Our Lying Government

Politico wrote on April 29:

“Who among us thinks the government should add to its work list the job of determining what is true and what is disinformation? And who thinks the government is capable of telling the truth? Our government produces lies and disinformation at industrial scale and always has.

“This is the government that lied about winning the war in Vietnam, that said the Watergate affair was a ‘third-rate burglary,’ that fought a  secret war in Nicaragua, that lied about a clandestine love affair in the White House, that used faulty intelligence to force a war in the Middle East… President Barack Obama shortchanged the truth. Of 600 Obama statements… a quarter of them fell into the ‘red zone’ of being false, mostly false, or ‘pants on fire’ false. Not so long ago,  50 intelligence officials assured the nation that the Hunter Biden laptop story bore ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’… The idea that Covid could have come from a Chinese lab was similarly dismissed as disinformation; now it’s considered a legitimate possibility by the Biden administration. Meanwhile, we have documented proof from the Washington Post that…  Joe Biden can’t handle simple truths! (We don’t need to reassess the Donald Trump presidency here, do we?)…

“After branding something disinformation, it’s only a short slide to suppressing the contested information… If Russian disinformation is a problem, it has been so for almost a century… the Russians started sending out fake defectors in the 1930s to spread disinformation in the West. After World War II, the Soviets shifted their focus to the United States. Two years after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Soviet leadership sought to influence public opinion by covertly funding newspapers and radio stations around the world… It forged documents and attempted to plant them in credible publications. In one disinformation campaign, it promulgated the tall tale that AIDS was the product of an American biological weapons experimentation…”

Shocking when you think about all the lies that our governments have been spreading…

A Long History of Lying

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 7:

 “The most egregious and blatant official U.S. disinformation campaign in years took place three weeks before the 2020 presidential election. That was when dozens of former intelligence officials purported, in an open letter, to believe that authentic emails regarding Joe Biden’s activities in China and Ukraine, reported by The New York Post, were ‘Russian disinformation.’ That quasi-official proclamation enabled liberal corporate media outlets to uncritically mock and then ignore those emails as Kremlin-created fakes, and it pressured Big Tech platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to censor the reporting at exactly the time Americans were preparing to decide who would be the next U.S. president.

“The letter from these former intelligence officials was orchestrated by trained career liars — disinformation agents — such as former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Yet that letter was nonetheless crucial to discredit and ultimately suppress the New York Post‘s incriminating reporting on Biden. It provided a quasi-official imprimatur — something that could be depicted as an authoritative decree — that these authentic emails were, in fact, fraudulent…

“The purpose of Homeland Security agents is to propagandize and deceive, not enlighten and inform. The level of historical ignorance and stupidity required to believe that U.S. Security State operatives are earnestly devoted to exposing and decreeing truth… is off the charts… That the Board will be run by such a preposterous and laughable figure as Nina Jankowicz… has, in some sense, made this board seem more benign and harmless. After all, how nefarious and dangerous can a board be when it is governed by a person as frivolous and banal as this, calling herself ‘the Mary Poppins of disinformation’? But just as banality can be a vehicle for evil, it can also be a vehicle for repression and tyrannical control…

“… this new Disinformation Czar has herself ratified and helped spread virtually every disinformation campaign concocted by the union of the Democratic Party and corporate media over the last five years… An agency with a long history of lying, run by life-long disinformation agents, has just created a board to issue… official decrees, all overseen by a person who is so partisan and ideologically motivated that it is hard to take her seriously. Whether or not you take her seriously, the power that Homeland Security has just secured for itself is anything but a joke.”

In fact, it is frightening and extremely dangerous.

Ill-Defined, Biased and Dangerous

Politico wrote on May 5:

“In an almost offhand fashion last week, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told several congressional committees that his Department of Homeland Security had created a new body, the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB). He offered few specifics as to how it was combating disinformation, and few have come since, apart from his meaningless comment that the DGB would have no ‘operational authority or capacity.’ In short, the message amounted to ‘There’s nothing to see here or worry about.’ We disagree, and we have seen this saga before. An episode from over a hundred years ago tells us a great deal about how such a venture can go wrong, and to some extent already has.

“We refer here to the Committee on Public Information, created by President Woodrow Wilson on April 14, 1917, one week after the United States entered World War I. This was done through a three-sentence executive order that offered no meaningful specifics other than that the CPI would be headed by the pyrotechnic, muckraking journalist George Creel.

“Wilson seems to have had in mind that the CPI would be responsible for censoring information that compromised military operations. This, of course, was a matter of legitimate concern. But in the next 18 months that the war lasted, the CPI grew willy-nilly into a ministry of propaganda… The CPI soon began declaring ‘the facts,’ calling out Americans who dared to dissent, and even chastising small town editors who took minor exception to administration policy…

“The appointment of Creel was another major misstep… From his early days in Kansas City and later Denver, his crusading journalism was overwrought and his political alliances never far from the surface…

“The appointment of Nina Jankowicz as executive director of the DGB is similarly ill-advised… Jankowicz has drawn criticism for comments that smack of political bias, among other things appearing to wholly dismiss the Hunter Biden laptop controversy as Russian disinformation…

“The biggest problem, however, was with the very idea of a government agency monitoring truth… Despite its claims to provide only facts, however, [the CPI] could not resist playing on emotions and providing tendentious information that fed on unfounded fears of German spies lurking everywhere. Those ‘spies,’ in effect, were people who challenged Wilson’s administration policies…  if America learned anything from its experience with the CPI, it is this: An organization that is ill-defined can be anything it wants to be… And that is particularly perilous when that organization is a governmental entity that has the power to speak directly to 330 million Americans….”

Warnings from the past are usually ignored.

Unconstitutional Assault on Freedom of Speech

The Week wrote on May 4:

“The Biden administration’s plan to create a Disinformation Governance Board is a ‘shockingly unconstitutional assault on freedom of speech,’ says Mike Huckabee…

“‘The concern [is] that the board will spy on Americans,’ says the Wall Street Journal in an editorial… and tells ‘the masses what is true and what is false’…

“These are worthy goals. But that doesn’t mean we should give the job to a federal government that has lied to the American people about everything… The horrible name alone is reason enough to ‘pull the plug’ on the Disinformation Governance Board ‘and never speak of it again,’ says… the Washington Post. Calling it ‘Orwellian is an insult to George Orwell,’ who understood the importance and power of language…”

Another Step Toward US Dictatorship

Fox News wrote on May 5:

“Rand Paul challenged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his department’s newly-announced Disinformation Governance Board, asserting that the American people do not need the federal government to tell them what the truth is. Paul specifically pointed to claims that he has made about the COVID-19 pandemic that have not been in line with administration policies. ‘I’ve said a million times that cloth masks don’t work. YouTube takes me down. They’re a private company I can have that beef with him. What about you? You’re going to look at that? I often say that natural immunity from having had the infection is equal to the vaccine or better. You’re going to take that down?… Are you going to put information out there saying that I’m spreading disinformation?’ Paul asked. ‘Mayorkas stated that his agency’s staff ‘are not the public’s health experts to make those determinations.’ ‘So public health won’t be part of the Disinformation Governance Board? No COVID disinformation? Yes or no?’ Paul pressed.

“Mayorkas would not answer, claiming that Paul was giving him ‘vague’ hypothetical situations. Paul claimed that his examples were ‘very specific.’ [Paul said:] ‘… you don’t have the perspective of history knowing that disinformation, the largest progenitor of disinformation in our history, has probably been the U.S. government.’ That last comment was in line with what Paul said earlier, about the U.S. government having a history of spreading disinformation. ‘Do you know who the greatest propagator of disinformation in the history of the world is? The U.S. government,’ Paul said. ‘Are you familiar with McNamara? The Pentagon Papers? Are you familiar with George W. Bush and the weapons of mass destruction? Are you familiar with Iran-contra?… I want you to have nothing to do with speech… Do you think the American people are so stupid they need you to tell them what the truth is? You can’t even admit what the truth is with the Steele dossier. I don’t trust government to figure out what the truth is. Government is largely disseminating disinformation.’”

Paul has a valid point. When governments try to suppress opinion and “define” the truth as they want to propagate it, then they have become dictatorships.

Companies “Look After” Their Employees to Guarantee Their “Right” to Kill

Breitbart wrote on May 4:

“Since conservative-leaning states began flexing their legislative muscles to outlaw abortion within their borders or severely limit its practice, companies from the likes of Amazon to Yelp have been drafting policies that will pay for employees’ abortions should they live in a state that outlaws the practice…

“Amazon became the latest corporation to cover employees’ travel costs to seek abortion care. The company told staff it would pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses annually for medical treatments including abortions…

“Amazon joined Citigroup, Yelp, Uber, Lyft, Bumble, Match Group, and Salesforce to draft such a policy. On Tuesday, Levi Strauss & Co. reminded its employees that its current benefits program will grant reimbursements ‘for healthcare-related travel expenses for services not available in their home state, including those related to reproductive health care and abortion.’…”

And so, the murder of innocent unborn children continues…

Come to Canada to Murder Innocent Lives!

Huffington Post wrote on May 5:

“A Canadian official said Wednesday that Americans will be able to obtain abortions in Canada should the Supreme Court overturn the landmark abortion rights decision, Roe v. Wade… Abortion is legal in Canada at any point in pregnancy. …

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the ‘right to choose is a woman’s right and a woman’s right alone.’ ‘Every woman in Canada has a right to a safe and legal abortion. We’ll never back down from protecting and promoting women’s rights in Canada and around the world,’ he said.”

Nothing else could be expected from left-wing radical autocrat Trudeau. To him, the right of an unborn child to LIVE does not seem to matter.

Some Tough Questions for Joe Biden

The American Thinker wrote on May 6:

“Why are you leaving the southern border wide open with no troops, no army, and no border security?… Why are you intentionally enacting policies that hike up the price of gasoline?  Why do you pursue policies that drive up the price of food?  Why do you push an agenda that drives up the inflation rate to a 40-year high?… Why promote policies that have made the price of homes unaffordable for many families, and made it so that rental properties are out of reach for many couples?  Why have you brought us to a place where there is a shortage of fertilizer for farmers, and thus the yield on crops will be smaller, and there will be even less food for American families?

“Why are citizens who acted within their legal rights during the J6 rally imprisoned in Washington, D.C.?  Why do they remain in American Gulags without being officially charged and without the provision of bail?  Why did you say it is illegal and an insurrection to question the outcome of the stolen 2020 election?  Why are you against voter identification to vote lawfully, but are insistent on a vaccination passport to enter a store or fly on a plane?  Why do you call your enemies white supremacists?  Why did seven states all stop the counting of votes, all at the same time, on election night?…

“Why would your government lie about where the COVID-19 virus actually originated?  Why did you shut down schools, make the wearing of masks mandatory, require citizens to keep six feet apart, and impose an experimental vaccine upon the nation — when it was clear these ‘solutions’ did not work?… Why, during COVID, did you lock down schools and churches — but keep open liquor stores, hemp centers, and needle exchanges?  Why are you against allowing individual states, within our federal system, to decide on their own laws with respect to the pro-life issue?  Why are you in favor of more federal legislative protection for snakes, alligators, and turtles more than you are for protecting living babies inside the womb?

“Why would your Deep State create a Ministry of Truth?…

“Why did your Department of Defense leave behind $83 billion’s worth of military equipment for the terrorists in Afghanistan to keep?… Why do you think it is acceptable for public schools to groom young children?… Why did you tolerate mobs of BLM and Antifa pulling down statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt?…”

Of course, many more tough questions could be asked of Mr. Biden and his administration… It appears that he and his administration are being used by spiritual forces to destroy America from the inside. Note the next article.

The Mystery of Biden’s Presidency

The New York Post wrote on May 8:

“… a cottage industry of so-called journalists is… twisting truth to make the failing president [Biden] a victim, if not a hero…

“… his administration has effectively defined ‘extremist’ as anybody who disagrees with its far-left dogma, including parents objecting to school racial and sexual indoctrination… the left-wing media doesn’t have a single unkind word to say about the unprecedented leak itself… neither the White House nor congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer condemned the radical leftists who published the home addresses of six conservative justices and promised to protest outside their houses. Schumer instead gave a speech [insisting] that the justices ‘have lied to the US Senate, ripped up the Constitution, and defiled both precedent and the Supreme Court’s reputation.’

“This is civil war level fiery and drew the ire of GOP colleagues, who accused him of slandering the justices and of trying to intimidate the court…

“And that remains the central mystery of the Biden presidency – how and why did that happen? How did a career moderate create perhaps the most radical administration in history? Here was an unlikely president, old and in obvious decline, who had the narrowest possible majorities in Congress at a time of intense polarization….

“Biden… started going far left, kept going and has never stopped… Each blunder underscores the mystery that hangs over this White House: Why, Joe Biden, did you sacrifice your presidency and American progress on the altar of the far left?”

Here is the mystery which most people don’t understand: Satan is the god of this world, and he influences the leaders of this world. And the Bible has prophesied thousands of years ago that in our time, due to America’s horrible sins, it will go down. Its fall is undeniable and inevitable, and it will end soon in defeat in a nuclear war.

The Terrible Curse of Inflation in the USA

cnbc wrote on May 11:

“Inflation is showing no signs of slowing down, making it harder for workers to make ends meet… Food prices are up at the fastest pace in more than 41 years… As of March, close to two-thirds, or 64%, of the U.S. population was living paycheck to paycheck…

“Consumers who are struggling to afford their day-to-day lifestyle tend to rely more on credit cards and carry higher monthly balances making them financially vulnerable… Overall, credit card balances rose year over year, reaching $841 billion in the first three months of 2022… At this rate, balances could soon reach record levels amid higher prices for gas, groceries and housing…”

The New York Post added on May 10:

“Biden isn’t fooling anyone ⁠— inflation is his fault and he has no solution to fix it.”

Biden vs. Trump and America’s Hopeless Division

Fox News reported on May 5:

“Trump on Thursday told Fox News Digital that ‘MAGA [“Make America Great Again”] is saving America,’ and slammed President Biden for being ‘divisive’… Trump’s comments are in response to Biden, who, reacting Wednesday to the leaked draft opinion signaling the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade, slammed Republicans, saying the controversy is ‘about a lot more than abortion.’

“Biden said the ‘MAGA crowd’ is ‘the most extreme political organization that’s existed in recent American history.’ Biden declared in April that the GOP [“Grand Old Party”; that is, the Republican Party] ‘ain’t your father’s Republican Party,’ saying it has shifted to a ‘MAGA party’ and warning that right-leaning politicians ‘who know better’ are ‘afraid to act correctly’ out of fear of losing a primary election.”

The Democratic Party is surely not anymore what it used to be in the not-too-distant past. This country is hopelessly divided and given to hatred, with no change in sight.  And a house divided CANNOT stand! And it won’t.

Conflict of Interest of Biden’s New Press Secretary

The New York Post wrote on May 6:

“President Biden’s trailblazing pick of his new press secretary is already being accused of creating troubling conflicts of interest because of her long-term relationship with star CNN reporter Suzanne Malveaux. Karine Jean-Pierre — who next Friday will be both the first black and first openly gay person to hold the key White House post — lives with the network’s national correspondent in Washington, DC, with their 7-year-old daughter…

“While the groundbreaking pick was widely celebrated, it also left some questioning the pair’s impartiality, especially given CNN’s recent scandals, including now-axed host Chris Cuomo’s behind-the-scenes meddling in brother New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s sex scandals. ‘This is one of many examples of the corporate media LITERALLY in bed with the government it covers,’ tweeted Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of right-wing news outlet Breitbart.”

Current White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is no stranger to controversy herself when it was revealed that, while still acting as Press Secretary, plans had been finalized for Psaki to join left-wing MSNBC. The conflict of interest is obvious, but does not seem to bother the White House.

Politics and More Politics… Developments in Germany and Russia Regarding Ukraine

Deutsche Welle reported on May 5:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is due to travel to Kyiv.  The announcement came after weeks of friction after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his visit was not welcome by Kyiv.  Earlier on Thursday, the president’s office said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by phone adding that both Steinmeier and Scholz have both been invited to Kyiv….‘The German president expressed his solidarity, respect, and support for the Ukrainian people’s courageous fight against the Russian aggressors,’ the spokesperson said. ‘Both presidents described the discussion as very important and very good… Irritations of the past were cleared up…’

“[Israel’s] prime minister [Bennett] accepted President Putin’s apology for Lavrov’s remarks and thanked him for clarifying his attitude toward the Jewish people and the memory of the Holocaust,” a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said. The Kremlin made no direct reference to the row…”

How past irritations between Germany and Ukraine were “cleared up,” and what Putin allegedly “apologized” for, if anything, remains clouded in mystery. As true politicians, all parties are trying to show a good face to a bad game. But this “friendly” relationship of propaganda will not last…

Europe Needs an Army

The American Conservative wrote on May 9:

“There is [a] solution which has until now been met with derision from all sides of the American political spectrum: American support for the creation of a European Union army… President Donald Trump reacted angrily to French President Emmanuel Macron’s mention of the idea in 2018. Conservatives and anyone who wishes for the U.S. to successfully pivot to Asia should reconsider this position.

“… The E.U. is not entitled to the lives of America’s soldiers… The E.U. has a thriving arms industry, massive population, nuclear weapons… They can take care of themselves…

“Americans died in the Second World War for two reasons: to extinguish a 20th-century Nazi threat and extinguish a 20th-century Japanese threat. They did not die to occupy Europe forever… some might claim that the E.U. is simply not ready for an army, or that leaders in the E.U. will not want to take on such a burden. But not being ready or willing is no reason for America to stay in Europe forever. Since 1945 we have defended Europe, and in return we have received mockery and scorn… it is time for Europe to learn to fend for itself. The next presidential administration should make the formation of a European Union army a top foreign-policy priority.”

And so, Europe will have a unified army soon… much sooner than many may think.

Sinn Fein’s Historic Win in Northern Ireland

 The Associated Press wrote on May 8:

“The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a ‘new era’ Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win… Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assembly’s 90 seats. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Ireland’s legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast for the first time since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921….

“The victory is a milestone for Sinn Fein, which has long been linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule during decades of violence involving Irish republican militants, Protestant Loyalist paramilitaries and the U.K. army and police.

“Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neil… stressed that it was imperative for Northern Ireland’s politicians to come together next week to form an Executive — the devolved government of Northern Ireland. If none can be formed within six months, the administration will collapse, triggering a new election and more uncertainty.

“O’Neill has said, on Irish unification, there would be no constitutional change until voters decide on it. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald indicated Friday that planning for any unity referendum could come within the next five years.”

Russian Dress Rehearsal for Victory Day on May 9:

The Associated Press wrote on May 7:

“Russia held a dress rehearsal on Saturday for the military parade to commemorate Victory Day on [Monday,] May 9, when the country marks the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.

“This year’s Victory Day… won’t just honor a conflict that ended 77 years ago. Many Russians will be thinking about the thousands of troops in neighboring Ukraine. Signs of support for the military have grown across the country since Feb. 24, with the letter ‘Z’ appearing on billboards and signs in the streets and subways, and on television and social media.”

“On Saturday, an RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile rolled through Red Square as part of the rehearsal in Moscow, with warplanes and helicopters flying overhead, troops marching in formation and self-propelled artillery vehicles rumbling past.”

On Instagram, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) posted on March 3 that the “Z” symbol is an abbreviation of the phrase “for victory,” while the “V” symbol stands for “strength is in truth” and “The task will be completed.”

Putin Defends Invasion of Ukraine

The Los Angeles Times wrote on May 9:

“Putin delivered a strident speech Monday at an annual military parade in Moscow, accusing the U.S. and the West of provoking the conflict and comparing it to the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany in World War II.

“But the Russian leader stopped short of using the occasion — known as Victory Day to mark the defeat of Hitler’s forces 77 years ago — to declare an all-out war with Ukraine… Russia still refers to the invasion as a ‘special military operation,’ which does not require a full national mobilization of resources for war.”

For now?

Does America Run Short of Weapons because of the Ukraine War?

Bloomberg wrote on April 14:

“Western allies face a choice: Send more weapons to Kyiv or save their stockpiles for their own defense. America is following an ‘arsenal of democracy’ strategy in Ukraine: It has avoided direct intervention against the Russian invaders, while working with allies and partners to provide the Kyiv government with money and guns.

“…Yet as the war reaches a critical stage with… the arsenal of democracy is being depleted… it is revealing American weaknesses that could be laid bare in the next great-power fight. American stockpiles of key weapons are smaller than one might imagine, partly because of production constraints and partly because most of the Pentagon’s roughly $750 billion budget goes to manpower, health care and things other than bullets and bombs…”

The Heritage Foundation wrote on May 5:

“Supplying Ukraine with weapons… will almost certainly exacerbate the issue of an already depleted American arsenal. Due to the complexity and time required to manufacture today’s precision weapons, we must start thinking now, before a war breaks out, about whether America has enough weaponry to sustain a conflict….

“Last month President Biden released a defense budget request that does not even keep up with the rate of inflation, much less provide for any growth to meet our own needs. It’s a recipe for weakness at a time when the free world desperately needs strength.”

On May 10, Popular Mechanics published an article with the following headline:

“…the U.S. Sent So Many Missiles to Ukraine That It Depleted Its Own Stockpiles.”

Possibility of Defeat Becomes Real

The Washington Times wrote on May 3:

“New reports have now been disseminated to an increasingly concerned public that the West’s major defense contractors are unable to replenish the drained stocks of Javelin anti-tank missiles and stingers… For the West, specifically the Americans, we should be asking our leaders how we got to this place where weapons that are both essential and basic for modern warfare… are suddenly unavailable in the numbers needed to fight a modern war?…  If, as the Russians insist, we are already in another world war and the West has already almost depleted its supply of essential weapons, one must wonder how the future of America’s fighting capabilities will be negatively impacted. It doesn’t look good, that’s for sure…

“American leaders have so badly ignored industrial policy that we may yet lose a world war because we’ve gutted our manufacturing capabilities for so long that we can’t recover… and once America’s enemies realize that we can no longer threaten them because of severe limits on the availability of our arms, then the real challenge to America’s military begins … and the possibility of defeat becomes painfully real.”

Hunger Crisis Because of Ukraine War

npr wrote on April 20:

“The pains of every war ripple out beyond the borders of the conflict zone. And as the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on, the disruptions in the global food supply chain are beginning to deepen the already dire hunger crisis around the world.

“Ukraine and Russia combined export 30% of the world’s wheat, in addition to other food supplies. Now, because of the ongoing war, the price of food worldwide is skyrocketing and 38 countries are facing acute food insecurity, meaning they are just one step from famine.”

WFP wrote on May 6:

“The World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for the immediate reopening of Black Sea ports – including Odesa – so that critical food from Ukraine can reach people facing food insecurity… Today, as record numbers of people wonder what they will eat tomorrow, harvests from Ukrainian farms are failing to be shipped to the destinations where they are needed most… 44 million people around the world are marching towards starvation…

“Before the war, most of the food produced by Ukraine – enough to feed 400 million people – was exported through the country’s seven Black Sea ports. In the eight months before the conflict began, close to 51 million metric tons of grain passed through them… Global food prices have risen sharply since the onset of the crisis. This will affect local food prices and people in the most vulnerable locations, on extremely tight budgets, are particularly at risk…”

Pope Francis vs. Patriarch Kirill

Fox News wrote on May 5:

“The Russian Orthodox Church hit back at the Vatican this week after Pope Francis told an Italian newspaper that Patriarch Kirill should not ‘transform himself into Putin’s altar boy’ amid the invasion of Ukraine. ‘Pope Francis chose the wrong tone,’ the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘Such statements are unlikely to contribute to the establishment of a constructive dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, which is especially needed at the present time.’

“The Pope recalled during an interview with the Italian Corriere della Sera newspaper that half of a 40-minute conversation he had with Patriarch Kirill in March consisted of the Russian Orthodox Church leader reading off ‘all the justifications for the war.’ Kirill, a longtime supporter of Putin, has echoed the Russian president’s justifications for the war in sermons and placed the blame on NATO. ‘Patriarch Kirill recalled that at the end of the Soviet era, Russia received an assurance that NATO would not move an inch eastwards. However, this promise was broken, even the former Soviet Baltic republics joined NATO,’ the Russian Orthodox Church said Wednesday. ‘Russia could not and cannot allow this to happen.’

“Despite their disagreements, Pope Francis also partially blamed NATO, telling the Italian newspaper this week that the ‘barking of NATO at Russia’s door’ may have forced Putin to invade… Pope Francis met with Kirill in-person in Cuba six years ago, marking the first time that a pontiff has met with the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the Great Schism nearly a millennium ago.”

Is Francis playing politics again, as he is known to do? Bild Online commented, the pope should stay out of politics and devote himself to prayer instead. This is of course an illusionary and unrealistic proposal. Historically, the Catholic Church has never stayed out of politics. Indeed, it is the woman riding and to an extent directing and leading the coming European beast of 10 core nations, as described in Revelation 17.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Leaked Draft—Roe v. Wade to be Overturned?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 5:

“Protesters gathered outside the US Supreme Court late on Monday after news outlet Politico released what it said was a draft majority opinion from the court overturning the landmark abortion judgment known as Roe v. Wade. Written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the initial draft [which was drafted in February of 2022, without any information as to whether the initial draft was subsequently revised] is his opinion and what he believes reflects the opinion of at least four other conservative members of the top court. It does not reflect comments or reactions from other members of the nine-member court. It is also not the final decision, since the Supreme Court has not ruled on the case yet, and judges can also change their final vote.

“In the reported draft opinion, Alito said he believes that ‘Roe was egregiously wrong from the start… It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,’ the opinion reportedly adds.

“Roe v. Wade is the landmark US Supreme Court judgment of 1973 that legalized the right to abortion across the country. It was once again upheld in a 1992 ruling, which said states could not place an ‘undue burden’ on women seeking abortions before a fetus could survive outside the womb, at around 24 week…

“It is typical court procedure for a member of the court to write a draft of the court’s opinion after holding a preliminary vote on a case privately, but it is exceptional for the draft opinion to be leaked to the public as a case remains pending before it…. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case in June…”

Fox News added on May 4:

“Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that Alito’s draft opinion… was genuine – although the draft dates back to February, and it does not represent the current or final opinion of the court.”

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, then each state is allowed to decide whether to allow, restrict or ban abortions within its own borders. It is estimated that 26 states would be certain or likely to restrict abortion procedures. In some cases, prosecutions could be brought against anyone aiding in obtaining an abortion. Practicing Catholic politicians like Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer strongly opposed the proposed decision, saying that the woman’s right to choose must be upheld and that the decision would be “one of the worst and most damaging decisions in modern history,” even though the Catholic Church prohibits most cases of abortion, focusing thereby on the killing of an innocent unborn child. Many conservatives surmise that the leak occurred to sway the court’s decision by a left-liberal outcry. The leak has been described as an “original sin for judicial ethics,” and “one of the greatest breaches of security in the history of the Court.”

Israel Upset Over Lavrov’s Comments About Hitler

Times of Israel wrote on May 2:

“Israeli leaders on Monday demanded an apology and denounced Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for saying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ‘had Jewish blood’ and that Jews are among the worst antisemites. Lavrov made the remarks during an interview with Italian television, in which he claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Jewishness did not undercut Russia’s claims that its invasion of Ukraine was meant to ‘denazify’ the country.

“‘The aim of such lies is to blame the Jews themselves for the most terrible crimes in history that were committed against them, thus freeing from responsibility the oppressors of Israel,’ Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement from his office.

“Bennett’s denunciation followed stronger condemnation from Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and other Israeli ministers. ‘This is an unforgivable and scandalous comment, a terrible historical error and we expect an apology,’ Lapid said. ‘Hitler was not of Jewish origin and the Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest form of racism against Jews is blaming the Jews themselves for antisemitism.’ Added Lapid: ‘We are making every effort to maintain good relations with Russia, but there is a line, and this time the line has been crossed. The Russian government  must apologize to us and to the Jewish people.’”

Breitbart added on May 2:

“Despite Israel’s ambivalent stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine war – the result of being a rare ally of both countries — its language has taken a stronger tone in recent weeks…”

Axios wrote on May 2:

“It’s the first time Israel has publicly condemned the Russian claim that Zelensky is a ‘Nazi.’… The condemnation is the latest example of how Israeli policy toward the Russian invasion of Ukraine has slowly shifted, with the Israeli government voicing more criticism of Russian action and showing more willingness to give aid to Ukraine. While Israel condemned the Russian invasion and recently accused Russia of committing war crimes, it has for many weeks taken a careful approach to the Ukraine crisis to ensure military cooperation with Russia in Syria continues.”

The “good” relationship between Russia and Israel will end.

The Daily Mail wrote on May 3:

“Russia has doubled down and accused Israel of supporting neo-Nazis in Ukraine in a bitter row sparked by Sergei Lavrov’s comments that Adolf Hitler had ‘Jewish blood’….  in a statement today, the Russian foreign ministry said Lapid’s comments were ‘anti-historical’ and ‘explaining to a large extent why the current Israeli government supports the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv’… Moscow reiterated Lavrov’s point that Zelensky’s Jewish origins did not preclude Ukraine from being run by neo-Nazis.”

Hamas Threatens Israel

Times of Israel wrote on May 2:

“In a speech Saturday night filled with murderous threats and denunciations of Israel, Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar said the terror group ‘will not hesitate to take any steps’ if Israel ‘violates’ the Al-Aqsa Mosque… ‘Violating Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem means a regional, religious war,’ he said…

“Sinwar praised the recent terror wave against Israelis that has left 15 dead; encouraged Palestinians in the West Bank and Arab Israelis to commit more attacks; hailed a ‘global shift’ in favor of the Palestinian cause; and urged the Islamist Ra’am party to withdraw from Israel’s governing coalition… Ra’am suspended its membership in the coalition after the recent clashes between Palestinians and police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Although tensions have not escalated further, Ra’am has yet to officially rejoin the government…

“Sinwar further accused Israel of seeking to partition the Temple Mount as a ‘first step’ to ‘destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and build a temple’ in its place… ‘Al-Aqsa is indeed in danger,’ Sinwar said…

“As for Arabs living in Israel, he urged them, too, to kill Israelis: ‘Our people living inside the occupier state — in the Negev, in the [northern] Triangle, in Haifa, in Acre, in Jaffa and in Lod — everybody who has a gun should take it, and those who don’t have a gun should take a butcher’s knife or any knife he can get,’ he said…”

Iran’s International Terrorist Activities

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 30:

“[Israel’s] Mossad – operating in Iran – apprehended and interrogated an Iranian national who was leading a plot to kill an Israeli diplomat and a US general, sources have confirmed. An audio recording released on Saturday showed a photo of Mansour Rasouli admitting he had been ordered to establish a cell to assassinate a worker at the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, a US general stationed in Germany and a journalist in France…

“The Quds Force, the IRGC branch responsible for overseas operations, planned to carry out the assassinations via drug cartels, with the Islamic Republic reportedly willing to pay over $1 million for the targets. The planned hits were organized by a member of Quds Force’s Unit 840 stationed in Europe, who was paid $150,000 to ‘prepare for the assassinations’ by using his connections to various European drug lords.

“Unit 840 is a relatively secretive operational unit that organizes terrorist infrastructure outside Iran against Western targets and opposition groups… Defense officials said the failed assassinations join a long list of similar plots, including recent ones in Kenya and Colombia. Turkish, British and American reports over the last few years have accused Iran of using major international crime organizations to help advance its goals abroad, which include carrying out terrorist plots.”

Putin to Be Operated and His Powers Transferred?

The Sun wrote on April 30:

“[Putin] has been source of considerable speculation amid reports that he is battling both abdominal cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. But now it has been reported that 69-year-old Putin could soon vanish as he goes under the knife, with power transferred to Nikolai Patrushev.

“Shadowy Patrushev, 70, is seen as a key architect of the Ukraine war strategy and the man who convinced Putin that Kyiv was awash with neo-Nazis.  The claim was reported on Russian media outlet General SVR, which first raised issues of Putin’s health around 18-months ago…

“When exactly Putin will go into hospital is unclear but it is unlikely to [be] before May 9, when he presides over the grandiose Red Victory Day commemoration of the defeat of Hitler…

“An all-out war [against Ukraine] would allow Moscow to draft in more conscripts, impose martial law and also bid for support from its international allies – such as Belarus.”

Destroying Europe?

The Sun wrote on May 2:

“RUSSIAN state TV has threatened to drown the UK under a radioactive tsunami in a bizarre new propaganda video. In the chilling broadcast the presenter also showed how the Kremlin’s latest world-ending Satan 2 nuclear missile could also annihilate Britain. The warning comes as the Kremlin raised the prospect of devastating military strikes on Britain over its deal to supply weapons to Ukraine… host Dmitry Kiselyov heralded Russia’s second option to ‘plunge Britain into the depths of the sea’ with its ‘underwater robotic drone Poseidon.’ In a chilling graphic he warned the missile would raise a giant tsunami wave up to 1,640ft high…

“Putin himself last week darkly warned of using nuclear weapons against the UK and its European allies as devastating nuke maps were broadcast across Russian TV. It gleefully warned Berlin can be nuked in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds. The Sarmat hypersonic 208-ton ’Satan-2’ intercontinental ballistic missile has a speed of 15,880mph and is claimed by the Kremlin leader to be ‘unstoppable’…

“Sergei Lavrov said the risk of World War 3 is now ‘considerable’ – saying the West is essentially fighting a proxy war against Moscow via its support for Kyiv…

The Mirror added April 30:

“Russian state TV simulated a terrifying nuclear strike on Europe, declaring there would be ‘no survivors’… The terrifying claims… were made on the popular TV show which is one of the country’s most watched.”

This will not happen now, but nuclear war, involving Russia and Europe, WILL happen in the future.

Criticism Against Scholz

The Daily Mail wrote on April 29:

“After two months of prevarication and excuses, the German government at last agreed this week to send some heavy armour to Ukraine… Better late than never, you might think. Except that the 50 Gepard (German for cheetah) anti-aircraft vehicles it has approved first saw service in the 1960s and, despite several upgrades, haven’t been part of the German army’s arsenal for over a decade… Military experts say it’s a complicated weapon that requires months of training (five months, for example, when the Romanian army acquired it), a constant stream of spare parts — and ammunition from Switzerland, which the Swiss have not yet agreed to send.

“No wonder Ukrainians feel Germany’s heart is not quite in its efforts to arm them with the weapons it desperately and quickly needs.

“Yet it’s only just over two months since Scholz made an historic speech to the German parliament which was hailed at the time as a watershed. In an address which lasted just under an hour, as Russian armour and troops poured across the border in an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the recently elected chancellor laid waste to Germany’s long-standing policy of cosying up to the Kremlin. He promised billions more for defence to end the hollowing out of Germany’s military, support for sanctions against Moscow and even weapons for Ukraine. When he sat down, 16 years of Merkelism — the pro-Russian approach of his predecessor, Angela Merkel — lay in tatters.

“It was all the more remarkable coming from a chancellor whose Social Democrat party had always been in the vanguard of rapprochement with Russia — a policy known as Ostpolitik, which dates back to the early 1960s.Yet in the aftermath of this supposed watershed, Scholz was nowhere to be seen. It was almost as if he’d gone into hiding…

“Sympathetic commentators reminded us that Scholz was in coalition with the Greens, who dabbled in pacifism, and had to accommodate the Left of his own party, which still had a soft spot for Ostpolitik despite Russian barbarities in Ukraine. But the Greens let it be known they were in favour of sending heavy weapons and the Left kept their heads down. Another pathetic excuse bit the dust…

“Die Welt, one of Germany’s most respected newspapers, calls Scholz’s failure to follow through after his watershed speech as ‘the most dangerous miscalculation in the history of the Federal Republic’. It’s a crisis for the whole German political establishment, since all of it — Left, Right and centre plus big business and trade unions — has been implicated in the sorry mess that Germany’s long-standing complicity with the Kremlin has become.

“As perhaps Germany’s most egregious Putin puppet, former chancellor Gerhard Schroder, recently confessed: ‘We were all at it for 30 years.’ As chairman of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and board director of oil giant Rosneft, he has been filling his boots with Russian energy company treasure for years — and still is.

“The German establishment has been more vociferously critical of Brexit Britain than of Putin’s Russia. Now it’s paying the price for its Kremlin complicity. Schroder’s great mate, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is Germany’s head of state. His ties with Moscow are so extensive that Kyiv has declared him persona non grata. Ukraine’s ambassador to Berlin refuses to be in the same room as him.

“The contrast between Germany’s political leaders and the female leaders who have been dubbed the Five Warrior Women of the North could not be starker — or more refreshing. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania are all led by smart, feisty women who’ve been fiercely critical of Putin from even before the invasion and robustly supportive of Ukraine since…

“The decision to become increasingly reliant on Russian hydrocarbons was entirely of Germany’s own making. It was not forced to go down this route. Important voices at home and abroad warned Germany not to do it. They were ignored. It was a terrible mistake with huge geopolitical consequences that are now tragically unfolding for all to see…”

Germany has messed it up big time for many years.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 30:

“When it comes to the war in Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that Germany is ‘doing everything’ possible. And yet the gap between his words and actions suggests otherwise… Earlier this week, I blinked, and something that Olaf Scholz had spent weeks insisting was impossible suddenly became possible. Germany will start delivering anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine. Like so much of German policy on the war in Ukraine, including the initial decision back in late February to send any weapons at all, the announcement came out of the blue: Just hours before, leading members of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party had given interviews saying sending heavy weapons was out of the question. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo — or Scholz left them in the dark, as he reportedly did to some of his ministers when he proposed a major budget hike for the Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) in the days following the Russian invasion.

“In the leadup to the war and ever since, Germany’s default position has been we can’t: We can’t send weapons to a conflict zone, we can’t block Russia from SWIFT, (international payment system), we can’t embargo Russian energy, we can’t send heavy weapons — the list goes on… the fact that so many ‘can’t do’s’ have turned into ‘can do’s’ reveals a discrepancy between the chancellor’s rhetoric and Germany’s feet-dragging actions… Scholz seems to be acting out of pressure rather than conviction… The spontaneous U-turns, where the impossible becomes possible overnight, suggests that ‘can’t’ may really be ‘don’t want to’ in disguise.

“… at the moment, Germans don’t seem keen on making sacrifices. A poll released Thursday showed that only every other German was willing to give things up in daily life to help Ukraine. But public support can shift… Germany has the tools to do much, much more. The question is does it have the leader.”

Of course, the answer is obvious. None right now. But it will change in due time.

The Guardian wrote on May 1:

 “The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has defended himself against accusations that his approach to Russian aggression has been hesitant and timid, insisting his decisions followed close consultation with Germany’s allies and sought to avoid any suspicion that the country was ‘going it alone’. Scholz has faced fierce criticism even from within his own government and last week came under particular fire from the opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, who accused him of weak leadership and of ‘procrastination, dithering and timidity’…

“Scholz appeared to bow to immense domestic and international pressure last week by announcing that Germany would deliver heavy weaponry to Ukraine, in the form of self-propelled anti-aircraft systems, in what was seen as a sharp policy U-turn. But while the outspoken Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, said he welcomed the move, he piled further pressure on Scholz on Sunday by insisting it did not go nearly far enough, and demanding more ‘fantasy and courage’ from Germany… Melnyk… said that the Gepard anti-aircraft guns promised last week were insufficient and too old…

“As debate raged among policymakers in Germany as to when and whether Germany can become independent from Russian gas supplies, the news agency DPA reported that the government was planning to support EU plans for a Russian oil embargo, as part of a sixth round of sanctions about to be announced by the bloc, despite opposition from Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Italy and Greece….”

Hungary Opposed to Ban of Russian Oil and Gas

Express wrote on May 2:

“Senior officials in Hungary have warned that Budapest is prepared to block any attempts in the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil industry… Hungary has warned that if these measures would hinder Budapest’s ability to import energy, the country would be ready to veto it… Hungarian Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas told HirTV on Sunday: ‘Since such decisions require unanimity, it makes no sense for the commission to propose sanctions affecting natural gas and crude oil that would restrict Hungarian procurements. ‘We’ve made it clear that we’ll never support.’…

“ An official told Reuters that in order to keep the 27-nation bloc united, the EU Commission might offer Slovakia and Hungary ‘an exemption or a long transition period’… German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck warned that there was still no unity among the EU member states on whether to ban Russian oil and gas.”

Germany Suddenly for Oil Embargo?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 2:

“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said Berlin was ready to support a gradual, EU-wide embargo on Russian oil imports… [Economy and Climate Minister Robert] Habeck admitted that higher prices in Germany were there for the long run, as the state could not cushion all energy price increases… But he said that for a number of firms, the consequences of higher energy costs would not kick in until 2023, as many companies had long-term contracts on fixed terms…

“Habeck said that most of the current energy supplies arriving from Russia go to the Schwedt refinery near Berlin… responding to Habeck’s comments, the city of Schwedt issued a statement calling into question his assurances that an embargo was ‘feasible,’ and accusing the government of ‘dictating terms from afar’ for the city’s main business.”

Breitbart added on May 2:

“Germany’s central bank has warned that should the country entirely cut off Russian energy it could severely increase inflation and damage economic growth, warning that the economic powerhouse of the European Union could experience a two per cent decline in GDP this year. However, despite the move to cut off Russian oil, the government has not made any commitments to cutting off liquid natural gas from Moscow…

“At present, the European Union pays Russia some €780 million ($850/£680 million) per day in exchange for oil and natural gas. Since the invasion of Ukraine began in February, the bloc has sent over €44 billion to Russia, accounting for 71 per cent of Russian energy exports. Germany, the largest single nation buyer [of] Russian gas and oil in the EU, has sent more than €9 billion since the start of the invasion.”

Pelosi in Ukraine

Axios wrote on May 1:

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday led a congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv…

“For the time being, the White House has ruled out sending President Biden, citing security concerns.”

The real reason might very well be that Democrats are concerned about what Biden might say or do during a visit to Ukraine. Note the next article.

Biden’s Embarrassing Blunders

The New York Post wrote on April 29:

“Gaffe-prone President Biden has raised concerns after his latest embarrassing blunder, which saw him repeatedly stumble over the word ‘kleptocracy’ during a Thursday speech asking the US Congress for an additional $33 billion Ukraine aid package… Biden, 79, was talking about his administration’s plans to seize Russian assets when he ran into some linguistic trouble. ‘We’re going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes, and other ill-begotten gains of Putin’s kleptoc- — yeah — kleptocracy and klep- — the guys who are the kleptocracies,’ Biden told reporters with a self-deprecating chuckle…

“Moments earlier, Biden also mistakenly said [twice] that the US will ‘accommodate’ the Russian oligarchs ‘and make sure we take their — take their ill-begotten gains.’”

Putin’s Allies

Express wrote on May 2:

“Putin and his regime is becoming increasingly desperate in Ukraine, where it has struggled to make gains beyond the country’s outskirts while facing international condemnation. Some world leaders have supported the invading regime, breaking from the global consensus… He isn’t without support, as he has scattered allegiances around the world. Most of them come from Eastern Europe, but some surprising officials have warmly welcomed members of the Russian regime in the last few months.

“Chief among them is Alexander Lukashenko, the controversial premier of Belarus, known as the ‘last dictator in Europe’… Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has also supported the Russian regime… Vucic has boasted about his political ties with his Russian counterpart. He has refused to condemn Russia and participate in the EU’s sanctions regime, despite having applied for membership, undermining the bloc’s work to discourage attacks on Ukraine…

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attained another term this year. Almost immediately after winning his election in April, Orban dropped his attempts to distance himself from his historical backing of Putin and criticised Volodymyr Zelensky. He called Ukraine’s leader an ‘opponent’ of Hungary, and the Kremlin said that Putin sent him a personal message of congratulations after his win…

“Further east, Putin’s regime has found support from the Indian government… India has continued to trade with Russia despite western sanctions and increased oil imports, undercutting efforts from other nations… Earlier this month, officials organised a vote to condemn Russia that 143 nations supported, including the US, UK, France and Germany. But India, Pakistan, Iran and China were among the abstainers, and the vote exposed four other supporters of Putin, whose administration voted against it… Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea all voted not to condemn the invasion. Belarus was already aiding Putin in Ukraine, while the remaining nations voiced their distaste for western interventionism.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 30:

“Americans… responded negatively to the relationship between Russia and China, which has not denounced Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine… Some 62% saw the relationship as a very serious problem for the US and another 30% saw it as somewhat serious.”

It is interesting that some of the nations mentioned in the quoted articles will ultimately unite and become part of the Far Eastern military alliance, which is described in the Bible as the “kings of the East.”

Russia’s Robot Army

Express wrote on May 4:

“Russian military expert Viktor Murakhovsky warned… ‘there is a myth abroad that Russia lags behind in robotics.’ In reality, he claimed, no other army in the world possesses such a diverse range of unmanned vehicles and drones as the Russian Federation. Given recent investments by Putin’s forces in the arena of robotics, this is a situation that appears unlikely to change any time soon.

“Mr Murakhovsky said: ‘Today’s Russian army is the successor of the Red Army, which created remote-controlled tanks back in the 1930s.’ Mr Murakhovsky told Russia Beyond: ‘After the war, pilotless planes were developed in the USSR…  in terms of land and sea robots it has the most extensive program in the world.”

Collaboration Between Ukrainians and Russians

The Washington Post wrote on May 4:

“Rumors about traitors run rife as invading forces have seemed to know in advance which residents have guns and which are said to be wealthy…

“In small towns and villages across Ukraine that fell under Russian occupation in February and March and have since been liberated, the fog of war has been replaced by the fog of conspiracy and suspicion. Weeks later, citizens across the country speak in hushed tones about people who they believe sold out their neighbors and whether they might have done so willingly or under duress.”

Pope Francis Blames NATO for the War

The Daily Beast wrote on May 3:

“‘I feel that before going to Kyiv, I must go to Moscow,’ [Pope Francis] told Corriere Della Sera in an interview that ran Tuesday. But the meeting would not exactly be to condemn Putin, based on what he told the paper. He said that the real ‘scandal’ of Putin’s war is ‘NATO barking at Russia’s door,’ which he said caused the Kremlin to ‘react badly and unleash the conflict.’…

“Francis repeated comments he has made in general audiences and in other interviews that the war is nothing more than a giant opportunity for a ‘trade in arms’ and that it is still ongoing because of the constant shuttling of weapons to Ukraine…

“Francis veered toward conspiracy theory as he blamed the international community for instigating the war… ‘In Ukraine, it seems that it was others who created the conflict…’”

Ungodly Canada

The Spectator wrote on April 30:

“Since last year, Canadian law… has allowed both the rich as well as the poor to kill themselves if they are too poor to continue living with dignity… [Canada] will even pay for their deaths. What it will not do is spend money to allow them to live instead of killing themselves…

“In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada reversed 22 years of its own jurisprudence by striking down the country’s ban on assisted suicide as unconstitutional… The next year, Parliament duly enacted legislation allowing euthanasia, but only for those who suffer from a terminal illness whose natural death was ‘reasonably foreseeable’…

“It only took five years for the proverbial slope to come into view, when the Canadian parliament enacted Bill C-7, a sweeping euthanasia law which repealed the ‘reasonably foreseeable’ requirement – and the requirement that the condition should be ‘terminal’… Even before Bill C-7 was enacted, reports of abuse were rife. A man with a neurodegenerative disease testified to Parliament that nurses and a medical ethicist at a hospital tried to coerce him into killing himself by threatening to bankrupt him with extra costs or by kicking him out of the hospital, and by withholding water from him for 20 days. Virtually every disability rights group in the country opposed the new law. To no effect…

“Since then, things have only gotten worse. A woman in Ontario was forced into euthanasia because her housing benefits did not allow her to get better housing which didn’t aggravate her crippling allergies. Another disabled woman applied to die because she ‘simply cannot afford to keep on living’. Another sought euthanasia because Covid-related debt left her unable to pay for the treatment which kept her chronic pain bearable…

“[The media] has expressed remarkably little curiosity about the open social murder of citizens in one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Perhaps, like many doctors, journalists are afraid of being accused of being ‘unprogressive’ for questioning the new culture of death…

“Next year, the floodgates will open even further when those suffering from mental illness … become eligible for assisted suicide, although enthusiastic doctors and nurses have already pre-emptied the law. There is already talk of allowing ‘mature minors’ access to euthanasia too…”

This is terrible. But those responsible will be held accountable by God.

Schools Must Stop Indoctrinating Our Children

Dr. Ron Paul of the Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 2:

“A Florida bill restricting classroom instruction regarding sexuality in kindergarten through third grade has become the latest culture war skirmish. Supporters of the bill say government schools have no business being involved in this type of instruction with young students. They make a good point. The use of government power to indoctrinate children in certain political and social beliefs — regardless of the wishes of parents — is a major problem.

“While the instruction at issue in Florida is associated with efforts of leftists, the temptation to seek to achieve ideological objectives through education policy can be strong among conservatives as well… [Some] conservatives are trying to force schools to adopt a ‘patriotic’ curriculum. This is just as pernicious as leftists’ efforts to force schools to teach critical race theory. Students indoctrinated in critical race theory will graduate believing that white male capitalists are the source of all evil. Students indoctrinated in ‘patriotism’ will graduate believing every bit of propaganda sponsored by the war party and will smear all dissenters from the ‘party line’ as unpatriotic…

“In a free society, parents — not politicians, bureaucrats, or teachers unions — would control education. Parents would decide whether and when their children’s education will include topics like sexuality, race theory, and the evidence for and against Darwinism.”

The school system in the USA is awful.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Macron Remains President

The Sun wrote on April 24:

“[Macron] will become the first French President to be re-elected in 20 years, thumping his far-right rival by 16 percentage points in Sunday’s count… Le Pen quickly conceded defeat…

“Turnout was… the lowest… in more than 40 years, with voter abstention at its highest level since 1969 at 28 per cent…

“Brussels can breathe a sigh of relief after fears a shock victory for Le Pen in today’s presidential election failed to materialise. Experts claim the far-right Eurosceptic’s election win would cement ‘the end of the EU as we know it’. They said Le Pen’s win would have put France ‘on a direct collision course’ with EU rules and bring the whole institution crashing down.

“James Shields, Professor of French Politics at the University of Warwick, says a Le Pen victory would ‘herald drastic changes in terms of France’s place within the EU.’ He told The Sun Online: ‘… her programme, if implemented, would pose critical challenges to France’s continued membership of the EU.’”

The EU is delighted in Macron’s victory. Scholz was the first to congratulate him via phone. Bild Online wrote that Scholz’s joy might be short-lived, as Macron will demand from him to take a stronger position against Russia.   

Macron Europe’s De Facto Leader?

Express wrote on April 25:

“EMMANUEL MACRON’s election victory will see an escalation of his ambitions for the EU, beginning from the final formation of a united army for the bloc… France, a founding member of the EU, has been at the centre of efforts to integrate Europe since the end of World War Two… The French leader is now expected to push even further with his pro-EU agenda.”

The Irish Times wrote on April 15:

“With a renewed mandate, Macron now has the power to make his presidency truly transformational. But that will require him to change. His arrogance and impatience have alienated many voters… Now, with Angela Merkel off the stage and her successor Olaf Scholz still finding his feet [a polite way of saying, Scholz is weak and indecisive], Macron, his stature enhanced by re-election, has emerged as the EU’s de facto leader. That means the whole of Europe, not just France, has a stake in his success.”

The question is, how is “success” defined? It could very well end up in disaster.

Germany Is Beholden to Putin

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 21, 2022

“As the savage war in Ukraine continues, the world expects Germany, Europe’s largest economy and a political heavyweight, to play a central role in the fight to isolate and stop Russia. But how serious is Germany about supporting Ukraine?

“On Feb. 27, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced ‘a historic change.’… Yet almost two months after Scholz’s historic announcement, not much has happened on any of these fronts. Despite criticism from international observers and its own ministers, the German government has slow-walked its support for Ukraine.

“Military aid has yet to be delivered. Estonia and the Czech Republic, far smaller countries than Germany, have donated more weaponry and arms to Ukraine than Germany has since the war began. No heavy weapons such as tanks, artillery or advanced air defense systems have been delivered at all. Ukraine has offered to buy 100 German tanks, but Germany has balked, arguing that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has to reach a joint decision among its members on the deal first…

“Last week, Scholz announced Germany would provide $1 billion to Ukraine. That is likely to get parliamentary approval, but a decision has been delayed until June. Meanwhile, Russia receives $1 billion a day from Germany and other European countries from sales of its oil and gas. Germany is more dependent on Russian gas and oil than the rest of Europe, so cutting off its dependence would be a powerful signal of credible commitment to Ukraine…

“So what’s stopping Germany? The inertia on economic and military aid cannot be explained by lack of popular support, potential damage to the German economy or even government coalition politics. Nor is it a question of German guilt over its Nazi legacy. Instead, the failure to act exemplifies a persistent attitude among the German political establishment that there could be ‘no peace in Europe without Russia.’ In practice, this has meant prioritizing Russian interests. For decades, German elites dismissed the security interests of smaller countries around them, much as Russian President Vladimir Putin has…

“The ties between the German and Russian political elites reinforce this deference to Russia. Perhaps most notoriously, Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, quickly gained a seat on the board of the Russian energy company Rosneft after leaving office and then energetically lobbied for Russian interests… Other politicians have defended what they see as joint German and Russian interests. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s president, defended Nord Stream 2 last year as ‘one of the last bridges between Russia and Europe’ and, despite Russian aggression, argued that ‘we must not lose sight of the bigger picture.’ Sigmar Gabriel, the former Social Democratic leader and energy minister, called for the ‘federalization of Ukraine’ after the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea, widely understood to mean a permanent Russian role in Ukraine… Scholz, the current chancellor, previously sought friendly ties with Russia, while ignoring Putin’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the aggression against Ukraine in 2014. For many German elites, appeasing Russia neatly dovetails with what they see as Germany’s economic interests: not just energy, but the billions sunk by Russian oligarchs into German real estate and industries.

“In this mindset, addressing Ukraine’s survival without first considering Russian interests is nearly impossible. After all, Scholz’s predecessor, chancellor Angela Merkel, also ‘kept in mind what was tolerable for Russia,’ as one of her top foreign policy advisors put it. Germany is the political and economic leader of the European Union. Yet, time and again, it has deferred and submitted to Russia’s autocratic government. If the horrific invasion of a sovereign European country cannot change the minds of the politicians in Berlin, Germany is not only failing its moral obligations but also cementing its government’s reputation as being beholden to Putin.”

Things will change. Soon.

Germany and Russia… a Unique Relationship

The New York Times wrote on April 23:

“Gerhard Schröder, who is paid almost $1 million a year by Russian-controlled energy companies, has become a pariah. But he is also a symbol of Germany’s Russia policy…  ‘They all went along with it for the last 30 years,’ he said. ‘But suddenly everyone knows better..’ Mr. Schröder scoffed at the notion of now distancing himself personally from Mr. Putin, 69, whom he considers a friend and sees regularly…

“Mr. Schröder refuses to resign from his board seats on Russian energy companies, despite calls to do so from across the political spectrum… Distancing himself now, Mr. Schröder said, would lose him the trust of the one man who can end the war: Mr. Putin. Even so, after all of his years of close relations with Mr. Putin, he walked away with nothing during his one brief interlude trying to mediate in the Ukraine conflict…

“Mr. Schröder distanced himself from the war, though not from Mr. Putin. I asked about the by-now notorious atrocities in Bucha, a Kyiv suburb. ‘That has to be investigated,’ Mr. Schröder said, but added that he did not think those orders would have come from Mr. Putin, but from a lower authority…

“Mr. Schröder’s entanglement with the Russian president and Kremlin-controlled energy companies overshadows all he achieved in seven years as chancellor, from 1998 to 2005, a pivotal period of leadership when he was lauded for refusing to join the United States in the Iraq war; giving immigrants a regular path to citizenship; and putting in place far-reaching labor market overhauls that would pave the way for a decade of growth under his successor, Angela Merkel….

“But even his fiercest critics acknowledge that Mr. Schröder’s close and lucrative dealings with Russia are also emblematic of his country’s decades-old approach of engagement with Russia. Lobbied aggressively by Germany’s export industry and cheered on by labor unions, successive chancellors, including Ms. Merkel, collectively engineered Germany’s dependency on Russian energy. ‘Schröder is the tip of the iceberg,’ said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former ambassador to the United States and veteran diplomat. ‘But there is a whole iceberg below him.’…

“When it came to pipelines, Mr. Schröder was not the first. They were being built between Germany and Russia even during the Cold War. Under Brandt, Germany signed a major pipeline project with Moscow, in 1970. His successor Helmut Schmidt … oversaw an expansion of the pipelines, including another big project known as the West Siberia Pipeline… During his own time in office, from 1998 to 2005, Mr. Schröder shepherded through Germany’s next pipeline project, Nord Stream 1. ‘You can’t blame Schröder for Nord Stream 1,’ Mr. Ischinger said. ‘Most German politicians, whether in government or in opposition, did not critically question this. No one asked whether we were laying the foundation for getting ourselves into an unhealthy dependence.’…

“Once Nord Stream 1 was operational, Mr. Schröder set about lobbying for a second pipeline: Nord Stream 2… was approved in June 2015, the same year that Gazprom was also allowed under the Merkel government to buy Germany’s biggest strategic gas-storage facility, where it has kept levels of gas conspicuously low for the past year in what may have been preparation for providing leverage for Mr. Putin in his war…

“What if Russia turns off the tap? ‘It won’t happen,’ Mr. Schröder said. But if it did, ‘then I would resign.’… Mr. Schröder holds to his unwavering belief that peace and prosperity in Germany and Europe will always depend on dialogue with Russia… ‘You can’t isolate a country like Russia in the long run, neither politically nor economically,’ he said. ‘German industry needs the raw materials that Russia has. It’s not just oil and gas, it’s also rare earths. And these are raw materials that cannot simply be substituted… When this war is over… we will have to go back to dealing with Russia. We always do.’”

Maybe so. For a while… But notice the next article.

Moscow Expels German Diplomats

Insider wrote on April 25:

“Moscow said Monday it was expelling 40 German diplomats in response to the ‘unfriendly decision’ by Berlin to kick out Russian diplomats over the conflict in Ukraine…

“‘The 40 Russian diplomats in Germany whom we expelled three weeks ago did not serve diplomacy for a single day during their stay in Germany,’ Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement. ‘Rather, these people worked systematically for years against our freedom and against cohesion in our society,’ she said… The German diplomats in Russia, meanwhile, ‘have not done anything wrong’, Baerbock said… ‘They went to Russia with openness, curiosity and great commitment to serve our bilateral relations there.’

“Baerbock had said earlier that Germany was expelling the Russians in response to the ‘unbelievable brutality’ of Russian forces in its pro-Western neighbour Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry on Monday called Baerbock’s words ‘unacceptable’…”

Baerbock’s words are quite contradictory. In spite of Germany’s soft approach towards Russia, it does not help the German-Russian relationship.

Russia Cuts Natural Gas to Poland and Bulgaria

The Associated Press wrote on April 27:

“Russia cut off natural gas to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday and threatened to do the same to other countries, dramatically escalating its standoff with the West…  A day after the U.S. and other Western allies vowed to speed more and heavier weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin used its most essential export as leverage against two of Kyiv’s staunch backers. Gas prices in Europe shot up on the news…

“The gas cuts do not immediately put the two countries in dire trouble. Poland has been working for several years to line up other sources of energy, and the continent is heading into summer, making gas less essential for households. Yet the cutoff and the Kremlin warning that other countries could be next sent shivers of worry through the 27-nation European Union…”

Gazprom stated it was shutting off the two countries as they refused to pay in Russian rubles.

Biden Pushed Germany to Delay Russian Oil Ban?

Newsmax reported on April 25:

“Germany’s decision to not immediately end Russian oil imports… came at the urgent request of the Biden administration, a senior European official involved in Russian sanctions tells Newsmax… ‘until later this year and after the U.S. midterm elections.’

“The White House appears to believe it has a chance to keep the Senate in Democrat hands – but that opportunity could be endangered from a serious spike in oil prices if Germany had to start buying oil from global markets. Earlier this month, President Biden signed a law that bans all Russian imports of oil, gas, and coal to the U.S. But Biden had been reluctant to approve such a ban fearing the already high cost of gasoline would grow, even though the U.S. only imports 3% of crude oil from Russia.

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Congressional Democrats, led the charge on banning Russian oil imports.

“German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced last Wednesday that Germany will stop importing half of its oil from Russia by summer with the remainder closed down at year’s end. But those comments were quickly qualified by Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who suggested that a quick cut-off of Russian oil won’t happen anytime soon.”

Germany Bending to International Pressure

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 26:

“After weeks of mounting pressure, the German government will now supply heavy military equipment to Ukraine… The German government on Tuesday confirmed reports that it will approve a delivery of ‘Gepard’ anti-aircraft tanks…  German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht… also said that Berlin was working to train Ukrainian soldiers on German soil. ‘We are working together with our American friends in training Ukrainian troops on artillery systems on German soil,’ the minister said….”

But as we point out in our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Weak German Government under Attack” , huge problems are associated with the delivery of those tanks.

German Lawmakers Approve Heavy Weapons for Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

 “In a historic move, lawmakers in Germany have given the official green light to send ‘heavy weapons and complex systems’ to Ukraine…  with 586 votes in favor, 100 against, and seven abstentions… after the government held off for weeks on sending heavy equipment…

 “The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposed the initiative, saying that it felt close to a declaration of war… and ‘could make us party to a nuclear war…’  The socialist Left Party was also against the move… [and] said that delivering more weapons would simply make the war last longer. In response, Nils Schmid, from the ruling SPD party, said weapons’ deliveries would help end the war faster by putting Ukraine in a position of strength…

“But the move is not likely to help Scholz shake the accusations of being indecisive on Ukraine. A new dpa/YouGov poll suggests some 45% of Germans are unhappy with his course in the crisis, compared to 37% who approve of his response to the war.”

Germany’s Duplicity

The Daily Mail wrote on April 23:

“France and Germany sold £230million worth of military hardware to Moscow which was likely used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to an EU analysis. It should have been impossible to do so owing to an EU embargo that banned selling arms to Russia following the 2014 annexation of Crimea.  Last month, it was discovered that France, Germany and Italy used a loophole in the ban. They were just three of at least 10 EU member states to export almost €350million (£293million) in equipment that included missiles, rockets, guns and bombs… 78 per cent of this total was supplied by French and German firms.

“The EU banned ‘the direct or indirect sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related material of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts therefore, to Russia’ eight years ago.

However, countries were able to sell hundreds of millions of pounds worth of kit to Russia despite the ban using a backdoor technicality that permitted contracts signed before August 1, 2014, or additional contracts that would help conclude those deals… Earlier this month, it was revealed that the European Union had sent almost €1billion to Russia each day for energy since the war in Ukraine began.

“German Chancelor Olaf Scholz has faced sharp criticism for failing to deliver heavy weapons to the besieged country, such as tanks and howitzers, to fend off savage Russian attacks. The leader said he feared that providing Ukraine with tanks could spark a nuclear war. Other Western allies have stepped up their military shipments to Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces but Scholz has held firm in his bid not to upset Vladimir Putin. Instead, on Tuesday, he said Germany would provide Ukraine with £830million to buy their own weapons.

“Asked in an extensive interview published on Friday why he thought delivering tanks could lead to nuclear war, he said there was no rule book that stated when Germany could be considered a party to the war in Ukraine.”

The Downfall of Olaf Scholz

The Local wrote on April 22:

“Contrary to what many commentators are saying, what’s most surprising about Olaf Scholz’ precipitous fall in popularity is not how quickly it has happened – but rather how slowly…

“In what seems like an eternity ago, back in early February when the Ukraine war was still a ‘Ukraine crisis’, Joe Biden welcomed Olaf Scholz on his first official visit to the White House and, despite the fact our Chancellor refused to make clear that Nord Stream 2 would be cancelled if Russia invaded Ukraine, called Germany a ‘reliable partner’ and did his best to keep his frustration in check…

“Yet it’s been downhill from there on in…  he shrank back from any immediate measures which might prove too radical: no heavy weapons for the Ukraine; no embargo on Russian gas…  The result is widespread dissatisfaction with Scholz’ government and, naturally, with Scholz himself.

“… Scholz is still applying the methods of the Merkel years – delaying, delegating down to committees, and hoping problems solve themselves – in circumstances which he himself has publicly identified as radically different… No one is expecting miracles, but having come to power implicitly promising to explain and justify his policies more than his predecessor Angela Merkel… Scholz has now… retreated back into the Chancellery. His silence, both on the Ukraine and on other pressing issues.. is leaving too much room for interpretation – and dissatisfaction.”

Germany Complicit in Russia’s War Crimes

The Local wrote on April 22:

“Many of those murdered during Germany’s singular historic crime, the Holocaust, were deported from what is today Ukraine; many others never even made it that far, summarily shot like the tens of thousands at Babyn Jar near Kyiv in 1941. Now, eighty years on, civilians have once again been executed in the Kyiv suburbs and there may have been attacks with chemical weapons further east. While Germany is not the perpetrator this time, it is complicit.

“The problem is gas. For despite all the tough talk and sanctions, Germany is still, like several other European nations, transferring eight-figure sums to Moscow in return for gas deliveries on a daily basis. We are doing this because half of the gas in our network is piped in straight from Russia…

“Germany’s dependency on Russian gas is an abject national failure several decades in the making and so cannot be fixed overnight. But, to be blunt, we… have made our bed and must now lie in it. We need to stop importing Putin’s gas now. Not tomorrow, not next week, and not at the end of the year…

“How many more massacres have to be uncovered before we take our historical responsibility seriously when history actually comes calling? How many Buchas does it take before we feel ready to embargo Russian gas: two, three, four? And are we really going to wait to find out whether Putin’s army has used chemical weapons on innocent Ukrainians before we act?”

The Fear of Nuclear War

The Daily Mail wrote on April 23:

“Putin’s deranged regime has announced it will deploy the fearsome nuclear-capable ‘Satan II’ missile it recently tested in a show of strength by autumn, in a further ratcheting of tensions between Russia and the West as Moscow redoubles its brutal war on Ukraine.

“The Sarmat missile is said to be the world’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking a target 11,200 miles away – meaning it could easily strike targets in the US and Europe. Western military experts said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys – easily enough to wipe out Britain or France in a single strike…”

The Sun added on April 22:

“Russia successfully test-launched the missile on Wednesday with video showing the enormous 115-foot missile being launched from an underground silo, triggering an enormous fireball. It travelled almost the entire length of Russia – almost 3,600 miles – in around 15 minutes.

“The deadly projectile, nicknamed Satan 2, can fly 11,000 miles, carry more than 12 warheads… The separate warheads in the Satan 2 missile are capable of detaching from the main 100-tonne missile before travelling towards their target at hypersonic speeds. The bombs are 1,000 more powerful than those dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War Two. This means they are capable of pulverising an area the size of England and Wales or Texas in the USA.”

In a previous article, the Sun wrote on April 20:

“Military expert Dr Paul Craig Roberts sensationally claimed that the ‘five or six’ of the Russian missiles could wipe out the entire US east coast… it has been reported that the weapon could ‘wipe out an area of the size of England and Wales twice over.”

Ultimately, nuclear weapons will be used by Russia and its allies against Western Europe, including Germany—not against the USA or the UK, as they will have been destroyed by Western Europe in a nuclear war BEFORE nuclear war between Western Europe and Far Eastern nations, including Russia, breaks out.

“Moscow Aims to Capture Southern Ukraine”

The Algemeiner wrote on April 23:

“A Russian general said on Friday that Moscow wants to seize all of southern and eastern Ukraine, far wider war aims than it had acknowledged.

“Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central military district, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying Moscow aimed to seize the entire eastern Donbas region, link up with the Crimea peninsula, and capture Ukraine’s entire south as far as a breakaway, Russian-occupied region of Moldova…

“Minnekayev… said Russian speakers there were oppressed, the same justification Moscow has given for its interventions in Ukraine since 2014, which Western countries call a baseless pretext…

“Pope Francis dropped plans to meet in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a Putin ally and backer of the war. Francis [said] the plan was suspended because Vatican diplomats advised that such a meeting ‘could lend itself to much confusion at this moment.’”

Austria: Ukraine Should Not Become Part of EU

Fox News wrote on April 24:

“Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg spoke at the 14th European media summit this week, saying that Ukraine should not receive candidate status in June. He reiterated Austria’s dedication to neutrality as a key element of the nation’s ‘self-definition.’ ‘We don’t belong to any military alliance and we don’t want to…’ [He] said Ukraine should not, in principle, become a member even in the future…

“Ukraine’s foreign ministry expressed disappointment with Austria’s stance, calling the Austrian official’s statement ‘short-sighted’ and ‘not in the interests of the united Europe’…, adding that postponing Ukraine’s membership means ‘indulging Putin’s aggressive plans.’

“But around 40% of Austrians consider the government’s position on Ukraine as ‘on the whole correct,’ while 23% believe the government is ‘too pro-Ukraine’ and 17% ‘too pro-Russia,’ according to Heute.”

Tensions Between Israel and Christians in Jerusalem

The Associated Press wrote on April 23:

“Christians celebrated their ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday against a backdrop of rising tensions with Israel, which imposed new restrictions on attendance this year that it said were needed for safety. Israel says it wants to prevent another disaster after a crowd stampede at a packed Jewish holy site last year left 45 people dead.

“Christian leaders say there’s no need to alter a ceremony that has been held for centuries… Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that on the Saturday before Easter a miraculous flame appears inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre… built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected…”

Violence Carefully Staged

Israel Today wrote on April 24:

“Hamas sees itself as the patron of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al Sharif, the Temple Mount…

“The disinformation campaign portrayed Israel as an ‘aggressor,’ while it also was falsely claimed that Israel was making a new attempt to change the status quo on the Temple Mount… Third parties then also started to get involved in the conflict and issued condemnations over ‘Israeli violence’ and an alleged ‘change of the Israeli policy towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque.’ Turkey’s President… Erdogan… called PA leader… Abbas and condemned Israel’s ‘intervention and provocations’ on Haram al-Sharif… King Abdullah II of Jordan also got involved in the conflict and ordered his government to obtain regional and international support for more pressure on Israel…

“It has now also been established that the acts of violence that started last Friday on the eve of Passover were organized… Zreiyer, a member of Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction, organized the outbreak of violence. He brought hundreds of young Palestinian Arabs to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and ordered them to prepare for a confrontation with the Israeli police. The group of youths came from Arab Jerusalem and also included Hamas members. The gang received funding from the PA and Turkey to prepare for the battle over the Temple Mount…”

A Temple in Jerusalem

Israel Today wrote on April 25:

“After the 1967 Six Day War, during which the Temple Mount was captured, Israel did not take advantage of the situation. Moshe Dayan, who served as Minister of Defense at the time, returned rule over the site to the Jordanian[s]…

“Many believe that a decision by Israel to retake control of the Temple Mount will ignite a regional war that could lead to a third world war. Whether or not that would happen, it is clear from Scripture that the day is coming when, ‘“I will shake heaven and earth, and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this Temple with glory,’ says the Lord of Hosts.’ Haggai 2:6-7. And, ‘I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. Because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ Isaiah 56:7.”

And so it will be!

Disney Lost Special Tax Status in Florida

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 21:

“Walt Disney Co. lost its special tax status in Florida on Friday after Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill scrapping the company’s self-governing status in the area around its Orlando theme park complex. Florida’s Republican-dominated House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday in a 68-38 vote, following a previous 23-16 vote in the state’s senate.

“Before urging Florida’s legislature to back the new measure, DeSantis had criticized Disney for its opposition to another bill banning discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity for students under age 9..

“Disney initially avoided taking a stand on the legislation, but later halted political donations in Florida following pressure from some of the company’s employees and LGBTQ rights groups…

“‘If Disney wants to pick a fight, they chose the wrong guy,’ DeSantis recently wrote… ‘Disney is a guest in Florida. Today we remind them,’ Republican lawmaker Randy Fine tweeted. ‘Disney doesn’t say a word about the dictatorship in China because it would cost them billions of dollars,’ Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a tweet. ‘But they have no problem using their corporate power to lie about laws passed by democratically elected legislators in Florida.’

“The southeastern US state of Florida declared a special area, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, in 1967 to facilitate the construction of the Disney World theme park near the city of Orlando… The Disney district covers 100 square kilometers and includes the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista as well as land in Orange and Osceola counties in central Florida. Disney runs the district and is responsible for collecting taxes and guaranteeing municipal services such as fire-fighting, energy, garbage collection, water treatment and road maintenance. In exchange, the company has been exempted from paying taxes in the territory. Under Florida law, if the district is dissolved its assets and debts could be transferred to local governments that surround the area.”

Breitbart added on April 23:

“The Reedy Creek district, along with several other similarly situated special tax districts, will be dissolved effective June 1, 2023. However, the law allows the districts to be reestablished in the future, which could happen after further negotiation.”

Biden and the Democrats are not happy about the developments in Florida.

Daily Mail wrote on April 22:

“President Joe Biden criticized ‘ugly’ Republicans for targeting Disney and said the GOP has been taken over by the ‘far right’ in his speeches at two Democratic fundraisers on the West Coast on Thursday.”

What this is really all about is the push by the left to indoctrinate young school children UNDER AGE 9 with their political agenda.

Fauci the “Expert”?

Newsmax wrote on April 22:

“The White House’s chief medical adviser apparently won’t let go of the recent mask mandate cancellation… Fauci ripped U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle for dropping the federal mask mandate for public transportation, telling CBS News the Florida-based judge has ‘no experience’ in the medical field… Fauci similarly dismissed Judge Mizelle’s ‘unfortunate ruling’…

“Current data suggests that COVID-19 infections in America have precipitously declined in recent weeks, but that’s not how Fauci views the trends. ‘It’s obvious to everyone we’re seeing that infections are on the rise…’ Fauci told CBS News.

“… the Justice Department filed a notice that it would appeal Judge Mizelle’s ruling, at the behest of the CDC and White House… Fauci did not acknowledge that Americans now have tremendous access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, or how the Biden administration still wants to repeal the CDC’s Title 42 health order at the U.S.-Mexico border — which, on the surface, runs directly against the logic behind the mask mandate for public transit.”

Dr. Fauci, even though not a lawyer, should still realize that Judge Mizelle did not utter a scientific finding in the medical field, but a legal finding showing the unconstitutionality of the mask mandate.

White House Contradicts Fauci

Fox News wrote on April 24:

‘The White House has contradicted Dr. Anthony Fauci on mask mandate decisions, saying that the judiciary plays an ‘important role’ and simply made an ‘incorrect decision’…. Fauci told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that it’s a ‘bad precedent when decisions about public health issues are made by people, be they judges or what have you, that don’t have experience or expertise in public health.’”

The problem is, Dr. Fauci uttered numerous false opinions and made many contradictory recommendations.

“Google Goes Woke!”

Daily Mail wrote on April 25:

“Google has launched an ‘inclusive language’ function designed to avoid the use of politically incorrect words. Users typing ‘landlord’ will see a warning that it ‘may not be inclusive to all readers’ with the suggestion they should try ‘property owner’ or ‘proprietor’ instead.

The word ‘humankind’ is a suggested alternative to what the online giant apparently sees as the controversial term ‘mankind’. Gender specific terms such as ‘policemen’ or ‘housewife’ should also be replaced by ‘police officers’ and ‘stay-at-home spouse’, according to the new Google Document style programme. It is now being rolled out to what the firm calls enterprise-level users. Many computer document systems use methods to correct spelling and grammar.

“But nudging users towards woke language is being seen by critics as a step too far. Tests on the system have also thrown up major flaws… it suggested President John F Kennedy’s inaugural address should say ‘for all humankind’ instead of ‘for all mankind’…”

Insane!

EU to Restrict Free Speech (again) on Musk’s Twitter?

Bloomberg wrote on April 26:

“Elon Musk vowed to prioritize free speech as Twitter Inc’s new owner, but a senior official from the European Union has warned the world’s richest person will still have to contend with the region’s strict content rules… The EU approved the Digital Service Act over the weekend, giving European governments new power to take down illegal content, and demand platforms do more to tackle harmful content.

“Possibly even more crucial is the DSA’s requirement that companies like Twitter submit annual reports to the EU detailing how they’re handling systemic risks posed by harmful content…

“[Twitter] famously banned former U.S. President Donald Trump from the site last year… The move provoked condemnation from conservatives in the U.S., who argued the ban hindered free speech….

“There’s also the prospect of major financial penalties if Musk and the EU disagree. If the company doesn’t comply with the DSA, the EU can issue fines of as much as 6% of a company’s annual revenue and even ban the platform from operating in the bloc.”

The Ron Paul Institute asked the pertinent question: “How far will authorities go to restrict freedom of expression?” The answer is obvious: Very far; indeed, without any limits. 

Obama—“Liar of the Year”?

The New York Post wrote on April 22:

“In a Stanford University speech Thursday, Obama called on Big Tech to ‘redesign’ itself to face the dangers disinformation allegedly poses to the nation. Hilariously, he cited his own ‘failure to fully appreciate . . . just how susceptible we had become to lies and conspiracy theories’ during his time in office…

“Obama, after all, won PolitiFact’s ‘Lie of the Year’ Award in 2013 for his endlessly repeated claim that under ObamaCare, ‘if you like your health plan, you can keep it.’  This lie was treated as fact and amplified by major media across the US for naked political purposes. I.e., a textbook example of actual disinformation… The New York Times invented a new, Orwellian term as camouflage for the lie: ‘incorrect promise.’

“Then there was Benghazi, where his administration blamed an attack by an al Qaeda affiliate against a US consular outpost on an inflammatory YouTube video — and again saw the lie propped up by big media properties…

“Don’t forget his lie about whether he ever set a red line around Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria. He did. On record. Then, insanely, he literally claimed he hadn’t. Again, although he’d been caught in an obvious, clumsy lie, our fearless fact-checking journalists got busy trying to somehow make it reality. [The] Washington Post… refused to award it any of [the] trademark ‘Pinocchios.’

“… Obama presided over the start of the Russiagate narrative, now revealed as another textbook disinfo operation — one of the most successful in recent US history, not only kneecapping the Trump administration but leaving tens of millions of Americans still convinced of the lie even today.

“The ex-president is utterly comfortable with the media spreading disinformation, as long as it benefits his team…”

Lest we forget another possible lie: The dubious claim that Obama was born in the United States. Overwhelming evidence suggests the opposite (we have reported extensively in our Current Events about the many nagging questions regarding Obama’s alleged birthplace), but the potential political fiasco resulting from exposing what might very well have been the truth was deemed too much to cope with for Democrats and Republicans alike. Even Trump gave in with some phony “explanations.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Clashes on the Temple Mount

Daily Mail wrote on April 15:

“Israeli security forces clashed with hundreds of stone-hurling Palestinians early this Easter Friday morning after they entered a Palestinian holy site during Ramadan prayers… According to Israeli authorities, ‘dozens of masked men’ marched into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound before dawn carrying Palestinian and Hamas flags, chanting and setting off fireworks.

“In response, Israeli forces entered the mosque compound where thousands of Muslims were gathered to perform prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Palestinian protesters then threw stones and fireworks at Israeli security forces, who returned fire with rubber-coated bullets and tear gas on the sprawling esplanade surrounding the mosque…

“The violence took place at Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, which is also home to the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. It also comes at a time of heightened tensions when the Islamic holy month of Ramadan overlaps with the Jewish holiday of Passover. …

“Hamas condemned what it said were ‘brutal attacks’ on worshippers at Al-Aqsa by Israeli forces, saying Israel would bear ‘all the consequences.’ It called on all Palestinians to ‘stand by our people in Jerusalem.’”

AFP added:

“More than 150 people were wounded Friday in clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the first face-off at the flashpoint holy site since the start of Ramadan… Around 400 people were arrested… The US, European Union and the Arab League have… voiced their concern. Washington on Friday said it was ‘deeply concerned’ by the events in Jerusalem.”

Further violence broke out on “Easter Sunday” at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

“When Blood Spills on Passover and Easter, it’s Time to Build the Temple”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 18:

“Hamas exposed their greatest fear: that Israel will start to build the Temple. For thousands of years, Jews have been praying for a return to the Land of Israel. Over the last century, we have miraculously been restored to our homeland from the four corners of the earth, but are still awaiting the proper time to build the Temple. Judaism is incomplete without the Temple, and Passover is a prime example, as Deuteronomy makes clear: ‘You are not permitted to slaughter the Passover sacrifice in any of the settlements that Hashem your God is giving you; but at the place where Hashem your God will choose to establish His name, there alone shall you slaughter the Pesach sacrifice, in the evening, at sundown, the time of day when you departed from Egypt’ (Deuteronomy 16:5, 6).

“Hamas is terrified that after close to 75 years of statehood, Israel will begin turning its attention to the place where God chose to establish His name. In fact, each year, more and more Israelis take the dangerous risk of ascending the holy mountain under the hostile guards of Jordanian officials. Palestinian terrorists are getting scared as Jews are getting serious about restoring our holy of holies, the site we pray towards every day, and the building we beseech God for repeatedly throughout our liturgy.

“On a national level, the rebuilding of the Temple would be a great humiliation to Palestinian terror groups, but on a religious level, the construction of Judaism’s Third Temple would in no way pose a threat to Islam, whose main religious holy sites are in Mecca and Medina. Responsible Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders should use this recent wave of Islamic violence to immediately begin discussing practical and peaceful steps for the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount. It could be done without damaging or disrespecting the Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa, as part of a future peace plan between Israel and her Arab neighbors to end the plague of Islamic terror once and for all.

“During periods of history, Islam held great respect for Judaism’s Temple in Jerusalem, and one can imagine many potential scenarios in the ever-changing Mideast, where significant segments of Islam could do so once again. Similarly, for many centuries, Christianity looked at the Temple with hostility, but as relations between Jews and Evangelicals have improved in recent years, some Christians are rethinking their relationship with the Temple.

“I asked John Enarson, the Christian relations director of Cry for Zion, a Temple Mount advocacy group, what his thoughts were on the connection between Easter and the Temple, and the implications for Christians today. ‘We Christians have often thought that Resurrection Sunday spelled the end for the Holy Temple in God’s plan,’ Enarson explained. ‘But when we read the Gospels and Book of Acts carefully, the Apostles continued to be passionate for God’s House in Jerusalem, including Paul. As God is restoring Zion, we need to rediscover our own texts with Jewish glasses, and that includes God’s Temple.’

“With more Christians coming alongside the Jews and becoming passionate about the need to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, we have a unique opportunity today. Rather than lamenting the terrible violence that disrupted Passover, Easter and Ramadan, we must take steps to prevent religious violence from causing further blood to be spilled in the streets of Jerusalem. It’s time for peace-loving Jews, Christians and Muslims to come together and build the ‘house of prayer for all nations.’”

For a discussion of this and other related articles, see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Time to build the Third Temple in the face of Violence?”

Austria and Russia “Talk”…

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 11:

“Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Monday became the first European leader to visit Moscow and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. Nehammer called the talks ‘direct, open and tough’… The Austrian chancellor emphasized that the trip had not been a ‘friendly visit,’ adding that he had brought up the issue of war crimes in Bucha and other places and stressed that ‘all those who are responsible will be held to account,’ Austrian media reported him as saying. Nehammer said he had come away from the talks with ‘no optimistic impression.’…”

German Government Reserved and Cold

Bild Online wrote on April 11:

“In this interview with BILD, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (44) praises the German population’s solidarity with Ukraine. When it comes to the German government, however, he is critical… ‘The truth is that, from the beginning, Germany has been very cautious in its support for Ukraine – not the German people, I want to stress, but the German government. Germany, at first, didn’t support us with arms and openly said that we could not become a member of NATO and the EU. To be honest, Germany’s rhetoric has changed by now. Still, Germany plays no leading role in Europe so far. It remains reserved and cold towards us. But things are moving. I firmly believe that.’’

Steinmeier Not Welcome in Ukraine

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (66) stated to Bild Online that he was willing to visit Ukraine, but was rejected, due to his past close ties to Russia. More and more articles appear in the German press blaming Steinmeier and Merkel for the current disaster in Ukraine, due to their appeasing and friendly relationship with Putin over the decades. Also, while Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv, Olaf Scholz has so far refused to do so. Maybe he feared that his visit would not be welcome either or rejected.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 12:

“Ukraine has previously been highly critical of the German president over his connections with Russia and the leading role he played as former foreign minister in improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin…. Earlier this month, Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski… told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that the German president had not been serious about his break with Russia. He added that people connected to Steinmeier like Jens Plötner, foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andreas Michaelis, as well as many important ambassadors, also share Steinmeier’s close relations with Moscow.

“Steinmeier was close to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, whose ties to Russia after retirement have become increasingly notorious. He also had two stints as foreign minister before becoming president, including when Crimea was annexed. Kaczynski was also critical of Berlin’s foreign policy in Welt am Sonntag, where he said Poland ‘is not pleased with Germany’s role in Europe.’”

Deutsche Welle added on April 14:

“Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin suggested Steinmeier’s offer to visit Kyiv might have been rejected because of overall ‘disappointment’ and ‘frustration’ about Berlin’s role in the crisis… Klimkin said that there was a perception in Ukraine that Germany was complicit in enabling Moscow to build up its war machine by buying Russian oil and gas and accused Berlin of doing ‘nothing’ over many years to counter the Kremlin.”

The Guardian wrote on April 14:

“Kyiv has tried to patch up diplomatic relations with Germany…  saying it would welcome a visit instead by the chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The snub to Steinmeier, who has a history as an advocate of close Russian-German economic ties, led to a backlash in Germany, with Scholz describing it on Wednesday as ‘confusing…  to be polite about it’…

“Germany has been seen as the constant backmarker in its support for Ukraine, blocking an EU-wide ban on Russian oil and refusing to provide heavy weaponry from its stocks on the basis that the weaponry was needed by the German army, or would be of little use to Ukraine defence forces untrained in the weaponry.”

No Heavy Weapons from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 19:

“Scholz said that, although the German army, the Bundeswehr, did not have much left to offer Ukraine, his government was supporting German arms manufacturers financially…. He listed anti-tank weapons, air defense equipment, ammunition ‘and also what can be used in an artillery engagement’ as possible weapons that could be supplied. The chancellor added that Germany was able to supply spare parts for certain weapons that other NATO allies were delivering to Ukraine.

“Scholz has faced mounting pressure — from Ukrainian officials, German opposition politicians and lawmakers within his own governing coalition — to provide Ukraine with more robust equipment in the face of a fresh Russian offensive… As a parting note, Scholz also made clear that, while allies may choose to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine’s war effort, ‘NATO can’t and won’t get directly involved in the war.’”

However, Fox News added on April 20:

“Germany said it has maxed out its ability to send arms to Ukraine on Wednesday and instead pledged to provide training to Ukrainian forces and maintain its military equipment. ‘While other partners supply artillery, we will help with training and maintenance,’ German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a press conference.”

So, this announcement by Baerbock seems to strongly contradict the declarations by Chancellor Scholz and does not only seem to refer to “offensive” weapons or heavy weapons which Germany was unwilling to supply anyhow. Rather, it seems to refer to all kinds of weapons. Bild had already written on Tuesday that Scholz’s initial “arrogant” statements were either “evasive” or “untrue,” and that Scholz is unwilling to provide Ukraine with what they need. Ukraine has reacted with strong disapproval and utter disappointment, stating that Scholz’s position is “absurd,” and as in times past, Ukraine will not forget Germany’s perceived failing. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that “ the war against Russia would have already been won if Western allies including the US and NATO had sent more weapons to arm Ukraine” (New York Post, April 20).

Pro-Russia Demonstrations in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 10:

“Pro-Russia protesters rallied for a second day in Germany on Sunday, demanding an end to discrimination against the country’s large Russian-speaking population since the conflict in Ukraine erupted… Organizers said that they wanted to put a spotlight on the growing intolerance toward Russians living in Germany.

“However, many observers have questioned whether the protests are not thinly disguised shows of support for the war, and both rallies were met by counter-demonstrations in support of Ukraine. A day earlier, pro-Russia convoys rolled through multiple German cities. One convoy with about 190 cars drove through the southwestern city of Stuttgart, with the motto ‘Against Discrimination Against Russian-speaking People.’ Participants waved banners reading ‘Stop Russophobia’ and urged an end to discrimination against Russian-speaking children in schools. City officials had warned participants beforehand that the event could not show support for the conflict…

“The pro-Russia demos have sparked a backlash, with many seeing them as a show of support for the Kremlin. A similar convoy in Berlin triggered sharp criticism last weekend. Germany’s Bild newspaper called it a ‘parade of shame.’… Germany is home to around 1.2 million Russians and 325,000 Ukrainians, plus more than 316,000 who have arrived as refugees since the start of the conflict.”

Sadly, in times of war, discrimination against innocent people becomes the norm. Deutsche Welle reported on April 18: “Police in several states across Germany have opened investigations into public displays of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine… More than 140 investigations have been launched, most looking into the use of the ‘Z’ symbol that has been seen in several protests in Germany alongside Russian flags.”

This move seems to clearly violate the German constitution, guaranteeing the freedom of speech and assembly. Of course, the German government has been guilty of such violations on numerous occasions before in context with their illegal coronavirus restrictions.

Sympathy for Putin in Germany’s East

The Washington Post wrote on April 15:

 “… most residents [in Saxony] feel no affinity for Putin as he wages a bloody war in Ukraine. But they’re hardly lining up with the West against Russia, either… Sixty-eight percent of people in the state, whose capital is Dresden, say their opinion of the Russian population has not changed since the invasion… Nearly 4 in 10 say their perceptions of Putin are also unchanged. Across eastern Germany, people are 13 percentage points less likely than in the west to say Putin’s Russia is a threat to their country…

“The difference reflects the former communist east’s four-decade history as a Soviet satellite state in which Russian-language instruction was required. It also reveals the effects of economic and cultural ties cultivated with Russia in the three decades since German reunification in 1990… Many in Saxony… are reluctant to pick sides in a new version of the Cold War.”

Don’t Wait for Germany

The Sun wrote on April 8:

“… our failings are insignificant against those of Germany and others whose vast payments for Russian gas are still bankrolling the genocide. We accept that Chancellor Olaf Scholz is having to pick up the pieces of Angela Merkel’s catastrophic appeasement of Putin and deranged energy policies. But he is still choosing Germany’s economic comfort over innocent lives and the futures of Ukraine and Europe itself.

“He hopes to ditch Kremlin gas by mid-2024. That will be far, far too late… We must cripple Putin’s finances NOW, not just as soon as comfortable Germans consider it convenient. The horrors so far in Ukraine are only the start. We are in a race to prevent more.”

Fortress Europe’s Trade Restrictions

Express wrote on April 14:

“President Volodmry Zelensky has continuously asked the EU and European countries to provide weapons to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces. However, weapons support is low and many levies are still being enforced by the EU, whilst the UK agreed to abolish quotas and reduce trade restrictions.

“Facts4EU.org analysed the current trade deals, coming to the conclusion it is ‘just like’ the Northern Ireland Protocol. Researchers wrote: ‘UK responds with help, while EU dallies and maintains its Fortress Europe for trade. The EU delivers Ukraine its very own protocol just like Northern Ireland.’ It said there are 925 categories of EU quotas and tariffs remaining in place.”

 This is incredible and shows the EU’s utter hypocrisy.

Moskva Has Sunk… Biggest Navy Disaster Since World War II

The Guardian wrote on April 14:

“Russia’s flagship missile cruiser Moskva has sunk in ‘stormy seas’ while being towed to a port in the Black Sea following an explosion, the Russian defence ministry has announced… The Ukrainian southern military command claimed… to have struck the Moskva with Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles…

“The apparent attack and sinking of the Black Sea fleet’s flagship…  represents a symbolic blow to the Kremlin. The Moskva was the pride of Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet and the most prestigious vessel involved in the war against Ukraine… Commissioned in 1983, the ship was armed with 16 anti-ship Vulkan cruise missiles with a range of at least 440 miles (700km). According to reports, it was also carrying S-300 anti-air missiles, which are crucial to Russia’s air superiority over Crimea and Ukraine’s Kherson province, now occupied by Russian troops.

“It is the most significant naval vessel to be sunk since the Argentinean cruiser General Belgrano was torpedoed by a British submarine… in 1982 [during the Falkland crisis].  It is the first time Moscow has lost a cruiser since German planes sunk the Chervona Ukraina (Red Ukraine) in 1941 at Sevastopol – the same Crimean naval base where the Moskva was being towed towards when it sank…”

The Sun added on 4-15::

“… the [Neptune] missiles can hit speeds of more than 650mph as they streak towards the enemy ship. Russia’s defence ministry said earlier that over 500 crew aboard the Soviet-era missile cruiser were evacuated after ammunition exploded…  there are at least 300 feared dead after the strike on the Moskva… [Kyiv has claimed that all 510 crew on-board including its captain were killed.].

“Russia has suffered a disastrous war in Ukraine – losing nearly 20,000 troops, almost 3,000 tanks, and 300 aircraft… Russia’s flagship had been operated in the Black Sea since the start of the war and is believed to have taken part in strikes on the coast of Ukraine. And she famously… opened fire on defenders holding out on Snake Island… The ship… was originally called the Slava…  she became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet [in 2000 and] played a role in the 2008 invasion of Georgia, sailed in the Med during Russia’s bombardment of Syria in 2013 and 2014, and blockaded Ukraine during the annexation of Crimea.

“Ukraine is continuing to call for aid as it receives weapons and vehicles from the West. But world leaders and Nato remain fearful to provide much more unless they risk open war with Russia and potentially World War 3.”

One has to wonder whether this is an example of justice.

Axios wrote on 4-15:

“A senior U.S. defense official told Axios on Friday that Ukraine sank Russia’s Moskva cruiser, the former flagship of its Black Sea fleet, with two cruise missiles, validating claims from Ukrainian officials… The account contradicts Russia’s defense ministry claims on Thursday that the  ship sunk during bad weather while being towed to a port to repair damages from a fire that detonated ammunition on board.”

Russian Warning: No More Weapons for Ukraine

The Guardian wrote on April 15:

“Russia reportedly sent a formal warning to the US to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, saying more shipments could result in ‘unpredictable consequences’. 

“According to the Washington Post, Moscow told the White House that its arms shipments were ‘adding fuel’ to the war in Ukraine. The state department would not confirm the communication, but officials made clear that the US would continue sending weapons to Ukraine.”

Putin must realize that the war does not go too well for him. Boxed in a corner, he would be capable of doing just about anything, including using nuclear weapons, if God were to allow it.

Not Too Sure About American Help

CBS News wrote on April 10::

“Despite Zelenskyy’s repeated pleas for a no-fly zone, the U.S. and its allies have declined, saying it could lead to a direct military confrontation between two nuclear-armed powers – the U.S. and Russia. ‘I remember, all of us remember, books about the second World War and about the devil in uniform – Adolf Hitler’ [in an interview with 60 Minutes,] Zelenskyy said. ‘Are those countries who did not participate in the war responsible? The countries who let German forces march throughout Europe? Does the world carry responsibility for the genocide? Yes. Yes, it does. When you [have the ability to] close the sky – yes it’s scary, that a world war could start. It’s scary. I understand [that]. And I cannot put pressure on these people because everyone is afraid of war. But whether the world [is responsible] for this, I believe so, yes. I believe so’…

“Zelenskyy warned that not doing more for Ukraine now means Russia could ‘move closer and closer to Europe’… Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told Pelley that he asked the Biden administration for heavier weapons – tanks and jets – and for them to be delivered fast… A White House official told 60 Minutes that Yermak received a ‘yes’ to his requests, but filling those orders takes time…

“Meanwhile, Russia is escalating its attacks in the East and South. ‘We think this will be a new wave of this war… there will be many times more than there is now,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘[All] depends on [how fast] we will be helped by the United States. To be honest, whether we will be able to [survive] depends on this. I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces. But unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need’…

“When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin should be prosecuted for war crimes, Zelenskyy said ‘everyone who made a decision, who issued an order, who fulfilled an order, everyone who is relevant to this, I believe they are all guilty.’ He added that he does believe Putin is ‘one’ of the people responsible.”

It is also telling that President Biden has refused so far to visit Ukraine.

Denmark Against European Army

The Local wrote on April 11:

“Denmark’s government said on Monday it will hold a fresh referendum on the country’s participation in EU defence and military areas should the union ever decide to establish a supranational army… And the government would recommend that the public vote no (to the treaty)…

“Denmark’s opt-out… is one of four EU special arrangements negotiated by the Scandinavian country, and has seen it abstain from participation in EU military operations and from providing support or supplies to EU-led defence efforts…

“A supranational EU army would represent a significantly larger commitment from member states than the present EU joint military activities. EU countries can currently choose not to send their soldiers on military missions with the EU, but that right would not exist in a theoretical EU army…”

Such a supranational Army WILL be formed.

Finland and Sweden to Join NATO?

The Times wrote on April 11:

“Russia has made a ‘massive strategic blunder’ as Finland and Sweden look poised to join Nato as early as the summer, according to officials. Washington is banking on the move that will stretch Russia’s military and enlarge the western alliance from 30 to 32 members as a direct consequence of President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“US officials said Nato membership for both Nordic countries was ‘a topic of conversation and multiple sessions’ during talks between the alliance’s foreign ministers last week attended by Sweden and Finland…  Finland’s application is expected in June, with Sweden expected to follow.”

The New York Post wrote on April 14:

​“Russia vowed Thursday that if Finland and Sweden join NATO, Moscow would bolster its troop presence and deploy nuclear weapons around the Baltic region… Putin insisted this week that Russia was forced to invade Ukraine because the US and its allies were using the Kyiv government to threaten Moscow with NATO expansion.​”

Putin changed his justification again for his invasion in blaming NATO’s expansion. First, he had given many different “justifications,” including blaming Ukraine for the alleged persecution of Russians. But the problem with a liar is that he does not remember his lies and can’t get his story straight.

Macron vs. Le Pen

The Associated Press wrote on April 11:

“Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France… the runoff is essentially a new election and the next two weeks of campaigning to the April 24 second-round vote promise to be bruising and confrontational against his 53-year-old political nemesis… Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe…

“Macron had just over 27% and Le Pen had just under 24%… The election outcome will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the European Union’s 27 members… Le Pen… tapped into the foremost issue on many French voters’ minds: soaring costs for food, gas and heating due to rising inflation and the repercussions of Western sanctions on Russia.”

Express wrote on April 16:

“French President Emmanuel Macron should pray next week is uneventful. If it is, he will be reelected. Marine Le Pen should pray for someone or something to disrupt the political week. If that happens, she probably wins the election… the contest remains close. The gap between the candidates is small and well within our poll’s margin of error. .. The number of voters still undecided between Macron and Le Pen is quite high…

“Two-thirds of those who abstained or left their ballots blank in the first round will do the same in the second round. We project turnout to be markedly lower than the 75 percent of registered voters that participated in 2017’s presidential second round, the lowest turnout since 1969.”

From a prophetic perceptive, it would be difficult to see how Macron could lose against Le Pen. But stranger things have happened.

Macron vs. Biden

Breitbart wrote on April 14:

“French President Emmanuel Macron has rebuked US President Joe Biden’s accusation that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine, implying such claims are not ‘prudent’… ‘I would say that Russia unilaterally launched a brutal war, that it is now established that war crimes were committed by the Russian army and that we must now find those responsible,’ Le Figaro reports the French President as explaining. ‘…but at the same time I look at the facts and I want to try as much as possible to continue to be able to stop this war and to rebuild peace, so I’m not sure that the escalation of words serves the cause,’ he said, his claim in stark contrast with Biden’s recent verbal approach to the conflict…

“This is not the first time that Macron has reprimanded Biden over his Russian rhetoric. The French President has previously stepped in after the American labelled Putin ‘a butcher’ who ‘cannot remain in power’, publicly criticising the Democrat President over the fiery comments. ‘I would not use those words,’ Macron said in response to Biden’s apparent nod towards regime change in Moscow…

“However, while Macron has pushed back against the fiery anti-Putin rhetoric, officials in Ukraine have appeared only to fan the flames, with the country’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, voicing support for Biden’s genocide allegations online. ‘True words of a true leader,’ the Ukrainian President said in a post online regarding Biden’s accusation that Putin was involved in genocide in Ukraine. ‘Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil.’

“Zelensky followed up his praise with a request for more ‘heavy weapons’, the supplying of which one ex-advisor to former Chancellor Angela Merkel has said could help kick off World War III.”

Are the Mass Media and the CIA Lying to Us?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on April 11:

“Late last year, a Gallup poll showed that… only seven percent of Americans… have a ‘great deal’ of trust in the media…  Citizens of the Soviet Union would read manipulated media like Pravda not because the regime reported facts, but because truth was hidden between the lines of what was reported and what was not reported. That seems to be where we are in the US today.

“Last week an extraordinary article appeared in, of all places, NBC News, reporting that the US intelligence community is knowingly feeding information it does not believe accurate to the US mainstream media for the American audience to consume… According to the NBC News article, ‘multiple US officials acknowledged that the US has used information as a weapon even when confidence in the accuracy of the information wasn’t high…’

“After the Bay of Pigs disaster, President Kennedy has been quoted as wanting ‘to splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.’ That didn’t work out too well for him. As Senate Majority Chuck Schumer famously told Rachel Maddow in 2020, responding to the-President Trump’s criticism of the CIA, ‘let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.’…

“It’s time to revisit President Kennedy’s post-Bay of Pigs wish…”

Alarming, disturbing and quite frightening. An American power more powerful than the American Presidency and his administration?? Interestingly, the reputation of the CIA has never been that good.

Germany’s Infamous Health Minister of Doom Karl Lauterbach

Breitbart wrote on April 19:

“Germany’s now-infamous Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned the country’s population that a new, extremely deadly variant of COVID could emerge in Autumn, which would, in turn, require a return of harsh lockdown measures. However, the forced-vaccination loving minister has been lambasted by both experts within the medical world, as well as members of his own government over the warning, with one virologist saying that his comments were ultimately unscientific.

“According to Bild, Lauterbach said that he believed that there was a probability that a so-called ‘killer variant’ could hit Germany in Autumn after a Summer out of lockdown, which would necessitate the return of harsh forced mask-wearing measures. What’s more, the Health Minister appears to believe that the unvaxxed are to blame in this hypothetical scenario, linking the rejection of his forced vaccination measures to the apparently forthcoming medical crisis.’

“While the health minister appears to believe a ‘killer’ virus may be right around the corner, other medical experts appear to strongly dispute this, reprimanding the leftist politician for his claim. ‘According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the appearance of a “killer variant” in autumn is a very unlikely scenario,’ Der Spiegel reports one expert, WHO-linked virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit as saying, who also reportedly described the SPD member’s comments as unscientific….

“Some of Lauterbach’s colleagues within the German coalition government have also taken aim at the Federal Health Minister, with one lambasting the politician’s comments as unhelpful… [One] German Green party member [described] the comments as being a frontrunner for ‘nonsense of the year’.

“Meanwhile, Bild has reported that Lauterbach has declined to provide the name of the study from which he has drawn his doomsday predictions. This is not the first time the SPD politician has landed himself in hot water over his public Chinese Coronavirus predictions, with Bild also previously catching the forced jab advocate out for seemingly giving different outlooks on the COVID pandemic in public than he does in private. At a time when the minister was giving stark views on the pandemic in Germany publicly, the publication reported the minister as writing in a letter to a colleague that the situation was in fact ‘stable’.”

Germany’s mass tabloid Bild has accused Lauterbach of trying to blackmail the German people by announcing the likelihood of imposing further restrictions, after his attempt to impose vaccine mandates failed.  Now, a few fanatics have allegedly planned to kidnap Lauterbach. If that story is true, as the mass media claims it to be, but which is being questioned by some, then it plays right into the hands of Lauterbach and Scholz and their vocal supporters who emphasize the “need” to preserve and protect democracy, while they are in fact using these alleged events as an excuse for vigorously fighting covid- and vax mandate resisters. Satan’s handiwork can be clearly seen in all of this.

Masks Mandate for Airlines and Airports…

Breitbart wrote on April 13:

“Anthony Fauci said… that ‘you use lockdowns to get people vaccinated so that when you open up, you won’t have a surge of infections. Because you’re dealing with an immunologically naive population of the virus because they’ve not been exposed because of the lockdown’…

“The airline industry is continuing to call for the end of the federal mask mandate, making it clear ‘we need to remove these mandates’ as federal health officials extend it yet again [for another two weeks, until May 3.].”

Federal Judge Strikes Down Masks Mandate

Tampa Bay Times wrote on April 19:

“A federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit Monday, and airlines and airports swiftly began repealing their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. The judge’s decision freed airlines, airports and mass transit systems to make their own decisions about mask requirements…

“The major airlines switched to a mask optional policy, with some eliciting cheers from passengers when the changes were announced over loudspeakers. The Transportation Safety Agency said Monday night that it will no longer enforce the mask requirement, and airports in Houston and Dallas almost immediately did away with their mandates after the TSA announcement…

“The decision by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also said the CDC improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking procedures that left it fatally flawed. In her 59-page ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy was to vacate the rule entirely across the country because it would be impossible to end it for the limited group of people who objected in the lawsuit….

“The White House said the court ruling means that for now the mask order ‘is not in effect at this time.’ ‘This is obviously a disappointing decision,’ White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.”

Disappointing for those who enjoy dictatorial practices. It took a Trump-appointed federal judge to end, for now, Biden’s ridiculous mask policy. Left-liberals are outraged. The White House announced on Wednesday that it would appeal the decision (compare The Ron Paul Institute, April 20). The Biden Administration can’t let go of its dictatorial restrictions. But it is hoped that the decision will NOT be overturned on appeal.

The Huffington Post wrote on April 19:

“Most major air carriers in the United States announced that, effective immediately, they will no longer enforce mask-wearing rules… Airlines making the change include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines… Passenger rail service Amtrak also announced it was dropping the mask mandate.”

However, international flights may not be exempt from the requirements of wearing masks. Hopefully, this will change very soon, including the blatantly unconstitutional requirement to be vaccinated before boarding a flight.

Engineered Mosquitoes… Not So Fast…

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 8:

“Soon, millions of… engineered mosquitoes could be set loose in California in an experiment recently approved by the federal government. Oxitec, a private company, says its genetically modified bugs could help save half the world’s population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread diseases such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue to humans. Female offspring produced by these modified insects will die, according to Oxitec’s plan, causing the population to collapse…

“Scientists independent from the company and critical of the proposal say not so fast. They say unleashing the experimental creatures into nature has risks that haven’t yet been fully studied, including possible harm to other species or unexpectedly making the local mosquito population harder to control… California has never had a case in which an Aedes aegypti was found to transmit disease…

“The company plans to start the release in northern Tulare County in the Central Valley, where it has partnered with the local mosquito control district based in the city of Visalia. The experiment must still be approved by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation… Oxitec has proposed releasing its mosquitoes at 48 different locations in the county. Under the plan, the company said it would release a maximum of 3.5 million mosquitoes a week…

“Among scientists’ concerns is that releasing the genetically modified mosquitoes into neighborhoods could create hybrids that are hardier and more dangerous to humans than the state’s current population… Oxitec uses the antibiotic tetracycline to raise its bugs and mass produce them. When larvae of its modified mosquitoes are exposed to tetracycline, the females — which bite humans — can survive….”

Every time man tries to play God, there are terrible “side-effects.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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