The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukrainian membership of NATO would be a ‘red line’ for Moscow and that it was worried by talk that Kyiv may one day be granted a membership action plan.”

Still, it was reported by Reuters on June 17 that Putin praised Biden, as follows:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin lavished praise on his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday, a day after the two leaders held a summit, saying Biden was incorrectly portrayed in the Russian and U.S. media as being unfocused and vague… ‘Biden is a professional, and you have to be very careful in working with him to make sure you don’t miss anything. He doesn’t miss anything, I can assure you.’”

Why Is the EU Suppressing Reports of Antisemitic Schoolbooks?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 10:

“An unpublished report by the European Union on Palestinian textbooks confirmed that the Palestinian curriculum includes anti-Semitic content, incitement of violence, and the delegitimization of Israel. The German newspaper BILD published findings from the report on Tuesday and asked why they were never publicized. The publication stated that the report was commissioned in 2019 by then-E.U. foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini and examined teaching instructions published by the Palestinian Ministry of Education between 2017 and 2020.

“… When discussing violent actions by Palestinians against Israel, the textbooks label them as part of ‘a heroic struggle’ against the Jewish state…

“A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs… noted that the E.U. continues to invest millions in funding the P.A.’s educational system without monitoring content that appears in textbooks or demanding that it stop ‘indoctrinating its children to hate and kill.’”

This is highly remarkable.

New Israeli Government Sworn In

The Associated Press wrote on June 13:

“Israel’s parliament on Sunday narrowly approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition.

“Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after the 60-59 vote… Bennett will preside over a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight parties with deep ideological differences…

“In the opposition, Netanyahu remains head of the largest party in parliament….

“The new coalition is a patchwork of small and midsize parties that could collapse if any of its members decide to bolt. Bennett’s party, for instance, holds just six seats in the 120-seat parliament…

“The driving force behind the coalition is Yair Lapid, a political centrist who will become prime minister in two years in a rotation agreement with Bennett, if the government lasts.”

It is highly doubtful that the new government will “last” that long.

As Breitbart reported on June 13, Netanyahu said in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset prior to the vote to confirm the new Israeli government that he would “fight every day against this ‘bad, dangerous government,’ which he vowed to topple. ‘And with God’s help, it will happen much faster than you think,’ Netanyahu concluded.”

Naftali Bennett… an Enigma

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 10:

“Naftali Bennett… is something of an enigma even to those who have long been acquainted with him… his degree of religious observance is sometimes described by Israeli observers as ‘modern Orthodox lite.’ His wife, Gilat, a high-end pastry chef, is reported to be secular but a keeper of the Sabbath…

“He has also surprised some in Israel’s religious-nationalist community with relatively liberal views on gay rights…

“Among Palestinian citizens of Israel and their political representatives, Bennett’s pro-settlement stance is cause for suspicion and mistrust… he contends that the creation of a Palestinian state would be ‘national suicide’ for Israel…

“When Bennett threw in his lot with Lapid — something he had vowed never to do… — he declared that he, like other coalition members, was willing to compromise in the interest of broader goals…

“The rise of Bennett… is being greeted with almost universal indifference or disdain by Palestinians inside and outside Israel…”

Israel’s future has become more unstable and unsure than ever before. Note the next articles.

The End of Zionism?

Israel Today wrote on June 10:

“In the eyes of many, one of the most worrisome things about Bennett’s new government is its inclusion of Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist party Ra’am, which shares the vision of Yasser Arafat and the PLO… Abbas said the burning of synagogues, homes, cars, shops and so on, fall into the category of ‘legal and legitimate protests.’

“… Bennett’s new alliance with Abbas and the Left bloc… makes him a traitor in the eyes of the right-wing constituency…

“… the Left bloc is now fully embracing the Joint Arab List, a party that denies the Jewish state’s right to exist… a growing number of people, not all of them right-wingers, begin to wonder whether or not the Bennett-Lapid government could turn out to be the swan song of Zionism…”

This concern is definitely legitimate.

New Violence 

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 17:

“Israel carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip late on Thursday evening ‘in response’ to ‘arson balloons’ launched by Hamas, the Israeli military said. It is the second time in as many days strikes have occurred with the region’s cease-fire looking increasingly vulnerable [and]  is now hanging by a thread [and appears in tatters]…”

AfD first in Saxony-Anhalt for Voters under 30

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

“If Germany’s recent regional election [in East Germany] had been decided by young people, the far-right AfD would have won…

“Last Sunday’s election victory for the [CDU] in… Saxony-Anhalt was reassuring for Germany’s centrist mainstream parties, but it also carried an undercurrent that disturbed them: … it emerged that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) had come first among voters under 30. That torpedoed the argument… that some sections of the population there vote for the far-right because they grew up in a dictatorship. One in five voters born after 1991 voted for the AfD…

“Schmidt (29) is head of AfD’s youth organization in Saxony-Anhalt, the Junge Alternative… Schmidt represents the AfD’s ambitious new generation… [and] is now running for the Bundestag… His step up to Berlin in September is almost certain…”

The AfD is far from gone.

Millions of Covid Vaccine Doses to be Destroyed Due to Potential Contamination

The U.S. Sun wrote on June 11:

“JOHNSON & Johnson has been ordered by the FDA to throw out 60million Covid jab doses. The discarded shots were made at a facility in Baltimore where there were several violations. The issues left 15million doses of the vaccine ruined due to an ingredient mix-up…

“The facility was shuttered after an FDA inspection uncovered unsanitary conditions and other problems in April. Earlier on Friday, the agency sent off 10million doses to other countries, but made it clear that there was no guarantee they were made under good manufacturing practices. The huge clear-out came just one day after the company extended the expiration date on millions of vaccine doses by six weeks.”

Incredible!

Daily Mail added on June 11:

“The contract J&J signed with the U.S. government last year priced each dose at roughly $10, meaning $600 million worth of doses are being tossed out…

“Critics say this represents a colossal blunder by all parties involved – the FDA, Johnson & Johnson and Emergent – in the effort to get vaccines distributed to countries that are suffering from a shortage… J&J’s vaccine was believed to be a game-changer in the fight against coronavirus because it only requires one and does not need to be stored at freezing temperatures…

“The loss of the 60 million doses means the U.S. is even more unlikely to reach Biden’s goal of 70 percent of Americans with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by July 4.”

This also affects other countries, for instance in Europe, which suddenly experience now a shortage.

Side Effects Prompt CDC Investigation

The Washington Times wrote on June 11:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold an ‘emergency meeting’ of advisers to talk about the higher-than-expected numbers of young men who’ve experienced heart inflammation after taking doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against coronavirus [and after Israel announced a link between the inflammation and the vaccine]. That is, after taking doses of the entirely experimental, never-before-approved-for-use-in-any-disease mRNA vaccines against coronavirus.

“Remember, these vaccines are labeled ‘emergency use authorization’ for a reason. And that reason is the side effects, both short-term and long-term, and most definitely longest-haul-term, are completely unknown…

“Fox reported that the agency… received 275 reports of heart inflammation possibly tied to the vaccines… Fox wrote that the [complaints have] all come… from young males between the ages of 16 and 24. The very ages who don’t get harmed by the coronavirus in the first place.”

All of this is just mere insanity.

Live Bats on Wuhan Premises

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

“The Wuhan Institute of Virology did keep live bats on its premises, a report by Sky News Australia revealed Sunday, contradicting the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.)…

“Sky News Australia obtained official Chinese Academy of Sciences video footage [showing] bats being held in a cage on the premises, along with vision of a scientist feeding a bat with a worm…

“A member of the W.H.O. team investigating the origin of the pandemic in Wuhan, zoologist Peter Daszak [had] said it was a conspiracy to suggest bats were held at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and no evidence existed to support the allegation… Other W.H.O. members were also keen to join him and downplay any such links or questions about the biosafety of the Wuhan facility.”

Theories abound as to how the virus developed and was spread. There can be no reasonable doubt that China engaged from the very outset in efforts to suppress any real investigation, and that with the support of the WHO and the news media and other outlets, such as Facebook. What might a future military power bloc such as Europe do if something similar were to happen again in the future?

Wuhan Institute Still Operational

Breitbart wrote on June 15:

“… former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said… ‘We shouldn’t forget this lab is still up and running… There [are] no increased safety measures that I’m aware of. I’m sure they are still conducting viral research, probably gain-of-function research inside this lab, making these viruses more lethal and more transmissible… [We] know that the Chinese Communist Party allowed this virus to escape from Wuhan. They allowed folks to travel to Milan and outside of Hubei province and foisted this virus that killed three million people around the world upon us all. [They] continue to cover it up to this day.’…

“Pompeo noted the political corruption of the World Health Organization… ‘We left the World Health Organization. What a joke to sit beside them at a meeting and have them pretend to be part of the global effort to end pandemics, when in fact they were the providers of the pandemic and covered it up… we have to stop the Chinese Communist Party from doing the kinds of things that could next time kill not three million, but 30 million.’”

Cardinal Marx Obeys the Pope

The Vatican News reported on June 11:

“‘In a spirit of obedience I accept his decision.’ … To his letter of 21 May, in which the Cardinal asked to resign from his post as pastor of Munich and Freising, Pope Francis replied on Thursday, 10 June, inviting him to stay on. The Cardinal immediately expressed his assent to the Pope’s will.

“… the German Archbishop… stressed the need to ‘seek new paths’ to follow, also in view of a history of multiple failures… For Cardinal Marx, now is a time for reflection on how to ‘contribute even more to the renewal of the Church…’

“The Pope’s decision, Cardinal Marx acknowledges, ‘represents a great challenge for me’ and therefore, he concludes, returning ‘simply to the agenda of “yesterday” cannot be the way forward, neither for me nor for the archdiocese.’”

Interesting times lie ahead for the Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

The Foolishness of the “Wise”

Daily Mail wrote on June 9:

“A white psychoanalyst has published a paper in a respected academic journal branding whiteness ‘a malignant, parasitic like condition’ that is ‘incurable‘ and triggers ‘perverse appetites’…

“Dr. Donald Moss published the article titled On Having Whiteness last month in the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association…”

This is beyond craziness.

Swallowed by a Whale

Boston CBS News reported on June 12:

“A lobster diver says he was nearly swallowed by a whale in a terrifying encounter off Cape Cod Friday morning. Michael Packard has been a lobster diver out of Provincetown for 40 years but has never experienced anything like this.

“Packard told WBZ-TV News that after jumping off his boat into the water, he ‘felt this huge bump and everything went dark.” At first he feared he was being attacked by a shark. ‘And then I felt around and I realized there was no teeth,’ he said. ‘And then I realized… “I’m in a whale’s mouth. . . and he’s trying to swallow me.”… Then… he went up to the surface and… I just got thrown in the air and landed in the water,’ Packard recalled…

“‘He’s… lucky to be alive,’ said Captain Joe Francis, who was heading a fishing charter nearby… ‘I saw Mike come flying out of the water feet first with his flippers on and land back in the water,’ Francis said…

“The lobster diver estimates he was in the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds… Peter Corkeron, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium [said] that when humpback whales feed, ‘they do what we call gulp feeding, and they can open their mouths up incredibly widely… It’s a very unusual accident…’”

Fox News added:

“In an effort to save himself, Packard said he began shaking the whale’s head before the animal surfaced and ejected him. In a Facebook post, he said the whale ‘spit me out’ and that he escaped with bruises and no broken bones.”

The biblical account of Jonah being in the belly of a whale or a great fish clearly comes to mind.

A Fifth Ocean

WDRB reported on or about June 13:

“It has been taught for a very long time that there are four different oceans on Earth, those being the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic… the Earth now has a fifth ocean, called the Southern Ocean.

“All of this is according to National Geographic who announced that it was officially recognizing the Southern Ocean as the body of water that surrounds the Antarctic. This new and now fifth ocean will extend from the Antarctic coastline to 60 degrees south latitude….

“The Southern Ocean is ‘defined by a current’… which flows from west to east, National Geographic explains. [It] also pulls water from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific to transport heat around the Earth…”

All these delineations and definitions by scientists are arbitrary and capricious anyhow.

Creating Chimeras

Life Site News wrote on June 14:

“The U.S. Senate has passed a bill which will allocate billions of dollars to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with some of the funds expected to go toward a disturbing form of research whereby tissue from aborted babies is spliced with animal cells to create mixed-species organisms called ‘chimeras.’”

Sick, foolish and dangerous.

Toxic Cosmetics

Newsmax wrote on June 16:

“More than half the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada likely contain high levels of a toxic industrial compound linked to serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight… Researchers at the University of Notre Dame tested more than 230 commonly used cosmetics and found that 56% of foundations and eye products, 48% of lip products and 47% of mascaras contained high levels of fluorine — an indicator of PFAS, so-called ‘forever chemicals’ that are used in nonstick frying pans, rugs and countless other consumer products. Some of the highest PFAS levels were found in waterproof mascara (82%) and long-lasting lipstick (62%)…

“Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at Notre Dame and the principal investigator of the study, called the results shocking. Not only do the cosmetics pose an immediate risk to users, but they also create a long-term risk, he said. ‘PFAS is a persistent chemical. When it gets into the bloodstream, it stays there and accumulates,’’ Peaslee said.”

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 Biggest Election Scam in Israel

Breitbart wrote on June 6:

“Israel’s new government is facing a crisis of legitimacy as a prime minister whose party won only 6% of the vote is set to take the reins of government, while the party that won the most votes is being pushed out of office and into opposition. The crisis is exacerbated by the fact that incoming Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of the Yamina party betrayed most of his promises to his voters, including a pledge not to govern with Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party, or with Arab parties…

“Israelis are perplexed that Bennett, a politician with a small constituency, could have emerged the winner… On Sunday, Netanyahu condemned the incoming government… He called it ‘a scam against the public. The biggest election scam, maybe, in history,’ the Times of Israel noted.

“Netanyahu argued that the new government would not be able to withstand pressure from U.S. President Joe Biden to accept the Iran nuclear deal, and that it would be weak against Palestinian terror, given its reliance on an Islamist party.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

“Israel’s legislature announced on Monday it will vote on approving a new government, formed by opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on June 14 [this date was subsequently changed again to Sunday, June 13]… setting in motion preparations for a confidence vote in the new government to take place… For the coalition to begin its work, a majority of the 120 legislators must vote in favor of the plan. Should the June 14 vote pass, the coalition government leadership would lie with right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett of the religious nationalist Yamina party for two years, followed by centrist opposition leader and former television personality Yair Lapid for the remaining two years…

“Netanyahu is not expected to give up his position without a fight. His supporters have been working to win backing from lawmakers unsure of Bennett’s plans to form [a] government with Jewish leftists and Arab conservatives.”

At this point, the coalition of eight parties has a razor-thin majority, which means that all or virtually all members would have to vote in favor.

US in Confusion over Iran

Thompson/Reuters reported on June 7:

“The United States still does not know whether Iran is ready to resume compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal and if Tehran continues to violate the pact, the ‘breakout time’ it needs to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon will shrink to weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

“‘It remains unclear whether Iran is willing and prepared to do what it needs to do [to] come back into compliance,’ Blinken told lawmakers. ‘Meanwhile, its program is galloping forward. … The longer this goes on, the more the breakout time gets down … it’s now down, by public reports, to a few months at best. And if this continues, it will get down to a matter of weeks.’…

“Resuming talks on Thursday would leave only eight days to reach a pact before Iran’s June 18 election, which is likely to usher in a hard line president. Some delegates say that while a deal is possible by then, it appears increasingly unlikely.”

USA and Europe

The Week wrote on June 9:

“During his trip to Europe over the next week, Joe Biden can pronounce all he wants that ‘America is back.’ But his hosts will know it might not be true.

“Over the past 20 years, the United States has undermined its own global leadership by inconstancy. We launched a war over the strong objections of our most important NATO allies; then we actively sought to mend the resulting strained ties; then we insulted these same allies to their faces, pulled out of multilateral institutions, and threatened to walk away from NATO altogether; and now we’re reaffirming our commitment to the organization and multilateralism. We’ve also joined, withdrawn from, and rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement — and spent years negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, pulled out of it, and are now trying to revive it.

“This is the behavior of a country deeply and sharply divided about how to comport itself in the world, lurching haphazardly, from one president to the next, between conflicting policy stances, temperaments, and geostrategic approaches. Given this capriciousness, our allies are bound to remain wary, and for good reason. They will know that, no matter what assurances Biden offers, promises and priorities laid out now could well end up shredded on January 20, 2025. In the wild oscillations between Republican and Democratic administrations since September 11, 2001, we’ve demonstrated in innumerable ways that we’re an unreliable partner.

“… lurking in the background at all times will be an awareness that, regardless of where the conversations lead, the United States could change its mind and shift directions again a few years down the road… leadership… requires a steadiness and dependability we’ve lacked for two decades now. The damage has been done, and Biden won’t be able to reverse it.”

The relationship between the USA and Europe is prophesied to deteriorate steadily.

Biden and the US Press

The Week wrote on June 9:

“President Biden will never call the press the ‘enemy of the people.’ He won’t whine about ‘nasty’ media ‘witch hunts’ or taunt reporters as ‘fake news.’… That does not mean he is the champion of press freedom he makes himself out to be.

“… While attention focused on Trump’s harsh language, his administration continued a long presidential tradition of  spying on members of the media, coercing revelation of reporters’ sources, and punishing whistleblowers. Trump continued ‘the aggressive crackdown on journalists’ that is a little-remembered part of former President Barack Obama’s legacy, as reporter James Risen… wrote at The New York Times in 2016:

“‘[The Obama administration] prosecuted nine cases involving whistle-blowers and leakers, compared with only three by all previous administrations combined. It has repeatedly used the Espionage Act, a relic of World War I-era red-baiting, not to prosecute spies but to go after government officials who talked to journalists. Under Mr. Obama, the Justice Department and the FBI have spied on reporters by monitoring their phone records, labeled one journalist an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case for simply doing reporting, and issued subpoenas to other reporters to try to force them to reveal their sources and testify in criminal cases…’

“This is the exact tradition Biden now prolongs, picking up where Trump left off.”

As the article points out correctly, Republican and Democrat US governments have been guilty of persecuting the “free” press.

Our Fake Mass Media

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 4:

“Watching the media coverage – or lack thereof – of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s emails and what they mean for the origin of the coronavirus, one is struck by how relentlessly fake everything is, from public health experts to science… Simply put, Donald Trump said the virus came from China and might have come from a lab, therefore that had to be wrong and racist…

“Trump disagreeing with CNN is a mortal threat to democracy and free speech, but Biden telling a reporter he’d rather run her over with an electric truck than answer a question about the war currently going on in Israel is a funny joke… This may seem partisan at first blush, but let’s remember this is the same media that once proudly carried water for the narrative about ‘Saddam’s WMDs.’ So the old Democrat-vs-Republican dichotomy doesn’t really work here, and misses the bigger picture…

“American founders codified the First Amendment because they regarded a free press necessary for a free republic. Yet the corporate media complex and their Big Tech counterparts have become a lapdog, not a watchdog, of power…  ‘Facts’ mean nothing… ‘Science’ isn’t a rigorous process of finding the truth, but a word-totem invoked to grant authority and banish dissent. ‘Truth’ is whatever they declare it is at the moment…

“Biden’s behavior starts making sense when you understand he exists in a fantasy world, entirely conjured by the press and his staff…”

We feel sorry for those who think they will learn the truth by relying on the reporting of the left-wing mass media.  Note the next articles.

Republicans Want Fauci Ousted

Fox News reported on June 5:

“…a growing wave of congressional Republicans are now [calling] on Anthony Fauci to resign or be fired from his post over revelations contained in thousands of his emails released this week…”

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

“…some of the emails indicated early in 2020 that Fauci was aware that some of the coronavirus’ features pointed toward its being engineered… In one of the Fauci emails, dated Feb. 1, 2020, Dr. Hugh Auchincloss wrote to Fauci that virus engineering experiments had been performed.

“Dr. Li Meng-Yan, a Chinese virologist who has alleged the COVID-19 pandemic is the result of an unrestricted bioweapon that leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told Newsmax early Friday that the memo shows Fauci was among scientists and organizations that knew what was going on and tried to hide the matter. Yan fled to the U.S. after making allegations that China covered up its COVID outbreak and has since published two reports last year and one this year making claims about China’s virus work.”

The Biden Administration has ruled out to fire Fauci. Not surprisingly, as Fox News reported on June 7, “CNN has rushed to his defense and claimed conservatives are distorting history to smear him… Washington Times columnist Tim Young feels CNN has a ‘vested interest’ in Fauci and therefore must attempt to protect his once-sterling reputation… ‘Again, CNN is showing their hand that, with a pile of evidence and emails exposing Fauci… they’d rather stick to their narrative [than] be actual journalists. This non-journalistic behavior has become the modus operandi for CNN…’”

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

The Moscow Times wrote on June 3:

“Russia has sentenced six Jehovah’s Witnesses to multi-year prison terms on extremism charges… Rights advocates decry Russia’s prosecutions of Jehovah’s Witnesses — which has been banned in Russia as an ‘extremist’ group since 2017 — as infringements of religious freedom.

“A district court in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk sentenced engineer Andrei Stupnikov, 47, to six years in prison on charges of ‘organizing extremist activities,’ the Jehovah’s Witnesses said in an emailed statement. ‘According to the prosecution, Stupnikov’s fault lies in the fact that he did not renounce his religious beliefs and participated in peaceful services, said prayers, performed chants and Bible discussions,’ the group said…

“Last year, the U.S. added  Russia to its watchlist of religious freedom violators, citing the country’s crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Russia’s conduct is appalling, and so is the silence or inactivity of Western nations.

Putin’s Dictatorship

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law Friday that critics say is aimed at squashing political opposition. The new law prevents members of ‘extremist’ or ‘terrorist’ organizations from standing in elections for three to five years, with the length of time depending on the person’s position, CNN reported.

“The legislation was signed and posted on a government website Friday, the birthday of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Navalny was imprisoned earlier this year for allegedly violating the probation terms of a 2014 case in which he received a suspended sentence of 3 ½ years. On Friday, Navalny’s chief of staff Leonid Volkov tweeted he didn’t believe Putin ‘accidentally’ signed the law on that particular day.

“Founders and leaders of designated groups will not be able to run for elected office for five years after a court decides to ban the group, the new law says. Employees or financial supporters of court-ruled extremist and terrorist organizations will be banned from running for office for three years.

“A Russian court, presiding over a case involving a lawsuit filed in April by the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, will decide whether Navalny’s political and anti-corruption organizations will be designated as extremist groups. If prosecutors’ requests are granted, Navalny’s team could face serious consequences. CNN said the opposition leader’s supporters already have been subject to police raids and arrests…

“Russia already has sweeping anti-extremism laws, which critics say effectively limit freedom of speech and rights to public assembly. The new law threatens opposition politicians and ordinary Russian citizens… Constitutional reform in Russia last year allows Putin, 68, to run again. Before that, Putin would have been required to step down after his fourth and current term. Now, he can seek two more six-year terms….

“Russian authorities have ramped up their pressure on dissent ahead of the September elections. Andrei Pivovarov, the head of the Open Russia movement that dissolved itself last week, was pulled off a plane at St. Petersburg’s airport late Monday and was to be taken to Krasnodar in southern Russia Tuesday as part of a criminal probe against him. Also on Tuesday, police raided a country home of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, a former lawmaker who has aspired to run for parliament. Gudkov was released from custody after being held by Russian authorities for two days.”

Subsequently, Deutsche Welle reported on June 10:

“The Moscow City Court on Wednesday decided to disband organizations linked to jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny Wednesday. Moscow’s chief prosecutor had accused Navalny and his allies of attempting to destabilize Russia socially and politically.

“It marks the latest move in a campaign to silence dissent and bar Kremlin critics from running for parliament in September. The court decision stops people associated with Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his sprawling regional network from seeking public office.

“Many of Navalny’s allies had hoped to run for parliamentary seats in the September 19 election.”

Open Skies Treaty Gone

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the country’s departure from the Open Skies treaty on Monday, following in the footsteps of the former and current US presidential administrations. The agreement was set up after the Cold War to build confidence between Russia and NATO members by allowing signatory states to conduct unarmed surveillance missions over each other’s territory…

“There had been hopes that the current president would seek to return to the treaty. These hopes were dashed in May when the United States State Department informed Moscow that it would continue with Trump’s policy after concluding that Russia had not complied with the pact.”

California to Pay Church Legal Fees Due to Permanent Injunction

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“The state of California agreed to a settlement in which it will pay more than $2 million in legal fees to attorneys who represented churches that were handed down significant restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, even as retail businesses experienced fewer regulations… The deal includes a permanent injunction following the High Court’s rulings that asserted houses of worship cannot have restrictions placed upon them that surpass those placed on retail businesses… ‘All churches and places of worship now have the protection of the statewide permanent injunction,’ Liberty Counsel said in a statement Wednesday. ‘Many of these cases will also have to be compensated by the state and/or local city or county.’

“The firm also observed that ‘the victory against Governor Newsom is also being filed in pending church cases across the nation,’ including in Maine, where Gov. Janet Mills (D) permitted unrestricted gatherings of business and secular organizations, but still required severe restrictions on churches, including a limit of 50 people, regardless of size of the building. ‘The dominoes are falling, and churches are being freed from dictatorial and unconstitutional restrictions,’ said Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel chairman. ‘The Supreme Court has intervened multiple times to provide relief. As a result, there will be more restrictions lifted and charges dropped for churches in the near future.’”

Biden Urged to Push EU to be a Military Power

Politico wrote on June 2:

“It’s time for the EU to become a global military power — and for the U.S. to stop thwarting Europe’s ambitions on defense. That’s according to a new report by the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank with close ties to the Biden administration.

“The report… urges President Joe Biden to encourage the EU to develop hard-power military capabilities and calls on him to abandon decades of opposition to EU defense integration by previous U.S. leaders, under the guise of preventing wasteful duplication with NATO — which remains orthodox thinking for most American military commanders, and even for many EU governments…

“‘Since the 1990s, the United States has typically used its effective veto power to block the defense ambitions of the European Union. This has frequently resulted in an absurd situation where Washington loudly insists Europe do more on defense but then strongly objects when Europe’s political union — the European Union — tries to answer the call… This policy approach has been a grand strategic error…’

“EU leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have long endorsed the idea of creating an EU army…

“The report is likely to generate attention in part because the Center for American Progress has become known as a training ground for Biden administration officials…”

In this context, Airforce Technology reported on May 17:

“Thales and Rheinmetall have been awarded a contract to jointly support the certification phase of the ‘future training centre organisation’ for the Franco-German C-130J Hercules fleet. The Franco-German C-130J transport aircraft project is one of the key airforce programmes in Europe… Set to be established at Évreux in Normandy, France, the new training centre will host the French and German C-130J Super Hercules aircraft as a joint transport squadron….

“Starting this year, Germany and France plan to jointly operate a total of ten C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in Évreux, Germany.  France has already taken delivery of a total of four Super Hercules, while Germany will contribute six aircraft to the squadron, with deliveries expected next year… The C-130 air transport squadron is expected to reach its initial operational capability (IOC) on 1 September.”

Is the USA creating a Frankenstein monster which will ultimately turn on his “master”?

On the Way to EU Dictatorship

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

“The European Union cannot allow itself to be ‘held hostage’ in its foreign policy by single nations exercising their veto rights, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday. His remarks are being widely seen as a rebuke directed at Hungary, which in recent months has blocked several foreign policy measures agreed on by almost all other member states.

“Speaking at a conference of Germany’s ambassadors in Berlin, Maas said: ‘… The veto has to go, even if that means we can be outvoted.”

This sets a dangerous precedence.

EU Imposes Coronavirus Travel Passports

The Associated Press wrote on June 9:

“European Union lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests… Several EU countries have already begun using the system, including Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Poland.

“…The new regulations governing the vaccine certificates were adopted in two votes at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France… The vote must still be rubber-stamped by EU nations, but that’s likely a formality.

“It means that beginning July 1 for 12 months, all EU countries must recognize the vaccine certificate. They will… certify that a person has either been fully vaccinated against the virus, has recently tested negative or has recovered from the disease… The passes will be issued by individual nations, not from a centralized European system…

“People coming from outside the EU, the overwhelming majority of whom should be vaccinated to enter, will be able to get a certificate if they can convince authorities in the EU country they enter that they qualify for one.”

Actually, this is a pretty bleak picture when it comes to individual liberties and freedoms.

“Historic” Deal by G-7 Nations on Global Tax

CNBC wrote on June 5 (with comments included in brackets and italics, being adopted from an article by The Guardian):

“The finance ministers of the most advanced economies, known as the Group of Seven, have backed a U.S. proposal that calls for corporations around the world to pay at least a 15% tax on earnings [in each country where they operate and where they are headquartered]… If finalized, it would represent a significant development in global taxation. Members of the G-7, which include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., will convene for a summit in Cornwall, U.K., next week [starting Friday]… President Joe Biden and his administration had initially suggested a minimum global tax rate of 21%… However, after tough negotiations, a compromise was reached to set the bar at 15%…

“Biden’s idea had not been received… excitement across the world. The U.K., for example, did not immediately voice its support for the proposal. The issue can be contentious within the European Union as well, where various member states charge different corporate tax rates and can attract big-name firms by doing so. Ireland’s tax rate, for example, is 12.5%, while France’s can be as high as 31%.

“Speaking in April, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said smaller nations should be allowed to have lower tax rates given that they don’t have the same capacity for scale as the larger economies do…

“The U.S., under former President Donald Trump, vehemently opposed digital tax initiatives in different countries and threatened to impose trade tariffs against countries that would plan on taxing U.S. tech companies.”

Bloomberg added on June 5:

“The Group of Seven advanced economies agreed the outline of a global deal on taxation that could give governments greater rights to tax U.S. tech giants…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 5:

“The global minimum tax would be levied… on the world’s 100 largest and most profitable companies [with profit margins of at least 10%]…

“G7 finance ministers backed moves to force banks and companies to disclose their exposure to climate-related risks… They also reiterated that digital currency projects should not operate until it meets ‘legal, regulatory, and oversight requirements through appropriate design and by adhering to applicable standards,’ the communique read.”

The New York Post wrote:

“Saturday’s deal is not binding and other groups, including the G-20 and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, along with governing bodies like the US Congress, would need to sign off on the deal…”

More LGBT Nonsense

Daily Mail wrote on June 4:

“Hundreds of organisations wanting to be included on Stonewall’s equality leaderboard should replace the term ‘mother’ with ‘parent who has given birth’, the LGBT charity has said. The controversial group has issued various guidance to employers wanting to make the cut on its Workplace Equality Index, which has attracted more than 500 applications in the last year.

“A number of government departments, such as the Home Office, the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Justice – ranked as high as fifth – feature on the list, as well as the likes of MI6 and the British Army. … According to Stonewall there are more than 850 organisations, including 250 government departments and public bodies such as police forces, local councils and NHS trusts, signed up as ‘diversity champions’.

“Membership to the scheme starts at around £2,500, which according to the LGBT charity’s website, buys employers access to expert advice and resources to make their workplaces ‘inclusive’. However, the charity was embroiled in a new row over transgender rights last week, when its chief executive Nancy Kelley likened ‘gender critical’ beliefs to anti-Semitism as she defended its pro-trans campaigning.”

Is Trump Planning his Comeback?

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

“Former President Donald Trump may consider running for the House in 2022 to try to win the speaker of the House position… Others had suggested the former president run for the Senate. ‘But you know what, your idea [of becoming Speaker of the House] might be better,’ Trump said. ‘It’s very interesting.’ Previously, Trump mentioned he intends to make another presidential run in 2024, health permitting. The idea to run for the House underscores the interest many in the GOP have for Trump to make a return to public office sooner rather than later.

“The exact logistics for a House run would mean Trump would have to figure out in which district he would run. For now, the former president seems mainly interested in endorsing other congressional candidates rather than becoming one himself. Trump will also resume his rallies this summer, which could shed more light as to the next moves he wants to make. According to GOP polling, Trump would be in a strong position to win the presidential nomination in 2024. And, in a statement condemning Facebook’s decision to ban him from the platform for two years, Trump hinted that he could run for another term in the White House. ‘Next time I’m in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. It will all be business!’ Trump stated.”

Newsmax reported on June 5:

“Trump said America under Biden is heading to a dictatorship, although he mocked the current president for not even being the one in charge. ‘We’re going to take back the Senate, we’re going to take back the House, and we’re going to take back the White House sooner than you think,’ Trump said in a video circulating on Twitter before his North Carolina GOP Conference speech Saturday night… Despite social media rumors the former president was talking about an August return to the White House, advisers and those close to the president have denied he is maintaining that belief.”

US Supreme Court Denies Green Card for Aliens entering US Illegally

Daily Mail wrote on June 7:

“The Supreme Court ruled Monday that up to 400,000 immigrants who gained temporary protected status but came here illegally won’t be able to get green cards – with liberal Justice Elana Kagan such status ‘does not come with an admission ticket.’ The Supreme Court was unanimous in its refusal to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. it impacts thousands of immigrants who fled to the U.S. following hurricanes and other disasters and who established residency with special protected status…

“President Joe Biden, who has sought to reverse many of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

“A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been ‘inspected and admitted’ into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient ‘lawful status,’ satisfies those requirements…

“Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, told CNN: ‘Today’s decision is not just a setback for those immigrants currently in Temporary Protected Status who did not enter the United States lawfully; it also reinforces the barriers that Dreamers would face until and unless Congress provides a statutory path to some kind of permanent lawful status…

“Michael Kagan, a University of Nevada law professor and immigration lawyer, tweeted: ‘SCOTUS decision on TPS (Sanchez) is just one more measure forcing large numbers of immigrants to live precariously, depending for their futures on the result of the next presidential election…’”

Roll Call wrote on June 7:

“[The ruling] will also make it more difficult for thousands of TPS holders who initially entered the U.S. without authorization, and thus were not originally ‘admitted,’ to become permanent residents, even after living in the U.S. under the temporary status for years or even decades… The case puts an end to a split among circuit courts that allowed immigrants living in some states to get green cards in the last few years…

“This gave TPS holders in those states with employers willing to sponsor them a path to a green card. It also relieved TPS holders with American spouses from having to travel abroad and reenter the country to become permanent residents, a difficult process that can be prohibitively expensive and require individuals to wait in countries deemed unsafe by the U.S. government…”

Especially the uncertain situation of the Dreamers has been a constant problem which no administration so far has been able or willing to solve adequately. It would indeed be up to Congress, but there is little hope that Congress, divided as it is, could agree on anything substantial on this issue. In fact, in the case at hand, Congress enacted the section on TPS, but it is so vague and ambiguous that the Supreme Court did not feel they could conclude that Congress wanted to convey admission status in addition with its legal status.  Because of this highly questionable technicality and the lack of foresight of Congress, TPS holders are now barred from obtaining a green card.

Also, Vice President Kamala Harris came under attack from all sides–the left and the right–for her immigration stance and her visit and comments in Guatemala and her subsequent interviews. In a related development, Newsmax and The Associated Press reported on June 8 that “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday proclaimed, ‘the era of bipartisanship is over’ after talks broke down between the Biden administration and Republicans over infrastructure legislation. The breakdown comes as the two sides could not broker the divide over the scope of the president’s sweeping infrastructure investment and how to pay for it.”

This country has NEVER been divided before like this, following the civil war, and that says something!

German Catholic Church More Trouble for Rome

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“German Cardinal Reinhard Marx has offered Pope Francis his resignation from his position as archbishop of Munich and Freising, saying the Catholic Church had reached a ‘dead point.’… Marx said investigations and reports of the past 10 years [regarding child sexual abuse] showed him there had not only been ‘a lot of personal failure and administrative errors,’ but ‘also institutional and systemic failure’ within the Catholic Church.

“… Marx has previously apologized on behalf of the Catholic Church to the victims of sexual abuse… Marx had been president of the German Bishops’ Conference from 2012 to 2020… A study commissioned by the German Bishops’ Conference under Marx’s presidency and released in 2018 showed that 1,670 clergymen had committed a type of sexual attack against 3,677 minors, mostly boys, from 1946 through 2014. The study found that the number of victims was certainly much higher…

“The series of scandals have prompted thousands of church members to leave Germany’s largest diocese [in Cologne]. The Cologne Catholic Church is also the world’s richest diocese by some measures, bringing in more income than the Vatican… Germany’s Catholic Church counted 22.6 million members in 2019 and remains the largest religion in the country.”

Newsmax reported on June 10:

“Pope Francis refused Thursday to accept the resignation offered by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx over the sex abuse scandal in the church, but said a process of reform was necessary and that every bishop must take responsibility for the ‘catastrophe’ of the crisis.

“Francis wrote a letter to Marx in response to the German’s bombshell announcement last week that he had offered to resign as archbishop of Munich and Freising over the church’s mishandling of abuse cases. Francis refused to accept the resignation and told Marx in the letter he must continue as archbishop…

“Francis’ letter, written originally in Spanish and using an informal, brotherly tone, appeared to give Marx papal backing to proceed with the German Church’s controversial reform process that was launched as a response to the abuse crisis and reports into the German hierarchy’s mishandling of abuse cases over decades.

“The so-called ‘Synodal Path’ reform process has sparked fierce resistance inside Germany and beyond, primarily from conservatives opposed to opening any debate on issues such as priestly celibacy, women’s role in the church and homosexuality. Resistance has also come from the Vatican and bishops outside Germany, including culture warriors in the United States who have broken with church protocol to pen essays critical of the German reform process.”

Hezbollah’s Rising Presence in Germany

The Algemeiner wrote on June 9:

“Despite Germany’s efforts to curtail Hezbollah-related activities, the terrorist organization’s presence continues to rise across the country. German intelligence estimates that the number of Hezbollah operatives increased 20 percent last year, from 1,050 members and supporters to 1,250. There are roughly 180 Hezbollah-affiliated individuals in the German state of Lower Saxony alone… German intelligence previously identified about 30 mosques and cultural associations intimately connected to Hezbollah, or that propagate the terrorist group’s Iranian-inspired, radical Shia ideology…

“The terrorist organization has also used Germany, among other countries, to store bomb-making material…

“Following years of malicious activity inside and outside its borders, Germany designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in April 2020, joining other Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada. Yet most European Union countries continue to selectively outlaw the group’s military wing. This approach, however, allows Hezbollah’s political wing to operate freely and engage in nefarious propaganda and terror financing activities. Hezbollah is a cohesive and hierarchical organization that does not treat its political, terrorist, and military wings as distinct entities.

“Germany faces an array of Islamist terrorist threats, and has foiled numerous high-profile plots in recent years, including Islamic State-led cells that sought to…carry out a mass-casualty attack using ricin-based biological weapons… Hezbollah remains resilient in the face of German sanctions and continues to strengthen its presence across the country.”

Bible prophesy shows that Iranian mercenaries will fight for Germany and Europe against Israel. See our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Spahn under Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 5:

“German Health Minister Jens Spahn is facing fierce cross-party criticism after a report emerged about his ministry’s plans to dispose of unusable face masks by handing them out to vulnerable groups amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Health Ministry on Saturday hit back at the claims made in the German magazine Der Spiegel, saying all its masks had been tested to a high standard and that protection of the wearer was its top priority…

“The magazine on Friday reported that the Health Ministry had ordered face masks from China in Spring 2020 for an estimated €1 billion ($1.2 billion). The order was placed amid a global mask shortage and had not been tested to meet EU standards. Due to this,  the masks were unable to be used on arrival and needed to undergo emergency testing to be deemed fit for use. The Ministry of Health under Spahn drew up plans to distribute the masks to the homeless, the disabled or Hartz IV benefit recipients, the magazine reported.

“But the Ministry of Labor, which is responsible for mask safety, refused to give its approval to the plan…”

Angela Merkel strongly defended Spahn on Monday, and her colleagues in her party (CDU) accused her coalition party (SPD), on Wednesday of conducting a dirt campaign without any proof. Still, Der Spiegel responded and maintained that their reporting has been accurate.

Forced to Consume Pork!

The Associated Press reported on June 4:

“The head football coach at an Ohio high school and six other coaches there have been ousted after a football player said he was forced to eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs for missing a voluntary workout… The player and his family are members of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith and do not eat pork…

“The teen’s attorney, Ed Gilbert, said the player skipped a voluntary workout four days before the incident while nursing a sore shoulder. He was ordered to sit in the middle of the gym and eat an entire pepperoni pizza, Gilbert said. He was allowed to remove the pepperoni and some of the cheese, but pork residue remained, Gilbert said.

“The teen would have been subjected to additional drills and his status on the team might have been jeopardized if he had not followed [the head football coach’s] order, Gilbert said.”

This is despicable, but in line with growing anti-Semitism all over the world.

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.

Russia and Belarus

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday for talks on closer economic ties…

“Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane to land in the capital Minsk on Sunday. They arrested dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich who was on board the flight from Greece to Lithuania, which are both EU member states…

“The Kremlin chief also said he and Lukashenko were continuing to integrate their two countries closer together… Russia is Belarus’s closest ally. They have signed an agreement that calls for closer political, economic and military ties. The Belarus economy is in freefall after the EU froze assets and slapped visa bans on Lukashenko and 87 of the regime′s leaders… The EU barred Belarusian carriers from its airspace and advised European airlines to avoid flying over Belarus… European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for total regime change in Belarus…

“Analysts fear that a further escalation in EU sanctions might push Lukashenko even closer to Putin.”

NBC News added on May 28:

“The Kremlin has championed Belarus… Meanwhile, the head of NATO said it was hard to believe that Russia was not involved in Belarus’ plane ‘hijacking.’ ‘We know the very close relationship between Russia and Belarus,’ NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the British broadcaster Sky News. ‘Therefore it’s hard to believe that the regime in Minsk could do something like this without any kind of coordination with Russia.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“Minsk’s border agency has announced new rules that will make it nearly impossible to leave the country. As citizens attempt to flee Belarus, longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko appears to be closing all the exits.”

Belarus is also known as White Russia. Other White Russians live in Ukraine. Russians and White Russians will combine their efforts to become a challenge to Europe.

Germany Refuses to Help Ukraine militarily

The Associated Press wrote on June 1:

“Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. But efforts toward a political settlement are stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine but ‘of course I had hoped for more from her’… ‘Germany can do more,’ he said, pointing to recent comments by opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine.

“Habeck said that ‘from my point of view, it is hard for us to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense.’ His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots. ‘Germany has not given us military help, but it could do,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘Germany has great ships: speedboats, missile speedboats and patrol boats.’

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany’s support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid… Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea.”

This will backfire for Germany. Soon, Ukraine will align with or be overtaken by Russia against continental Europe.

Russian Hackers Attack Again

CNN wrote on May 28:

“The hackers behind one of the worst data breaches ever to hit the US government have launched a new global cyberattack on more than 150 government agencies, think tanks and other organizations, according to Microsoft. The group, which Microsoft calls ‘Nobelium,’ targeted 3,000 email accounts at various organizations this week — most of which were in the United States… It believes the hackers are part of the same Russian group behind last year’s devastating attack on SolarWinds— a software vendor — that targeted at least nine US federal agencies and 100 companies.

“Cybersecurity has been a major focus for the US government following the revelations that hackers had put malicious code into a tool published by SolarWinds. A ransomware attack that shut down one of America’s most important pieces of energy infrastructure — the Colonial Pipeline — earlier this month has only heightened the sense of alarm. That attack was carried out by a criminal group originating in Russia,  according to the FBI… the hackers were able to send out phishing emails that Microsoft said ‘looked authentic but included a link that, when clicked, inserted a malicious file’ that allowed the hackers to access computers through a backdoor.

“The latest disclosure shows how Russia has been undeterred by recent US efforts to hold the Kremlin accountable and bolster cybersecurity following the SolarWinds campaign, said James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert…  ‘The Russians have a campaign plan for massive attacks against US targets, for which they have no incentive to stop,’ Lewis said. ‘They aren’t afraid of the US response. They are testing the new administration.’”

Whether those hackers are working independently of the Russian government is extremely doubtful.

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“The Brazilian multinational] JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, has been forced to close a number of its plants around the world as the result of a cyberattack on its servers… JBS closed facilities in Australia on Monday and in the US and Canada on Tuesday. JBS, the largest beef producer in the US, slaughters, packages and sells roughly a quarter of all beef in the country…”

Breitbart added on June 1:

“…the White House said Tuesday that Russia was likely the origin of the cyberattack and has called on Moscow to punish the hackers responsible… The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter, and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals, the White House official added.”

Fox Business wrote on June 2:

“JBS…  has shuttered all of its US-based beef plants… The attack raised concerns of a potential meat shortage in the U.S. and several other countries impacted by the situation. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shutdown would affect meat prices.”

So quickly things can change.

Netanyahu Ousted?

On June 2, JTA reported the following:

“Benjamin Netanyahu will no longer be Israel’s prime minister, as his political opponents announced Wednesday night that they have formed a coalition that will replace him, pending a vote in Israel’s parliament.

“The new coalition, dubbed the ‘change bloc,’ is an ideologically broad alliance that spans the Israeli political right, center and left. For the first time in Israeli history, it will include an Arab-Israeli party, not as an external supporter of the government, but as a full member of the coalition. It comprises 61 lawmakers, the smallest possible majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

“The coalition was announced by Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, with less than an hour to go before his chance to form a governing coalition expired…

“For the first two years-plus of its term, the coalition will be led by Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Yamina party. Bennett will be Israel’s first Orthodox prime minister. Lapid will take over for the second half of the term. Netanyahu has led Israel for the past 12 years.

“The coalition includes eight parties in total that differ vastly on their vision for Israel, but agree on the need to end the Netanyahu era and the political crisis that has gripped Israel since 2019. Over the past two years, Israelis have voted in four elections whose results have been mostly inconclusive. Had Lapid failed to announce a coalition, Israel would have almost definitely held a fifth election later this year.

“The new Israeli government, most significantly, will be the first one since 2009 not led by Netanyahu, who is the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history. He was indicted on corruption charges in 2019 and his trial is ongoing, one of the main factors that led former right-wing allies of his, such as Bennett, to join his opponents.

“To agree to partner with each other, the incoming coalition’s eight parties had to overcome a range of disagreements over policy and ministerial positions. In addition to Yamina and Yesh Atid, the coalition will include the right-wing parties New Hope and Israel Beiteinu; the centrist Blue and White party; the left-wing Labor and Meretz parties; and the Arab-Israeli Raam party, which is Islamist.

“The new government is set to be approved in a Knesset vote sometime before June 14. Negotiations over its particulars, as well as efforts to undermine it, may continue until the vote takes place. The new coalition was announced on the same day that Isaac Herzog,  a former leader of Israel’s Labor party, was elected president of Israel, a largely ceremonial role.”

It was also reported that Netanyahu has no intention of resigning, and plans to lead the opposition while engaging in attacks against Yamina and intense efforts to break up the coalition along ideological lines. It has been stated that this new coalition cannot and will not succeed for long–if at all.

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents pushed Thursday for a quick parliament vote to formally end his lengthy rule, hoping to head off any last-minute attempts to derail their newly announced coalition government. The latest political maneuvering began just hours after opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, declared they had reached a deal to form a new government and muster a majority in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament. 

“The coalition consists of eight parties from across the political spectrum with little in common except the shared goal of toppling Netanyahu after his record-setting 12 years in power. The alliance includes hard-liners previously allied with Netanyahu, as well as center-left parties and even an Arab faction — a first in Israeli politics. But the fragile coalition still faces a tough road ahead — it was not able to unseat the parliament speaker, a Netanyahu ally, later on Thursday and it remained unclear how events would play out over the next few days.

“Netanyahu lashed out at his foes on Thursday, signaling that he will continue to exert pressure on former allies who joined the coalition. ‘All members of Knesset who were elected with right-wing votes need to oppose this dangerous leftist government,’ he wrote on Twitter.

“Bennett, who is slated to become prime minister, has come under heavy pressure from Israeli hard-liners who accuse him of betrayal. He heads Yamina, a small right-wing party that appeals to religious, nationalist voters… In a televised interview, Bennett said he would never agree to freeze construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is seen by the Palestinians and much of the international community as a major obstacle to peace…

“The coalition has a razor-thin majority of 61 votes in parliament. On Thursday, it attempted to replace parliament speaker Yariv Levin, in order to speed up the vote on the new government. But the effort failed after Nir Orbach, a lawmaker from Yamina, refused to sign on, underscoring the fragility of the alliance. Levin can now use his position to delay the vote and give Netanyahu more time to sabotage the coalition.”

Germany Admits Genocide in Namibia

NPR wrote on May 28:

“Germany is formally recognizing that its killing of tens of thousands of people belonging to two ethnic groups more than a century ago in present-day Namibia was a genocide… From about 1884 to 1915, Germany occupied several territories in Africa. Its colony in German South West Africa, in what is now Namibia, was established to provide more territory for its people, a campaign called Lebensraum. At the time, German urban areas were overcrowded due to a population boom.

“After settlers seized their land and cattle, ethnic Herero and Nama people launched a rebellion against their occupiers. German soldiers killed tens of thousands of them between 1904 and 1908. Survivors were forced into the desert and later placed in concentration camps… Many died of disease and starvation, some after being used for medical experiments. It’s estimated that 80% of the Indigenous populations of the Herero and Nama died during the genocide.”

What should also be noted is that Germany’s campaigns for Lebensraum and the establishment of horrible concentration camps predate Hitler by many years. Hitler did not invent these ideas; he “capitalized” on them. Something similar, but much more gruesome, is prophesied to happen again.

Some have also claimed that Hitler’s NSDAP (“National Socialist German Workers’ Party”) was in fact a national socialist party. The left-wing liberal media, such as the Washington Post, strongly condemned them for that assertion. However, that claim is absolutely true, as the name of the party already reveals. This was also very well-known in Germany at the time. To deny it today does not make it less true.

For instance, it was reported by the Jerusalem Post on May 29 that “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made another reference to the Holocaust Thursday, comparing Democrats to Nazis…  Nazis were the National Socialist Party, ‘just like the Democrats are now a national socialist party,’ said Greene at a Georgia rally… Greene, a firebrand ally of former President Donald Trump, was broadly denounced by her fellow Republicans on Tuesday for likening COVID-19 masks and vaccinations to the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews.”

Of course, she was condemned by Democrats, but also, sadly, by Republicans, who all seem to be (willfully) ignorant of the past.

France Resists More “Brain Dead” NATO Funding

Reuters wrote on May 28:

“A $20 billion plan to give NATO more flexibility in facing military threats, climate change and China’s rise has hit firm resistance from France, which fears the move could undermine its defence priorities… The EU has been working since December 2017 to develop more firepower independently of the United States, led by France, the EU’s remaining major military power after Britain left the bloc…

“Germany and other European allies, as well as Canada, also want to know what any extra money would be spent on…’Some Europeans are asking: do we build up NATO, or do we develop the EU’s defence capacity…?’, said a senior NATO diplomat. ‘Each euro can only be spent once.’”

Very soon, euros will be spent for Europe, not NATO.

Classified Information about Nuclear Weapons in Europe Leaked

Deutsche Welle reported on May 29:

“Troops on US bases in Europe housing nuclear weapons have been using publicly accessible online flashcard apps to remember long and complex security protocols, the investigative website Bellingcat revealed on Friday… The latest leaks… have gone so far as to identify the exact number and location of the weapons within the bases, including whether the vaults they are stored in are ‘hot’ — with live weapons — or ‘cold.’

“The author of the investigative piece… explained that the researchers were able to discover the flashcards belonging to the active soldiers by searching for certain terms known to be associated with nuclear bases. The result was the unearthing of several sets of flashcards revealing information about several bases around Europe, including in Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey… Bellingcat discovered flashcards dating back as far as 2013 and as recent as April 2021… This is yet one more warning that these weapons are not secure…”

So, what happens if they fall into the “wrong” hands?

Australia Invaded by Millions of Mice and other Problems

MSN wrote on May 28:

“Australian farmers could face a more than $775 million loss in crops from a plague of mice that are taking over their fields in New South Wales… To try to prevent the mice from devouring everything, the state government has ordered 1,320 gallons of bromadiolone, a banned poison, from India. Approval from a federal government regulator has yet to come, and there are concerns that other animals, such as wedge-tail eagles and family pets, might be exposed to the deadly poison…

“Vast tracts of land in Australia’s New South Wales state are being threatened by a mouse plague that the state government describes as ‘absolutely unprecedented.’…

“The plague is a cruel blow to farmers in Australia’s most populous state who have been battered by fires, floods and pandemic disruptions in recent years, only to face the new scourge of the introduced house mouse, or Mus musculus… The worst comes after dark, when millions of mice that had been hiding and dormant during the day become active.

“… the pandemic brought a labor drought. Fruit was left to rot on trees because foreign backpackers who provide the seasonal workforce were absent. Plagues seemingly appear from nowhere…”

The mouse plague is also causing mental problems for people having to live with thousands of mice continually.

We received the following report, dated May 29, from Paul Niehoff:

“Here in Victoria, we are under a lockdown again. We are limited to 5 km travel. One person in hotel quarantine in Adelaide caught Covid from a fellow inmate on his last day, day 14, before returning to Melbourne. So far he has indirectly infected 35 others and because a football game was an infection site, 15,000 people are in isolation at home. Yesterday 56,000 people were tested, some waiting up to 6 hours. When driving, we pass long queues waiting to be tested. The vaccination hot lines for appointments are crashing because of demand. We expect to be in lockdown for at least a week depending on whether the contact tracers can contact all the potential sufferers.  Even the army is helping to ensure that all who are supposed to be at home are isolating. There are a few demonstrations but the police greatly outnumber the protesters. So far no deaths but the government has a total elimination policy which can work only if outsiders are not allowed in or are correctly quarantined.”

God pronounced curses on the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel—including the English-speaking nations of the “British Commonwealth” such as Australia—if they were to disobey Him, including devastating harvests and plagues caused by animals (Leviticus 26:20, 22; compare also Deuteronomy 28). But the Bible also predicts that worse things will happen to them.

Unparalleled American Debt

National Review wrote on May 28:

“President Biden’s budget request is projecting that the U.S. debt burden will reach its highest level in history this year, surpassing the previous record from World War II. In 2021, according to the Biden budget, the U.S. debt will reach 109.7 percent of GDP, which would blow past the previous record of 106.1 percent, just as the U.S. was coming out of World War II. It will then exceed the record every year over the next decade, reaching 117 percent of GDP by 2031.

“While it is true that Biden inherited a high debt level as a result of the pandemic and the continued flow of Baby Boomer retirements driving up entitlement spending, Biden’s spending binge is exacerbating the problem. He signed a $1.9 trillion ‘COVID relief’ bill in March, even though the pandemic was fizzling out and Congress had already spent $4.1 trillion on the pandemic. He is now proposing an additional $4 trillion in spending just this year.

“Overall, Biden’s budget sees $69.2 trillion worth of spending over the next decade… [For] the past several decades, both parties have steadily driven up the debt while ignoring our long-term challenges, and as we emerge from this crisis, Biden is throwing all caution to the wind… We’re now entering an era without precedent in American history…”

The proposed budget includes $6 trillion annual spending.  America will NEVER be able to repay its debt. As the Bible says: The borrower is servant to the lender.

More Propaganda—Vaccine Passports and Vaccinations of Children

Axios wrote on May 28:

“Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday told ABC… that the U.S. is ‘taking a very close look’ at the possibility of requiring vaccine passports for international travel… A DHS spokesperson later on Friday clarified Mayorkas’ comments, saying that there will be no ‘federal mandate’ for vaccine passports in the U.S…

“The European Union and some Asian governments are developing coronavirus vaccine passports that people can access using phone apps in order to ‘help kickstart international travel…’Vaccine passports have become a controversial topic in the country, with several Republican-led states banning state government and some private business from requiring them.

“A recent survey by the COVID States Project revealed that 62% [of] people in the U.S. support government-imposed vaccine mandates, while only 27.5% said they support businesses using vaccine passports.”

The Associated Press added on May 28:

“The Danish government on Friday presented its digital coronavirus passport enabling people to travel abroad or, in Denmark, go to the hairdresser, a tattoo parlor, dine inside a restaurant or wherever else it is needed. ‘The corona passport we present today can be used from July 1 when you can travel within the EU,’ said Finance Minister Nicolai Vammen. Some 20% of Denmark’s population of 6 million have been fully vaccinated…”

Greece also announced that its Covid passport system will be up and running before July 1. The coronavirus passport propaganda, combined with the restrictions of liberty and freedom for the unvaccinated, is simply sickening. For instance, California Governor Newsom offers $1.5 million in a lottery for vaccinated residents.  In addition, $116 million in prizes and incentives are being offered for the vaccinated.  Other states engage in similar highly questionable practices.

NBC News reported on May 28:

“Fully vaccinated children and teens in camp this summer can return to normal activities — without masks or physical distancing — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday… But the advice is somewhat murky for [outdoor activities of] children who will not be vaccinated, a group of kids who will likely make up the majority of typical summer campers. There is no Covid-19 vaccine available for kids under age 12… For indoor activities, the guidance is much more clear: The CDC ‘strongly encourages’ masks for anyone over age 2 who remains unvaccinated.”

These are horrible guidelines, bordering on child abuse. In Germany, the most popular tabloid, Bild, is accusing the government and the media of having harmed millions of children, physically and mentally, through their unscientific lockdown and social distancing measures, and apologizes to parents and their children for these restrictions, because, they say, the government refuses to do so (Bild Online, May 27).

Radical Increase of Kid Suicide Due to Lockdowns

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

“A prominent Canadian hospital and kids’ group have said an ‘emergency response’ is needed from the premiers of provinces to deal with the rapid decline of kids’ mental health, which the organizations say has taken a drastic turn for the worse due to COVID-19 lockdowns. ‘We’re calling for an urgent meeting of Canada’s First Ministers to take immediate action to address this crisis facing the 8 million kids in our country,’ reads a press release, published last week by the Children First Canada group.

“‘Across Canada, COVID-19 has led to devastating effects on the mental and physical health of kids. School closures, the lack of access to sports and recreational programs, and social isolation have led to devasting effects on the health and well-being of kids. The urgency to support children and youth has never been greater…’

“Children First Canada said that according to Children’s Healthcare Canada, there has been a 100 percent increase in youth suicide attempts, while McMaster Children’s Hospital reported a staggering 200 percent increase.”

Oregon Objects…

week.com wrote on May 25:

“On May 18, Gov. Kate Brown offered Oregon businesses a choice not available anywhere else in the nation: They could allow vaccinated patrons not to wear their masks—after checking vaccine cards at the door. Two weeks later, the verdict is clear: a resounding thumbs down. Not a single major retailer or venue in the Portland metro area has taken Brown up on the offer. Business owners don’t want to ask for proof. ‘I just don’t believe that it’s a private citizen’s responsibility to ask another private citizen anything to do with their health,’ says Rep. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles), who owns Maupin’s Stoves & Spas, which sells wood stoves, hot tubs and barbecues. ‘Most people believe that they’ve got that right to privacy. You’re putting that frontline worker in a really awkward spot with some people that are very passionate on both extremes of this issue.’

“In all, 31 states no longer require anyone to wear a mask indoors, if they ever did. Four states still require masks for everyone. But Oregon appears to be the outlier among the 15 remaining states that require masks indoors only for the unvaccinated. In the other 14 states, masking up is based on an honor system. That’s what federal officials proposed, too. Only Oregon required businesses to card people.

“A May 25 letter signed by 10 national business associations to top Biden administration officials called Oregon’s requirement for shops to check vaccine cards ‘alarming.’ The letter’s signatories ranged from the National Grocers Association to the National Association of Truck Stop Operators…

“The governor isn’t willing to change course quite yet, but officials in her office admit checking vaccine cards wasn’t a popular idea… Masks, of course, have become a political wedge issue. Vaccines, too. The underlying culture war made asking for proof of vaccination to remove a mask particularly difficult…”

However, with Oregon’s left wing radical policies, one wonders what the governor is going to do next.

Coronavirus Created through Laboratory Manipulation?

Daily Mail reported on May 28:

“In a new 22-page scientific paper… Norwegian scientist Dr. Birger Sørensen and British Professor Angus Dalgleish concluded ‘SARS-Coronavirus-2 has no credible natural ancestor’ and that it is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that the virus was created through ‘laboratory manipulation.’

“The study, due to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, is set to make waves among the scientific community, as the majority of experts have until recently staunchly denied the origins of COVID-19 were anything other than a natural infection leaping from animals to humans. While analyzing COVID-19 samples last year in an attempt to create a vaccine, Dalgleish and Sørensen claim they discovered ‘unique fingerprints’ in the virus that they say could only have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory.

“They said they tried to publish their findings but were rejected by major scientific journals which were at the time resolute that the virus jumped naturally from bats or other animals to humans.”

The Daily Mail published this opinion piece on May 28:

“The liberal media have finally conceded that COVID-19 may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory – after a year spent ridiculing the suggestion… most mainstream media disputed the claims, dismissing them outright or even decrying them as racist.

“When Donald Trump, on May 1, 2020, said he had ‘a high degree of confidence’ that the virus escaped from a lab, the New York Times, CNN, [The Washington Post] and NPR were quick to mock his comments. CNN, which by the end of the Trump administration was brazen in its hostility to the president and his advisors, was almost gleeful in its mockery of the idea that the virus could have come from a laboratory… Some outlets, such as the Huffington Post, even branded any suggestion the virus could have stemmed from a lab as a ‘toxic conspiracy theory.’

“Few were able to suggest that COVID-19 could have stemmed from a research facility without backlash but that didn’t stop some media, including the Daily Mail, from questioning the narrative…”

Whatever the truth, to suppress and ridicule these findings, because they do not fit in their imagined paradigm, only shows how manipulative, dishonest and propagandistic the mass media and scientific journals are. The suppression of true facts by scientists—many of them being agnostics or atheists–regarding the false narrative of the Evolution theory is a prime example.  

The Sun added on May 29:

“… the scientists place blame squarely on the same Chinese lab researchers in Wuhan for attempting to cover their tracks. There was ‘deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data’ in Chinese labs and ‘Chinese scientists who wished to share their knowledge have not been able to do so or have disappeared,’ according to the paper…”

Censorship Galore

Breitbart reported on May 28:

“YouTube, the Google-owned video platform, blocked a news clip of a mother in Georgia objecting to mask mandates for children, according to reports from Grabien Media founder Tom Elliott. Grabien is a popular video clipping service that provides news clips and other material to media outlets. Its founder, Tom Elliott, slammed YouTube for censoring his clip…

“The clip shows a woman condemning local elected officials in Georgia for continuing mask mandates for children. ‘Forcing 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9-year-old little children to cover their noses and their mouths, where they breathe, for 7 hours a day, every day for the last nine months, for a virus that you know doesn’t affect them, that is not in their best interest,’ says the mother…

“‘Parents are allowed to express opinions over whether their children should be forced into wearing masks. Parents’ perspectives are a valid part of the public debate. This mother does not represent herself as a doctor or medical expert,’ Elliott [said]. ‘Incidentally the WHO agrees with this mother that there is currently no scientific basis for compelling all children to wear masks indoors/outdoors as a measure to stop the spread of Covid. So YouTube’s “medical misinformation” claim is entirely false.’

“Elliott said that he appealed YouTube’s decision through the platform’s official channels, but his appeal was rejected… Breitbart News reached out to Google, which owns YouTube, for comment. Google did not respond with any statement on the record at the time of publication.”

How far are the mass media and their outlets willing to go to suppress any opinions which are not in harmony with their agenda? Note the next article.

Deliberate Lies by CNN

Newsmax wrote on May 28:

“Legal scholar Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax… on Friday that his lawsuit against CNN for defamation is ‘not about me, it’s about misleading thousands and thousands of people.’ CNN filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss the suit…

“[Dershowitz explained:] ‘I said the president could be impeached if he committed crimes … they doctored the tape to make me say the president couldn’t be impeached even if he committed unlawful or illegal conduct. ‘They simply distorted my words, the judge looked at it, he said, “No, they don’t get the benefit of the fair-reporting privilege … their reporting was unfair.” They didn’t accurately reflect what I said, and I’m gonna be able to prove it made a deliberate, willful, malicious decision from the top down to doctor my tape in order to make me say exactly the opposite of what I said.’”

“‘…we will be able to depose Jeffrey Zucker, the head of CNN, we’ll be able to depose those who made the decision to edit the tape…’”

Incredible… but not surprising…

Trump to Return in August?

Mediaite wrote on June 1:

“Former President Donald Trump is telling people that he expects to get reinstated in the White House by August, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Haberman shared this rather stunning detail in response to a CNN segment from Donie O’Sullivan.  The video features a number of QAnon followers lauding a Myanmar-style coup of the U.S. government to replace President Joe Biden with Trump. Haberman wrote, ‘Trump has been telling a number of people he’s in contact with that he expects he will be reinstated by August’ with an important parenthetical caveat that states ‘(no that isn’t how it works but simply sharing the information).’

“Her comments do not come in a vacuum either. A number of Trump toadies have made similar comments before and during the QAnon conference that was held in Dallas, Texas over the weekend.

“Former National Security Advisor to Trump Michael Flynn… appeared to argue on behalf of a Myanmar-style coup during the QAnon conference… Sidney Powell also stated during the QAnon conference that Trump should be reinstated as president. Why? Because according to the former Trump attorney there was ‘abject fraud and obtaining a coup of the United States of America.’…

“Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow and massive advertiser on Fox News prime time… insisted with Steven Bannon last week that ‘Donald Trump will be back in office in August,’ vowing to file a lawsuit that will confirm evidence of voter fraud during the 2020 election. So Flynn, Powell, and Lindell are all advocating some sort of reinsertion of Trump into office, though there is no Constitutional way for that to happen. And according to the reliably well-sourced Haberman, Trump himself is promoting the idea that he will be back in office by late summer.”

Due to the inconsistent and contradictory statements in the article itself, unless this is “fake news” and short of a violent insurrection and civil war, this could not happen. Still, CNN covered it in great detail, obviously fearing that a return of Trump might happen in the future.

Abortion Industry Condemns New Texas Law

Live Action wrote on May 26:

“The abortion industry is coming out swinging against the recently passed heartbeat bill in Texas. Under the new law… elective abortions are not allowed after a preborn child’s heartbeat can be detected. And abortion activists are wasting no time condemning it.

“The Biden administration attacked the new law in a press conference, in which White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reminded Americans of Biden’s unwavering support for abortion. ‘This is the most restrictive measure yet in the nation, and the most restrictive, recent assault on women’s fundamental rights under Roe v. Wade and critical rights continue to come under weathering and extreme attack around the country,’ Psaki said. “But certainly the president supports and believes we should codify Roe v. Wade. And that is his view regardless of these backward-looking steps that are being taken… by states.’…

“Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson responded to the bill…  calling it ‘diabolical’ and vowing to fight back…

“Despite the hysterics from the abortion industry, polling found that 49% of Texas voters support a ban on abortions after six weeks, about the time an embryonic heartbeat can be detected. A third of Texans would also support an outright ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Research has found that the heart begins to beat as early as 16 days after fertilization. What is actually… ‘diabolical’ is abortion itself, which exists solely to kill an innocent human being in an extremely violent manner.”

America’s Catholic President supports what God condemns.

Rainbow Index of Christian Churches—Schism in Catholic Church

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

 “The first ‘Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe in 2020’ (RICE 2020) that ranks Christian church groups in Europe by their ‘LGBTI inclusivity’ was released in April.

“‘The Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe uses 47 indicators of LGBTI ‘inclusivity,’ including the following:

“‘The Bible is not used as a normative instrument for defining gender roles and is not interpreted as a condemnation of LGBTI people or of LGBTI lived desires, sexualities, and identities.

“‘The church officiates ‘same-sex marriages’ and/or holds a blessing ceremony for same-sex couples.

“‘Transgender persons receive a special blessing when they present their new name and/or identity in church.

“‘Cis-hetero women and openly LGBTI people are admitted in seminary (institute for ministerial education and formation).The church supports the adoption and raising of children by LGBTI couples.

“‘The liturgical language in prayer or worship books is sensitive to gender issues and sexual orientation.

“These indicators were measured by a questionnaire used to assess the LGBTI ‘inclusivity’ of a variety of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, which were then ranked according to their index score…

“Leading the list of churches for their ‘inclusivity’ scores are the Metropolitan Community Church in Finland (the majority of whose members are LGBT), the Church of Sweden, and the Protestant Church in Switzerland. Notably, despite Catholic Church teaching acknowledging the grave immorality of homosexual acts, the Roman Catholic Church in Germany ranks fairly high on the church ranking list, with an index score of 25 out of 47.

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, ‘Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Cf. Genesis 19:1-29; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:10), tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’…  They are contrary to the natural law… Under no circumstances can they be approved.’…

“The Catholic Church in Germany earned half a point for ‘ordination of female/LGBTI clergy,’ half a point for ‘celibacy not required for LGBTI,’ and another half a point for ‘no support of “traditional” family associations.’ It remains to be seen whether their index score will be ‘upgraded’ after taking into account the recent widespread offering of public blessings to homosexual couples by Catholic priests in Germany, who are enabled by their bishops.

“… The German bishops’ defiance of Catholic Church teaching is one of the main reasons clergy like Cardinal Raymond Burke consider Germany to be in schism ‘that is real if not declared.’ The blessings of homosexual couples by German priests were carried out in open defiance of Church doctrine and the Vatican’s recent ban on same-sex blessings…  The Code of Canon law defines schism as ‘the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.’

“The Roman Catholic Church in Malta, Austria, France, and Italy all rank after Germany… The Roman Catholic Church in Poland falls at the bottom of both the Roman Catholic Church list and the overall church list, with an index score of 1 out of 47. In response to the strong pro-family stances of ‘some EU countries, notably Poland and Hungary,’ the European Parliament declared the European Union an ‘LGBTIQ Freedom Zone’ on March 11… In November, the European Commission announced that it wants to make ‘hate speech’ and ‘hate crimes’ EU crimes in 2021 and impose mutual recognition of ‘rainbow families’ across the European Union by 2022.

“EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced during the State of the Union address  at the European Parliament, ‘LGBTQI-free zones are humanity-free zones. And they have no place in our Union,’ she said in reference to resolutions in Poland to protect the family and children from gender ideology.”

Sodom and Gomorrah…

Canadian Persecution of Churches Continues

Global News wrote on May 31:

“Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas on Monday ordered $66,000 in new fines and costs against the Church of God and two of its leaders after he ruled they have continued to defy a court order to avoid gatherings despite the provincial stay-at-home order. Earlier this year, Thomas had ordered the Church of God to stop holding indoor gatherings that exceed provincial limits. On April 30, Thomas had found the church had defied his orders after he viewed a number of Sunday services that were streamed online by the church. On May 14, the church, along with two of its pastors, were dealt more than $100,000 in fines, with the church ordered to be locked up until the province allows for indoor church gatherings at 30 per cent capacity. The church returned to court on Monday for a second contempt ruling after it was accused of having defied Thomas’ order soon after being handed down the fines. In the three Sundays since the fines were handed down, Aylmer police have laid charges for outdoor services held at the church on May 16, May 23 and May 30,  all of which were streamed online by the church…

“The church’s lawyer, Lisa Bildy, reiterated a number of arguments she had made in previous hearings. This included referring to COVID-19 restrictions as ‘destructive to liberal democracy’… Bildy added that the ‘burden of all of this enforcement has fallen to the church without any evidence whatsoever that their continuing to meet has caused any outbreaks or illness, let alone death, over the last year.’..

“Thomas issued the following fines after ruling the church was again in contempt: $35,000 from the Church of God; $20,000 from pastor Henry Hildebrandt; $6,000 from assistant pastor Peter Wall; $5,000 in legal costs… All fines are to be paid immediately.”

What is occurring in Canada, with the aid of a corrupt legal system, is shameful and ungodly.

Black Matter and Einstein’s Error?

Business Insider reported on May 29:

“Astronomers have created the most comprehensive map yet of all the dark matter in the universe. That’s no easy feat, considering dark matter is invisible. Scientists know this shadowy cousin of regular matter exists, though, because its strong gravitational forces can pull entire galaxies together. Based on observations of its influence, astronomers estimate that dark matter makes up one-quarter of the universe.

“The new map is the product of years of work by a group of 400 scientists from seven countries, known as the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They pointed the Victor M. Blanco Telescope in Chile skyward to peek at millions of galaxies bound together by dark matter. The distribution of those galaxies, and the ways in which light from them reaches Earth, can inform astronomers about how much dark matter sits between those galaxies and our planet.

“In a series of studies published this week, the team showed that the universe is peppered with giant clusters of galaxies bunched together — regions where dark matter, too, is densely packed. But their map, which covers about one-eighth of the sky as seen from Earth, also documents patches of the universe that are nearly devoid of both dark matter and galaxies. These cluttered and empty areas appear to be connected by interstellar gas in a cosmic web.

“According to [Niall] Jeffrey, a cosmologist at University College London, the new findings suggest that gravity may not work the same way in these voids as it does on Earth, which would mean the standard laws of physics do not apply… According to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity should have caused chunks of matter in the universe to clump up in a predictable way after the Big Bang some 13 billion years ago.

“But according to Jeffrey… Einstein’s theory may have missed the mark to some degree… ‘it may mean there’s something wrong with Einstein’s theory of general relativity, one of the great pillars of physics.’”

Without even attempting to utter an opinion on the “matter,” it is always astonishing to see how much – or how little – scientists seem to know about the origin of the universe and how it functions. Even seemingly established “theories” are coming under scrutiny. The biblical revelation, that it was GOD who created and designed the universe “in the beginning”, and that Christ sustains and upholds it by His mighty word, is dismissed outright.

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 Fragile Ceasefire “Agreement”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 21:

“Both sides in the fighting hailed the cease-fire as a win.

“A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the offensive in Gaza yielded ‘significant achievements […] some of which are unprecedented.’ Some right-wing figures in Israel accused Netanyahu of ending the conflict too soon, with the conflict ending inconclusively.  In a speech later on Friday, the prime minister said that Israel would respond with ‘a new level of force against any expression of aggression against communities around Gaza and any other part of Israel.’’

“A Hamas official told a rally in Gaza that the cease-fire was a ‘victory for the Palestinian people’…

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who visited Israel and Ramallah on Thursday, welcomed the truce… ‘Now we have to deal with the causes, rebuild trust and find a solution to the Middle East conflict,’ he said…

“Tensions began earlier this month when several Palestinian families living in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah were threatened with eviction from their homes. Jewish settlers claim the properties were owned by Jews prior to 1948. Israel  postponed the court hearing on the case in order to defuse tensions. The situation escalated further when Israeli security forces dispersed worshippers at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem [due to the violence of Muslim worshippers].

“Last week, Hamas threatened to fire rockets at Israel, unless Israeli forces left the Temple Mount. Israel refused to have its troops vacate the premises. Hamas then launched rockets towards Jerusalem. In response, the Israeli military launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli military called the operation against Hamas ‘Guardian of the Walls,’ a reference to Jerusalem. Hamas called its attacks against Israel ‘Sword of Jerusalem.’ The fighting was the worst between the two sides since a 50-day war in 2014…”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“Fresh clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police broke out at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday. The unrest occurred after Friday prayers at the mosque compound, just hours after an Egypt-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza after almost two weeks of fighting… Clashes between police and protesters at the mosque compound had been a key factor in starting the conflict between Hamas and the Israeli military…

“A spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas, said on the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel: ‘The decision to resume rocket attacks on Israel remains an option.’

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday described Israel’s 11-day bombardment of Palestinian armed groups in Gaza as an ‘exceptional success. We achieved our goals in the operation,’ Netanyahu said, adding that ‘the public doesn’t know everything’ about Israel’s gains in the operation ‘and neither does Hamas.’

“Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya called the Gaza cease-fire ‘a victory’’ for the militant group. Al-Hayya claims Israel failed to destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure, and says the group’s fighters are still ‘striding proudly’’ in the underground tunnels.”

The Algemeiner wrote on May 23:

“Israel will preemptively strike at Hamas targets if it is determined that the Gaza terrorist group is preparing to launch rockets, a top Likud minister said. [Israel’s new security doctrine] will include the ability for the Israeli military to not wait until after rockets are fired to conduct strikes if it is determined that Hamas is restocking its rocket arsenal and preparing to attack… He also would not rule out conquering Gaza to remove Hamas from power, but only as a last resort because of the high cost of a ground invasion.”

Times of Israel added on May 21:

“Thousands of people demonstrate[d] in Jordan to celebrate the ‘victory of the resistance’ against Israel… Responding to a call by the Muslim Brotherhood, some 10,000 people… gathered… near the border with the Israeli-occupied West Bank… Demonstrators carr[ied] Jordanian and Palestinian flags and chanted ‘death to Israel’ and ‘let’s trade the olive branch for the gun.’ … many youths dressed in Jordanian and Palestinian keffiyeh scarves burned Israeli flags and chanted slogans against the peace deal…”

Similar antisemitic and Hitler-admiring demonstrations took place in London over the weekend.

“… until al-Aqsa Is Liberated”

The Times of Israel wrote on May 21:

“Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh… thanked Iran for the funds and weaponry it has provided to the Strip. ‘This battle has destroyed the project of “coexistence” with the Israeli occupation, of the project “normalization” with Israel,’ Haniyeh said…, apparently referring to the widespread clashes between Israeli Arabs and Jews and Israel’s recent peace agreements with four Arab nations… ‘This is a divine victory…This harsh blow will leave a deep impact on [Israel],’ Haniyeh said, later adding: ‘Praise to you, God, for this blessed, awesome victory.’

“… Haniyeh also vowed to continue to focus on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount ‘until Al-Aqsa Mosque is liberated.’ …”

Israel 365 wrote on May 23:

“On Friday, a brushfire crept up the southern slope of the Temple Mount, threatening the Aqsa Mosque. Though the cause of the fire is unknown, Arab violence inside Israel, most especially in Jerusalem, increased on Friday as the ceasefire with Hamas took effect. Arson is frequently used by Arab terrorists to attack the land of Israel and the Temple Mount, which the uninformed believe is revered by Muslims… Two weeks ago, on Jerusalem Day, Arab rioters set a tree on fire that was adjacent to the Aqsa Mosque.”

But why would Arab terrorists who are determined to “liberate” the al-Aqsa mosque try to set it on fire? Perhaps by blaming the Jews and in order to provoke a hostile confrontation and gain support of the international community?  

Anti-Israel and Antisemitism

Israel Today wrote on May 21:

“…the thin line between anti-Israel and antisemitism seems to always be crossed… Protesters shouting ‘Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning,’ were recorded in rallies being held in Europe. Increasing numbers of antisemitic attacks have also been reported in the US..

“Remarkably, the current wave of antisemitism is not present among your average citizens alone. International diplomats have been filmed spreading antisemitic tropes as well…

“Israel is portrayed as a villain by the mere fact of possessing more military might than Hamas.

“… While the disparity in numbers of casualties is vital, acts of violence themselves are given far less attention. It seems to matter less that almost all of Hamas’s more than 4,000 rockets were aimed at civilian population centers and not military targets. Each one of those is a severe war crime according to international law and carried the potential of harming non-combatant Israelis. The fact that Israel has advanced technology that is highly successful in intercepting those rockets does not make the act of violence itself less severe…

“One lesson from the global reaction to this conflict, whether we are talking about power disparity or antisemitism, is that there is increasing pressure to choose one side, giving them unconditional support—either for Israel or for the Palestinians—and to vilify the other. We need to come to a point where we can recognize the pain and suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians…”

In a related article, Israel Today wrote on May 21:

“Hamas and its supporters are not just fighting the State of Israel, but the Jewish people as a whole… if the… images of victory celebrations tell you anything it’s that this will most definitely not be the last Gaza war. Hamas has convinced too many people that despite the heavy cost, they ‘won,’ and can do so again.”

The Times of Israel added on May 21:

“There has been a ‘dangerous and drastic surge’ in antisemitism in the US, and around the world, in recent days linked to the fighting between Israel and terror groups in the Gaza Strip, the Anti-Defamation League said… ‘It’s happening around the world— from London to Los Angeles, from France to Florida, in big cities like New York and in small towns, and across every social media platform.’

“The ADL said it has documented antisemitism on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, with messages including explicit praise for Hitler, promoting tropes about Jewish control and demonizing all Jews. The group said extreme antisemitic and anti-Zionist content can be found across a wide variety of channels calling for the destruction of the Jewish state…The ADL says it found more than 17,000 tweets using variations of the phrase, ‘Hitler was right’ between May 7 and May 14, 2021…

“The Israeli Consulate in New York on Friday said the wave of protests was more violent than previously seen in the area, even when tensions were high. ‘The demonstrations are larger, more toxic, and unfortunately also more violent. There is a direct connection between Hamas’ stated agenda which is sworn to Israel’s destruction and the slogans of the demonstrators that undermine the legitimacy of Israel as the Jewish nation-state,’ the consulate said in a statement.”

The Curse for Appeasing Iran

Israel 365 wrote on May 21:

“Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo harshly criticized the Biden administration for its blatant efforts to appease Iran by going out of its way to avoid explicitly stating the Islamic regime’s involvement in the Hamas terror group’s firing of more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians from its base in the Gaza Strip…

“Pompeo noted that Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy in Lebanon on Israel’s northern border, is a ‘real risk’ to security, as it has ‘enormous amounts of precision-guided munitions,’ and is ‘watching closely’ and ‘performing their own strategic calculation as well. According to Pompeo, ‘the isolation of Iran led to deterrence. Now, Iran is sitting in Vienna. They know they will get billions of dollars…’”

Democratic Party Divided over Israel

Fox News reported on May 21:

“President Biden said that there has been ‘no shift’ in his commitment to Israel and that the Democratic Party still supports the Jewish state, despite heated and sometimes vitriolic criticism of Israel over the past ten days by progressives… He again called for a two-state solution in the region…

“Press secretary Jen Psaki had offered a similar sentiment hours earlier. She said the White House has ‘no plans’ to alter security assistance to Israel, as progressives came down hard against a $735 million arms sale to the Jewish state and the billions allotted in foreign aid each year… Sen. Bernie Sanders… introduced a resolution Thursday to force a vote on whether to block the weapons sale to Israel. Progressive ‘Squad’ members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., introduced similar legislation in the House…

“Last Friday, 140 progressive groups, including Justice Democrats, Sunrise Movement, MoveOn and the Working Families Party, released a joint statement condemning Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Black Lives Matter declared ‘solidarity with Palestinians’ this week… The Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement of support for Palestinians last week, condemning the ‘ongoing ethnic cleansing’ it suggests Israel is engaged in.”

Israel 365 wrote on May 23:

“‘Bipartisan support for Israel has been a hallmark of American politics for decades. Mainstream America continues to strongly support Israel, but these numbers reveal a shocking new trend among Democrats. Increasing majorities actually blame the Jewish State for the current violence, rather than Hamas and Iran, who are openly anti-Semitic, genocidal and celebrate the killing of civilians,’ said Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action. ‘Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi have lost control of their party, as extremists like Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep Ilhan Omar, and Sen Bernie Sanders—and their supporters—are now leading a far-left foreign policy agenda in which state-sponsored terrorism, anti-Semitism, and genocide are in and representative democracy and human rights are out.’”

Grand Jury to Decide Trump’s Fate

MSN wrote on May 25:

“Manhattan’s [Democratic] district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges… The panel was convened recently and will sit three days a week for six months. It is likely to hear several matters — not just the Trump case ­— during the duration of its term…

“The move indicates that District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.’s investigation of the former president and his business has reached an advanced stage after more than two years. It suggests, too, that Vance believes he has found evidence of a crime — if not by Trump then by someone potentially close to him or by his company… His investigators are scrutinizing Trump’s business practices before he was president, including whether the value of specific properties in the Trump Organization’s real estate portfolio were manipulated in a way that defrauded banks and insurance companies, and if any tax benefits were obtained illegally through unscrupulous asset valuation. The district attorney also is examining the compensation provided to top Trump Organization executives, people familiar with the matter have said.

“In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Trump called the grand jury seating ‘a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.’ ‘This is purely political, and an affront to the almost 75 million voters who supported me in the Presidential Election, and it’s being driven by highly partisan Democrat prosecutors,’ Trump said. ‘Our Country is broken, our elections are rigged, corrupt, and stolen, our prosecutors are politicized, and I will just have to keep on fighting like I have been for the last five years!’…

“Trump has never been criminally charged. No former U.S. president has ever been charged with a crime.”

Vance works together with Attorney General Letitia James, another Democrat. It surely appears that the Democratic “witch hunt” against Trump is continuing. But it might backfire, as it did with previous attempts.

Dictatorial Fascist Regulations in Oregon

The Ron Paul Institute republished an article by Jordan Schachtel on May 21, which originally appeared in “The Dossier”:

“If you want to participate in Oregon society without being forced to wear a mask, you better have your paperwork in order. The state is now requiring individuals to display ‘proof of vaccination’ if they’d like to take their masks off indoors, Oregon’s Health Authority has announced. In rejecting the more practical and individual liberty embracing “honor system” approach that we’ve seen across the United States, the authorities in Salem are taking the fascist policy route…

“Oregon finally ended its outdoor mask mandate, a full year and a half into Covid Mania. And in exchange for ‘granting’ systems the freedom to breathe fresh air, they will now be forced to show ‘proof of vaccination’ if they want to participate in society… It would be worth seriously debating the merits of this authoritarian insanity if in fact Oregon could demonstrate that they were ‘following the science’ on this issue, but it’s clear that this order has nothing to do with science, and everything to do with power and control…

“First and foremost, there is no comprehensive trial that shows masks actually work at preventing COVID-19, so the premise for the mask policy is false. There is no evidence that cloth masks help stop the spread of a submicroscopic infectious particle. In fact, there is more evidence demonstrating that masks may act as a vector for disease transmission.

“Second, if vaccines work to protect people from serious outcomes related to COVID-19, what exactly is the point of demanding that businesses force customers to show their vaccine papers?… If the vaccine protects individuals from people who choose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, then there is no particular threat to anyone but those who choose to opt out. There is zero science behind the idea of a COVID-19 vaccine passport.

“It seems that the next steps for Oregon are obvious. That may come in the form of a more streamlined digital vaccine passport system, as we’ve seen in places like New York and Hawaii… Another side effect of this fascistic dystopian policy is the reality that people will be encouraged to wear their ‘vaccine credentials’ to complement their mask, as a ‘practical measure’ to be allowed entry into a business. It will be understood as the ultimate virtue signal, and a sign of complete obedience to authority, should Oregonians have both a mask on and a vaccine card readily on display.

“With the corrupt policies being pursued by the authorities in statewide office, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that not everyone in the state is thrilled with the policies being pushed by Salem. On Tuesday, 5 Oregon counties voted in favor of leaving the state and becoming part of Idaho.”

The RIGHT to REFUSE

Newsmax wrote on May 23:

“Having already contracted COVID-19, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he is not going to get vaccination for the virus, because he already has developed natural immunity. ‘Until they show me evidence that people who have already had the infection are dying in large numbers, or being hospitalized or getting very sick, I just made my own personal decision that I’m not getting vaccinated because I’ve already had the disease and I have natural immunity,’ Paul [said]…

“Scientists have speculated – without empirical evidence – the immunity to the virus might not last after six months. Still, Paul, both an ophthalmologist and one of Congress’ stout conservative thinkers, defended one’s right to refuse being vaccinated. ‘In a free country you would think people would honor the idea that each individual would get to make the medical decision, that it wouldn’t be a Big Brother coming to tell me what I have to do,’ Paul [said].

He is absolutely right. But Big Brother’s propaganda and autocratic governmental measures will increase.

The Pressure and Incentives for Vaccinations

CBS News wrote on May 25:

“Half of adult Americans have received all of their COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to figures published Tuesday by the CDC… the nationwide pace of people receiving their first dose has slowly picked up, after plummeting to a record low last month not seen since the earliest weeks of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in January.

“State and local health officials have attributed part of the recent uptick to a flood of interest from parents seeking to vaccinate their children, following federal health officials clearing Pfizer’s shots for recipients as young as 12 earlier this month.  Moderna said Tuesday that it will also seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to give its COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents age 12 and up, after data indicated the shot had high efficacy at preventing the illness in teens.

“White House officials also praised efforts by state governments and businesses to boost vaccinations in recent weeks, like multiple states’ decisions to award millions in lottery prizes for vaccinated residents. The inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services also told providers this week that hospitals likely would not run afoul of federal ‘kickback’ laws if they offered rewards for patients getting their COVID-19 vaccine.

“However, the CDA’s data still shows nine states — Georgia, Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi — have yet to record even a first dose for more than half of their adult residents. Nearly 40% of Americans overall have not begun even their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the data…

“Meanwhile, calls have grown for the U.S. to speed sharing its surplus of COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad. At the World Health Assembly on Monday, the World Health Organization’s director-general criticized countries that were vaccinating children and low-risk residents ‘at the expense of health workers and high-risk groups in other countries.’”

The propaganda and pressure of the mass media and the US federal and state governments is just sickening. But it’s not just happening in the USA.. far from it. Note the next article.

Greetings from “New Normal” Germany

On May 26, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by C.J. Hopkins, which originally appeared in “Consent Factory”:

“On April 1, 1933, shortly after Hitler was appointed chancellor, the Nazis staged a boycott of Jewish businesses in Germany. Members of the Storm Troopers… stood around outside of Jewish-owned stores with Gothic-lettered placards reading ‘Germans! Defend yourselves! Do not buy from Jews!’ The boycott itself was a total disaster — most Germans ignored it and just went on with their lives — but it was the beginning of the official persecution of the Jews and totalitarianism in Nazi Germany.

“Last week, here in ‘New Normal’ Germany, the government… implemented a social-segregation system that bans anyone who refuses to publicly conform to the official ‘New Normal’ ideology from participating in German society. From now on, only those who have an official ‘vaccination pass’ or proof of a negative PCR test are allowed to sit down and eat at restaurants, shop at ‘non-essential’ stores, or go to bars, or the cinema, or wherever…

“The fact that the vast majority of Germans clicked their heels and started mindlessly following orders, like they did in Nazi Germany, the moment the ‘New Normal’ was introduced last year doesn’t mean that all Germans are fascists by nature. Most Americans did the same thing. So did the British, the Australians, the Spanish, the French, the Canadians, and a long list of others. It’s just that, well, I happen to live here, so I’ve watched as Germany has been transformed into “New Normal Germany” up close and personal, and it has definitely made an impression on me.

“The ease with which the German authorities implemented the new official ideology, and how fanatically it has been embraced by the majority of Germans, came as something of a shock. I had naively believed that, in light of their history, the Germans would be among the first to recognize a nascent totalitarian movement predicated on textbook Goebbelsian Big Lies… and would resist it en masse, or at least take a moment to question the lies their leaders were hysterically barking at them.

“I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Here we are, over a year later, and waiters and shop clerks are ‘checking papers’ to enforce compliance with the new official ideology…”

Very sad indeed… but in total line with biblical prophecy…

Who Gives Europe the Authority?

Express wrote on May 21:

“BRUSSELS’ plot to issue guidance on future health crises across the world has sparked outrage in the UK.

“EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was launching a ‘Global Health Policy Forum’ this morning, as she delivered a speech in Rome for the G20 health summit… The boasting statement sparked the fury of former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney who questioned the EU executive leader’s authority on matters of health after her poor handling of the bloc’s vaccination strategy. He blasted: ‘What gives the EU authority on “Global Health Policy” when their last response to global health was to blockade vaccine exports to the UK and Australia?’

“Earlier this year, the Commission threatened the UK with a ban on vaccine exports and Italy blocked a shipment of jabs reserved for Australia. Leaders of the world’s largest economies kicked off a global health summit on Friday, where drugmakers were expected to promise cut-price supplies of vaccines for poorer nations to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Group of 20 nations looked set to call for voluntary licensing and technology transfers to enable a rapid increase in vaccine production, but will sidestep a push from the United States and other nations to waive valuable patents for shots. The European Union also promised to set up vaccination manufacturing hubs in Africa, which faces a dearth of doses…

“Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in an opening speech: ‘As we prepare for the next pandemic, our priority must be to ensure that we all overcome the current one together. We must vaccinate the world, and do it fast.’… An array of leaders, including the presidents of China, India, France and South Africa, are due to address the meeting along with the heads of multinational organisations, the US philanthropist Bill Gates and numerous health experts. However, US President Joe Biden was not listed among the speakers, organisers said…”

The Bible makes very clear who is giving Europe its authority.

Europe’s Fight for “Peace”

The Guardian wrote on May 19:

“The EU was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2012 in recognition of ‘six decades of promoting peace and reconciliation’ in Europe. In his acceptance speech in Oslo, the then president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, said the world could ‘count on our efforts to fight for lasting peace, freedom and justice’. Yet less than a decade on, the EU is taking two big steps to bolster its defence capacity and engage in military conflicts through training and equipping governments outside the bloc. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic these developments have slipped under the radar, but they represent a significant expansion in security policy with wide-ranging consequences.

“An €8bn (£6.9bn) European defence fund (EDF), aimed at developing and acquiring new weapons and technology for militaries within the EU and abroad, was agreed last December. The EU also recently launched the European peace facility (EPF), a mechanism that will boost the bloc’s ability to provide training and equipment – including, for the first time, weapons – to non-European military forces around the world. France and Germany, the commission, and a majority of MEPs have pushed for these tools to boost European power abroad. They point to conflicts in the Middle East, the Sahel and Ukraine, and the more isolationist direction the US took under the Trump administration, as justification…

“But a vociferous network of peace activists, critical MEPs and campaigners accuses the EU of abandoning its founding principles and giving in to lobbying from the arms industry for more public funding…”

Good Relations between EU and Vatican

Vatican News wrote on May 22:

“During their private meeting, Pope Francis and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the European Union, including the initiatives underway to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations… Both leaders… looked at… issues of common interest, such as the social consequences of the pandemic, and the topics of migration, climate change, and recent developments in the Middle East.

“Von der Leyen [said:]

“The relations between the Holy See, the Vatican, and the European Union are excellent. And 50 years this shows how much we are like-minded. The good cooperation is basically based on sharing the same values…”

More than 50 years ago, the Treaty of Rome was signed, on March 25, 1957.

Europe’s Own Destination

Politico wrote on May 25:

“… some leaders took note of the fact that the Biden White House had not given them any formal heads up before the announcement on Monday that a deal had been reached to hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva next month. A discussion at the EU summit on Tuesday about the coronavirus pandemic also touched on Biden’s proposal to lift patent protections for vaccines — an announcement that blindsided European leaders and drew questions and criticism, including from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the move would not quickly increase vaccine production…

“There is little doubt transatlantic relations are vastly improved since the departure of Trump, who took pleasure in berating European allies… Last week, Brussels and Washington reached a deal to prevent an escalation on June 1 of the EU’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon and other products that were imposed in response to Trump’s tariffs on European steel and aluminum. The sides said they were ready to begin discussions to address global excess steel capacity….

“But European leaders have also bristled at the presumption among Biden administration officials that EU allies will dutifully follow Washington’s lead. For instance, NATO allies complained that they were given little advance warning once Biden had made a decision on a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, after he took months to ponder his plans.

“And there was strong pushback against the patent waiver idea among leaders at another EU summit in Portugal earlier this month. EU officials said it doesn’t help that more than four months after Biden’s inauguration, the president still has not nominated an ambassador to the EU or to NATO….

“All of this has contributed to a sense in some EU capitals, including Paris, that the EU must demonstrate strategic independence — a sentiment that will frame some of the discussions at next month’s summit of G7 leaders in the U.K. and a NATO leaders’ summit in Brussels.

“… the EU felt no obligation to touch base with the White House before announcing its measures against Belarus and the country’s strongman president, Alexander Lukashenko. ‘They didn’t tell us that they were going to announce their summit with Putin,’ [an EU]  official said. ‘Why should we talk to them first before reacting to something that happened in our own backyard?’

“EU legal services and other officials are now scrambling to develop specific proposals for new sanctions against Belarus, including identifying ‘entities’ — likely government-owned or controlled corporations — that can be targeted because they had a role in the forced landing of the Ryanair jet and the arrest of the political opposition activist Roman Protasevich…

“After the summit on Tuesday, Merkel noted that the EU unity on responding to Belarus highlighted continuing disagreements among the 27 member countries over relations and policy toward Russia. If EU countries can’t find consensus among themselves, it’s hard to expect full agreement with Washington, London, Ottawa or Tokyo, other diplomats said.

“Another senior official said those inevitable differences were a reason for Europe to chart its own path… ‘Transatlantic relationships can add the United States and others of course. But it’s important also to have our own vision of Europe in the short term, the mid term, the long term when it comes to our priorities.’”

This vision includes the inevitable development of a Europe with two speeds… and the rise of a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations.

Empowering Germany

Express wrote on May 26:

“JOE Biden’s decision to waive sanctions against the company constructing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will simply ‘empower’ Germany in its ambition to create a European army, a Tory MP has claimed. Daniel Kawczynski said there was increasing concern among his colleagues about the controversial project, which will bring liquified gas directly from Germany to Russia, and which critics claims runs counter to the principles of both the European Union and NATO. Speaking yesterday, Mr Biden said he decided not to impose sanctions because the project was almost complete, and doing so could have harmed ties with Europe.

“Mr Kawczysnki, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, a persistent critic of the project, [said:] ‘I think we had seen with Belarus what the Russian axis is capable of, even jeopardising the lives of passengers by hijacking an aircraft… ‘I think it’s a terrible mistake, because this will empower Germany to continue to implement various policies which are out of kilter with NATO, and their determination to create a single European army is going to be the great threat and challenge that we will have to face… The timing and conduct of the new administration in America is, I am afraid, very irresponsible.’

“… The project, now about 95 percent complete, would bypass Ukraine, depriving it of lucrative transit fees and potentially undermining its struggle against Russian aggression.”

Biden said he was greatly concerned about the pipeline, but felt he had to waive sanctions.

Switzerland Pulls the Plug

Politico wrote on May 26:

“Switzerland on Wednesday pulled the plug on years-long efforts to sign a landmark partnership agreement with the EU, handing a major defeat to the European Commission and risking a deterioration of economic ties. The decision by the Swiss Federal Council to end talks with Brussels, which had been ongoing since 2014, means that both sides won’t be able to upgrade a patchwork of bilateral treaties covering issues ranging from trade over transport to medical devices — some of which are almost 50 years old. In statements, Brussels warned that these bilateral deals ‘will inevitably age,’ and threatened that without the broader partnership treaty, ‘no new agreements with Switzerland will be concluded and the existing agreements may not be updated.’

“The tense reaction indicates that relations with the Alpine state are heading for turbulence. There’s plenty at stake: Switzerland is the EU’s fourth-largest trading partner, while Switzerland trades more with the EU than anyone else.

“In the health sector, the Swiss decision will even have an immediate impact. By coincidence, a mutual recognition agreement for medical devices expired on Wednesday, meaning it will be more complicated for manufacturers to trade such devices between the EU and Switzerland…

“Politically, the Swiss rejection of the agreement deals a huge blow to the Commission, which has been heavily investing at the highest level to make the deal work — first under former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and then his successor Ursula von der Leyen, who both personally took charge of the file…

“Finally, the failure to finalize the agreement means that Swiss airlines have less access to the EU aviation market, with equal restrictions for EU carriers on the Swiss market….”

The Church of God has never believed that Switzerland would become a part of core Europe. In addition, Ursula von der Leyen’s poor performance throughout her tenure as the EU Commission President strongly suggests the urgent need for a replacement.

Further Travel Restrictions…

Breitbart wrote on May 22:

“Germany has banned non-essential travel from the United Kingdom over ‘concern’ of the Indian variant of the coronavirus, as cases of the strain spike by 80 per cent in London. On Friday, the German Embassy announced that the United Kingdom has been ‘classified as an area of variant of concern’, putting into effect from Sunday, May 23rd, a travel ban on non-essential journeys. The ban does not apply to German citizens, legal residents, or their legal partners, spouses, or minor children. All others will need a reason deemed essential…

“The move comes after Spain lifted restrictions for British travellers to coincide with their tourism season. The freedom of travel will come into effect on Monday. However, both Spain and Germany are on the British government’s ‘amber’ list, meaning that travellers returning from those countries must self-isolate at home for ten days [or two weeks, see the next article] and take two post-journey coronavirus tests. Travellers must also take a pre-departure test for the virus.”

The Guardian added:

“As of midnight on 23 May, people travelling to Germany from Great Britain and Northern Ireland may only enter the country if they are a German citizen or resident. Spouses and children under 18 of a German citizen or resident can also enter, as long as the household are travelling together.

“Those with an urgent humanitarian reason such as an immediate family bereavement are also able to enter. However, anyone entering the country from the UK must quarantine for two weeks on arrival, even if they test negative for the coronavirus.

“People who are only transferring from one flight to another will still be allowed in but they must remain in the airport transit area.”

Fox News wrote on May 22:

“This week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tweeted that the land border closure for non-essential travel between the U.S. and both Canada and Mexico has been extended through June 21… Those restrictions were first put in place at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020… officials have extended the restrictions on a monthly basis. Though it is unclear when the restrictions would be lifted, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested this week that it could be until at least 75% of Canadians are vaccinated…

“Canada requires travelers flying into the country to have a negative COVID-19 test within three days of their departure and again when they arrive. Mexico’s foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said he hopes restrictions between the U.S. and Mexico are lifted before summer is over…”

Will this insanity EVER end?

Russia’s End Goal

The New York Post wrote on May 21:

“Russia will ‘knock out the teeth’ of any foreign adversary that challenges its sovereignty over any territory it claims, President Vladimir Putin warned amid escalating tensions with America. Putin… declined to call out any adversary or territory by name. However, his blunt threat came less than one day after his top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, clashed with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, at a tense summit over the issue of the Arctic.

“Russia is massing a formidable array of military weapons in the Arctic — including the Poseidon 2M39, a stealth nuclear-powered torpedo that has been dubbed the ‘super-weapon.’… Moscow continues to flex its military muscle in Ukraine and in the Black Sea — alongside its warning to the US to back off, which caused President Biden to turn two US warships around in April that were headed there…

“Since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Russia has supported pro-Russian insurgents in neighboring republics — including shoring up allied breakaway states in Georgia and Moldova. Putin presided over the annexation of Crimea in 2014 without Ukraine’s consent in a rare present-day boundary change by force.

“Russian troop deployments are often murky, but Putin’s government is believed to have deployed troops to Crimea to facilitate the 2014 annexation and to have secretly supported a pair of breakaway provinces in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. The Kremlin has continued to increase its military presence in the region, specifically with its naval ships in the Black Sea.

“In addition to the heightened aggression at sea, top Pentagon officials briefed lawmakers last month on suspected ‘directed-energy’ attacks against US troops, potentially by Russia. Directed-energy weapons use lasers, microwaves and particle beams to hit and destroy their target.”

The Unethical Ways of the Press

Fox News and The Associated Press reported on May 22:

“Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is weighing in after it was revealed that Martin Bashir used ‘deceitful behavior’ to secure his controversial interview with the late Princess Diana in 1995… ‘The press doesn’t understand that their unethical ways and means of covering and characterizing their victims can destroy a person or a family, and less importantly a career,’ she continued. ‘Martin has been caught so many times engaging in typically unethical press behavior, yet is always embraced back in their fold. These are strange “professionals” that we deal with in the press, and I’m anxious for the day that consumers of media will rise up and demand truth and justice,’ Palin concluded…

“A 127-page report, released Thursday, concluded Bashir ‘deceived and induced’ Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, into securing the interview for Panorama… Following the finding, both Prince Harry and Prince William condemned the BBC…

“In the infamous interview, the Princess of Wales said ‘there were three of us in this marriage,’ referring to Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, who he married after Diana’s death. Diana, who divorced Charles in 1996, died in a Paris car crash in 1997 as she was being pursued by paparazzi. She was 36.”

Unscrupulous “journalists” and the left-wing mass media can indeed destroy the reputation of a person.

Assassinations an American Way of Life?

On May 22, the Ron Paul Institute ran an article by Jacob Hornberger, which was originally published by the Future of Freedom Foundation:

“State-sponsored assassinations at the hands of the US government — and specifically the Pentagon and the CIA — have become… fully accepted as part and parcel of American life… It is an omnipotent power that enables the federal government to snuff out a person’s life simply on a determination that he is a communist, a terrorist, a threat to ‘national security,’ or whatever other designation the government establishes.

“The Framers and the American people in 1789 were totally opposed to living under a government that wielded the power of assassination… They believed that the biggest threat to their freedom and well-being lay not with some foreign regime but rather from their very own government. That’s why they chose to live under a government with very few and very limited powers…

“Americans demanded the enactment of the Bill of Rights, which included an express prohibition against assassination within the Fifth Amendment, which reads in part: ‘No person shall be deprived of life without due process of law.’… Thus, under the Fifth Amendment, before the federal government could assassinate someone, it would be required to provide him with formal notice of the offense for which they wish to assassinate him and then guarantee him a trial to determine whether he in fact was guilty of committing the offense… Its protections [under the Fifth Amendment] apply to everyone, not just American citizens. With the Sixth Amendment, the accused could elect to have a jury of ordinary citizens, rather than a judge or tribunal, determine his guilt or innocence…

“After World War II, the federal government was converted into a third type of governmental system — a national-security state. Under this type of government, the federal government — specifically the CIA and the Pentagon — acquired the omnipotent power of assassination. The conversion to a national-security state was justified under the rubric of the Cold War. The idea was that since the Soviet Union and the communist world were able to operate with omnipotent powers, including the power of assassination, the only way to prevent America from being conquered by the communists would be to adopt their same type of governmental structure…

“The conversion to a national-security state was done through legislation, not through constitutional amendment. Nonetheless, owing to the overwhelming and ever-growing power of the national-security establishment — i.e., the military, the CIA, and the NSA — the legislative conversion to a national-security state was held to operate as a nullification of the Fifth Amendment.

“Today, the Pentagon’s and the CIA’s power of assassination is omnipotent. They are the final determiners of whether any particular person is going to have his life snuffed out. Their power of assassination is non-reviewable by any court in the land, including the nation’s highest court, the US Supreme Court….”

Scary. Lawless dictatorship abounds…

Proposed LGBT Hate Crime Bill Polarizes Italy

Politico wrote on May 21:

“A proposed law that would criminalize violence and hate speech against LGBT people in Italy has thrown together an unlikely alliance of opponents. Some feminists and lesbian associations have joined the Catholic church and the political right in opposing a bill that would add gay, transgender people and the disabled to the categories protected by a law punishing religion and race-based hate crimes… Catholic leaders say the so-called Zan bill, named for a Democratic Party lawmaker and gay rights activist Alessandro Zan, amounted to ‘a liberticide,’ with conservatives warning the bill risks criminalizing those who publicly oppose gay marriage or adoptions by gay people…

“The Zan bill was approved in the lower house of parliament last year. But its passage through the upper house, or Senate, for it to become law has been delayed by a change of government and obstruction by the right-wing League, for whom it has become a rallying cry… League leader Matteo Salvini said it was a ‘gagging law’ that risks putting in jail ‘those who think a mom is a mom and a dad is a dad.’

“… Zan said it was regrettable that the left was not united… Despite the setbacks for the bill, there are signs that the proposed Zan law has increased popular support.”

Spain and Germany Reject Extremely Liberal Gender Self-Identification Laws… for now!

Evangelical Focus wrote on May 21:

“In Spain, a majority of the Congress voted on 18 May against the ‘Trans Draft Law’ that was put forward by Catalan party ERC and supported by leftists Podemos. The latter is one of the two coalition government parties, leading the Equality Ministry in charge of Feminist and LGBT issues… The proposed law aimed to allow all citizens above 16 years old to change their sex in official documents without medical or psychological checks to prove suffering gender dysphoria… The law would allow gender transition for minors from the age of 12…

“One day later, on 19 May, the German Bundestag also voted against two gender self-identification proposals. One was presented by the liberal party FDP and the other by the Green Party. Their text included measures such as bringing down the age of gender self-identification to 14…

“These defeats, however, do not close the debate around self-identification. Analysts believe self-identification may soon be on the table again, also in other European countries. The largest political parties in Germany and Spain (both on the centre-right and centre-left) have often expressed their commitment to promote ‘trans rights’, and are usually represented at LGBT Pride events.”

Of course, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn is openly gay who saw to it that conversion therapies for minors were prohibited even though the parents wanted them.

Judge Sides with Biden’s Transgender Order

Daily Caller wrote on May 20:

“A federal judge ruled Wednesday that students of the opposite biological sex must be allowed to share shower spaces and dorms at a Christian college in Missouri. Judge Roseann Ketchmark of the District Court of Western Missouri ruled against the College of the Ozarks, a Christian college which had sued President Joe Biden’s administration over its transgender discrimination policies, lawyers representing the school said Wednesday evening.

“The college had challenged Biden over his Jan. 20 executive order, which prevented schools from denying children access to bathrooms of their choosing… The school had argued that the government cannot force a private religious school to place biological males into female dormitories… The college faces six-figure fines if it violates the Biden administration’s order.”

This is an outrage!

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 and Hamas Agree to Ceasefire

 JTA wrote on May 20:

 “After 11 days of fighting, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ‘mutual and simultaneous’ ceasefire on Thursday that will begin at 2 a.m. Friday Israel time. Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved the truce, according to reports, after military officials presented what they deemed the successful outcomes of their campaign. ‘Hamas is deterred and suffered serious blows,’ one official said, according to The Times of Israel. A Hamas official confirmed the news to Reuters on Thursday.

“The ceasefire was mediated by Egypt and supported by the United States and other countries…”

The Jerusalem Post added on May 20:

“According to the security cabinet the ceasefire will be unconditional, however Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said he had received guarantees from the mediators that, ‘The occupation will remove its hand from Sheikh Jarrah and al-Aqsa,’ Israeli media reported.  Israeli sources refuted Hamdan’s claim, saying it is completely false and the ceasefire is in fact unconditional…  Regarding the ceasefire agreement, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the, ‘reality on the ground will determine the continuation of the campaign,’ implying that Israel will be keeping with the principle of ‘quiet would be met by quiet.’ Gantz added that ‘the defense establishment continues its readiness to protect Israeli citizens.’…”

 Let’s see how long that cease fire will last…  

Israel Is Condemned and Defends Destruction of Building in Gaza

The Hill wrote on May 15:

“The Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other press advocates condemned the Israeli airstrike on Saturday that blew up the building housing them and other media outlets. AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said… that the company was ‘shocked and horrified’ by the military strike… ‘This is an incredibly disturbing development…’

“Al Jazeera issued a separate statement condemning the bombing ‘in the strongest possible terms,’ saying it viewed the strike as a ‘clear act to stop journalists from conducting their sacred duty to inform the world and report events on the ground.’… Mostefa Souag, acting director general of the Al Jazeera Media Network, asserted that the strike was meant to ‘silence the media and to hide the untold carnage and suffering of the people of Gaza.’

“Other press advocates condemned the bombing of the building. Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the attack ‘raises the specter that the Israel Defense Forces is deliberately targeting media facilities in order to disrupt coverage of the human suffering in Gaza…’”

Time of Israel wrote on May 16:

“IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman pushes back…

“One of the main occupants of the building, the Associate Press news agency, which has maintained offices there for some 15 years, has denied knowledge of Hamas’s presence in the building and demanded the Israel Defense Forces release evidence of that fact, which Zilberman rejected. ‘Yesterday I released a statement with the assets that were in the building. I’ll repeat them: a Hamas research and development unit, Hamas military intelligence and offices of the PIJ. It was very clear what was in there… We’re in the midst of an operation. They are firing wherever they want, on a civilian population, on cities that have tens and hundreds of thousands of people… A building that has Hamas and Islamic Jihad assets in it needs to be brought down.’

“The spokesperson adds that this operation was meant to deter terror groups from maintaining offices alongside media outlets in the future. ‘If Hamas and the Islamic Jihad think that the media are their shield, then in the next operation in Gaza, we’ll find that media outlets’ offices are going to be popping up as covers for terrorist assets,’ he says.”

No journalist or freelancer was injured as they received a one-hour warning from Israel ahead of the strike to leave the building which then collapsed and crumbled to the ground. Some of their equipment was damaged, however. It is also well known that the terrorist organization Hamas is using women and children as human shields and locating them in dangerous places so that they can say in case of casualties that Israel intentionally killed them. Still, war is a terrible curse, and God hates it. So must we, if we are true Christians. Advocating or participating in war is incompatible with the mind of Christ.

The articles which we quote herein, pertaining for instance to the situation in the Middle East, must not be misconstrued as assuming that we are taking sides or are in any way supporting violent actions. We are only reporting these events to show how biblical prophecy is being fulfilled.

Numerous anti-Israel demonstrations, some of them turning violent, were held all over the world, including in the UK, the USA, Canada, Europe and of course many Arab nations. One did not hear much about any anti-Hamas demonstrations. The next articles about antisemitic demonstrations in Germany are especially telling.

Hate for Jews in Germany

The Guardian wrote on May 17:

“… thousands of people attended what became aggressive protests at the weekend… In the most violent protest, in the southern Berlin district of Neukölln, demonstrators… burned Israeli flags, chanted anti-Israel slogans and flew Hamas banners… At another demonstration, in Mannheim, an Israeli flag was burned and arrests were made. Charges of hate speech, bodily harm and assault were brought against some participants… There were also large gatherings in [Cologne,] Hamburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Hanover, where calls were made for the dissolution of Israel.

“… Wolfgang Schäuble, the president of the Bundestag, said that while it was legitimate to ‘sharply criticise’ the politics of Israel and to ‘protest loudly’ against it, ‘there is no justification for antisemitism, hate and violence’. In particular he condemned protesters who had questioned the right of Israel to exist…”

This almost sounds like an invitation for anti-Israel protests.

Bild Online published the following editorial by Julian Reichelt on May 16 with the headline:

“Our Country is in Danger.”

The commentary continued:

“What we saw on Saturday on our streets has been a historical danger….While being tolerated by our government and minimized by our public media, an absolutely totally Arab-Muslim-oriented antisemitic mob marched through almost all of Germany’s main cities and demanded, full of hate, the annihilation of Israel. .. they do not fear the police, and do not have to be afraid of our government, they bring their children to the demonstrations and raise the next generation in Germany to be haters of Israel….

“Not the Islam, but the perversion of the Islam is making German cities to be dangerous country for Jews, as it has already happened in France and Sweden. Angela Merkel’s immigration policy… has imported ten- or hundred-times an ideology which views the Jew as the eternal enemy…

“I want to hear finally what the chancellor’s personal unmistakable words to the haters of Jews are, what she wants to DO to combat the rise of this annihilation ideology, before she abdicates.”

Merkel’s spokesperson has now declared that the events caused by the anti-Israeli mob are shameful and not acceptable. He admitted that Jews are not able to freely and safely move in certain cities. He said that one has to recognize now that there are not only anti-Semitic neo-Nazis, but also anti-Semitic Muslims (!). “Chancellor Angela Merkel told broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk on Thursday that the antisemitic attacks in Germany are ‘to be condemned in the strongest terms. She clarified that criticism of Israel is one thing, but ‘when Israeli flags are burned and synagogues are attacked, then that must be severely opposed,’ the chancellor said” (Deutsche Welle,  dated May 20).

Anti-Semitism will never be eradicated in Germany prior to Christ’s return.

Erdogan Attacks USA and Austria

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 18:

“The Turkish president said Biden was ‘writing history with bloody hands’ after US approval of weapons sales to Israel…  His comments, made in a nationally televised address on Monday, represented one of his strongest attacks against the US president since Biden took office in January. Erdogan also criticized Austria for flying the flag of Israel last week. ‘I condemn Austria for hanging the Israeli terror state’s flag,’ Erdogan said. ‘The Austrian state seems to be trying to make Muslims pay the price for [its role] in the Holocaust.’

“Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called the move to fly the flag a mark of solidarity with Israel… Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel, has [been] calling for governments to take action against Israel…”

Sebastian Kurz was heavily criticized for his pro-Israel stance, as this allegedly violated the officially “neutral” stance of Austria.

Erdogan’s Attacks on Israel

Israel 365 wrote on May 18:

“After a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara late Monday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a media conference in which he called on the UN, UN Security Council, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other international organizations to take action focusing on wrestling Jerusalem away from Israel…. Dr. Efrat Aviv, a senior lecturer in the Dept. of Middle Eastern Studies at Bar Ilan University and an expert on Turkey, understood that Turkish troops appearing in Jerusalem might be one possible outcome, should Erdogan have his way.”

Israel Today added on May 18:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Pope Francis to join him in coming against Israel. Erdogan fancies himself the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, and sees the Pope as the primary head of Christianity. In his eyes, they must come together to lead the rest of the world in confronting the Jewish menace. ‘All of humanity should be united against Israel,’ Erdogan told the Pope over the phone.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 19:

“Among its recent statements is a demand by Turkey to separate Jerusalem from Israel. The latest comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were to demand a ‘separate arrangement’ for Jerusalem. Since 2020, when Turkey turned Hagia Sophia into a mosque, the Turkish religious and political leadership of the AKP Party, which supports Hamas, has sought to ‘liberate’ al-Aqsa Mosque and claims it will take over Jerusalem…

“The comments by the leadership of the AKP are also represented in far-right media in Turkey. Yena Safak, a newspaper that caters to the populist Right in the country and is close to the regime, argued for Turkey to lead an Islamic alliance to attack Israel. The alliance would include Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Malaysia and Pakistan, countries that either back Hamas or are close to the Muslim Brotherhood. Ankara had consulted with Tehran last week about how to confront Israel.

“… Turkey has become one of the most anti-Israel states in the world, and its constant anti-Israel rhetoric, fed through its state-controlled media that run the most outlandish articles about Israel, fuels antisemitism in Turkey and abroad…”

According to the Bible, Turkey will perform despicable acts against Israel in the not-too-distant future.

No Antisemitic Remarks?

 JTA wrote on May 19:

 “The main organization representing Turkish Jews has criticized the U.S. State Department for accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using antisemitic rhetoric. The Jewish Confederation of Turkey said Wednesday that it was ‘unfair and reprehensible to imply that President Erdogan is antisemitic’ in a tweet.

“On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that ‘the United States strongly condemns President Erdogan’s recent anti-Semitic comments regarding the Jewish people and finds them reprehensible.’

“A day earlier Erdogan, who on multiple occasions has made statements widely deemed antisemitic, made a rambling speech in Ankara following a Cabinet meeting in which he used ‘Jews’ and ‘Israelis’ interchangeably. ‘They are murderers, these are murderers enough to kill 6-year-old babies,’ he said… ‘They are murderers enough to make women crawl on the ground.’

“Erdogan, who said President Joe Biden as ‘bloody hands,’ also claimed that ‘a Jewish prime minister’ had told him on a state visit to Turkey that he enjoyed killings Palestinians, adding that ‘Attacks by Jews on the Al-Aqsa Mosque have turned into a powder keg.’

“Erdogan has often called Israel and Israelis ‘child killers,’ and in 2014 called a protester against his internal policies ‘seed of Israel.’

“But in the tweet defending Erdogan, the Jewish Confederation of Turkey said it cannot concur with allegations that he is antisemitic. ‘On the contrary, he has always been constructive, supportive & encouraging towards us,’ the tweet said. Turkey has about 15,000 Jews.”

America Condemns Turkey

Deutsche Welle reported on May 19:

“The US on Tuesday criticized Erdogan for his comments over Israeli airstrikes.  ‘The United States strongly condemns President Erdogan’s recent antisemitic comments regarding the Jewish people and finds them reprehensible,’ State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. ‘We urge President Erdogan and other Turkish leaders to refrain from incendiary remarks, which could incite further violence,’ he added.

“Erdogan has accused Israel of ‘terrorism’ against the Palestinians, saying it was ‘in their nature.’ ‘They are murderers, to the point that they kill children who are five or six years old. They only are satisfied by sucking their blood,’ he said…The latest exchange of remarks could strain an already tense relationship between Washington and Ankara… After taking office, [Biden] promised a harsh stance on his Turkish counterpart. Last month, he made a landmark decision to recognize the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1917 as genocide.”

Erdogan is indeed an unscrupulous anti-Semitic dictator, and the mass killings of Armenians were indeed rightly classified as genocide. The relationship between the USA and Turkey will continue to deteriorate.

Biden Demands Significant De-Escalation from Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote on May 19:

“‘The President conveyed to the Prime Minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,’ the White House said in a readout of the president’s call with Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Biden escalated his demands for peace as a growing number of leftist Democrats criticize him for not speaking out against Israel’s latest military response to a flood of Hamas terror rocket attacks… Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has publicly demanded that Biden criticize the Israeli attacks and defend the rights of Palestinians, and even confronted the president on Tuesday at a Detroit airport… Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) lead  a group of 28 senators on Monday issuing a letter demanding a ceasefire in the conflict, ‘to prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict.’”

In a related article, Breitbart added: “Nearly 38 percent of Democrats believe Israel is to blame for the current violence, while 34.4 percent do not know…”

Fox News added on May 19:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday brushed off President Biden’s  call for a ‘significant de-escalation’ of the conflict in Gaza, saying he is ‘determined to continue’ the operation against the terrorist organization Hamas… Biden is increasingly facing pressure from the more progressive left of his own party to ramp up pressure on the U.S. ally, with a number of Democrats complaining that Biden has not been tougher against Israel. A number have objected to a pending $735 million sale of precision-guided missiles to Israel…”

However, as mentioned above, a ceasefire has now been agreed upon, but the question is whether it will hold. 

EU Must Get Involved

Arab News reported on May 18:

“European Union foreign ministers debated Tuesday how to use the 27-nation bloc’s political clout to help diplomatic efforts to end the fighting between the Israeli armed forces and Palestinian militants… The EU is the biggest donor of aid to the Palestinians but holds little influence over the militant group Hamas or the state of Israel, despite having some trade arrangements that are favorable to the Israelis…

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas… said the EU needs to look beyond ending the current violence and at how to prevent a repeat. ‘The EU must play a role here, in political and humanitarian terms,’ he said…”

And so, the EU will, under German leadership.

The Two State Solution… Gone

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“In recent years, support for the two-state solution appears to be decreasing.

“As Israel has expanded settlement building, support has dwindled among Palestinians. By 2020, majorities of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were expressing opposition to the idea. That trend has continued, with many people saying that the sprawl of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, has made the idea impossible to implement.

“Attacks by Hamas and allied groups have eroded support for a two-state solution among Israelis. Fewer than half of Israelis favor it…”

America’s Retreat from Afghanistan

Stars and Stripes wrote on May 13:

“U.S. forces have left Kandahar Airfield, a southern Afghanistan base that was once one of the largest NATO and coalition installations in the country, Afghan and U.S. officials said. The airfield has been transferred to the Afghan security forces, a U.S. defense official said…

“U.S. forces did not hold a handover ceremony at the base, which housed an estimated 30,000 troops and contractors at the height of the war. A spokesman for Afghanistan’s 205th Atal Military Corps said the departure of U.S. forces from the base came as a surprise and without coordination… ‘They left in the night’ and there are no more U.S. forces in Kandahar…’ said Gen. Faqir Qowahi, commander of the military side of the Kandahar Airport…”

This shameful retreat of American troops “in the night” is quite telling.

Biden Even More a Master of Disaster than Jimmy Carter

The New York Post Editorial Board published the following article on May 15:

“President Joe Biden entered office poised to oversee a record recovery and a return to the booming economy and all-round stability of pre-pandemic life. Instead, he’s turned out to be a master of disaster, with self-inflicted crises across the board threatening to set America back to the 1970s — with that era’s infamous ‘stagflation’ as well as a foreign policy in flames…  it’s disaster after disaster as Biden wastes every opportunity his predecessor left him.

“With Biden closing the Keystone XL Pipeline on his first day in office and generally vowing to wage war on all fossil fuels, it’s no wonder there’s uncertainty and higher prices.

“Nowhere is the self-inflicted nature of Biden’s disasters more plain than on the border. He put a moratorium on… all construction on any border barriers… [The] feds have a record number of unaccompanied minors in custody — around 22,000 — because Biden ordered the public-health rule keeping migrants out to be lifted for solo kids.

“Meanwhile, Hamas and its allies have gone on the attack against Israel, leaving it no choice but to defend itself… the Biden team’s drive to restore the Iran nuclear deal plainly inspired Tehran’s terrorist clients to start firing, even as it makes Israel less willing to listen to Washington’s efforts to broker a ceasefire.

“It’s stunning how much success Biden has managed to reverse in not even four months. With long lines at the pump, slowing growth and rising inflation, it’s looking like the Jimmy Carter era — except that it took Carter years to produce the disasters that this president has fostered in scant months.”

This does not give us much confidence in the welfare and prosperity of the USA.

Trump Continues His Fight against Biden

Express wrote on May 17:

“DONALD TRUMP once again refused to accept that Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential elections. In a new statement posted to his website on Sunday, the 45th US President claimed that there was ‘no way’ that the Democrat won… a large majority of Republicans view Mr Biden as an illegitimate Commander-in Chief. In a new poll conducted for CBS news, as many as 67 percent of Republican voters said they did not think that the former Delaware senator was the true winner. Mr Trump immediately seized on the polling data to once again push his claims of electoral fraud.

“In a statement posted to his website, he wrote: ‘Breaking News! New polling by CBS News on the state of the Republican Party (which is very strong!). ‘President Trump has a strong hold on the GOP.’ 80% of Republicans agree with the removal of Liz Cheney from GOP Leadership and only 20% disagree. The poll also showed that 67% of Republicans said that they do not consider Sleepy Joe Biden to be the legitimate winner of the 2020 Presidential Election. I agree with them 100%, just look at the facts and the data—there is no way he won the 2020 Presidential Election!’

“On Saturday, Mr Trump branded the 2020 Presidential Election ‘the crime of the century’, in a tweet posted on @RSBNetwork.”

This issue will not go away any time soon, if ever.

How Catholic John Kerry Views the Role of the Pope

Eurasia Review wrote on May 17:

“U.S. President Joe Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry… is in Europe to meet with government officials and business leaders ahead of the Nov. 1-12 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow… He said: ‘I think that his [the pope’s] voice will be a very important voice leading up to and through the Glasgow [climate] conference… I think his Holiness speaks with a moral authority that is quite separate. It’s unique…’

“Kerry told Vatican News that the pope could exert an influence far beyond that of most other leaders… ‘I think he can sort of shake people a little bit… And I think that the Vatican may be a small entity, but the flock is enormous on a global basis and His Holiness, Pope Francis, has the ability to help galvanize action from countries. He has the ability to be able to affect citizens in many different countries all at the same time and have them call on their governments to be responsible, to do what we need to do to preserve the planet… So, I think that the world has a special respect for Pope Francis and there is no question that he has already been a significant leader in this endeavor. And we look to him for further guidance and help in getting this job done.’”

The influence of the Roman Catholic Church and its leader will reach unparalleled and at the same time frightening proportions in the near future.

Russia’s Aim to “de facto” take over Ukraine

Bloomberg wrote on May 13:

“The European Union says Russia is trying to gradually absorb parts of eastern Ukraine, according to a document the bloc shared this week with member states. In the paper… the EU says steps by the Kremlin such as organizing illegitimate elections and issuing passports to locals are ‘aimed at de facto integration of Ukraine’s non-governmental-controlled areas into Russia.’ …

“Russia has repeatedly denied plans to take over the territories…

“War broke out in the breakaway regions after President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea from his neighbor in 2014… Greater autonomy for the region, known as Donbas, would potentially give it veto power over national goals such as NATO and EU membership that are opposed by Putin…”

Ultimately, Ukraine will be a part of Russia, however it may come about, as this is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Eric Clapton Warns Against Vaccine Propaganda

Daily Mail reported on May 15:

“Eric Clapton has hit out at ‘propaganda’ over vaccine safety, claiming he suffered alarming side effects after his Covid jabs. The legendary guitarist, a lockdown sceptic, said his hands and feet became ‘useless’ – prompting fears he would never play again. In a message to his music producer, he said: ‘I took the first jab of AZ [Astra Zeneca] and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days.’ The 76-year-old said he ‘recovered eventually’ but suffered further ‘disastrous reactions’ six weeks later after the second shot.

“He added: ‘My hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again… I should never have gone near the needle. But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone.’

“The musician, who has emphysema, ended his email to Italian music mogul Robin Monotti Graziadei, saying: ‘I’ve been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now.’ Clapton criticised the Government earlier this year in an anti-lockdown song called Stand And Deliver. The song was in collaboration with Van Morrison, who is also a critic of restrictions.”

Clapton is not the only one who has recognized the political propaganda—from all sides—regarding Coronavirus vaccinations and lockdowns.

Lockdowns Have Harmed the Health of our Children

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 11:

“… for children in particular, the lack of physical activity over a longer term is a major problem. Many schools and sports clubs had long since canceled sports lessons and physical activities. Parents and professionals alike are concerned. ‘This extended period of restricted movement is a bigger problem for young children and teenagers than learning deficiencies in the cognitive field,’ Alexander Woll tells DW. Woll is a sports scientist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in southwest Germany. For almost a decade, he’s been analyzing patterns of movement among children…

“Authorities have only slowly begun to recognize the negative impact of the pandemic on young people… Woll points to a more general challenge: ‘For a long time, sports were seen as a source of infection.’ But new studies have shown that ‘movement and sport play a protective role.’ One recent study out of the United States, for instance, demonstrates ‘that physical inactivity is a key determinator for particularly serious cases of COVID-19.’ In other words, physical activity is part of the solution, not part of the problem…”

The foolishness of our ignorant scientists….

Did Fauci Lie to Congress?

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s ‘America’s Newsroom,’ Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) sounded off on his hearing with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci from the day before regarding the origination of the coronavirus and whether American tax dollars supported research that could have led to the outbreak.

“Fauci asserted at the hearing that the National Institute of Health does not fund gain of research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, but Paul maintained the White House chief medical adviser is telling verifiable falsehoods…

“‘I would say what Dr. Fauci said yesterday was verifiably false… He said no NIH money went to the Wuhan Institute for gain of function. Well, the main doctor there, the one they call the bat scientist or the bat woman. … wrote a paper [that] MIT scientists have looked at they said was gain of function –meaning juicing up these viruses to make them very potent and infect humans. She wrote this paper and, in her paper, acknowledged her funding came from Dr. Fauci’s group, the NIAID which is part of NIH. So, he is verifiably telling you something that is not true. Dr. Fauci came to Congress yesterday and lied…’

“According to Paul, Fauci is lying because he is ‘worried about culpability.’”

Apart from his alleged lies, his ever-changing positions on just about everything pertaining to the coronavirus have been deeply disturbing anyhow.

Life Site added on May 13:

“Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson… raised questions about [Fauci, as follows]: Why isn’t [he]  under criminal investigation for his role in creating the COVID pandemic?…

“Carlson cited an article by Nicholas Wade in which the science writer and former New York Times reporter lays out the evidence behind the theory that COVID originated in — and escaped from — the Wuhan Institute of Virology. According to Carlson, Wade presents ‘insurmountable evidence’ that COVID originated in the lab where scientists were conducting U.S. taxpayer-funded gain-of-function experiments. Who approved that funding? Fauci, according to Wade.”

Florida Governor to Pardon COVID Restriction “Violators”

Newsmax wrote on May 13:

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he would pardon anyone charged with breaking COVID-19 protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing. The governor made the remarks after two gym owners, Mike and Jillian Carnevale, faced criminal penalties for refusing to enforce such protocols. DeSantis said he would order a 60-day reprieve for the gym owners that would delay their cases. During that time, a clemency board will meet to issue pardons to the gym owners and Florida residents who have similar charges… He then added, ‘These things with health should be advisory. They should not be punitive.’… The news comes after the governor made an announcement last week to immediately suspend all COVID-19 mandates in the state. The governor said he would outlaw them by July 1.”

The New York Post added on May 13:

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis… broke the news of his pardon directly to Mike and Jillian Carnevale, who faced up to 120 days in jail for repeatedly allowing people to forgo masks at their gym in Plantation in Broward County… DeSantis said potential jail time was particularly absurd in the Carnevales’ case. ‘The fact is, it’s not even right to be wearing masks when you’re exercising,’ the governor said. ‘The World Health Organization advises against it! It’s not healthy to be doing that in the first place, so it was a bad restriction,’ he said.”

Good for the Governor. But it shows again the harmful ridiculousness of some of the coronavirus restrictions.

Masks or no Masks… That is the Question

The Washington Post wrote on May 15:

“In an intensely polarized nation, many people have little faith that their maskless fellow Americans have actually been vaccinated. That lack of trust, fueled by the ongoing politicization of the pandemic, tears at the fabric of a public-health strategy built on the assumption that other people will do the right thing.

“Just more than 1 in 3 people in the United States are fully inoculated, leaving most of the population among those instructed to keep their face coverings securely over their noses when indoors. But with federal officials repeatedly rejecting the possibility of vaccine passports, enforcement relies on an honor system. Asked Thursday how people will know if others had been vaccinated, Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said they wouldn’t. ‘You’re gonna be depending on people being honest enough to say whether they are vaccinated or not,’ he told CNN…”

Whatever happened to the concept, taught by scientists, that someone who has had coronavirus should be likewise exempt from wearing a mask? Suddenly, there is deep silence from our “expert” scientists on that issue.

Coronavirus—Tens of Thousands of Lives Could Have Been Saved

On May 17, Life Site News wrote the following:

“Since the first days of the declared coronavirus pandemic, doctors faithful to their Hippocratic Oath have been searching for — and identifying — effective COVID-19 treatments.

“In mid-November, Dr. Peter McCullough, vice chief of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, and three other experts outlined safe and available treatments for the Senate’s influential Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee. University of Wisconsin critical care specialist Dr. Pierre Kory followed up with more discussion of viable COVID treatments at a Dec. 8 appearance before the same committee.

“However, as Children’s Health Defense Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. observed during a March 2021 conversation with McCullough, ‘we’ve seen this very strange conflict … that many of those treatments that could save lives, instead of being promoted and investigated and studied by the health authorities, are instead being sabotaged and made … inaccessible.’ The government’s ‘near complete’ lack of guidance and research on treatment options — ‘apart from vaccines’ — is, according to Kory, ‘unconscionable.’

“The tragic fallout of this government strategy is now becoming apparent. In a recent working paper analyzing the determinants of COVID-19 fatalities, the authors — Michigan State University economics professor Mark Skidmore and co-author Hideki Toya — estimated ‘if the U.S. had made [hydroxychloroquine] widely available early on, 80,000 to 100,000 lives could have been saved.’

“McCullough had already reached similar conclusions when he told senators in November the U.S. ‘could have saved half of the lives lost’ if COVID treatment protocols had not been squelched. By March, McCullough had revised his estimate upward, asserting that ‘as many as 85% of COVID deaths could have been prevented through early treatment.’…

“Under the guise of “consumer protection” and “false marketing,” the government appears to be doubling down on its suppression of non-vaccine approaches to COVID.

“For example, under the disingenuously named ‘COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act’ –part of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law by then-President Trump in late December— the U.S. Department of Justice began actively pursuing enforcement actions against healthcare providers who encourage use of supplements such as zinc and vitamin D to treat or prevent COVID. Given that these and other micronutrients have been controversially recommended for years for influenza, the common cold and other respiratory infections, the motives for the clampdown cannot be taken at face value.”

Of course, it’s all about money and the heavy influence of the greedy pharmaceutical industry, fearing any kind of “competition.” Another example would be the ongoing ridiculous prohibition of medical marijuana.

California Churches WON

Newsmax wrote on May 18:

“A California District judge has issued a statewide permanent injunction against COVID-19 restrictions on churches and places of worship… It came after the state had moved to ban indoor worship services last year, along with other indoor activities like dining and movie theaters, in its ‘Tier 1’ areas, which encompassed most of the state.

“Under the settlement, California will also have to pay $1.3 million in attorney fees…

“In a statement, Pastor Ché Ahn said, ‘This is a momentous day for churches in America. After nearly a yearlong battle defending our religious freedoms, our lawsuit has reached a permanent settlement in our favor. I am thrilled to see the complete reversal of the last discriminatory restrictions against churches in California, knowing this case will act as a precedent, not only in our state, but also in our nation…’”

Other nations, such as Canada, should follow this lead.

Taking UFOs seriously?

 “Sen. Marco Rubio… as acting Senate Intelligence Committee chair asked for an unclassified copy of the report to be released to Congress… ‘Anything that enters an airspace that’s not supposed to be there is a threat.’

“Former Navy Lieutenant Ryan Graves told CBS’ Bill Whitaker he and other members of his F/A-18 fighter squadron detected unexplained sightings of UFOs, also known as ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ (UAP), in restricted airspace southeast of Virginia Beach ‘every day for at least a couple years,’ starting in 2014… Graves said he couldn’t rule out technology developed by the governments of Russia or China.”

We cannot rule out the possibility that Satan and his demons are behind the “appearances” of UFOs. Rubio’s comment, “Anything that enters an airspace that’s not supposed to be there is a threat” is remarkable for this reason: When Christ and His angels come down to earth, riding on “white horses,” then the armies of this world want to fight them. Why? Will they think, being deceived by Satan and his demons, that Christ and His army are hostile aliens?

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.

Turmoil on the Temple Mount

The following shows chronologically how the turmoil and the violence started and how it has been developing, with no end in sight.

Reuters wrote on May 7:

“Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards rock-hurling Palestinian youth at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday… At least 178 Palestinians and six officers [an updated number speaks of 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers] were injured in the night-time clashes at Islam’s third-holiest site and around East Jerusalem, Palestinian medics and Israeli police said, as thousands of Palestinians faced off with several hundred Israeli police in riot gear.

“Tension has mounted in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with nightly clashes in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah…following the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, clashes broke out at Al-Aqsa with smaller scuffles near Sheikh Jarrah, which sits near the walled Old City’s famous Damascus Gate…  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he ‘held (Israel) responsible for the dangerous developments and sinful attacks taking place in the holy city’ and called on the U.N. Security Council to hold an urgent session on the issue.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 8:

“The secretary general of Islamic Jihad said Friday that ‘it is impossible to tolerate what is happening in Jerusalem and the enemy must expect our response at any moment.’ Hamas also put out a statement Friday warning Israel about potential repercussions of the clashes at the Temple Mount. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh sent a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling him ‘not to play with fire. This is a struggle that you, your army, your police and your whole country cannot win. We will defend Jerusalem no matter what sacrifices we must make,’ Ynet reported…

“Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned the entrance of Israeli forces to the Temple Mount, and their ‘animalistic attack’ of worshipers there. Qatar also denounced the entrance of Israeli security forces to the Temple mount in the wake of clashes, calling it ‘provocation for millions of Muslims around the world,’ Ynet reported. Qatar went on to call for the international community to act to stop Israeli harm of the Palestinian people.

“Israeli Police reported that ‘police troops began using riot control measures a while ago, in an attempt to restore order after violent riots broke out at the Temple Mount, during which hundreds of suspects started throwing rocks, bottles and other items towards our forces.’ We will not allow the disruption of order, any form of violence and attempts to harm officers while taking advantage of the freedom of religion and using it to promote a violent incident that includes hundreds of worshipers starting to riot and hurting police officers,’ a police statement released after police managed to regain control at the Temple Mount read.”

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

“Earlier Friday, Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the men opened fire on a base belonging to Israel’s paramilitary Border Police force in the occupied West Bank, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in recent weeks that has coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan…

“The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam. The site is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount and revere it as the spot where the biblical Temples stood. It has long been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence and was the epicenter of the 2000 Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

“… some 70,000 worshippers had attended the final Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa, the Islamic endowment that oversees the site said. Thousands protested afterwards, waving the green flags of the Islamic militant group Hamas and chanting pro-Hamas slogans. Neighboring Jordan, which serves as the custodian of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites, had earlier warned Israel against further ‘provocative’ steps, while Israel’s archenemy Iran encouraged the violence… “The Palestinians view east Jerusalem — which includes major holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims — as their capital, and its fate is one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict…”

The Fight for the Temple Mount

Israel 365 News wrote on May 9:

“Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the founder of the Temple Institute, fought in the battle to conquer the Temple Mount in 1967. He sees that battle as continuing today. ‘With Arabs, it is all one war,’ Rabbi Ariel said. ‘Part of Islam is to make up reasons to fight. In this case, they made up a fake story that the Temple Mount is holy to them. Anyone who knows the history and knows Islam knows that this is not true. Mecca and Medina are holy to them. They simply decided they wanted a war so they made up fairytales that make it seem justified.

“‘But the war is real and it is entirely focused on the Temple Mount. And the Arabs are willing to die, willing to throw themselves into the battle by going up by the thousands to our Temple Mount. And too many of our leaders are willing to simply run away… Last week, there was a horrible tragedy that came about because one hundred thousand Jews wanted to go to Mount Meron for a religious experience.

“‘If all of those Jews had risked their lives for the Temple Mount, or just gone up to the Temple Mount, no Arab would dare claim one inch in our land, the land of Israel. The Jews have abandoned the place of the Shechina (holy presence) to the Arabs, allowing thousands of Arabs to pray there while we crawl around at the bottom of the hill. That is a desecration of the divine presence and the shechina cannot dwell in that level of desecration… The Temple is the source and the reason for us being in the land…’”

But this will change, and Israel will reclaim and re-possess the Temple Mount for a while.

US and Europe Condemn Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 8:

“The United Nations urged Israel on Friday to call off forced evictions in East Jerusalem, warning that its actions could amount to ‘war crimes’… Israel also received criticism over a decision to build 540 settlement units in the West Bank. Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Italy called on Israel to stop the construction of illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.”

The Guardian wrote on May 8:

“Claims for calm and restraint poured in on Friday from the US and the United Nations, with others including the European Union and Jordan voicing alarm at the possible evictions…”

Arabs Condemn Israel

The Algemeiner wrote on May 8:

“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday condemned Israel’s plans to evict Palestinians from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers, following a night of violence in Jerusalem…

“The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel last year, ‘strongly condemned’ the clashes and the potential evictions…Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace, has long championed the Palestinian cause and shunned official contacts with Israel. Riyadh quietly acquiesced to the so-called Abraham Accords – but stopped short of endorsing them.”

This was predictable from the outset, and we said so.

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 9:

“Arab bodies throughout the Middle East widely condemned Israeli police violence during clashes with worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday. The Islamic Movement in Israel… urged Palestinian families to increase their travels to the mosque… On Sunday, Jordan warned Israel from ‘continuing its barbaric behavior at Al-Aqsa,’ adding that the country will increase its pressure on Israel… The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned the violence in Jerusalem and said that ‘Israel must stop all measures that harm the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque.’…

“Turkey criticized Israel and accused it of unleashing ‘terror’ on Palestinians… ‘Shame on Israel and those who keep silent in the face of disgraceful attacks,’ Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter late on Friday… Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun told state television Israel was violating human rights and would ‘pay the price,’ as opposition parties echoed the government condemnation in a rare sign of unity… Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also condemned Israel on Saturday… ‘We strongly condemn Israel’s heinous attacks against our first qibla #AlAqsaMosque, which unfortunately take place every Ramadan… As Turkey, we will continue to stand by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in all circumstances,’ Erdoğan added…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 9:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went so far as to call Israel a ‘terrorist state,’ criticizing the country’s actions in East Jerusalem.  The ‘cruel Israel, the terrorist state of Israel’ is ‘brutally and immorally’ attacking Muslims in Jerusalem, Erdogan said on Saturday evening. ‘A world that cannot protect Jerusalem and Muslims has betrayed itself.’”

Especially the increasing hostility of Turkey toward Israel is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Further Violence in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 9:

“On Sunday morning, clashes broke out on the Temple Mount between Palestinians and Israeli forces, with the doors of at least one of the gates to the compound being closed amid the clashes… Clashes broke out on Saturday night by the Damascus Gate and near the Temple Mount, as well as in a number of sites in east Jerusalem and the West Bank…

“On Sunday morning, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon told Army Radio that the violent altercations that took place on Saturday night were carried out on the Palestinian side mostly by Islamic-Jihadists from the North and South, not by residents of Jerusalem.”

The Sun added on May 10:

“HAMAS has fired [by Monday more than 150] rockets at Jerusalem… moments after the Islamic extremists issued an ultimatum for Israel to withdraw security forces from two areas in the city… The blast came as thousands of Israelis joined a ‘Flag March’ today, which is considered ‘Jerusalem Day’ – an Israeli national holiday that celebrates the establishment of control over the Old City…”

The Jerusalem Post reported that “Following the rocket fire, the Israel Air Force carried out several strikes in Gaza” leading to several casualties.

 Fire Close to Al Aqsa

It was also reported that a tree caught on fire on Monday, May 10, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to reports from Reuters and AFP news agencies. The fire was quickly put out. The mosque itself has not been damaged. The tree was about 10 meters from the mosque.

Reuters added on May 10 that “witnesses offered contradicting accounts about whether the flames were caused by Palestinians who had thrown fireworks at police or by a police stun grenade. Israeli police said in a statement the fire was started by the fireworks. A spokesman did not say whether officers had been throwing stun grenades at the time.”

This time, nothing happened to the mosque. But we can see how quickly that might change.

No End in Sight

JTA wrote on May 12:

“Exchanges of fire continued in Israel and Gaza on Wednesday with mounting casualties, while  Arab-Israelis took to the streets across Israel in their largest protests in decades, with some turning violent. In the central Israeli city of Lod, a state of emergency was declared after Arab protesters burned a synagogue, shops and cars.

“Six Israelis and at least 53 Palestinians have died from the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel… Two Palestinians were also killed in the West Bank after attempting to carry out separate attacks on Israeli soldiers on Tuesday.

“Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, have been engaging in their most intense fighting since 2014 this week, with attacks escalating. On Wednesday, Israel announced that it had killed several of Hamas’ military and intelligence chiefs in the fighting. Altogether, Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israel’s most populated areas, and Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza.

“But on Tuesday night, Israel’s leaders turned their attention to Lod, which has both Arab and Jewish residents, and where a crowd of Arab protesters burned and trashed a synagogue, along with burning shops and cars. Arab-Israeli protests also took place in other cities, including the northern port city of Haifa…”

The Associated Press wrote on May 12:

“There was no sign that either side is willing to back down. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to expand the offensive, saying ‘this will take time.’ Hamas has called for a full-scale intifada, or uprising. The last such uprising began in 2000 and lasted more than five years.”

Biden Under Attack from “Both Sides” for Different Reasons

Newsmax wrote on May 11:

“President Joe Biden has come under fire from members of both parties following a series of violent incidents in Jerusalem over the weekend… Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said in a tweet Monday that the Biden Administration ‘should strongly condemn Hamas and other terrorists that are exploiting tensions in Jerusalem to carry out rocket attacks against innocent civilians. The United States should unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend its citizens.’

“Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Fox News that the ‘actual actions’ of the Biden administration have been ‘incredibly unhelpful’…  Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said in an interview with MSNBC on Monday that the U.S. is ‘enabling’ violence in the region by providing foreign aid to Israel, and hit the Biden administration for failing to ‘declare’ that Israel is using that aid to ‘commit human rights violations…’

“Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted his successor, saying President Joe Biden’s ‘weakness’ standing up for Israel is ‘fueling’ violence in the Middle East… Trump said in his statement that America must ‘always’ stand with Israel and demand the Palestinians stop the ‘violence, terror, and rocket attacks… ‘Unbelievably, Democrats also continue to stand by [those] who savagely attack Israel while they are under terrorist assault.’”

The New York Times wrote on May 11 that the “violence in Israel challenges Biden’s ‘Stand Back’ Approach.” The Biden Administration has now given some lip service in support of Israel’s right to defend itself, while encouraging “both sides” to show restraint.  For now, the terrorist organization Hamas will not listen to such admonition, and it does not appear that Israel will either.

Act of War Between France and Britain?

The Sun wrote on May 7:

“TWO Navy vessels located off Jersey will return to Britain after French fishermen protesting over post-Brexit fishing rights stood down. A Government spokeswoman yesterday said Britain remains on standby to provide any assistance Jersey requests over the escalating standoff with France. They said: ‘The (Brexit) Trade and Cooperation Agreement brought in changes to fishing arrangements between the UK and the EU. Jersey authorities have a right to regulate fisheries in their waters under this agreement and we support them in exercising those rights.’

“The British warships [armed with a 20mm cannon, which can fire 700 rounds a minute at a range of 1,300 yards] arrived off the UK island to protect it from the threat of a French blockade. Around 100 French fishing vessels began arriving at the island just after 6am on Thursday and some on board were setting off flares as a huge row developed over post-Brexit fishing rights.

“But after the Royal Navy was sent to Jersey, the French Navy scrambled its own warships to the scene ahead of a tense stand-off… Boris [Johnsons’] dramatic move came after French fishermen – backed by Emmanuel Macron’s ministers – vowed to shut off the island unless they could fish more British waters, a threat branded an ‘act of war’. The furious spat erupted after the island [with 100,000 citizens] – which is under Britain’s protection – slapped French trawlers with post-Brexit fishing licence requirements.”

Hostilities between Britain and continental Europe will increase.

France vs. UK and US

Breitbart wrote on May 8:

“President Emmanuel Macron turned to rhetoric fit for the Napoleonic era in his latest attempt to deflect blame for French and EU inoculation programme failures, accusing ‘the Anglo-Saxons’ of hoarding vaccines and vaccine ingredients. ‘Today, the Anglo-Saxons block many of these ingredients and vaccines,’ alleged the staunch European Union loyalist as he arrived in Porto, Portugal, for a meeting of the head of the unelected European Commission with the heads of state and government of the EU member-states to discuss bloc-wide social policy. ‘Today, 100 per cent of the vaccines produced in the United States are for the American market,’ he further claimed…

“However, the veracity of President Macron’s allegations notwithstanding, the European Union has not been especially selfless in its own treatment of ‘the Anglo-Saxons’ — a term used by the French to refer to the British, the Americans, or the Anglosphere in general…

“In reality, as President Macron’s ‘Anglo-Saxons’ diatribe indicates, Brexit Britain proved able to negotiate contracts for vaccine orders and approve vaccines for use much faster than the EU, with the bloc going so far as to threaten to impose a hard border between EU member-state the Republic of Ireland and the British country of Northern Ireland — something it had decreed totally unacceptable during the Brexit negotiations — in order to prevent British vaccine orders from leaving its territory.”

Scotland to Become Independent?

The Associated Press wrote on May 9:

“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday invited the leaders of the U.K.’s devolved nations for crisis talks on the union after Scotland’s pro-independence party won its fourth straight parliamentary election. Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, said the election results proved that a second independence vote for Scotland was ‘the will of the country’ and that any London politician who stood in the way would be ‘picking a fight with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people.’ The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with devolved governments in the latter three…

“Johnson has the ultimate authority whether or not to permit another referendum on Scotland gaining independence. He wrote in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph that another referendum on Scotland would be ‘irresponsible and reckless’ as Britain emerges from the pandemic. He has consistently argued that the issue was settled in a 2014 referendum where 55% of Scottish voters favored remaining part of the U.K. Proponents of another vote say the situation has changed fundamentally because of the U.K’s Brexit divorce from the European Union, with Scotland taken out of the EU against its will. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 52% of U.K. voters backed leaving the EU but 62% of Scots voted to remain.”

Preparing for a EU Army

The EU Reporter wrote on May 7:

“While there is no EU army and defence remains exclusively a matter for member states, the EU has recently taken big steps to boost defence co-operation. Since 2016, there has been significant progress in the area of EU security and defence with several concrete EU initiatives to encourage co-operation and reinforce Europe’s capacity to defend itself…

“Europeans expect the EU to guarantee security and peace. Three quarters (75%) are in favour of a common EU defence and security policy… and a majority (55%) were in favour of creating an EU army [according to a poll in 2017]. More recently [in 2018] 68% of Europeans said they would like the EU to do more on defence.

“EU leaders realise that no EU country can tackle the current security threats in isolation. For example French President Macron called for a joint European military project  in 2017, while German Chancellor Merkel said ‘we ought to work on the vision of one day establishing a proper European army’ in her [speech] in November 2018. Moving towards a security and defence union has been one of the priorities of the von der Leyen Commission.

“A common EU defence policy is provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon…

“In recent years, the EU has begun to implement ambitious initiatives to provide more resources, stimulate efficiency, facilitate cooperation and support the development of capabilities:

“Permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) was launched in December 2017,  and 25 EU countries are participating as of June 2019. It currently operates on the basis of 47 collaborative projects with binding commitments…

“The (EDF) European Defence Fund (EDF) was launched in June 2017. It is the first time the EU budget is used to co-fund defence cooperation. On 29 April 2021, MEPs agreed to fund the flagship instrument with a budget of €7.9 billion as part of the EU’s long-term budget (2021-2027). The fund will complement national investments and provide both practical and financial incentives for collaborative research, joint development and acquisition of defence equipment and technology…

“A plan to facilitate military mobility within and across the EU to make it possible for military personnel and equipment to act faster in response to crises.

“Making the financing of  civilian and military missions and operations more effective. The EU currently has 17 such missions on three continents, with a wide range of mandates and deploying more than 6,000 civilian and military personnel.

“Since June 2017 there is a new command and control structure (MPCC) to improve the EU’s crisis management.

“EU countries collectively are the second largest defence spender in the world after the US but an estimated 26.4 billion euros is wasted every year due to duplication, overcapacity and barriers to procurement. As a result, more than six times as many defence systems are used in Europe than in the United States.

“If Europe is to compete worldwide, it will need to pool and integrate its best capabilities as it is estimated that by 2025 China will become the second largest defence spender in the world after the US.

“The European Parliament has repeatedly called for fully using the potential of the Lisbon Treaty provisions to work towards a European defence union…”

Business Insider wrote on May 6:

“Fourteen European Union countries… have proposed a rapid military response force that could intervene early in international crises… The 14 countries are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.”

US Economy’s Big Miss

The Week wrote on May 7:

“The Labor Department said Friday the U.S. economy added 266,000 jobs in April, whereas economists had been expecting around 1 million jobs would be added… The report was significantly below expectations, and Axios described it as ‘the biggest miss, relative to expectations, in the history of the payrolls report.’

“Economist Justin Wolfers wrote that 266,000 jobs being added ‘would be fabulous in normal times, but is utterly disappointing’ compared to the forecasts, adding, ‘This is a big miss that changes how we think about the recovery.’”

Cyberattack Forces US Pipeline Shutdown

DNYUZ wrote on May 8:

“A cyberattack forced the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the United States, in what appeared to be a significant attempt to disrupt vulnerable energy infrastructure. The pipeline carries refined gasoline and jet fuel up the East Coast from Texas to New York. The operator of the system, Colonial Pipeline, said in a statement late Friday that it had shut down its 5,500 miles of pipeline, which it says carries 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel supplies, in an effort to contain the attack on its computer networks…  Colonial’s pipeline transports 2.5 million barrels each day…

“The breach comes just months after two major attacks on American computer networks — the SolarWinds intrusion by Russia’s main intelligence service, and another against a Microsoft email service that has been attributed to Chinese hackers — that have illustrated the vulnerability of the networks on which the government and corporations rely.”

Politico wrote on May 8:

“A shutdown that lasts more than a few days could send gasoline prices in the Southeastern U.S. spiking above $3 a gallon, market analysts said. That could deepen the political risks the incident poses for Biden… “

Gas Stations Closed

Fox5 New York reported on May 11:

“More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday. Government officials acted swiftly to waive safety and environmental rules to speed the delivery of fuel by truck, ship or rail to motorists and airports, even as they sought to assure the public that there was no cause for alarm…. A large part of the pipeline resumed operations manually late Monday, and Colonial anticipates restarting most of its operations by the end of the week…

“In Virginia, 7.7% of the state’s nearly 3,900 gas stations reported running out of fuel Tuesday… In North Carolina, 8.5% of almost 5,400 stations were out… “Federal investigators attributed the cyberattack to an organization known as Darkside, a group believed to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe. Darkside issued a statement saying it didn’t mean to create problems. The group just wanted the money.

“… Scattered gas stations in metro Atlanta were out of fuel Monday and Tuesday. In Georgia, nearly 6% of about 6,400 stations had run out of fuel… In Florida, drivers in some areas faced long lines, and 3% of gas stations had run out…The Colonial Pipeline carries jet fuel as well. American Airlines rerouted two long-haul flights… because of possible shortages…”

Russia, on Tuesday, denied any involvement in the cyberattack. Virginia declared a state of emergency.

Bloomberg wrote on May 13:

 “Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday, contradicting reports earlier this week that the company had no intention of paying an extortion fee to help restore the country’s largest fuel pipeline… The company paid the hefty ransom in difficult-to-trace cryptocurrency within hours after the attack, underscoring the immense pressure faced by the Georgia-based operator to get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again to major cities along the Eastern Seaboard…

 “Once they received the payment, the hackers provided the operator with a decrypting tool to restore its disabled computer network. The tool was so slow that the company continued using its own backups to help restore the system… The hackers, which the FBI said are linked to a group called DarkSide, specialize in digital extortion and are believed to be located in Russia or Eastern Europe.”

The Race for the Arctic

The Sun reported on May 9:

“As Russia and China assert more power in the Arctic, the U.S. faces a shortage of heavy icebreakers, the massive ships needed to cut through ice… the Arctic is rich with mineral deposits and is likely to become a major shipping route as the ice melts. However, the U.S. Coast Guard only has one heavy icebreaker, the massive ships needed to forge paths through the ice. The vessel, called the Polar Star, is 40 years old and in need of new parts. The Coast Guard also has a medium icebreaker called the Healy…

“Meanwhile, Russia has dozens, and China has several and is developing more. The Arctic region is currently overseen by the Arctic Council, made up of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S. The council also includes observers and so-called non-Arctic states, one of which is China.

“China is competing for greater access in the Arctic by negotiating trade agreements with Arctic nations and trying to build infrastructure in those countries. In other words, the race for the Arctic is on…”

These figures are pitiful for the USA.

Spying on Phone Records of Journalists!

The Week wrote on May 8:

“The Department of Justice under former President Donald Trump obtained phone records of three Washington Post journalists, the Post reports. The department also reportedly unsuccessfully tried to obtain the reporters’ email records. Three separate letters to Post reporters Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller and their former colleague Adam Entous explained the department ‘received toll records’ associated with their phone numbers for the period between April 15, 2017 to July 31, 2017, which is around when the trio reported a story about classified U.S. intelligence intercepts indicating that in 2016 then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) had discussed the Trump campaign with Sergey Kislyak, who was then Russia’s ambassador to the United States.

“The Justice Department defended the decision, describing it as ‘part of a criminal investigation into unauthorized disclosure of classified information,’ noting the reporters were not the targets of the probe.”

If true, this would be scandalous indeed, showing what governmental agencies are willing to do to invade the privacy of journalists and attack confidentiality, just  based on unproven allegations.

Big Tech’s Censorship

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 6:

“Wednesday’s decision by Facebook’s ‘oversight board’ – a transparent attempt to outsource responsibility for censorship to an international committee – to extend the ban on 45th US President Donald Trump is just the latest example [of suppression of free speech], but by no means the most egregious. Earlier this week, the banhammer descended on RT’s digital project Redfish over posts criticizing… Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini and the Holocaust, of all things…

“The long march from banning Alex Jones in 2018 to banning the sitting president of the United States in 2021 was completed with surprising alacrity. The collusion within Silicon Valley to ban Trump on the blatantly false pretext of ‘inciting insurrection’ on January 6 may have been the political Rubicon, but Big Tech had begun putting their finger, fist and even elbow on the political scales long before.

“Does banning the New York Post over Hunter Biden ring any bells? How about the ‘pre-bunking’ of the 2020 election outcome, arranged by Democrat activists more than a year prior?…

“Way back in 2019, Trump had tweeted a meme: ‘In reality, they’re not after me, they’re after you. I’m just in the way.’ Can you honestly say now that he was wrong?”

Even Democrat Elizabeth Warren Attacks Facebook

Daily Mail wrote on May 6:

“Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday that Facebook’s decision to uphold its ban on former President Donald Trump’s account further exhibits Big Tech has too much power and needs to be broken up… Of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling the Oversight Board the ‘Supreme Court’, Warren said: ‘Listen to the arrogance of it… ‘They have too much influence and they pose a threat to our democracy. Time to enforce our antitrust laws.’

“She also complained in a tweet Wednesday that Facebook is a disinformation machine.”

“China Suspends Economic Dialogue with Australia ‘Indefinitely’”

Russia Today wrote on May 6, 2021:

“Beijing has axed a high-level channel for economic talks with Canberra, blasting Australian leaders for having a ‘Cold War mentality’ after the country cancelled two contracts linked to its Belt and Road project…

“Ties, and especially trade relations, between the two states have steadily frayed in recent months, seeing Beijing threaten economic retaliation after Canberra demanded an international probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Before that, in 2018, Australia moved to ban the Shenzhen-based telecom giant Huawei and passed a number of foreign interference laws targeting Beijing, both prompting terse responses.

“The relationship has only deteriorated further in the meantime, with Australian officials scrapping two deals previously signed between Beijing and the state of Victoria for China’s Belt and Road Initiative in March. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the contracts were ‘inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations,’ invoking powers created by legislation passed last year that allows the FM to veto agreements with other nations…

“While relations have been frosty for some time, halting the negotiation channel could spell further trouble for Canberra as it seeks to resolve trade disputes that affect $20 billion in Australian exports, including in key industries such as coal, timber, seafood, wine and barley. As of March, trade between the two countries had dropped by 40% overall, compared to the period before the commerce battle, with Beijing maintaining tariffs on a number of goods.”

Some time ago, Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria, signed some kind of memorandum of understanding with China to gain an economic advantage for Victorian companies to produce work on the Belt and Road project. As it turned out, approval was not sought from Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The federal government now says that all foreign dealings have to be approved by the federal Finance Minister before they can go ahead. This is a part of the reason Australia is having a trade war with China.

German Priests in Defiance of the Pope

Breitbart wrote on May 10:

“Progressive Catholics in Germany have announced their intent to offer blessings to same-sex couples at dozens of churches around the country… in defiance of a recent Vatican ban on the practice… Jesuit Father Jan Korditschke said… ‘I am convinced that homosexual orientation is not bad, nor is homosexual love a sin… I want to celebrate the love of homosexuals with these blessings because the love of homosexuals is something good.’

“The priest said he is angered by the Church’s ‘homophobia,’ in reference to Catholic teaching that homosexual practice is sinful… In April, the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Georg Bätzing, also declared his opposition to the Vatican prohibition on blessing same-sex couples. ‘I believe that we have to assess homosexuality and lived partnerships outside of marriage differently… We can no longer proceed solely from natural law [i.e., the biblical teaching], but have to think much more in terms of care and personal responsibility for one another… We can no longer answer these questions simply with a “yes” or “no.” That is not possible,’ he said.”

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Rather, “let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No” (James 5:12).

The Washington Post added on May 10:

“… the events amount to an open rebellion — and a test for a pontiff whose tenure has been marked by divisions over hot-button issues, especially the church’s stance on homosexuality…

“In the past, priests in Germany and some other parts of the world have quietly given blessings to gay unions. But the ceremonies that began over the weekend and continued through Monday were designed to be noticed. The decision will surely amplify the sense of Germany as a center of tension within Roman Catholicism. Some conservatives have accused German Catholic leaders of risking schism with Rome…. The priest-led initiative is a first in recent German history…

“The German church has gone further than other national Catholic churches in considering dramatic changes, in part because it is so deep in crisis. Germans are abandoning the church in droves… German bishops have become among the most progressive voices among Catholic leaders.”

Vatican Warns US Bishops

Newsmax wrote on May 11:

“U.S. bishops have been warned by the Vatican about a potential proposal to deny communion to Catholic elected officials who support allowing abortion… The document is aimed at clarifying the church’s stance on the issue.  And it’s taken on new urgency now because Biden — only the second Catholic president — is the first to hold that office and favor abortion rights…

“U.S. bishops are split over the issue. Some of the conservative bishops have called for Biden and other Catholic politicians who support abortions to be denied communion. But Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, D.C., has said he will not deny communion to Biden. And he warned that if U.S. church leaders fail to reach a unanimous decision, a national policy, ‘given its contentious nature,’ could become a source of discord within the American church.

“Along with Biden, there are 158 Catholics in congress, most of them Democrats who favor abortion rights, and six Catholic Supreme Court justices, most of them anti-abortion Republicans…  in the 2020 presidential election, Catholics split their votes almost evenly between Biden and Donald Trump.”

Lutheran Church Elects First Transgender Bishop

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“A woman who dresses and lives as a man has been elected as the first ‘openly transgender bishop’ for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Sierra Pacific synod… Megan Rohrer, who is married to a lesbian, said in the video she is a pastor, a parent, and transgender…

“Well known for advocating for LGBTQ rights in street activism, preaching and writing, Rohrer, 41, who uses the pronouns they and them,… was expelled from her church’s youth group after ‘coming out’ as a lesbian… In San Francisco, whose board of supervisors declared August 12 ‘Pastor Megan Rohrer Day’ in 2012, Rohrer has been an outspoken defender and counselor to LGTBQ people, especially the transgender homeless and Christians… Rohrer told Cosmopolitan magazine in 2017, ‘We need to all be as loud and as angry as the people who want to declare that there are types of people that God can’t love.’”

Christian Persecution in Finland

Evangelical Focus wrote on May 5:

“Päivi Räsänen, the member of the national parliament and former government minister was formally charged with hate speech against homosexuals for her opinions voiced on three platforms. Räsänen [who is a member of the Lutheran Church] will be tried for quoting the Bible on homosexuality on social media in 2019, for authoring a booklet about marriage published in 2004, and for her views in a talk show about Christian faith and homosexuality.

“The two-year pre-trial investigations of the Finnish General Prosecutor against Räsänen, a medical doctor with strong Christian convictions, are seen by theologically conservative Christians in Finland as a clear study case of the erosion of the ability of citizens to express their deeply held beliefs.

“One of the Christian organisations to react to the news has been the Finnish Evangelical Alliance (Suomen Evankelinen Allianssi, SEA), which took a stand on 4 May, days after it was known that Räsänen could face a prison sentence of up to two years… ‘The definition of what is sin in religious terms or the resolution of theological differences is not an issue for the judiciary to assess’, but a matter concerning ‘the scope of religious freedom’, the SEA wrote…

“‘The sexual ethical position represented by Räsänen… in public is the prevailing view of Christian churches worldwide. If the presentation of this view and the treatment of the Bible interpretation concerning it were to be considered as an offense, it would have a strong restrictive effect on religious freedom’, they warned. ‘Churches would then be prevented from teaching their own doctrine freely, and the dissemination of the Bible could also be prohibited…

“… the International Lutheran Council has expressed its concern with a case that has clear links to the difficult theological debate happening in the Finnish Lutheran Church. Two Finnish bishops… defended her right to speak out although failed to defend her position on Bible and sexuality…

“In the media context, the debate around the upcoming trial has also led to different approaches.

“Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in Finland, published an editorial titled ‘Päivi Räsänen hurts not only homosexuals but also many Christians’ on 30 April, saying the case ‘is not a question of an individual personal opinion, but society’s long lasting cruel position against sexual minorities’. The daily went further to state that ‘the most striking is not Räsänen’s thinking but the fact that just a little time ago such opinions represented the mainline view in society. A human being is on judge, although there should be the history’.

“In contrast, other influential media people have defended the [right of] every citizen to express their ideas freely. Tapani Ruokanen, a respected journalist, tweeted: ‘I defend freedom of speech and religion, especially if I disagree with the speaker. Quoting the Bible belongs to both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Päivi Räsänen’s [prosecution] take[s] the judiciary towards the Middle Ages. Uncivilized, shameful and meaningless ineptitude”.

“Some prominent atheists have also voiced their support for Räsänen’s right to speak…”

The condemnation by some so-called Christians of Päivi Räsänen’s biblical comments is mind-boggling.

Christian Persecution in the UK

Breitbart wrote on May 10:

“A Christian chaplain [Dr Barnard Randall] at Trent College was fired and reported to the British government’s anti-terrorism programme [which seeks to halt the radicalisation of young people] for delivering a sermon [in 2019] in which he told pupils that it is acceptable to question and disagree with far-left LGBT ideology being taught at the school…

“In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Randall said: ‘I was terrified when I found out. I had visions of being investigated by MI5, of men coming to my house at dawn and knocking down the front door. What was I supposed to tell my family? It was crazy’…

“Derbyshire Police confirmed to the paper that the chaplain was indeed referred to the anti-terror programme by the school, however they ultimately determined that Dr Randall did not represent a ‘counter-terrorism risk or risk of radicalisation’ and confirmed that the complaint ‘did not meet the threshold for a Prevent referral’.”

It is amazing what damage such left-wing radicals can cause.

Ongoing Christian Persecution in Canada

The Gateway Pundit wrote on May 8:

“Artur Pawlowski, the Pastor of the Cave of Adullam Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada was swarmed by police and arrested after holding an ‘illegal’ church service on Saturday. You may remember Pawlowski as the brave pastor who shouted down police officers who interrupted his church service during Holy Week. ‘Out of this property you Nazis! Gestapo is not allowed here!’ he shouted to police officers interrupting his church service during Easter weekend. ‘Out, Nazi! Out! Nazis are not welcome here! Do not come back here you Nazi psychopaths!’

“Pawlowski and his flock kicked out the Gestapo again this weekend.”

Deeply disturbing and outrageous shameful videos show how Pawlowski and his brother were stopped on the highway on their way home by numerous police cars, ordered out of their car, forced to kneel down and were handcuffed in the middle of the highway and then dragged to a police car.

Rair Foundation wrote May 9:

“A Canadian Pastor who escaped communism in Poland has been arrested for holding church services during a coronavirus lockdown in Calgary, Canada… a citizen filmed the outside of the Calgary Islamic Center yesterday, which had cars lined up the street. The citizen journalist told RAIR Foundation USA that he took the video because he ‘knew they [police officers] are not enforcing the lockdowns on some groups, while persecuting others.’

“Pastor Pawlowski has been warning Canadians about encroaching communism for years… The brave Pastor, who grew up in Poland behind the Iron Curtain and escaped communism, compares the actions of the Calgary police to that of the Soviets and Nazi Germany. During Pawlowski’s childhood, pastors and priests were arrested, and some were murdered. Many were tortured. Pawlowski warns he sees a repetition of history taking place.

“Ezra Levant of Rebel News was at Pastor Pawlowski’s service before today’s arrest. He confirmed that Christian churches are being targeted while other religious services are free to worship in peace.”

BPR added on May 9:

“Artur Pawlowski was taken into custody along with his brother, Dawid Pawlowski on Saturday afternoon… Video posted online shows the reverend on his knees in the middle of a rain-soaked street with vehicles passing by slowly as a pair of officers handcuff him and then drag him to a waiting patrol vehicle after he refuses to stand and walk… Both men were charged with staging an illegal public gathering, according to Calgary police, while also ‘requesting, inciting or inviting others’ to join in with them, the department said in a statement… The department noted further in its statement that civil rights aside, the COVID-19 pandemic’s restrictions take precedent…

“The Calgary Herald added that a Court of Queen’s Bench Order was obtained on Thursday by Alberta Health Services after additional restrictions were previously levied on Canadians… ‘In the event of non-compliance, the Order provides enforcement powers, including powers of arrest…’

“Last month Pawlowski, who had already been fined repeated by authorities for COVID violations, was hailed as an ‘absolute legend’ after he ejected an Alberta Health Services official accompanied by several police officers from a Passover service. The arrest of Pawlowski… follows an escalating pattern of aggressive COVID-19 rule enforcement by Canadian police.

“During a segment of his weekday evening show a few weeks after Pawlowski’s Passover encounter, The First TV’s Jesse Kelly warned about rising left-wing tyranny in Western democracies under the rubric of coronavirus, citing overly aggressive police actions in Canada. ‘Have you been watching this stuff in Canada, with what they’re doing with the coronavirus lockdowns?’ he said ahead of showing a disturbing video clip of Canadian officers repeatedly striking an elderly man and destroying a portion of his porch railing in an apparent attempt to arrest him for an unknown COVID violation… ‘And now they’re pummeling 85-year-old men and raiding churches,’ he continued. ‘You think it’s going to stay in Canada?…’”

Jesse Kelly is a famous American television show host. He is a Marine Corps combat veteran and former congressional candidate in Arizona.

Fox News added on May 9:

“Video capturing the arrests showed several police vehicles parked on the street as officers carried the handcuffed brothers, who appeared to refuse to walk on their own. An onlooker can be heard telling the officers, ‘Shame on you guys, this is not Communist China. Don’t you have family and kids? Whatever happened to ‘Canada, God keep our land glorious and free’?’”

Good question. What is happening in Canada—but not only there—is shameful and appalling.

Canada—a “Fascist Country”

On May 10, Breitbart published an extremely outspoken and condemnatory article on the events in Canada, with a clear warning message for America, as follows:

“The Canadian Gestapo were smart this time. Instead of breaking into and swarming Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski’s church — as they previously did during an Easter weekend service, only to be appropriately shamed and heckled out of the place — this time the Canadian Gestapo waited until after Saturday services to arrest Pawlowski, and did so on a public highway. Naturally, the Gestapo treated him like he was Scarface. Multiple officers and at least four police cruisers were involved:

“Pawlowski was arrested for violating Canada’s fascist and anti-science laws against gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak. These restrictions are in place in Canada (and in many places here in the U.S.) despite the fact fully-opened states like Texas and Florida allow people to go back to normal and have done so while keeping their China Virus cases in line with lockdown states.

“Canada has become so openly fascist, Pawlowski is the second pastor arrested by the Canadian Gestapo. Back in February, the Canadian Gestapo arrested Rev. James Coates of GraceLife Church of Edmonton after he turned himself in. His crime was the same — holding church services in a fascist country….

“In the wake of what we are seeing in Florida and Texas, these continued lockdowns are nothing less than obscene and deliberate attacks on personal and religious freedom.”

The warning for America cannot be overlooked.

Canadian Police Officers Object to Governmental Coronavirus Restrictions

CBC wrote on May 4:

“A group of 19 Ontario police officers has launched a constitutional challenge against the provincial and federal governments and several police chiefs, claiming that enforcing sweeping pandemic health restrictions puts them at odds with their oath to uphold the charter.

“It seeks these declarations:  Lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and curfews are ‘forms of martial law.’ Wearing masks, social distancing and lockdowns are ‘ineffective’ and ‘not scientifically or medically based’ because they’re based on coronavirus cases the legal documents claim ‘are 96.5 per cent false.’ The group also wants the court to declare that religious gatherings and protests are exempt from pandemic restrictions in Ontario.

“No date has been set for when the constitutional case may go to court, and it’s unclear whether a judge will allow it to proceed.”

It is doubtful that their action will be very successful.

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.

North Korea “Warns” USA

The Associated Press wrote on May 2:

“North Korea on Sunday warned the United States will face ‘a very grave situation’ because President Joe Biden ‘made a big blunder’ in his recent speech by calling the North a security threat and revealing his intent to maintain a hostile policy against it…

“The White House said Friday… Biden plans to veer from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea’s nuclear program. Press secretary Jen Psaki did not detail findings of the review, but suggested the administration would seek a middle ground between Donald Trump’s ‘grand bargains’ and Barack Obama’s ‘strategic patience’ approaches.

“After a series of high-profile nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched summit diplomacy with Trump on the future of his growing nuclear arsenal. But that diplomacy remains stalled for about two years over differences in how much sanctions relief North Korea could win in return for limited denuclearization steps…

“In January, Kim threatened to enlarge his nuclear arsenal and build more high-tech weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, saying the fate of bilateral ties would depend on whether it abandons its hostile policy. In March, he conducted short-range ballistic missile tests for the first time in a year, though he still maintains a moratorium on bigger weapons launches.”

North Korea remains a foe to be reckoned with.

Russia-West Ties Hit Low

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 1:

“Relations between Russia and the West have reached a new low… In April, about a dozen countries expelled Russian diplomats in protest against the country’s secret service operations… Russia… declared a total of seven diplomats from Slovakia and three Baltic states persona non grata, after those countries expelled Russian personnel. Romania and Poland have told Russian diplomats to pack up and leave. So, too, have Slovakia and the Baltic states in show of solidarity with the Czech Republic. In mid-April, the Czech government [accused Russia] of being responsible for explosions at Czech munitions depots in 2014, which left two dead. Media reports claim Russia orchestrated the attacks to stop arms deliveries to Ukraine via Bulgaria. Czech authorities consequently expelled 18 Russian diplomats.

“Russia, denying the accusations, in turn expelled 20 Czech embassy workers… Several days earlier, the US declared that 10 Russian diplomats would be expelled in response to Russian meddling in the 2020 presidential election and for hacking. Moscow rejected the accusations and responded in kind. President Joe Biden’s tough rhetoric directed at Russian President Putin has further strained relations between both countries. Russia has now recalled its Washington ambassador Anatoly Antonov for consultations and urged the US to likewise withdraw its ambassador. This pattern of tit-for-tat retaliations can be observed in numerous countries. In late March, for instance, Italy expelled two Russian diplomats accused of military espionage. Russia responded by sending one Italian home.

“… The US embassy in Russia has now said it will stop issuing visas as of mid-May. This does not bode well for US-Russia relations.”

Even though the relationship between the USA and Russia might continue to deteriorate, it is more the fragile situation involving Russia and Europe which is of prophetic significance.

US Orders Non-Essential US Embassy Workers to Leave Afghanistan

The Daily Mail wrote on April 27:

“The State Department is ordering home most remaining staff at the U.S. embassy in Kabul due to security concerns after President Joe Biden announced earlier this month a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. All personnel have been instructed… to depart Afghanistan unless their jobs require them to be physically located there…

“Guidance from State also says American citizens should not travel to Afghanistan and those already there ‘should leave as soon as possible on available commercial flights.’…

“The new order also comes after footage of an Afghan woman being lashed 40 times by the Taliban has emerged in a stark reminder of the state of the region as the U.S. pulls out of the country. The Islamists [have been] emboldened by Joe Biden’s decision to pull troops out of the country… Video of the woman being whipped, for reportedly having a phone call with a man, serves to underline the power which the Taliban still holds over the country despite Washington’s two decades of military intervention and trillions of dollars poured into trying to improve life for Afghans. Dozens of local men watched the punishment being meted out as villagers turn to the Taliban to enforce justice, having no faith in the toothless government in Kabul…

“Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have warned that Biden’s plan to withdraw risks creating a power vacuum which the Taliban is already seeking to fill… The United States’ nearly two decades of fighting and trillions of dollars spent on Afghanistan has done little [to] put an end to the suffering of women in the country…

“Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called Joe Biden’s plan ‘reckless’ and ‘a grave mistake. It is retreat in the face of an enemy that has not yet been vanquished and abdication of American leadership.’ Others argue that it is the only possible conclusion to a fruitless effort to bring peace to a country which has claimed thousands of American lives, as well as those of their allies in Nato including British troops.”

The article points out accurately the dilemma of countries which have sent troops to Afghanistan to create peace and which now withdraw the troops after having failed to do so. In either case, bloodshed has been and will be the result.

“Joe Biden is dividing Americans even more than Donald Trump”

The British tabloid Express wrote on April 30:

“JOE BIDEN is an even more divisive President than Donald Trump after 100 days in office, according to a new Gallup poll. The new US President came to power promising to be a leader who would govern for all Americans and ‘who seeks not to divide, but to unify.’ However, the survey found that Mr Biden was seen as anything but a unifying figure by disillusioned Republican voters. According to the poll, 94 percent of Democrats approved of the new President’s performance, while only 11 percent of Republicans did. By contrast, Mr Trump received 87 percent approval ratings from Republicans and 12 percent from Democrats at the same stage.

“On Wednesday, the new US President addressed both Houses of Congress to mark the first 100 day[s] of his administration… His speech was greeted by enthusiastic applause from Democrats but stony silence from Republicans. The Republicans called the speech ‘the most radical socialist agenda in American history’.

“Former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney tweeted: ‘The President says he wants unity, but it’s impossible to unify America if you’re only appealing to the liberal wing of your own party….’”

Romney has been an outspoken critic of Trump. He barely missed being censured for his vote to impeach Trump by his own party during a GOP convention in Utah. CNN wrote that even though the censure failed, it was a reminder of the fracture in the GOP. Likewise, the Democrats are fractured as well. How can we expect unity in the country under those circumstances?

US Catholics against Biden

Breitbart wrote on May 3:

“Prominent Catholic thinkers have handed Joe Biden a failing report card following the president’s first hundred days in office. Robert Royal, a well-known author and president of the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C., has compared Biden to the Chinese Communist Party, noting that both talk a lot about the common good while their actions betray it at every turn… Catholic Social Doctrine… ‘warns of potential tyranny and demoralization of people and civic institutions when government seek to assume authority over everything – family, faith, morals, even personal attitudes.’

“… As usual, Biden’s promotion of abortion rights is front and center in Catholics’ minds. ‘Abortion is a clarifying issue because it gives a sharp edge to these and a host of other questions about politics and the moral order,’ Royal observes, and on this vital issue Joe Biden holds a position the Catholic Church finds untenable… The slaughter of the innocents through abortion is happening today to the tune of about 150,000 globally, Royal writes, ‘the equivalent of killing everyone in Cambridge, Massachusetts plus the entire faculty and staff at Harvard, every day.’

“For this reason, he asserts, the American bishops ‘find themselves at a crossroads,’ since to let things go on as they have ‘would give the impression that they’re just fine with a self-proclaimed “devout” Catholic politician acting this way… As Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, noted last Friday, there is nothing ‘right wing’ about ‘addressing public figures who boast of their “devout Catholic” status while constantly undermining what the Church teaches, especially on life and death issues.’”

This is not just referring to devout Catholic Joe Biden. The number of Catholic Democrats who are supporting abortion is staggering, including leading politicians like Pelosi and Schumer. Their sheer hypocrisy is breathtaking!

Raid of Giuliani Unconstitutional for Numerous Reasons

Newsmax wrote on May 2:

“The FBI raid this week of former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani violated the ‘spirit and the letter of the Constitution,’ because it permitted prosecutors to read privileged information without permission, according to legal expert Alan Dershowitz…

“‘This was just a misuse of the search and seizure power… Initially it was turned down; now it was approved, both by a judge and by the attorney general of the United States…  It just shouldn’t be done this way… It should be done through subpoena, and that is the constitutional route to getting evidence… To conduct a search warrant is to imply that Rudy Giuliani and the other lawyers who are subject to the search warrant would destroy evidence… Now, Giuliani knew they were after the cell phones and the computers for months and months and months, and he didn’t destroy anything, so what’s the basis for the search warrant rather than the subpoena?

“‘The 4th Amendment demands a subpoena in these situations, not a search warrant. What they did in this case was unconstitutional… The 4th Amendment doesn’t protect you only against criminal prosecution, it protects your privacy… They’re looking hard. I don’t think they have anything on this registration because, really, Giuliani was representing an American; he was representing the president. He was doing investigations in the Ukraine to see if it can help his president….’

“There is a lack of ‘compelling evidence’ of potential obstruction of justice by a former federal prosecutor like Giuliani, Dershowitz said.”

In addition, Dershowitz also said that the search warrant violates the attorney-client privilege between Trump and Giuliani, and this privilege belongs to Trump as the client. He did not agree to a waiver and so, arguably, he could sue the FBI and the Justice Department for their unconstitutional action against him.

“The Big Lie” of 2020 Election Results

Newsmax wrote on May 3:

“Former President Donald Trump shot back at opponents and the mainstream media Monday, saying the 2020 election result [will] forever [be] known as ‘The Big Lie.’… The mainstream media has called Trump’s claim the 2020 election was stolen due to voter fraud as ‘the big lie.’… Trump last week called the 2020 election a ‘disgrace to our country.’ He said, ‘at 10:30 in the evening, everyone thought the election was over and that we had won. All of a sudden, late in the night, they closed up the tabulation centers and they came out with new numbers. This election is a disgrace to our country. And the whole world knows it and they’re watching.’

“Trump added he was ‘100%’ thinking about running again for the White House in 2024. ‘The polls show it and everybody wants me to do it: 100% I’m thinking about running and we will I think be very successful,’ Trump told Fox Business…

“Also last week, Trump said Democrats fighting an audit of Arizona’s election result… was an admission of using ‘unconstitutional’ election processes… ‘They sent a team of over 100 lawyers to try and stop it because they know what the result of the Arizona Senate sponsored audit will be — and it won’t be good for the Dems.’

“The Arizona state Senate used its subpoena power to take possession of all 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa County and the machines that counted them, along with computer hard drives full of data.”

So, it’s still not over?

Trump Continues to be Banned on Facebook

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 5:

“Former US President Donald Trump will be suspended from Facebook and Instagram for at least another six months. He was banned from the platform following the January 6 siege of the US Capitol by his supporters. The social media giant’s independent oversight board upheld the ban on the former US president, but said the decision should be reviewed in six months. The board said Trump ‘created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible… Given the seriousness of the violations and the ongoing risk of violence, Facebook was justified in suspending Mr. Trump’s accounts on January 6 and extending that suspension on January 7,’ the board said after its review.

“The review board was established recently and includes academics, lawyers and rights activists. Its decisions are binding on the company… Trump responded to the announcement by repeating his… claims of voter fraud  in the 2020 US election. ‘Had gutless and clueless MINORITY Leader Mitch McConnell… fought to expose all of the corruption that was presented at the time, with more found since, we would have had a far different Presidential result,’ Trump said in a statement.”

Conservatives Respond

Fox News wrote on May 5:

“Conservatives blasted Facebook and its Oversight Board for upholding an indefinite ban on former President Trump on Wednesday… ‘Facebook’s decision to uphold its ban on President Donald Trump is extremely disappointing. It’s clear that Mark Zuckerberg views himself as the arbiter of free speech,’ Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said in a statement…

“The news prompted swift reaction from Republican lawmakers. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had a warning for Big Tech. ‘Facebook is more interested in acting like a Democrat Super PAC than a platform for free speech and open debate,’ McCarthy wrote on Twitter. ‘If they can ban President Trump, all conservative voices could be next…’ ‘Big tech thinks it can control everything. Companies that censor Americans while giving brutal dictators a pass should not have free rein over your personal data to use for their benefit…’, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter. ‘Disgraceful. For every liberal celebrating Trump’s social media ban, if the Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle the former President, what’s to stop them from silencing you?’ Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter…

“Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley… also criticized Big Tech. ‘Facebook and Twitter ban a former U.S. President, yet, some of the world’s worst dictators, terrorists, and bad actors still have a platform,’ Haley wrote on Twitter. ‘This is a gross double standard and it’s why most Americans don’t trust big tech.’ ‘The Facebook Oversight Board is a dumb distraction from the actual issue of Facebook’s hegemonic control over global political speech, reinforced today by the platform anointing itself with the moral authority to memory hole future world leaders at their own discretion,’ Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute wrote on Twitter…’

“The board’s decision comes after Trump rolled out a new communications platform, ‘From the desk of Donald J. Trump.’ The space allows Trump to post comments, images and videos, and allows followers to share the former president’s posts to Twitter and Facebook, though it does not have a feature letting users ‘reply’ or engage with Trump’s posts.”

What Is Facebook’s “Oversight Board”?

Breitbart wrote on May 6:

“Facebook has released a list of the first 20 members of its ‘Oversight Board,’ a semi-independent body the social network is setting up that will have the power to decide whether content banned by Facebook stays banned or is restored on appeal. Members include the former editor-in-chief of the Guardian and a ‘human rights expert’ who is part of George Soros’ Open Society project. Colloquially known as the ‘Facebook Supreme Court,’ the idea for the body was hatched by Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman, a liberal academic and one of the Democrats’ ‘expert witnesses’ during the impeachment hearings… The 20 members announced by Facebook today include progressive, left-wing, and mainstream media figures who have been highly critical of President Trump.

“One addition is Alan Rusbridger, formerly editor-in-chief of the Guardian, the U.K.’s leading left-wing newspaper. His appointment to Facebook’s Oversight Board — and the lack of any figures from conservative media — has already drawn condemnation from Conservative Party MPs in the U.K…. the former editor-in-chief is no fan of Trump. In September 2017, he expressed his support for Robert Mueller’s ‘obstruction of justice’ investigation against Trump.

“The Oversight Board also includes Nicolas Suzor, who once said he ‘loved’ an article comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler… Other members of the Oversight Board include Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark for the left-wing Social Democrat party…  Pamela Karlan, who worked in the civil rights division of President Obama’s Justice Department, and Evelyn Aswad, who served as director of human rights in Hillary Clinton’s State Department…

“There appears to be no major Trump-supporting figures in Facebook’s list of Oversight Board members…”

Even though the Oversight Board is represented as being “independent”, Breitbart points out that the salaries of all its members are being paid by Facebook.  Daily Mail added that the “oversight board has 20 highly paid, left leaning members who make the decisions. They get paid six figure salaries for approximately 15 hours of work a week.”

Facebook Permanently Bans LifeSite News

Breitbart wrote on May 5:

 “LifeSite News, a major pro-life news website, reports that Facebook has permanently blacklisted its page over ‘false information about COVID-19’ and ‘vaccine discouraging information.’…

 “LifeSite News has been censored by Big Tech companies on numerous occasions. In 2019, LifeSite was locked out of its Twitter account for using the ‘birth name’ of a far-left transgender activist in Canada. Earlier this year, the site was permanently banned by… YouTube.” 

Almost 8 Billion Euros for EU Military Projects

Science Business wrote on or about May 2:

“MEPs signed off on the controversial European Defence Fund on Thursday, clearing the way for a… budget of €7.9 billion to go to new military research projects across the EU between now and 2027. The programme is a pandemic casualty, losing some €5 billion in budget pledges since it was first announced in 2018…

“With both Russia and China investing in new missiles, nuclear capability, drones, unmanned weapons and artificial intelligence, Europe has to act, [Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market,] said…

“Despite being voted through today, the programme has attracted a large amount of criticism. Some MEPs complained that its investments would lack transparency and parliamentary control. Others, pointing to the Commission’s much-criticised efforts in procuring COVID-19 vaccines, said centralising more power in Brussels at this time was a bad move. German Green Henrike Hahn said she worries about handing a “blank cheque” to industry. ‘For the next seven years, the European Parliament won’t be involved in scrutinising the spending,’ she noted. One of the strongest attacks on the programme came from Irish socialist Clare Daly. The initiative is, ‘a slush fund for weapons of slaughter,’ she said, urging MEPs to, ‘Reject this madness.’”

Even though it is being denied that these steps have anything to do with the creation of a European army, one must indeed be blind for not seeing and recognizing the opposite.

Military Intervention and Civil War in France?

Breitbart wrote on May 1:

“49 per cent of the French public would support the military intervening to restore order and safety in France, even without government orders to do so, according to a poll conducted by Harris Interactive… a letter signed by 20 former French generals and an estimated 1,000 former and active-duty military members… warned of potential civil war and military intervention…

“Around six in ten — 58 per cent — of respondents said they support the military and ex-military members who signed the letter, with those who support right-wing parties such as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) showing the most support.

“… the French Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General François Lecointre announced that active-duty members of the military who signed the letter would face removal or disciplinary actions.”

As dictatorships expand in Europe, even such prospects are no longer inconceivable.

Religious War in Jerusalem

Israel 365 wrote on May 2:

“Fatah is apparently determined to upgrade the recent violence into a religious war..

“Fatah Movement Central Committee member Tawfiq Tirawi… called the rioters Jerusalem’s ‘pure-hearted protectors’ and its ‘true ‎defenders,’ and repeated one of the PA’s excuses for the violence, claiming Israel ‎is ‘Judaizing’ Jerusalem, ‘making it Israeli,’ and ‘preventing its original residents ‎from enjoying freedom of worship’ during the Ramadan.‎

“Tirawi called on the ‘Palestinian forces and factions’ to honor their duties toward ‎Jerusalem and called on all Arabs and Muslims to ‘act to save the holy city from the ‎clutches of the occupation and its colonialist occupying racist policy.’”

An outright war for the “ownership” of Jerusalem is prophesied.

Further Religious Persecution in Canada

Breitbart wrote on May 1:

“A judge in Woolwich Township in Ontario, Canada, has ordered parishioners at Trinity Bible Chapel to be locked out of the church to prevent Sunday worship services [ruling] that the church, its pastors, and elders were in contempt of prior court orders to halt in-person worship by gathering a[t] the church last Sunday.

“… last Sunday nine tickets were issued to people for attending a gathering that exceeded the government’s attendance limit… church elders and the church have been charged with violations ‘several times’ in recent weeks. This is the first time parishioners have been ticketed.”

Canada’s persecution of churches is continuing. In the last Update, we reported on other unconstitutional actions against churches in Alberta and elsewhere. Also note the next article.

LiveSiteNews wrote on April 30:

 “A Canadian church will for now at least not have its doors closed to its faithful by police and health officials after a judge today denied an Ontario Attorney General’s request to shut the church doors because it has stayed open contrary to draconian COVID-19 health rules.  Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of the Church of God located in Aylmer, Ontario, announced the news… today…

“Justice Thomas also found today in contempt the Church of God (Restoration) as a corporation, Hildebrandt, and Peter Wall – who works as an assistant pastor and church director at the church – because they defied a February court injunction on the church…

“At the packed Sunday, April 25 service, Hildebrandt said he was ‘very ashamed of many, many pastors in this land’ for… going along with COVID-19 restrictions limiting church size. Independent MP Derek Sloan and Independent Ontario MPP Randy Hillier both attended the service at the Church of God and spoke briefly from the pulpit. The pair have been charged by Aylmer Police for attending…

“Ontario Premier Doug Ford on April 16 introduced extended ‘stay at home orders’ that placed a 10-person limit on church service attendance size, closed playgrounds, implemented provincial border checks, and gave police the power to stop anyone outside his or her home without cause. After public backlash, the Ford government walked back some of its coronavirus rules less than a day later. Playgrounds were allowed to stay open, and police had to have ‘reason to suspect that you are participating in an organized public event or social gathering’ in order to question people. “

Rebel News added on May 3:

“The [Attorney General’s] application [to lock down the church] will be re-examined on May 13… Pastor Hildebrandt… recounted that during the hearing, a representative from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) argued that the ‘government is making criminals out of law-abiding citizens’… Pastor Hildebrandt asked, ‘what’s next… underground church services?’ He drew attention to the fact that our current prime minister’s own father is the one who signed the Constitution Act of 1982, bringing into effect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms…

“When asked if he would be willing to go to jail over the ability to hold religious services, like Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church, Pastor Hildebrandt said ‘absolutely.’ ‘If I’m not willing to do that, then I question my calling, I question being a pastor,’ he said, while reiterating that he hopes it doesn’t come to that.”

The dictatorial governmental measures in Canada are beyond belief.  Note the next article as well.

Montreal Police vs. the Jews

Rebel News wrote on May 3:

“… last Friday night in Montreal, it was raining cats and dogs… But despite the prevailing downpour, Montreal’s ever-vigilant members of law enforcement were patrolling the streets of the Jewish neighborhoods looking for those who would have the temerity to walk home post-curfew time. After all, inclement weather aside, there are quotas to make…

“And sure enough, as we casually drove around the neighbourhood, it didn’t take long before we happened upon yet another Jewish family getting ticketed by police. From what we could gather, the tickets were for breaching curfew (because that makes for a super-spreader event). Apparently the family did not have any identification papers with them, which is also an actionable offence. All of which brings up some very unpleasant imagery of law enforcement in a different place and a different time requesting: ‘Your papers, please! Schnell! Schnell!’

“We tried to interview the police officers and ask why they were determined to hand out tickets so diligently, but alas, there were no comments forthcoming to the ‘Jew Media,’ as certain Montreal police officers inexplicably call Rebel News these days. In any event, the police officers eventually drove away into the soggy night, ticket books in hand, ever diligent to pounce upon other Jewish people who might be walking the streets of Montreal sans canine i.e., without dogs].”

Terrible memories do in fact arise.

It Never Stops… TSA extends Mask Mandates for all Travels

npr wrote on May 1:

 “Wearing a face mask will continue to be a requirement at airports, aboard commercial flights and on other public transportation across the country through the summer. The federal mask mandate, which was set to expire on May 11, will remain in effect through Sept. 13, according to updated guidance issued by the Transportation Security Administration on Friday.

“The rule, which also applies to buses and rail systems, was first put in place by President Biden shortly after he took office in January. For about a year, major U.S. commercial airlines have required all passengers who are older than 2 to wear face masks on flights…

“… senior TSA official Darby LaJoye said… ‘We will continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the need for these directives…’ Just this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask when they’re outdoors unless they’re in a crowd.”

The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, and vice versa, and neither provides convincing and logical answers.  

Vaccination Passports and Totalitarian Control

Life Site News published an article by America’s Frontline Doctors on April 29:

“Former Pfizer Vice President and Chief Science Officer Dr. Michael Yeadon has issued a dire warning to the world regarding vaccination programs and related political measures, arguing that it is likely designed to bring about ‘utterly totalitarian control of the entire population forever.’

“Yeadon cited many examples of what is already built into Green Passport systems imposed upon Israel and expanded around the world. In addition, he provided the link to a video report that demonstrates how ‘the situation we are experiencing right now, the fear of a virus and ensuing measures that restrict liberties is exactly the situation that has been repeatedly and intensely trained and rehearsed in the past years with all kinds of infectious disease simulations.’

“‘Vaccination protects those who need it. Vaccine passports protect nobody. But vaxpass is useful to our overlords… Who controls that database and any algorithm governing what it permits and denies has absolutely totalitarian control over every aspect of your life. Imagine a future in which a valid Vaxpass is required to enter a sport ground or museum. Invalid Vaxpass, no entry. Now imagine the rules are hardened up (they will be). Now you can’t enter large shopping malls or hotels without a valid pass…”

This is a very accurate and serious prognostication. Satan’s underlying motive of having governments impose coronavirus restrictions and vaccination passports on unsuspecting people IS the creation of a worldwide dictatorship.

Your Personal Decision

Fox News published on May 4 the following commentary by Tucker Carlson:

“As important as vaccines may be, the question of whether to take them, whether to have powerful drugs injected into your body is the most intimate kind of personal health decisions. Politicians and bureaucrats should have no role in a decision like that. These decisions are for the individual alone to decide, in consultation with family, physicians and clergy. When it comes to medical care, it is your body, your choice…

“Soon, virtually all college students in America will be required to take the COVID vaccine. In effect, it is a national mandate… From a medical standpoint, it’s hard to understand the reasoning behind this. As a group, young people are not at risk of dying from COVID. Maybe more significant, huge numbers of college students have already been infected with the coronavirus. We know that, and therefore they have a natural immunity to it. Why do these kids need a vaccine?… In no other circumstance do we immunize people against a virus for which they already have antibodies…

“At this point, the people who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID are the ones who’ve affirmatively decided they don’t want to be vaccinated. In that, they’re exercising what they assumed was a fundamental American right: the right to choose which medicines you put in your own body. Until recently, all of us assumed that we had that right…

“So what is next? It’s not a question of the vaccine. You may want the vaccine for yourself and your children, you may not. It’s a question of being forced to take it. And if we allow ourselves to be forced to take it, what next? Anything is the answer to that question. If the authorities are permitted to control a health care decision this intimate — if they can force you and your children to take a vaccine you don’t want and are afraid of — what can’t they do? Nothing. They’ll have total power over your body and your mind, forever. What’s the limit to their power? There isn’t one…”

Never Herd Immunity in the USA?

Newsmax Health wrote on May 3:

 “COVID-19 is here to stay, say experts, who believe emerging variants coupled with vaccine hesitancy is likely to make it impossible to achieve herd immunity in the U.S…. What they predict is that COVID-19 will remain for many years to come, causing hospitalizations and deaths, but to a much lesser degree than experienced so far… Experts say that with the current mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the herd immunity threshold is 80%… Surveys show that 30% of Americans are hesitant to get vaccinated which pushes back the goal of achieving herd immunity even further.

“Epidemiologists say COVID-19 will become an endemic disease, much like the seasonal flu… According to Nature, there are other reasons why herd immunity is unlikely. Experts point out that the vaccines that prevent severe illness from COVID-19 may not prevent transmission of the disease… ‘If the coverage is 95% in the United states as a whole, but 70% in a small town, the virus doesn’t care,’ Dr. Marc Lipsitch… the director of the Center for Communicable Diseases, told the [New York] Times. ‘It will make its way around the small town.’’

And that, after all the contrary promises by scientists.

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.

Fully Vaccinated US Tourists Allowed to Visit Europe this Summer?

The Associated Press wrote on April 26:

“The European Union is finalizing plans to allow tourists from the United States to travel to the 27-nation bloc this summer, officials said Monday… The commission didn’t say when exactly tourists will be allowed back inside the bloc, and if a reciprocal approach will apply to European tourists willing to travel to the U.S…

“On Sunday, The New York Times published an interview with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reporting that fully vaccinated Americans would be able to visit EU countries this summer since all coronavirus vaccines currently used in the U.S. have also been approved by the EU’s drug regulator. But the report didn’t mention whether she was asked about whether Americans could also provide a negative PCR test or evidence of recovering from COVID-19… [She said that the] ‘27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by EMA.’…

“The European Union is putting the finishing touches to a system of certificates that would allow EU residents to travel freely across the region by the summer as long as they have been vaccinated, tested negative for COVID-19 or recovered from the disease. Under the plan discussed with their U.S. counterparts, American tourists could be included in the program… But EU member states will have the final say on whether to implement the guidelines. The commission said other third countries have made similar requests, but didn’t name them. Asked whether negotiations with the United Kingdom were ongoing, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said ‘no contact to this end’ has been made.

“Travel to the EU is currently extremely limited except for a handful of countries with low infection rates including Australia and New Zealand. But Greece, which is heavily reliant on tourism, has already lifted quarantine restrictions for the U.S., Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Israel, and non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland that are part of a European travel pact. Travelers from those countries will no longer be subject to a seven-day quarantine requirement if they hold a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test….”

Deutsche Welle added on April 26:

“Trump attempted to loosen travel restrictions on European travelers shortly before he left office in January, but this was promptly reversed by the President Joe Biden’s administration later that month. The US has yet to announce plans on allowing travel from the EU.”

npr wrote on April 26:

“It is not yet clear when the EU will open up — von der Leyen did not provide a specific timeline, and individual EU member states are permitted to enforce stricter rules than the bloc as a whole. It is also unclear how countries will determine if travelers have been fully vaccinated, but nations and air carriers in Europe have been discussing the use of vaccine passports or vaccine certificates for months…

“Even as the EU is sending positive signals to American travelers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning them not to travel to much of Europe, at least not yet. The CDC website warns Americans not to go [to] Greece, Italy, Spain or even the United Kingdom…”

Bloomberg added on April 26:

“The United States was ‘on track’ and making ‘huge progress’ with its campaign to reach so-called herd immunity, or the vaccination of 70% of adults, by mid-June, New York Times said citing Ursula von der Leyen…”

Talks are cheap. Let’s see what actions will follow, if any. That 70% of American adults will be vaccinated by mid-June is highly doubtful in light of the strong opposition of many Americans to Coronavirus vaccinations. But the increased governmental pressure to get vaccinated is growing everywhere.

The LA Times Newsletter wrote on April 24:

“[California’s] Health officials say they have no plans to institute vaccination ‘passports.’ But new reopening rules incentivize businesses to demand such proof. Meanwhile, the University of California and California State University intend to require vaccinations.”

More and More Shots Needed?

The Associated Press wrote on April 28:

“Europe can achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus within the next four months, the head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech, which developed the first widely approved COVID-19 vaccine with U.S. partner Pfizer, said… Ugur Sahin, BioNTech’s chief executive, [said:] ‘… we need a third shot to get the vaccine protection back up to almost 100% again…’ Vaccine recipients currently receive a second dose three weeks after their first shot, although some countries have longer intervals. Sahin suggested the third should be administered nine to 12 months after the first shot. ‘And then I expect it will probably be necessary to get another booster every year or perhaps every 18 months,’ he said.

“Concerns have been raised that existing vaccines might be less effective against new variants of the virus now emerging in different parts of the world… Sahin said the vaccine’s effectiveness… was still being investigated.”

“Germany’s Fauci”, Christian Drosten, said, according to Focus, dated April 28, that in the autumn or winter, a new modified shot against the coronavirus might have to be administered because those who have been vaccinated might still pass on the virus to others.

And now… Anti-Coronavirus Lockdown Protest Movement under Observation

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

“German intelligence chiefs have placed parts of the anti-coronavirus lockdown protest movement under observation… Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV)… said elements of the so-called Querdenker (lateral thinking) group  were of particular concern because they questioned the legitimacy of the state…

“The movement does not fall into pre-existing categories of concern — such as far-right, far-left, or Islamist — but a new category, the BfV said. For this reason, the German Interior Ministry said it had created a new category of ‘delegitimization of the state where relevant to constitutional protection.’”

Germany’s actions become more troublesome and dangerous by the week…

Actors Oppose Germany’s Coronavirus Restrictions

The Guardian wrote on April 26:

“… a series of satirical videos making fun of coronavirus restrictions, recorded by TV actors associated with the crime drama (“Tatort”), has plunged lockdown-fatigued Germany into a bitter culture war. A website called #allesdichtmachen (“close it all down”), was launched on Thursday night, featuring 53 to-camera clips in which high-profile actors sarcastically boast of the lengths they have gone to restrict their social contacts and appeal on the government to lock down the country even harder… The videos… have drawn a ferocious backlash not least from other actors…

“Jan Josef Liefers… used his video to sarcastically praise the media for uncritically supporting the government’s measures and shutting out scientists who didn’t toe its line… Twenty actors have withdrawn their videos from the campaign’s website after the backlash…

“The tabloid Bild, the country’s bestselling newspaper, and its sister broadsheet Die Welt, have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of the nationwide ‘emergency brake’ rules that came into effect this weekend and shown… sympathy for the actors’ campaign.

“At the start of the pandemic Germany had high levels of compliance with social distancing measures… Even when the government agreed on a second lockdown in the winter, 67% of those surveyed in polls showed their approval… At the start of April, 48%… wanted restrictions to go further, while only 24% thought they went too far.”

This is really a sad commentary on German sheep mentality. Disappointing that 20 actors withdrew their videos, for whatever reasons. If one has a conviction, one has to follow it, no matter the backlash and no matter from where support or criticism are coming.

German Green Party for EU Army

Express wrote on April 26:

“The German Green Party’s candidate to succeed Ms Merkel has set out steps to implement the creation of a European Union armed forces in the party’s foreign policy agenda. Polls in Germany suggest that the Green Party’s Annalena Baerbock has a high chance of becoming the nation’s first Green Chancellor. Ms Baerbock has called for the creation of EU military units that would come under the direct control of the European parliament. Speaking to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung she said: ‘In my view, we have to bundle our capabilities together more strongly as Europeans. Europe’s defence spending is three or four times as high as Russia’s but our capabilities are limited because we duplicate a lot.’

“… Over the weekend two surveys were conducted in Germany that showed the Green Party levelling with Ms Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party, CDU, in popularity…

“Now that a Green-led German government is a distinct possibility the party has attracted serious scrutiny over its defence policies. The German Green Party has traditionally been pacifist and campaigned for the nation to withdraw from Nato and remove US atomic weapons from its territory. However, the Greens have adopted a more pragmatic and less principled approach in recent years.”

In addition, the Green Party is at the forefront of strongly supporting heavy fines for violators of coronavirus restrictions. Angela Merkel proposes more rights for vaccinated people (the Local, dated April 26), but this proposal is being criticized, for now, for its obvious and blatant violation of the German Constitution. But it is shocking to see how far the German government is already willing to go. And it will get much worse.

US Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan Has Begun

Fox News wrote on April 26:

“The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan has begun, just as the Taliban ramp up bombings in the region.

“President Biden pushed back the initial May deadline set by the Trump administration, instead aiming withdraw all troops by Sept. 11. Around 2,500 American troops currently operate within the country. The move has received bipartisan backlash, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying it would be a ‘grave mistake’ to withdraw before ensuring the Taliban had been defeated…

“The Taliban have continued their activity in the region… The Ministry of Interior reported that the Taliban conducted 62 bomb blasts and six suicide bombings in the last 11 days, killing 63 civilians and wounding 180 more… Former President George W. Bush warned last week that the decision to withdraw troops from the country would provide opportunities to the Taliban that he hoped the U.S. would not come to regret.

“Biden has maintained that his withdrawal timeline is based on consultation with experts, Congress and allies on the world stage. ‘I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats,’ Biden said. ‘I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.’”

America’s presence in Afghanistan did not end the bloodshed, nor did it bring peace or security.  It turned out to be a futile, but very costly adventure in terms of the loss of American lives.

FBI Can Break into Private Computers without Owner’s Consent

Market Watch wrote on April 26:

“The FBI has the authority right now to access privately owned computers without their owners’ knowledge or consent, and to delete software. It’s part of a government effort to contain the continuing attacks on corporate networks running Microsoft Exchange software, and it’s an unprecedented intrusion that’s raising legal questions about just how far the government can go… The authority the Justice Department relied on and the way the FBI carried out the operation set important precedents. They also raise questions about the power of courts to regulate cybersecurity without the consent of the owners of the targeted computers…

“The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act generally makes it illegal to access a computer without authorization. This law, though, does not apply to the government… Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure… permits the FBI to access computers outside the jurisdiction of a search warrant…

“Important legal issues remain unresolved with the FBI’s current operation. One is the question of liability. What if, for example, the privately owned computers were damaged in the FBI’s process of removing the malicious code? Another issue is how to balance private property rights against national security needs in cases like this. What is clear, though, is that… the FBI could hack into computers at will, and without the need for a specific search warrant.”

This is a truly dangerous and deeply worrisome development.

Feds Raid Giuliani’s Apartment

Fox News wrote on April 28:

“Federal investigators have executed a search warrant on… Rudy Giuliani… The raid on Giuliani… comes as federal authorities were investigating whether he violated the law by lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of Ukrainian officials in 2019. Giuliani has served as former President Donald Trump’s personal attorney on a number of high-profile matters.

“According to Giuliani’s attorney Robert Costello, seven FBI agents arrived at the apartment at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, and remained for roughly two hours. The agents seized several electronic devices including laptops and cell phones. ‘This is totally unnecessary,’ Costello told Fox News, claiming that the raid was done to ‘make him look like he’s some sort of criminal.’…

“Giuliani was instrumental in Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate then-candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter regarding energy company Burisma Holdings, for which Hunter Biden served on the board.”

Newsmax added on April 28:

“In addition to his Madison Avenue apartment… investigators also executed a warrant at Giuliani’s office on Park Avenue… Federal prosecutors in Manhattan had pushed last year for a search warrant for records, including some of Giuliani’s communications, but officials in the Trump-era Justice Department would not sign off on the request… Officials in the deputy attorney general’s office raised concerns about both the scope of the request, which they thought would contain communications that could be covered by legal privilege between Giuliani and Trump, and the method of obtaining the records…

“The issue was widely expected to be revisited by the Justice Department once Attorney General Merrick Garland assumed office… The Justice Department requires that applications for search warrants served on lawyers be approved by senior department officials.

“The warrants do not mean that charges are near or even expected.”

While Trump was President, the Justice Department did not proceed against Giuliani. Under the new President and the new Attorney General, it does while apparently refusing to proceed against Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton and others.

John Kerry under Fire

The Daily Mail wrote on April 28:

“John Kerry is facing mounting calls to resign as President Biden’s climate envoy amid allegations he fed Iran sensitive information on 200 Israeli military operations while he was Secretary of State under Obama. Several Republicans… have called for him to step down following leak of tapes of recordings from Tehran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif.

“Kerry emphatically denied giving Zarif information about Israeli attacks on Syria, calling stories about it ‘unequivocally false.’ A leaked recording of Iran’s foreign minister featured Iranian diplomat Zarif claiming that Kerry told him Israel had attacked Iranian proxies in Syria while serving as Barack Obama’s Secretary of State, a role he held between 2013 and 2017…

“Pompeo, Kerry’s successor as Secretary of State…, said the recording tells ‘what I’ve said for years: that [Zarif] continued to engage with former Secretary of State Kerry on policy matters after Kerry’s public service and, according to Zarif, Kerry informed the Iranians of Israeli operations,’ said Pompeo.

“Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Kerry of ‘tipping off’ the Iranians. ‘This is disgusting on many levels. Biden and Kerry have to answer for why Kerry would be tipping off Iran, the number one sponsor of terror, while stabbing one of our greatest partners, Israel, in the back,’ she said.”

Persecution of Churches in Canada

RT wrote on April 26:

“Churches in Canada have been subjected to aggressive policing of Covid-19 restrictions, despite the fact that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of religion and assembly… In Alberta, a church called Gracelife has been physically fenced off by the government until its leaders agree to abide by government rules regarding mass gatherings. In the same province, a pastor in Calgary named Artur Pawlowski kicked health officials and police out of his church, comparing their tactics to those of the Gestapo, after they’d arrived to investigate supposed public-health violations. Given that the pastor is Polish, he’s likely all too aware of how the Gestapo treated his people during World War II. Similarly, the Gracelife church being fenced off rings some familiar, and alarming, bells…

“Canada is supposed to recognize the right of citizens to practise their religion… community and fellowship have always been part not just of Christianity, but of all Abrahamic religions.

“When I see a health inspector show up with several armed police officers to a place of worship demanding that a service is stopped, I have a hard time arguing against comparisons to the Gestapo. The same with seizing a church and telling its congregation that they must comply with the government or they cannot worship God in their own church.

“Anytime that a government sees itself above deity or as a substitution for deity it is becoming a tyranny. These Canadian citizens have the right to believe in God and worship as they choose. They have the freedom to assemble, and they have the freedom of association… Canada as a nation is going to need to decide something right now. Is it going to allow Christians to kneel to God, or is it going to act as if it is God and want them to kneel to it first? If the answer is the latter, I fear that the darkest days for Christians in Canada have only just begun.”

Sadly, these same questions must be asked for just about every country all over the world.

Persecution in the UK Too

The Daily Mail reported on April 28:

“This is the moment police pulled an elderly Christian preacher off his podium and arrested him for making ‘homophobic statements’ – after supporters say he refused to stop reading from the Bible about how God wanted families to be headed by a ‘father and a mother’. Two women can be heard shouting ‘this is a Christian country’ as two policemen lead the 71-year-old man away when he refused to stop addressing the crowd outside Uxbridge Station in West London. Police said they had received complaints the man had been making ‘allegedly homophobic comments’ and arrested him under the Public Order Act, which can be used under the vague proviso that someone is using ‘abusive or insulting words’ that cause ‘harm’ to someone else.  He was later released without charge…

“Pastor Peter Simpson, Minister of Penn Free Methodist Church in Buckinghamshire, who was preaching with Pastor Sherwood before the arrest, said: ‘Everything he said was bible based. He was not saying anything abusive; he is a Christian minister. There did not seem to be any recognition from the police that Christian ministers and such views exist. If there was a Pride parade in Uxbridge, the police would support it even if Christians were offended. You don’t have to be an evangelical Christian to be shocked by this. Anyone who cares about liberty should be concerned about what happened in Uxbridge…

“Whatever one’s personal views on homosexuality might be, it is surely pertinent to ask what kind of nation have we become that the minister of a Christian church is arrested for upholding in the public square the very truths which Her Majesty the Queen promised to uphold in her Coronation Oath in 1953, with a Bible in her hand?’”

Good questions in view of a very sad reality.

Newsom Will Face Recall Election in the Fall

The L.A. Times Essential California Newsletter wrote on April 27:

“It’s finally official: Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election in the fall. Newsom is only the second governor in California history and the fourth in U.S. history to face a recall election. The first election to recall a California governor was in 2003, when voters recalled Democratic Gov. Gray Davis from office and elected Hollywood action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, the last Republican to serve as the state’s chief executive… Newsom will face a statewide vote of confidence by year’s end….

“The governor’s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order and state coronavirus policies brought him soaring job approval ratings in the spring. But as Californians grew frustrated with economically devastating government-mandated restrictions to stem the spread of the virus, those same actions galvanized the campaign against him. Another turning point came in November, when Newsom sat down for one of the more fateful meals in California political history. The optics of opulent hypocrisy — a wealthy, telegenic governor celebrating a lobbyist’s birthday at an ultra-exclusive restaurant after pleading with Californians to stay home — catalyzed a groundswell of anger…

“California voters will be asked two questions on their recall ballots: First, do you want to recall Newsom from office? And second, which of these candidates should replace him? [The votes on the second question will only be counted if more than half say yes to the first.] Newsom is barred from being listed among the candidates who can be considered if the recall passes.

“A Republican has not won statewide office in California since 2006, but several are already challenging Newsom. The list includes former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, former Northern California Rep. Doug Ose and Olympic medal-winning reality [and transgender] TV star Caitlyn Jenner.”

Daily Mail added on April 27:

“Jenner is a registered Republican. She voted for Trump in 2016 but not in 2020, in protest against his position on transgender issues. In an announcement on Instagram, she did not indicate whether or not she’ll run as a Republican or Independent.  A member of Jenner’s team – which includes many prominent former Trump White House figures – told Axios: ‘She’s running as someone that’s socially liberal and fiscally conservative.’ She has hired Tony Fabrizio, a pollster who worked on both of Trump’s campaigns, and Brad Parscale also helped her in an informal role.”

Many commentators feel that physically and spiritually bankrupt California cannot be healed, no matter what is being tried.

Russia’s Crackdown on Navalny and his Network

npr wrote on April 26:

“The political network of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been ordered to suspend its activities pending a court ruling on whether to label it and other affiliated organizations ‘extremist’ — a move that would likely result in them being permanently shuttered… [It] would effectively end any meaningful political opposition in Russia ahead of September parliamentary elections…

“The FBK, founded in 2011 by Navalny, has been highly critical of key Russian figures, including President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Navalny himself has become a key political figure and one of the few prominent voices openly opposed to Putin. In January, Navalny’s team released a YouTube video detailing an investigation into what it says is a lavish Black Sea palace built for Putin with funds from a ‘slush fund.’ The video has been viewed tens of millions of times. The Kremlin has dismissed the investigation as ‘pure nonsense.’…

“While traveling last August, Navalny suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized in Germany, where doctors determined that he had been poisoned with a Soviet-era, military grade nerve agent. Navalny blamed Putin for ordering the attack, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement. After months of treatment and recovery, Navalny returned to Russia in January, only to be promptly jailed. He was later sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony on old fraud charges that he says are politically motivated…

“Just last week, Navalny ended a more than three-week hunger strike to protest his lack of medical treatment for leg and back pain while in prison.

“Amnesty International has condemned the move to label Navalny’s network as extremist, saying the ‘looming ban has far reaching consequences for Russian civil society… Tens of thousands of peaceful activists and the staff of Aleksei Navalny’s organizations are in grave danger – if their organizations are deemed “extremist” they will be at imminent risk of criminal prosecution,’ Amnesty said.”

Newsmax wrote on April 27:

“A Russian court said on Tuesday it had imposed restrictions on jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), while it considers a legal request… from the Moscow prosecutor to officially outlaw the FBK on the grounds that it is an extremist group.”

Russia’s violent persecution of any opposition is well-documented. In addition, Russia, with support of the Russian Orthodox Church of which ex-KGB spy Putin is a member, has also labeled the Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremist” for their religious views, including on human government, military service and voting.

Putin to Restore the Tsarist Empire?

The Sun wrote on April 26:

“VLADIMIR Putin has staged a ‘successful’ test of a mystery new anti-ballistic missile… It comes as the Russian president aims to use his firepower to restore the country’s Tsarist empire, the Polish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak has claimed…

“Recent pressure on Ukraine combined with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and hostilities in Georgia in 2008 indicated this trend he claimed, suggesting the Kremlin leader was eyeing a takeover in four NATO countries including Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Like Ukraine, all were once part of the Russian empire. He quoted late Polish president Lech Kaczynski warning ‘first Georgia, then Ukraine, then the Baltic states, then perhaps Poland’.”

No doubt about the fate of Ukraine. It is less clear when it comes to Poland. The assumption has been that Poland will become a fully integrated part of the emerging European super power.

A Free Non-Marxist Society

Ron Paul of the Ron Paul Institute wrote the following on April 26:

“It is ironic to see self-described Marxists, progressives, and other leftists protesting violence by government agents. After all, their ideology rests on the use of force to compel people to obey politicians and bureaucrats…

“Free markets, individual liberty, limited government, sound money, and peace are key to achieving prosperity and social cohesion. Those sincerely concerned about improving all human lives should turn away from the teaching of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes, who advocated expansive government power…”

Paul makes an important point. Marxism and socialism, including national socialism, are based on the heavy use of governmental authority, inadvertently leading to a dictatorship. Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia are prime examples… but by no means the only ones.

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.

Ukraine Tensions Sore

AFP wrote on April 17:

“Faced with the largest deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders since 2014, [Ukraine] President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more help from the West, and Western leaders have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop intimidating Ukraine… The US on Thursday announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what the White House says is the Kremlin’s US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity..”

According to Israel 365, dated April 19, “Russia responded to the sanctions on Friday by expelling ten US diplomats and banned several other high-ranking officials from entering the country. The banned officials included Attorney General Merrick Garland, Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice, and Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal. In addition, entry is denied to John Robert Bolton, former National Security Advisor to the United States President, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Robert James Woolsey Jr., former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency…”

The Sun wrote on April 17:

“The US has warned commercial pilots against overflying the potential war zone around eastern Ukraine… amid fears they could be shot down like flight MH17. During the last ‘hot’ conflict in the region, a Malaysia Alrlines Boeing 777 – flight MH17 – was shot out of the sky by pro-Moscow rebels, killing 298 people, in July 2014… [We are observing] the greatest period in tension between Russia and Ukraine…

“In Ukraine, a warning was given by [the] army… not to form private militias amid fear of Russian attack… The Ukrainians fear that formation of unofficial armed bands could be exploited by Russia.”

The Sun wrote on April 19:

“RUSSIA has deployed nuclear bombers and fighters in a show of strength as fears of war with Ukraine mount… Pilots practised carrying out air combat, interception and striking air targets at speeds of up to 1,550mph, at a potential altitude of 12.5 miles. Russia has insisted that its current spate of military exercises across the country pose no threat to its neighbour.

“The show of strength comes as Russian state TV claimed the takeover of Ukraine’s border region was ‘inevitable.’… Ukraine has threatened to rebuild its nuclear arsenal – which it gave up after the collapse of the USSR a generation ago – if the West refuses to grant it membership of the alliance… The Russian ambassador to the UK has warned of a ‘bloodbath’ in Ukraine – and vowed to respond if Kiev moves troops to the Donbass region.”

Israel 365 wrote on April 19:

“There is no doubt that the Russian military is gearing up for a military conflict… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Decree No. 117/2021 on March 24, essentially declaring war with Russia. Since the decree was issued, a bilateral military buildup has been underway…”

American Weakness

Deutsche Welle added on April 17:

“Russia sent 15 warships to the Black Sea for a maneuver on Saturday amid escalating tension with Ukraine and the West… The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that some sea areas off the Crimean Peninsula would be temporarily closed off to foreign warships because of the maneuvers… The United States recently canceled the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea following complaints from Russia… the Kremlin has argued that it is entitled to move Russian troops wherever it pleases within its territories… it has pledged to go to lengths to protect Russian speakers in the region.”

After Joe Biden announced some economic sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats, he declared that these were sufficient and that sending warships to the Black Sea was no longer necessary to deter Russia (which reacted in kind by announcing retaliatory sanctions against the USA). This is truly another example of incredible shortsightedness, but in line with prophecy which tells us that ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will collaborate against Europe. This is reminiscent of World War II when Ukraine originally worked together with Nazi Germany against Russia, but then switched sides and became Russia’s supporter against Hitler’s Germany.

Putin Warns the West

The Associated Press wrote on April 21:

“President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sternly warned the West against encroaching further on Russia’s security interests, saying Moscow’s response will be ‘quick and tough’ and make the culprits feel bitterly sorry for their action… ‘I hope that no one dares to cross the red line in respect to Russia, and we will determine where it is in each specific case,’ Putin said. ‘Those who organize any provocations threatening our core security interests will regret their deeds more than they regretted anything for a long time.’

“Moscow has rejected Ukrainian and Western concerns about the troop buildup… But the Kremlin also has warned Ukraine against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel-held east, saying Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region…

“As Putin spoke, a wave of protests started rolling across Russia’s far east in support of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The politician, who is Putin’s most persistent critic and was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent last year, started a hunger strike three weeks ago to protest what he said was inadequate medical treatment and officials’ refusal to allow his doctor to visit him. Navalny’s treatment and deteriorating condition has caused international outrage and prompted his allies to call the nationwide protests. Police detained several Navalny associates in Moscow and moved to disperse unauthorized demonstrations across Russia, arresting scores.

“In his speech, Putin pointed to Russia’s moves to modernize its nuclear arsenal and said the military would continue to build more state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles and other new weapons… In an apparent reference to the U.S. and its allies, the Russian leader denounced those who impose ‘unlawful, politically motivated economic sanctions and crude attempts to enforce its will on others.’

“In an emotional outburst, Putin chastised the West for acquiring a defiant stance toward Russia… Russia this week engaged in a tense tug-of-war with the Czech Republic, following Prague’s move to expel 18 Russian diplomats over a massive Czech ammunition depot explosion in 2014. Moscow has dismissed the Czech accusations of its involvement in the blast as absurd and retaliated by expelling 20 Czech diplomats.

“Putin also harshly criticized the West for failing to condemn what he described as a botched coup attempt and a failed plot to assassinate Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, allegedly involving a blockade of the country’s capital, power cuts and cyberattacks. Belarusian and Russian security agencies arrested the alleged coup plotters in Moscow earlier this month. ‘The practice of organizing coups and planning political assassinations of top officials goes over the top and crosses all boundaries,’ Putin said, drawing parallels to plots against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the popular protests that led to the ouster of Ukraine’s former Russia-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014. Russia responded to Yanukovych’s ouster by annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and throwing its support to the separatists in the country’s east. Since then, fighting there has killed more than 14,000 people and devastated the industrial heartland…”

It is interesting that in light of biblical prophecy, the time will come when Europe will attack Russia and Far Eastern nations with “conventional” and bio-chemical weapons, and the “kings of East” will react quickly with powerful nuclear weapons.

Deutsche Welle reported on April 22:

 “The Russian defense minister on Thursday ordered troops taking part in military drills near the Ukrainian border to return to their regular positions [by May 1].  However, [the defense minister] also ordered that heavy weapons be kept in place about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of the border for another military exercise later this year.”

Europe’s Need for Strength

Express wrote on April 19:

“EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has claimed that Russia has massed ‘over 150,000 troops’ along the Ukrainian border and in the annexed Crimea peninsula… Mr Borrell said Russia was deploying ‘all kind of materials’ on the border including ‘the highest military deployment of Russian army in Ukrainian borders ever’ in what he dubbed a ‘clear matter of concern’ for the EU.

“But French President Emmanuel Macron once suggested going one step further to counter the threat of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Mr Macron, who has pushed for a joint European Union military force since his arrival in power, said the continent needed a ‘real European Army’ to defend itself.”

And so, a European Army IS going to come.

US Ambassador Maligns the US Constitution

Newsmax wrote on April 18:

“U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield [rebuked] the Constitution as having underpinnings of ‘white supremacy’ [and as being] fundamentally corrupt and flawed and not noble and good… Thomas-Greenfield [said], ‘the original sin of slavery weaved white supremacy into our founding documents.’”

A US ambassador is not to malign his or her country in front of those less righteous than the USA (compare Habakkuk 1:13).

Rep. Maxine Waters’ Abhorrent Comments in the George Floyd Murder Case

Star Tribune wrote on April 19:

“… defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial, citing immense media exposure, particularly a comment by Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters over the weekend in which she said while in the Twin Cities that protesters should get ‘more confrontational’ if there is no guilty verdict.

“‘I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result on this whole trial being overturned,’ Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said, denying the motion while acknowledging that Nelson’s concerns were legitimate. ‘This goes back to what I’ve been saying from the beginning,’ the judge said.

“‘I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution to respect a coequal branch of government. Their failure to do so I think is abhorrent, but I don’t think it has prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury,’ Cahill said, adding that the jury has been repeatedly told to not to follow the news. “

Controversial Maxine Waters’ inappropriate comments have been interpreted in the news as inciting violence. Nancy Pelosi felt her comments do not need an apology (note articles below).

Verdict against Chauvin to be Overturned on Appeal?

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

“Renowned defense attorney and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Tuesday that the conviction of former Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd should be overturned on appeal because of the public intimidation of the jury and the judge’s refusal to sequester the jury. Dershowitz noted the ‘outside influence’ of people like Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who encouraged unrest at a protest on Saturday night in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, if there was no murder conviction in the case.

“Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of all of the charges in the case — second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

“Dershowitz told Newsmax: ‘What was done to George Floyd by Officer Chauvin was inexcusable, morally. But the verdict is very questionable, because of the outside influences of people like Al Sharpton, and people like Maxine Waters. Their threats and intimidation, and hanging the sword of Damocles over the jury, and basically saying if you don’t convict on the murder charge, on all the charges, the cities will burn, the country will be destroyed, seeped into the jury room because the judge made a terrible mistake by not sequestering the jury. So the judge himself said, this case may be reversed on appeal. And I think it might [be] reversed on appeal. I think it should be reversed on appeal.

“‘I think the American Civil Liberties Union, which would be all over this case if it weren’t a racially-charged case, all Americans who care about due process and liberty should be concerned that the jury verdict may have been influenced by, if not the thumb, maybe even the elbow of the outside pressures, the fears, the threats. Every juror in that room knew about those threats. And when they sit and deliberate, they have to be saying to themselves, consciously or unconsciously, if I were to render a verdict other than a murder verdict, what the consequences will be, for me, and my family, my friends, my business. That should never, ever, be allowed to seep into a jury room. So I have no real confidence that this verdict — which may be correct in some ways — but I have no confidence that this verdict was produced by due process and the rule of law, rather than the influence of the crowd.’”

If that verdict were to be overturned, one can only imagine the reaction in the country.  Also note the next article.

Political Interference Unacceptable

The New York Post published the following article by Andrew C. McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, on April 20:

“Remember when the Left used to go ballistic over President Trump’s propensity to lob rhetorical bombs into pending investigations and prosecutions?… For all the downsides of his unhinged commentary, Trump never took matters to the point of jury intimidation, as the preternaturally unhinged Democratic Congresswoman Maxi[n]e Waters did over the weekend.

“Because of her, this isn’t over.

“Waters checked every box. As a federal representative from a California district, she traveled to another sovereign state, Minnesota, to interfere in its judicial system. Her rabble-rousing was done in violation of a curfew that the elected mayor had imposed to suppress the rioting that followed the tragic accidental killing of Daunte Wright by a police officer. And her remarks can only be interpreted as an incitement to violence — one less ambiguously provocative than the one over which she and other House Democrats impeached Trump.

“Waters’ standing as a member of Congress gives her no immunity against Minnesota’s criminal laws against obstruction of justice. She ought to be under investigation. Remarkably, rather than distance themselves from such egregious conduct, the nation’s leading Democrats are piling on. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists that her fellow California congresswoman has nothing to apologize for. For his part, President Biden waited until the jury was deliberating to make the stunning public statement that he is ‘praying’ for Chauvin to be convicted.

“The fact that the jury was sequestered [during deliberation]… is no excuse. [Biden] is a lawyer and former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who well knows that sequestration does not make jurors impervious to prejudicial publicity. And if he’s been following the case as he claims to have been, he knows trial judge Peter Cahill has pleaded that public officials stop commenting on the trial — under circumstances where, even before the Bidens and Waters piped up, there was already substantial reason to doubt that Chauvin could get a fair trial in Minneapolis.

“It does not matter how you hoped Chauvin’s trial would end. Our viability as a free, prosperous, rule-of-law society is dependent on the viability of courts as the protection every one of us, equally, can rely on against overbearing government and politicized mobs. In fact, due process is essential if we are to hold the guilty accountable — including police officers who abuse their power. Chauvin’s… conviction now has a real chance of having the result overturned because public officials, who know better, have recklessly undermined the integrity of the trial…”

In light of the 9+ minute video showing Chauvin’s horrible conduct towards Floyd, the conviction of Chauvin was hoped for and celebrated in the USA and all over the world, including by many liberal and conservative outlets, with the claim that the American legal system is the best in the world and that it works, or begins to work. However, this is the very point which is in question, as the previous articles raise—apart from the obvious hypocrisy, the politicizing and the double-standard of some American politicians and their supporters.

More US Soldiers to Germany

Defense News reported on April 13:

“The U.S. Army is sending two new units to Europe… making up about 500 soldiers… This will bring 750 family members to U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden in Germany… a third one that will deploy where necessary… ‘The [new units] will enable U.S. Army Europe and Africa to synchronize joint fires and effects, control future long range fires across all domains and will create more space, cyber and electronic warfare capabilities in Europe,’ Col. Joe Scrocca, the spokesman for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said.

“The Army in Europe will also retain three sites ‘previously scheduled to be returned to the German government due to growing operational requirements in the European theater.’ President Trump had plans to drawdown U.S. troops presence in Europe against the advisement of military leaders, lawmakers and defense and national security experts.”

Not only are these American enlargements of US troops in Germany highly unpopular, one must ask whether the US is creating a Frankenstein monster in Europe.

Power Struggle in Germany

Bloomberg News wrote on April 18:

“The battle to lead Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc into September’s election is headed for a final showdown…

“Armin Laschet, who leads Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, and Markus Soeder, who runs the CDU’s Bavarian sister party CSU… have been holding secret negotiations since Friday… Both leaders… missed their self-imposed Friday deadline for an agreement. Given the current stalemate, there is growing concern among party leaders that any escalation of the standoff could cause irreversible damage to Merkel’s conservative bloc five months before the national election…

“In the latest poll by the institute Kantar the CDU/CSU bloc is only 7 percentage points ahead of the Green party… Polls have consistently showed that Soeder would comfortably defeat his main rivals if there were a direct vote for chancellor in the general election, while Laschet would lose.”

Bild wrote on April 18 that both leaders have been engaged in a brutal election war. The paper added that even though finally there will be a chancellor candidate who will call himself “victor,” he will be, in reality, a defeated man.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 19: 

“Leading officials for the German conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party voted to nominate Armin Laschet as chancellor candidate for this year’s election in the early hours of Tuesday morning… The vote is not an official decision on the candidate for the conservative bloc…”

With such an unpopular candidate as Laschet, one wonders how even conservative voters would react in the next election.

The Greens named their co-leader, 40-year old Annalena Baerbock, as the candidate to succeed Merkel. Deutsche Welle commented that based on Baerbock’s policies, there is “ little room for doubt that any potential coalition between the Greens under Baerbock and the conservatives could be a volatile arrangement.”

Germany has never had a Green chancellor or a chancellor from Bavaria’s CSU party. At the same time, as the Bloomberg News article points out, Armin Laschet is unpopular in Germany, while Markus Soeder, an admirer and follower of the legendary late Franz-Josef Strauss, has been gaining in popularity after his recent humiliating showing in Bavaria where he only reached 37 percent—the worst result in the history of Bavaria’s CSU. On the other hand, 63 percent of Germans see in Soeder as an acceptable chancellor candidate, while only 29 percent believe this of Laschet.

Armin Laschet CDU/CSU Top Candidate

Deutsche Welle reported on April 20:

“The state premier of Germany’s most populous state (NRW) is set to lead the conservative challenge in the general election later this year after his main rival Markus Söder backed out of the race… only 32% of voters who voted CDU or CSU in the 2017 federal election said they would stick with their choice if Laschet were the candidate… Observers say that it will now be no easy task to unite the CDU/CSU bloc behind its top candidate in an election campaign…

“The CDU is experiencing unusually hard times, for numerous reasons. These include difficulties in containing the coronavirus pandemic; various cases of corruption in party ranks; cronyism and distrust; not to mention a chancellor who… is domestically seen as a ‘lame duck’ because this is her last term… The road to the chancellorship will be a long and rocky one for Laschet.”

None of this looks good for the future of Merkel’s party.

Germany’s Planned Coronavirus Restrictions per Federal Law

The Local wrote on April 19:

“Politicians in Germany are holding crunch talks over a new nationwide ’emergency brake’ mechanism that would force states to implement tougher Covid rules when infections reach a certain level. On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives (the CDU and CSU) plus the Social Democrat (SPD) parliamentary groups – which make up the coalition government – discussed changes to the Infection Protection Act draft. If the law is passed by the Bundestag, states would be obliged to enforce new restrictions as soon as more than 100 new coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants are registered over three days in a seven-day period.

“Here are the proposed changes under discussion:

“Night-time curfews in badly-hit Covid areas should be in place from 10pm to 5am… Jogging and walks would be allowed until midnight. People would generally only be allowed to leave their homes during the curfew for work or emergencies…  In schools, virtual learning would be compulsory when a region hits a 7-day incidence of 165 Covid infections per 100,000 people or more… For children up to the age of 14, sports should continue to be possible in groups. The outdoor areas of zoos and botanical gardens are to remain open to visitors with an up-to-date negative Covid test. Employers must provide two coronavirus rapid tests per week to staff who can’t work from home. If the employer says staff can work from home, employees have to accept this offer…

“All regulations are initially limited to June 30th. Other parts of the draft include limiting gatherings of people from different households. Contact with one person outside of the household is permitted, with a maximum of five people being allowed together in hotspots. [As Deutsche Welle reported on April 21, in affected areas, (it is to be ensured that) “nonessential shops only allow customers in with a negative COVID-19 test and an appointment. If the incidence rate exceeds 150, customers can only pick up preordered goods.”]

“The Bundestag wants to pass the law on Wednesday [which it did after a “contentious debate” with strong opposition from the FDP, the Left and the AfD]. It will then go to the Bundesrat – which represents Germany’s 16 states – on Thursday.  If it is passed [and signed by the German President] the update to the Infection Protection Act would be put into place as soon as possible… “Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU)…  called on states to introduce restrictions immediately [adding, “No one needs to wait for the law.”].”

These harsh measures would even constitute a compromise and a “watered-down” version of a prior draft which Angela Merkel and Jens Spahn supported. “On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called upon lawmakers in the country to grant additional powers to the federal government to enforce lockdowns and curfews…” (Breitbart, April 19).

Subsequently, Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday signed a national ‘emergency brake’ into law shortly after the legislation passed the upper house of parliament [Bundesrat, which is made up of representatives of the 16 federal states.] … The secretary-general of the free-market liberal Free Democrats (FDP)… reiterated his party’s opposition. Volker Wissing told public broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday evening: ‘In a free constitutional state, the state must clearly justify why it intervenes so massively in fundamental rights. The federal government has not succeeded in providing this justification.’… Even before the law was passed by the Bundesrat, Berlin lawyer Claus Pinkerneil lodged a complaint with the German Constitutional Court… FDP members of the Bundestag have also announced lawsuits.”

As Bild Online explained, both the Bundesrat as well as Steinmeier could have stopped the law due to concerns, but they did not do so. The tabloid also said that many legal experts question the constitutionality of that law, and that Germany’s highest court could revoke it. However, based on the hype and political propaganda, that is more than doubtful.

Germany is just one example, but an important one, for the ridiculous nonsensical restrictions which are being enforced in countries all over the world. Satan is TRULY the god of this world and the prince of darkness and of the power of the air, ruling all nations and governments whom he has thoroughly deceived.

Germany Prohibits Anti-Corona Restriction Demonstrations

Deutsche Welle reported on April 17:

“Bavaria’s Administrative Court agreed with the local authority that a ban on gatherings by groups of mostly COVID-deniers was necessary to prevent the risk of infection… the Saxony Higher Administrative Court… said that there was justifiable danger for the participants and passers-by… The ruling said the organizers would not be able to maintain social distancing and safety measures. The decision is unappealable and any other planned events are also prohibited…

“The Querdenker group has hosted several anti-lockdown rallies in recent months, with one demonstration in Leipzig attracting over 20,000 participants from around the region in November. German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht has called on police to take a hardline against coronavirus demonstrations… ‘In addition to criminal prosecution, demonstrations must be broken up by the police,’ she said…”

Breitbart added on April 19:

“Despite the ban on gatherings, thousands of people turned out to protest in the city of Stuttgart on Saturday, with at least 700 people being arrested for attending the ‘illegal’ rally. Police in the city said that they also had recorded over 1,000 breaches of the mask-wearing mandate. Around 250 people also gathered in Cologne, under the banner of ‘no to curfews! Health protection instead of restricting our rights,’ after the city imposed a curfew for the first time since the Second World War.”

The police also forcefully stopped a demonstration in Berlin with 7,000 participants.

Germany is becoming more and more a prophesied dictatorship that does not tolerate any views opposed to the official policy. At the same time, Israel dropped outdoor COVID mask orders.

A THIRD Shot and ANNUAL Vaccinations!

Daily Mail wrote on April 15:

“Pfizer Inc’s CEO says he believes people will ‘likely’ need a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. During a panel discussion hosted by CNBC in conjunction with CVS Health that aired on Thursday, Albert Bourla said a potential booster shot would be administered six to 12 months of being fully vaccinated.

“Bourla added that he thinks it is possible that people will need to be immunized against coronavirus annually.”

The Times of Israel added on April 15:

“Pfizer and BioNTech are now testing their shots for children. On Wednesday they said the vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy against the coronavirus in 12- to 15-year-olds, as the companies eye approval for adolescents to get the shots before the next school year.”

When and where will this end?

Fauci’s Tossing a Coin

On April 18, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by the Washington Times:

“Fauci said on Sunday on national news that even those who’ve been vaccinated should not gather indoors, or eat indoors, or remove their masks — or basically, in essence, do anything that involves being and breathing around others. [He] will have Americans walking on pins and needles, living in fear, forever…

“His so-called supporting science is about as solid as tossing a coin. Heads, stay at home; tails, don’t go outside. Heads, wear a face mask; tails, wear two face masks…

“Now, with vaccines rolled out left and right, and more and more Americans getting vaccinated, and more and more Americans doing what the government told Americans to do — to wear face masks, to get vaccinated, to socially distance, to stay out of school, even — now, Fauci wants to suggest it’s all for naught?… Fauci and his made-up scientific terminology has done enough harm to the American people in terms of generating needless fear to strip individual liberties.

“It’s time to stop listening to him. It’s actually well past time to stop listening to him. Fauci’s faux science is simply destroying America from the inside, crippling freedoms and cowering Americans in the corner…”

The Bible has prophesied for a long time that America will be destroying itself from the inside, before it will be totally destroyed from the outside.

In a related article, Adam Dick of the Ron Paul Institute wrote on April 18:

“As in the past, freedom stands in opposition to tyrannical government. Out of the coronavirus panic, tyranny gained the upper hand. What Fauci is saying in the interview is that one type of tyranny — coronavirus crackdown — can only be eliminated if another tyranny is accepted — people giving up their own control over their medical care by acceding to pressure to take the shots even though they do not believe doing so is the right health decision for them. Fauci thus leverages one form of tyranny to advance an additional form of tyranny. Either people take the shots or they keep, mostly figuratively, being hit by clubs… Fauci… is really declaring he is an enemy of freedom.”

Inhumane Coronavirus Rules

Breitbart wrote on April 18:

“Brexit leader Nigel Farage has slammed the ‘inhuman’ coronavirus rules which saw the Queen, 94, left sitting masked and alone at the funeral of her husband of 73 years. The Queen, who along with her late husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was vaccinated against the Chinese virus all the way back in January, was following social distancing rules for funerals imposed on the rest of England by Boris Johnson’s administration. ‘So desperately sad to see the Queen sat alone during the funeral service,’ [wrote] Farage on social media. ‘These Covid rules are inhuman.’

“Just 30 people attended the funeral of the Duke, Britain’s longest-serving consort, in a substantial reduction from the 800 who had originally been planned — although a substantial number of Armed Forces personnel took part in the proceedings, reflecting his status as perhaps the last major public figure to have seen action during the Second World War, when he served in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific theatres…

“Grandson Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, flew in from America to participate in the restricted funeral, although his controversial and heavily pregnant wife Meghan remained behind, reportedly on the advice of her doctors.”

 Sunday Rest Required?

Vatican News wrote on March 4, 2021

“…on the occasion of the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) and the European Sunday Alliance urged political leaders in Europe to protect synchronised free time… According to the network – which includes more than 100 national Sunday alliances, trade unions, employers’ organisations, civil society associations, churches and religious communities in the European Union – a full day of rest per week is indispensable to recover… EU Bishops also recall that ‘humans are social beings…A day free of work recognised by tradition or custom is therefore ‘essential to disconnect, literally and figuratively”’.

“The Alliance thus urges political leaders in Europe to make synchronised free time a priority… In particular, the European network calls on the European Commission ‘to align its upcoming proposal for a directive on a right to disconnect with article 2 of the Council of Europe’s Social Charter which already requires “a weekly rest period which shall, as far as possible, coincide with the day recognised by tradition or custom in the country or region concerned as a day of rest.”’”

The “mark of the Beast”  requires Sunday rest and work on Saturday—God’s holy weekly Sabbath. Note the next article.

Sunday NOT the biblical Sabbath

Forward wrote on March 25:

“Georgia Republicans recently passed a bill to eliminate early voting on Sunday… Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, of Mississippi [wrote:] ‘In God’s word, in Exodus 20:8, it says “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”’…  Hyde-Smith figured that it was self-evident that Sunday is the Sabbath… The Jewish Sabbath… is on Saturday, not Sunday; in fact, some Christians, such as the Eastern Orthodox, also observe a Saturday Sabbath.

“Even Sunday Sabbath Christians would agree that their Sabbath is not the biblical one Hyde-Smith is referring to in Exodus. Christianity’s shift to observing the Sabbath on a Sunday, as well as changing the parameters of its observance, was an attempt by Christians in the Roman Empire to differentiate themselves from Jews who were persecuted by the Romans. Constantine then codified the Sunday rest day, adding to the law that Christians were forbidden from ‘Judaizing’ and must work on Saturdays. But no one argues that Sunday was the ‘seventh day’ referred to in the holy text; it was considered the first day of the week in both Hebrew and Roman calendars. Hyde-Smith’s Exodus justification for the Sunday voting ban doesn’t hold…”

Sainthood for Key Founding Father of Europe?

Catholic News Agency reported on April 16:

“Pope Francis could declare venerable the French statesman Robert Schuman, a key ‘founding father’ of the European Union, a Vatican official has said… Cardinal Semeraro told the French newspaper La Croix the Pope is likely to declare Schuman venerable before summer begins…

“He was France’s Minister of Foreign Relations when he announced the forming of the European Steel and Coal Community on May 9, 1950. The move is considered a first step towards the creation of the European Union. Schuman was also a key negotiator for the North Atlantic Treaty and the European Coal and Steel Community. He served as the first President of the European Parliament which named him ‘Father of Europe’ when he left office…

“In November 2003 remarks to the Robert Schuman Foundation… St. John Paul II called Europeans to remember and cherish their Christian roots. He praised Schuman for spending his political life ‘in the service of the fundamental values of freedom and solidarity, understood fully in the light of the Gospel.’”

Facebook under Attack (Again) for Arbitrary Political Censorship

Newsmax wrote on April 19:

“Facebook’s decision last week to censor news articles critical of Black Lives Matter leader Patrisse Cullors has been questioned after it was revealed that the social media giant co-founder, Dustin Moskovitz, gave more than $5 million into a network of nonprofits run by Cullors… Facebook blocked its users from posting links to a story in the New York Post about how Cullors, who calls herself a Marxist, spent $3.2 million on high-end real estate as her BLM Global Network Foundation took in millions in donations, saying the reporting violated its ‘privacy and personal information policy.’

“News Media Alliance (NMA), a media nonprofit which represents nearly 2,000 American news organizations, criticized Facebook for its ‘completely arbitrary’ decision to block the story about Cullors… The National Legal and Policy Center, a watchdog group, also slammed Facebook’s decision, saying ‘this, once again, proves freedom of speech is an option not a feature across the Facebook platform, where their corporate interests are placed above the interests of their users at every turn.’”

Sick!

Netanyahu Seeks Direct Election

Newsmax reported on April 21:

“Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to seek a direct election for prime minister and no longer is seeking a government that relies on the support of the United Arab List Party, he said Tuesday. Netanyahu said a direct election for prime minister will pass if Yamina supports it… Seeing no chance to form a government, Netanyahu still intends to maintain his mandate to do so, associates said. That mandate ends May 4, after which a group of small parties that oppose him hope to be able to form an alternative government…

“Netanyahu twice failed to build a governing coalition in Israel’s two 2019 elections. After the 2020 election, the longtime leader formed a unity government with his main rival in what they said was an emergency coalition to manage the coronavirus crisis. The partnership collapsed in December after months of infighting.”

Hezbollah Preparing for Lebanon’s Collapse

The Algemeiner published the following article on April 19

“Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror organization is advancing its preparations for the possibility that the state may collapse… The group is expanding its food ration card system, importing medicine and preparing storage for fuel to be delivered by the organization’s patron, Iran… These steps are aimed at broadening services provided by Hezbollah to its Shi’ite support base, which is mostly concentrated in southern Lebanon, as well as in south Beirut and the Bekaa Valley…

“Having to again rely on factions for basic needs has reminded many Lebanese of the country’s civil war days between 1957 to 1990… Lebanon’s currency has crashed and… food prices in the country have risen by 400 percent.”

A horrible Decision by a “most dishonorable” Judge in Canada

International Family News wrote on April 19:

“In the Canadian National Anthem ring the words, ‘the true north, strong and free.’ And it pains me as a Canadian to say that ‘the north’… my native land, is no longer strong or free, because it has sold truth down the river without a paddle. That point has been recently hammered home thanks to an activist judge in British Columbia. A Canadian father is in jail today for simply doing as any loving parent would do; protecting one’s child from clear and present danger.

“On Friday, April 16th, Rob Hoogland – a postman from Vancouver, British Columbia – was handed a 6 months jail term. His crime? Calling his daughter ‘she’ and ‘her’, railing against ‘gender ideology’ indoctrination his child was being subjected to at school, and defending his child from medical assault being imposed on his family by the state.

“Hoogland is in jail today for those ‘crimes’. But he has been a prisoner for much longer. Well before Hoogland was a prisoner in a Vancouver jail cell from March 16th to April 12th, awaiting trial. Well before Hoogland surrendered himself to the court March 16th in response to the BC Attorney General’s ruling of contempt of court. And even before a most dishonourable Judge Michael Tammen issued the warrant for his arrest on March 4th.

“Rob Hoogland has been a prisoner of the ‘system’ going back to 2015. It was then that things started to unravel for him and his young family… Hoogland and his estranged wife – whom he divorced in the spring of 2015 – were concerned for their then 5th-grade daughter who was getting into trouble at school. The parents consented to having their daughter speak to a school counselor. Unbeknownst to Mr. Hoogland, his daughter would spend the next two years meeting with school counsellors and in grade 7, his daughter cut her hair very short. It was at the end of that school year that Hoogland noticed that his daughter was listed in her yearbook under a male name. What had been happening is that the school had been feeding Hoogland’s daughter a steady diet of transgender ideology. The girl had already begun ‘transitioning’ to a male under the supervision of psychologist Wallace Wong who had referred her to an endocrinologist at the Gender Clinic at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.

“… Hoogland is up against a storm of opposition which includes his wife who, along with Canadian legal and medical systems, continues to forge ahead into transitioning her daughter into a male – both socially and medically. And that doesn’t even take into account the constant barrage from schoolmates, mainstream media, pop culture, and a Marxian education system that put this troubled girl down a road from where there is no return… and her father behind bars…

“By the time Rob Hoogland had attended that first visit to the endocrinologist with his daughter, the cards were well stacked against him. The doctor laid out the plan to medically ‘change’ his 13-year old girl into a boy. Hoogland said ‘no’. He said his girl had told him she was a lesbian. She was just going through a phase. He also told the doctor that his girl had already had two extremely uncomfortable run-ins with the school and his daughter’s infatuation with two separate male teachers. Hoogland was also beside himself having to have dealt with his child’s suicide attempt in Grade 8; this, after the child had been ‘affirming’ herself as a boy…”

In a world ruled by Satan, nothing is surprising anymore. This is a sick sick world.

Monkey-Human Chimeras

Deutsche Welle reported on April 16:

“A team of scientists from China and the United States… injected human stem cells into monkey blastocytes… The team… then managed to keep some of the embryos made up of two different genetic materials alive for up to 20 days. A ‘mixed’ organism like this is also known as chimeric, or an interspecies chimera… the key ethical question relates to what kind of creatures these chimeras would be… whether these embryos are human or not is open to question…”

Hitler experimented with these ideas, trying unsuccessfully to create a mixture or a “hybrid” between humans and chimps, called “humanzee.” Man is trying to play God against the normal laws of nature, as in nature, humans could never mix with chimps to produce a “hybrid” or a “chimera”… These are horrible prospects.

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.