Headache for Merkel as Gauck Will Step Down as German President

The Guardian wrote on June 6:

“Germany’s president, Joachim Gauck, has announced he will not stand for a second term in office, prompting an instant race to find his successor and effectively kick-starting the campaign for a general election in autumn of next year. The 76-year-old former East German pastor and civil rights activist said he was stepping down despite appeals across the spectrum for him to stay in office, citing his advancing years.

“His decision is likely to create difficulties for the already embattled chancellor, Angela Merkel, triggering a cross-party race for possible successors to be chosen less than six months before a 2017 general election… He said it had been a huge honour to serve Germany since 2012 as its 11th postwar president, a largely ceremonial, apolitical role. His successor will not be decided by direct vote, but by the political parties, along with a congress consisting of sportspeople, celebrities and other public figures.

“While they might agree on a single candidate, it is more likely the parties will put up rival ones, particularly at a time when there is a lack of unity over Merkel’s refugee policy, most notably within her own grand coalition government of the Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democrats (SPD)…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 6:

“The timing for picking a replacement president could arguably be better… Gauck’s announcement effectively starts the general election campaign 15 months early, with a conflict Chancellor Angela Merkel would have preferred to avoid.”

The Local added on June 4:

“‘It’s his partner Daniela Schadt who has advised him not to stand for a second term, particularly due to his age and his state of health,’ Bild said… Gauck was named president in 2012 when his conservative predecessor Christian Wulff was forced to quit over corruption allegations.

“His recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as genocide in a speech last year, sparked outrage in Turkey. This week, the German parliament adopted a resolution to the same effect. Last year, Gauck also lashed out at xenophobic attacks in Germany on migrants and refugees, describing them as the country’s ‘dark’ side.”

Joachim Gauck, a former Protestant pastor, is still married to his wife, but he has been openly living together with his girlfriend (“partner”) who has been accompanying him on his official foreign trips. This does not seem to bother most Germans.

Planned ISIS Attack on Düsseldorf Much Bigger than Originally Thought

The Local wrote on June 3:

“The Isis plot to [attack] the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia was bigger than previously assumed, with ten terrorists supposed to murder people with bombs and guns, local media report… According to this account [by Der Spiegel], two of the [groups] were supposed to blow themselves up in the Altstadt district, the other men were then to attack more civilians with guns and explosives…

“Meanwhile Focus reports that in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) 37 arrest warrants against people in the Islamist scene are outstanding because the culprits have gone missing… ‘The 37 people who are being looked for are accused of committed crimes including establishing a criminal or terrorist organization, [serious] bodily harm, deception, resistance against state officials and theft,’ said state representative Gregor Golland from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

“Also on Friday, the Justice Ministry said that German prosecutors have launched legal proceedings against 180 suspects linked to jihadist groups in Syria. ‘The chief prosecutor is currently carrying out 120 proceedings targeting 180 suspects in connection with the civil war in Syria, for their membership in, or backing of, a terrorist organisation,’ said Justice Ministry spokesman Philip Scholz.

“Separately, the NRW interior ministry said there were ‘499 potentially dangerous individuals in the field of Islamist terrorism’ in their jurisdiction.”

Germany’s AfD Party Takes Strong Stand Against Merkel, Muslims, Foreigners and Blacks

The Local wrote on June 5:

“The leader of a German anti-immigrant party has hit out at football star Mesut Ozil for not singing the national anthem and accused him of peddling a political Islamic agenda. The attack comes a week ahead of the start of Euro 2016 in France, and hard on the heels of racially disparaging remarks about another German footballer, Jerome Boateng, from [Alexander Gauland,] a member of the same Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

“In an interview published on Sunday in the newspaper Die Welt, AfD co-leader Frauke Petry accused Ozil, formerly of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid but now with Londoners Arsenal, of setting a poor example for children. ‘It’s a pity Mesut Ozil, someone so many children and adolescents identify with, does not sing the national anthem,’ she was quoted as saying. She also accused him of hypocrisy after a picture on social media last month showed Ozil, who hails from Germany’s Turkish community, posing at the Islamic holy site of Mecca. In a nod to Ozil’s lifestyle, Petry said: ‘He doesn’t live according to the rules of sharia.’… Petry also reiterated her party’s stance that Islam is unconstitutional and said it was difficult to draw a distinction between an Islamist and a Muslim.

“Last week AfD politician Alexander Gauland came under fire for saying most Germans would not want Boateng, whose father is Ghanaian, as their neighbor — a comment Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman condemned as ‘vile and sad.’ The AfD co-chief elaborated on his views in comments to news weekly Der Spiegel, claiming that professional football is ‘no longer a question of national identity’…”

AFP added on June 5:

“A German right-wing populist politician has attacked Chancellor Angela Merkel as a ‘dictator’ who is trying to ‘replace the German people’ with migrants, a Sunday newspaper reported. Alexander Gauland, of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, told a rally outside Berlin that Merkel’s liberal asylum policy was radically transforming the face of the country, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said. He… said Germany’s mainstream parties were pursuing a policy of ‘human flooding’, an ‘attempt to gradually replace the German people with a population coming from all parts of the earth’…

“The three-year-old AfD has assumed an increasingly anti-immigrant and Islamophobic stance as Europe’s biggest economy let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year. It is currently polling at about 15 percent nationwide after capturing seats in three state elections in March. Analysts say it has tapped into angst over the migrant influx…”

“Germany’s Migrant Crisis Turns into a NIGHTMARE”

Express wrote on June 8:

“The true scale of the migrant crisis in Germany has been uncovered as it emerges 80 per cent of asylum seekers have arrived there WITHOUT a passport – and hundreds of thousands are now planning to bring over their FAMILIES… Between January and April, out of 114,255 of asylum seekers waiting to cross the border, around 91,000 did not have the required documents. And from January to March this year German border officers seized 1,306 fake documents from asylum seekers, of which 145 were Syrian refugees, according to German newspaper Bild.

“Meanwhile, in 2015, federal police seized 4,973 fake identification documents when searching travelling migrants in Germany – 834 of those were fake IDs of Syrian refugees. It seems criminals have managed to slip through the net as since the first four months of 2016, more than 4,000 people who have entered the country are now on the Germany’s most wanted list…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s grip on power is growing ever weaker, with rebellion across the country against her controversial immigration policies…

“Germany will now have to brace itself for hundreds and thousands of migrants landing in Germany to join their relatives, according to the federal agency for migration and refugees… During the next years up to 500,000 Syrians could encourage their families to join them in Germany, the study predicts…”

Germany’s Trouble with Turkey Continues

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 6:

“Amid the ongoing row over Germany’s decision to refer to the Armenian massacre as ‘genocide,’ Berlin has hit back at the Turkish president… Steffen Seibert, spokesman to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said on Monday that the Bundestag – Germany’s lower house of parliament – ‘had reached a sovereign decision.’ ‘That must be respected,’ he added…

“As the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey officially denies that the events that started in 1915 amounted to genocide. Ankara’s official line is that ethnic Armenians represented a fifth column backed by Russia during World War I, and that the mass deportation and accompanying Armenian deaths were not premeditated or intentional – a key requirement in the legal definition of genocide.

“Following the Bundestag’s ‘overwhelming’ vote in favor of the ‘genocide’ resolution, Ankara recalled its ambassador from Berlin, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to ‘never accept the accusations of genocide.’ ‘First you need to answer for the Holocaust, then for the murder of 100,000 people in Namibia,’ Erdogan said.

“The Turkish president also accused 11 German MPs with Turkish roots who backed the resolution of supporting ‘terrorism’ by the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), and demanded ‘blood tests’ to see ‘what kind of Turks they are.’ Ankara’s mayor, Ibrahim Melih Gökcek, later tweeted a collage of the 11 politicians, claiming that they had ‘stabbed us (Turkey) in the back.’

“In response to the allegations, Seibert said on Monday that while Berlin also considers the PKK a terrorist group, ‘to associate individual members of parliament with terrorism is utterly incomprehensible to us.’

“Among the 11 MPs was Green party co-leader, Cem Özedemir, who also instigated the vote on the resolution. The politician has since been placed under police protection after receiving anonymous death threats. The 50-year-old from Bad Urach in western Germany is the son of Turkish immigrants. Speaking on Monday, Özdemir said that he wouldn’t let himself be intimidated by Erdogan’s verbal attacks…

“Despite broadly opposing the ‘genocide’ vote, Germany’s Turkish community has nonetheless criticized Ankara’s and Erdogan’s supporters for the pressure which has been placed on German lawmakers of Turkish origin. ‘We find death threats and demands for blood tests abhorrent,’ said chairman of Germany’s Association for the Turkish Community, Gokay Sofuoglu. ‘I think the era when people were defined by their blood ended in 1945. This is absolutely out of place,’ he added.

“The growing tensions between Germany and Turkey have come at a critical time for both countries as they seek to fully implement the recently-agreed EU refugee deal which seeks to control the flow of migrants into Europe…”

FPÖ Challenges Presidential Election Results in Austria

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“The far-right Austrian party FPÖ has filed a legal challenge against the results of last month’s presidential election, the Constitutional Court has said. The party’s leader [Heinz-Christian Strache] said there were ‘terrifying’ irregularities… In the election in May, postal ballots pushed former leader of the Green Party, Alexander Van der Bellen – who ran as an independent – over the line to defeat FPÖ candidate Norbert Hofer. The margin of victory was under 1 percentage point, or roughly 31,000 votes.

“‘Without these glitches, irregularities and breaking of laws, Hofer could have become president,’ Strache said after filing an official challenge at the Constitutional Court. ‘I think a re-election is very realistic,’ Strache said.

“Lawyers for the anti-immigration Freedom Party said they had found evidence that over 573,000 absentee and postal ballots had been handled without the presence of local election commissions, creating the risk of tampering… The Constitutional Court will rule on the matter by July 8, when Van der Bellen is set [to] succeed Social Democratic incumbent Heinz Fischer, a court spokesman said.”

No Anti-Semitism in the Austria’s FPÖ?

JTA wrote on June 8:

“Jewish leaders in Austria denied a report in Israel that the community had prepared a program for normalizing ties with the far-right Freedom Party, which it now shuns… Oskar Deutsch, the community’s president, said no such plan exists and that he merely spoke hypothetically…

“Heinz-Christian Strache… apologized in 2012 for posting on Facebook a caricature depicting an obese, hook-nosed banker wearing star-shaped cufflinks. Strache’s predecessor, Joerg Haider, praised Nazi employment policies and the Waffen-SS.

“Freedom Party lawmakers often have attended and spoken at events commemorating Nazis, including a gathering in memory of an Austria-born Nazi fighter pilot who shot down 258 planes, almost all Russian. And Strache himself had been accused of using a little-known Nazi salute in 2009, which he denied.

“Strache visited Israel this year and met with officials there. He said he supports Israel’s fight against radical Islam and has argued he has purged his party of anti-Semitism.”

Germany vs. Donald Trump

FP wrote on June 6:

“In an implicit rebuttal to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, Germany’s ambassador to NATO offered a full-throated defense of his country’s contributions to European security and pushed back at accusations that Berlin was relying on Washington for protection rather than taking responsibility for defending itself.

“Noting Germany’s deployment of troops to Afghanistan and Kosovo, its lead diplomatic role on the Ukraine crisis, and its contribution of 5,000 troops to a new NATO force charged with protecting the alliance’s eastern and southern flanks, Ambassador Hans Dieter Lucas said criticisms about Germany’s purported lack of engagement don’t reflect reality. ‘Germany is heavily engaged in all NATO missions,’ he said during an interview at the German embassy in Washington. ‘Engaged like probably not many others.’

“Trump has specifically and repeatedly lashed out against Germany for, in his view, not doing more to challenge Russian aggression in Ukraine and allowing migrants from the Middle East and North Africa to resettle within its borders… In his campaign, the real estate tycoon has also taken direct shots at Angela Merkel… for her decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa into her country…

“German officials haven’t always taken the hit lying down. In March, Merkel’s deputy, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, said Trump poses ‘a threat to peace and social cohesion’ and associated him with far-right politicians in Europe. ‘Whether Donald Trump, Marine le Pen or Geert Wilders – all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development,’ Gabriel said.”

Holocaust Denial Illegal in Italy

JTA wrote on June 9:

“Italy’s Parliament approved a bill making spreading Holocaust denial illegal. The bill, which adds to an existing anti-racism bill, was approved Wednesday evening by the lower assembly of the Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, by a vote of 237-5, with 102 abstentions. The new law would go after those who deny genocide or crimes against humanity, using the definition by the International Court of Justice… Those convicted could face prison terms of two to six years.”

Does this mean that those who deny that Turkey committed genocide against Armenians would face prison terms as well?

A Dangerous Precedence… Is USA Guilty of War Crimes?

Salon wrote on June 7:

“Clinton blasted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for saying ‘he would order our military to carry out torture and the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists — even though those are war crimes.’

“Yet, while she served as secretary of state, Clinton’s own U.S. government administration may have overseen the very atrocity that she accidentally acknowledged is a war crime. Hundreds of civilians, many of whom were innocent family members of suspected militants, have been killed in U.S. drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia and more. If any of these killings were intentional, they were war crimes…

“This brings up the most prominent example of family members killed in U.S. drone strikes: that of the al-Awlakis. On Oct. 14, 2011, a U.S. drone strike killed 16-year-old U.S. citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, along with his teenage cousin and at least five more civilians, blowing them up as they ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Yemen. Why did the U.S. kill a teenage U.S. citizen in a country where it is not officially at war? Years of investigation by an award-winning journalist suggests that it may have been an intentional killing — not because Abdulrahman was involved in terrorist activity, but rather because his father, Anwar al-Awlaki, was a propagandist for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. That is to say, using Hillary Clinton’s own language, President Obama may have overseen ‘the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists — even though that’s a war crime.’

“Anwar al-Awlaki was assassinated by another CIA airstrike on Sep. 30, 2011, just two weeks before his son was killed. He was never given a chance in court, despite the fact that he was a U.S. citizen. He was killed extrajudicially, without a sliver of due process. After Abdulrahman and his cousin were killed, U.S. officials leaked the story to the press, claiming he had been 21-years-old. Yet his family had his birth certificate, which proved he was 16 and had been born in Denver, Colorado.

“Then they claimed Abdulrahman was linked to Ibrahim al-Banna, an Egyptian member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Award-winning journalist Jeremy Scahill, who spent years investigating the killing, interviewing U.S. officials, speaking to Abdulrahman’s family and friends and poring over government documents, concluded otherwise, noting, ‘There is not a shred of evidence to indicate that this boy had anything to do with terrorism whatsoever.’ The U.S. claimed that it did not intentionally target Abdulrahman, but a former senior official in the White House told Scahill that CIA Director John Brennan suspected that the teenager had been killed ‘intentionally.’…

“Clinton may fearmonger about a potential President Trump extrajudicially killing U.S. citizens, but the Obama administration, in which she proudly served as secretary of state, may have already established this precedent… the Obama administration set an incredibly dangerous standard with its expansion of secretive undeclared drone wars and extrajudicial assassinations. These policies will be continued in the future, and will be justified by pointing to the policies of the Obama administration. If a hypothetical President Trump insists the U.S. must extrajudicially assassinate dissidents, he has a drone program that can do so…”

With her huge wins on “Super Tuesday,” June 7, including in New Jersey, South Dakota, New Mexico and California, Hillary Clinton has now become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. As JTA wrote on June 8: “With President Barack Obama’s blessing, Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, casting it as a historic win for women and appealing to Bernie Sanders voters to support her.”

Major Step Towards US Police State?

Infowars wrote on June 8:

“The Obama administration is pushing Congress to amend existing surveillance laws to give the FBI unquestionable authority to access a person’s browser history without a warrant, a move Judge Andrew Napolitano slammed as ‘a major step towards a police state.’ Under existing law, the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) are required to obtain a surveillance warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) before accessing an individual’s electronic records. However, the FBI is able to bypass the court system and access information relating to an individual’s phone records through the use of a ‘National Security Letter.’

“‘NSLs are shadowy administrative subpoenas for information issued by the FBI, whose authority to use them was bolstered by the Patriot Act in 2001,’ as reported by US News and World Report. ‘The requests often are accompanied by a gag order disallowing the company from which information is sought from discussing it.’…

“The new legislation, if passed, would allow the FBI to access an individual’s browser history by using a National Security Letter, rather than a warrant from the FISA Court. A National Security Letter only requires approval from the special agent in charge of a FBI Field Office…

“Appearing with Shepard Smith on Fox News, Judge Andrew Napolitano expressed anger over the amendment and warned the American people to wake up to the ongoing erosion of their civil liberties. ‘It gets worse, it never gets better no matter who is in the White House, no matter which party controls the Congress,’ he said. ‘The American people should wake up….This is a major step towards a police state.’ ‘It’s done in the name of, it’s always done in the name of keeping us safe. Who or what will keep our liberties safe?’”

Politics as Usual…Cameron Will Find a Way to Work with Trump

The Independent wrote on June 3:

“David Cameron has promised to work with Donald Trump if he becomes US president. The Prime Minister said he would ‘find a way’ to get on good terms with the presumptive Republican Party nominee because transatlantic ties are ‘bigger than the individuals involved’. Mr Trump is due to visit Britain the day after the European Union referendum to reopen a golf course he owns in Scotland.

“The PM claimed the billionaire had dropped a proposal to discriminate against Muslims at US border checkpoints – which Mr Cameron had previously described as ‘divisive, stupid and wrong’. Downing Street previously resisted calls to ban Mr Trump from the UK on account of allegations the policy was extremist in nature. Mr Cameron said he stood by his comments on Mr Trump’s proposal of banning Muslims from traveling to the US, and said he would be happy to meet whoever the president turned out to be.

“‘The good news is, my understanding is, he’s already dropped that proposal because there are millions of Muslims living in America and making a great contribution to that country as there are well over a million British Muslims here making a fantastic contribution to our country, so that proposal’s been dropped which I think is the right thing to do,’ Mr Cameron told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme.

“‘But look, I will await the outcome of the US election, I won’t get involved in any way. Whoever wins that election, I’m sure the British Prime Minister will have a good relationship with them as we always have done…’”

That Trump dropped his proposal regarding the ban of visiting Muslims is news to us. The American press did not report this at all.

Bilderberg’s Fight Against Brexit

IBT wrote on June 6:

“As the EU referendum looms, a great counsel of war is gathering. Henri de Castries, the Chairman of the influential Bilderberg Group, has made his way to the highest hill above Dresden… Responding to his call, 140 or so of the most powerful pro-European business leaders and politicians will… discuss the future of [the] free trade zone.

“The annual three-day Bilderberg conference kicks off on Thursday, and you can be sure the mood in Dresden will be a grim one. The heads of Google, Shell, BP and Deutsche Bank will be there, and Brexit will be top of the agenda. The Bilderberg Group has been nurturing the EU to life since the 1950s…

“‘A disaster for everyone’ is how Henri de Castries, the boss of AXA and a director of HSBC, describes Brexit. But in particular, it is a disaster for his banking and big business colleagues at Bilderberg. Thomas Enders, the CEO of Airbus, who sits on Bilderberg’s steering committee – the group’s governing body – said, in a recent interview with CNBC, that his industry would be ‘lobbying’ against Brexit…”

Even though European leaders may be working behind the scenes, it has become obvious that officially, they are silencing themselves. Note the next article.

Europe Is Silencing Itself Over Brexit

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 5:

“EU leaders are trying to help the pro-European camp in the Brexit referendum by staying out of the debate. That could be a mistake. It also tells us a lot about the state of EU-UK relations…

“At the moment, trips to the dis-United Kingdom are being avoided like the plague. British EU Commissioner Jonathan Hill was the last EU dignitary that dared travel to London – 14 days ago. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has muzzled himself. He has said that he intends to be ‘as quiet as possible’ on the issue. The same goes for the rest of Brussels’ EU crew. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, urgently warned of the negative consequences of a Brexit, but he did so in a safe haven – an experts’ conference in Brussels.

“The EU, and especially the European Commission, are extremely unpopular in the finicky kingdom. Therefore, Juncker’s communications strategists have decided that the best course of action is to remain as invisible as possible. It must be said that it is shameful that EU leaders lack the confidence to fight for their own interests. How desperate has the current political culture become when public appearances are now considered provocations? Even those fighting for the truculent Brits to remain in the Union are begging for Europe to refrain from supporting them.

“British Prime Minister David Cameron prefers to fight it out in televised debates on his own. He is playing the role of the lone superhero that tamed the European monster and wrestled the best possible deal for oppressed Brits out of Brussels’ claws. Appearances by the bad boys from Brussels would only confuse this… narrative.

“Meanwhile… clear messages from the EU would likely be counterproductive… Nevertheless, it is still rather perplexing that the European Union has decided to duck the debate in a referendum that is specifically about the Union itself…

“When the dust settles after the explosion that will be the June 23 referendum, people in Brussels will have to ask themselves if remaining silent was really the right strategy… To stand up loud and clear for more Europe is out – tiptoeing is the order of the day… One who is ashamed of doing the right thing can excite no one.”

What If?

The Local wrote on June 6:

“Media reports in recent months have suggested that the financial capital on the Main could steal London’s banking thunder if Britain votes to leave the EU…

“At first glance, Frankfurt am Main looks like the perfect candidate to become the financial centre of the EU if Britain really cuts ties with Brussels after the vote on June 23rd. The city can point to almost 200 foreign banks with a presence there and 62,500 people – almost a tenth of the population – employed in the banking sector. ‘Large numbers of specialist workers, good infrastructure and not least the strongest national economy in the EU’ – as well as the European Central Bank (ECB) planted firmly in its new headquarters just outside the city centre – are sure to provide ‘a certain magnet effect,’ said Stefan Winter of UBS, head of the Association of Foreign Banks in Germany…

“There is no question that banks need a presence in an EU member state to do business with customers inside the Union… As home not just to the ECB but the European insurance regulator EIOPA, Frankfurt may well be the EU’s capital of financial regulation. And Frankfurt-based stock market operator Deutsche Börse is in the process of merging with the London Stock Exchange company (LSE)…

“Many German eyes have turned towards Deutsche Bank with its 9,000 workers in London. ‘If [we’re going to move] at all, it would be Frankfurt,’ CEO John Cryan told the Financial Times (FT) in April. The veteran British bank executive had told the Deutsche Bank annual meeting earlier this year that ‘with its strong presence in Frankfurt and London, Deutsche Bank is well-positioned to manage the short- and long-term effects of a Brexit.’…”

Ramadan in China

AFP wrote on June 6:

“China has marked the start of Ramadan with its customary ban on civil servants, students and children in a mainly-Muslim region from taking part in fasting, government websites said, as the holy month started on Monday. China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist and for years has banned government employees and minors from fasting in Xinjiang, home to the more than 10 million Muslim Uighur minority. It has also ordered restaurants to stay open.

“The region sees regular clashes between Uighurs and state security forces, and Beijing has blamed deadly attacks there and elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region. Rights groups blame tensions on religious and cultural restrictions placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities… Several local government departments in Xinjiang posted notices on their websites in the last week ordering restrictions on fasting during Ramadan…”

Poland Plans Paramilitary Force of 35,000 to Counter Russia

BBC News reported on June 3:

“The force will have civilian volunteers trained in military skills. It is aimed at countering ‘hybrid’ warfare of the kind that led parts of Ukraine to break away and pledge loyalty to Russia.

“Nato also plans to reinforce Poland. One Nato battalion will be deployed to Poland and three more to the neighbouring Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The total troop deployment is expected to be about 4,000, on a rotating basis… Several of Nato’s 28 member states will send troops to beef up the alliance’s presence in the east, near the Russian border…

“Russian Foreign Ministry department chief Andrei Kelin, quoted by Reuters news agency, said the deployment of four Nato battalions to the region ‘would be a very dangerous build-up of armed forces pretty close to our borders’. Russia has announced plans to send three new military divisions to areas close to its western and southern borders. Military sources quoted by Russian media say they are likely to be motorised rifle formations of about 10,000 soldiers each.”

“US Navy Alarmed by ‘Effective, Advanced’ Russian Subs”

RT is a Russian government-owned and -funded television network. It wrote on June 4:

“New, silent, and deadly Russian submarines are challenging NATO’s maritime dominance, says a senior US admiral who calls the current situation a ‘Battle of the Atlantic,’ comparing it to the Cold War and the two World Wars. ‘Once again, an effective, skilled, and technologically advanced Russian submarine force is challenging us,’ Vice Admiral James Foggo III, commander of the US 6th Fleet, wrote in the June issue of the US Naval Institute’s magazine, Proceedings.’… ‘Russia has the capability to hold nearly all NATO maritime forces at risk. No longer is the maritime space uncontested. For the first time in almost 30 years, Russia is a significant and aggressive maritime power.’…

“While Russian deployments of attack and ballistic missile submarines are at levels unseen since the Cold War, the US Navy has only 53 submarines in service, and that number will drop to 41 by the late 2020s due to budget constraints’…

“Money worries may be behind the US Navy’s sudden obsession with Russian naval power. At $3 billion apiece, the Seawolf was the most expensive US submarine ever built before the program was canceled in 2005. The proposed Pentagon budget for 2017 allocates $18.3 billion for shipbuilding.”

Governmental Rewards for Illegally Killing Criminals in the Philippines

AFP wrote on June 3:

“Mr Duterte [in the Philippines] won last month’s elections in a landslide after pledging to wipe out crime by killing tens of thousands of criminals, and this week said he would pay bounties to law enforcement officers for dead drug traffickers. Tomas Osmena, mayor-elect of Cebu, the nation’s second-biggest city, offered similar rewards and announced on his Facebook page on Thursday night he had paid out $4,480 to police who killed three men he said were drug traffickers…

“Mr Duterte this week urged security forces to begin the war on crime immediately, calling on them to kill criminals. Mr Duterte announced on Tuesday he would pay $28,509 to law enforcers for killing drug lords, with lesser amounts for lower-ranking people in drug syndicates…

“Mr Duterte’s law-and-order campaign pledges hypnotised millions of Filipinos hoping for quick solutions to the nation’s deep-rooted problems of crime and corruption. However, human rights groups and other critics voiced alarm that a Duterte presidency would lead to extrajudicial killings and a general breakdown in the rule of law…

“Earlier this week, Mr Duterte told reporters there was justification for killing journalists who took bribes or engaged in other corrupt activities.”

It seems that nations are moving toward a de facto state of Marshall Law. Especially ominous is the terrorist situation in Europe—how will nations like Germany react to hundreds and hundreds of extremists dedicated to creating mayhem in the country? Also, there is such a breakdown of civility in the US in the current presidential campaigns that outright rioting seems to be in store for America. To be fair, most of the “riots” at the Trump campaigns are instigated by left-wing radicals who are paid for their appearance and disturbing interruption. But we can easily see that their provocations will be met with retaliation in the longer run.

Assisted Suicide Now Legal in Canada, Some US States and Other Countries

The Associated Press reported on June 7:

“Doctor-assisted dying is about to become legal in Canada without clear legislation on how it would work.

“Canada’s Supreme Court last year struck down laws that bar doctors from helping someone critically ill die, but put the ruling on hold until midnight Monday to give the government time to come up with a new law. The House of Commons passed a law last week but it requires Senate approval and that could take days or weeks…

“Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Albania, Colombia, Japan and the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. California lawmakers also passed legislation, expected to take effect in June, where proof of state residency will be required.

“Canada’s Supreme Court ruling means a doctor can’t be prosecuted for assisting death for those with a ‘grievous and irremediable’ illness. The government’s proposed law applies to ‘adults who are suffering intolerably and for whom death is reasonably foreseeable.’ It says the person must be mentally competent, 18 or older, have a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and be in an advanced state of irreversible decline of capability.

“The proposed Canadian law applies only to citizens and residents, meaning Americans won’t be able to travel to Canada to die. To get a doctor’s help under Canada’s proposed law, written request is required either from the patient or a designated person if the patient is incapable. The request would need to be signed by two independent witnesses. Two independent physicians or authorized nurse practitioners would have to evaluate it, and there would be a mandatory 15-day waiting period unless death or loss of capacity to consent was imminent.

“Some groups have said the law doesn’t go far enough and have noted [the] law excludes people who have received a diagnosis of dementia or Parkinson’s from making a request in advance for assisted suicide.

“Before the Supreme Court decision last year, it had been illegal in Canada to counsel, aid or abet a suicide, an offense carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. But the top court said doctors are capable of assessing the competence of patients to consent, and found there is no evidence that the elderly or people with disabilities are vulnerable to being talked into ending their lives.”

23rd Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv

JTA wrote on June 3:

“Approximately 200,000 people, including many tourists, gathered in central Tel Aviv for the city’s 23rd gay pride event… Among the first-time foreign participants this year in the parade is Buck Angel, a transgender male adult film producer, actor and motivational speaker from California… ‘ It’s exciting to see the gay community being accepted in the Middle East, and it’s generating change.’

“… violence against homosexuals is relatively rare in Israel, which is rated by many LGBT publications as one of the world’s best and safest travel destinations.”

Tel Aviv has become the “capital” of LGBT activities in the Middle East… a very sad “honor.”

Jewish Groups Support Transgender “Rights”

JTA wrote on June 2:

“Jewish groups in Massachusetts are hailing the passage of a bill by the state’s House of Representatives that will extend the anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in public accommodations.

“The controversial measure, approved Wednesday by a vote of 116-32, allows people to use facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. Public accommodations include places such as malls, restaurants and libraries. An amendment by opponents that would have specifically excluded religious institutions such as churches and synagogues was defeated.

“… the bill now heads to a joint legislative conference committee to iron out differences with the version approved earlier by the state Senate. The Senate is led by Stan Rosenberg, its first Jewish president and one who is openly gay. The final version will go to Gov. Charlie Baker, who on the eve of the House vote ended his months-long neutral stance, saying he would sign the bill being considered by the House.

“Seventeen other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws. ‘On the first day of Pride month, to kick off this month, it’s a moment that the Jewish community can be proud of to be on the right side of this issue,’ said Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.

“… The state of North Carolina has come under fire for a law passed in March requiring that one use the bathroom according to the gender on a person’s birth certificate.”

Why are we surprised that God, in biblical prophecy, is saying harsh things about the modern state of Israel and the Jewish people in general, challenging them to repent of their abominations?

Two More Saints in the Catholic Church—Worship of “Virgin Mary” Strongly Propagated

The Associated Press wrote on June 5:

“Pope Francis has proclaimed two new saints: a Lutheran convert who hid Jews during World War II and the Polish founder of the first men’s religious order dedicated to the immaculate conception. Francis called Swedish-born Elizabeth Hesselblad and Stanislaus Papczynski ‘exemplary witnesses to this mystery of resurrection’ during the canonization Mass on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.

“Hesselblad saved the lives of several Jewish families by hiding them in the Roman convent where she was superior. She is Sweden’s second saint in 625 years, following Saint Bridget, who was canonized in 1391.

“Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary, as he is known, supported hospitals and shelters for the poor in the 17th Century. His crowning achievement was founding the order of Marian Fathers, which preached the cult of Holy Mary.”

The unbiblical worship of the “Virgin Mary,” which can actually be traced to pre-Christian pagan rites and practices, will increase in the future. Even many Muslims and many Protestants don’t seem to be opposed to this wrong concept.

Secret Plans to Create a Unified European Army

The Telegraph wrote on May 27:

“British voters are being ‘conned’ by Brussels officials who are keeping plans for a European army secret until after the referendum, leading Tories have claimed. Liam Fox, the former defence secretary who served under David Cameron, told The Telegraph that the ambitions showed the EU is wedded to the ‘dangerous fantasy’ of creating a single defence force. Another eurosceptic Tory MP said voters were being ‘deceived’ and ‘hoodwinked’ about the true scale of the EU’s drive to create a single army.

“The backlash came as it emerged plans to move towards the creation of a European army are being kept secret from British voters until the day after next month’s referendum. Drawn up by the EU’s foreign policy chief, the Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy foresees the formation of new European military and operational structures. This first step towards an EU army is supported by Germany and other countries, The Times reports…

“Mr Fox told The Telegraph: ‘Those of us who have always warned about Europe’s defence ambitions have always been told not to worry, but step-by-step that ever closer union is becoming a reality… The best way to protect ourselves is to stay close to the US… Europe’s defence intentions… risk cutting us off from our closest and most powerful ally.”

A Church of God organization wrote last week: “Bible prophecies have long foretold that just before the return of Jesus Christ, ten kings or groups of nations with links to the ancient Roman Empire will ‘surrender their sovereignty’ to a single European leader and play a major role on the world stage (Daniel 2:40-44; Revelation 17:12-14). The break-up of the EU could lead to the fulfillment of these prophecies.”

This is erroneous, as the Bible does not indicate or even hint at the possibility that the EU will break up (It is true that some nations, such as the UK, will leave the EU, but this will not constitute a break-up of the EU). Quite to the contrary, the EU will remain an extremely powerful bloc– economically, politically and militarily, called “Babylon the Great” in Scripture. It is out of this prosperous power bloc that ten euro nations or groups of nations will emerge, which will then give their power and authority to the beast (a political and military leader). Furthermore, these ten nations or groups of nations do not only have “links” to the ancient Roman Empire, but they will constitute the tenth and last REVIVAL of the ancient Roman Empire. And even though many seem to ignore or forget this important fact, this revival will be under German leadership, with the beast being a MAN (not a woman) of German or Austrian heritage.

EU Leaders Plan for a EU without the UK

The Independent wrote on May 27:

“Senior EU leaders are preparing the ground for a possible Brexit vote with high-level meetings aimed at a “plan B” future of the bloc without the UK, including closer co-operation on security and defence matters. The leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and other core members are likely to ‘double down’ on closer union… the bloc will be unlikely to offer Britain a favourable trade deal in the event of Brexit…

“Closer integration in a post-Brexit EU is likely to take the form of tighter security and defence collaboration, against the backdrop of aggression from Russia in the East, and the threat of Islamist terrorism enhanced by the war in Syria and instability in neighbouring Turkey… the [UK] Government has repeatedly insisted that Britain will never be part of any EU army.

“However, it is understood the plans… are supported by other leading EU countries, and refer to powers set out in the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, which could allow nine or more member states to embark on their own plans for an EU military headquarters…”

The reference to military action by NINE OR MORE European member states is very interesting.

Britain Better Off Within the EU?

The Daily Mail wrote on May 30:

“Withdrawal from the EU would impact badly on Britain’s growth rates over the next five years, according to 88 per cent of the 600 economists. The poll by Ipsos Mori for The Observer also found that 82 per cent of the economists said Brexit would cut household incomes, and 61 per cent thought it would fuel unemployment…

“Mr Cameron welcomed the survey, of 600 members of the Royal Economic Society and Society of Business Economists, saying: ‘This poll confirms the overwhelming view of economists – leaving the EU would damage our economy, costing jobs and increasing prices. We are stronger, safer and better off in the EU.’…

“Another letter signed by 37 faith leaders including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams warns that Brexit could put peace in Europe at risk.”

Time for Germany to Take a Leading Military Role in Europe

Deutsche Welle reported on May 27:

“Germany is ready to take on a bigger military role to maintain global security, according to a government white paper. The draft document indicates a possible shift away from Germany’s postwar era of military restraint. The government’s position paper on security policy… said Germany was increasingly seen as a ‘key player’ in Europe, and had ‘a responsibility to actively help shape the global order.’

“It added that Germany could do more at a time when the global community was grappling with threats including terrorism waged by ‘Islamic State,’ cybercrime and a more aggressive Russia…  The document also stressed that Germany would avoid unilateral action, and would instead rely on engagement with the European Union…

“The new white paper on security policy, the first of its kind since 2006, aims to provide guidelines for the future operations of the German armed forces. The Foreign and Defense ministries, as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office, have reportedly agreed on the draft plan, which is expected to be debated in cabinet before July.

“The paper comes a fortnight after Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to boost troop numbers for the first time since 1990….

“German officials have made similar statements in the past. One of the more recent instances occurred at the annual Munich Security Conference in 2014 when the defense and foreign ministers as well as the president all said it was time for Germany to take a leading role in global affairs.”

And in time, Germany will take THE leading role in Europe, including in economic, political and military matters.

Euro Proof that EU Wants a United States of Europe

Express wrote on May 28:

“As the historic referendum looms less than a month away, a parliamentary veteran delivered a rousing speech drawing parallels with the EU and famous empires throughout history. Lord Owen, who served as foreign secretary in the 1970s, said the single currency showed Brussels bureaucrats are trying to create a unified European state.

“… the former Labour minister said: ‘[The single currency] is the founding element of a United States of Europe… Look at the history, Charlemagne, the first empire that they tried to build in Europe, they had a single currency… There’s pages of history written about creating currency unions across a number of countries and there’s that end result: they either merge or the currency fails.”

The euro is the glue which keeps the Eurozone together. It is therefore short-sighted to propose that the euro will fail and that the individual member states will return to national currencies, since we know from biblical prophecy that ten European nations or groups of nations will gain power together for a short time, and they will, in a united fashion, give their power to a charismatic political and military leader.

Next Rotating EU President: Islam Has No Place in Europe

Breitbart wrote on May 28:

“Just over a month before Slovakia will take the rotating presidency of the European Union, Prime Minister Robert Fico claims that Islam has no place in his country. ‘Islam has no place in Slovakia,’ Fico told media on Wednesday night saying that the problem of the migrant crisis was not, ‘that migrants come, but that migrants change the character of our country,’ and continued, ‘we do not want the character of this country to change. Let’s be honest and say that will not happen in Slovakia’…

“The Slovakian Prime Minister has made similar comments in the past in reaction to the Cologne New Year’s Eve sex attacks when he and several other nations demanded stricter border controls and said, ‘the idea of multicultural Europe has failed… The migrants cannot be integrated, it’s simply impossible.’

“Slovakia, along with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, also known as the Visegrad 4 nations (V4), have been some of the staunchest opponents of the European Union’s policies toward the migrant crisis. Slovakia has taken part in a total boycott against the bloc’s attempts to spread the burden of migrants across Europe by relocating them according to a quota system.

“Slovakia, alongside Poland and Hungary are being threatened with €250,000 fines per migrant they refuse to rehome from the European Union. ‘I do not wish tens of thousands of Muslims coming here and promoting their own stuff,’ Fico said, confirming that he will not back down on his views that Islamisation is a threat to Slovakian culture.

“The six month term presidency of the European Union will give the Slovakian Prime Minister a platform to express his views to the council of ministers which he will chair and the European Union Commission who are fiercely opposed to attitudes of his country and the V4.

“President of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has already expressed displeasure over the views of the V4 and the rise of anti-mass migration candidates across Europe…

“Juncker has also vowed to use his power to make sure no right wing populists can be elected in a European Union member state. ‘There will be no debate or dialogue with the far-right,’ he told media. The comments were in response to the Austrian presidential elections that saw the right wing Freedom Party (FPOe) candidate Norbert Hofer lose by just 31,000 votes.

“Many, including FPOe leader Heinz-Christian Strache have questioned the result and the many irregularities surrounding the postal vote which tipped the election in president-elect Alexander Van der Bellen’s favour.

“Fico has also indirectly commented on the rise of the FPOe in Austria saying that… Slovakia had gone down the same road as the Austrians in regards to the migrant crisis they would also see the rise of right wing parties. He claimed that it is, ‘not enough to lead by example alone, there are also developments in Germany, where radical parties have gained support.’ The last Slovakian election also saw the rise of populist anti-mass migration parties earlier this year.”

The European resentment against Islam and those politicians who tolerate or invite it is becoming greater.

ISIS Attackers in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 2:

“Germany’s Federal Prosecutors Office said three Syrians have been arrested for planning an ‘Islamic State’ attack on Düsseldorf’s historic city center. The arrests took place separately in three German states. The Karlsruhe-based prosecutors said a fourth Syrian national was arrested in Paris in February and was in French investigative custody while pending extradition to Germany.

“The German news agency DPA said the arrests announced Thursday had taken place in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), in Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg as well as the eastern state of Brandenburg…

“The Federal Prosecutors Office said the quartet had intended to carry out the attack, but added that there were no indications they had actually begun to implement the plan. The alleged plan was for two suicide attackers to detonate their vests in Düsseldorf’s city hub, the Heinrich-Heine Allee.

“Afterwards, additional attackers were to shoot and kill as many passersby as possible with guns and explosive devices… German prosecutors said two of the accused had joined IS in Syria in 2014 and received instructions from IS leadership to attack Düsseldorf.”

The People Are Angry!

On May 27, Breitbart published the following editorial by Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands:

“Last November, Pew Research revealed that only 19% of Americans still trust the government. And 55% are convinced that ‘ordinary Americans’ would do a better job of solving national problems than the elected politicians.

“Elsewhere in the West, the situation isn’t much different. Research by the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) in the Netherlands indicates similar distrust towards the government, with people complaining that politicians do not listen to ordinary citizens. 55% state that they want to have a bigger say…

“The anger of the people is caused by the failure of the present ruling classes to address the problems of the people. Our governments are failing in their most basic obligation to keep country and people safe.

“Take Germany for example. Official crime statistics, published earlier this month by the German Interior Ministry, show that immigrants were responsible for 26% of all crimes committed in Germany in 2015 – up from 8.4% in 2014…

“Take Britain for example. Last month, a poll revealed that 2 out of 3 British Muslims will not report it to the police if someone close to them is getting involved with people supporting terrorism…

“Our governments have also failed to deliver economic progress to middle-class and working-class Europeans and Americans… Domestic jobs are being outsourced to foreigners, fiscal transfer payments are being made to foreign shores. Meanwhile, our people are suffering rising taxes and austerity measures, their retirement is being postponed, their pension provisions cut, their healthcare dismantled [while being confronted with] rising levels of crime and Islamization…”

Anger has caused many peaceful or violent uprisings in the past, including the toppling and replacements of governments and political leaders.

More Trouble with Turkey

The Local wrote on May 30:

“Turkey on Monday strongly warned the German parliament against adopting a resolution recognising the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, saying it could have repercussions for bilateral ties. The German lower house of parliament is set to vote on Thursday on the resolution over the two years of slaughter from 1915, which carries the contested word ‘genocide’ throughout the text. ‘Germany is our friend and our ally where many citizens of Turkish origin live,’ said deputy prime minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus. ‘Germany must be careful concerning its relations with Turkey. I do not think that the German parliament will destroy this relationship for the sake of two or three politicians’ who put the resolution before the Bundestag, he added.

“The debate over the resolution also comes at a hugely sensitive time in Berlin-Ankara relations. Turkish authorities are angry over the failure to grant citizens visa-free travel to the EU and Germany is worried by the worsening rights situation in Turkey. Turkish authorities have long lobbied Western allies not to recognise the killings as genocide and stepped up efforts last year on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. Armenians say up to 1.5 million were killed between 1915 and 1917 in a targeted campaign of genocide by top Ottoman officials to wipe out their people from Anatolia. Modern Turkey insists comparable numbers of Armenians and Turks died in a collective tragedy when Armenians sided with invading Russian troops in World War I.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 1:

“Armenia’s president has urged German politicians to brand deaths in 1915 Ottoman Turkey as ‘genocide’ and not be intimidated by Ankara… More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, have already recognized the mass deaths as genocide, albeit prompting diplomatic tension with Turkey… Germany has extensive ties with Turkey, including 3 million residents of Turkish origin, dating back to a ‘guest worker’ scheme in the 1960s and 70s.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 2:

“Germany’s Bundestag passed a resolution qualifying the Ottoman era Armenian killings as ‘genocide’. The lower house of parliament voted almost unanimously, with one vote against the motion and one abstention…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the leader of the Social Democrats, Sigmar Gabriel, failed to attend the vote on account of other appointments. Critics have said, however, that they deliberately attempted to dodge a difficult vote…

“The co-leader of Germany’s Green party, Cem Özdemir, who has a Turkish background, told reporters that Germany was even involved in the massacres 101 years ago, highlighting that the German Empire at the time provided the Ottoman Empire with the weapons needed to carry out such war crimes. Özdemir added that the German Empire had also sent military consultants, who supported and fought with the Ottomans. ‘They knew exactly what was going on,’ Özdemir said. ‘In this respect we’re guilty of complicity, and have to admit this.’

“During the parliamentary hearing, Germany’s former Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung admitted that the German Empire allowed the events to happen and supported them quietly. Both politicians also called on parliament to address another past massacre, this time actively carried out by the German Empire. In what is Namibia today, up to 100,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama tribal people were reportedly killed under German colonial rule. The massacres took place between 1904 and 1907 and are commonly referred to as the first genocide of the 20th century.”

Mankind Possesses the Means to Destroy Itself

The New York Times wrote on May 27:

“President Obama laid a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial on Friday, telling an audience that included survivors of America’s atomic bombing in 1945 that technology as devastating as nuclear arms demands a ‘moral revolution.’ Thousands of Japanese lined the route of the presidential motorcade to the memorial in the hopes of glimpsing Mr. Obama, the first sitting American president to visit the most potent symbol of the dawning of the nuclear age. Many watched the ceremony on their cellphones.

“‘Seventy-one years ago, on a bright cloudless morning, death fell from the sky and the world was changed,’ Mr. Obama said in opening his speech at the memorial… [He said] that technology often outruns the human ability to manage that progress…

“Many survivors long for an apology for an event that destroyed just about everyone and everything they knew, and there were small demonstrations near the ceremony on Friday by protesters demanding an apology. But Mr. Obama said before his trip that he would not apologize for the attack…

“In his speech, Mr. Obama… said that the bombing of Hiroshima demonstrated that ‘mankind possessed the means to destroy itself.’ But he said that in the 71 years since the bombing, world institutions had grown up to help prevent a recurrence. Still, nations like the United States continue to possess thousands of nuclear weapons. And that is something that must change, he said.

“In a striking example of the gap between Mr. Obama’s vision of a nuclear weapons-free world and the realities of purging them, a new Pentagon census of the American nuclear arsenal shows his administration has reduced the stockpile less than any other post-Cold War presidency…

“Noting that far more primitive weapons than nuclear arms are causing widespread destruction today, Mr. Obama called for humanity to change its mind-set about war…

“People in Asian countries that were brutalized by imperial Japan had warned that a presidential apology at Hiroshima would be inappropriate. Mr. Obama not only did not apologize, he made clear that Japan, despite a highly advanced culture, was to blame for the war, which ‘grew out of the same base instinct for domination or conquest that had caused conflicts among the simplest tribes’… failures by the Japanese to acknowledge their own role in the bombings has long bothered the Chinese, Koreans and others who suffered under the empire’s rule… [Prime Minister Shinzo] Abe has promoted a version of history that plays down Japan’s wartime transgressions, and he has moved to give the military limited powers to fight in foreign conflicts…”

The sad truth is that mankind has not learned at all from the past, and that it WOULD destroy itself, if Christ were not to return to shorten the days of human madness.

We Make—or End—History!

The Huffington Post wrote on May 27:

“… the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki have not produced eternal peace. Instead they opened a Pandora’s box that can never be fully locked back up…

“The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ ‘Doomsday Clock’ has this ominous message today: it is still three minutes to midnight. Beginning in 1947 the clock’s hands have moved based on the scientists’ evaluation of whether events are pushing humanity closer to or further from nuclear apocalypse…  In January 2016 they announced it has not changed: ‘Last year, the Science and Security Board moved the Doomsday Clock forward to three minutes to midnight, noting: “The probability of global catastrophe is very high…”

“When anyone argues that the world might be safer if more countries had nuclear weapons it is yet another reminder that history can and may repeat itself on our watch if we are not vigilant. The clock is still ticking.

“…Thomas Merton… wrote this in the essay ‘Nuclear War and Christian Responsibility’: ‘… History does not make us, we make it—or end it.’”

Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s Liabilities

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 27:

“Hillary Clinton’s email scandal and the fact that she can’t seem to lock up the Democratic race against Bernie Sanders are only symptoms, but not the cause of her campaign problems… ‘One of her top liabilities when we look electorally is her net favorability rating,’ said Adam Ramey, a US politics scholar at New York University Abu Dhabi. ‘Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in both their respective parties have the dishonor of being the least favorably viewed major party candidates in any presidential election since we began gathering data on candidate favorability.’

“Clinton is currently viewed unfavorably by 55.8 percent of Americans… Only 37.6 percent of respondents have a positive impression of her.

“The favorability ratings of… Trump are only slightly worse… [He] is disliked by 58 percent of those polled, with only 35.4 percent viewing him positively.

“These figures show that many voters, even in her own party, don’t consider Clinton likable or trustworthy… ‘Her honesty and her trustworthiness is the single biggest issue she faces, and it funnels into everything else,’ Ramey said…

“Trump has managed to ride the anti-establishment wave all the way to the Republican nomination. For Clinton, who is considered the personification of the establishment by many, that is a bad sign, because Trump is bound to try to exploit that perception ruthlessly in his campaign.

“That Trump has been successful so far in styling himself as an anti-elite candidate and riling up anti-establishment fervor is intriguing – or vexing if you are Clinton – because Trump himself is as establishment and elite a candidate as they come, said Scott Lucas, a professor of American studies at the University of Birmingham in Britain… ‘We have two candidates who are very much inside the establishment, albeit Trump being inside the business establishment whereas Clinton has been inside the political establishment.’ The difference is that Trump has so far been able to convince voters that he does not belong to the establishment…

“‘The big thing is, Hillary just doesn’t connect with people the way that Bill did and still does,’ Professor Lucas said. ‘She is very awkward in public, whether it is set-piece campaign appearances or just meeting people.’ Ramey… said Clinton was widely perceived as ‘robotic and inauthentic’ and that her public appearances leave many people questioning where she really stands on various issues…

“Meanwhile, Trump – despite or because of his many outrageous statements, his abrasive style and his flip-flops on party affiliation and political issues – is viewed as authentic by many. ‘Trump is like bad political jazz. He is just saying what comes into his head,’ Lucas said…

“But it won’t be enough for Clinton to bet that Trump will undermine himself in the general election with his off-the-cuff remarks, Ramey said: ‘If Hillary wants to have a fighting chance, she will have to exude some sort of human quality and some way to communicate authenticity to the average voter.’”

Trump has been totally underestimated from the start. First, political “experts” predicted that his run would last for only a month; then they kept saying, time and again, that he would never become the Republican nominee, but all desperate efforts to the contrary did not prevent his steady rise. The same “experts” finally admitted that they were completely wrong, as the “rules” don’t seem to apply to Trump. Nevertheless, they kept pronouncing that he did not have a chance of winning against Hillary Clinton, and polls were published stating that he was far behind. Recently, it was indicated that both have equal poll numbers. It appears more and more likely to us that Trump will beat Clinton and become the next US President, which would fall in line with biblical prophecy.

Iran and Saudi Arabia Bitter Rivals

The Telegraph wrote on May 29:

“Iran accused Saudi Arabia of ‘blocking the path leading to Allah’ on Sunday when Tehran announced that its pilgrims would not perform the Hajj in Mecca this year. If this ban is enforced, the annual Hajj in September will be the first in 30 years without any pilgrims from Iran, the largest Shia Muslim nation.

“Iran and Saudi Arabia are bitter rivals, seeing themselves as the leaders of Shia and Sunni Islam respectively. Officials from both countries have tried to negotiate arrangements for Iranians to perform the Hajj this year, but without success…

“Last year, 60,000 Iranians travelled to Mecca. But a stampede caused the death of 2,300 pilgrims, including 464 Iranians, leading Tehran to accuse the kingdom of being unable or unwilling to manage the Hajj safely.

“Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with its regional neighbour in January after a mob stormed and looted the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran, retaliating for the execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Among other counter-measures, Saudi Arabia banned Iranian airlines from entering its airspace. In addition, there are no Saudi diplomatic missions in Iranian where pilgrims could collect their visas.

“The latest talks have failed to overcome these practical obstacles to Iranians performing the Hajj, although Saudi Arabia was willing to allow selected flights to carry pilgrims . Whether Iran will actually prevent its citizens from travelling to Mecca in September – or whether the latest announcement is simply a negotiating tactic – remains to be seen.”

The idea that either Iran or Saudi Arabia will become the leader of all Arab nations in the region is an unrealistic fantasy.

Disease Epidemic Spreading in Middle East and Possibly Europe

The website of news.com.au write on May 30:

“A FLESH-EATING tropical disease is sweeping the Middle East and may yet end up in Europe, after Islamic State’s civil war helped to create the perfect breeding grounds for infected vectors. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by bites from infected sand flies, which are thriving in the squalid conditions created by the war in the Middle East. The disease can eventually lead to severe scarring, and is spreading rapidly as displaced people and refugees flee the ISIS strongholds where the disease is thriving…

“Those infected suffer from open sores on the skin, nose bleeds and difficulties breathing and swallowing, with more serious strains of the disease leading to death, if left unchecked. In its most deadly form, leishmaniasis can be a destructive and debilitating condition, which eats away at the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat. The civil war has been largely blamed for the emergence of the flesh-eating disease, with the war torn surroundings creating serious health risks for those unfortunate enough to be trapped in conflict zones.

“A lack of medical facilities and doctors, coupled with serious water shortages, have only served to help the disease’s spread, with most cases going undiagnosed and untreated. Previously, the disease had been contained to Syria… but now the parasite is eating its way through the entire region… The disease has emerged in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, after over four million Syrians fled the country to seek asylum from the bloody conflict in their home country… with health experts concerned that the disease may soon spread to Saudi Arabia as well.

“It is possible that the disease has already been spread to Europe by refugees, who are made more susceptible to illness while living in temporary camps. These camps tend to be overcrowded, with poor medical facilities and low hygiene standards similar to the conditions in the Middle East, where the disease originated.

“Dr Waleed Al-Salem, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, told MailOnline: ‘It’s a very bad situation. The disease has spread dramatically in Syria, but also into countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and even into southern Europe with refugees coming in. There are thousands of cases in the region but it is still underestimated because no one can count the exact number of people affected. When people are bitten by sand flies — which are tiny and smaller than a mosquito — it can take anything between two to six months to have the infection…

“‘Someone might have picked it up in Syria but then they may have fled into Lebanon or Turkey, or even into Europe as they seek refuge…’”

Disease epidemics are a logical consequence of war and famine. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse describe, in the following order, the occurrence of religious deception, war, famine or shortness of food and water, and disease epidemics.

Mandatory Vaccinations

The website of pewtrusts.org published the following article on May 25. We are omitting the slanted comments approving and endorsing mandatory vaccinations, but we quote the following excerpts, as they are of interest to those parents who oppose vaccinations because of medical and/or religious grounds:

“When Jennifer Stella’s two children were babies, she made sure they got all the usual vaccines. But when one started having seizures and the other developed eczema after they’d gotten immunizations, the Vermont woman decided her kids would no longer get shots required to attend school. Stella, a co-founder of the Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice, is among a growing number of parents who are opting out of childhood vaccinations because they’re worried about their safety…

“All states require children to get vaccinated to attend school… [Some] have pushed lawmakers to eliminate exemptions from state vaccine requirements and sought to make it more difficult for families to qualify for the exemptions that remain… children in California can only be exempted from vaccines if their doctor determines immunization to be unsafe for them.

“Vermont eliminated its philosophical exemption in 2015, leaving only religious and medical exemptions. In the last year, similar bills to eliminate philosophical or religious exemptions were proposed in at least seven states: Hawaii, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

“… it’s about to get harder for parents to exempt their children from regular vaccines in Colorado. New rules issued by the state Board of Health that take effect in July will require parents to apply for an exemption every time their children are due for a vaccine, rather than filing one exemption for an entire childhood… The rules will also force schools to report their vaccination numbers so parents can choose not to send their kids to a school with a low vaccination rate.”

The Mysterious Yeti

The Telegraph wrote on May 30:

“It is one of the world’s greatest enduring mysteries. Stories of a yeti, or an abominable snowman, have been entrenched in Himalayan folklore for hundreds of years… Tibetans refer to the yeti as ‘miché’ – which translates loosely as ‘man-bear’. They also use the term ‘mirka’ – which loosely boils down to ‘wild man’. In China, the yeti is known as ‘yeren’ or ‘wild man’. Other names that the yeti goes by include Almas (Mongolia), Batutut (Vietnam), Bigfoot (North America), Yowie (Australia) and Fear liath (Scotland)…

“Has the yeti ever been seen? There have been plenty of supposed sightings of the beast – and of course, plenty of hoaxes. Stories of the yeti have been around for hundreds of years, so the idea of something existing up in those mountains is not utterly improbable. More common than sightings are mysterious footprints spotted on the icy trails of the Himalayas…

“Alexander the Great is said to have coveted a yeti during his conquest of the Indus Valley in 326 BC… The first publicised report of a Yeti sighting came from a German photographer. N.A. Tombazi, a photographer and member of the Royal Geographical Society, provided one of the clearest descriptions, of a ‘figure in outline was exactly like a human being, walking upright … It showed up dark against the snow, and as far as I could make out, wore no clothes.’…

“During the Second World War, Sławomir Rawicz, a Polish soldier, who claims he escaped from a Siberian gulag and walked across the Himalayas to India, said his path was blocked, at one point, by two yetis… Photographs published [in 1951] of several large footprints, taken by Eric Shipton, a respected mountaineer, sparked renewed interest… After one expedition, James Stewart, the actor, is said to have helped smuggle parts of the supposed remains of a yeti from India to London, by concealing them in his luggage… Reinhold Messner, a celebrated mountaineer, claimed to have had a face-to-face encounter with a yeti [in 1986]…”

For a further discussion on the mysterious Yeti or Bigfoot, please read our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

Warplanes Push the US

USA Today reported on May 22:

“Chinese and Russian warplanes have been increasingly aggressive intercepting U.S. military aircraft and patrolling near America’s West Coast, prompting the Air Force’s top combat officer to label their provocations one of his top worries.

“Air Force Gen. Herbert ‘Hawk’ Carlisle, who leadsAir Combat Command, said in an interview with USA TODAY that meeting the challenge from the Russian and Chinese to flights in international airspace is essential but dangerous.

“‘Our concern is a resurgent Russia and a very, very aggressive China,’ Carlisle said. Both countries are intent on expanding their spheres of influence — Russia in eastern Europe and the Pacific with China focusing much of its effort over the disputed South China Sea.

“‘Their intent is to get us not to be there,’ Carlisle said. ‘So that the influence in those international spaces is controlled only by them. My belief is that we cannot allow that to happen. We have to continue to operate legally in international airspace and international waterways. We have to continue to call them out when they are being aggressive and unsafe.’

“The stakes are high. Aggressive intercepts of U.S. patrol planes run the risk of mid-air collisions that would escalate tensions among nuclear powers.

“‘Any accident that occurs while the U.S. military is playing cat and mouse with Russian or Chinese forces could escalate into a real fight,’ said Loren Thompson, a defense industry consultant and military analyst at the Lexington Institute. ‘If it does, American victory is not assured, because U.S. forces are operating thousands of miles from home and the other side is near its main bases. Small confrontations can turn into big wars, and Russian military doctrine embraces the use of nuclear weapons to win local conflicts.’”

The Bible reveals that the USA will be defeated in the next major war, but the enemy will not be Russia or China, but the future United States of Europe.

US Arms Vietnam

Reuters published the following on May 23:

“The United States announced an end to its embargo on sales of lethal arms to Vietnam on Monday, an historic step that draws a line under the two countries’ old enmity and underscores their shared concerns about Beijing’s growing military clout.

“The move came during President Barack Obama’s first visit to Hanoi, which his welcoming hosts described as the arrival of a warm spring and a new chapter in relations between two countries that were at war four decades ago.

“Obama, the third U.S. president to visit Vietnam since diplomatic relations were restored in 1995, has made a strategic ‘rebalance’ toward Asia a centerpiece of his foreign policy.

“Vietnam, a neighbor of China, is a key part of that strategy amid worries about Beijing’s assertiveness and sovereignty claims to 80 percent of the South China Sea.”

BBC also reported on May 23:

“Here is a former enemy, a one-party, communist-ruled state, once associated in American minds primarily with a humiliating war, now an increasingly close economic and strategic partner.

“Vietnam seeks US backing in its dispute with China over contested islands in the South China Sea. It seeks access to US military technology. It has been an early and enthusiastic participant in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), widely seen as a US-led effort to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

“So there is a great deal at stake in this visit, with high hopes on the Vietnamese side that it will cement closer ties, which can endure even under a new US administration.

“‘Military and defence co-operation is an important component of the relationship,’ says Tran Viet Thai, from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, referring to hopes that the US may ease restrictions on sales of military equipment.”

Asia Skeptical of US Commitment

The New York Times reported on May 23:

“When President Obama announced Monday that he was ending a half-century-long arms embargo against Vietnam, it was another milestone in his long-running ambition to recast America’s role in Asia — a ‘pivot’ as he once called it, designed to realign America’s foreign policy so it can reap the benefits of Asia’s economic and strategic future.

“Yet as Mr. Obama’s time in office comes to an end, Asian nations are deeply skeptical about how much they can rely on Washington’s commitment and staying power in the region. They sense that for the first time in memory, Americans are questioning whether their economic and defense interests in Asia are really that vital.

“Mr. Obama is the first president to have grown up in the region — he lived in Indonesia as an elementary school student — and he has never doubted that America is underinvested in Asia and overinvested in the Middle East.

“In visit after visit, he has capitalized on the palpable nervousness about Beijing’s intentions while also cautioning that China’s growing influence and power are unstoppable forces of history. In Mr. Obama’s view, that means both the United States and the rest of the region will have to both accommodate and channel China’s ambitions rather than make a futile attempt to contain them, while reassuring the Chinese of America’s peaceful intentions.

“At the core, the policy has been building on the two-decade-old opening to Vietnam; the establishment of a new relationship with Myanmar as it lurches toward democracy; closer relations with the two largest treaty allies in the region, Japan and South Korea; and renewed military ties with the Philippines. The administration has also pushed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would set new terms for trade and business investment among the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations.”

Trump Clinches Republican Nomination without Contested Convention

The Associated Press wrote on May 26:

“Donald Trump reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for president Thursday, completing an unlikely rise that has upended the political landscape and set the stage for a bitter fall campaign. Trump was put over the top in the Associated Press delegate count by a small number of the party’s unbound delegates who told the AP they would support him at the national convention in July…

“It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination. Trump has reached 1,238. With 303 delegates at stake in five state primaries on June 7, Trump will easily pad his total, avoiding a contested convention in Cleveland.”

Trump Makes Many International Delegates Nervous

AFP wrote on May 26:

“The talks in Germany to flesh out December’s historic global climate deal are probably not at the top of Donald Trump’s agenda this week. But the diplomats from 196 nations huddled in Bonn are keenly aware of the fact that the ‘The Donald’ is now within spitting distance of the White House — and it is making a lot of them nervous. It is not hard to see why.

“The last Republican standing in the U.S. presidential race has described climate change as a hoax perpetrated by China to gain competitive advantage in manufacturing over the US… he said he was ‘not a big fan’ of the Paris Agreement… ‘I will be renegotiating those agreements, at a minimum,’ Trump told Reuters… ‘And at a maximum I may do something else.’

“Under the Paris accord, 196 nations have pledged to hold global warming to well under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)… Sidestepping a recalcitrant Congress under Republican control, U.S. President Barack Obama has used executive power to aggressively confront global warming at home and abroad…

“The prospect of a Trump presidency precisely at the moment when nations are inching toward ratification of the delicately balanced deal sends shivers down the spines of negotiators here. When asked what worried him most at this stage, Seyni Nafo, climate ambassador for Mali and president of the Africa Group, snapped: ‘Trump winning the election’…

“France’s top climate diplomat, Laurence Tubiana, agreed that Trump in the White House could do serious damage to the new climate regime…

“The Kyoto Treaty — which dangled in limbo for seven years before entering into force — was fatally weakened from the moment the administration of George W. Bush refused to ratify. Japan, Russia and Canada later pulled out…”

Hillary Clinton Broke Federal Rules… Now What?

Deutsche Welle reported on May 25:

“The State Department has found ‘systemic weaknesses related to electronic records and communications’ by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state… Clinton disregarded various cybersecurity guidelines and incurred unnecessary risks while serving as the nation’s top diplomat from 2009 to 2013. The report… was the culmination of an official inquiry which found ‘serious shortcomings’ in how Clinton and her predecessors managed the security of their emails. Clinton’s failures were singled out as more egregious than her predecessors’ as the State Department had reportedly made increased efforts to communicate the need for cybersecurity measures.

“… despite guidelines to the contrary, Clinton used mobile devices to conduct official business on her personal email account and private server and never sought approval from senior information officers. The report also noted that Clinton and her senior aides had not cooperated with the investigation…

“The Associated Press news agency revealed in 2015 that the clintonemail.com server used by Clinton was in the basement of home while she was secretary of state. Clinton apparently used the private server for work and personal emails, including some that have since been classified. The presumed Democratic presidential nominee has been dogged for months by allegations she endangered national security. Added to other jibes by the likely Republican candidate, Donald Trump, Clinton’s laxity in her email security will likely be used against her to bolster a narrative that she is not to be trusted…”

Clinton’s Conduct Inexcusable

The Washington Post wrote on May 25:

“HILLARY CLINTON’S use of a private email server while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 has been justifiably criticized as an error of judgment. What the new report from the State Department inspector general makes clear is that it also was not a casual oversight. Ms. Clinton had plenty of warnings to use official government communications methods, so as to make sure that her records were properly preserved and to minimize cybersecurity risks. She ignored them…

“On June 28, 2011, a cable was sent to all diplomatic and consular posts over her signature warning that personal email accounts could be compromised and officials should ‘avoid conducting official Department business from your personal e-mail accounts.’ At the time, Ms. Clinton was doing exactly that.

“On March 11, 2011, an assistant secretary sent a memorandum on cybersecurity threats directly to Ms. Clinton, noting a ‘dramatic increase’ in attempts to compromise personal email accounts of senior department officials, possibly for spying or blackmail. That didn’t stop Ms. Clinton either. There were also numerous notifications that some emails (but not all) are considered federal records under the law and that she should print and file those in her office and, before leaving office, surrender all emails dealing with department business. She did so only about two years later, in December 2014…

“According to the report, after a staff member ‘raised concerns’ with another official about Ms. Clinton’s personal email server, the staff was instructed ‘never to speak of the Secretary’s personal email system again.’… there is no excuse for the way Ms. Clinton breezed through all the warnings and notifications… [she] was disturbingly unmindful of the rules…”

Law experts are saying that based on this report by the State Department, the FBI has a legal obligation to seek an indictment against Hillary Clinton. It remains to be seen whether this will happen in our politically corrupt system.

India Embraces Iran

Time wrote on May 23:

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day visit to Iran by signing a raft of agreements Monday, including two key deals that will likely enable him to circumvent contentious neighbor and regional rival Pakistan — thereby establishing a crucial economic and strategic pathway toward the rest of the world.

“The most noteworthy of the 12 agreements signed between Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is India’s investment of $500 million into developing Iran’s Chabahar port, considered an important entrepôt leading to Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also later joined the two leaders to sign a trilateral transit agreement that will significantly ease the passage of goods between the three countries and boost trade.

“‘The main significance is the explicit connection of this project to Afghanistan’s future economy and stability. In that sense, the presence of Afghan President Ghani in Tehran was very important,’ Dhruva Jaishankar, a fellow for foreign policy at Brookings India, tells TIME, adding that the political importance being given to the Chabahar project makes it clear that it is ‘not just any commercial deal’…

“‘There is no denying that Pakistan’s intransigence on transit trade between India and Afghanistan via Pakistan is one reason transit through Iran is being realized now,’ says Jaishankar, although he adds that the trilateral agreements would likely have been realized even without Pakistan in the picture.

“‘Beyond that, security concerns and Chinese investment in the [CPEC] necessitate a parallel route for India to access Afghanistan and Central Asia, for Iran to build up its own transportation infrastructure, and for Afghanistan to access the Indian Ocean,’ he says.”

According to Scripture, a major military alliance of Far Eastern countries will occur in the future, and Iran will be part of it.

World Humanitarian Summit—Little Help!

Fox News reported on May 23:

“While tens of millions of people endure displacement, starvation and violent death from long-running wars and unexpected disasters, the United Nations is hosting an international humanitarian summit, hoping to shake up a tottering global aid system. But the much ballyhooed summit is taking place without President Obama or Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“The U.N.’s top humanitarian relief official, Stephen O’Brien, has described the two-day Istanbul meeting, which continues through Tuesday, as a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity to set in motion an ambitious and far-reaching agenda to change the way that we alleviate, and most importantly that we prevent, the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people.’

“Whether the rest of the world agrees about the consequences of what the U.N. calls ‘the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit’ is another question…

“Meantime, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has just launched a new appeal to make up a $500 million shortfall in providing the basics of shelter for some 2 million people.

“One reason for the shortfall is that the U.N. has largely kept returning to the same financial well.  Five nations and groups—The U.S., Britain, Germany, Japan and the European Commission—are always the Top Five among generous nations, followed by other Western nations and the global private sector.

“Chief among them, of course, is the U.S., which has already given or pledged some $2.4 billion in humanitarian aid so far this year. Last year, the U.S. gave $6.25 billion — nearly one-third of the world’s relief giving…

“The biggest challenge to the elaborate pomp and circumstances of the Istanbul summit, which claims to be seeking solutions to ‘root causes’ of the refugee crisis, is that the biggest cause of all is not yet addressed.

“There are, as yet, few signs of the political will needed to accomplish what the U.N. summit calls ‘Core Responsibility 1’ of leaders attending the meeting — to prevent and end the wave of long and unresolved conflicts, in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, that are currently driving the refugee catastrophe.”

From its inception, the UN has been incapable of solving any major conflicts or preventing any major wars. It won’t be able to do so in the future, either. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is Nuclear War Unavoidable?”

Africa Facing Staggering Famine

The Guardian wrote on May 22:

“Up to 50 million people in Africa will need food by Christmas as a crisis across the continent triggered by El Niño worsens, the UN and major international charities have warned.

“A second year of deep drought in much of southern and eastern Africa has ravaged crops, disrupted water supplies and driven up food prices, leaving 31 million people needing food now, and 20 million more likely to run out this year.

“A further 10 million people in Ethiopia, six million in southern Sudan and five million in Yemen were in danger of starvation after floods and drought, said the UN.

“The severest El Niño in 30 years was expected to tail off in the next month as hot equatorial waters in the Pacific returned to normal temperatures, but its effects would be felt for many more months, said the World Food Programme. Stephen O’Brien, the UN’s humanitarian chief, said: ‘The collective impact of the El Niño phenomenon has created one of the world’s biggest disasters for millions of people, yet this crisis is receiving little attention.

“‘The numbers are staggering. One million children in eastern and southern Africa alone are severely acutely malnourished, and across southern Africa 32 million people need assistance and that figure is likely to increase.’ The UN predicts that food will start running out on a large scale by July, with the crisis peaking between December and next April…

“‘The window for responding in a meaningful manner is closing rapidly,’ said Shadrack Omol, senior adviser to the UN’s children fund, Unicef. ‘The concern is that slow-onset emergencies, such as the one we are dealing with in southern Africa, do not get enough attention because they creep up on us.’

“Since July 2015, Britain has contributed about £150m for aid to El Niño-affected countries in Africa, including Malawi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia and Uganda. The international development minister, Nick Hurd, said: ‘We cannot and will not stand idly by while millions suffer. Britain is playing a leading role in helping countries across Africa to cope with the impact of El Niño. Support for people affected by El Niño is important to Africa and also firmly in Britain’s national interest.’”

Worldwide famine is prophesied in Scripture.

India Faces Unprecedented Heat Wave

The Independent reported on May 23:

“India’s on-going heat wave, which set a new record for the country’s highest-ever recorded temperature last week, is melting tarmac on the roads of some of India’s busiest cities.

“Residents in the city of Valsad, Gujarat, had to fight melting tar while crossing the road as temperatures rose to 36C.

“Video footage from NDTV shows people becoming trapped on a melting road surface as their shoes stick in the softening tarmac.

“Abandoned sandals are seen strewn across the sticky roadway and a woman falls over as she attempts to carry a heavy bag over the road.

“Temperatures in parts of western India exceeded 50C on Friday. The record – a scorching 51C – was set in the city of Phalodi, in the western state of Rajasthan. The previous high was 50.6C in 1956 in the city of Alwar, also in Rajasthan.

“Indian weather officials have warned of more frequent heat waves as the scorching temperatures cause an increase in dehydration and heatstroke cases, as well as triggering widespread power cuts as surging demand overwhelms supply grids.

“Hundreds of people have died as crops have withered in the fields in more than 13 states, forcing tens of thousands of small farmers to abandon their land and move into the cities. Others have killed themselves rather than go to live in urban shanty towns.

“Rivers, lakes and dams have dried up in many parts of the western states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

“The heat wave has struck as India contends with a major drought and worsening water shortages that have affected around 330 million people.”

Turkey Faces Off With the EU

ABC News/The Associated Press wrote on May 23:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkey’s president on Monday that Ankara must fulfill all the European Union’s conditions to secure visa-free travel for its citizens, but Turkey responded that it would suspend agreements with the EU if the bloc does not keep its promises.

“The EU says Turkey must narrow its definition of ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorist act.’ The bloc is concerned that journalists and political dissenters could be targeted. But Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that is out of the question.

“Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the World Humanitarian Summit meeting in Istanbul, Merkel said that she doesn’t expect the visa waiver to be implemented at the beginning of July as was originally hoped.

“Merkel, who is facing pressure at home to be tough with Erdogan, also expressed concern about a move to strip legislators in Turkey of their immunity from prosecution.

“But she underlined her commitment to the EU-Turkey deal aimed at stemming Europe’s migrant influx, arguing that its success is a matter of ‘mutual interest.’

“The EU has offered Turkey a visa waiver as incentive — along with up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) for Syrian refugees and fast-track EU membership talks — to get it to stop migrants leaving for Europe. As part of the agreement, the EU planned to accelerate the introduction of visa-free entry for Turks, with a target date of June 30.

“Turkey has fulfilled most of 72 conditions but Erdogan’s refusal to revise anti-terror laws has emerged as a stumbling block.”

Even though Turkey will to some extent collaborate with Europe against Israel, it appears very unlikely that Turkey will ever become a member of the EU. Note the next article as well.

Merkel Under Attack

Bloomberg wrote on May 24:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest salvo at the European Union came when Angela Merkel least expected it. The German chancellor was winding up the first day of a two-day cabinet retreat at a Baroque schloss near Berlin when Erdogan threatened to tear up the central plank of Turkey’s refugee accord with the EU. Coming just 24 hours after he and Merkel met during a UN conference in Istanbul, the volley caught the government off guard … Turkey hasn’t met the EU’s 72 conditions that would allow a lifting of visa requirements for Turks…

“Erdogan’s ability to control the flow of migrant crossings to Europe is causing Merkel almost as much of a domestic headache as last year’s refugee crisis… public disillusionment over Merkel’s dealings with an ever-more unpredictable ruler is compounding her struggle against a populist challenge… the worry in the German capital is that she may struggle to retain her coalition partner if she contests and wins the 2017 election.

“The humbling of the so-called grand coalition of Germany’s two main Volksparteien is a sign that Germany is losing its immunity against right-wing populism that’s swept Britain, France, the Netherlands and most recently Austria. One German official said that the anti-establishment mood at large among Europe’s voters is now a threat to all forces at the political center…”

The rise of right-wing parties and leaders in Europe is remarkable. They will not prevent the fulfillment of biblical prophecy that ten European nations or groups of nations will unite under a charismatic European leader of German or Austrian descent, but they are undoubtedly playing a role in preventing more “moderate” leaders from staying in power. Even though Merkel tried to “downplay” her disagreement with Erdogan and his ruthless dictatorship, it is clear that the entire situation is becoming more and more troublesome for Merkel.

Brexit?

Newsmax wrote on May 26:

“Sixty-five years ago, what has become the European Union was an embryo conceived in fear..

“Under the leadership of two Frenchmen, Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet, they created, in 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community to put essential elements of industrial war under multinational control. This begat, in 1957, the European Economic Community, aka the Common Market… European unity has always been a surreptitious political project couched in economic categories…

“Current polls show Remain slightly ahead, but Leave has a majority among persons over age 43, who also are most likely to vote. The most conspicuous campaigner for Brexit is Boris Johnson, the two-term Conservative former mayor of London… [He] is educated (Eton; an Oxford classics degree), intelligent, erudite (see his book on Roman Europe), articulate and witty…

“Johnson’s only real resemblance to Trump, other than an odd mop of blond hair, is a penchant for flamboyant pronouncements, as when he said that Barack Obama opposes Brexit because Obama’s Kenyan background somehow disposes him against Britain.

“Actually, Obama likes the European Union’s approximation of American progressives’ aspirations. These include unaccountable administrators issuing diktats, and… the erasure of national traditions and other impediments to ‘harmonizing’ homogenized nations for the convenience of administrators… [The referendum on] June 23 is the most important European vote since 1945…”

AfD and PEGIDA Target German Muslims

ABC News/The Associated Press reported on May 23:

“Weeks after declaring that there is no place for Islam in Germany, a surging nationalist party has sharpened its rhetoric against prominent Islamic groups and suggested limiting the religious freedom of the more than 4 million Muslims in the country.

“Senior members of Alternative for Germany cut short a meeting Monday with the Central Council of Muslims, accusing the group of failing to renounce religious beliefs that they claim clash with the German constitution.

“The confrontation came days after the party — known by its acronym AfD — launched a campaign against the construction of a mosque in the eastern state of Thuringia, joining up for the first time with the group known as the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West.

“Both groups have seen their popularity rise after Germany saw a greater influx of migrants in 2015 than any other European country. Nearly 1.1 million people — most of them Muslims — were registered as asylum-seekers, though the actual number who came is believed to be somewhat lower.

“AfD had previously kept PEGIDA at arm’s length due to its links with far-right extremists, but the party’s leader in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, said there was ‘a lot of overlap’ between the two on the issue of Islam.

“‘We see a need to send a signal,’ Hoecke told The Associated Press ahead of a rally last week in Erfurt, the state capital. ‘We have common goals.’

“PEGIDA is known for staging protests that draw thousands in neighboring Dresden each week. One of its founders, Lutz Bachmann, was recently convicted of inciting hatred online after referring to migrants as ‘cattle’ and ‘trash.’

“In Erfurt, PEGIDA and AfD have teamed up to oppose an application from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to build the mosque for its 70 members in Thuringia, claiming the building’s domed roof and minaret would symbolize Islam’s attempt to conquer Europe.

“AfD is introducing a bill in the state Parliament to stop new mosques from being built, though it’s unlikely to win the support needed from other parties to pass.

“Instead, Hoecke hinted AfD was prepared to take its case to the streets, a point the party underlined by inviting a senior PEGIDA member to last Wednesday’s rally.

“‘AfD in Thuringia will do everything legally possible to prevent this building,’ he said…

“Hoecke, who has risen to prominence in his party with fiery speeches, made clear last week that only Muslims who submit to Germany’s secular order and the wishes of the country’s indigenous population were welcome.

“‘If a Muslim in this country won’t accept that, then he’s free to roll up his prayer rug, stick it under his arm and leave this country,’ the former teacher told a crowd of about 700 people.”

A Narrow Defeat for Norbert Hofer in Austria

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on May 23:

“Austrians have elected Alexander Van der Bellen, a former leader of the Greens party, as president in a closely watched vote that nearly brought the first-ever far-right head of state to power in an EU member state.

“After an election on May 22 that was too close to call, Austrian officials counted hundreds of thousands of postal ballots that ended up lifting Van der Bellen past Freedom Party rival Norbert Hofer.

“The result averts an embarrassing setback for Europe’s political establishment, which is threatened by rising populist and anti-EU parties that have capitalized on public concerns about the continent’s migration crisis and years of weak growth and high unemployment…

“The vote in Austria, a country of 8.5 million people, had unsettled leaders elsewhere in Europe, particularly in neighboring Germany, where a new anti-immigration party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), is on the rise.

“In France, the National Front of Marine Le Pen is leading in polls ahead of a presidential election next year…

“EU member Austria has been at the center of a record influx of migrants from the Middle East, fanning public resentment toward the two centrist parties — the Social Democrats (SPO) and the conservative People’s Party — that have dominated politics since the end of World War II.

“Hofer, 45, has described himself as a center-right politician, but his Freedom Party has its roots in Austria’s Nazi past. He tapped into anti-EU sentiment and fears about rising numbers of asylum seekers, with millions of Middle Easterners and others fleeing war and instability.”

Voice of America, May 23, 2016, adds:

“The far-right candidate in Austria’s presidential election has conceded defeat.

“Norbert Hofer, nominee of the euro-skeptic, anti-immigration Freedom Party, said Monday that he was ‘sad’ he had not won, but called the work of his supporters an ‘investment for the future.’”

JTA wrote on May 23:

“Alexander van der Bellen, an environmentalist with a pro-refugee agenda, won with 50.3 percent of the vote on Sunday, despite early reports predicting victory for Norbert Hofer of the Austrian Freedom Party party, or [FPOe], in the runoff, the BBC reported. Hofer had 49.7 percent of the vote. ‘While we are certainly satisfied with the result, there is little room to celebrate the high level of support for someone with such extremist views as Norbert Hofer,’ European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor said in a statement Monday.

“‘Unfortunately, the dissatisfaction with the moderate mainstream parties is providing oxygen to those like Hofer’ and the Austrian Freedom Party. ‘We are seeing signs of these trends across Europe, so it is incumbent on the more centrist parties to use this as a wake-up call and listen to the grievances of the people,’ he said. The Jewish Community of Vienna has shunned the Freedom Party, which it regards as having problematic ties to neo-Nazis…”

Europe Does Not Have a Head—Yet!

The New York Times wrote on May 23:

“… the close result illustrated how deeply divided Austria is between left and right, and how thoroughly the centrist elites who have run the country since 1945 have fallen from public grace… The narrowness of the victory also reflected the big strides into the mainstream the far right has made not only in Austria, but in much of Europe — from neighboring Hungary and Poland, where it already holds sway, to France and Germany, where rightist movements are polling strongly before national elections next year…

“The last time the outside world paid such attention to the election of an Austrian president was in 1986, when Austrians defied international fears and elected Kurt Waldheim, a former United Nations secretary general, as president, despite revelations that he had served in the Wehrmacht close to the site of Nazi atrocities in the Balkans. Mr. Waldheim’s six-year tenure was scarred by almost complete diplomatic isolation…

“In France, the center-right daily Le Figaro wrote on Monday that ‘Europe’s leaders should not be too pleased if Alexander Van der Bellen spares them the shock of an anti-European president in Vienna.’ The very narrow vote contains a lesson, the French daily added: ‘Across the whole Continent, people are expressing more or less the same rejection of a Europe that lacks both a plan, and a head.’”

News.at reported on May 24 that Hofer and the FPOe are investigating as to whether to appeal the election results, due to possible irregularities. Even though it was expected that Hofer would win, the close results were interpreted as a great victory for Hofer and his party. We have not heard the last word from and about Hofer and the FPOe.

Pope Meets Senior Imam

The Guardian reported on May 23:

“Pope Francis has embraced the grand imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque at the Vatican in a historic encounter both sides hope will lead to greater understanding and dialogue between the two faiths.

“The meeting between the leader of the world’s Catholics and the highest authority in Sunni Islam marks the culmination of a significant improvement in relations between the two faiths since Francis took office in 2013.

“‘Our meeting is the message,’ Francis said in a brief comment at the start of his meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, shortly after he had hugged and kissed his guest, Vatican officials told a small pool of reporters covering the event.

“In a statement on the trip, al-Azhar, an institution that also comprises a prestigious seat of learning, said the two sides had agreed to convene a ‘peace conference’.

“A statement quoted Tayeb as telling the pope: ‘We need to take a joint stance, hand in hand, to bring happiness to humanity. Divine religions were revealed to make people happy, not to cause them hardship.’

“The imam’s deputy, Abbas Shuman, told Egyptian TV channel CBC the two leaders had agreed to resume dialogue and the proposed conference would cover the issues of poverty, extremism and terrorism.

“The Vatican did not immediately confirm the conference plans. A spokesman said the talks had been ‘very cordial’, with the imam spending 30 minutes with the pope and just over an hour in total at St Peter’s.

“Tayeb’s decision to fly to Rome, unexpectedly announced last week, followed the easing of serious tensions that marked the reign of Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI.

“Ties were badly soured when the now-retired Benedict made a September 2006 speech in which he was perceived to have linked Islam to violence, sparking deadly protests in several countries and reprisal attacks on Christians.”

Pope Francis is anxiously trying to bring as many non-Catholics as possible into the Catholic fold. On this topic, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Is Nuclear War Unavoidable?”

Temple Mount Activist Yehuda Glick Now Member of the Knesset

JTA wrote on May 23:

“A year and a half ago he was a fringe Temple Mount activist expected to die, the victim of a point-blank assassination attempt. This week he will enter the Knesset, the ruling Likud party’s replacement legislator for outgoing Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon… Glick’s arrival in the halls of the Knesset reflects the growing reception of his push for Jews’ right to visit and worship on the Temple Mount…

“Glick has been barred from the mount — revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary — and was even charged with assault there (the charges were dropped). Glick and his fellow religious activists see his accession to Knesset as a victory for a just cause following his brush with death. Critics, however, say the power he wields could exacerbate tensions at a regional flashpoint… Glick was the head of the Temple Institute, a group that builds vessels for animal sacrifice and commissions architectural plans for a future Third Temple on the mount…  ‘The discrimination on the Temple Mount is obvious,’ Glick told JTA. ‘The Temple Mount became a center of incitement and hate instead of a center of peace.’…

“Some of Glick’s fellow travelers are more provocative. When then-Housing Minister Uri Ariel, a member of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, visited the mount ahead of Rosh Hashanah in 2014, he called for Jews in the future to ‘ascend the mount and be seen for festivals, to bring sacrifices’…”

The Bible indicates that the Jews WILL begin to bring sacrifices on the Temple Mount, and this will set in motion a prophetic cataclysm of unparalleled proportions.

“Egyptair Crash Most Likely Terrorism”

Newsmax wrote on May 19:

“It’s still early to say what brought down the Egyptair jet overnight [crashing in the Mediterranean Sea], but ‘if you had to come down on the side of the scale, it would be terrorism,’ and this is a ‘real issue’ with regard to the potential of an insider threat at U.S. airports, Rep. Pete King said Thursday.

“‘It is not official but indicators are in that direction and you know what happened in the past with Egyptair, knowing how ISIS has been talking about it,’ the New York Republican, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and the chairman of the House Counterintelligence Subcommittee [said]…

“‘Certainly when it comes to France and European countries insiders, that is where the real threat I think comes. Obviously you have to check passengers going on board but insider threat is in many ways more difficult to stop and I know the French intelligence has been very concerned about the presence of Islamist supporters, working at airport, being at the airport.’”

The Last European Revival of the Ancient Roman Empire

The Telegraph wrote on May 15:

“The European Union is pursuing a similar goal to Hitler in trying to create a powerful superstate, Boris Johnson says. In a dramatic interview with the Telegraph, he warns that while bureaucrats in Brussels are using ‘different methods’ from the Nazi dictator, they share the aim of unifying Europe under one ‘authority’…

“The former mayor of London, who is a keen classical scholar, argues that the past 2,000 years of European history have been characterised by repeated attempts to unify Europe under a single government in order to recover the continent’s lost ‘golden age’ [of peace and prosperity] under the Romans… ‘The euro has become a means by which superior German productivity is able to gain an absolutely unbeatable advantage over the whole eurozone.’…”

BBC News reported on May 15:

“Lord Bramall, a former head of the British army, said making a comparison between the EU and Nazi Germany was ‘absurd’… But Tory Leave campaigner Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Johnson’s comments were ‘absolutely true’… Conservative MP Chris Grayling said Mr Johnson’s comparison represented the words of a ‘historian who was doing a piece of historical analysis’. He said: ‘If you look 10 years down the road, there are clear plans to create a federation in the eurozone that is going to dominate. It is going to look like a United States of Europe.'”

The Daily Mail wrote on May 15:

“Mr Johnson was defended today by former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith. He told the BBC: ‘I think the whole process of trying to drive Europe together by force or by bureaucracy or whatever other means ultimately makes problems, and that’s what he was saying… And he is using some historical parallels to explain it – the Habsburgs, the Holy Roman Empire. All through his [interview, he points out] this great idea that somehow there is a thing called greater Europe. Whether or not you like the linguistics of this or whatever, my point remains the same.’…

“Mr Johnson’s remarks come amid reports Mr Cameron has acknowledged his long-time rival has become his most likely successor as Conservative leader and Prime Minister. Defeat in the June 23 referendum is thought likely to end Mr Cameron’s time in both jobs…”

Mr. Johnson’s comparison is not absurd at all, but it is true. Napoleon and Hitler (as well as the Habsburgs under Charles V.) did indeed resurrect the ancient Roman Empire under one authority, as did political leaders before them (such as Charlemagne and Otto the Great). What Mr. Johnson failed to mention is the role which the Roman Catholic church played in these European resurrections. Mr. Johnson would obviously know about the church’s role with his education as a keen classical scholar. The reason why Boris Johnson didn’t mention the Roman Catholic church might PERHAPS be that Iain Duncan-Smith, one of his colleagues in the Brexit campaign, is a leading Catholic. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

Austria: Hofer Against or With Kern?

The EUObserver wrote on May 17:

“The far-right candidate for president in Austria has said he does not want an EU membership referendum and has no plans to exit the euro or Schengen areas… Hofer came top in the first round of the presidential election on 24 April, with 36 percent, and is the favourite to win the run-off on Sunday (22 May)… ‘Austria pronounced itself for [EU] accession. We have adapted our whole system to the EU. Therefore I am not for an EU exit,’ Hofer [said]…

“He did not say whether he supported the euro or not, but said that he would not support a unilateral Austrian exit from the single currency. ‘A euro exit cannot work if Austria is alone in doing it. If there is a problem with the euro, we could go only in unison with Germany,’ he said…

“At a domestic level, the far-right leader reaffirmed that he wanted to maintain the cap on the number of people allowed to file an asylum request… Hofer said he doubted that integration could work in Austria and suggested he could organise a referendum to ban minarets in the country…”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 17:

“Austria’s new chancellor, Christian Kern, said his Social Democrats would continue to govern with their conservative coalition partners. But he also did not categorically rule out future ties with the far-right FPÖ… He said his party would not sell its soul merely to stay in power. ‘If we don’t comprehend that this is our last chance, the two big parties are going to disappear,’ said Kern, criticizing the infighting within the grand coalition in particular. ‘If we continue like this, we only have a few more months until we completely lose the trust of the people.’…

“Kern may soon have to work with a right-wing president, if Norbert Hofer (FPÖ) wins the second round vote… The FPÖ has been a major player in Austrian politics for years, but the recent influx of refugees – and Austria’s position on the so-called ‘Balkan Route’ leading refugees inland towards Germany – has given the populist party a renewed boost…”

Stiff Fines for Online Hate Speech in Germany

The Local wrote on May 18:

“‘Insults and incitement to hatred are almost normality in many public comment sections,’ Stiftung Warentest wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. In an attached image, the consumer organization… illustrates a number of examples, along with the fines their authors eventually received.

“Someone who wrote that ‘these vermin deserve to be stoned and shot up against the wall’ was fined €1,380 by a German court. Another user who wrote ‘I would be for re-opening the gas chambers and shoving the whole brood in there’ had to cough up €4,800. A comment directed at Jews came in for a €5,000 fine (saying that the Jews were also responsible for the Holocaust), while someone calling for Chancellor Angela Merkel to be ‘publicly stoned’ had to pay €2,000.

“All of the fines outlined by Stiftung Warentest fall short of that handed out to anti-Islam group Pegida’s founder Lutz Bachmann, who was ordered to pay €9,600 for describing refugees as ‘cattle’ and ‘scum’ in Facebook posts. ‘Victims of internet hate aren’t powerless,’ Stiftung Warentest explained in their post, which contains links to websites for 11 German state police forces where victims of hate can report abusers…

“But some commenters on Facebook were not so positive. ‘Aren’t you ashamed of supporting the regime in taking away Germans’ basic human right to free speech?’ one man wrote in a post… Others complained that Facebook was still not doing enough to fight hate speech on its platform despite its repeated promises to the German government. ‘Here on Facebook you can even report a Holocaust denier [explicitly against the law in Germany] and get an answer from Facebook that it’s “free speech”’, one person wrote.”

Ethiopia—the African Lion

Deutsche Welle reported on May 18:

“Following its economic success, Ethiopia has been dubbed the ‘African Lion.’…

“For the past five years, Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country and one of the West’s most strategic partners in the continent, has indeed been enjoying rapid growth. Germany enjoys a strong trading relationship with the East African nation, ranking the fifth largest buyer of Ethiopian goods, behind Somalia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and China. According to official figures, the total value of Ethiopian exports to Germany, mainly coffee and textiles, is set to increase to 185 million euros ($209 million) in 2016. On the other hand, German exports to Ethiopia are worth much more, amounting to 238 million euros ($268 million)…

“However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its recent outlook, said overall growth in Ethiopia was projected to slump to 4.5 percent, down from 10.2 percent the previous year. One of the contributing factors is said to be the drought that has gripped the country. Figures compiled by the Ethiopian government and its humanitarian partners suggest that more than ten million Ethiopian[s] are now critically short of food.

“Asked by DW whether the drought affects German investors in Ethiopia, Germany’s Economic attaché to Ethiopia, Patrick Wegner replies: ‘Not so much.’ According to the diplomat, not many German companies are active in the agricultural sector yet, instead mainly sell machinery and vehicles. Michael Frick, CEO of German company INPROCON International, has come to Munich to call on business leaders to invest in Ethiopia. ‘There is huge potential for business opportunities. The country enjoys a very good business environment,’ he tells DW. His company has been active in Ethiopia since 2007. It is among the foreign firms involved in Ethiopia’s ambitious dam construction plans, set to generate much-needed energy for economic growth.

“But critics have time and again pointed to the flipside of Ethiopia’s economic success story. It’s capital is home to the African Union’s headquarters, but political stability in the country remains elusive, as crises in the Oromia and Gambela regions continue to pop up. Political activists are handed harsh penalties for daring to speak out openly, and the parliament is made up exclusively of politicians of the ruling EPRDF coalition (Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front), in power since 1991.

“Wegner stresses that the German government is ‘in a close reform dialogue with the Ethiopian government,’ and is ‘attempting to improve the investment climate in the country.’ Investors speak positively about the relative absence of corruption in comparison to neighboring countries, but echo concerns of IMF and World Bank about red tape in the telecoms and banking sectors. In investment as in marriage, it takes two to tango, as the saying goes. Only then will the Ethiopian ‘lion’ be ready to jump.”

“We Did Not Need to Drop the Bomb”

Salon.com wrote on May 11:

“We didn’t need to drop the bomb — and even our WW II military icons knew it… When President Obama visits Hiroshima later this month, he might do well to reflect on the views of another President who was also the five-star general who oversaw America’s military victory in World War II. In a 1963 interview on the use of the atomic bomb against Hiroshima, President Dwight D. Eisenhower bluntly declared that ‘…it wasn’t necessary to hit them with that awful thing.’

“Eisenhower was even more specific in his memoirs, writing that when he was informed by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson the bomb was about to be used against Japan ‘…I had been conscious of a feeling of depression and so I voiced to him my grave misgivings, first on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary, and secondly because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives…’

“Eisenhower was not alone. Many of the top military leaders, mostly conservatives, went public after World War II with similar judgments. The President’s chief of staff, William D. Leahy–the five-star admiral who presided over meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff…  declared in his 1950 memoir: ‘It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender….My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted [an] ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children…’

“Just a few weeks after the bombing, the famous ‘hawk’ who led the Twenty-First Bomber Command, Major General Curtis E. LeMay, stated publicly that ‘… the atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at all.’”

“… Many of those who had access to secret intelligence showing Japan’s desperate attempts to end the war were deeply disturbed by the bombing. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet stated publicly two months after Hiroshima: ‘The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace before the atomic age was announced to the world with the destruction of Hiroshima and before the Russian entry into the war… The atomic bomb… played no decisive part, from a purely military standpoint, in the defeat of Japan….’…

“As the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima approached in 1985, former President Richard Nixon reported that ‘[General Douglas] MacArthur once spoke to me very eloquently about it, pacing the floor of his apartment in the Waldorf. He thought it a tragedy that the bomb was ever exploded. MacArthur believed that the same restrictions ought to apply to atomic weapons as to conventional weapons, that the military objective should always be limited damage to noncombatants… MacArthur, you see, was a soldier. He believed in using force only against military targets, and that is why the nuclear thing turned him off…’”

Some, like Breitbart in their article of May 14, argue that dropping the bombs on Japan was necessary because “the alternative to using the two atomic bombs was a US Army invasion of the Japanese homeland beginning in October 1945. It would likely have extended well into 1946… The atomic bomb saved over two million lives, Japanese and American.” However, the above-quoted article shows that this common perception is erroneous.

USA Launches Missile Defense System in Romania

CNN reported on May 12:

“The U.S. launched a new ground-based missile defense system in Romania Thursday, sparking fresh tensions with Russia…

“The U.S. has long insisted that the shield is directed against rogue states like Iran and not intended to target Moscow’s missiles, but Russian officials have slammed the move as an ‘attempt to destroy the strategic balance’ in Europe…

“The system is to be turned over to NATO command and will be housed at a U.S. naval support facility in Deveselu, Romania, the site of a Romanian military base. Construction will begin on an additional anti-missile platform in Poland on Friday…

“The Romania installation is the first land-based defensive missile launcher in Europe and will join other elements of the NATO defensive shield, including a command-and-control center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, a radar installation in Turkey and four ships capable of identifying enemy missiles and firing their own SM-3s based in Rota, Spain…

“Heather Conley, the director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told CNN that Russia has previously suggested that it could retaliate for the missile defense system by stationing S-300 surface-to-air missile systems in Crimea and Kaliningrad, its European enclave located between Poland and Lithuania.

“Obama had previously drawn criticism from politicians in the U.S. and Europe for canceling the Bush-era plan to station land-based interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic in 2009. Obama was further criticized for announcing the change on the day of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Poland during World War II… Obama’s posture made the Poles and Czechs ‘very concerned’ that the entire missile defense project would be abandoned by his administration…

“Conley said that the Obama administration might have switched gears on the Bush plan in part because it may have been trying to ‘buy time in order to make the case’ to Russia that the new system was not directed against them… But she added, ‘Despite an incredible amount of consultations with Russia, the Russians never bought the argument that the system was not directed at them.’

“Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have increased in recent years following the Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and intervention in Eastern Ukraine. In recent months, Russian military aircraft have flown within 50 feet of U.S. planes and ships, actions which Pentagon spokesman, Capt. Jeff Davis, said had ‘the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between the two countries.’”

Even though there are increased tensions right now between Russia and the USA, these two nations will not go to war against each other prior to Christ’s return, but biblical prophecy reveals that dangerous tensions between Russia and Europe WILL lead to war between those two power blocs.

Putin Under Pressure to Become Ready for War

The Huffington Post wrote on May 17:

“Something significant happened in the last few days of April, but it seems the only person who noticed was Stephen Cohen, a professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University and Princeton University… Cohen notes that a section of the Russian leadership is showing signs of restlessness, focused on President Vladimir Putin’s leadership.

“… the issue coming to a head in the Kremlin is whether Russia is sufficiently prepared for further Western efforts to ensure it does not impede or rival American hegemony. Can Russia sustain a geo-financial assault, if one were to be launched? And is such a threat real or mere Western posturing for other ends?

“What is so important is that if these events are misread in the West, which is already primed to see any Russian defensive act as offensive and aggressive, the ground will already have been laid for escalation. We already had the first war to push back against NATO in Georgia. The second pushback war is ongoing in Ukraine. What might be the consequences to a third?…

“General Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee (a sort of super attorney general, as Cohen describes it) [said] that the West is preparing for war against Russia and that Russia’s leadership does not appear to be aware of or alert to the danger the country faces… Then, Cohen notes, a retired Russian general entered the fray to confirm that the West is indeed preparing for war — he pointed to NATO deployments in the Baltics, the Black Sea and Poland, among other places — and underlines again the unpreparedness of the Russian military to face this threat. ‘This is a heavy indictment of Putin,’ Cohen says of the revelations from this analysis. ‘It is now out in the open.’

“For some time there have been indications that a key faction within the Kremlin, one that very loosely might be termed ‘nationalist,’ has become deeply disenchanted with Putin’s toleration of the Washington Consensus and its adherents at the Russian central bank and in other pivotal economic posts. The nationalists want them purged, along with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s perceived Western-friendly government. Putin may be highly popular, but Medvedev’s government is not. The government’s economic policy is being criticized. The opposing faction wants to see an immediate mobilization of the military and the economy for war, conventional or hybrid. This is not about wanting Putin ousted; it is about pushing him to wield the knife — and to cut deeply.

“What does this faction want apart from Russia preparing for war? They want a harder line in Ukraine and for Putin to reject U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s snares in Syria. In short, Kerry is still trying to force Assad’s removal and continues to push for further U.S. support for the opposition… the Obama administration is acting to weaken Putin and Lavrov’s hand, and therefore strengthening the hand of those in Russia calling for a full mobilization for war…”

Unlimited War Powers for the President

The Huffington Post wrote on May 15:

“Congress Is OK With Unrestrained War Powers…

“President Barack Obama launched his war against the self-described Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, nearly two years ago. Rather than go to Congress to seek approval within the 60 days required by the War Powers Act, his administration relied on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force that was passed to attack Al Qaeda. The authorization specifically grants authority to pursue the culprits behind the Sept. 11 attacks as well as their supporters. ISIS did not exist then.

“Obama did request new authority last year, but Republicans never brought it up for consideration, saying it was too limited and would tie the hands of future presidents… In the meantime, the 2001 AUMF, which has no end date, remains effective…”

 To give such unlimited war powers to ANY President is indeed very dangerous.

Obama—THE War President

The New York Times wrote on May 14:

“President Obama came into office seven years ago pledging to end the wars of his predecessor, George W. Bush. On May 6, with eight months left before he vacates the White House, Mr. Obama passed a somber, little-noticed milestone: He has now been at war longer than Mr. Bush, or any other American president. If the United States remains in combat in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria until the end of Mr. Obama’s term — a near-certainty given the president’s recent announcement that he will send 250 additional Special Operations forces to Syria — he will leave behind an improbable legacy as the only president in American history to serve two complete terms with the nation at war.

“Mr. Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and spent his years in the White House trying to fulfill the promises he made as an antiwar candidate, would have a longer tour of duty as a wartime president than Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon or his hero Abraham Lincoln.

“Granted, Mr. Obama is leaving far fewer soldiers in harm’s way — at least 4,087 in Iraq and 9,800 in Afghanistan — than the 200,000 troops he inherited from Mr. Bush in the two countries. But Mr. Obama has also approved strikes against terrorist groups in Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, for a total of seven countries where his administration has taken military action…

“Publicly, Mr. Obama acknowledged early on the contradiction between his campaign message and the realities of governing. When he accepted the Nobel in December 2009, he declared that humanity needed to reconcile ‘two seemingly irreconcilable truths — that war is sometimes necessary, and war at some level is an expression of human folly.’…

“On Oct. 21, 2011, he announced that the last combat soldier would leave Iraq by the end of that year, drawing that eight-year war to a close. ‘Our troops will definitely be home for the holidays,’ Mr. Obama said at the White House. Less than three years later, he told a national television audience that he would send 475 military advisers back to Iraq… By last month, more than 5,000 American troops were in Iraq.

“A furious firefight this month between Islamic State fighters and Navy SEALs in northern Iraq… harked back to the bloodiest days of the Iraq war. It also made the administration’s argument that the Americans were only advising and assisting Iraqi forces seem ever less plausible.

“Afghanistan followed a similar cycle of hope and disappointment. In May 2014, Mr. Obama announced that the United States would withdraw the last combat soldier from the country by the end of 2016… ‘this is how wars end in the 21st century.’

“Seventeen months later, Mr. Obama halted the withdrawal, telling Americans that he planned to leave more than 5,000 troops in Afghanistan until early 2017, the end of his presidency. By then, the Taliban controlled more territory in the country than at any time since 2001. Taliban fighters even briefly conquered the northern city of Kunduz. In the bitter battle for control, an American warplane mistakenly fired its missiles into a Doctors Without Borders hospital, killing 42 people and prompting accusations that the United States had committed a war crime…”

The human carnal mind does not know the way to peace. Wars, fought by humans cut off from God, are ALWAYS wrong and NEVER necessary. Unless man learns this bitter lesson, wars will not end.

Senate Approves Bi-Partisan Legislation Allowing Lawsuits Against Saudi Arabia for 9/11 Terror Attack

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously approved bi-partisan legislation that would allow for families of the victims of the devastating 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia. The move stands in stark defiance to veto threats and opposition from President Barack Obama’s White House, which is concerned about America’s relationship with the Sunni-dominated Kingdom.

“Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) co-sponsored the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act and are calling upon the House of Representatives to follow suit… Despite bipartisan ownership of and support for the bill, the Obama administration has threatened a veto. Also on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest echoed the administration, warning of ‘unintended consequences’ and saying, ‘It’s difficult to imagine the president signing this legislation.’

“At a recent press conference, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) also voiced skepticism about the legislation, saying, ‘I think we need to review it to make sure we are not making mistakes with our allies and we’re not catching people in this that shouldn’t be caught up in this.’ Fox News notes that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who serves as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, also warned that the legislation, if passed, would alienate the kingdom and undermine America’s relationship with their longstanding ally in the Middle East.

“In spite of the reservations and veto threats from President Obama, Schumer said he believes the power of the Senate will be greater than the president’s. ‘I think we easily get the two-thirds override if the president should veto,’ Schumer reportedly said…

“Last month… Saudi Arabian and other Gulf press lashed out at President Obama prior to his visit to Riyadh over the potential passage of the bill, accusing a ‘schizophrenic’ Congress of being in cahoots with Iran in holding the kingdom responsible for involvement in the attacks. Similar to sound bites coming out of the White House, they said the move will likely cause irreversible damage to U.S.-Saudi ties.

“Iran’s role in the 9/11 attacks has been the subject of great debates over the past 15 years. The 9/11 Commission Report stated that some of the hijackers went through Iran but did not have their passports stamped there, suggesting the regime may have had knowledge about the attacks. Additionally, the report suggests that Hezbollah, which is a terrorist organization sponsored by Iran, had provided ‘advice and training’ to al-Qaeda members.

“Although none of the 19 hijackers who carried out the 9/11 attack were Iranian, this past March U.S. District Judge George Daniels in New York ordered Iran to pay over $10 billion in damages to families of victims who died that day. According to Russian television, that same judge had cleared Saudi Arabia earlier of culpability in the attack. Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudi Arabian citizens, two were from the United Arab Emirates, and one each were from Egypt and Lebanon.”

Piers Morgan: Donald Trump—the Next US President?

On May 4, 2016, the Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan, British broadcaster and former CNN moderator:

“The Trump Train has decimated 17 Republican opponents… Now it has the Clinton Chariot in its sights… It’s going to be the greatest collision since Muhammad Ali climbed into the ring with George Foreman in Zaire 42 years ago for the Rumble in the Jungle…

“But the more immediate story today is how Donald Trump has waged one of the most maverick campaigns in political history to storm to a place in this race which barely anyone thought possible. Regardless of whether you agree with him or not… there can be no doubt that he has electrified U.S. politics in a way nobody has ever seen…

“He’s the ultimate outsider. Trump’s not a politician and he doesn’t speak or behave like a politician… He’s direct… Trump’s appeal comes from his natural aversion to political correctness, and his willingness to speak his mind even if it upsets people… He knows how to close a deal… The way he’s seen off 17 candidates so far has been extraordinary to observe… He’s owned the media… It’s comical to watch American’s finest journalists now competing to beat themselves up over who most ‘underestimated’ the Trump Train. They all spent months and months gleefully handing over their airspace and newspaper pages [to Trump]…

“He’s been very tough on the key issues about which many millions of Americans crave toughness from their current leaders but don’t feel they’re getting it: immigration, terrorism, jobs and China. Trump hasn’t mucked about, he’s gone straight for the rhetoric jugular; screaming for his Wall to stop illegal Mexicans entering the country, a short-term Muslim ban ‘to figure out what’s going on’ with Islamic fundamentalists, a ‘devastating’ blitz to ‘wipe out’ ISIS, and new trade deals to stop China’s ‘rape’ of the U.S. economy and labor markets. His messages are short, simple, explosive and eye-catching. That, whatever your view of his comments, is good politics…

“Someone attacks him, he attacks them so hard back they wish they’d never started. Trump’s campaign is littered with the political corpses of those who tried to dance with the Donald. Just ask Mitt Romney or Jeb Bush. Both went to war with their conventional political weapons, only to find Trump was deploying the nuclear equivalent and they got instantly vaporised…

“He cracked social media. I loved Trump’s tweets long before he ran for president because they were so outrageous, amusing and provocative. I assumed he’d tone them down once he entered the race, but if anything he’s been even more controversial. With nearly 8 million followers now, Trump’s got the perfect platform to vent his wrath, humour and political beliefs. That number dwarfs any other candidate and gives him a powerful voice that’s resonated with many Americans…

“He exudes chilling confidence. This has been incredibly infectious. Love him or loathe him, Trump’s truly astonishing self-belief makes even his many enemies sit back in wonderment. Nothing seems to shake him or his implacable belief that only he can ‘Make America Great Again’. Americans like that in their leaders…

“Behind every good man is an even better woman, so goes the saying. Trump has a veritable army of them now standing around him at public events… led by his daughter Ivanka and wife Melania. They’re all beautiful, independent females who look smart and sound smart. That’s a major electoral plus for Trump who’s had to counter relentless allegations that he’s sexist. The Trumps are a walking, talking, impossibly glamorous First Family in the making. Optics matter in an election and they LOOK the part…

“He’s a winner. Now, there’s no denying it. The critics poured scorn when he first entered the race last summer, most saying he’d be ‘gone in three weeks’. The same critics then claimed in December that he had ‘no chance’ of winning the Republican nomination. Now, as it’s clear that he has, they’ve all trebled-down to insist he ‘cannot possibly’ beat Hillary Clinton in a general election. Really? In England, a small soccer team called Leicester City just won the elite Premier League at odds of 5000-1. Nobody gave them a chance but a combination of strong leadership, high energy, sharp focus and sheer determination allowed them to beat off all-comers and pull off one of the greatest shocks in sporting history. How? The establishment teams just never thought it could happen…until it was too late.”

It appears more and more likely to many observers that Trump will become the next US President.

Being at Odds with UK’s David Cameron and London’s Sadiq Khan

Deutsche Welle added on May 16:

“Donald Trump… fired back at the UK’s prime minister on Monday morning, after David Cameron had called the real estate mogul ‘divisive, stupid and wrong.’ Cameron’s comments were made in reference to an earlier statement by Trump that the US should ban all Muslim immigrants, and the prime minister suggested that a visit from the candidate would unite all of the Britain against him. ‘It looks like we’re not going to have a very good relationship, who knows,’ Trump said in an interview with Piers Morgan for British broadcaster ITV…

“Cameron doubled down on his sentiments after the piece aired. ‘The prime minister has made his views on Donald Trump’s comments very clear. He disagrees with them,’ said a Downing Street spokesman.

“Trump also addressed comments made by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who has criticized the controversial candidate as ignorant about Islam. Initially, Trump had said he would consider a visit from Khan ‘an exception’ to the Muslim ban. ‘He doesn’t know me, never met me, doesn’t know what I am all about. I think they are very rude statements. Frankly, tell him I will remember those statements. They are very nasty statements,’ Trump told Piers Morgan. ‘It is ignorant for him to say that.’

“Morgan then asked Trump about his thoughts on the upcoming referendum over British membership to the European Union. ‘I’ve dealt with the European Union. It’s very, very bureaucratic; it’s very, very difficult. In terms of Britain, I would say, “What do you need it for?” But again, let people make up their own mind,’ Trump replied.”

These comments are interesting because Trump admitted that he will never forget when people attack him personally. However, on May 17, Trump changed his tune again, as Newsmax reported:

“Donald Trump appeared to change tack on Tuesday about his future ties with British Prime Minister David Cameron, saying he expects them to have ‘a good relationship’ if he becomes the U.S. president, after predicting the opposite in an interview aired just the day before in response to criticism from the UK leader.”

Bernie Sanders Accused of Inciting Violence and Becoming “Divisive”

 The left-liberal pro-Clinton and anti-Trump paper, The Washington Post, wrote on May 18:

“Bernie Sanders won yesterday’s Democratic primary in Oregon by 8 points, and Hillary Clinton has declared victory in Kentucky. The AP says the Bluegrass State remains too close to call. The front-runner leads by about 2,000 votes out of half a million cast, less than one-half of 1 percent… Sanders pulled no punches as he celebrated the returns in California last night. He blamed his losses on closed primaries and called on the Democratic Party to ‘open the doors’ and ‘let the people in.’…

“The comments came at the end of a long day, during which Nevada’s Democratic Party filed a formal complaint accusing Sanders of inciting ‘actual violence’ among his supporters at last weekend’s state convention… Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee, told CNN that Sanders’s response to the chaos has been ‘anything but acceptable.’ The Vermonter dismissed the claims as ‘nonsense,’ detailing grievances about how Nevada and other states have handled their delegate selection processes. ‘At that convention, the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place,’ Sanders said, casting the episode as just the latest example of the national party trying to silence the grass roots.

“There are growing fears that the July convention in Philadelphia could be chaotic, perhaps even violent.  Sanders is quickly becoming a figure every bit as divisive and polarizing among Senate Democrats as Ted Cruz is in the eyes of his Republican colleagues…

“We’ve reached another pivot point in the race. The donnybrook at the convention has been a wake-up call for many liberal commentators, who have viewed Bernie positively because of his success at pulling Hillary to the left. But a new mindset has begun to take hold: If Trump becomes president, Sanders will deserve a big share of the blame…”

Bernie Sanders has no realistic chance of winning the Democratic nomination, largely due to the rigged system within the Democratic Party and the undemocratic role which “Super-Delegates” are playing within that party. But Sanders is in fact forcing Clinton (who has a hard time winning against Sanders) to focus on him, while presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump is virtually assured of the Republican nomination.

Pope Francis—“Conquest Is Integral Part to Islam as a Religion”

Breitbart wrote on May 17:

“Choosing his words carefully, Pope Francis recognized that the idea of conquest is integral to Islam as a religion, though he was quick to add that some might interpret Christianity in the same way… Asked point blank what he thought of the widespread fear of Islam in the West, Francis replied that his impression is that most people don’t fear ‘Islam as such’ but rather ‘Daesh [the Islamic State] and its war of conquest, drawn in part from Islam.’

“The Pope went on, however, to acknowledge that the ‘idea of conquest is inherent to the soul of Islam,’ while immediately adding that ‘one could also interpret the end of Saint Matthew’s gospel, where Jesus sends out his disciples to all nations, as the same idea of conquest.’

“It wasn’t clear whether the Pope actually believes that Jesus’ mandate to his disciples to evangelize the nations was truly equivalent to violent Islamic jihad, or whether he merely said this in order to appear balanced and self-critical…

“The Pope expressed his fundamental belief that ‘coexistence among Christians and Muslims is possible.’ ‘I come from a country where they live together in good familiarity,’ Francis said. ‘The Muslims venerate the Virgin Mary and Saint George. In a country in Africa, I’ve been told that for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Muslims wait in a long line at the cathedral to pass through the Holy Door and pray to the Virgin Mary…’’

To suggest that Christ preached the idea of a violent conquest of Christianity is ludicrous. Christ told Peter: “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).  It is true, however, that many times, the Roman Catholic Church abused the concept of true Christianity and engaged in violent crimes and torturous conduct.

The Catholic Church and Our Pets

Breitbart wrote on May 16:

“In his jubilee audience over the weekend, Pope Francis said that Christians should be careful not to confuse feeling sorry for animals with love for one’s neighbor. ‘How many times we see people who are attached to cats [and] dogs, and then ignore their neighbor in need, and that’s not right’ the Pope lamented… Francis said that the Christian virtue of piety and mercy shouldn’t be confused with the compassion we feel towards our pets. It sometimes happens, he said, ‘that we have these feelings toward animals, and yet remain indifferent in the face of the suffering of our brothers and sisters.’

“This isn’t the first time the pontiff has expressed concern that people pay more attention to animals than to human beings. A year ago, the Pope expressed his bewilderment when he read about what people spend their money on, saying that it reflects how twisted people’s values are. ‘After food, clothing and medicine,’ he said, ‘the fourth item is cosmetics and the fifth is pets. That’s serious.’…

“Pope Francis is also on record for counseling married couples not to have pets instead of children. At a special Mass for 15 couples in the Vatican in 2014, the Pope cautioned couples against substituting cats and dogs for children, saying it will only lead to solitude and the ‘bitterness of loneliness’ in old age. During his homily, the Pope said that owning pets may be ‘more comfortable’ than raising children, but did not offer the same opportunities for love and godliness.

“For its part, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that ‘animals are God’s creatures… men owe them kindness…’ The Catechism also states, however, that it is ‘unworthy’ to spend money on animals that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. ‘One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons,’ it says.”

Transgenderism a Superstitious Belief and Mental Disorder

Newsmax wrote on May 16:

“A tweet by a Princeton professor has questioned the very idea of transgenderism, dismissing it as superstition without any basis in fact… Robert P. George, the McCormick professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton, wrote on Twitter: ‘There are few superstitious beliefs as absurd as the idea that a woman can be trapped in a man’s body (and vice versa)…”

“George, who is the chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, warned that ‘with Obama’s bathroom edict, the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of children is in graver peril than ever.’ The tweet comes after the Obama administration’s letter on Friday instructing educators nationwide to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their chosen gender, stating that federal statutes bar discrimination against such students.

“The Obama order escalated an already hotly debated political issue that has led North Carolina and the Justice Department to sue each other over a new law in that state that requires those using public bathrooms to do so according to their gender at birth…

“George’s opinion is not only that of an individual professor. The American College of Pediatricians has issued a statement that children who consider themselves a different gender than they are have a mental disorder called ‘gender dysphoria’ and should not be treated as if they are making a healthy decision, as the Obama ruling does. Although the doctors put out the statement a few months ago, it reads as if it is a direct and very severe criticism of the administration’s directive to educators.

“‘Conditioning children into believing that a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse,’ the doctors stated. ‘Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to “gender clinics” where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs.’

“The American College of Pediatricians statement made clear that ‘a person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such.’”

Newsmax added on May 17:

“The state of Texas is fighting against President Barack Obama’s directive ordering public schools to allow students to use the bathroom matching their gender identities because the order is just another example of the president turning ‘the Constitution upside down,’ the state’s Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. ‘By him issuing this directive, it is totally against what Congress chose to do,’ Abbott [said]…

“‘Congress is the branch of government in charge of making policy. Congress voted on this very issue. Congress voted not to add transgender to the Civil Rights Act, or to Title 9.’ However, he continued, Obama is acting as a king, acting as a dictator, by imposing this as absolutely contrary to what the Constitution allows.”

“The Young, Gay, Conservative German Chancellor-in-Waiting”

Politico wrote on May 12, 2016:

“Jens Spahn is positioning himself, with no apologies, to take Angela Merkel’s seat… Jens Spahn is a walking contradiction who just might be the answer to Germany’s ruling Christian Democrats’ biggest and mostly unspoken problem: What to do the day that Angela Merkel passes from the scene. As a young, openly gay man who has built up credibility on serious policy areas such as finance and health, the 35-year-old Spahn has the potential to rejuvenate the aging party and broaden its appeal — while keeping its conservative core satisfied…

“Spahn, who is currently deputy finance minister, certainly doesn’t lack the ambition to one day make a bid for the top job. He joined the CDU youth wing at the age of 15 and ran for the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) seven years later, telling an interviewer at the time that he planned to ‘to crawl all the way up to the front in Berlin.’ He won a seat. Asked 14 years later about that youthful display of raw ambition, he told POLITICO: ‘As (post-war chancellor Konrad) Adenauer allegedly once said: “Sometimes, you have to make yourself really unpopular before being taken seriously.”’

“CDU insiders say the chancellor finds Spahn loud and self-confident to the point of impudence. Wolfgang Schäuble, the 73-year-old finance minister, doesn’t care for Spahn’s bumptious nature, according to party members — but made him his deputy last year anyway, and appreciates how well-prepared he is for meetings and his willingness to tackle budget offenders head-on…

“There was a moment, after the 2013 elections, when Spahn appeared to have peaked too soon. Convinced after Merkel’s reelection victory that he would be named health minister, Spahn was left to stew in the position he had already had for four years, as the conservatives’ spokesman on health policy in the Bundestag. He bounced back in spectacular style: By the CDU national convention in December 2014, he had built enough backing to bid for a seat on the executive committee, the decision-making inner circle of the CDU.

“His speech began like those of the other candidates, reeling off conservative clichés about ‘the party of hard-working people,’ and the applause was suitably tepid. Then he took a breath. There must be no compromising of Germany’s central values, he said… ‘I don’t ever want to experience another attack or insults when I walk through Berlin hand-in-hand with my boyfriend.’ The speech won loud applause and helped secure Spahn one of the seven seats on the executive committee, ousting, of all people, the man who had beat him to the health ministry job.

“Spahn appeals to both conservatives and progressives by insisting that immigrants embrace values like tolerance… Spahn’s homosexuality makes some older CDU politicians squirm, as they grasp for euphemisms to describe his ‘family situation’ or speak of him, like one delegate at the last party congress, as ‘a pleasant homosexual.’ This isn’t a role Spahn wants to be reduced to, but he sees no contradiction in being a gay conservative, recalling David Cameron’s celebrated remark that he defended same-sex marriage not despite being a Conservative, but ‘because I am a Conservative.’…

“Other leading CDU politicians of his generation are also putting themselves forward as modern conservatives. Julia Klöckner, a popular party vice-chairperson, has criticized feminists for what she considers misconstrued tolerance of misogyny among Muslims. Paul Ziemiak, head of the CDU’s youth organization, is one of the loudest critics of Merkel’s open-doors policy on refugees while emphasizing his own immigrant background as the son of two Poles…

“‘Never underestimate how conservative he is, including in ethical questions and when it comes to societal issues,’ said Daniel Bahr, a friend and contemporary of Spahn and a former health minister from the Free Democrats (FDP). Spahn is still something of a dark horse when it comes to talk about the CDU succession, with more frequent mention of the 57-year-old Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and 43-year-old Klöckner, though she blotted her copybook by failing to win an election in her home state in March…

“Spahn’s relative youth means he’ll only be a contender once Merkel steps aside… He is quite capable of criticizing the chancellor directly, while not wanting to fall out with her completely. When Europe’s refugee problem became an overwhelming crisis last fall, and hundreds of thousands of refugees flocked to Germany alongside would-be economic migrants, Spahn was one of the loudest advocates within the CDU for taking a tougher stance than the chancellor. He hosted the presentation last November of a book of essays by 22 conservative authors, which was followed by a panel discussion that produced a torrent of criticism of Merkel’s refugee policy. The headline in the conservative daily Die Welt afterwards was: ‘Angela Merkel needs to be afraid of this book.’”

Austria’s Migrant Problem

AFP wrote on May 6:

“An Austrian man has been arrested for allegedly placing two pig heads on an Islamic center and mosque being built in the southern city of Graz…

“Last month the interior ministry [of Austria] said there was a 54 percent rise in extremist and racist incidents in 2015, ranging from vandalism and assaults to fanning hatred against foreigners.  Austria took in 90,000 asylum-seekers in 2015, making it the European Union’s second-largest recipient per capita, while around 10 times that number passed through.

“The influx, as well as a number of highly publicized sexual assaults by migrants, has prompted the government to take a harder line on immigration and has boosted the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe). On April 24 FPOe candidate Norbert Hofer came a clear first in the first round of elections for the… post of president with 35 percent of the vote. Bookmakers expect him to win a runoff on May 22.”

Heads Begin to Roll in Austria

The Local wrote on May 9:

“Austria’s Chancellor Werner Faymann is stepping down and will also resign as head of the Social Democrats. He told a press conference on Monday that Austria needed a chancellor whose party stood behind him and that the government needed a new start.

“Faymann’s future looked highly uncertain after his party’s candidate was knocked out of the presidential race and there were disagreements within the party over the migrant crisis, and whether to cooperate with the right-wing Freedom Party…

“Hofer, 45, who presents himself as the friendly and reasonable face of the FPOe, will now face Alexander van der Bellen, a former head of the Greens who came second, in a runoff on May 22. The two hapless candidates from the ruling coalition parties were relegated into distant fourth and fifth places, failing to make it through to the runoff with just 11 percent of the vote each.This historic failure means that for the first time since 1945, there will not be a president from within these two parties in Vienna’s Hofburg palace. This in turn could mean that the new president might make use of some of the considerable powers afforded to the head of state under Austria’s constitution that until now have been not been used.”

Deutsche Welle added on May 9:

“Austrian Werner Faymann has stepped down as chancellor and leader of the Social Democrats… his resignation throws the future of… Austria’s government into question.

“Next to Germany’s Angela Merkel, Faymann was one of the longest ruling leaders in Europe. But his inability to tackle systemic problems caused his downfall. While Social Democratic leaders say his departure will help them rebuild the party, their government coalition partner, the conservative Austrian People’s Party, could decide to change allegiances and side with the far-right Freedom Party and call for a new election. Should that happen, Austria could be the first western European country to elect the first far right government since World War Two. ‘Austria could be the beginning of the return of the right,’ said Alexandra Foederl-Schmid, editor-in-chief of Der Standard. ‘This is a very real possibility.’…

“Austria has been deeply divided over many issues, but perhaps the toughest issue has been how to solve the refugee crisis. Last year, when the wave of migrants turned into a rush, Faymann stood beside Merkel in welcoming those fleeing war. When the country was overwhelmed with 90,000 asylum requests, Faymann, who prided himself on a ‘stable’ governing style, was at a loss for what to do. The party seemed ruderless; he left the policy to governing partner, the People’s Party, which has erected fences, resurrected border controls and announced an upper limit on the number of asylum seekers the country will accept this year…”

A Fence between Austria and Italy?

The Washington Post wrote on May 8:

“Since the days of ancient Rome, conquering armies have traversed the Brenner Pass, a scenic gorge in the Alps connecting the boot of Italy to the heart of Europe. Now, nations to the north fear that this vital passage will become the funnel for a new ‘invasion’ of migrants. A thousand miles away in Greece, the main migrant route into Europe is shutting down amid stricter border controls in the Balkans and a deal with Turkey to stop new arrivals from the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Yet as one door closes, concern is mounting in a host of countries that the poor and desperate may find another way in.

“Claiming that as many as 1 million more migrants are massing in Libya with the aim of crossing into Europe through Italy, the Austrians, for instance, are laying the groundwork for an emergency fence between the jagged Alpine peaks at its Italian border. To stop the feared hordes, the Swiss are threatening to call out the army (yes, Switzerland has an army). The Germans and the French, meanwhile, are joining an effort to extend ‘crisis’ checks already in place at various European Union borders…  Some Austrian politicians are backing a possible fence at the Brenner Pass…

“‘We can’t be the social security for Africa,’ said Rudi Federspiel, a regional leader in the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria from the bordering province of Tirol. ‘Most of these people are Muslims, not Roman Catholics.’ Those migrants already in Austria, he insisted, are causing serious social problems: ‘We have rapes. Rapes in the city. Rapes all over the place. Because [Muslim] men don’t accept women. . . . They are not on the same level’ as Europeans…

“Austria has now adopted a hard line on new migrants. But [Norbert] Hofer has called for even tougher measures, including stricter border controls. He mocked the barrier — a chain-link fence with no barbed wire – that Austria has erected at its border with Slovenia as a ‘garden fence’ with holes in it…”

Most Germans Growing Tired of Merkel and the Two Main Parties

The Local wrote on May 10:

“A poll published on Tuesday shows that just under two-thirds of Germans do not want Chancellor Angela Merkel to run for office again in elections next year… 64 percent responded that she should not. Other polling figures show that if an election were held now, Germany’s two main political parties would barely scrape together 50 percent of the vote between them. In the separate survey conducted by INSA for Bild, the Union – a combination of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) – only polled at 30.5 percent…

“With the Social Democratic Party (SPD) polling at 19.5 percent, that meant that the two parties which make up the ‘grand coalition’ which governs Germany would only win 50 percent of the vote. This figure is a drop of 17 percent on the last national election and would have been unthinkable up until recently… Things have become so bad for the SPD that rumours have been swirling in the media that their leader Sigmar Gabriel plans to stand down. Gabriel has denied the reports… In the poll, the AfD [“Alternative for Germany”] gained support to move up to 15 percent, the Green party stayed at 13 percent, with the Left party at 10 percent…”

Islam No Part of Europe

Breitbart wrote on May 6:

“A new poll has revealed that a large majority of Germans don’t believe Islam is a part of Germany, and many fear Islamisation…

“The poll was conducted to shed light on what many in the public think of the recent debate between the mainstream politicians and the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD)… A few mainstream politicians have conceded to the view of the AfD like Christian Democratic Union parliamentary leader Volker Kauder who said that Muslims belong in Germany but like the AfD he believe[s] that public displays of Islam like minarets should not dominate German skylines and that the calls to prayer should not be heard across all German cities.

 “Eastern Germany, the home of the PEGIDA movement and the region in which the AfD have had their greatest electoral success voted the most consistently against Islam. 65.7 per cent of Eastern Germans polled rejected the idea of a German Islam and among supporters of the AfD the number rose to over 90 per cent.

 “The poll also asked Germans their views and fear of a potential Islamisation of their country. Almost half of those polled  (46 per cent)  think Germany is undergoing, or is at risk of becoming, Islamised…

 “A similar poll was conducted in France earlier this week which saw French from the left and right end of the political spectrum reject the idea of Islam in general, following the Paris and Brussels terror attacks. The poll showed a huge change of attitudes in France compared to the past. In 1989 when a similar poll was conducted around 33 per cent of those surveyed were favourable to new mosques being built compared to now when the number has shrunk to only 13 per cent.

“In Eastern Europe Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban rejected the idea of Islamisation in his country entirely. He said that the constitution of Hungary forbid Islamisation saying it protects Hungary’s culture and language and added, ‘we have the right to choose whom we want and don’t want to live with.’”

Turkey’s Dictatorship with EU Support

On May 11, 2016, Breitbart published an editorial by Geert Wilders, controversial member of the Dutch Parliament and leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV), which is currently by far the biggest party in the Dutch polls.

“Look at every country where Islam is dominant and you will see a total lack of freedom and democracy. Islam and freedom are absolutely incompatible. And yet, we are importing it into our western societies… Take Turkey, for example. Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has never made a secret of his aim to strengthen the powers of Islam…

“Last month, the Turkish President demanded criminal prosecution of German comedian Jan Böhmermann. The latter had ridiculed Erdogan with a critical poem on German television. German Turks began to threaten Böhmermann to such degree that he had to request police protection and go into hiding. At the same time, the German authorities started criminal proceedings against the comedian, based on a 19^th century German penal law which forbids insulting the representatives of foreign states.

“The criminal proceedings were started with the explicit consent of German Chancellor Angela Merkel… This week, Erdogan demanded [of] a German court to stop Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of the Springer publishing company, from defending the comedian.

“Fear of violent Turkish immigrants also forced a hamburger restaurant in Cologne to shut down. Its owner, Jörg Tiemann, had put a burger with goat cheese on the menu, calling it ‘the Erdogan burger.’ Erdogan supporters immediately responded with threats against owner and staff, forcing the restaurant to close its doors.

“Then, there is the case of Ebru Umar, a Dutch journalist of Turkish descent. Four weeks ago, she wrote a column criticizing the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam. Following the Böhmermann incident, the Consulate had called on Dutch Turks to report incidents of ‘insults’ against Erdogan in The Netherlands. One week later, while on holiday in the Turkish seaside resort Kusadasi, Umar was arrested and only released on condition that she not leave Turkey…

“Next June, the European Union wants to allow visa free travel for Turks. [Our comment: Actually, the plan was to allow it in July, but according to recent news reports, it may be delayed until at least October.] For decades, the EU elites have been promoting Turkish EU membership, eagerly backed by President Barack Obama and by Hillary Clinton…”

Pope Francis Receives EU’s Charlemagne Prize for “His Contribution to European Unification”

AFP wrote on May 6:

“Pope Francis… urged EU leaders to ‘tear down the walls’ and build a fairer society… ‘Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls,’ he told a Vatican audience including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been at the centre of the EU’s attempts to resolve its biggest refugee crisis since the war ended in 1945…

“Francis’s comments came in a speech as the 79-year-old pontiff was presented with the EU’s Charlemagne Prize for his contribution to European unification… European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Martin Schulz explained the decision to give the award to such a regular and prominent critic of the EU in a column for France’s Le Monde.

“‘Some will joke that the European Union must be in a bad way if it is in need of papal assistance,’ they wrote. ‘We are convinced that Pope Francis deserves this prize, however, simply because he has sent Europe a message of hope… After all, at times when the words ‘Europe’ and ‘crisis’ are often uttered in the same breath it is easy to forget what Europe has achieved and what it is capable of.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 6:

“Since 1950, the Charlemagne Prize (‘Karlspreis’ in German) has been awarded to personalities and institutions that have rendered outstanding services to the unification of Europe. The first winners included former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and longtime German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. On Friday, Pope Francis became the 58th recipient of the award.

“Friday marked only the second time that the prestigious prize was awarded outside of Aachen town hall in western German. In 2004, the accolade was awarded to [severely ill] Pope John Paul II, again in the Vatican, where he received the ‘extraordinary Charlemagne prize’ [for his role in the collapse of Eastern Europe’s communist regimes]…”

On May 5, Deutsche Welle explained the following about the “Karlspreis”:

“The prize is named for Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, the Franconian king – and later Holy Roman Emperor – revered as the ‘Father of Europe.’ Charlemagne created an empire with an efficient administration across what is today western Europe – by means of brutal force and bloody wars like that waged against the pagan Saxons. He built the foundation for a European identity. Aachen was his imperial capital; through the 16th century, this was where German kings were crowned…

“While the pope is happy to receive the prize, he isn’t coming to Aachen for the ceremony, so the committee and a throng of European politicians are headed to the Vatican instead. Another novelty: The Prize is traditionally awarded on Ascension Day, but since Pope Francis is busy on this Catholic holiday, the award ceremony is now scheduled to take place in the Sala Regia at the Apostolic Palace a day later, on Friday…

“Charlemagne had close, mutually beneficial ties to the Holy See. In Rome on Christmas Day in the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned the Franconian king as the first western European emperor. Just a year earlier, Charles had saved the pope from being toppled by political adversaries. The interdependence between the empire and the papacy was to influence European politics for centuries to come…”

This shows how desperate the European political powers have become that they are willing to seek the help of the pope. Biblical prophecy predicts once again (as had occurred under Charlemagne and subsequent “holy emperors”) a collaboration between the political European powers and the Roman Catholic Church—the fallen woman riding the seven-headed beast (Revelation 17), and a future “beast” working hand in hand with a future “false prophet.”

“The [Catholic] Church Must Play Her Part in the Rebirth of Europe”

On May 6, Zenit published the pope’s address at being awarded the Charlemagne Prize. We are quoting the following excepts:

“In the last century, Europe bore witness to humanity that a new beginning was indeed possible. After years of tragic conflicts, culminating in the most horrific war ever known, there emerged, by God’s grace, something completely new in human history. The ashes of the ruins could not extinguish the ardent hope and the quest of solidarity that inspired the founders of the European project… Europe, so long divided, finally found its true self and began to build its house…

“To the rebirth of a Europe weary, yet still rich in energies and possibilities, the Church can and must play her part. Her task is one with her mission: the proclamation of the Gospel… Only a Church rich in witnesses will be able to bring back the pure water of the Gospel to the roots of Europe…”

Cruxnow.com added on May 6:

“This witness, he said, must also include efforts towards full Christian unity.”

“Brexit Could Trigger World War Three

The Mirror wrote on May 9:

“David Cameron has pleaded for Britain to stay in the EU to help prevent the Continent being ripped apart by another conflict.

“Mr Cameron today highlighted the UK’s role in bringing peace to Europe as he hit the referendum campaign trail… He referred to Britain’s role in ‘pivotal moments in European history: Blenheim, Trafalgar, Waterloo, our country’s heroism in the Great War and, most of all, our lone stand in 1940’. He added: ‘What happens in our neighbourhood matters to Britain. That was true in 1914, 1940, 1989…. and it is true in 2016.’

“And he recalled how Winston Churchill ‘argued passionately for Western Europe to come together, to promote free trade and build institutions which would endure so our continent would never again see such bloodshed’.”

Even though Mr. Cameron’s comments might be viewed as just some more concocted “arguments” to justify staying in the EU, it is undoubtedly true, based on biblical prophecy, that a Brexit would set the stage for World War III—but in ways other than those apparently considered by Mr. Cameron.

“Londonistan”—Give Glory to Allah on London Buses

Breitbart wrote on May 8:

“Britain’s largest Islamic charity says it wants to ‘break down barriers’ and portray Islam positively by launching a new advertising campaign which will slap the phrase ‘glory to Allah’ on the side of London buses. The new campaign by Islamic Relief is, ostensibly, targeted at raising donations for their Ramadan aid to Syria, but is attracting attention for the ‘hundreds’ of buses which will be decorated with the phrase ‘Subhan’Allah’, or ‘Glory to Allah’.

“Muslims reading the advert are told that to “gather the rewards of Ramadan”, they must to donate to Islamic Relief, an organisation which had its accounts with banking giant HSBC closed after ‘concerns that cash for aid could end up with terrorist groups abroad’.

“Public transport has been chosen for the Islamic re-branding in London, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham, and Bradford – all UK locations with high and growing Muslim populations, reports the Sunday Times.

“That the announcement of the new campaign came the day after London crowned its first Muslim leader, Mayor Sadiq Khan. Islamic Relief called it a ‘nice irony’ that the two events coincided…

“And while the Times omits the background of Islamic Relief in their reporting, they do admit the posters may ‘raise eyebrows’ among Christians in Britain.”

Shocking Statistics about Hunger in the UK

The Guardian wrote on May 7:

“More than 8 million people in Britain live in households that struggle to put enough food on the table, with over half regularly going a whole day without eating, according to estimates of hunger in the UK. One in 10 adults suffered moderate levels of food insecurity in 2014, placing the UK in the bottom half of European countries on hunger measures, below Hungary, Estonia, Slovakia and Malta… hunger in the UK is far more widespread than rising charity food use indicates, according to the analysis of UN data by the Food Foundation thinktank…

“The foundation estimates that 4.7 million people aged over 15 were severely food-insecure, meaning they were [too] poor [to] afford enough food and sometimes went without. A further 3.7 million were classed as moderately food-insecure.

“… a series of other studies have shown that poverty and rising food prices are key drivers not just of food insufficiency but inability to buy healthy food such as fruit and vegetables…

“The European countries with the lowest levels of food insecurity were Sweden (3.1%), Germany (4.3%) and Denmark (4.9%). The highest rates were measured in Lithuania (19.6%), Romania (18.9%) and Greece (17.2%).”

The Bible prophesied that the UK and the USA will be plagued by hunger and famine in these end times.

Trump Considering Defaulting on the National Debt

The Huffington Post wrote on May 6:

“The presumptive GOP nominee has an idea for dealing with American debt and infrastructure… Trump laid out his plan during a CNBC appearance… Interest rates on U.S. debt are very low right now, and have been for years. This makes it a great time for the government to borrow money and spend it on public needs… The economy would grow, boosting tax receipts for the federal government which would make the new debt easy to manage… ‘I would borrow, knowing that if the economy crashed, you could make a deal,’ Trump told CNBC… Another way to describe this plan: ‘I would default on the national debt.’…

“The U.S. government owes $12.8 trillion to the public. The majority of this money is owed to American citizens and businesses…”

Newsmax added on May 8:

“Donald Trump has proposed that he will slash the $19 trillion national debt by persuading creditors to accept less than full payment… ‘What do we do with all of the money that we owe everybody when rates go up and now all of a sudden we have to borrow at two points more. One point more even is devastating. But two, three, four, five points more. It’s a real dilemma,’ he told CNBC. ‘I would borrow, knowing that if the economy crashed, you could make a deal,’ Trump said…
“Experts… told the Times that Trump’s proposal was ‘fanciful,’ saying there was no reason to think America’s creditors would accept anything less than 100 cents on the dollar, regardless of Trump’s deal-making prowess…

“Meanwhile, other prominent financial voices think Trump just may be onto something concerning his debt strategy…”

Several months ago, we considered the possibility that Trump might want to default on the national debt, as one American President did in the past, and as Hitler did as well. The comments in some news outlets that the US NEVER defaulted on their debt is manifestly wrong. Subsequently, Trump reportedly said that one cannot default on the US national debt, as the USA could always print more money. Neither of these inconsistent statements helps in having great confidence in the soundness of Trump’s financial plans regarding the national debt.

Middle Eastern Leaders Seek Help from Russian… Not the USA… Why?

Politico wrote on May 8:

“The United States has significantly more military capability in the Middle East today than Russia—America has 35,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft; the Russians roughly 2,000 troops and, perhaps, 50 aircraft—and yet Middle Eastern leaders are making pilgrimages to Moscow to see Vladimir Putin these days, not rushing to Washington. Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to see the Russian president, his second trip to Russia since last fall, and King Salman of Saudi Arabia is planning a trip soon. Egypt’s president and other Middle Eastern leaders have also made the trek to see Putin.

“Why is this happening, and why on my trips to the region am I hearing that Arabs and Israelis have pretty much given up on President Barack Obama? Because perceptions matter more than mere power: The Russians are seen as willing to use power to affect the balance of power in the region, and we are not…

“Putin’s worldview is completely at odds with Obama’s. Obama believes in the use of force only in circumstances where our security and homeland might be directly threatened…

But in the Middle East it is Putin’s views on the uses of coercion, including force to achieve political objectives, that appears to be the norm, not the exception—and that is true for our friends as well as adversaries…

“Middle Eastern leaders… realize they need to be talking to the Russians if they are to safeguard their interests… Obama’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia did not alter the perception of American weakness and our reluctance to affect the balance of power in the region. The Arab Gulf states fear growing Iranian strength more than they fear the Islamic State…

“Arabs and Israelis alike are looking to the next administration. They know the Russians are not a force for stability; they count on the United States to play that role…”

But the irony is that even under a new administration, the USA won’t play a role of stability in the Middle East.

Alabama’s Top Judge Suspended in Gay Marriage Dispute

The Associated Press reported on May 7:

“Alabama’s Supreme Court Chief Justice was suspended on Friday as he faces possible removal from the bench for ordering state probate judges not to grant marriage licenses to gay couples, despite contrary rulings by a federal court and the U.S. Supreme Court. The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission charged Chief Justice Roy Moore, an outspoken opponent of same-sex unions, with violating the state’s judicial ethics laws, an allegation that could potentially remove him from office…

“The legality of gay marriage had been at the center of a national debate for years until the Supreme Court ruled in June that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, handing a historic triumph to the American gay rights movement. Despite the ruling and a federal court ruling that made gay marriage legal in Alabama, Moore issued in January an administrative order to state probate judges, ordering them not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, according to court documents…

“Moore said in a statement that the commission has no authority over administrative orders or the court’s ability to prohibit probate judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses… Moore wrote in his order that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling was at odds with a decision in March 2015 by the Alabama Supreme Court that instructed probate judges to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

“The conflicting opinions had resulted in ‘confusion and uncertainty,’ Moore said… Until the Alabama Supreme Court decides the matter, probate judges ‘have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license,’ he said… Moore, a Republican, has been a hero of conservative causes before. In 2003, he was removed from office after a federal judge ruled he was placing himself above the law by refusing to take down a Ten Commandments monument. He won the chief justice job back in 2012…”

The problem is, once you are actively participating in the judicial system as a judge, you are forced to violate your conscience even if a particular statute or ruling by a higher or the highest court is clearly violating God’s Supreme Law.

Gay Rights Victory in Italy against Catholic Church

CBS News reported on May 11:

“Italy joined the rest of Europe on Wednesday in giving some legal rights to gay couples after a years-long battle and opposition from the Catholic Church to anything that smacked of authorizing gay marriage… Gay rights activists hailed the vote as historic, given that Italy was the last of the European Union’s 28 nations to grant legal recognition to civil unions. But they voiced disappointment that the government had sacrificed a provision to allow gay adoption to ensure passage…

“The Vatican, which holds sway politically and socially in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy, maintains that marriage is a lifelong bond between man and woman.

“Premier Matteo Renzi praised the vote as ‘writing another important page for the Italy that we love.’… Italy’s leading Catholic bishop, Monsignor Nunzio Galantino, had criticized the government’s decision to put the bill to a confidence vote to ensure passage, saying it was a ‘loss for everyone.’”

“The Showdown of the Century”

The Associated Press reported on May 4:

“Donald Trump…, once dismissed as a fringe contender, became all-but certainly the leader of the Republican Party into the fall campaign against Clinton. The former secretary of state suffered a defeat Tuesday in Indiana to her rival, Bernie Sanders, but holds a definitive lead in Democratic delegates who will decide the Democratic nomination.

“The Republican competition changed dramatically with Trump’s Indiana victory and Ted Cruz’s abrupt decision to quit the race. Trump’s surge toward the nomination — he still is about 200 delegates short of the 1,237 needed to win — left the GOP in a deep state of uncertainty. Some Republican leaders remain acutely wary of Trump and have insisted they could never support him, even in a faceoff against Clinton… Such Republicans worry about Trump’s views on immigration and foreign policy, as well as his over-the-top persona. Hours before clinching victory in Indiana, Trump was floating an unsubstantiated claim that Cruz’s father appeared in a 1963 photograph with John F. Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald — citing a report first published by the National Enquirer…

“Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders eked out a victory over Clinton in Indiana, but the outcome will not slow the former secretary of state’s march to the Democratic nomination. Heading into Tuesday’s voting, Clinton had 92 percent of the delegates she needs…

“She and Trump now plunge into a six-month battle for the presidency, with the future of America’s immigration laws, health care system and military posture around the world at stake. While Clinton heads into the general election with significant advantages with minority voters and women, Democrats have vowed to not underestimate Trump as his Republican rivals did for too long…”

Donald Trump’s First Foreign Affairs Speech—America Ueber Alles

Set forth are excerpts from Donald Trump’s highly praised (as well as criticized) foreign affairs speech which he gave last week, placing the world on notice as to what it might expect if [or when] Trump were to become the next American President:

“We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya, to President Obama’s line in the sand in Syria. Each of these actions have helped to throw the region into chaos and gave ISIS the space it needs to grow and prosper. Very bad. It all began with a dangerous idea that we could make western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interests in becoming a western democracy… We’re rebuilding other countries while weakening our own… Our allies must contribute toward their financial, political, and human costs, have to do it, of our tremendous security burden. But many of them are simply not doing so. They look at the United States as weak and forgiving and feel no obligation to honor their agreements with us. In NATO, for instance, only 4 of 28 other member countries besides America, are spending the minimum required 2 percent of GDP on defense… The countries we are defending must pay for the cost of this defense, and if not, the U.S. must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice… our friends are beginning to think they can’t depend on us… All of this without even mentioning the humiliation of the United States with Iran’s treatment of our ten captured sailors…

“President Obama has not been a friend to Israel… our rivals no longer respect us. In fact, they’re just as confused as our allies, but an even bigger problem is they don’t take us seriously anymore. The truth is they don’t respect us. When President Obama landed in Cuba on Air Force One, [no] leader was there, nobody, to greet him… America no longer has a clear understanding of our foreign policy goals. Since the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union, we’ve lacked a coherent foreign policy. One day, we’re bombing Libya and getting rid of a dictator to foster democracy for civilians. The next day, we’re watching the same civilians suffer while that country falls and absolutely falls apart. Lives lost, massive moneys lost. The world is a different place… We’re a humanitarian nation, but the legacy of the Obama-Clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion and disarray, a mess. We’ve made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before…

“Containing the spread of radical Islam must be a major foreign policy goal of the United States and indeed the world. Events may require the use of military force, but it’s also a philosophical struggle, like our long struggle in the Cold War… We should work together with any nation in the region that is threatened by the rise of radical Islam. But this has to be a two-way street. They must also be good to us. Remember that. They have to be good to us, no longer one way. It’s now two-way… We must stop importing extremism through senseless immigration policies. We have no idea where these people are coming from. There’s no documentation…

“Our active duty armed forces have shrunk from 2 million in 1991 to about 1.3 million today. The Navy has shrunk from over 500 ships to 272 ships during this same period of time. The Air Force is about one-third smaller than 1991. Pilots flying B-52s in combat missions today. These planes are older than virtually everybody in this room. And what are we doing about this? President Obama has proposed a 2017 defense budget that in real dollars, cuts nearly 25 percent from what we were spending in 2011. Our military is depleted and we’re asking our generals and military leaders to worry about global warming.

“We will spend what we need to rebuild our military… We’re also going to have to change our trade, immigration and economic policies to make our economy strong again. And to put Americans first again… we must develop a foreign policy based on American interests…

“After I’m elected president, I will also call for a summit with our NATO allies and a separate summit with our Asian allies. In these summits, we will not only discuss a rebalancing of financial commitments, but take a fresh look at how we can adopt new strategies for tackling our common challenges. For instance, we will discuss how we can upgrade NATO’s outdated mission and structure, grown out of the Cold War to confront our shared challenges, including migration and Islamic terrorism… And under my administration, we will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs. NAFTA, as an example, has been a total disaster for the United States and has emptied our states — literally emptied our states of our manufacturing and our jobs… There will be consequences for the companies that leave the United States only to exploit it later. They fire the people. They take advantage of the United States. There will be consequences for those companies. Never again…

“The world is most peaceful and most prosperous when America is strongest. America will continue and continue forever to play the role of peacemaker… we must make America respected again.”

Johnson to Obama: Keep Your Nose out of British Affairs

On April 22, the Sun published the following editorial by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, advocate for a Brexit, and contender for the office of Prime Minister:

“Something mysterious happened when Barack Obama entered the Oval Office in 2009. Something vanished from that room, and no one could quite explain why. It was a bust of Winston Churchill – the great British war time leader. It was a fine goggle-eyed object, done by the brilliant sculptor Jacob Epstein, and it had sat there for almost ten years. But on day one of the Obama administration it was returned, without ceremony, to the British embassy in Washington [Our comment: The White House denied this version and claims that it was just removed from the Oval Office and placed in another room within the White House].

“… today it is a tragedy that the European Union – that body long ago established with the high and noble motive of making another war impossible – is itself beginning to stifle democracy, in this country and around Europe. If you include both primary and secondary legislation, the EU now generates 60 per cent of all the laws that pass through Westminster. We are giving £20bn a year, or £350m a week, to Brussels – about half of which is spent by EU bureaucrats in this country, and half we never see again. We have lost control of our borders to Brussels; we have lost control of our trade policy; and with every year that passes we see the EU take control of more and more areas of public policy.

“The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg is now [m]aking decisions about human rights of all kinds. In their desperation to prop up the euro, the other EU countries are planning a further lunge towards a political and fiscal union. If we are stay in this system, we will find ourselves hauled inch by inch towards a federal superstate – with no proper accountability to the people… It is deeply anti-democratic…

“For the United States to tell us in the UK that we must surrender control of so much of our democracy – it is a breathtaking example of the principle of do-as-I-say-but-not-as-I-do. It is incoherent. It is inconsistent, and yes it is downright hypocritical. The Americans would never contemplate anything like the EU, for themselves or for their neighbours in their own hemisphere. Why should they think it right for us?

“There are those who think that Britain has more ‘influence’ within the EU than outside, and that therefore we can be of more value to Washington. That is nonsense. The UK has been outvoted 40 times in Brussels in the last 5 years, and the total bill for those defeats – in extra costs for UK government and business – is put at £2.4 bn a year. How can we have ‘influence’ in the Brussels commission, when only 3.6 per cent of Commission officials come from this country? Can you imagine the Americans entrusting their trade negotiations to a body that comprised only 3.6% Americans? The idea is laughable…

“Then there are those who say that we would be somehow more ‘influential’ in Washington, because of our membership of the EU. Really? We have been in the EU for 43 years, and we haven’t even been able to do a free trade deal with the US.”

Breitbart wrote on May 5:

“Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he thinks Britain would be better off out of the European Union… He said: ‘I think the migration has been a horrible thing for Europe. A lot of that was pushed by the EU. I would say that they’re better off without it personally, but I’m not making that as a recommendation – just my feeling … I would say that they’re better off without it, but I want them to make their own decision.’”

Britain’s Passed Former Glory

The Telegraph wrote on April 20:

“The British Empire was at its height when the Queen was born, exactly 90 years ago tomorrow. It covered a quarter of the globe – some 13 million square miles, and contained 20 per cent of the world’s population – around 500 million souls. Now, however, it’s just a measly collection of island outposts [of] 14 British Overseas Territories.”

Looking at the World from Putin’s Point of View

On May 3, Newsmax published the following article by Patrick Buchanan (“Patrick Buchanan has been an adviser to three presidents, a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and the nominee for the Reform Party in 2000”):

“Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work announced that 4,000 NATO troops, including two U.S. battalions, will be moved into Poland and the Baltic States, right on Russia’s border… Germany is to provide one of four battalions to be sent to the Baltic. But a Bertelsmann Foundation poll last week found that only 31 percent of Germans favor sending their troops to resist a Russian move in the Baltic States or Poland, while 57 percent oppose it, though the NATO treaty requires it.

“Last year, a Pew poll found majorities in Italy and France also oppose military action against Russia if she moves into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or Poland. If it comes to war in the Baltic, our European allies prefer that we Americans fight it…

“The independence of the Baltic States was one of the great peace dividends after the Cold War. But when did that become so vital a U.S. interest we would go to war with Russia to guarantee it?… When Ronald Reagan met Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik in 1986, Putin was in his mid-30s, and the Soviet Empire stretched from the Elbe to the Bering Strait and from the Arctic to Afghanistan. Russians were all over Africa and had penetrated the Caribbean and Central America. The Soviet Union was a global superpower that had attained strategic parity with the United States.

“Now consider how the world has changed for Putin, and Russia. By the time he turned 40, the Red Army had begun its Napoleonic retreat from Europe and his country had splintered into 15 nations. By the time he came to power, the USSR had lost one-third of its territory and half its population. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were gone. The Black Sea, once a Soviet lake, now had on its north shore a pro-Western Ukraine, on its eastern shore a hostile Georgia, and on its western shore two former Warsaw Pact allies, Bulgaria and Romania, being taken into NATO.

“For Russian warships in Leningrad, the trip out to the Atlantic now meant cruising past the coastline of eight NATO nations: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Great Britain. Putin has seen NATO, despite solemn U.S. assurances given to Gorbachev, incorporate all of Eastern Europe that Russia had vacated, and three former republics of the USSR itself. He now hears a clamor from American hawks to bring three more former Soviet republics – Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine – into a NATO alliance directed against Russia. After persuading Kiev to join a Moscow-led economic union, Putin saw Ukraine’s pro-Russian government overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup…

“If we awoke to find Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and most of South America in a military alliance against us, welcoming Russian bases and troops, would we regard that as ‘the hand of partnership’? We are reaping the understandable rage and resentment of the Russian people over how we exploited Moscow’s retreat from empire… If there is a second Cold War, did Russia really start it?”

Merkel under Attack… Again and Again!!!

The Washington Post wrote on April 25:

“After a Dutch journalist was arrested in Turkey this weekend for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most-read newspaper in the Netherlands on Monday published a front-page editorial cartoon that shows Erdogan as an ape, apparently crushing Europe’s free speech… The cartoon is titled ‘the long arm of Erdogan.’

“The detention of Umar has added another layer to what many in the Netherlands think is a growing crackdown on free speech within Turkey — and outside its borders, too. Last week, the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam came under fire after appearing to send an email that called for Turkish organizations in the Netherlands to report insults against Erdogan to it…

“The controversy isn’t limited to the Netherlands. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel recently announced that she would allow Jan Böhmermann, a comedian and writer known for his acerbic style, to be prosecuted for a poem he had read on German state television…

“Erdogan has led Turkey for more than 13 years, first as prime minister and as president since 2014. He was once considered a modernizer by many in the West, but he has been accused of increasingly autocratic tendencies over the years. Since he became president, the government has used a previously rarely used law to prosecute about 2,000 people for allegedly insulting Turkey’s head of state…”

Merkel was severely criticized by all parties and the mainstream media for her permission to Erdogan to press charges against Jan Boehmermann. In Germany, the Chancellor has to permit foreign heads of states to prosecute German citizens for violations pertaining to libel and free speech, based on an antiquated and seldom-used provision in the German criminal code. Other comedians and actors such as very prominent Dieter Hallervorden subsequently published critical poems and songs against Erdogan and Merkel in an effort to support Boehmermann and to challenge the German “judicial” system. Dieter Hallervorden’s song was titled, “Erdogan, zeig mich an” (“Erdogan, prosecute me”), in which he labeled Erdogan as a terrorist who suppresses free speech. An embarrassed Angela Merkel ultimately “apologized” publically as to how she “handled” or better mishandled the crisis.

Beware of Austria’s New Shining Star – “Putting Austria First”

The Associated Press reported on April 24:

“Austria’s far right won more than a third of the vote in the presidential election on Sunday and will face an independent in next month’s run-off, dumping out the country’s two main parties from the post for the first time… While the presidency is largely only a ceremonial role, the fact that neither of the main ruling parties will be battling for the post on May 22 marks a major change in Austrian politics – as well as the rising role of the far right in Europe… The president is head of state, swears in the chancellor, has the authority to dismiss the cabinet and is commander in chief of the military.”

The Local wrote on April 22:

“‘This is the beginning of a new political era,’ FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache said after what constitutes the best-ever result at federal level for the former party of the late, SS-admiring Joerg Haider. ‘One thing has become clear here — a huge and massive dissatisfaction with the government… I am convinced that as president, Norbert Hofer, will act as protector of the Austrian people,’ he said… The president… is ensconced in the Habsburg dynasty’s former palace in central Vienna…

“The FPÖ — which under the late, SS-admiring Joerg Haider sent shockwaves around Europe after entering government in 2000 — came second in state elections in Vienna and in Upper Austria last year… ‘The role [of the President] is like that of a sleeping giant who has a lot more authority than people are aware of,’ legal expert Manfried Welan told AFP.”

The Local wrote on April 25:

“Austria’s far-right has a new golden boy in the shape of Norbert Hofer, a smooth-talking gun enthusiast who sent shock waves through the political establishment by defying polls and shooting to the top in Sunday’s first round of a presidential ballot… Described as the ‘friendly face’ of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), the 45-year-old caught everyone by surprise…the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and conservative People’s Party (ÖVP)… flocked to Hofer and his promise of ‘putting Austria first’.

“Well-dressed and soft-spoken, the self-proclaimed Margaret Thatcher fan pushed traditional FPÖ themes like anti-immigration with a smile, using more moderate rhetoric than party leader Heinz-Christian Strache… Hofer’s polished campaign, based on the slogan ‘Unspoilt, honest, good’, proved a hit with the masses, earning him a whopping 35 percent in the vote’s first round — the FPÖ best-ever result at federal level since 1945…

“Hofer joined the FPÖ’s Burgenland branch in 1994 and became party secretary two years later.Moving up through the ranks, he later became a close advisor to Strache who took over the party [reins] from the charismatic Joerg Haider in 2005. Under the new leadership, the party initially grew more extremist and re-introduced racist slogans. When this failed to translate into votes, Hofer, along with FPÖ Secretary General Herbert Kickl, advised Strache to adopt a more moderate course and focus on social welfare and purchasing power, to steal support from the traditional parties as the economic crisis hit. The move paid off, with the FPÖ now consistently scoring more than 30 percent in polls ahead of the next scheduled general election in 2018…

“But despite his amiable appearance, Hofer is a true-blue member of the far-right… ‘Islam has no place in Austria,’ he warned voters, while also threatening to fire the government if it failed to get tougher on migrants… The Oesterreich tabloid described him as ‘a kind, nice protest politician who wraps the FPÖ’s brutal declarations against refugees in soft language’… An avid social media user, his Instagram account shows the father-of-four — who has admitted to occasionally carrying a Glock gun in public — at a shooting range with his children…”

Merkel vs. Hofer

Deutsche Welle reported on May 5:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi decried on Thursday the ‘unjustified’ proposal from Vienna to erect a fence at Austria’s alpine border with Italy to stem the flow of migrants into the country…

“Fuel was added to the fire on Thursday when far-right Austrian presidential candidate Norbert Hofer, speaking to prestigious Italian daily ‘La Repubblica,’ compared the two leaders to migrant smugglers bringing people over the Mediterranean in shoddy, overcrowded boats.”

Germany Expands Military Operations

The Local wrote on April 25:

“The German military are planning for a long-term military operation against terror group Isis, with plans for a €65 million air base in southern Turkey… The air base will be built at the site in Incirlik where the Bundeswehr (German army) is currently flying reconnaissance and refuelling missions into Syria… The new extension to the Turkish base will include an air controller centre for the German aircraft, accommodation for soldiers and a completely equipped combat headquarters. Germany is also reportedly in discussions with Ankara about a treaty for stationing German soldiers on Turkish soil for long-term deployments.

“German Tornado jets have been stationed in Incirlik for several months… The Tornadoes use high definition cameras to take detailed pictures of potential bombing targets before Nato allies fly bombing missions, and fly almost daily missions.

“The Bundeswehr also has Airbus air tankers at the Turkish airbase to refuel German and allied aircraft and a total of around 200 soldiers stationed there. The plans foresee that in the coming six months Germany will invest around €10 million in an air controller area which is especially for the German aircraft, a further €15 million in accommodation for around 400 soldiers, and €34 million in building a combat headquarters from where missions will be coordinated… Most of the projects should be completed by summer 2017…

“One opposition politician, speaking to Spiegel, expressed surprise at the speed with which Germany’s initial reaction to the Paris attacks has turned into a long-term military presence in Turkey. ‘Although this mission against Isis came so suddenly, Defence Minister [Ursula] von der Leyen seems to want to dig in for the long term,’ commented Tobias Lindner from the Green Party.”

German and Dutch Armies Merge

Breitbart reported on April 20:

“The German and Dutch armies and navies are poised to ‘merge’, creating the nucleus of the European Union’s longed for pan-EU military force. Pointing to German ministerial statements spelling out the creation of an EU Army as the ultimate goal, critics say Britain’s military will not be able to avoid being sucked in if the country remains within the Union.

“The German government has revealed that Dutch and German land armies and navies are set to move towards ‘closer integration’, with two Dutch units already coming under German command… And according to insiders, the Czech Republic has now entered talks to bring its army under German control, with the Poles also mooted to be part of the plan…

“As Britain prepares to go to the polls to vote on whether or not to remain within the European Union, UK Independence Party Defence spokesman Mike Hookem MEP has warned that if the country does opt to remain, the British military forces will not be able to resist the same fate. ‘The EU is moving towards a common defence and foreign policy regime with an EU army as the goal,’ he said… ‘The EU was supposed to be about corralling Germany military dominance in Europe. That aspiration has clearly died and just as Germany now politically dominates the EU, this latest move with the Dutch army shows that in time Germany wants to expand and control as much as it can militarily.’…

“And Mr. Hookem warned that the Army will not be a benign force, dedicated only to the defence of the Union, pointing out that there has already been lobbying in European circles for intervention in Libya…

“In September last year the Telegraph reported that German chancellor Angela Merkel expected British PM David Cameron to ‘drop his opposition to an EU army in exchange for supporting Britain’s [EU] renegotiation’. Mr. Cameron is believed to have dropped his opposition, in exchange for a widely mocked ‘renegotiation’ deal with the European Union…”

“Is an EU Army REALLY Happening?”

Express wrote on April 22:

“FEARS British armed forces could be dragged into an EU army have escalated after Michael Fallon said UK troops should further integrate with their European counterparts. The Defence Secretary, speaking from Salisbury Plain where a joint exercise comprising British and French forces was taking place, hailed the ‘growing partnership’ of European nations on military operations. Mr Fallon said UK military cooperated with their European neighbours on ‘every front’, including British and French pilots flying each other’s jets and both nations’ ship[s] sailing alongside one another. But he added: ‘Today we take that partnership to a new level.’

“Describing the new Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a 5,000-strong rapid deployment Anglo-French force designed to respond to humanitarian crises as well as conventional conflicts, he said a ‘new chapter’ had opened that would take cooperation between the two nations ‘to greater heights’. [He] said: ‘This is no paper tiger, this is a force that from now on has the teeth, the means, the speed and the agility to act.’ Mr Fallon added that it was now unlikely that Britain would ‘ever go into conflict on its own again’. However, he later sought to clarify his comments [saying] Britain was not about to form an EU army but instead wanted simply to work more closely with its allies.

“Speaking alongside him, Mr Fallon’s French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian said the joint exercise was just the ‘start’ of military cooperation across the continent. But the notion of a pan-European army has provoked outrage from critics on both sides of the Brexit debate.

“Former defence secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who is campaigning to remain in the EU, rubbished the idea of an integrated fighting force controlled by Brussels [saying] military [matters] were ‘not a responsibility of the European Union’. And Ukip’s defence spokesman Mike Hookem called for Mr Fallon to resign over his apparent support of further integration with Brussels, saying it was time for the Tory minister to ‘step aside’.The MEP said:… ‘The British public hold our Armed Forces in high esteem and will not stand by as they see them handed over to a foreign power who does not have the interest and safety of the British public at heart.’”

No US Apology for Hiroshima

The Guardian wrote on April 10:

“John Kerry will not offer an apology for the United States’ use of the atomic bomb against Japan when he becomes the first US secretary of state to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial museum on Monday, a senior US official said. Kerry is visiting the city, which was obliterated by a US atomic bomb on 6 August 1945, to attend a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies that Japan opened on Sunday with a call to end nuclear weapons.

“The US diplomat is to join his counterparts from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Monday to tour the city’s atomic bomb museum and to lay flowers at a cenotaph for its victims, becoming the first in his post to do so. ‘If you are asking whether the secretary of state came to Hiroshima to apologise, the answer is no,’ a senior US official told reporters late on Sunday. ‘If you are asking whether the secretary and I think all Americans and all Japanese are filled with sorrow at the tragedies that befell so many of our countrymen, the answer is yes,’ the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added…

“The bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima reduced the city to ashes and killed 140,000 people by the end of 1945. Hiroshima’s suffering is vividly displayed at the museum the ministers will tour, including their charred and torn clothes, a tricycle ridden by a three-year old boy who died from the blast and statues of the victims, their flesh melting from their arms. Three days after dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the US dropped one on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered six days later.”

The tragedy of war is perhaps best depicted by the horrific nuclear weapons used in World War II. Even though the Obama Administration has been criticized for their overreaching pattern of “apologies” for American conduct (even in situations where it was felt that apologies were unnecessary or counter-productive), many feel that in the case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an apology for the suffering and death caused by atomic bombs to innocent victims would have been in order. The nightmarish future holds that the nuclear weapons used in the next World War will be unspeakably more catastrophic.

Poles Remove Red Army Monuments

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 13:

“Since 1989, Poles have removed hundreds of memorials erected after World War II thanking the Red Army for liberating Poland from the Nazis. But around 200 memorials still remain. Now, the government wants them gone.

“… the debate over the monuments is escalating. A few days ago, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Poles of desecrating many monuments and announced that he would take the necessary steps to ‘prevent such unacceptable policies.’ His spokeswoman even compared the methods used by the Poles to those of the so-called ‘Islamic State.’

“Warsaw has remained steadfast, however, saying it’s not talking about destroying cemeteries and gravestones. It simply wants Polish heroes on pedestals, not Russian ones…

In the long run, it appears very likely that Poland will distance itself more and more from Russia and it might even become an integral part of the core nations of Europe.

Russian Provocation?

ABC News reported on April 13:

“Russian fighter jets overflew a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Baltic Sea more than 30 times earlier this week, with one pass at 30 feet from the ship causing a wake in the waters nearby, a U.S. Defense Department official said today. The fighters ignored repeated communications from the American ship, and the ship’s captain has labeled the Russian overflights as ‘unsafe and unprofessional,’ the official said.

“On Monday and Tuesday, pairs of Russian SU-24 fighters overflew the destroyer USS Donald Cook at close range while it was in international waters in the Baltic Sea, 70 nautical miles off of Kaliningrad, Russia… On Monday, the destroyer was conducting flight operations with a Polish military helicopter that was conducting landing operations on the ship… A pair of unarmed Russian SU-24’s then ‘conducted a series of low passes over the ships, came within 1,000 yards and within 100 feet of altitude,’ the official said, noting that the aircraft eventually conducted twenty passes over the destroyer.

“As a result of the ongoing Russian overflights, the training operations with the Polish helicopter were suspended and the helicopter was kept on deck… On Tuesday, a Russian KA-27 ‘Helix’ helicopter circled the destroyer seven times taking photos of the ship… After several minutes, a pair of SU-24’s began the first of eleven passes over the ship that the Defense official characterized as ‘much more aggressive.’ ‘These were very low simulated attack profiles…’

“Russian overflights of U.S. Navy ships have occurred in international waters in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, though the incidents this week appear to be the closest overflights yet…”

Deutsche Welle added on April 14:

“Secretary of State John Kerry has condemned the recent buzzing of a US Navy ship by Russian jets. Kerry warned the flyover ‘could have been a shoot-down’ under the rules of engagement… Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry has rejected US complaints about the flights over the destroyer.

“Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said Thursday that the pilots of Russian Su-24 jets saw the ship and turned back ‘while using all measures of precaution.’”

Russia’s response is as outrageous as its previous aggressive conduct, knowing that the USA will do nothing about it.

30 Years After Chernobyl

Der Stern wrote on April 10:

“A fox walks through the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, March 5, 2016… A radiation sign is seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, February 11, 2016… An elk runs in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Babchin, Belarus, January 27, 2016… A tawny owl leaves a chimney in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Kazhushki, Belarus, March 16, 2016… Ruined farm’s buildings are seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Pogonnoe, Belarus, March 13, 2016.

“What happens to the environment when humans disappear? Thirty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, booming populations of wolf, elk and other wildlife in the vast contaminated zone in Belarus and Ukraine provide a clue. On April 26, 1986, a botched test at the nuclear plant in Ukraine, then a Soviet republic, sent clouds of smouldering radioactive material across large swathes of Europe. Over 100,000 people had to abandon the area permanently, leaving native animals the sole occupants of a cross-border ‘exclusion zone’ roughly the size of Luxembourg.”

This reminds us of the prophesied destruction of the USA, the UK, Europe and other areas through nuclear war (Leviticus 26:31-35; Isaiah 14:23; 34:11-17; Zephaniah 2:13-15; Malachi 1:3).

Fears that German Army Is Riddled With Jihadist Sympathizers

The Daily Mail wrote on April 13:

“Up to 29 former German soldiers may have travelled to Syria or Iraq to fight with ISIS extremists, a report [by DPA] has claimed. A military counterintelligence review also said that 65 active German soldiers are being investigated over claims they are jihadist sympathisers.

“The country’s defence ministry is now proposing better screening of new recruits over fears Islamic extremists could be joining the Bundeswehr to get military training.”

Does Germany Need an Islam Law?

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 13:

“The sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU has called for stricter regulations of Islam in Germany. CSU General Secretary Andreas Scheuer laid out his proposals in an interview with German daily ‘Die Welt’… ‘German must become the language of the mosques,’ Scheuer said in the conversation that covered integration issues, among other topics.

“The CSU leader says Germany needs an Islam Law because certain political schools of Islam ‘prevent people from integrating’ in Germany.

“Scheuer has two main measures in mind for a potential new law. First, mosques, Islamic cultural centers and other Muslim institutions, like kindergartens, should not be allowed to take money from abroad anymore. The CSU hopes that this ban on foreign funding would stop the influence from countries like Saudi Arabia and other gulf states where a more radical form of Islam is the state religion.

“In the same vein comes Scheuer’s second proposition: all Imams who intend to work in Germany also need to be trained in Germany, in German, and ‘share our basic values,’ Scheuer said. He explained that he wanted these rules instated because it was ‘not acceptable that other value systems, some of them extremist, are imported from abroad.’…

“The conservatives’ suggestions are similar to Austria’s Islam law. The contentious paragraphs got a make-over in February 2015 to include a ban on foreign funding for Muslim associations and mosques. ‘The new version of the Austrian Islam law includes rules that spell an encroachment on Muslims’ religious self-determination,’ Germany’s Turkish Islamic Union (DITIB) said in a statement in March 2015… The general secretary of DITIB, which is one of the largest Muslim associations in Germany, remains very much against an Islam law of the kind proposed by the CSU. ‘It still violates the constitution,’ Bekir Alboga told DW. ‘It’s still discriminatory and it’s still populist.’…

“There are several Islam experts, however, who support Scheuer’s suggestions. One of them is Ralph Ghadban, a political scientist and expert on Islam. He says that stopping the inflow of foreign money could limit the influence of Islamist extremists. ‘The Islam of Saudi Arabia, for example, is pure Salafism and not conducive to integration at all,’ Ghadban told DW…  He also supports the training of Imams in Germany, as opposed to a rotation of Imams from abroad who only stay in their assigned mosques for a few years….

“For DITIB, it’s not so much about the question of whether the CSU-proposed measures could be implicated, but about the fact that they perceive them as an infringement of their religious rights. They also say that Scheuer’s statement puts the CSU in one corner with groups on the right edge of Germany’s political spectrum, like the ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD)… The AfD had gone a step further than regulating training and funding. A group on the party’s right wing had included a ban on ‘building and using mosques’ in their proposal for the AfD party manifesto last month. They said that Islam wasn’t part of German culture and society and that mosques were places where unlawful teachings were spread.”

Even though the proposal of the CSU may appear to be reasonable at first glance, they do include dangerous aspects of an ongoing movement against ANY and ALL religious organizations which are not subservient to the two big Christian churches in Germany—the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church.

New German Integration Law a Historical Step?

Deutsche Welle reported on April 14:

“The governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Thursday hailed the new draft integration law agreed upon in Berlin earlier that day, with Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel calling it a ‘historical step’ in the regulation of migrants arriving in Germany.

“Members of the three coalition partners spent hours discussing the first draft of the law, which will be formally voted on during a closed-door meeting on May 24. It’s a response to the wave of predominantly Muslim refugees, most of them from the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, who have been arriving in Germany…

“The draft law puts heavy emphasis on refugees’ participating in the workforce, although migrants without any intention to stay permanently in Germany will not be allowed to take part in the proposed work program. One of the quirks of the proposal is the creation of ‘one-euro jobs,’ in which refugees can work for a low wage (between 1 euro and 2.50 ($1.13-2.80) without it impacting their asylum support… the legislation also puts pressure on refugees to integrate by enacting penalties for those who don’t participate in the integration courses or make an effort to learn German…

“Integration has been the subject of an ongoing debate in Germany, where Turks – many of whom came to the country as so-called ‘guest workers’ in the 1960s and 1970s – form the largest ethnic minority. Some have criticized the apparent inability or willingness of Muslim migrants to integrate, with even Merkel declaring in 2010 that multiculturalism had ‘utterly failed.’… some have also pointed out the low education levels of many of the refugees living in Germany, pushing the government to enact new measures to help them compete in the work force.”

The poor use of the word “work force” has a bad taste in Germany, in light of this concept under Hitler. In addition, to compel immigrants to participate in a work force for extremely low pay does not appear to be a “workable” solution leading to joyful integration.

September 11—Who Was Behind It?

The Daily Mail wrote on April 13:

“President Obama will decide whether to declassify 28 pages of sealed documents that are rumored to expose Saudi Arabia’s connection to the 9/11 attacks… Former Florida senator Bob Graham said the White House made it clear to him that a decision on the secret files would be made in the next two months…

“The former senator has long campaigned for the documents to be declassified, but both the Bush and Obama administrations have argued doing so was a national security risk…

“There have long been questions over Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the attacks, which left 2,977 innocent people dead after four passenger airliners were hijacked and crashed into both of the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on September 11, 2001, were Saudi – as was al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a U.S. raid on his lair in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011. Bin Laden was the son of a Saudi billionaire with close ties to the kingdom’s royal family…

“Graham added that he believes the terrorists were ‘substantially’ helped by the Saudi Arabian government, financiers and charities. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also called for the 28 pages to be declassified, saying that the refusal to do so was ‘a mistake’ as she added to the Democrats piling pressure on Obama.”

Incredible: “IRS Admits It Encourages Illegals To Steal Social Security Numbers For Taxes”

Forbes wrote on April 13:

“This isn’t exactly the kind of story the IRS wants buzzing around at tax time… The IRS actually wants illegal immigrants to illegally use Social Security numbers… IRS Commissioner John Koskinen made the surprising statement in response to a question from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., at a Senate Finance Committee meeting… He suggested that as long as the information is being used only to fraudulently obtain jobs, the IRS was OK with it. In fact, he said that the IRS actually had an interest in helping the illegal immigrants to crook these rules…

“Of course, undocumented immigrants cannot legitimately get Social Security numbers, but it seems the IRS doesn’t care. Besides, they can file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number… They are not supposed to get the Earned Income Tax Credit, but they can receive the additional child tax credit. If the President succeeds in legitimizing the status of illegal immigrants, they could even get the Earned Income Tax Credit that is responsible for billions in fraudulent refunds.

“The recipe goes like this. First, get a Social Security number, then claim the Earned Income Tax Credit for the last three years. Then, wait for the IRS to send you three years of tax refunds. The gambit could apparently work even if you never paid taxes, never filed a return, and worked off the books…”

One must shake his or her head when reading this outrageously corrupt and blatantly unfair maneuvering.

IMF Issues Warning of New Worldwide Financial Crisis

The Telegraph wrote on April 13:

“The world is sleepwalking into a fresh crisis as investors start to lose faith in policymakers’ ability to revive the global economy, according to the International Monetary Fund.

“In its bluntest warning to date on the costs of policy inaction, the IMF said ‘financial and economic stagnation’ could take hold…

“José Viñals, the head of the IMF’s financial stability division, said… a $1.3 trillion (£912bn) corporate debt timebomb in China also posed ‘potentially serious challenges’ to financial stability if defaults pushed banks over the edge… Under this scenario, Stocks in the UK, US, eurozone and China would lose a fifth of their value over two years, it estimated…

“In China, the IMF called for an end to implicit subsides that allowed zombie companies to remain in business…”

Worldwide financial turbulences might very well contribute to the rise of a new powerful leader in Europe.

“Just War” or “Just Peace”?

Newsmax wrote on April 14:

“Participants at a Vatican conference have called for the Catholic Church to renounce its ‘just war’ theory and for Pope Francis to write an encyclical on nonviolence and ‘just peace.’

“Church teaching has long allowed for ‘just wars’ — the use of force to stop an unjust aggression — as long as certain conditions are met.

“But participants at a conference sponsored by the Vatican’s justice and peace office and Pax Cristi, the Catholic peace movement, said in a final communique Thursday that too often the doctrine had been used to justify and endorse military action rather than prevent it.

“They called for the church instead to develop a new peacemaking framework ‘consistent with Gospel nonviolence,’ and for Francis to articulate it all in a new encyclical.”

Pope Francis’ Confusing Position on Marriage and Divorce and Same Sex Relationships

CNN wrote on April 8:

“Pope Francis… urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics and other people living in what the church considers ‘irregular’ situations… He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules. ‘By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth,’ he writes.

“He emphasizes that ‘unjust discrimination’ against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, downplays the idea of ‘living in sin’ and suggests that priests should use their own discretion on whether divorced Catholics in new marriages can take Communion.

“The paper has much to please both liberals and conservatives, though it is unlikely to go far enough for either group within the church… It’s what’s called an ‘apostolic exhortation.’ That means it is an official statement from the Pope on how Catholics should live their lives. It’s the second exhortation Francis has issued since taking the throne of St. Peter, and the first based entirely on synods he summoned himself… James Martin [is] a Jesuit priest and writer who called the paper a ‘groundbreaking new document.’

“On divorced Catholics… the Pope writes: ‘The divorced who have entered a new union should be made to feel part of the Church… It can no longer simply be said that all those living in any “irregular situation” are living in a state of mortal sin.’

“Francis has pushed to make it easier for Catholic couples to get an annulment of their marriages. That allows them to continue to participate fully in church life if they remarry, including taking the sacrament of Communion. He does not say explicitly in Friday’s paper that divorced Catholics should be allowed to take Communion…

“The Pope does not change Catholic doctrine on homosexuality, marriage, birth control or abortion in the paper. In fact, he reiterates that marriage between a man and a woman remains the Catholic ideal, superior to other forms of union…

“The Pope tells priests that they should make decisions appropriate to their local conditions. ‘Each country or region … can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs,’ he writes in a possible effort to satisfy both liberals and conservatives by decentralizing authority…”

As mentioned in the article, this rather confusing position to draw people to the Catholic Church will satisfy neither liberals nor conservatives.

The Panama Papers–the Crooked Offshore Deals of the World’s Most Powerful “Mega-Rich”

The website of thenextweb.com reported the following on April 3:

“It’s an open secret that the mega-rich and powerful people in the world go to great lengths to keep their financial situations hidden from world governments (and tax collectors), but a collection of 11.5 million documents called ‘The Panama Papers’ shows just how tangled the web gets… money flowing through Panama and other common tax havens come with salacious tales of drugs, guns and sports stars… There are plenty of well-known names found within the papers… Associates to Russian leader Vladimir Putin tie him to $2 billion of shady money-moving tactics. Prime ministers of Iceland, Ukraine and Argentina are specifically linked to various shell companies that hide assets, bonds and inheritances from possible taxation. All in all, there are 140 former and current politicians named in the documents…

“One organization tied frequently to the dealings of Mossack Fonseca is FIFA — and football darling Lionel Messi is named specifically in some deals. There are also known entities that deal specifically with Mexican drug lords, terrorists and even North Korea… the documents show clear tax-dodging, money laundering and other criminal activities, at times propped up even by big banks… The leak is being touted as ‘The Wikileaks of the mega-rich’ and will have significant impact on how countries regulate and accept off-shore accounts for businesses.”

The Panama Papers were issued by Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung on April 3. Another named prominent figure allegedly involved in these kinds of transactions was the late Ian Cameron, father of Britain’s David Cameron.

The Telegraph wrote on April 7:

“David Cameron has admitted that he had a stake in his father’s offshore company which he sold for £30,000 shortly before he became Prime Minister.”

Express wrote on April 6:

“Panama Papers: Cameron evades questions over family’s offshore funds as pressure mounts. The Prime Minister came under further scrutiny today over his financial affairs after he was dragged into a global offshore tax avoidance scandal.”

The Daily Mail wrote on April 4:

“The biggest financial data leak in history has revealed how Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and a ‘dirty dozen’ list of world leaders are using offshore tax havens to hide their wealth. A host of celebrities, sports stars, British politicians and the global rich are all implicated in the so-called Panama Papers – a leak of 11million files which contain more data than the amount stolen by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013. Documents were leaked from one of the world’s most secretive companies, Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, and show how the company has allegedly helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.

“Megastars Jackie Chan and Lionel Messi are among the big names accused of using Mossack Fonseca to invest their millions offshore. And the Panama Papers also reveal that the £26million stolen during the Brink’s Mat robbery in 1983 may have been channelled into an offshore company set up by the controversial law firm. Meanwhile, Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak, Libya’s former leader Colonel Gaddafi, Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad and Chinese president Xi Jinping are among those alleged to have links to tax havens through families and associates.

“Lord Ashcroft, Baroness Pamela Sharples and former Tory MP Michael Mates are the only British politicians who have been named in the data release so far, while several dictators make up the 12 world leaders listed… Putin’s name is not included in the records but his friends and associates appear to have earned millions of pounds from deals that would have been difficult to secure without his patronage…

“Campaigners said David Cameron now faces a ‘credibility test’, having promised to end tax secrecy four years ago… While using offshore companies is not illegal, the practice has long been morally dubious and is under the spotlight amid a wider examination of tax avoidance by large companies such as Google… The Prime Minister will now come under intense pressure to abolish all the UK’s tax havens, including the crown dependencies Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man…”

AFP added on April 4:

“A furious Kremlin said Monday it was the target of a plot to destabilize Russia after a massive leak of confidential documents fingered President Vladimir Putin’s close associates along with other world leaders in allegations of shady offshore financial dealings…

“President Francois Hollande promised Monday that French tax authorities would investigate the disclosures of the Panama Papers and that legal proceedings would follow. Australia said it, too, had launched a probe into 800 wealthy Mossack Fonseca clients…

“More than 500 banks, their subsidiaries and branches have worked with Mossack Fonseca since the 1970s to help clients manage offshore companies… The documents show ‘banks, law firms and other offshore players often fail to follow legal requirements to make sure clients are not involved in criminal enterprises, tax dodging or political corruption,’ the ICIJ said. Mossack Fonseca is already subject to investigations in Germany and Brazil, where it is part of a huge money laundering probe that has threatened to topple the current government.”

Breitbart wrote on April 6:

“Iceland’s prime minister has resigned, the first political victim of a mushrooming global scandal over hidden offshore financial dealings exposed in the so-called Panama Papers.”

Crazy German Law

The Local wrote on April 4:

“Germans and non-Germans alike who reside in the country are required to pay €17.50 per month towards public broadcasting. The fee has long been a source for contention, especially when authorities changed the policy in 2013 to imposing a blanket charge on all households, regardless of whether they have a television or radio.

“Previously, collecting agencies had sent inspectors to visit each household to determine the number of televisions or radios in possession… The fee recently went before a high administrative court with plaintiffs arguing the blanket fee was unjust, but the court sided with the broadcasters.”

These kinds of ridiculous laws are made when a government has too much power.

Netherlands Against EU Deal with Ukraine

Express wrote on April 6:

“The Dutch people have tonight delivered a devastating blow to the whole European Union project… by sinking a Brussels plot to expand further into Eastern Europe… voters in the Netherlands have overwhelmingly rejected a plan by EU bureaucrats to bring Ukraine into the bloc’s sphere of influence… Disconsolate Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tonight conceded the overwhelming defeat, and said the ratification of the EU treaty now ‘cannot go ahead’…

“… populist Dutch eurosceptic leader Geert Wilders predicted that the result will provide a huge boost to the crusade to get Britain out of the EU.  He said: ‘I think many Dutchmen are fed up with more European Union and this treaty with Ukraine that is not in the interests of the Dutch people…’ The deal proposes a huge shift in political, trade and defence cooperation between Brussels and Kiev which is seen as the first step towards Ukraine becoming a full EU member.”

Would Brexit Be Economically Disastrous for Britain?

The New York Times wrote on April 2:

“Those campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union in a national referendum on June 23 focus their arguments on reclaiming national sovereignty and reasserting national identity in the face of immigration. But proponents of exit are also now confronting the challenge of convincing the country that any freedom it gains from divorcing the Continent would not be offset by the risks to Britain’s prosperity… Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, framed the stakes recently, saying the prospect of British exit is ‘the biggest domestic risk to financial stability because, in part, of the issues around uncertainty.’

“Mr. Carney was immediately attacked by ‘leave’ proponents for playing politics and defending the position of Prime Minister David Cameron, who is leading the campaign for Britain to stay. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Conservative member of Parliament who favors exit, responded archly by saying Mr. Carney’s position was ‘speculative and beneath the dignity of the Bank of England.’…

“Those who favor breaking away argue that a country with close ties to the United States and the Commonwealth as well as Europe would emerge better off, freed from onerous regulations and Britain’s net annual contribution of 8.5 billion pounds ($12.1 billion) to the European Union budget…

“If Britons vote to leave, Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will come into force, giving the remaining 27 nations of the bloc up to two years to unwind their 43-year marriage to Britain and negotiate a new arrangement… [Most economists] believe that Brexit would create havoc with the pound, cut growth, damage the financial center of the City of London and provoke a lengthy period of uncertainty, with no guarantee that Britain could quickly negotiate free-trade agreements…

“Multinational banks like HSBC and Goldman Sachs have warned that Brexit would mean the export of jobs and headquarters to other European countries, because London-based companies would no longer have ‘passporting rights’ for their services in the European Union…”

Trump: “USA Heading for a Very Massive Recession”

The Washington Post wrote on April 2:

“Donald Trump said in an interview that economic conditions are so perilous that the country is headed for a ‘very massive recession’ and that ‘it’s a terrible time right now’ to invest in the stock market, embracing a distinctly gloomy view of the economy that counters mainstream economic forecasts…

“In his first 100 days, Trump said, he would cut taxes, ‘renegotiate trade deals and renegotiate military deals,’ including altering the U.S. role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He insisted that he would be able to get rid of the nation’s more than $19 trillion national debt ‘over a period of eight years.’ Most economists would consider this impossible because it could require taking more than $2 trillion a year out of the annual $4 trillion budget to pay off holders of the debt. Trump vehemently disagrees… He said that economic growth he foresees as a consequence of renegotiated deals would enable the United States to pay down the debt — although many economists have said the exact opposite, that a trade war would be crippling to the U.S. economy…

“Trump has for months contended that the U.S. economy is in trouble because of what he sees as an overvalued stock market, but his view has grown more pessimistic of late and he is now bearish on investing, to the point of warning Americans against doing so. ‘I think we’re sitting on an economic bubble. A financial bubble,’ Trump said… ‘First of all, we’re not at 5 percent unemployment. We’re at a number that’s probably into the twenties if you look at the real number,’ Trump said. “That was a number that was devised, statistically devised to make politicians — and, in particular, presidents — look good…’

“He mentions the Trans-Pacific Partnership as one pact he would immediately seek to renegotiate, putting him at odds with congressional Republicans who supported giving the president fast-track trade authority last year…”

Hillary Clinton: “No Constitutional Rights for Unborn Child or Person”

The Washington Times wrote on April 3:

“Democratic primary front-runner Hillary Clinton ran afoul of both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion debate Sunday when she said constitutional rights do not apply to an ‘unborn person’ or ‘child.’…

“Describing the fetus as a ‘person’ or ‘child’ has long been anathema to the pro-choice movement, which argues the terms misleadingly imply a sense of humanity. In addition, the specific term ‘person’ is a legal concept that includes rights and statuses that the law protects, including protection of a person’s life under the laws against homicide. Pro-choice intellectuals have long said that even if an unborn child is a ‘life,’ it is not yet a ‘person.’

“Guidelines issued by the International Planned Parenthood Federation discourage pro-choice advocates from using terms such as ‘abort a child,’ instead recommending ‘more accurate/appropriate’ alternatives such as ‘end a pregnancy’ or ‘have an abortion.’… The guidebook also advises against the terms ‘baby,’ ‘dead fetus,’ ‘unborn baby’ or ‘unborn child’ when discussing what it is that’s being aborted…

“Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro also said that Mrs. Clinton’s statement ‘demonstrates just how incoherent and evil the left’s abortion position is.’”

The position of the pro-choice movement, as described in this article, is indeed evil, abominable and totally ungodly. Those who support it scoff at their Creator… and at the Creator of the MURDERED unborn CHILDREN.

The Migrants’ Pain and Suffering

BBC News reported on April 4:

“The first boats carrying migrants being deported from Greece have arrived in Turkey as part of an EU plan aimed at easing mass migration to Europe. Most of the 202 people who left Lesbos and Chios, and arrived at Dikili in western Turkey, are Pakistanis. Under the deal, for each Syrian migrant returned to Turkey, the EU is due to take in another Syrian who has made a legitimate request. Thirty-two Syrian migrants were the first to arrive in Germany from Turkey. They were flown to Hanover in Lower Saxony, officials say…

“Syrians refused asylum in Greece will be taken to refugee camps in southern Turkey where, in time, they will take the place of those Syrians directly resettled in the EU under the so-called ‘one-for-one plan’. The arrangement has alarmed rights groups, who say Turkey is not a safe country for migrants. Amnesty International has accused Turkey of illegally returning Syrians to their homeland, something Turkey denies. Save the Children called the deal ‘illegal and inhumane’…

“Tens of thousands have been stuck in Greece after northern countries closed their borders. There have been clashes in camps amid dire conditions. One million migrants and refugees have entered the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece since last year. Many are keen to travel to Germany and other northern EU countries and experts have warned the deal could force them to take alternative, more dangerous routes.

“In Austria meanwhile, pro-migrant protesters clashed with police at a border crossing with Italy. Austrian Defence Minister Peter Doskozil recently said soldiers would be deployed at a key transit point, saying the EU’s outer borders were not properly protected.”

Is Russia Steering Migrants Toward Europe?

The New York Times wrote on April 2:

“Like the conflict in Syria, Europe’s migrant crisis has given Moscow an opportunity to assert itself as an indispensable power that Europe cannot afford to ignore, much less antagonize…

“While Russian officials have strenuously denied steering migrants toward Europe, the Kremlin has taken thinly disguised delight in Europe’s troubles, particularly those of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who has dominated European policy toward Russia on sanctions and other matters. State-controlled Russian television has served up a daily diet of migrant-related horror stories…

“Mr. Putin, meanwhile, recently hosted visits to Moscow by two of Ms. Merkel’s most vocal critics, President Viktor Orban of Hungary and Premier Horst Seehofer of the German state of Bavaria.

“… stranded migrants from West and Central Africa said they had each paid thousands of dollars to ‘guides’ who promised to get them to Finland and who worked closely with Russian officials. The system was highly organized, the migrants said, with no more than 30 people allowed to make the journey to Finland each day. Who went when, and in which vehicle, was established in advance, they said, with the guides and officials drawing up detailed lists with names, departure dates and cars…. Like many of the other migrants who traveled to Kandalaksha [a city in Northern Russia], [a young migrant from West Africa] said he had been issued a Russian deportation order before setting out and been told to leave quickly for Europe…”

Russia Not Interested in Cutting Its Nuclear Arsenal

Time wrote on April 4:

“Vladimir Putin skipped the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington last week—one more sign that Russia isn’t interested in cutting its arms…

“Over the course of Obama’s presidency, Russia has managed to negotiate deep cuts to the U.S. arsenal while substantially strengthening of its own… In its rhetoric, Moscow has also returned to a habit of nuclear threats, while in its military exercises, it has begun to practice for a nuclear strike…”

Russian-German Relationship at a Low Point

Reuters reported on April 4:

“German and other European security officials accuse Russian media of launching what they call an ‘information war’ against Germany. By twisting the truth in reports on Germany’s migrant crisis, the officials say, Russia hopes to fuel popular angst, weaken voters’ trust in Chancellor Angela Merkel, and feed divisions in the European Union so that it drops sanctions against Moscow…

“Both sides agree on one point: relations between the two countries are at their lowest point since the early days of the Cold War.”

Terrorist Drones to Spray Nuclear Material over Western Cities?

The Telegraph wrote on April 1:

“Isil terrorists are planning to use drones to spray nuclear material over Western cities in a horrific ‘dirty bomb’ attack, David Cameron has warned. World leaders are concerned that  jihadists want to buy basic drones that are widely available online to transport radioactive material into the heart of major cities in a strike that could kill thousands. The Prime Minister warned that the dangers of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) getting hold of nuclear material was ‘only too real’.

“Mr Cameron on Friday met world leaders, including the presidents of America, France and China, to plan how they would react to such an attack. Footage has reportedly emerged showing Isil using drones and the threat was deemed so serious that – in a highly unusual move – world leaders were asked to take part in war games to plan how they would respond…

“Isil is believed to have seized around 90 pounds of low grade uranium from Mosul University in Iraq after taking over the city in 2014, though its limited toxicity means its use would likely cause panic than serious harm. In Europe, fears have also been raised by apparent attempts to infiltrate nuclear facilities…”

Visas to Be Required for Visiting Americans and Canadians in Europe? 

Reuters reported on April 7:

“The European Union executive is considering whether to make U.S. and Canadian citizens apply for visas before traveling to the bloc, a move that could raise tensions as Brussels negotiates a trade pact with Washington.

“Only Britain and Ireland have opt-outs from the 28-nation EU’s common visa policy and the European Commission must decide by April 12 whether to demand visas from countries who have similar requirements in place for one or more EU state.

“Washington and Ottawa both demand entry visas from Romanians and Bulgarians, whose states joined the EU in 2007. The United States also excludes Croatians, Cypriots and Poles from a visa waiver scheme offered to other EU citizens. ‘A political debate and decision is obviously needed on such an important issue. But there is a real risk that the EU would move towards visas for the two (Americans and Canadians),’ an EU source said.

“Whether such a step would be practical, however, is in question given that it would seriously undermine the EU’s vast and lucrative tourist industry.

“The U.S. mission to Brussels highlighted that any proposal by the European Commission to introduce such visas could later be overruled by the European Parliament or the European Council – which brings together the 28 EU leaders – on the grounds of foreign policy, among other considerations.”

Orthodox Jews Wrestle with Transgender Issues

JTA wrote on April 5:

“Here’s a riddle: If a transgender Jew shows up at an Orthodox synagogue, on which side of the mechitzah barrier separating the sexes should the person be seated?… Can a man who becomes a woman marry under Orthodox law?… Can the circumcision requirement of conversion be waived if the convert is male but has no penis? With the growing visibility of transgender people, these are no longer theoretical questions…

“The more liberal movements have been the most progressive on transgender issues. But even in the Orthodox world, which presents the most barriers to transgender acceptance, both culturally and in Jewish law, some community figures are talking about the need to find a place for trans Jews…

“Last November, the Union for Reform Judaism passed a landmark resolution affirming transgender equality. It called on Reform institutions to adopt changes to embrace trans individuals without impediment: referring to them by their chosen identity, providing gender-neutral bathrooms, instituting sensitivity training for staff and community members, and making liturgical language more gender neutral. The trans equality resolution went further than any major religious denomination in America has gone – Jewish or non-Jewish.

“In the Conservative movement, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is nearing a vote about what constitutes sufficient grounds in Jewish law for someone to change their gender: Is it enough to ‘present’ in the new gender identity, or must there be at least hormonal change, or is sex reassignment surgery required?

“There are practical implications to this question. Even in egalitarian Conservative Judaism, gender determines how one is prepared for burial, what kind of wedding ceremony one has (same-sex or traditional) and whether one must undergo a circumcision in order to convert…

“Though most but not all Orthodox authorities who have considered the issue say the hallmarks of transgender identity – cross-dressing, hormonal treatment, sex reassignment surgery – are forbidden, that still leaves two key questions. One, if someone has surgically altered their anatomy, what gender are they according to Jewish law? And two, how should Orthodox communities strive to treat trans Jews?…”

What a terrible world we are living in…

Sick!

Daily Mail wrote on April 5:

“A transgender former banker claims to be the first and only person to have both ears cosmetically removed as part of her ongoing quest to become a ‘dragon’… the 55-year-old has undergone a number of painful procedures over the past few years including nose modification, tooth extraction and eye colouring. She also has a forked tongue and a full-face tattoo as part of her transformation into a ‘mythical beast’… she has taken on several personas over the years and undergone multiple stages of transformations before finally settling on becoming a dragon.

“She has also had horns implanted onto her forehead, and tattoos and scarification on her face and chest that resemble reptilian scales. The whites of [her] eyes are stained green, giving her what she calls her ‘Medusa green eyes of death’. She now likes to be known as the Dragon Lady and describes herself as a mythical beast…”

Palm Springs’ Gay Community and Festivals

The Guardian wrote on April 7:

“Every very year at the end of March, 20,000 lesbians from around the world fly into the Californian desert for five days of debauchery… [It takes place] at the Dinah, also known as the largest girl festival in the world… the Hilton in Palm Springs… is hosting the famous Dinah pool parties, and the hotel feels like a homosexual harem…

“It’s a surreal experience: for a few days the world is turned upside down, the minority is suddenly the majority… Speaking of economics: corporations have finally woken up to the profit margins of the margins, and the Dinah has become a lot more attractive to brands. Bacardi, Bud Lite, Smirnoff and Barefoot Wines are all big sponsors this year… The Dinah has also started to attract more big-name talent.

“… the city of Palm Springs has long been cognizant of the economic benefits of embracing diversity. It grew to prominence in the 1930s when closeted Hollywood movie stars would head to the desert to escape the studios’ scrutiny. The likes of Rock Hudson, Liberace, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich all spent time there… Today it’s estimated that almost half the population of Palm Springs are gay, and it has the highest per capita gay population in the US, if not the world…

“Rob Moon, the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs, told me that ‘now more than ever, the city is experiencing a tremendous renaissance and Dinah Shore Weekend has been a huge economic driver. We owe a debt of gratitude to the LGBT community for helping Palm Springs evolve into the ultra-cool, stylish and sophisticated city it is today.’”

Switzerland Shocked by Muslim Teens Who Refuse to Shake Hands with Female Teachers

The Washington Post wrote on April 6:

“It’s widespread practice for schoolchildren in Switzerland to shake the hands of their teacher at the beginning and end of each day. Now, one school’s decision to exempt two children from this tradition – because the children are Muslim and their teacher is a woman – has caused a storm of controversy across the European state.

“The two pupils at the school in the town of Therwil, near Basel, had requested an exemption from shaking a female teacher’s hand, citing their belief that it would go against Islamic teachings. The local school district later came up with what they felt was an acceptable compromise that could avoid discrimination: The pupils, who are age 14 and 15, would not be required to shake any teachers’ hands, whether they were male or female.

“However, the plan hit a hitch when the Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper reported on it, sparking a public debate about the compromise. ‘We cannot accept this in the name of religious freedom,’ Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said in an interview with Swiss-German broadcaster SRF. ‘The handshake is part of our culture.’ Others agreed. ‘Today’s it’s the handshake, and what will it be tomorrow?’ Felix Mueri, a member of the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party and head of the Swiss parliament’s education commission, said in an interview…

“The situation is the latest controversy over the integration of Islam into Swiss society, where Muslims are thought to make up around 5 percent of the population. In 2009, Swiss voters banned the construction of minarets, and last year the canton of Ticino passed a law that made the wearing of a burqa in public punishable by a $10,000 fine.

“The Swiss Muslim community has largely suggested that the boys are misinterpreting Islamic teachings with their refusal to shake their teachers’ hands. ‘[To] the students and parents I would suggest the following reflection: Can the denial of shaking hands be more important than the Islamic commandment of mutual respect?’ Montassar Ben Mrad, president of Federation of Islamic Organizations in Switzerland, said in the statement.

“However, another group said the backlash against the boys was overblown. ‘One would think that the continued existence of Switzerland’s core values was at stake, when this particular case in fact involves just two high school students who have said they wish to greet their teacher in a different way than with a handshake,’ a statement from the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland said.”

The Local added on April 6:

“A Swiss legal expert will decide on the validity of a controversial decision by a school in northern Switzerland that allows male Muslim students to avoid shaking hands with female teachers for religious reasons, an official said on Tuesday… ‘We have asked for an expert opinion from our legal service,’ said Deborah Murith, spokeswoman for the education department in the canton of Basel-Country, where Therwil is located… Murith told AFP that the case was ‘not simple’ and that Basel was now trying ‘to find a balance between religious liberty, the right to education and the legally enshrined equality between men and women.’…

“Nabil Arab, manager of the foundation running the Basel mosque attended by the two boys – where their father is the Imam, according to reports – defended the boys, saying that they simply want to practise their religion. Their refusal to shake hands with women was guided by the life of the Prophet, he said, and was actually a sign of respect. ‘No woman wants to be a sex object,’ he told the paper, saying that physical contact with women was a stimuli for young men that could end badly…

“Previous similar disputes have centred on Muslim parents who demanded that their daughters be exempt from swimming lessons, a case that led to the parents being fined. Muslim families have however secured victories in court against schools which sought to ban the full face veil.”

“Scientists: Chimpanzees May Believe in God”

 Newsmax wrote on April 4:

“Researchers at Humboldt University in Berlin say a new video shows a group of chimps engaging in what may be “spiritual practices,” including throwing rocks into holes in trees, suggesting their belief in a higher power…

“‘This represents the first record of repeated observations of individual chimpanzees exhibiting stone tool use for a purpose other than extractive foraging at what appear to be targeted trees,’ the researchers wrote in a study. ‘The ritualized behavioural display and collection of artefacts at particular locations … may have implications for the inferences that can be drawn from archaeological stone assemblages and the origins of ritual sites.’’

When you might have thought that scientists’ desperate attempts to explain the ungodly concept of “human evolution” could not have gotten any crazier, you are being confronted with this extraordinary nonsense.

Secret Meetings of G-20 Core Group to Knock Out the US Dollar

Business Insider wrote on March 27:

“The U.S. dollar has just been knocked down and forced to serve the interests of the world against the will of the American people… Based on the best information we’ve been able to obtain, it looks like the dollar has just been Shanghaied by the G-20 (the unelected, unaccountable group of 20 nations that collectively control the world monetary system). This could be the most important financial development of 2016, with enormous implications for you and your portfolio…

“This new effort to knock out the dollar was contrived in a secret meeting in Shanghai on Feb. 26… Janet Yellen from the Fed, Christine Lagarde from the IMF, Mario Draghi from the ECB and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew were all there, along with their central bank and finance ministry counterparts from Japan, China and the other BRICS…

“The main meeting of the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors was no secret. It was conducted with much fanfare and publicity. Thousands of reporters descended on Shanghai to cover the proceedings. A side meeting of a core group consisting of the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and the IMF was a secret. This group really calls the shots…

“There’s another secret G-20 meeting on April 16, 2016. This will take place on the sidelines of the IMF spring meeting in Washington, D.C… it will go down in history as a major turning point in the international monetary system.”

Ultimately, we can expect that the US Dollar will lose in value, especially against the euro.

Demonstrations Against American Nuclear Weapons on German Soil

Deutsche Welle reported on March 28:

“More than 20,000 people gathered to participate in Germany’s ‘Easter marches’ over the holiday weekend. The annual events protest militarization and the presence of German troops in foreign countries. The numbers were an increase on the previous year in spite of the changeable weather… nationwide there were about 80 different related demonstrations and gatherings to promote peaceful resolution to conflict.

“Kristian Golla of the ‘Peace Cooperative’ network in Bonn said that strong turnout showed ‘the basic skepticism with which our society views war and military intervention.’ One event in the Eifel region of western Germany called for an end to the presence of American nuclear weapons in Germany. The Büchel air base in the Eifel received some 20 new B 61-12 atomic weapons from the US in September of last year, at the same time similar weapons were moved to bases that cooperate with the US in Aviano, Italy, and Incirlik, Turkey.

“The Easter marches began in Germany in the 1960s at the initiative [of] German Quaker pacifist Konrad Tempel. In the late 50s, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer had dismissed concerns about nuclear weapons, saying they were ‘the latest development’ in military technology and their existence was keeping Germans safe…”

King of Jordan: “Turkey Is Deliberately ‘Unleashing’ Isis Terrorists into Europe.”

The Independent wrote on March 27:

“Turkey is exporting Isis-linked terrorists to Europe, according to King Abdullah of Jordan. The monarch’s remarks came in a meeting with members of the US Congress, in which he said that Islamist militants were being ‘manufactured in Turkey’ and ‘unleashed’ into Europe. He also… [reminded] the US politicians of Turkey’s alleged complicity in buying Isis oil. ‘The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy,’ said King Abdullah… [arguing] that the autocratic Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan believes in a ‘radical Islamic solution to the region’…

“The meeting was held on 11 January, but details of the King’s opinions have only just been leaked…

“Although Turkey and Jordan are officially allies, the refugee crisis has heightened tensions between the two nations. King Abdullah is understood to have been angered by the EU’s generous offer of cash and diplomatic ties in return for Turkey limiting the onward flow of refugees into the continent. At roughly 75 million, Turkey’s population is over ten times that of Jordan’s, meaning the Arab nation is hosting a proportionately greater number of refugees.”

Israel Asks Its Citizens to Leave Turkey Immediately

JTA wrote on March 28:

“Israel warned its citizens living in or visiting Turkey to leave immediately. The travel warning was issued Monday by the National Security Council Counter Terrorism Bureau, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office. The warning, which was upgraded from a basic concrete threat to a high concrete threat, comes a week after a suicide bombing at a main shopping center in Istanbul killed three Israelis and one Iranian national. Turkish media later reported that the bomber targeted an Israeli tour group.”

Bill to Protect Sabbath Rest Proposed in Israel

Israel National News reported on March 25:

“A bill… which would extend Shabbat ‘day of rest’ benefits passed an initial vote in the Knesset on Wednesday. The proposal would protect all workers in Israel who choose not to work on Shabbat from losing their jobs, regardless of their level of religious observance. In addition, the law would prohibit employers from using discriminatory hiring practices which target workers who refuse to work on Shabbat.

“Currently, Israeli law only recognizes the rights of religious Jews to refuse work on Shabbat. Non-Jews and secular Jews may be forced by their employers to work on Shabbat, or face loss of employment. If entered into law, [the bill] would give all workers in Israel the same Shabbat ‘day of rest’ rights, enabling anyone, regardless of religion or level of observance, to claim Shabbat as a religious day of rest.”

In many European countries, no religious protection exists for the observance of God’s Sabbath. In the USA, such protection might exist on paper, but seldom in practice. That is one of the great sins this world is committing, causing the outpouring of God’s wrath on a rebellious mankind.

American “Allies” Turn Against Each Other in Syria

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 27:

“Syrian militias armed by different parts of the U.S. war machine have begun to fight each other on the plains between the besieged city of Aleppo and the Turkish border, highlighting how little control U.S. intelligence officers and military planners have over the groups they have financed and trained in the bitter five-year-old civil war…

“The attacks by one U.S.-backed group against another come amid continued heavy fighting in Syria and illustrate the difficulty facing U.S. efforts to coordinate among dozens of armed groups that are trying to overthrow the government of President Bashar Assad, fight the Islamic State militant group and battle one another all at the same time.”

Iran—President Obama’s New Ally?

Reuters wrote on March 28:

“Iran will pursue its development of ballistic missiles despite the U.S. blacklisting of more Iranian companies linked to the program, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander said on Monday… The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite fighting and security force, maintains dozens of short and medium-range ballistic missiles, the largest stock in the Middle East. It says the missiles are solely for defensive use with conventional, non-nuclear warheads…

“Iran has denied U.S. accusations that it is acting ‘provocatively’ with the missile tests, citing a long history of U.S. interventions in the Middle East – including a U.S.-engineered coup in Tehran in 1953 – and a right to self-defense.”

Cuba—President Obama’s New “Friend”?

Deutsche Welle reported on March 28:

“In a lengthy letter, the 89-year-old former Cuban leader said his country ‘has no need of gifts from the (US) empire.’ The scathing note follows a landmark visit by Obama amid a warming of ties… His 1,500 word note appeared to ignore a strengthening of relations between the two former foes…  ‘Listening to the words of the US president could give anyone a heart attack… Nobody has any illusion that the people of this noble and selfless country will surrender glory and rights and the spiritual wealth that has come through the development of education, science and culture,’ he added…

“Last week, Obama said he had come to bury the two countries’ history of Cold War hostility but questioned Cuba’s human rights record and called for democracy and greater freedoms. His visit was the first by a US president in 88 years. Although he did not meet with Fidel Castro, he did hold talks with his brother Raul Castro…”

Problems with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Platform

The website of arstechnica.com reported on March 25:

“Microsoft has apologized for the conduct of its racist, abusive machine learning chatbot, Tay. The bot, which was supposed to mimic conversation with a 19-year-old woman over Twitter, Kik, and GroupMe, was turned off less than 24 hours after going online because she started promoting Nazi ideology and harassing other Twitter users…

“[The] machine learning platform doesn’t really know what it’s talking about… Tay has no understanding; if a bunch of people tell her that the Holocaust didn’t happen, for example, she may start responding in the negative if asked if it occurred. However, that’s not because she has any understanding of what the Holocaust actually was. She just knows that the Holocaust is a proper noun or perhaps even that it refers to a specific event. Knowing what that event was and why people might lie to her about it remain completely outside the capabilities of her programming. All she knows of the event is that people tell her it didn’t happen…”

The website of wtsp.com added on March 26:

“The company said it will bring Tay back after engineers can plan better for hackers with ‘malicious intent that conflicts with our principles and values’…

“Artificial intelligence is gaining momentum as computing power continues to grow exponentially… Not everyone is thrilled with the prospect of machines gaining the ability to reason like humans. Tesla founder Elon Musk continues to warn about the rise of robots…”

When man tries to “create” artificial intelligence, he walks on a slippery slope towards having to deal with a Frankenstein monster.

De Niro Gives In to Vaccination Lobby to Suppress the Truth

The Independent wrote on March 27:

“There has been mounting pressure on Robert De Niro to withdraw an anti-vaccination documentary from the Tribeca Film Festival line-up. After days of deliberation and a statement defending the controversial film, Vaxxed: From Cover-Up To Catastrophe will no longer show at the festival.

“Previously, De Niro said of the documentary, which attempts to show a link between vaccines and autism: ‘I am not personally endorsing the film, nor am I anti-vaccination; I am only providing the opportunity for a conversation around the issue.’ However, in a more recent statement to the BBC, the actor said: ‘We have concerns with certain things in this film.’ After reviewing Vaxxed with fellow festival organisers, as well as scientists, they concluded that the film does not contribute to the discussion over vaccinations in the way they’d like it [to].

“Vaxxed is directed by Andrew Wakefield, a former British doctor whose 1998 study linking MMR vaccinations and autism was discredited and retracted from medical journal The Lancet… Wakefield, who has previously described it as a ‘whistle-blower documentary’, said in a statement following the decision that he and producer Del Bigtree [have] ‘just witnessed yet another example of the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art and truth’.

“In recent years, many actors have taken controversial stances on vaccinations, including Jim Carrey who has campaigned against vaccine legislation on numerous occasions.”

 It is shocking how “scientists” are able to suppress real concerns about vaccinations to manipulate a gullible public.

Fight Between FBI and APPLE to Continue

CNN reported on March 29:

“The Department of Justice says the FBI has accessed the iPhone used by one of the gunmen in the San Bernardino terrorist shooting. Law enforcement officials were able to break into the phone used by Syed Farook with the help of an unnamed third party. Government officials did not go into detail about what was found on the phone. ‘The FBI has now successfully retrieved the data stored on the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple required by this Court Order,’ DOJ spokeswoman Melanie Newman said in a statement. The DOJ is dropping the case against Apple, since it no longer needs the company’s help.

“Farook was one of two shooters in the December 2015 attack that left 14 people dead, and the government has been trying to force Apple to help bypass the phone’s security features. Apple has declined to help, saying it would compromise the security of all iPhone users. The company has argued that law enforcement officials don’t understand the consequences of creating a backdoor…

“The fact that the DOJ was able to successfully access the phone without Apple’s help is bad news for the tech giant because it suggests Apple’s encryption technology is not as advanced as once thought. In a statement, Apple said the case ‘should have never been brought.’ It reiterated its objection to the FBI’s demand that the company build a backdoor into the iPhone, a step it said would have ‘set a dangerous precedent.’ However, Apple said it plans to continue to help police with other criminal investigations. For instance, the company currently provides police who have warrants access to customer iCloud accounts…

“Apple did not address the hack specifically in its statement Monday. However, previously the company said this vulnerability was consistent with its fear all along — that it was in an ‘arms race’ with people looking to exploit bugs in its software. A law enforcement official… refused to say whether the FBI will disclose this hacking method to Apple so the company can protect future phones from being hacked this way.

“Normally, in a situation like this, the FBI must hold a high-level meeting with the president’s National Security Council to discuss whether to tip off Apple about the hacking method, according to a senior Obama administration official. Hacks are only possible through vulnerabilities in technology, and the same method used by the FBI could be used by foreign governments to hack Americans’ iPhones.

“The FBI should have that discussion immediately, said Ross Schulman, senior policy counsel at the Open Technology Institute, a think tank. ‘The bug is, so far as we know, widely distributed and can give complete access to a device that so many of us rely on daily. Those are great reasons to tell Apple so they can fix the problem,’ he said. Several experts closely watching this case say the fight between the FBI and Apple will only continue elsewhere. Both sides are already waging a similar battle over a criminal’s iPhone in New York City.  ‘This case was never about just one phone,’ said Alex Abdo, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. ‘Unfortunately, today’s news appears to be just a delay of an inevitable fight over whether the FBI can force Apple to undermine the security of its own products.’”

Heidi Cruz to be Feared the Most after Hillary Clinton?

News with Views wrote on March 26:

“While I am aware that Heidi Nelson Cruz apparently does suffer from deep depression, just after Hillary Rodham Clinton, she is the next person to be feared the most in this presidential race for 2016…

“In an article written by Jesse Byrnes for The Hill that was released today on March 25, 2016, under the title ‘Trump aide fulfills threat to “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz,’ he reports on the recent interview on MSNBC that Steve Kornacki had with Katrina Pierson who is an aide for Donald Trump…

“According to Katrina Pierson, ‘Spilling the beans is quite simple when it comes to Heidi Cruz. She is a [George W.] Bush operative; she worked for the architect of NAFTA, which has killed millions of jobs in this country; she was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations who—in Sen. Cruz’s own words, called – a nest of snakes that seeks to undermine national sovereignty; and she’s been working for Goldman Sachs, the same global bank that Ted Cruz left off of his financial disclosure. Heidi’s entire career has been spent working against everything Ted Cruz says that he stands for.’

“According to the Council on Foreign Relations when Heidi Cruz was on the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force on the Future of North America in 2004, she served at the White House under Dr. Condoleezza Rice as the Economic Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council as Director of the Latin America Office at the U.S Treasury Department, and as Special Assistant to Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, then U.S. Trade Representative. Previously, Heidi Cruz had been employed with J.P. Morgan at New York.

“Heidi Cruz had contributed to the writing of Building a North American Community, which was published by the Council on Foreign Relations and released in May of 2005. Its goals… were designed to establish a supranational government that would destroy our nation’s sovereignty and supersede our Constitution as the forthcoming North American Union with its own currency call the Amero. The proposed ‘North American Border Pass’ would essentially ‘erase’ our international boundaries with Canada and Mexico. To ‘Establish a Common Security Perimeter’ for North America and ‘Increase Labor within North America’ would weaken our national defense because we would no longer have any authority or control over who enters Canada or Mexico from overseas or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere…”

The Controversial and Unpopular World View of Donald Trump

The New York Post wrote on March 26:

“Donald Trump wants US allies to ante up if they want to continue under the ‘cloak of American protection,’ according to his first detailed comments on his foreign-policy platform. ‘We’re not being reimbursed for the kind of tremendous service that we’re performing by protecting various countries,’ the Republican front-runner was quoted as saying.

‘Trump said he would boycott oil from Saudi Arabia and other allies unless they provide troops or funds to fight ISIS. ‘If Saudi Arabia was without the cloak of American protection… I don’t think it would be around,’ he told The New York Times.

“Trump is open to removing US forces from Japan and South Korea if they did not take on the cost of housing and feeding troops on American bases there, the report said. He argued that it is getting expensive to keep ‘defending the world.’…

“He vowed to renegotiate the Iran deal to extend restrictions on the country’s ability to build nuclear weapons while also allowing Iran to buy planes and other goods made in the United States. ‘We gave them $150 billion, and they can’t spend it in our country,’ he said.

“The United States, in Trump’s view, has lost power economically and militarily for decades. He cited the Teddy Roosevelt era as the period when America’s might peaked… Trump vowed to restore the country’s role as a global superpower.

“A cornerstone of the Trump doctrine is his ‘unpredictability’ in dealing with foreign leaders. He defended US surveillance of allies like Israel and Germany, saying, ‘They’re spying against us.’ Trump said he would allow Japan and South Korea to develop their own nuclear programs instead of depending on America for protection from China and North Korea. He wouldn’t rule out using nuclear weapons against an adversary, saying he would use nukes as an ‘absolute last step.’

“But Trump held out hope he could facilitate the greatest deal of them all — lasting peace in Israel. ‘I would have a better chance than anybody of making a deal,’ he said.”

JTA wrote on March 28:

“Discussing the Iran nuclear deal, Trump expressed surprise that sanctions remaining in place keep Iran from spending money released in the deal in the United States… David Sanger, a New York Times reporter, told Trump that sanctions in place kept Iran from trading to the United States. The Obama administration is keeping sanctions in place and in some cases adding new ones to maintain leverage against Iran in its backing of terrorism and its human rights abuses.

“‘Uh, excuse me?’ Trump said, apparently unaware of the sanctions. ‘So how stupid is that? We give them the money, and we now say, “Go buy Airbus instead of Boeing,” right? So how stupid is that?’”

The New York Times added on March 27:

“Mr. Trump repeated [his recent suggestions that United States pull back from NATO unless other nations pay more of the alliance’s costs] and called NATO ‘obsolete’ in the fight against terrorism.

“Mr. Trump was also asked if he would rule out internment camps for American Muslims – an idea he has never proposed, though he has argued for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country if they are not American citizens. ‘I would rule it out, but we would have to be very vigilant,’ Mr. Trump said…”

The Daily Mail added on March 28:

“Donald Trump has claimed that England is not a ‘safe place’ in the wake of the Brussels terrorist attacks. The leading Republican Presidential candidate said that England was among the countries which have become ‘weak’ and cannot protect themselves. [Trump also said that America is no longer a safe place for Americans.]

“Mr Trump said Europe had ‘very, very severe’ problems with terrorism and that it needed better law enforcement…  Mr Trump’s comments on Britain risk a backlash similar to that he received in December when he claimed that police in London were ‘afraid for their own lives’ because some areas of the capital are so radicalised.”

Trump Reverses Statement on Women and Abortion after Outcry

CNN reported on March 31:

“Donald Trump scrambled to clarify his position on abortion Wednesday after he said women who undergo the procedure should face ‘some form of punishment’ should the practice be outlawed.

“Several hours later — after widespread condemnation from Trump’s presidential rivals and even leading anti-abortion groups — he walked back his remarks, releasing a statement in which he said that women who obtain abortions are victims and that doctors who perform the service are the ones who should be punished. ‘If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman,’ Trump said. ‘The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed — like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.’

“… anti-abortion groups swiftly criticized Trump’s comments. March for Life released the toughest statement… calling Trump’s remarks ‘completely out of touch with the pro-life movement.’ ‘Being pro-life means wanting what is best for the mother and the baby. Women who choose abortion often do so in desperation and then deeply regret such a decision. No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion. This is against the very nature of what we are about,’ the president of the group’s education and defense fund, Jeanne Marcini, said in a statement.

“The National Right to Life Committee noted in a statement that it has never supported penalties against women who undergo abortions. The Susan B. Anthony List chalked up Trump’s comments to his recent opposition to abortion rights and said punishments should only be dished out to ‘the abortionist.’

“Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton retweeted an NBC News reporter, adding, ‘Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse. Horrific and telling.’… Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted, ‘Your Republican frontrunner, ladies and gentlemen. Shameful.’…

“Ohio Gov. John Kasich told MSNBC, ‘Of course, women shouldn’t be punished for having an abortion.’ And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Trump’s comment ‘demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention.’ ‘On the important issue of the sanctity of life, what’s far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child; it’s also about the mother — and creating a culture that respects her and embraces life,’ Cruz said. ‘Of course we shouldn’t be talking about punishing women; we should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world.’”

Please view our new special StandingWatch program, titled, “Why ALL Candidates are WRONG on Abortion!” 

Glenn Beck: “‘No Real Christian’ Would Vote for Trump”

Newsmax wrote on March 25:

“Conservative commentator Glenn Beck said he believes supporting Donald Trump for president goes against the tenets of Christian faith. ‘No Christian, no real Christian — I don’t mean a judgmental Christian, I mean somebody who is living their faith — no real Christian says, “I want that guy. That guy is the one for me,”‘ said Beck on TheBlaze’s ‘Glenn Beck Program.’… If Americans are following Christian values, Beck asked, ‘Then why are we in so much trouble?’…

“Beck, a Mormon, is a supporter of Ted Cruz’s campaign for president.  At a campaign stop for Cruz in Provo, Utah, Beck said he believes Cruz is a fulfillment of a Mormon prophecy, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. That prophecy, according to Charisma News refers to the U.S. Constitution ‘hanging by a thread,’ and a ‘White Horse’ coming in to save it. Although the prophecy is not part of Church of Latter-Day Saints canon, it is believed by many Mormons.”

It is true that no real Christian should vote for Donald Trump. However, no real Christian should vote for Ted Cruz either, or John Kasich, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, or any other candidate running for the presidential office.

Allegations of Cruz’ Extramarital Affairs

Newsmax reported on March 25:

“Ted Cruz is angrily denying a National Enquirer report that he engaged in extramarital affairs — and is blaming Donald Trump for the publication of the allegations… The Enquirer — which has brought down other politicians with stories about their affairs, including former Sens. John Edwards and Gary Hart — said Cruz’s alleged trysts stand to ‘destroy’ his presidential hopes. The Enquirer article also showed pictures of five women it said Cruz had allegedly played around with. Their faces are pixilated.

“Trump, in a Facebook posting, denied any involvement in the Enquirer story, and then went on to taunt his rival about its accuracy… The Enquirer has officially endorsed Trump for president…

“In its expose, The Enquirer quotes Roger Stone, a veteran GOP political consultant who advised Trump early in his campaign, as saying rumors of affairs have been ‘swirling around Cruz for some time.’ Reached by USA Today on Friday, Stone insisted: ‘I played no role in the placement of the story.’”

The Daily Mail added on March 27 that “Rumors surrounding Ted Cruz and allegations he cheated on his wife with five women are believed to have steamed [sic] from Marco Rubio’s camp – not Donald Trump’s…”

While the National Enquirer is a mass tabloid of questionable reputation and veracity, it must be said that these kinds of allegations have destroyed prior politicians and candidates for public office. As the Newsmax article points out, some of those allegations of marital infidelity were finally proven to be correct, while other allegations could not be proven, but they nevertheless forced the particular candidates to step down. For example, Herman Cain had to suspend his presidential campaign in December of 2011 when faced with numerous (unproven) allegations of marital infidelity.

In addition, Daily Mail reported on March 28:

“[Ted Cruz] declined to answer a question on Monday about whether he has ever been unfaithful to his wife Heidi… instead of making a blanket declaration that he has been faithful during the entirety of his 14-year marriage – a move that would effectively end the vicious news cycle – Cruz stood silently as campaign surrogate Carly Fiorina leapt in to intercept the question and change the subject…

“DailyMail.com directed the question a second time at Cruz when Fiorina had finished. ‘Senator I’m sorry, this is a very serious question about your character,’ the second question came. ‘Will you just – if the answer is, “Yes, I’ve always been faithful to my wife,” can you just say so please?’ His practised answer stuck to the more limited denial that the National Enquirer story was false, calling it ‘complete garbage.’”

Dr. Ben Carson: True Christianity Under Worldwide Attack

Breitbart wrote on March 25:

“Asked if he thought the media took religious issues seriously during his time running for the GOP nomination, former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson told Breitbart News… they didn’t — and many would be happy to see Christianity vanish off the face of the Earth… ‘The Bible, they believe, is largely fantasy — and the whole concept of God,’ added Carson, pointing out that he felt mocked by the media several times for his belief in God…

“Asked if he thought there was a global war against Christians going on today, Carson said yes. ‘Christians are caught between secularism, which is on the rise and doesn’t like to be reminded of its negative aspects, and between Islamic Jihadists, who want to dominate the religious scene,’ he said. ‘As Christians,’ continued Carson, ‘we’re caught between a rock and a hard place and have to recognize, first of all, that we are under attack…’

“Faulting the U.S. government’s efforts, Carson said: ‘They for the most part won’t even acknowledge what’s going on with the Christians and the Yazidis and all the various people around the world. It’s like it doesn’t exist. They don’t seem to recognize that these are not isolated incidents that won’t find their way into our culture, as well.’”

Jesuit University Prohibits “Debate” Same Sex Marriages and Suspends Disagreeing Professor

Breitbart reported on March 29:

“John McAdams, a conservative professor at Marquette University, has been suspended after criticising a fellow lecturer for refusing to allow same-sex marriage to be debated in class. The suspension will be extended indefinitely unless McAdams ‘admits his guilt’ within two weeks.

“In a blog post, McAdams drew attention to an incident in which a student was told… by instructor Cheryl Abbate to leave her philosophy class if he wished to debate same-sex marriage or adoption by gay couples.

“Then things deteriorated further as the student said that it was his right as an American citizen to make arguments against gay marriage. Abbate replied that ‘you don’t have a right in this class to make homophobic comments.’ She further said she would ‘take offense’ if the student said that women can’t serve in particular roles.”

This is just incredible! Or, is it?

Shocking Decision in Germany

The Local wrote on March 30:

“Germany may not grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples, but its laws do protect them against discrimination.

“A man has been slapped with a steep fine by a Cologne court after he refused to rent a villa to a same-sex couple. The landlord must pay €1,700 in compensation to the couple, a regional court said on Tuesday. The man regularly rented out his personal villa to newly-weds to earn a bit more cash, but when he learned that the couple in question were gay, he refused to sign a contract with them.

“The court charged the man with discrimination, stating that his refusal to rent to them was illegal and violated German law concerning equal treatment, calling it ‘discrimination based on sexual orientation’. The court could not find a substantive reason to justify the discrimination, according to Legal Tribune Online.

“Nor did the judge side with the defendant’s argument that renting to the couple would conflict with his ‘sense of morality and decency,’ saying that there was no reason, even if he was also using the villa, that he should be more offended by a gay couple than by a straight one.

“While Germany is ranked fairly low among its western European counterparts for gay rights, according to EU-funded Rainbow Europe research, German law does protect individuals from discrimination due to their sexual orientation in the workplace and in access to goods and services. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Germany, though civil partnerships are, and gay couples are not granted equal rights, for example on adoption.”

The trend continues to “protect” sinful conduct of homosexual couples by violating the rights of heterosexual people. For the judge to say that there was no “substantial reason” for refusing renting to a gay couple shows the extent to which landlords are being forced to act against their convictions. It is hoped that this wrong decision will be overturned on appeal and that it will not serve as precedence for other cases… as this may force landlords to refuse renting out their place to anyone.

Nuclear War Likely in Europe

Reuters wrote on March 19:

“The East-West standoff over the Ukraine crisis has brought the threat of nuclear war in Europe closer than at any time since the 1980s, a former Russian foreign minister [Igor Ivanov] warned on Saturday… While Russia and the United States have cut their nuclear arsenals, the pace is slowing. As of January 2015, they had… over 7,000 nuclear warheads each, about 90 percent of world stocks…

“In remarks that are likely to alarm European and NATO diplomats seeking a political solution to the separatist conflict in Ukraine that has killed more than 9,000 people since April 2014, Ivanov also said Europe and Russia have little chance of a broader reconciliation… adding that Russia could not be the eastern flank of a ‘failed greater Europe’ [and] that Russia’s destiny was now as the leader of a greater Eurasia stretching from Belarus to the Chinese border.”

The Bible prophesies that, ultimately, a nuclear war will break out between a powerful European Empire and a strong Russia in collaboration with other Far Eastern nations.

Historic Bridge Between Russia and Crimea?

Daily Mail reported on March 18:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to ‘hang’ an official in Crimea if a bridge between the illegally annexed region and Russia is not completed. The former KGB officer was visiting the region on the second anniversary of the occupation of the peninsula (on March 16, 2014)  which is also claimed by Ukraine. The international community condemned the Russian invasion of Crimea and has subjected Moscow to a range of economic sanctions…

“The Russian president told reporters at the construction site about the ‘historic mission’ of the planned 12-mile long bridge… According to the Tass news agency, Putin claimed the first plans to build a bridge between the Taman and Crimean peninsulas [were] attempted under Tsar Nicholas II in 1910, but the First World War stopped the construction. Soviet engineers attempted another bridge which was abandoned at the outbreak of the Second World War.

“Putin claimed: ‘Nazi invaders tried to build a bridge here. Their intention was to build a bridge that would last for decades and the Russian command took a decision not to bomb this section to spare what had been done.’ However, this bridge was destroyed by ice. He claimed: ‘Our predecessors understood the importance of this bridge between Crimea and the Caucasus and have been trying to implement this project. Let us hope we will be the ones to fulfill this historic mission…

“Putin’s determination to build a bridge linking Crimea with Russia is regarded as confirmation he has no intention [of] returning the area to Ukraine… cities around Russia prepared to celebrate the second anniversary of what Moscow calls the reunification of Crimea, which was part of Russia until 1954…

“Putin’s approval rating among Russians is at its highest in four years and 95 percent of Russians support Crimea’s annexation…

“Building the bridge, at a cost of £2.12 billion, and supporting Crimea will impose additional burdens on Russia’s shrinking state budget, which has been hammered by a collapse in global oil prices – the country’s main export… ‘The annexation of Crimea was an obvious mistake, which the Kremlin and the majority of Russian people will not recognise for a long time. But we continue to pay for it,’ Russian business daily Vedomosti wrote in an editorial on Friday…”

More than 450,000 Western Soldiers Needed in the Middle East

Daily Mail wrote on March 18:

“Last week in Washington, I met an old friend who is one of the smartest strategy wonks I know… During our conversation, he offered some speculations about what could happen to our world over the next decade or two which made my hair stand on end.

“He predicts that the seismic turbulence in the Middle East will continue, and indeed worsen, unless or until the West is willing to commit stabilisation forces to the region. He calculates that an army of the order of magnitude of 450,000 men would be necessary, to have any chance of success…

“The most obvious lesson of history is that events and threats always take us by surprise. Consider the shocks we have experienced in modern times. Almost nobody expected the Irish Troubles; the Argentine invasion of the Falklands; the collapse of the Soviet Union; the dramatic rise of Muslim extremism; the 9/11 attacks in New York and 7/7 bombings in London; the global banking disaster of 2007-8; the break up of the Middle East that began with the 2003 Iraq invasion…

“Everything that has happened since shows that Fukuyama was as wrong as could be. Across large swathes of the globe, authoritarian regimes flourish like the green bay tree. Democracy has never looked rockier, even in the United States. My think-tank friend in Washington observed last week: ‘Democracy only works where there is a broad consensus about the distribution of wealth and power.’ And it is because this consensus faces unprecedented stresses in consequence of migration in Europe, that he believes some factions may resort to violence, even outright war.

“It seems foolish to dismiss this warning out of hand. The threat posed by mass population movement is huge and intractable… 77 million Turks will have the right to travel all the way to Calais unhindered…

“The entire Middle East is in a ferment, and it is impossible to see any reason why peace should be restored any time soon…

“The principal charge against Europe’s leaders today is that none of them… has begun to come clean with us about the enormity of the challenge. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared a towering figure until August, when she made her disastrous unilateral commitment to open her country’s doors.”

The Bible tells us: When they say, “Peace, Peace,” there will be no Peace.

Israel Helped in Overthrowing Egypt’s Morsi

Global Research wrote on March 18:

“Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon admitted in his speech at the annual AIPAC conference, the largest Zionist lobby supporting Israel in the US, that the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi and the installation of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi was planned, in cooperation with generals in the Egyptian and Gulf armies and intelligence agencies… [He] also explicitly said: ‘We decided to allow General Al-Sisi, who was the defence minister at the time, to take over power by mobilising the army in order to become a president. The West should consider this of strategic interest for them as well.’

“This is not the first testimony made by the Israeli occupation’s generals and rabbis regarding the need to keep Al-Sisi as president of Egypt in order to serve Israel’s interests. The archive of relations between the two countries is full of flattery and statements of complete support for this government…”

For the future relationship between Egypt and Israel, please read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Obama and Cameron at Odds over Libya

The Daily Mail wrote on March 20:

“Obama slammed European leaders [including Cameron] in a major foreign policy interview [regarding Libya.]… Mr Cameron… said ‘everyone has to take responsibility’ for the failure to stop the north African nation slipping into chaos, becoming a gateway for the migrant crisis and foothold for ISIS on Europe’s doorstep…

“The remarkable insight into the US President’s critical view of Mr Cameron’s foreign policy revealed Mr Obama believed Britain and France were too happy to rely on the US to deal with conflicts on Europe’s doorstep. And he warned Mr Cameron last summer that the ‘special relationship’ between Britain and America would be lost if he refused to commit the UK to spending the Nato target of 2 per cent of GDP on defence… Mr Obama said he wanted Mr Cameron and the then French President Nicolas Sarkozy to take charge of the campaign to oust Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi in the spring of 2011 instead of relying on the US acting ‘unilaterally’…

“He even went as far as describing the likes of Britain and France as ‘free riders,’ adding later that he had told Mr Cameron that ‘free riders aggravate me’ when he had told the PM: ‘You have to pay your fair share’… In a damning assessment of Mr Cameron’s record in Libya, Mr Obama said bluntly that the intervention ‘didn’t work’…

“Mr Obama… admitted it had been a mistake to trust Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy. ‘When I go back and I ask myself what went wrong, there’s room for criticism, because I had more faith in the Europeans, given Libya’s proximity, being invested in the follow-up,’ Mr Obama said…

“In the interview, Mr Obama also cited Britain as a ‘major factor’ in his decision not to enforce the ‘red line’ on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. The President called off at the last minute a planned attack in response to the gassing as he decided to refer the issue to a vote in Congress. Mr Obama said: ‘A… major factor was the failure of Cameron to obtain the consent of his parliament.’”

The Controversial Demands of Germany’s AfD

Daily Mail wrote on March 20:

“The far right party which made huge gains in Germany’s regional elections is planning broad new policies designed to crack down on Islamic practices. Among the measures Alternative for Germany (AfD) hopes to ratify are bans on mosque minarets, women wearing burqas in public and the Jewish and Muslim practice of male circumcision.

“The strong gains made by the anti-immigration party in three German state elections last Sunday stunned Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party… It emerged last week that German magazine Compact, which espouses the AfD views, has seen a rise in popularity as it shares the party’s ideology… Some of its recent headlines include Asylum Chaos, Dictatorship Merkel, Vote Her Out, The Better Chancellor – a reference to AfD co-leader Frauke Petry – and Fair Game Woman, an allusion to sexual assaults by North African migrants…

“Compact editor-in-chief Juergen Elsaesser, an outspoken fan of Russian President Vladimir Putin, argues that Petry would make a better chancellor than Merkel…”

Red warning signs should go up, when reading all of this.

The Netherlands’ Geert Wilders Faces Another Trial for “Hate Speech”

Deutsche Welle reported on March 18:

“The leader of the right-wing anti-immigration Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, faces trial for 2014 election campaign comments about Moroccans. Meanwhile, his party leads the polls with elections due within a year. The charges date back to the 2014 European election campaign, in which he repeatedly called for ‘fewer Moroccans’ in the Netherlands. At one rally, he asked supporters if they wanted more or fewer, prompting chants of ‘Fewer! Fewer!’ Wilders smiled, and responded: ‘We’ll take care of that.’

“The prosecution argues that this constitutes hate speech, saying that this case against Wilders is stronger than a previous one, in which his comments pertained to the religion of Islam, not a specific group of people…

“Koen Vossen, a lecturer for the political science department at the University of Nijmegen… [states that] Wilders is effectively arguing that he was making a policy pledge. Take his proposals to send criminals with dual nationality back to their home countries, plus reduced migration from Islamic countries, and the upshot for the Netherlands would be fewer Moroccans…

“Treading this fine linguistic line is something of a trademark of Wilders’ politics. With his Freedom Party (PVV) currently leading the polls in the Netherlands, and elections due within the year, the 52-year-old also said recently that if his party were excluded from the next ruling coalition, then his supporters would not tolerate this and might revolt. ‘So then, if people attack him, saying he’s calling for revolution, he replies: “No, listen to what I said. I don’t want there to be a revolt, I said that it might happen if people exclude me from the coalition,’” Vossen explains. ‘He is very good at this: always making remarks that are very controversial, evoking lots of anger, discussion and media attention; but at the same time, it’s always possible to defend them. That’s what he’s doing now, in court, and I think that it will be really difficult to convict him.’…

“Certainly, the trial has not yet hurt Wilders’ approval ratings – with his PVV party polling 10 points clear of any other political grouping in the country. Conservative Prime Minister Marc Rutte, currently in a ‘grand coalition’ with historical rivals the Social Democrats (PvdA), has until March 2017 to call elections; Vossen believes the established parties will wait as long as possible, hoping for a change in the political wind. ‘The refugee crisis was extremely inconvenient for the government,’ he notes, saying Wilders has moved his rhetoric further to the right in recent months, not unlike Germany’s AfD…”

Some of the statements regarding Geert Wilders bear an obvious resemblance to Donald Trump. However, the arguments of the prosecution are ridiculous, which does not help anyone. Claiming that Wilders’ comments, as quoted in the article, would constitute hate speech, is simply preposterous. On top of it, it was reported that many of the prosecutions’ affidavits of alleged witnesses were “fake”; that they were drafted by the police and others; and that they were signed by “witnesses” who did not even speak the native language. Sadly, these tactics and show trials will only raise Wilders’ popularity in the Netherlands.

Pope Francis’ Address—Quite a Stretch

The Associated Press wrote on March 20:

“Pope Frances has blessed palm fronds and olive branches held by faithful in St. Peter’s Square as Holy Week ceremonies begin at the Vatican.

“The pontiff in his Palm Sunday homily lamented what he called the ‘indifference’ of all those who don’t want to take on the responsibility of deciding the destiny of refugees flooding into Europe. He offered a comparison to what happened before Jesus’ crucifixion, when local authorities washed their hands of his fate and passed the decision on to others.”

However, that is not at all what the Bible says.

Migrant Deal Between the EU and Turkey

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 19:

“The EU and Turkey have sealed a deal to end the migrant flow… All migrants arriving illegally on European shores from this Sunday on are to be returned to transit country Turkey, starting on April 4…

“From Sunday on, the EU may ship any migrant arriving in Europe via the Aegean Sea back to Turkey… In return for any Syrian refugees the EU ships back from Greece to Turkey, the EU will take in one Syrian refugee currently in Turkey. This number, however, is to be capped at 72,000…

“The European Union has agreed to speed up talks concerning Turkey’s EU membership, meeting a key Turkish demand. However… Turkey had requested that five so-called chapters of the EU accession talks be opened, but the EU has merely agreed to open one. That chapter – on budget and financial issues – is relatively less important than the rest…

“The EU remains cagey about Turkey’s demand that all visa restrictions on its citizens traveling to the Schengen passport-free travel zone be lifted by the end of June…

“Ankara had wanted an additional 3 billion euros ($3.33 billion) to better care for Syrian refugees, on top of the 3 billion euros already pledged by the EU in the fall. But the EU has only said it will ‘speed up’ the disbursement of these funds, and has vaguely held out the prospect of making more money available…

“Resettling refugees has proven a very thorny issue among EU member states. So far, they have only committed to taking in 18,000 people. To fulfill the EU concession to take in up to 72,000 refugees from Turkey, a further 54,000 places will have to be found throughout the EU. Hungary and Slovakia have made it clear that these will not be found in their countries…

“Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Greece needed some 2,000 additional lawyers and judges to deal with asylum requests and returns to Turkey, but he said his country could only muster 270… Human rights organizations fear there will be mass returns of migrants without a fair and individual assessment of asylum requests. After the deal was announced, NGO Oxfam called it a ‘further step down the path of inhumanity.’ Amnesty International echoed the harsh criticism.”

Immoral and Illegal

In a related article, Deutsche Welle raised in its article of March 19 the “illegal” aspect of the deal:

“The EU has finally agreed on its elusive goal: a European solution to the refugee crisis. And it turns out to be the Turkish solution that Chancellor Merkel came up with as a last political resort…

“But what a price Europe is paying for this deal. It effectively outsources the protection and care of the majority of refugees from the Middle East to Turkey. On paper, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will commit to keeping international legal obligations and respecting the rights of refugees in accordance with the Geneva Convention. But since when is the autocrat in Ankara known for keeping his promises?…

“The EU, however, will have lost all leverage should Turkey begin to push people back into Syria or Iraq – or if it leaves them begging and starving in the streets of Izmir and Istanbul… the Europeans will be mere onlookers in this drama… Sultan Erdogan… ridicules all admonishments to respect freedom of the press, opposition rights and demands to restart peace talks with the Kurds…

“Europe… is turning itself into a fortress that will be inaccessible to large numbers of refugees… Apart from all the practical problems of implementing this deal and its precarious legal standing, the pictures of Syrian refugees stuck in Turkey’s border regions or Iranians and Afghans looking in vain for protection will come to haunt us. The criticism of human rights organizations holds true: This deal is dangerous, illegal and inhumane.”

The Guardian added on March 19:

“Human rights organisations have hailed a ‘dark day for Europe’ after a controversial deal between Turkey and the European Union aiming to stem the number of refugees fleeing across the Aegean Sea was reached in Brussels… Human Rights Watch condemned the situation as a ‘new low’ and said the proposed conditions put the ‘very principle of international protection for those fleeing war and persecution at stake’…

“Save the Children said that almost 90 per cent of Syrians and 80 per cent of Iraqis have their asylum application granted, making any division on the basis of nationality ‘arbitrary and illegal’. The UN raised similar concerns, saying ‘blanket returns’ would not be consistent with international or European law.

“Amnesty International’s UK director, Kate Allen, said: ‘This is a dark day for the Refugee Convention, a dark day for Europe and a dark day for humanity… It’s absolutely shameful to see leaders seeking to abandon their legal obligations. Forcing refugees back into the hands of the very smugglers they just came from so they can have another go at exploiting them is obviously madness. There’s no way anyone should herald this as a solution.’

“The Overseas Development Institute, which has conducted research on why refugees choose to migrate, warned that the deal is ‘unlikely to work’ to stop the crisis. Marta Foresti, the think-tank’s Director of Governance and Security, said: ‘Our research shows refugees and migrants do not make the decision to leave their home lightly, are willing to take significant risks and will not be deterred by the policies and restrictions of EU countries. Those excluded from the deal will continue to try different, more dangerous routes if the border between Turkey and Greece is shut to them. The EU has failed to provide a humane or pragmatic response to the crisis, what is now needed is leadership at the global level.’”

Hillary Clinton’s Email Debacle Won’t Go Away that Easily

The New York Post wrote on March 20:

“FBI chief James Comey and his investigators are increasingly certain that presidential nominee Hillary Clinton violated laws in handling classified government information through her private email server, career agents say. Some expect him to push for charges, but he faces a formidable obstacle: the political types in the Obama White House who view a Clinton presidency as a third Obama term. With that, agents have been spreading the word, largely through associates in the private sector, that their boss is getting stonewalled, despite uncovering compelling evidence that Clinton broke the law.

“Exactly what that evidence is… has not been disclosed… as FBI director, Comey can only recommend charges to the hacks in the Obama Justice Department. Indeed, many law enforcement officials who know the FBI chief and the bureau’s inner workings believe the evidence would have to be overwhelming for Comey to even recommend charges, much less for DOJ to pursue them… Just how close Comey is to any recommendation… is difficult to know. But agents believe the probe is nearing an end. A State Department staffer who set up Clinton’s email server, for instance, was recently granted immunity from prosecution to provide Comey’s team with evidence…

“Most officials know private email servers are easier to hack into than secure government servers. They also know that even documents not labeled ‘classified’ may be top secret. That’s why they’re supposed to be sent only through government accounts. Those who don’t follow those rules, like former CIA Director David Petraeus, have faced consequences. Another matter for Comey & Co.: whether Clinton comingled her official State Department business with her role at the Clinton Foundation, and whether she wiped clean messages that show her using her office at State for foundation work.

“Law enforcement sources also say Comey’s record as a prosecutor shows he has zero tolerance for such abuses… FBI sources say [Comey] has no backing from President Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to recommend charges against the former secretary, since a Clinton presidency may be the best chance to preserve the Obama legacy. That leaves Comey in a bind: Does he do what is politically expedient and deny the reality that Clinton’s email server activities violated the law, or follow the evidence to wherever it takes him?”

Bill Clinton Slams Barack Obama

The American Mirror wrote on March 21:

“Bill Clinton is either losing it, or he’s ramping up his attacks on President Obama. Neither is good news for Hillary Clinton. During a speech in Spokane, Washington on Monday, Clinton seemed to tear down Obama to boost his wife.

“‘Literally from the time I met her till we talked yesterday, she is the best change maker I have ever known… if you believe we can all rise together, if you believe we’ve finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us… you should vote for her,’ Clinton said.”

Hillary Clinton will not be too happy about her husband’s statements.

US Democrats in Germany Back Sanders over Hillary

The Local wrote on March 21:

“The majority of American Democrats living in Germany voted for Bernie Sanders in a global primary held this month, showing greater success for the senator abroad than he’s having Stateside. Sanders secured roughly 69 percent of the 2,917 votes cast in Germany, compared to 27.5 percent for Hillary Clinton… The Vermont senator also won with a clear majority worldwide at 69 percent of the vote…

“The group will send 13 delegates and eight super-delegates this year to the Democratic National Convention, which is more than the state of Wyoming’s total of 18. Sanders picked up nine pledged delegates in the global primary, while Clinton secures an additional four delegates.”

Trump a Danger for World’s Economy and Security?

NBC News reported on March 17:

“A British research organization has warned that a Donald Trump presidency could have a dangerous impact on the world economy, increasing the potential of Islamic terror attacks and of a trade war with Mexico and China.

“The Economist Intelligence Unit released its updated global risk assessment, ranking the election of Trump a 12 on a scale of one to 25 — the same number it assigned to the possibility that jihadi terrorism would destabilize the global economy.

“The firm pointed to a number of reasons, including Trump’s hostility toward free trade, his accusing China of being a ‘currency manipulator,’ his advocating the killing of terrorists’ families, and his proposal to move troops into Syria to fight ISIS and take its oil.

“This appeared to be the first time the EIU had rated a presidential candidate’s election as a global risk… The organization ranks risks by impact and probability. A Trump presidency bore high impact, but moderate probability, the EIU said. ‘Although we do not expect Mr. Trump to defeat his most likely Democratic contender, Hillary Clinton, there are risks to this forecast, especially in the event of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil or a sudden economic downturn,’ the authors wrote.

“Other global threats on the list included a ‘sharp economic slowdown in China,’ a collapse of investment in the oil sector, the break up of the European Union, the further rise of jihadi terrorism, and Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria leading to ‘a new “cold war.’”…

“Also Wednesday, the Washington Post editorial board called for the Republican Party to aim for [a] brokered convention to prevent a Trump nomination, arguing that Trump ‘presents a threat to American democracy.’…”

However, the more institutions and papers write and speak against Trump, the more his popularity rises within the USA. It must also be stated that some, if not many of the “global threats” listed by the EIU are really not relevant or will not come to fruition (such as the clearly wrong prognostication of a break-up of the EU or the expectation that Trump would be defeated by Clinton and that a Trump presidency had only a “moderate probability”). This shows that the EIU may not be as informed as they are portrayed to be.

Incredible Hate and Violence of Anti-Trump “Demonstrators”

The Washington Post wrote on March 21:

“Brandon Tatum, an officer in the Tucson Police Department, went to a Trump rally on Saturday as a civilian to see what was going on. In a subsequent video, he said he thought there was going to be “a full-fledged riot” at the event — but not because of Trump’s supporters. The protesters were the problem, Tatum said. ‘These people were acting so outrageous,’ he said…

“Tatum said he went to the rally at the Tucson Arena dressed in civilian clothes — a black shirt and khakis — to hear what Trump had to say… But at the door, he said, protesters were ‘verbally violent’… ‘I could not believe what I saw,’ said Tatum, who is African American.

“Someone in the crowd was wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood, Tatum said, and people were ‘cussing and screaming’ and tackling one another to the ground… ‘People were directly yelling at me as if I’m a criminal…’

“On Saturday morning, protesters blocked traffic leading to a Trump rally near Phoenix… Hours later, protesters in Tucson formed a human wall in front of the entrance to a second rally site…

“Tatum said Trump had rented out the venue and, therefore, had the legal right to remove people from the event. It was the violent protesters who were violating people’s constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, he said.”

Trump Scores Big at AIPAC

JTA wrote on March 21:

“Donald Trump… earned an enthusiastic response to his speech at AIPAC’s [American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s] annual conference… [He] softened two positions that have created unease among pro-Israel activists — his insistence on remaining ‘neutral’ in brokering Israeli-Palestinian peace and his refusal to commit to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“On Jerusalem, Trump vowed to move the American embassy to the city, ‘the eternal capital of the Jewish people.’ And he said the Palestinians must accept as a given the closeness of the U.S.-Israel relationship. ‘The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely unbreakable,’ Trump said. ‘They must come to the table willing to accept that Israel is a Jewish state and it will exist forever as a Jewish state.’

“Trump opponents who had said they would protest the speech because of his broadsides against minorities and his sanctioning of political violence were not visible during his speech, which earned repeated standing ovations.

“Trump’s enthusiastic embrace of pro-Israel orthodoxy appeared to resonate with the AIPAC activists in the Verizon Center arena, and the loud applause was not the only indication. Immediately following Trump’s speech, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, his closest rival in the presidential race, scored Trump for pledging neutrality on Israel and for not promising to ‘shred’ the Iran deal upon election. Both gibes fell flat.

“Trump delivered broadsides against his likely rival in the general election, Hillary Clinton, calling her a ‘total disaster’ and blaming her for last year’s Iran nuclear deal. The line earned laughter and applause, although Clinton’s speech, earlier in the day, was well received.

“Trump’s biggest applause line was when he began a sentence, ‘President Obama, in his final year – yay!’ AIPAC led opposition last year to the Iran nuclear deal and clashed repeatedly with the Obama administration in its unsuccessful bid to get Congress to nix the deal.”

It is amazing how the mass media tries to downplay Trump’s impact. Deutsche Welle reported on March 21, that “Trump has received a lukewarm response from pro-Israeli advocates” at the AIPAX meeting. This is clearly not the case, as the Jewish JTA reported (see above). Rather, Trump received enthusiastic approval from the Jewish audience. To try to stop Trump with lies will not work. And while Trump won big on Tuesday in Arizona’s election, he lost big against Ted Cruz in Utah.

Trump vs. Germany?

The Washington Post wrote on March 21:

“Donald Trump outlined an unabashedly noninterventionist approach to world affairs Monday, telling The Washington Post’s editorial board that he questions the need for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has formed the backbone of Western security policies since the Cold War… Trump said he advocates a light footprint in the world. In spite of unrest abroad, especially in the Middle East, Trump said the United States must look inward and steer its resources toward rebuilding domestic infrastructure… For the first time, Trump also listed members of a team chaired by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) that is counseling him on foreign affairs and helping to shape his policies: Keith Kellogg, Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, Walid Phares and Joseph E. Schmitz.

“… on the subject of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, [Trump]  said America’s allies are ‘not doing anything.’ ‘Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet we’re doing all of the lifting,’ Trump said. ‘They’re not doing anything. And I say: “Why is it that Germany’s not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of Ukraine, why aren’t they dealing? Why are we always the one that’s leading, potentially the third world war with Russia.”’

“Trump said that U.S. involvement in NATO may need to be significantly diminished in the coming years, breaking with nearly seven decades of consensus in Washington. ‘We certainly can’t afford to do this anymore,’ Trump said, adding later, ‘NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, we’re protecting Europe with NATO, but we’re spending a lot of money.’… He questioned the value of massive military investments in Asia and wondered aloud whether the United States still was capable of being an effective peacekeeping force there…”

The German boulevard press does not like Trump’s statements. Bild Online reported on March 21: “Trump Attacks Germany” (apparently for his suggestion that Germany should do more regarding Ukraine) and on March 22: “Trump Speaks of World War III.” They also stated on March 21 that Trump’s vocabulary is that of a fifth-grader. This accusation is obviously ridiculous.

Terror Attack in Belgium–“Is Trump So Wrong?”

On March 22, Mail Online published the following article by Piers Morgan (former “America Has Talent” judge and CNN moderator):

“How many more? That’s all I could think this morning as news broke of yet another ISIS terror attack, this time in Brussels. How many more innocent men, women and children are going to be blown to pieces by these murderous bastards? How many more airports, train stations, sports stadiums, restaurants or concert halls will be obliterated in a hail of suicide bombs and bullets? How many more world leaders will wring their hands on national television afterwards and spout pointless platitudes about the ‘poor brave victims’ and ‘heroic emergency services’? How many taunting, gleeful claims of responsibility will the despicable perpetrators of these evil crimes be able to issue?…

“The inherent problem which causes it, chaotic war-torn instability in the Middle East, is getting worse, not better; just as the financial and military resource of the enemy is growing greater, not reducing. Yet just as the world is crying out for strong decisive leadership, there is none.

“America has a demob happy President Obama eeking out his last few months in office. A man whose infamous ‘leading from behind’ philosophy to foreign policy has been partly responsible for the war in Syria raging uncontrollably for five years – allowing fundamentalism to ferment. Obama has zero interest in doing anything tangible to really deal with ISIS. This is now parked in the tray marked ‘next president’s problem.’

“Europe, meanwhile, is splintering at the seams, ravaged by an unprecedented migration crisis that nobody seems to have a clue how to handle. German chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to let a million migrants into its country is already seen to be an utter disaster. France, reeling from two horrendous attacks in Paris, is understandably highly fearful of yet more terror coming its way. Belgium officials effectively conceded today that they have no real way to protect themselves against the ISIS threat. A fact surely born out by the fact that today’s onslaught in Brussels happened right when the city most expected it, following the capture of Paris attacks suspect Saleh Abdeslam three days ago.

“Britain, surely a target anytime soon, is on red alert but its warring politicians are too distracted by the upcoming EU referendum in June to pay anything more than lame lip service to terrorism. So nobody seems to be doing anything concrete to stop ISIS, or even suggesting a new way to do so given the spectacular lack of success to date.

“Well almost nobody.

“By coincidence, I had an interview scheduled today with the world’s most controversial man, Donald Trump, for my UK show, Good Morning Britain. It was set up a couple of weeks ago, but the timing was eerily prescient. Here is one man who definitely has a plan to deal with ISIS terrorism. Several plans in fact. The problem is that people don’t like them. Well, a lot of people don’t anyway.

“Trump, current front-runner for the Republican nomination, wants to hit ISIS ‘so hard they never recover’… He also wants a short-term ban on Muslims entering the U.S. until, as he puts it, ‘we figure out what the hell is going on?’ And he wants to torture suspects like Abdeslam with techniques like water-boarding to try and extract information about future attacks. Oh, and he wants to build a giant wall to stop illegal immigrants pouring over the Mexican border into America…

“Trump told me countries must tighten their borders in light of these terror attacks, especially to anyone related to an ISIS fighter in Syria. Is he so wrong?

“He told me he wants law-abiding Muslims to root out the extremists in their midst, expressing his bafflement and anger that someone like Abdeslam was able to hide for so long in the very part of Brussels he had previously lived. Is he so wrong?

“He told me America must make it far harder for illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. and thinks European countries should follow suit. Is he so wrong?

“He told me he believes there are now areas of many major European cities which have become poisonous breeding grounds for radicalized Islamic terror. Is he so wrong?

“I didn’t feel I was talking to a lunatic, as many seem to view Trump. I saw a guy, a non-politician unfettered by PC language restraints, who is genuinely furious at the devastation which ISIS is wreaking, and seriously concerned for the security of his fellow Americans and indeed, the citizens of Europe.

“His plans for tackling this extraordinarily dangerous threat to the world have been widely condemned as ‘bigoted’ and ‘racist’. But although I publicly criticised him for the Muslim short-term ban suggestion, I’ve known Trump for ten years and I don’t believe he’s a racist… And right now, he firmly believes that ISIS will murder countless more Americans and Europeans if somebody somewhere doesn’t stand up and punch them hard in the face.

“Someone prepared to stop spewing politically-correct niceties after these attacks, hoping nobody gets offended, and actually DO something. Let’s be honest with ourselves, right now ISIS is winning this war and will continuing committing utter carnage on our streets on an ever graver and more barbaric scale until they are stopped.

“I don’t have the answers to how to do that. But I don’t hear any good ideas coming from any world leaders at the moment either, and it’s their highly paid jobs to work it out. Instead, I see a global paralysis driven by fear, confusion and woeful lack of leadership. And it will only get worse.

“Hate Donald Trump all you like, but at least he seems to recognise the magnitude of the threat and at least he has firm proposals for how to try to defeat it. They may not win him the Politically Correct Pontificator of the Year award. But how many more scenes like this morning’s appalling images from Brussels are we going to tolerate before we try a non-PC option to beat these disgusting excuses for human beings?

“At the end of our interview, I asked Donald Trump to send a message to the large majority of non-violent, decent Muslims who are as disgusted by these attacks as the rest of us. ‘I have great respect for Muslims,’ he said, ‘I have many friends that are Muslims. I’m just saying that there is something with a radicalized portion that is very, very bad and very dangerous. I would say this, to the Muslims, when they see trouble, they have to report it, they’re not reporting it, they’re absolutely not reporting it and that’s a big problem.’ Is he so wrong?”

ISIS Ready to Attack Europe

The Associated Press wrote on March 23:

“The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, officials have told The Associated Press.

“The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq. The officials… described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to attack the West. Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks claimed he had entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered ‘more or less everywhere.’…

“Estimates range from 400 to 600 Islamic State fighters trained specifically for external attacks… Some 5,000 Europeans have gone to Syria.”

President Obama’s Failed “Strategy” Regarding ISIS

The New York Times wrote on March 22:

“It is not working. President Obama’s slow-but-steady strategy to defeat the Islamic State… is doing nothing to dent the charismatic appeal of the militant group, disrupt its propaganda or prevent it from killing Europeans.

“The Brussels attacks that left at least 30 people dead at the city’s international airport and a subway station adjacent to the European Union headquarters — the symbolism could scarcely be more potent — came just four days after the capture in the Belgian capital on Friday of Salah Abdeslam. He was the sole survivor among the 10 men believed to have perpetrated the attacks that killed 130 people in Paris a little more than four months ago.

“The Islamic State claimed responsibility. The Brussels slaughter bore its hallmarks — an apparently retaliatory attack, carried out by members of a large Belgian cell, many of them trained in Syria, all living in a European country that has permitted Islamist terrorists to infiltrate its neighborhoods. The message was clear: We can still hit you at will. Nothing that Western governments have done since Paris has changed that…

“Since the Paris attack, Obama has insisted that an anti-Islamic State coalition with European and other allies is getting the job done… The president has suggested that more radical military action to crush the militants — essentially the deployment of infantry — would drag the United States into another Middle Eastern war and increase the appeal of the Islamic State… This is a very high-risk policy… It allows the Islamic State to strut its pure evil in and from Raqqa. The Obama approach posits that the Islamic State can be beaten before European and American societies are undermined. Again today, speaking in Havana, he said, ‘We will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world.’ But the president does not say when victory will come against these forces he declined to identify, and time counts… [the] ponderous wait-them-out approach to the murderous fanatics of the caliphate looks like capitulation.”

Obama in Cuba

The Guardian wrote on March 21:

“President Raúl Castro of Cuba demanded that Barack Obama hand back Guantánamo Bay and fully end the US trade embargo as their historic first summit in Havana witnessed an unexpectedly spirited clash of political values. Despite emotional scenes of reconciliation that earlier saw the Star Spangled Banner played to spine-tingling effect by a Cuban band in Revolution Square, the two leaders made clear that rapprochement had only come so far. ‘There are profound differences between our countries that will not go away,’ said Castro as he turned the tables on the question of human rights and criticised the US for its failures to ensure universal healthcare and equal pay for women… The Cuban leader also angrily rejected questions by a US journalist who questioned his country’s human rights record… When asked why Cuba still held political prisoners, a visibly irritated Castro responded by asking: ‘What political prisoners? Give me a list of the political prisoners and I will release them immediately…’

“Obama agreed that the two countries still had much to disagree about and said the two had ‘frank and candid’ exchanges during nearly three hours of bilateral meetings earlier on Monday. ‘After five very difficult decades, the relationship between our two countries will not be transformed overnight,’ said the US president. ‘We continue to have significant differences … and that includes democracy and human rights…’

“‘Cuba’s destiny will not be decided by the United States or any other country,’ Obama added…  Obama’s conciliatory remarks – in which he predicted Congress would soon lift the embargo – may anger critics back home, who claim he has given away too much for too little by restoring diplomatic relations without guarantees of political reform… Many thorny issues remain unresolved. Cuba is adamant that no full rapprochement is possible unless the US lifts its embargo and returns the US navy base at Guantánamo Bay. Neither are acceptable to the Republic-controlled US Congress…”

Sadly, in his typically apologetic manner, President Obama said that he ‘“personally would not disagree’ with some of Cuban President Raul Castro’s criticisms of America,” according to the Weekly Standard on March 21. He spoke in Cuba during a press conference for less than a minute on the terrorist attack in Belgium and then went to a baseball game with President Castro …

Nothing Learned

Newsmax added on March 24:

“President Barack Obama came under bitter attack Wednesday for doing the tango and taking in other pleasures on his visits to Cuba and Argentina amid the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels… In Buenos Aires on Wednesday, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were coaxed onto the dance floor by professional tango dancers at a state dinner hosted by Argentine President Mauricio Macri…

“Obama played golf on Martha’s Vineyard in September 2014 after making a quick statement condemning the beheading of Foley, a freelance journalist from New Hampshire, by Islamic State terrorists. He later admitted that the move was a mistake after widespread outrage by critics.”

Even the German media reported about President and Mrs. Obama’s conduct with disgust.

Will China’s Economic Bubble Burst?

 Quartz wrote on March 22:

“The US subprime boom that eventually would trigger the 2008 global financial crisis started when lenders pushed outsized home loans on people without the wherewithal to pay them back. These homeowners were often so cash-strapped that they made tiny down payments on their properties. When home prices fell and loans went bad, banks and investors holding the loans, and financial investments build off them had to eat massive losses. One corner of China’s property market is starting to look very similar. That’s because Chinese home buyers are borrowing huge amounts of money to pay for down payments through the country’s hard-to-track shadow banking system…

“Normally, to get a mortgage in China, homebuyers need to put down at least 20% of a home’s value, and more in some big cities. But in recent years, these new players have stepped in, making it possible for someone with no savings at all to take out a mortgage…

“China’s top leadership is worried [pointing] out parallels between China’s situation and the US subprime crisis, [stating that it] could lead to a financial disaster… borrowing money to cover home down payments [is] not allowed… the problem has already grown to many billions of dollars… Even as China’s economic growth has slowed, outstanding mortgage loans have continued to grow. Chinese bank-issued home loans rose to 14 trillion yuan ($2.2 trillion) in 2015, 6% faster than the previous year…”

The Convoluted Hotchpotch of Easter Dating

The Independent wrote on March 21:

“Easter is fast approaching as Lent draws to a close and the festival takes place this Sunday 27 March… Easter’s date fluctuates every year. This year, the date is the earliest for almost a decade…

“As a general rule, it falls on the first Sunday which follows the first full moon after 21 March. The convoluted system is the product of a mix of Hebrew, Roman and Egyptian culture and calendars. The Egyptians based their calendar on the movement on the Sun, which was adopted by Roman and then Christian culture. However, Judaism used one based on the phases of the moon, which Islam also incorporates.

“Easter’s date fluctuates due to an attempt to harmonise these solar and lunar calendars. However, the issue is further complicated as there is no one fixed way to calculate Easter. Rather, more than a dozen different formulas exist. Many people have called for the system to be simplified to reduce confusion. In 1928 an Easter Act was passed which fixed the date as the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. However, the law did not catch on and very few people adopted it. It has never been enforced by the Government and has largely been forgotten.

“The most common date for Easter is 19 April, making this year’s date very early. The earliest it can be is 22 March. However, it has not fallen on this date since 1818 and won’t fall here again until 2285. The latest day on which Easter can fall is 25 April. This last happened in 1943 and will next come round in 2038.”

The pagan festival of Easter has really nothing to do with true Christianity, and it is actually a dangerously dark and sinister holiday. For more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Dark Side of Easter.” 

Transgender Ideology “Mental Disorder” and “Child Abuse”

Breitbart wrote on March 21:

“In a strongly worded statement…, the professional association of pediatricians says ‘a person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking.’ It describes such thinking as [a] problem that exists in the mind and not the body and ‘it should be treated as such.’ The college of pediatricians is joining a heated debate that increasingly pits concerned parents against school teachers, administrators, legislators, and transsexual advocates who are pushing the trans agenda in grade-schools, city governments, state governments, and the federal government.

“A wave of ‘non-discrimination’ bills are appearing around the country that require public women’s restrooms to accommodate men who think they are women and even those who consider themselves ‘gender non-binary,’ that is, men who appear to be men but who say there are neither male or female…

“The statement points out that such gender confusion should be treated as a psychological disorder called ‘gender dysphoria’ and is ‘a recognized mental disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V).’

“The group is most concerned about the regimen of drugs that are given to children to block puberty. ‘Children who use puberty blockers to impersonate the opposite sex will require cross-sex hormones in late adolescence. Cross-sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke and cancer.’

“Rates of suicide among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex change reassignment surgery are ‘twenty times greater’ than the rest of the population even in such trans-friendly places as Sweden. The doctors argue that ‘Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse.’”

The transgender ideology is indeed the product of a spiritually unhealthy mind. Please view our “controversial” and not necessarily highly popular StandingWatch program, “God’s Viewpoint on Transgender and Homosexual Individuals.”  

Religious Change in the USA

The Atlantic wrote on March 20:

“In the United States, fewer young Americans identify as religious or attend regular services than members of any other living generation… Religion is no longer the mode through which many people live their lives…

“But even as the country is becoming somewhat less religious, it is also becoming more religiously diverse… Immigrants are introducing their cultural practices into so-called old-time religion…

“Religious choices… create some of the most intense and hate-filled conflicts in American politics…  This might include the choice of who to marry, whether to convert, and how to spend a Friday night or Sunday morning. Some face the dilemma of staying in a religion that upholds tenets with which they disagree, or leaving a religion they love… The way young Americans wrestle with these choices will not only shape their futures. It will shape the future of the country.”

The Bible says that end-time America will totally reject the true God.

The Long Sad History of Anti-Semitic “Conspiracy” Theories

The Guardian wrote on March 19:

“Whenever I hear Jews announce their hatred of Israel’s very existence, I suspect that underneath their loud bombast lies a quiet plea to the Islamists and neo-Nazis who might harm them: ‘I’m not like the others. Don’t pick on me.’…

“Whether the antisemitic conspiracy theory is deployed by German Nazis [including German Neo-Nazis] or Arab dictators, French anti-Dreyfusards or Saudi clerics, the argument is always the same. Democracy, an independent judiciary, equal human rights, freedom of speech and publication – all these ‘supposed’ freedoms – are nothing but swindles that hide the machinations of the secret Jewish rulers of the world…  The ‘Israel lobby’ controls western foreign policy. Israel itself is the ‘root cause’ of all the terrors of the Middle East, from the Iraq war to Islamic State. Polite racism turns the Jews, once again, into demons with the supernatural power to manipulate and destroy nations. Or as the Swedish foreign minister, Margot Wallström, who sees herself as a feminist rather than a racial conspiracist, explained recently, Islamist attacks in Paris were the fault of Israeli occupiers in the West Bank.

“Or consider the otherwise bizarre indulgence of ultra-right religious extremists by people who otherwise describe themselves as liberals and leftists. As someone who warned… about the growing darkness on the left, I am pessimistic about the chances of change…  they will have to learn to treat all racisms equally. They will need to make a brief acquaintance with European history and understand that the left has no guaranteed immunity from fascistic ideology. They will have to see antisemitism for what it is and understand why it always leads to despotism and despair…”

Rightly understood, the ideology of anti-Semitism has had a field day in radical left philosophies. Stalin’s Russia persecuted the Jews, as did other Communist countries. So did Hitler’s Germany. But even though it is normally “described” as a radical right-wing philosophy, the term Nazi actually means “national SOCIALIST.”

Neanderthals Were Modern Human Beings!

Reuters reported on March 19:

“Scientists said on Friday an analysis of genetic information on about 1,500 people from locations around the world indicated at least four interbreeding episodes tens of thousands of years ago, three with our close cousins the Neanderthals and one with the mysterious extinct human species known as Denisovans. People living on the remote equatorial islands of Melanesia represented the only population found to possess an appreciable level of Denisovan genetic ancestry. These Melanesians, like most human populations, also had Neanderthal genetic ancestry…

“Denisovans, discovered in the past decade, are known only from a pinky finger bone and two teeth from a northern Siberian cave.”

This would again prove that Neanderthals (and Denisovans, if they really existed) were human beings (homo sapiens), and not ape-like creatures. For more information and proof, please read our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”