Ukraine Tensions Sore

AFP wrote on April 17:

“Faced with the largest deployment of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders since 2014, [Ukraine] President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested more help from the West, and Western leaders have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop intimidating Ukraine… The US on Thursday announced sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what the White House says is the Kremlin’s US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity..”

According to Israel 365, dated April 19, “Russia responded to the sanctions on Friday by expelling ten US diplomats and banned several other high-ranking officials from entering the country. The banned officials included Attorney General Merrick Garland, Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice, and Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal. In addition, entry is denied to John Robert Bolton, former National Security Advisor to the United States President, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Robert James Woolsey Jr., former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency…”

The Sun wrote on April 17:

“The US has warned commercial pilots against overflying the potential war zone around eastern Ukraine… amid fears they could be shot down like flight MH17. During the last ‘hot’ conflict in the region, a Malaysia Alrlines Boeing 777 – flight MH17 – was shot out of the sky by pro-Moscow rebels, killing 298 people, in July 2014… [We are observing] the greatest period in tension between Russia and Ukraine…

“In Ukraine, a warning was given by [the] army… not to form private militias amid fear of Russian attack… The Ukrainians fear that formation of unofficial armed bands could be exploited by Russia.”

The Sun wrote on April 19:

“RUSSIA has deployed nuclear bombers and fighters in a show of strength as fears of war with Ukraine mount… Pilots practised carrying out air combat, interception and striking air targets at speeds of up to 1,550mph, at a potential altitude of 12.5 miles. Russia has insisted that its current spate of military exercises across the country pose no threat to its neighbour.

“The show of strength comes as Russian state TV claimed the takeover of Ukraine’s border region was ‘inevitable.’… Ukraine has threatened to rebuild its nuclear arsenal – which it gave up after the collapse of the USSR a generation ago – if the West refuses to grant it membership of the alliance… The Russian ambassador to the UK has warned of a ‘bloodbath’ in Ukraine – and vowed to respond if Kiev moves troops to the Donbass region.”

Israel 365 wrote on April 19:

“There is no doubt that the Russian military is gearing up for a military conflict… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Decree No. 117/2021 on March 24, essentially declaring war with Russia. Since the decree was issued, a bilateral military buildup has been underway…”

American Weakness

Deutsche Welle added on April 17:

“Russia sent 15 warships to the Black Sea for a maneuver on Saturday amid escalating tension with Ukraine and the West… The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that some sea areas off the Crimean Peninsula would be temporarily closed off to foreign warships because of the maneuvers… The United States recently canceled the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea following complaints from Russia… the Kremlin has argued that it is entitled to move Russian troops wherever it pleases within its territories… it has pledged to go to lengths to protect Russian speakers in the region.”

After Joe Biden announced some economic sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats, he declared that these were sufficient and that sending warships to the Black Sea was no longer necessary to deter Russia (which reacted in kind by announcing retaliatory sanctions against the USA). This is truly another example of incredible shortsightedness, but in line with prophecy which tells us that ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will collaborate against Europe. This is reminiscent of World War II when Ukraine originally worked together with Nazi Germany against Russia, but then switched sides and became Russia’s supporter against Hitler’s Germany.

Putin Warns the West

The Associated Press wrote on April 21:

“President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sternly warned the West against encroaching further on Russia’s security interests, saying Moscow’s response will be ‘quick and tough’ and make the culprits feel bitterly sorry for their action… ‘I hope that no one dares to cross the red line in respect to Russia, and we will determine where it is in each specific case,’ Putin said. ‘Those who organize any provocations threatening our core security interests will regret their deeds more than they regretted anything for a long time.’

“Moscow has rejected Ukrainian and Western concerns about the troop buildup… But the Kremlin also has warned Ukraine against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel-held east, saying Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region…

“As Putin spoke, a wave of protests started rolling across Russia’s far east in support of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The politician, who is Putin’s most persistent critic and was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent last year, started a hunger strike three weeks ago to protest what he said was inadequate medical treatment and officials’ refusal to allow his doctor to visit him. Navalny’s treatment and deteriorating condition has caused international outrage and prompted his allies to call the nationwide protests. Police detained several Navalny associates in Moscow and moved to disperse unauthorized demonstrations across Russia, arresting scores.

“In his speech, Putin pointed to Russia’s moves to modernize its nuclear arsenal and said the military would continue to build more state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles and other new weapons… In an apparent reference to the U.S. and its allies, the Russian leader denounced those who impose ‘unlawful, politically motivated economic sanctions and crude attempts to enforce its will on others.’

“In an emotional outburst, Putin chastised the West for acquiring a defiant stance toward Russia… Russia this week engaged in a tense tug-of-war with the Czech Republic, following Prague’s move to expel 18 Russian diplomats over a massive Czech ammunition depot explosion in 2014. Moscow has dismissed the Czech accusations of its involvement in the blast as absurd and retaliated by expelling 20 Czech diplomats.

“Putin also harshly criticized the West for failing to condemn what he described as a botched coup attempt and a failed plot to assassinate Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, allegedly involving a blockade of the country’s capital, power cuts and cyberattacks. Belarusian and Russian security agencies arrested the alleged coup plotters in Moscow earlier this month. ‘The practice of organizing coups and planning political assassinations of top officials goes over the top and crosses all boundaries,’ Putin said, drawing parallels to plots against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the popular protests that led to the ouster of Ukraine’s former Russia-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014. Russia responded to Yanukovych’s ouster by annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and throwing its support to the separatists in the country’s east. Since then, fighting there has killed more than 14,000 people and devastated the industrial heartland…”

It is interesting that in light of biblical prophecy, the time will come when Europe will attack Russia and Far Eastern nations with “conventional” and bio-chemical weapons, and the “kings of East” will react quickly with powerful nuclear weapons.

Deutsche Welle reported on April 22:

 “The Russian defense minister on Thursday ordered troops taking part in military drills near the Ukrainian border to return to their regular positions [by May 1].  However, [the defense minister] also ordered that heavy weapons be kept in place about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of the border for another military exercise later this year.”

Europe’s Need for Strength

Express wrote on April 19:

“EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has claimed that Russia has massed ‘over 150,000 troops’ along the Ukrainian border and in the annexed Crimea peninsula… Mr Borrell said Russia was deploying ‘all kind of materials’ on the border including ‘the highest military deployment of Russian army in Ukrainian borders ever’ in what he dubbed a ‘clear matter of concern’ for the EU.

“But French President Emmanuel Macron once suggested going one step further to counter the threat of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Mr Macron, who has pushed for a joint European Union military force since his arrival in power, said the continent needed a ‘real European Army’ to defend itself.”

And so, a European Army IS going to come.

US Ambassador Maligns the US Constitution

Newsmax wrote on April 18:

“U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield [rebuked] the Constitution as having underpinnings of ‘white supremacy’ [and as being] fundamentally corrupt and flawed and not noble and good… Thomas-Greenfield [said], ‘the original sin of slavery weaved white supremacy into our founding documents.’”

A US ambassador is not to malign his or her country in front of those less righteous than the USA (compare Habakkuk 1:13).

Rep. Maxine Waters’ Abhorrent Comments in the George Floyd Murder Case

Star Tribune wrote on April 19:

“… defense attorney Eric Nelson called for a mistrial, citing immense media exposure, particularly a comment by Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters over the weekend in which she said while in the Twin Cities that protesters should get ‘more confrontational’ if there is no guilty verdict.

“‘I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result on this whole trial being overturned,’ Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said, denying the motion while acknowledging that Nelson’s concerns were legitimate. ‘This goes back to what I’ve been saying from the beginning,’ the judge said.

“‘I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution to respect a coequal branch of government. Their failure to do so I think is abhorrent, but I don’t think it has prejudiced us with additional material that would prejudice this jury,’ Cahill said, adding that the jury has been repeatedly told to not to follow the news. “

Controversial Maxine Waters’ inappropriate comments have been interpreted in the news as inciting violence. Nancy Pelosi felt her comments do not need an apology (note articles below).

Verdict against Chauvin to be Overturned on Appeal?

Breitbart wrote on April 20:

“Renowned defense attorney and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Tuesday that the conviction of former Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd should be overturned on appeal because of the public intimidation of the jury and the judge’s refusal to sequester the jury. Dershowitz noted the ‘outside influence’ of people like Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), who encouraged unrest at a protest on Saturday night in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, if there was no murder conviction in the case.

“Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of all of the charges in the case — second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

“Dershowitz told Newsmax: ‘What was done to George Floyd by Officer Chauvin was inexcusable, morally. But the verdict is very questionable, because of the outside influences of people like Al Sharpton, and people like Maxine Waters. Their threats and intimidation, and hanging the sword of Damocles over the jury, and basically saying if you don’t convict on the murder charge, on all the charges, the cities will burn, the country will be destroyed, seeped into the jury room because the judge made a terrible mistake by not sequestering the jury. So the judge himself said, this case may be reversed on appeal. And I think it might [be] reversed on appeal. I think it should be reversed on appeal.

“‘I think the American Civil Liberties Union, which would be all over this case if it weren’t a racially-charged case, all Americans who care about due process and liberty should be concerned that the jury verdict may have been influenced by, if not the thumb, maybe even the elbow of the outside pressures, the fears, the threats. Every juror in that room knew about those threats. And when they sit and deliberate, they have to be saying to themselves, consciously or unconsciously, if I were to render a verdict other than a murder verdict, what the consequences will be, for me, and my family, my friends, my business. That should never, ever, be allowed to seep into a jury room. So I have no real confidence that this verdict — which may be correct in some ways — but I have no confidence that this verdict was produced by due process and the rule of law, rather than the influence of the crowd.’”

If that verdict were to be overturned, one can only imagine the reaction in the country.  Also note the next article.

Political Interference Unacceptable

The New York Post published the following article by Andrew C. McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, on April 20:

“Remember when the Left used to go ballistic over President Trump’s propensity to lob rhetorical bombs into pending investigations and prosecutions?… For all the downsides of his unhinged commentary, Trump never took matters to the point of jury intimidation, as the preternaturally unhinged Democratic Congresswoman Maxi[n]e Waters did over the weekend.

“Because of her, this isn’t over.

“Waters checked every box. As a federal representative from a California district, she traveled to another sovereign state, Minnesota, to interfere in its judicial system. Her rabble-rousing was done in violation of a curfew that the elected mayor had imposed to suppress the rioting that followed the tragic accidental killing of Daunte Wright by a police officer. And her remarks can only be interpreted as an incitement to violence — one less ambiguously provocative than the one over which she and other House Democrats impeached Trump.

“Waters’ standing as a member of Congress gives her no immunity against Minnesota’s criminal laws against obstruction of justice. She ought to be under investigation. Remarkably, rather than distance themselves from such egregious conduct, the nation’s leading Democrats are piling on. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists that her fellow California congresswoman has nothing to apologize for. For his part, President Biden waited until the jury was deliberating to make the stunning public statement that he is ‘praying’ for Chauvin to be convicted.

“The fact that the jury was sequestered [during deliberation]… is no excuse. [Biden] is a lawyer and former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who well knows that sequestration does not make jurors impervious to prejudicial publicity. And if he’s been following the case as he claims to have been, he knows trial judge Peter Cahill has pleaded that public officials stop commenting on the trial — under circumstances where, even before the Bidens and Waters piped up, there was already substantial reason to doubt that Chauvin could get a fair trial in Minneapolis.

“It does not matter how you hoped Chauvin’s trial would end. Our viability as a free, prosperous, rule-of-law society is dependent on the viability of courts as the protection every one of us, equally, can rely on against overbearing government and politicized mobs. In fact, due process is essential if we are to hold the guilty accountable — including police officers who abuse their power. Chauvin’s… conviction now has a real chance of having the result overturned because public officials, who know better, have recklessly undermined the integrity of the trial…”

In light of the 9+ minute video showing Chauvin’s horrible conduct towards Floyd, the conviction of Chauvin was hoped for and celebrated in the USA and all over the world, including by many liberal and conservative outlets, with the claim that the American legal system is the best in the world and that it works, or begins to work. However, this is the very point which is in question, as the previous articles raise—apart from the obvious hypocrisy, the politicizing and the double-standard of some American politicians and their supporters.

More US Soldiers to Germany

Defense News reported on April 13:

“The U.S. Army is sending two new units to Europe… making up about 500 soldiers… This will bring 750 family members to U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden in Germany… a third one that will deploy where necessary… ‘The [new units] will enable U.S. Army Europe and Africa to synchronize joint fires and effects, control future long range fires across all domains and will create more space, cyber and electronic warfare capabilities in Europe,’ Col. Joe Scrocca, the spokesman for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said.

“The Army in Europe will also retain three sites ‘previously scheduled to be returned to the German government due to growing operational requirements in the European theater.’ President Trump had plans to drawdown U.S. troops presence in Europe against the advisement of military leaders, lawmakers and defense and national security experts.”

Not only are these American enlargements of US troops in Germany highly unpopular, one must ask whether the US is creating a Frankenstein monster in Europe.

Power Struggle in Germany

Bloomberg News wrote on April 18:

“The battle to lead Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc into September’s election is headed for a final showdown…

“Armin Laschet, who leads Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, and Markus Soeder, who runs the CDU’s Bavarian sister party CSU… have been holding secret negotiations since Friday… Both leaders… missed their self-imposed Friday deadline for an agreement. Given the current stalemate, there is growing concern among party leaders that any escalation of the standoff could cause irreversible damage to Merkel’s conservative bloc five months before the national election…

“In the latest poll by the institute Kantar the CDU/CSU bloc is only 7 percentage points ahead of the Green party… Polls have consistently showed that Soeder would comfortably defeat his main rivals if there were a direct vote for chancellor in the general election, while Laschet would lose.”

Bild wrote on April 18 that both leaders have been engaged in a brutal election war. The paper added that even though finally there will be a chancellor candidate who will call himself “victor,” he will be, in reality, a defeated man.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 19: 

“Leading officials for the German conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party voted to nominate Armin Laschet as chancellor candidate for this year’s election in the early hours of Tuesday morning… The vote is not an official decision on the candidate for the conservative bloc…”

With such an unpopular candidate as Laschet, one wonders how even conservative voters would react in the next election.

The Greens named their co-leader, 40-year old Annalena Baerbock, as the candidate to succeed Merkel. Deutsche Welle commented that based on Baerbock’s policies, there is “ little room for doubt that any potential coalition between the Greens under Baerbock and the conservatives could be a volatile arrangement.”

Germany has never had a Green chancellor or a chancellor from Bavaria’s CSU party. At the same time, as the Bloomberg News article points out, Armin Laschet is unpopular in Germany, while Markus Soeder, an admirer and follower of the legendary late Franz-Josef Strauss, has been gaining in popularity after his recent humiliating showing in Bavaria where he only reached 37 percent—the worst result in the history of Bavaria’s CSU. On the other hand, 63 percent of Germans see in Soeder as an acceptable chancellor candidate, while only 29 percent believe this of Laschet.

Armin Laschet CDU/CSU Top Candidate

Deutsche Welle reported on April 20:

“The state premier of Germany’s most populous state (NRW) is set to lead the conservative challenge in the general election later this year after his main rival Markus Söder backed out of the race… only 32% of voters who voted CDU or CSU in the 2017 federal election said they would stick with their choice if Laschet were the candidate… Observers say that it will now be no easy task to unite the CDU/CSU bloc behind its top candidate in an election campaign…

“The CDU is experiencing unusually hard times, for numerous reasons. These include difficulties in containing the coronavirus pandemic; various cases of corruption in party ranks; cronyism and distrust; not to mention a chancellor who… is domestically seen as a ‘lame duck’ because this is her last term… The road to the chancellorship will be a long and rocky one for Laschet.”

None of this looks good for the future of Merkel’s party.

Germany’s Planned Coronavirus Restrictions per Federal Law

The Local wrote on April 19:

“Politicians in Germany are holding crunch talks over a new nationwide ’emergency brake’ mechanism that would force states to implement tougher Covid rules when infections reach a certain level. On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives (the CDU and CSU) plus the Social Democrat (SPD) parliamentary groups – which make up the coalition government – discussed changes to the Infection Protection Act draft. If the law is passed by the Bundestag, states would be obliged to enforce new restrictions as soon as more than 100 new coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants are registered over three days in a seven-day period.

“Here are the proposed changes under discussion:

“Night-time curfews in badly-hit Covid areas should be in place from 10pm to 5am… Jogging and walks would be allowed until midnight. People would generally only be allowed to leave their homes during the curfew for work or emergencies…  In schools, virtual learning would be compulsory when a region hits a 7-day incidence of 165 Covid infections per 100,000 people or more… For children up to the age of 14, sports should continue to be possible in groups. The outdoor areas of zoos and botanical gardens are to remain open to visitors with an up-to-date negative Covid test. Employers must provide two coronavirus rapid tests per week to staff who can’t work from home. If the employer says staff can work from home, employees have to accept this offer…

“All regulations are initially limited to June 30th. Other parts of the draft include limiting gatherings of people from different households. Contact with one person outside of the household is permitted, with a maximum of five people being allowed together in hotspots. [As Deutsche Welle reported on April 21, in affected areas, (it is to be ensured that) “nonessential shops only allow customers in with a negative COVID-19 test and an appointment. If the incidence rate exceeds 150, customers can only pick up preordered goods.”]

“The Bundestag wants to pass the law on Wednesday [which it did after a “contentious debate” with strong opposition from the FDP, the Left and the AfD]. It will then go to the Bundesrat – which represents Germany’s 16 states – on Thursday.  If it is passed [and signed by the German President] the update to the Infection Protection Act would be put into place as soon as possible… “Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU)…  called on states to introduce restrictions immediately [adding, “No one needs to wait for the law.”].”

These harsh measures would even constitute a compromise and a “watered-down” version of a prior draft which Angela Merkel and Jens Spahn supported. “On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called upon lawmakers in the country to grant additional powers to the federal government to enforce lockdowns and curfews…” (Breitbart, April 19).

Subsequently, Deutsche Welle wrote on April 22:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday signed a national ‘emergency brake’ into law shortly after the legislation passed the upper house of parliament [Bundesrat, which is made up of representatives of the 16 federal states.] … The secretary-general of the free-market liberal Free Democrats (FDP)… reiterated his party’s opposition. Volker Wissing told public broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday evening: ‘In a free constitutional state, the state must clearly justify why it intervenes so massively in fundamental rights. The federal government has not succeeded in providing this justification.’… Even before the law was passed by the Bundesrat, Berlin lawyer Claus Pinkerneil lodged a complaint with the German Constitutional Court… FDP members of the Bundestag have also announced lawsuits.”

As Bild Online explained, both the Bundesrat as well as Steinmeier could have stopped the law due to concerns, but they did not do so. The tabloid also said that many legal experts question the constitutionality of that law, and that Germany’s highest court could revoke it. However, based on the hype and political propaganda, that is more than doubtful.

Germany is just one example, but an important one, for the ridiculous nonsensical restrictions which are being enforced in countries all over the world. Satan is TRULY the god of this world and the prince of darkness and of the power of the air, ruling all nations and governments whom he has thoroughly deceived.

Germany Prohibits Anti-Corona Restriction Demonstrations

Deutsche Welle reported on April 17:

“Bavaria’s Administrative Court agreed with the local authority that a ban on gatherings by groups of mostly COVID-deniers was necessary to prevent the risk of infection… the Saxony Higher Administrative Court… said that there was justifiable danger for the participants and passers-by… The ruling said the organizers would not be able to maintain social distancing and safety measures. The decision is unappealable and any other planned events are also prohibited…

“The Querdenker group has hosted several anti-lockdown rallies in recent months, with one demonstration in Leipzig attracting over 20,000 participants from around the region in November. German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht has called on police to take a hardline against coronavirus demonstrations… ‘In addition to criminal prosecution, demonstrations must be broken up by the police,’ she said…”

Breitbart added on April 19:

“Despite the ban on gatherings, thousands of people turned out to protest in the city of Stuttgart on Saturday, with at least 700 people being arrested for attending the ‘illegal’ rally. Police in the city said that they also had recorded over 1,000 breaches of the mask-wearing mandate. Around 250 people also gathered in Cologne, under the banner of ‘no to curfews! Health protection instead of restricting our rights,’ after the city imposed a curfew for the first time since the Second World War.”

The police also forcefully stopped a demonstration in Berlin with 7,000 participants.

Germany is becoming more and more a prophesied dictatorship that does not tolerate any views opposed to the official policy. At the same time, Israel dropped outdoor COVID mask orders.

A THIRD Shot and ANNUAL Vaccinations!

Daily Mail wrote on April 15:

“Pfizer Inc’s CEO says he believes people will ‘likely’ need a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. During a panel discussion hosted by CNBC in conjunction with CVS Health that aired on Thursday, Albert Bourla said a potential booster shot would be administered six to 12 months of being fully vaccinated.

“Bourla added that he thinks it is possible that people will need to be immunized against coronavirus annually.”

The Times of Israel added on April 15:

“Pfizer and BioNTech are now testing their shots for children. On Wednesday they said the vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy against the coronavirus in 12- to 15-year-olds, as the companies eye approval for adolescents to get the shots before the next school year.”

When and where will this end?

Fauci’s Tossing a Coin

On April 18, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by the Washington Times:

“Fauci said on Sunday on national news that even those who’ve been vaccinated should not gather indoors, or eat indoors, or remove their masks — or basically, in essence, do anything that involves being and breathing around others. [He] will have Americans walking on pins and needles, living in fear, forever…

“His so-called supporting science is about as solid as tossing a coin. Heads, stay at home; tails, don’t go outside. Heads, wear a face mask; tails, wear two face masks…

“Now, with vaccines rolled out left and right, and more and more Americans getting vaccinated, and more and more Americans doing what the government told Americans to do — to wear face masks, to get vaccinated, to socially distance, to stay out of school, even — now, Fauci wants to suggest it’s all for naught?… Fauci and his made-up scientific terminology has done enough harm to the American people in terms of generating needless fear to strip individual liberties.

“It’s time to stop listening to him. It’s actually well past time to stop listening to him. Fauci’s faux science is simply destroying America from the inside, crippling freedoms and cowering Americans in the corner…”

The Bible has prophesied for a long time that America will be destroying itself from the inside, before it will be totally destroyed from the outside.

In a related article, Adam Dick of the Ron Paul Institute wrote on April 18:

“As in the past, freedom stands in opposition to tyrannical government. Out of the coronavirus panic, tyranny gained the upper hand. What Fauci is saying in the interview is that one type of tyranny — coronavirus crackdown — can only be eliminated if another tyranny is accepted — people giving up their own control over their medical care by acceding to pressure to take the shots even though they do not believe doing so is the right health decision for them. Fauci thus leverages one form of tyranny to advance an additional form of tyranny. Either people take the shots or they keep, mostly figuratively, being hit by clubs… Fauci… is really declaring he is an enemy of freedom.”

Inhumane Coronavirus Rules

Breitbart wrote on April 18:

“Brexit leader Nigel Farage has slammed the ‘inhuman’ coronavirus rules which saw the Queen, 94, left sitting masked and alone at the funeral of her husband of 73 years. The Queen, who along with her late husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was vaccinated against the Chinese virus all the way back in January, was following social distancing rules for funerals imposed on the rest of England by Boris Johnson’s administration. ‘So desperately sad to see the Queen sat alone during the funeral service,’ [wrote] Farage on social media. ‘These Covid rules are inhuman.’

“Just 30 people attended the funeral of the Duke, Britain’s longest-serving consort, in a substantial reduction from the 800 who had originally been planned — although a substantial number of Armed Forces personnel took part in the proceedings, reflecting his status as perhaps the last major public figure to have seen action during the Second World War, when he served in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific theatres…

“Grandson Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, flew in from America to participate in the restricted funeral, although his controversial and heavily pregnant wife Meghan remained behind, reportedly on the advice of her doctors.”

 Sunday Rest Required?

Vatican News wrote on March 4, 2021

“…on the occasion of the International Day for a work-free Sunday, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) and the European Sunday Alliance urged political leaders in Europe to protect synchronised free time… According to the network – which includes more than 100 national Sunday alliances, trade unions, employers’ organisations, civil society associations, churches and religious communities in the European Union – a full day of rest per week is indispensable to recover… EU Bishops also recall that ‘humans are social beings…A day free of work recognised by tradition or custom is therefore ‘essential to disconnect, literally and figuratively”’.

“The Alliance thus urges political leaders in Europe to make synchronised free time a priority… In particular, the European network calls on the European Commission ‘to align its upcoming proposal for a directive on a right to disconnect with article 2 of the Council of Europe’s Social Charter which already requires “a weekly rest period which shall, as far as possible, coincide with the day recognised by tradition or custom in the country or region concerned as a day of rest.”’”

The “mark of the Beast”  requires Sunday rest and work on Saturday—God’s holy weekly Sabbath. Note the next article.

Sunday NOT the biblical Sabbath

Forward wrote on March 25:

“Georgia Republicans recently passed a bill to eliminate early voting on Sunday… Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, of Mississippi [wrote:] ‘In God’s word, in Exodus 20:8, it says “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”’…  Hyde-Smith figured that it was self-evident that Sunday is the Sabbath… The Jewish Sabbath… is on Saturday, not Sunday; in fact, some Christians, such as the Eastern Orthodox, also observe a Saturday Sabbath.

“Even Sunday Sabbath Christians would agree that their Sabbath is not the biblical one Hyde-Smith is referring to in Exodus. Christianity’s shift to observing the Sabbath on a Sunday, as well as changing the parameters of its observance, was an attempt by Christians in the Roman Empire to differentiate themselves from Jews who were persecuted by the Romans. Constantine then codified the Sunday rest day, adding to the law that Christians were forbidden from ‘Judaizing’ and must work on Saturdays. But no one argues that Sunday was the ‘seventh day’ referred to in the holy text; it was considered the first day of the week in both Hebrew and Roman calendars. Hyde-Smith’s Exodus justification for the Sunday voting ban doesn’t hold…”

Sainthood for Key Founding Father of Europe?

Catholic News Agency reported on April 16:

“Pope Francis could declare venerable the French statesman Robert Schuman, a key ‘founding father’ of the European Union, a Vatican official has said… Cardinal Semeraro told the French newspaper La Croix the Pope is likely to declare Schuman venerable before summer begins…

“He was France’s Minister of Foreign Relations when he announced the forming of the European Steel and Coal Community on May 9, 1950. The move is considered a first step towards the creation of the European Union. Schuman was also a key negotiator for the North Atlantic Treaty and the European Coal and Steel Community. He served as the first President of the European Parliament which named him ‘Father of Europe’ when he left office…

“In November 2003 remarks to the Robert Schuman Foundation… St. John Paul II called Europeans to remember and cherish their Christian roots. He praised Schuman for spending his political life ‘in the service of the fundamental values of freedom and solidarity, understood fully in the light of the Gospel.’”

Facebook under Attack (Again) for Arbitrary Political Censorship

Newsmax wrote on April 19:

“Facebook’s decision last week to censor news articles critical of Black Lives Matter leader Patrisse Cullors has been questioned after it was revealed that the social media giant co-founder, Dustin Moskovitz, gave more than $5 million into a network of nonprofits run by Cullors… Facebook blocked its users from posting links to a story in the New York Post about how Cullors, who calls herself a Marxist, spent $3.2 million on high-end real estate as her BLM Global Network Foundation took in millions in donations, saying the reporting violated its ‘privacy and personal information policy.’

“News Media Alliance (NMA), a media nonprofit which represents nearly 2,000 American news organizations, criticized Facebook for its ‘completely arbitrary’ decision to block the story about Cullors… The National Legal and Policy Center, a watchdog group, also slammed Facebook’s decision, saying ‘this, once again, proves freedom of speech is an option not a feature across the Facebook platform, where their corporate interests are placed above the interests of their users at every turn.’”

Sick!

Netanyahu Seeks Direct Election

Newsmax reported on April 21:

“Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to seek a direct election for prime minister and no longer is seeking a government that relies on the support of the United Arab List Party, he said Tuesday. Netanyahu said a direct election for prime minister will pass if Yamina supports it… Seeing no chance to form a government, Netanyahu still intends to maintain his mandate to do so, associates said. That mandate ends May 4, after which a group of small parties that oppose him hope to be able to form an alternative government…

“Netanyahu twice failed to build a governing coalition in Israel’s two 2019 elections. After the 2020 election, the longtime leader formed a unity government with his main rival in what they said was an emergency coalition to manage the coronavirus crisis. The partnership collapsed in December after months of infighting.”

Hezbollah Preparing for Lebanon’s Collapse

The Algemeiner published the following article on April 19

“Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror organization is advancing its preparations for the possibility that the state may collapse… The group is expanding its food ration card system, importing medicine and preparing storage for fuel to be delivered by the organization’s patron, Iran… These steps are aimed at broadening services provided by Hezbollah to its Shi’ite support base, which is mostly concentrated in southern Lebanon, as well as in south Beirut and the Bekaa Valley…

“Having to again rely on factions for basic needs has reminded many Lebanese of the country’s civil war days between 1957 to 1990… Lebanon’s currency has crashed and… food prices in the country have risen by 400 percent.”

A horrible Decision by a “most dishonorable” Judge in Canada

International Family News wrote on April 19:

“In the Canadian National Anthem ring the words, ‘the true north, strong and free.’ And it pains me as a Canadian to say that ‘the north’… my native land, is no longer strong or free, because it has sold truth down the river without a paddle. That point has been recently hammered home thanks to an activist judge in British Columbia. A Canadian father is in jail today for simply doing as any loving parent would do; protecting one’s child from clear and present danger.

“On Friday, April 16th, Rob Hoogland – a postman from Vancouver, British Columbia – was handed a 6 months jail term. His crime? Calling his daughter ‘she’ and ‘her’, railing against ‘gender ideology’ indoctrination his child was being subjected to at school, and defending his child from medical assault being imposed on his family by the state.

“Hoogland is in jail today for those ‘crimes’. But he has been a prisoner for much longer. Well before Hoogland was a prisoner in a Vancouver jail cell from March 16th to April 12th, awaiting trial. Well before Hoogland surrendered himself to the court March 16th in response to the BC Attorney General’s ruling of contempt of court. And even before a most dishonourable Judge Michael Tammen issued the warrant for his arrest on March 4th.

“Rob Hoogland has been a prisoner of the ‘system’ going back to 2015. It was then that things started to unravel for him and his young family… Hoogland and his estranged wife – whom he divorced in the spring of 2015 – were concerned for their then 5th-grade daughter who was getting into trouble at school. The parents consented to having their daughter speak to a school counselor. Unbeknownst to Mr. Hoogland, his daughter would spend the next two years meeting with school counsellors and in grade 7, his daughter cut her hair very short. It was at the end of that school year that Hoogland noticed that his daughter was listed in her yearbook under a male name. What had been happening is that the school had been feeding Hoogland’s daughter a steady diet of transgender ideology. The girl had already begun ‘transitioning’ to a male under the supervision of psychologist Wallace Wong who had referred her to an endocrinologist at the Gender Clinic at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.

“… Hoogland is up against a storm of opposition which includes his wife who, along with Canadian legal and medical systems, continues to forge ahead into transitioning her daughter into a male – both socially and medically. And that doesn’t even take into account the constant barrage from schoolmates, mainstream media, pop culture, and a Marxian education system that put this troubled girl down a road from where there is no return… and her father behind bars…

“By the time Rob Hoogland had attended that first visit to the endocrinologist with his daughter, the cards were well stacked against him. The doctor laid out the plan to medically ‘change’ his 13-year old girl into a boy. Hoogland said ‘no’. He said his girl had told him she was a lesbian. She was just going through a phase. He also told the doctor that his girl had already had two extremely uncomfortable run-ins with the school and his daughter’s infatuation with two separate male teachers. Hoogland was also beside himself having to have dealt with his child’s suicide attempt in Grade 8; this, after the child had been ‘affirming’ herself as a boy…”

In a world ruled by Satan, nothing is surprising anymore. This is a sick sick world.

Monkey-Human Chimeras

Deutsche Welle reported on April 16:

“A team of scientists from China and the United States… injected human stem cells into monkey blastocytes… The team… then managed to keep some of the embryos made up of two different genetic materials alive for up to 20 days. A ‘mixed’ organism like this is also known as chimeric, or an interspecies chimera… the key ethical question relates to what kind of creatures these chimeras would be… whether these embryos are human or not is open to question…”

Hitler experimented with these ideas, trying unsuccessfully to create a mixture or a “hybrid” between humans and chimps, called “humanzee.” Man is trying to play God against the normal laws of nature, as in nature, humans could never mix with chimps to produce a “hybrid” or a “chimera”… These are horrible prospects.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Rule from Above… Central Power not a Trivial Matter in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 10:

“… the federal and state governments have agreed on an amendment to Germany’s Infection Protection Act, which governs control of the pandemic. Under the amendment, the federal government will now be able to unilaterally impose restrictions on regions with high infection rates.

“Imposing a central power over state responsibilities is no trifling matter in Germany. After lessons learned from the last time the country was ruled by a single central power — the Nazi party… the postwar constitution granted federalized states wide-reaching powers.

“This has become increasingly relevant in measures to fight the pandemic. The result is a jumble of measures, complicated by competition among states seeking the best anti-coronavirus policies. While some states have relaxed measures, others have tightened them further. Differences between states include such major points as whether schools are open or not, and details on if hardware stores may open; whether a curfew is in place or not; or even a testing requirement to shop at certain stores… Citizens are confused, finding many measures illogical and losing track of what is allowed where. Calls for a uniform approach have become ever louder.

“Shortly before Easter, German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized some states on the German TV program Anne Will for not implementing the agreed resolutions to combat the virus. If they didn’t come into line ‘in the foreseeable future,’ Merkel hinted, the federal government might act to amend the Infection Protection Act… That the federal government would take more power was, perhaps surprisingly, welcomed by some state leaders. Armin Laschet and Markus Söder, respective premiers of the two powerful states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, both backed the idea, agreeing to curtail their own powers.

“But both men likely have other ambitions in mind. After Merkel steps down this fall, both will seek to become their parties’ candidate to succeed her as chancellor. Laschet is the head of Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats; Söder of their Bavarian sister party, the CSU. This is then somehow an audition for the most important office in the federal government…

“The latest agreement was preceded by sometimes heated arguments. Carsten Schneider, parliamentary director of the center-left Social Democrats — who rule in coalition with the CDU/CSU in the German federal parliament — called the move by the CDU/CSU members an attempt to disempower the states… the greatest support for the new rules came from the Greens, currently in an opposition position….”

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 9 that “Merkel and other leading lawmakers, such as Health Minister Jens Spahn, have called for a short, hard lockdown in Germany… Spahn on Friday suggested implementing curfews,  as is already the case in the capital Berlin… Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s infectious disease authority, suggested implementing a two-to-four week lockdown…”

Merkel’s plans are coming increasingly under attack. Bild Online wrote on April 12 that they are “Murks” (“botched-up”, “bungled” or “a mess.”). The conservative mass tabloid warned especially about the powers Merkel wants to acquire for the federal government to enforce new prohibitions without the consent of the states. In a commentary, the paper wrote: “Nobody in Germany is helped… One has to say it bluntly: Nothing is correct regarding the lockdown plan of the chancellor.” (“Niemandem in Deutschland ist geholfen… Man muss es so hart sagen: Am Lockdown-Plan der Bundeskanzlerin stimmt gar nichts.“)

Germany is playing with fire for sure… But Germans have been known for willingly giving up their freedoms and liberties and sheepishly approving and following dictatorial measures for the propagated alleged “greater good.”

Prince Philip Dies at 99

JTA wrote on April 9:

“Prince Philip, perhaps the closest member of the British royal family to Jews and Jewish causes, has died at 99 [on Friday]. Philip, who had been married to Queen Elizabeth II for 74 years, since five years before she ascended to the throne, had been in declining health for some time.

“Also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip’s support for Jewish and pro-Israel causes ran deep. His mother, Princess Alice of Greece, sheltered a Jewish family during the Holocaust and is recognized as one of fewer than 30,000 ‘righteous among the nations’ by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum. [The Gestapo was suspicious of Alice, even questioning her, but the princess, who was deaf, pretended not to understand their questions. Alice later became a nun.]

“Philip’s four sisters each married German nobles, at least three of whom became Nazis. But Philip, educated in Britain, joined the allied war effort. As an adult, he showed little patience for Nazi collaborators; he was instrumental in making a pariah of his wife’s uncle Edward, who after abdicating the throne dallied with Nazi Germany…

“Philip… came under attack in the 1960s for speaking to pro-Israel groups, and, famously impervious to criticism, ignored the attacks. In 1994, Philip was the first British royal to visit Israel, when he accepted Yad Vashem’s recognition of his mother and visited her burial site at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem… “

Those who have been and are sitting on the British throne, are descendants of the house of Judah and the house of David.

American Presidents Give Tribute

BBC wrote on April 10:

“The current President Joe Biden… issued a statement in which he praised the Duke of Edinburgh’s ‘lifetime of service to the United Kingdom’…

“Donald Trump, who last visited the Royal Family in 2019, described Prince Philip as ‘a man who embodied the noble soul and proud spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.’ He described Prince Philip’s death as an ‘irreplaceable loss for Great Britain, and for all who hold dear our civilisation… Prince Philip defined British dignity and grace… He personified the quiet reserve, stern fortitude, and unbending integrity of the United Kingdom… We saw first hand how the monarchy epitomises and carries on the virtues of the British people – and no-one did so more than Prince Philip…’

“Barack Obama and his wife Michelle said Prince Philip and the Queen had ‘already been on the world stage for more than half a century’ at the time of the group’s first meeting. ‘As two Americans unaccustomed to palaces and pomp, we didn’t know what to expect. We shouldn’t have worried,’ they said. ‘The Queen and Prince Philip immediately put us at ease with their grace and generosity, turning a ceremonial occasion into something far more natural, even comfortable…’

“George W Bush praised the duke’s devotion to public service… ‘He represented the United Kingdom with dignity and brought boundless strength and support to the sovereign,’ he said.

“Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they joined people ‘from all around the world in giving thanks for his remarkable life of service’.

“The oldest living US president, Jimmy Carter, dined with Prince Philip and the Queen in 1977. A tweet issued from the 96-year-old’s presidential library account read: ‘We are sorry to hear that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has passed away.’”

As commentators pointed out, Trump’s statement was the most meaningful.

World Leaders Give Tribute

BBC wrote on April 10:

“Prince Philip had blood ties with a number of former or current European royal households, and many of their members sent condolences. The telegram from King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain was particularly poignant, sending ‘all our love and affection’ to Aunt Lilibet (the affectionate name used by the duke for his wife) and Dear Uncle Philip. ‘We shall never forget the moments that we shared with him,’ they told the Queen…

“Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf said the duke had been ‘a great friend of our family for many years, a relation we have deeply valued’… The Dutch royal family said they remembered Prince Philip with great respect, adding: ‘His lively personality made an indelible impression.’ Belgium’s King Philippe said he and Queen Mathilde would ‘always cherish the memories of our warm encounters’…

“Tributes came in too from the Commonwealth – 54 nations, most with roots in the British Empire and home to 2.4 billion people. ‘He embodied a generation that we will never see again,’ Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. ‘He was a man who was steadfast, who could be relied upon, always standing by his Queen.’ New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern noted that thousands of young people had ‘completed life-changing challenges’ through the duke’s Hillary Award… Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the duke had ‘contributed so much to the social fabric of our country – and the world’… Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said Philip had been a ‘wise leader’ and his ‘role in promoting Pakistan-UK relations will always be remembered.’ And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was another to praise a lifetime of dedication to ‘many community service initiatives.’ Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta said the duke had been a ‘towering symbol of family values and the unity of the British people as well as the entire global community’…

“Other tributes came from nations deeply linked to the duke and his family… In a telegram to the Queen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the duke had ‘rightfully enjoyed respect’ both at home and internationally. And Chancellor Angela Merkel said the duke’s ‘friendship with Germany, his straightforward nature and his sense of duty’ would be remembered. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the duke a man of ‘great style’, saying: ‘France joins in the sorrow of its friends across the Channel and salutes the life, at once European and British, of a man who was a witness to a century of trials and hopes for our continent.’ Italian President Sergio Mattarella said he would ‘cherish’ the memories of Prince Philip’s ‘deep admiration for Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage’…”

It is interesting how many influential royals are still living in Europe, and how many nations are still part of the Commonwealth.

Little Chance that Queen Elizabeth Will Abdicate

Reuters wrote on April 10:

“Despite the death of her husband Prince Philip, her partner and confidante during a record-breaking reign, there is little chance that 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth will abdicate, royal watchers believe… Despite the huge hole in her life that Philip’s death leaves, aides and royal experts have long said it would not lead to the queen, the world’s oldest and longest-reigning living monarch, relinquishing the throne in favour of her son and heir Prince Charles…

“When she was born in 1926, it was not expected she would ever become the monarch. But her uncle Edward VIII abdicated because of his love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson, which the British establishment deemed an unacceptable union, prompting a constitutional crisis which saw the crown passed to her father George VI when she was 10 years old. ‘It is a job for life,’ Elizabeth once said, echoing a promise she made on her 21st birthday in 1947… It was a commitment she repeated on the 60th anniversary of her accession, and when senior Buckingham Palace aides are asked whether abdication is possible, they have the same answer: ‘Life means life’.

“That means she would not follow the leads of other European monarchs such as King Juan Carlos of Spain who abdicated in 2014, King Albert of Belgium who quit in 2013 and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands who stepped down the same year. As a deeply religious figure and titular head of the Church of England, Elizabeth sees the vows she took on her coronation day when she was anointed queen as unbreakable, according to royal commentators and those who know her well.

“However, she might pass on even more official duties to Charles, 72, and other members of the Windsor family who have taken over much of her workload… If the queen follows in the footsteps of her mother – who was known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and was still appearing in public almost up until her death aged 101 in 2002 – Elizabeth might yet be at the forefront of British public life for some time.”

On the other hand, some experience has sadly shown that if one long-time mate dies, the surviving mate might not live that much longer, either. But this does not have to be the case, as other examples show.

The Inevitable Biden-Israel Showdown

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 9:

“The Trump era was unique in US-Israeli politics in that the two governments were almost completely synchronized in their global policy outlooks, particularly on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Biden might not bring with him an immediate cold blast of Obama-era politics, but for Israelis who know the man famous for disagreeing with Netanyahu, their showdown is not a question of if, but when…

“Those on the Left will of course feel that Biden has not gone far enough, fast enough, and hope that he holds Israel to account. Those on the Right are concerned that these last months have simply been a short honeymoon period. It is hard to match the drama over the pending US-Israeli diplomatic conflict over Iran, with the Biden administration holding talks to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, while Israel allegedly attacked an Iranian ship in the Red Sea [and while Israel appears to confirm it carried out a cyberattack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran on Sunday, just five days after the alleged attack on the Iranian ship, according to the Guardian, dated April 11]. Secondary to the Iran drama, the pending Biden-Israel showdown began in earnest over the last 10 days, with a series of small steps that might seem like a few small stones rolling down a hill, but which could ultimately become an avalanche…

“As a first step, Biden immediately returned to the Obama-era language of speaking of settlement activity as a stumbling block to peace, whereas the Trump administration had legitimized settlement activity and focused on Palestinian terrorism as one of the main issues…  Last week Biden’s administration reintroduced the word ‘occupation’ to describe the West Bank, all of the West Bank, including the settlements. This week, the administration agreed to relaunch a system of providing financial assistance to the Palestinians, including to its security services, eliminated by Trump, even though the PA has not ended its monthly stipends for terrorists. To date the administration has spoken of a financial package of $290 million.”

Netanyahu has said that he will do everything in his power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, even if he has to do it all alone. It appears he has begun doing just that.

Governor Cuomo’s Hatred of the Feast of Tabernacles

Israel News wrote on April 14:

“Just as allegations of misreporting COVD deaths were evaporating amid sexual abuse allegations (which also seem to be mysteriously evaporating with no repercussions), a new scandal concerning New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has appeared. Cuomo hates the Jewish celebration of the Biblical feast of Sukkoth… The New York Times reported on Tuesday a disturbing comment by Cuomo. When he was running for the position of New York Attorney General in 2006, Cuomo was frustrated that his campaigning to Jewish groups was hampered by the observance of the Biblical holiday of Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles). ‘These people and their f***ing tree houses,’ Cuomo said to his team, according to The Times…

“If this scandal sticks, it could seriously hurt the governor in any future attempts at reelection. Overall, in his bid for governor in 2014, Cuomo received about 67% of the vote in New York City but in predominantly Orthodox Jewish sections, he garnered over 80% of the vote. To reinforce this, he traveled to Israel and a photo from the trip taken at the Western Wall with Cuomo wearing a yarmulke was featured in his campaign.

“Cuomo’s relationship with his Orthodox constituency has clearly suffered… Like President Biden, Cuomo is a Roman Catholic whose political positions on issues like abortion, homosexual marriage, and divorce, stand in stark contrast to the tenets of his faith.”

JTA added on April 13:

 “New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has long prided himself on his strong relationship with the Jewish community… But that love for the Jewish community apparently does not extend to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot… Sukkot is marked by eating, and sometimes sleeping, in a sukkah, a temporary hut often built from wood and covered in tree branches.

“Cuomo’s… ties with the Orthodox Jewish community hit a rough patch in the fall when Cuomo ordered tightened [COVID-19] restrictions on a number of Orthodox neighborhood… Coincidentally or not, those restrictions were announced during  Sukkot.”

Worldwide Debt Crisis at Worst Possible Time

America Magazine wrote on April 9:

“Pope Francis has highlighted a global crisis that has been obscured by the inescapable Covid-19 catastrophe but has the potential to lead to comparable human suffering. In a letter on April 8 to the participants in the spring 2021 virtual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund… Pope Francis urged world leaders to support a significant reduction in the debt burden of the world’s poorest nations. “Relieving the burden of debt of so many countries and communities today is a profoundly human gesture that can help people to develop, to have access to vaccines, health, education and jobs,” he said…

“‘We’re approaching the greatest wave of debt crises and debt restructurings the world has ever seen,’ [Eric LeCompte of Jubilee USA Network] said in an interview… ‘Fifty-six percent of all countries in the world are either [already in a] debt crisis or on the verge of [a] debt crisis’…

“Accepting higher levels of debt proved irresistible to many governments because of the historically low interest rates that followed the 2008-09 global economic collapse and the creation of new borrowing instruments… Payments on those novel debts are coming due at the absolute worst possible time, Mr. LeCompte pointed out, as Covid-19 shuts down economies around the world… ‘It’s a global economic shock, the worst crisis that we have faced since the Great Depression, and developing countries don’t have the revenues or the tools to be able to face the crisis.’”

America’s Border Crisis

Fox News wrote on April 11:

“Vice President Kamala Harris’ relative silence regarding the topics of – immigration and border security — since taking on an oversight role on those issues — continued to draw more media scrutiny Saturday. It was the 18th day that Harris went without holding a news conference regarding her duties on the issues, since receiving the assignment from President Biden. On Saturday, the Washington Examiner… quoted White House press secretary Jen Psaki, reacting Wednesday to questions about when Harris would be visiting the border region. ‘I’m sure it will be soon,’ Psaki said…

“Also Saturday, NBC News published an article titled, ‘Confusion clouds Harris immigration role.’ The NBC story argued that the White House helped create confusion by not clarifying what Harris’ specific duties would be regarding the migrant crisis. It went on to quote White House aides, mostly anonymously, who asserted that Harris’ focus was on addressing the root causes of migration that exist in the so-called ‘Northern Triangle’ countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – and not on the border region itself.”

It was also reported that Harris claimed she was not in charge of the border crisis, thereby contracting Biden’s conflicting remarks.

 The Associated Press wrote on April 5:

“More Americans disapprove than approve of how President Joe Biden is handling waves of unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border…  59% say providing safe treatment of unaccompanied children when they are apprehended should be a high priority, and 65% say the same about reuniting families separated at the border… Overall, 40% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of children reaching the nation’s southern border without their parents, compared with just 24% who approve. Thirty-five percent don’t have an opinion either way.”

The Baltimore Sun added on April 8:

“The U.S. government picked up nearly 19,000 children traveling alone across the Mexican border in March, authorities said Thursday, the largest monthly number ever recorded and a major test for President Joe Biden as he reverses many of his predecessor’s hardline immigration tactics… March’s count was roughly double the number of unaccompanied children encountered by the Border Patrol in February and more than five times the number in March 2020.

“The huge increase in children traveling alone — some as young as 3 — and families has severely strained border holding facilities, which aren’t allowed to hold people for more than three days but often do. It’s left the government scrambling to find space and hire staff to care for children longer term until they can be placed with sponsors.

“Amid the growing numbers, more than 4,000 people at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection holding facility have been jammed into a space designed for 250 at a tent complex in Donna, Texas. They lay inches apart on mats on the floor with foil blankets…”

Withdrawing from Afghanistan—a Gift to the Taliban?

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 14:

“After almost two decades since the United States invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban regime, Washington is set to exit the country. President Joe Biden has decided to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 11.  The military withdrawal will not depend on the situation on the ground — despite fears that the Taliban could make major gains, many say… Germany will match US plans for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan [and so will the UK].

“Former US President Donald Trump’s administration had set the pullout date for May 1, but Biden’s decision will delay the withdrawal by another five months. Biden’s complete and unconditional decision to withdraw comes as a surprise for many experts, who had hoped that his administration would reverse Trump’s policies, which many believe have emboldened Islamist militants in Afghanistan.

“Violent attacks in Afghanistan have spiked since the signing of the US-Taliban agreement in Doha, Qatar, in February 2020 to end the protracted war. The Taliban deny involvement in these attacks, but their refusal to agree to a nationwide ceasefire has raised doubts about their intentions. The Islamist group, which feels more powerful than ever, also says it would not attend a planned summit in Turkey until all foreign troops leave the country…

“The Taliban are not the only threat to Afghan forces; other militant groups, such as ‘Islamic State’ (IS), have also gained a foothold in the war-ravaged country…”

CNN added on April 14:

“Biden said Wednesday that the withdrawal will begin on May 1, in line with an agreement President Donald Trump’s administration made with the Taliban. He said the complete withdrawal will be done by September 11. Some US troops will remain to protect American diplomats, though officials declined to provide a precise number.”

The New York Times wrote on April 14:

“President Biden formally announced his decision to end the 20-year, largely unsuccessful American effort to remake Afghanistan… For the United States, Mr. Biden’s announcement was a humbling moment. The Afghan war was not only the longest in American history, it was one of the costliest — more than $2 trillion. Nearly 2,400 American service members were killed, and more than 20,000 were wounded.”

America has not won a war since World War II.

Afghanistan–a Tortured Wasteland

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Scott Ritter on April 15, which originally appeared in RT—the outlet controlled by the Russian government:

“President Joe Biden, in a departure from a policy embraced by four successive US presidential administrations which placed stringent conditions on determining the conditions under which the US might leave Afghanistan, has announced that he is ordering all US military forces out of Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 – the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks which propelled the US Afghan intervention to begin with.

“This decision, which is not linked to any preconditions or other policy contingencies, means the US will finally extricate itself from the two-decade long nightmare in Afghanistan that had become known as ‘the forever war.’… This decision flew in the face of the advice Biden was receiving from the military, which argued that any condition-free withdrawal would doom the Afghan government and military to a Vietnam-like collapse…

“In short, the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan accomplished nothing other than killing more than 2,000 Americans, wasting trillions of dollars of American treasure, and slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Afghans while leaving their country little more than a tortured wasteland.”

Trump at it Again

Politico wrote on April 11 (The Washington Post and The Week contributed to the report):

 “Former President Donald Trump ripped into Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell before a Republican National Committee donor retreat Saturday evening… Trump veered off his prepared text during a roughly 50-minute speech before several hundred well-heeled GOP donors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida… The former president spent several minutes tearing into [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell, [calling him a “dumb” S.O.B. and a “stone cold loser” and ] saying that he didn’t do enough to defend him during the February impeachment trial…

“The latest verbal broadside against McConnell, the most powerful Republican still in elected office, comes as Trump reemerges as a dominant force in GOP politics. The former president… is issuing a steady stream of endorsements for the 2022 midterm elections…

“Several attendees said there was little response to Trump’s insult. Much of Trump’s Saturday night speech was aimed at relitigating the election results, on which the former president has remained fixated. At one point he said he remained disappointed with Pence for not doing more to stop the certification of the election, which he called ‘rigged’ (and ‘bulls…’)… The former president also savaged Fauci, saying that he gave him bad advice [and asking whether ‘you have ever seen anybody that is so full of c…’]… Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spoke before Trump, also went after Fauci…”

The Associated Press added:

“…the location of the event suggests that the GOP, at least for now, is not ready to replace Trump as its undisputed leader and chief fundraiser.”

Fox News wrote:

“Trump didn’t say whether he plans to run for president again but assured donors ‘in 2024, a Republican candidate is going to win the White House.’ He said any potential announcements of his own candidacy would likely come after the 2022 midterms…”

Rubio: “No One in GOP Beats Trump in 2024”

Newsmax wrote on April 15:

“Despite a competitive (if not contentious) 2016 GOP primary battle against former President Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has Trump’s endorsement in his bid for reelection next year… Indeed, Rubio says, he won’t even challenge Trump, whom he called ‘the most popular and most influential Republican in America,’ should the former president make another run for the White House in 2024. ‘If he decides to run for the president and the nomination, he’s going to be the party’s nominee,’ Rubio [said]… ‘almost everyone that I’ve talked to would agree with that.’

“Rubio is not the first potential rival for the Republican presidential nomination to signal he’d defer to Trump. Onetime ambassador Nikki Haley said this week she wouldn’t run against Trump and would support his presidential bid, should he run.”

Defender-Europe 21… Preparing for War against Russia and China?

Workers World wrote on April 9:

“Defender-Europe 21… is mobilizing 28,000 troops from the United States and 25 NATO allies and partners. In over 30 training areas in 12 countries, these troops will conduct operations including live fire and missile exercises. The U.S. Air Force and Navy will also participate.

“In March, the U.S. began to transfer thousands of soldiers and 1,200 armored vehicles and other heavy equipment from the United States to Europe. They are landing in 13 airports and four European seaports, including some in Italy. In April, over 1,000 heavy equipment pieces will be transferred from three pre-positioned U.S. Army depots in Italy (probably Camp Darby), Germany and the Netherlands — to various training areas in Europe; they will be transported by trucks, trains and ships.

“…In one of the war games, more than 5,000 soldiers from 11 countries will spread across Europe for live fire exercises…

“While… European citizens will still be prohibited from freely moving for ‘security’ reasons, this prohibition does not apply to the thousands of soldiers who will move from one European country to another freely. They will have the ‘COVID passport,’ provided not by the EU but by the U.S. Army… Defender-Europe 21… utilizes key ground and maritime routes bridging Europe, Asia and Africa… In June… it will ‘defend’ Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal with a vast military operation from North Africa to West Africa, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. It will be directed by the U.S. Army through the Southern Europe Task Force with its headquarters in Vicenza (North Italy).

“The official statement explains: ‘African Lion exercise is designed to counter malign activity in North Africa and Southern Europe and to defend the theater from adversary military aggression.’ It does not specify who the ‘bad actors’ are, but the reference to Russia and China is evident…

“The U.S. Army V Corps participates in Defender-Europe 21. The V Corps, after being reactivated at Fort Knox, Ky., has established its advanced headquarters in Poznan (Poland), from where it will command operations along NATO’s Eastern flank… citizens of the participating countries know [they] will pay the cost with… public money, while… resources to face the pandemic crisis are scarce. Italian military spending rose this year to the equivalent of $32.5 billion, that is, $89 million a day. However, Italy has the satisfaction of participating in Defender-Europe 21, not only with its own armed forces but as a host country. It will therefore have the honor of hosting the final exercise of the U.S. Command in June, with the participation of the U.S. Army V Corps from Fort Knox.”

One needs to ask the question as to what Defender-Europe 21 is really about. Surely, it’s more than just a routine military exercise.

Preparing for War in Ukraine?

At the same time, the situation at Ukraine’s border gets more and more serious.

The Sun reported on April 10:

“Putin’s troops boast they are primed for battle as terrifying new footage appears to show Russian tanks and missile launchers closing in on Ukraine… Kiev estimates there are now 85,000 Russian troops between six and 25 miles from its frontier and in Crimea. It warned today that Putin could very soon spark a war in the pro-Moscow rebel-held east of the country… Others also fear Moscow is on the point of a full-scale invasion, and believe the Ukrainian authorities… are already preparing for the worst…

“Moscow has already surrounded Ukraine’s border with tens of thousands of troops… Russia is massing huge military firepower on the border of the disputed Donbass region in eastern Ukraine as it threatens ‘full-scale combat operations’… And chilling satellite images show new Russian encampments and artillery batteries in the provinces of Voronezh and Krasnodar which lie to the east of Donbass.

“At least six 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortars – capable of firing warheads 12 miles – were filmed on a flatbed train… Dubbed the ‘city destroyer’, it is the largest mortar system in the world and has been used to demolish fortifications from Chechnya to Afghanistan.

“On Friday, the Kremlin said it fears the return of full-scale fighting in eastern Ukraine and could take steps to protect Russian civilians there…”

It does not appear that Russia is only conducting routine military exercises.

The Daily Mail added on April 12:

“Russia is ‘one step from war’ with Ukraine, state TV has warned in the latest bout of sabre-rattling between Moscow and Kiev that has jangled nerves across Europe. Dmitry Kiselyov, a Russian news anchor who has been called a ‘Putin propagandist’ in the past, issued the warning during a primetime broadcast in Russia on Sunday. He branded Ukraine a ‘Nazi’ state, saying that Russia may be forced to ‘de-Nazify’ it by force…

“Meanwhile Michael McFaul, who was America’s man in Moscow between 2012 and 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea, warned that Putin could invade Ukraine and bring war to Europe in a ‘worst-case scenario’. He said the current posturing in eastern Europe could easily spill over into all-out conflict if Russia decides to attack on the pretext of ‘liberating’ Russian-speakers in the east of the country who it considers citizens… Asked by BBC Radio 4 how concerned world leaders should be by the situation in Ukraine, Mr McFaul responded simply: ‘Very.’”

Russia Sanctioned  

Axios wrote on April 15:

“The Biden administration… will sanction dozens of Russian officials and entities, expel 10 diplomats from the U.S., and set new restrictions on buying Russian sovereign debt in response to the massive SolarWinds hack of federal agencies and interference in the 2020 election… The announcement comes two days after President Biden… warned Putin against further ‘cyber intrusions and election interference’ and raised concerns over Russia’s massing of forces on the border with eastern Ukraine… 

“‘We condemn any sanction aspirations. We believe they are illegal. In any case, the principle of reciprocity applies in this case…’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday… Despite the fact that the U.S. is itself highly active in cyber espionage, a senior administration official said it was appropriate to respond to the SolarWinds attack…”

COVID-19 Vaccines… not as Harmless as Portrayed?

Children’s Health Defense wrote on April 8:

“Over the past year, it would be all but impossible for Americans not to notice the media’s decision to make vaccines the dominant COVID narrative… A December preprint about SARS-CoV-2, by scientists at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), produced findings about wild coronavirus that raise questions about how viral RNA operates. The scientists conducted the analysis because they were ‘puzzled by the fact that there is a respectable number of people who are testing positive for COVID-19 by PCR long after the infection was gone.’ Their key findings were as follows: SARS-CoV-2 RNAs ‘can be reverse transcribed in human cells,’ ‘these DNA sequences can be integrated into the cell genome and subsequently be transcribed’ (a phenomenon called ‘retro-integration’) — and there are viable cellular pathways to explain how this happens.

“According to Ph.D. biochemist and molecular biologist Dr. Doug Corrigan, these important findings (which run contrary to ‘current biological dogma’)… put the CDC’s assumptions about mRNA vaccines on shakier ground… Corrigan emphasized that the Harvard-MIT findings about coronavirus RNA have major implications for mRNA vaccines… While not claiming that vaccine RNA will necessarily behave in the same way as coronavirus RNA — that is, permanently altering genomic DNA — Corrigan believes that the possibility exists and deserves close scrutiny. In Corrigan’s view, the preprint’s contribution is that it ‘validates that this is at least plausible, and most likely probable’…

“The authors suggest that while the clinical consequences require further study, detrimental effects are a distinct possibility and… could include ‘a more severe immune response…’ …the preprint’s discussion of reverse transcription and genome integration elicited a maelstrom of negative comments from readers unwilling to rethink biological dogma, some of whom even advocated for retraction (though preprints are, by definition, unpublished) on the grounds that ‘conspiracy theorists … will take this paper to ‘proof’ that mRNA vaccines can in fact alter your genetic code.’ More thoughtful readers agreed with Corrigan that the paper raises important questions…

“Corrigan acknowledges that some people may dismiss his warnings… He has a ready and compelling response: ‘[T]here’s a big difference between the scenario where people randomly, and unwittingly, have their genetics monkeyed with because they were exposed to the coronavirus, and the scenario where we willfully vaccinate billions of people while telling them this isn’t happening.’

“In mid-November… the Jerusalem post told readers that ‘when the world begins inoculating itself with these completely new and revolutionary vaccines, it will know virtually nothing about their long-term effects’… In the U.S., enthusiasm for mRNA technology is similarly unfettered. Just a few days after the CDC released updated data showing that more than 2,200 deaths of individuals who had received either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines had been reported as of Mar. 26 , The Atlantic praised the technology, suggesting that the ‘ingenious’ synthetic mRNA technology behind Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID vaccines represented a ‘breakthrough’ that could ‘change the world.’

“Rather than dismiss the prospect of retro-integration of foreign DNA as a ‘conspiracy theory,’ scientists should be conducting studies with the mRNA-vaccinated to assess actual risks… Judging by pharmaceutical company executives’ willingness to overlook mRNA vaccines’ long-term — and possibly multigenerational — risks, they must be… entranced by dollar-sign visions of a never-ending pipeline of ‘plug and play’ mRNA products.”

The New York Post reported on April 10:

“A Brooklyn woman who managed to avoid catching COVID-19 throughout 2020 went down with the bug this month — three weeks after being vaccinated… [with the] Johnson & Johnson vaccine… Even after [she] was vaccinated, she was careful to always mask up when outside and wash her hands frequently… ‘The vaccine does not necessarily prevent you from getting COVID. It prevents you from being hospitalized or dying from it,’ Dr. Kris Bungay, a Manhattan primary care physician, told The Post.”

That is not, of course, what we have been told so far.

It should make us think when we hear that nearly 40% of American Marines have declined to get vaccinated (CNN, April 10, 2021). They may know much more than the “ordinary” citizen, and it would be preposterous to assume they are all part of unfounded conspiracy theories. In addition, almost half of Republicans say they will never get the COVID-19 vaccine (Newsmax, April 14).

Reuters reported on April 14 :

“Denmark on Wednesday became the first country to stop using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine altogether over a potential link to a rare but serious form of blood clot. The decision will push back the scheduled conclusion of Denmark’s vaccination scheme to early August from July 25, health authorities said. But that new timeline assumes it will start using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, whose rollout in Europe has been delayed over similar clotting concerns and the use of which Denmark has suspended. That shot comprises around a third of the country’s total contracted supply.”

CNBC added on April 14:

“A [US] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel on Wednesday decided to postpone a decision on Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine while it investigates cases of six women developing a rare but potentially life-threatening blood-clotting disorder that left one dead and one in critical condition. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met a day after the Food and Drug Administration asked states to temporarily halt using J&J’s vaccine ‘out of an abundance of caution.’”

Vaccine Passport of Limited “Value”

Breitbart wrote on April 15:

“A so-called ‘green pass’, or vaccine passport, will have limited scope, according to a new agreement by the 27 member-states of the European Union. EU members agreed that the vaccination certificate would not allow carte blanche travel across the European Union and stated that national governments would be allowed to restrict travel to stop the spread of the Chinese virus. The agreement states that ‘the use of the digital green certificate with a view to lifting restrictions should remain the responsibility of the member states’ and argues that the certificate should not be a travel document in order to ‘reinforce the principle of non-discrimination, in particular, towards unvaccinated persons’, newspaper El Paìs reports.

“The new proposal for the green pass would also introduce an expiration date for the green pass for 12 months from June 2021, when it is expected that the green pass will be approved… Previously, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had expressed a desire to use the pass longer, or even change it to adapt to future pandemics…

“While the proposal has passed the Council of the European Union, it must now go to the European Parliament, where it will need to meet with approval. It comes as several other countries have reacted negatively to the idea of vaccination passports, including the United Kingdom… In a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, owners of restaurants, nightclubs, and other venues stated that they would refuse to recognise the vaccine passports even if the government mandated them.”

US Supreme Court Rejects Newsom’s Limits on In-Home Religious Gatherings

Fox News reported on April 9:

“The U.S. Supreme Court in a divided decision late Friday ruled in favor of lifting restrictions on in-home religious gatherings [holding the state may not prevent people from gathering in homes for Bible study and prayer meetings], overturning a lower court ruling that upheld Gov. Gavin Newsom’s limits on people from different homes. The 5-4 unsigned ruling follows other similar decisions recently regarding churches and the coronavirus pandemic. The decision noted it was the fifth time the court has rejected the Ninth Circuit’s analysis of California coronavirus restrictions.

“Chief Justice John Roberts dissented but did not sign the dissenting statement submitted by justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer. The ruling stated that before it can limit religious gatherings, the government must prove they pose a greater danger than secular activities that remain open, such as shopping or attending movies… adding that California ‘treats some comparable secular activities more favorably than at-home religious exercise, permitting hair salons, retail stores, personal care services, movie theaters, private suites at sporting events and concerts and indoor dining at restaurants to bring together more than three households at a time.’…”

No wonder that the Biden Administration wants to desperately “pack” the US Supreme Court by adding more liberal judges in order to uphold the Democrats’ political agenda. But who would have followed the state’s ridiculous prohibition on in-home Bible studies and prayer meetings anyhow?

Newsmax wrote on April 9:

“The Constitution doesn’t say how many justices the court must have, but Congress has left the number at nine since 1869. The idea of adding justices hasn’t been seriously discussed since President Franklin Roosevelt unsuccessfully pitched a court-packing plan to Congress in 1937.”

According to reports, Congressional Democrats, under the leadership of House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, want to increase the number of judges on the US Supreme Court to 13. 

A superior court in Weimar, Germany, found on April 8 in a decision of 178 pages that all mask mandates for students in schools are unconstitutional, and the court prohibited the school in question to direct or compel  students to wear masks. It also prohibited the school officials to demand quick corona tests of their students. We wonder how long this decision will stand until it is overturned by higher courts.

Is Western U.S. Entering its Most Severe Drought in Modern History?

CBS News wrote on April 12:

“Extreme drought across the Western U.S. has become as reliable as a summer afternoon thunderstorm in Florida. And news headlines about drought in the West can seem a bit like a broken record, with some scientists saying the region is on the precipice of permanent drought. That’s because in 2000, the Western U.S. entered the beginning of what scientists call a megadrought— the second worst in 1,200 years… what is happening right now appears to be the beginning stages of something even more severe.

“And as we head into the summer dry season, the stage is set for an escalation of extreme dry conditions, with widespread water restrictions expected and yet another dangerous fire season ahead… there is little doubt that the drought in the West, especially the Southwest, this summer and fall will be the most intense in recent memory…

“Right now, the U.S. Drought Monitor places 60% of the Western states under severe, extreme or exceptional drought… this past winter’s wet season was not very wet at all. In fact, it just added insult to injury, with only 25 to 50% of normal rainfall falling across much of the Southwest and California. This followed one of the driest and hottest summers in modern times, with two historic heat waves… and the worst fire season in modern times…”

The Associated Press added on April 14:

“Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get a tiny fraction of the water they need amid the worst drought in decades…”

Thinking Monkeys and Living Dinosaurs?

Reuters wrote on April 9:

“Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup released footage on Friday appearing to show a monkey playing a simple videogame after getting implants of the new technology… Neuralink works by recording and decoding electrical signals from the brain using more than 2,000 electrodes implanted in regions of the monkey’s motor cortex that coordinate hand and arm movements, the video’s voiceover said…

“Co-founded by Musk in 2016, San Francisco-based Neuralink aims to implant wireless brain computer chips to help cure neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia and spinal cord injuries and fuse…”

The Bible does speak of a spirit of animals, giving them the limited capacity of “thought processes.” Musk and his associates have other ideas, too.

Fox Business reported on April 8:

“Elon Musk’s business partner says a real-life version of ‘Jurassic Park’ could ‘probably’ happen but only if the tech whizzes ‘wanted to.’ The co-founder of Musk’s Neuralink company, Max Hodak, hit send on a tweet that suggested that any featured dinosaurs at a metaphorical Jurassic Park ‘wouldn’t be genetically authentic dinosaurs.’ But, with about ‘15 years of breeding and engineering’ anything is possible ‘to get super exotic novel species,’ he added.”

The Independent added on April 8:

“Scientists have cloned a number of animals, including wolves, dogs, cats, monkeys and, famously, sheep [and a black-footed ferret]… but scientists have not managed to create an extinct animal yet… The challenge in creating genetically authentic dinosaurs is due to the fact that soft material which would contain DNA is hard to preserve…

“Breeding and engineering, as Hodak suggests, is a possibility… Scientists are attempting to bring back similar species that have gone extinct, such as cloning a ‘proxy’ species of mammoth from an Asian elephant where there is a large amount of DNA material available…”

If it were possible to “create” an extinct dinosaur, then we can be certain that power- and fame-hungry scientists would attempt to do so. But can you imagine dinosaurs coming back to life? And what kind? The peace-loving vegetable-eating ones, or the vicious meat-eating ones?  For scientists, that would only be an academic question, however.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Germany’s Christianity

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 1:

“The Holy Roman Empire, the birthplace of Protestantism, the battlefields of Christian theology. The lands that make up modern Germany once had front-row seats to some of the most significant developments both in the history of Europe and of Christianity. Today, those Christian roots are hard to overlook. Public holidays based on Catholic and Protestant beliefs provide highly-anticipated vacation days that go beyond just Christmas and Easter. And while ‘Christian’ political parties — Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and the Bavarian Christian Socialist Union, for example — are considered traditional rather than religious, the parties’ names make it clear they were conceived on the basis of Christian values…

“Roughly 45.7 million Germans identify as Christian, be they Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox or non-denominational. That’s nearly 55 percent of German society, according to figures from 2019. The Muslim population comprises approximately 5 percent (4.5 million) of the population; the Jewish community 0.1 percent (94,7000)… The majority of Germany’s Christians are registered as either Catholic (22.6 million) or Protestant (20.7 million)…

“In 2019, the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church collected a record-breaking €6.76 billion ($7.94 billion) and €5.95 billion ($6.98 billion) in church tax, respectively. The right for churches to collect a de-facto membership fee in the form of a tax dates back to 1919… The rate is currently set at 9 percent of one’s income… And as the Finance Ministry handles the tax for them… it also receives a neat 3 percent of the total, which added up to €380 million in 2016…

“The two churches own at least 830,000 hectares  (8,300 square kilometers or 3,200 square miles) of land… The churches themselves have disclosed tens of thousands of buildings that they each hold in addition to at least 21,100 Protestant and 24,500 Catholic churches. When examining buildings related to the churches’ roles in healthcare, education, and charitable work, the Catholic Church has at least 66,000 additional holdings and the Protestant Church a further 50,000…  Moreover, they receive state funds to compensate for property losses dating back to the early 1800s when Napoleon upended the Holy Roman Empire. According to broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, this amounted to nearly €500 million in 2017 and comes from taxpayers whether they belong to a church or not…

“Another reason Catholic and Protestant interests are so visible in German society is the seats church representatives are granted on supervisory boards across a wide variety of organizations. There, the churches sit alongside other interest groups such as conservationists, union leaders, and experts from a range of fields in the name of representing an important demographic. By way of example, the two churches have a voice on public broadcasting councils, from the nationwide ARD and ZDF to the regional WDR, to the international Deutsche Welle (DW), which receives federal funds. Included in these councils’ oversight tasks is helping to select the director-general. Given the innumerable supervisory boards across Germany, it is next to impossible to know exactly how many of these seats are held by the churches….

“When asked by German pollster INSA in 2017 if they believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, only 52 percent of Catholics and 48 percent of Protestants said yes. When asked if they believed in life after death, only 40 percent of Catholics and 32 percent of Protestants said they did…”

This article gives additional meaning to the description of the fallen woman in Revelation 17, riding the beast and being called “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots” (verse 5).

Talks about a European Army

Express wrote on March 31:

“Last week, Brussels rubberstamped a £4.3billion defence project which has been tipped to pave the way for the long-proposed EU army. French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel have both reportedly expressed interest in such a move, particularly after the US pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2018.The so-called EU army doesn’t exist at the moment, with military powers organised individually by the 27 EU member states.

“But during an interview with Welt in Germany, Bundestag President and CDU politician Wolfgang Schäuble [said:] ‘We don’t have much time. We live in a dangerous world in which Europe needs an operational, modern army. The Germans would be up for it. They would immediately be willing to give up a national army…’

“France’s former Defence Minister Sylvie Goulard, who was also taking part in the same interview with Die Welt,… said: ‘Most of the French would not have any reservations about forming a common army with the Germans… It’s a matter of life and death. It must not happen that when the first coffins return to Europe, self-doubts arise about the fundamental necessity of the common army.’”

A European Army will arrive.

EU and USA in Collaboration to Establish a Palestinian State

Israel Today wrote on April 1:

“Two new scandals involving the Palestinian Authority (PA), the European Union, and the current US Administration of President Joe Biden were revealed by Israel’s Channel 13 News and the US news organization The Washington Free Beacon. The scandals show that instead of consolidating its sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (or the so-called ‘West Bank’), Israel is losing the battle over its Biblical heartland. Both the European Union and the Biden Administration are helping the PA to establish a terrorist state in this area.

“Last week, Channel 13 broadcast a blockbuster two-part documentary about the shocking activities of the European Union (EU) in the so-called ‘Area C’ in Judea and Samaria. This area was assigned to Israel under the Oslo Accords and COGAT, the Civil Administration of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), [and it] is responsible for daily affairs there, including issuing building permits… Arabic-speaking employees of this organization disguised themselves as Arabs and went undercover into the Palestinian Authority (PA) to investigate exactly what are the activities of the EU in Area C. The investigation clearly showed that the EU is secretly helping the PA to create a Palestinian state in Area C, as well as Arab Jerusalem… The EU, the United Nations and certain Arab countries are funding the entire project to the tune of three billion euros…

“Then there was a shocking report by Adam Kredo, an investigative reporter for The Washington Free Beacon, an US-based news site. Kredo’s article was about an as yet unpublished US State Department report that described how the PA continues to use foreign aid to pay stipends to jailed Palestinian terrorists and the families of so-called ‘martyrs,’ Palestinian Arabs who died during terrorist attacks. The report stated that the PA has continued to use foreign financial aid to fund payments to terrorists held in Israeli jails for attacks on Israelis until this very day. In 2019, the PA further distributed $191 million to the families of shahids (Islamic martyrs), according to Kredo.

“The funding of these practices by the PA are prohibited under US law, and it was the reason the Trump Administration cut off financial aid to the PA. The new US administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has decided to resume financial aid to Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank, the State Department stated in the report. ‘The State Department admitted it was unable to certify to Congress that the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization are complying with the Taylor Force Act, the legislation that prohibits funding the PA as long as it continues its “pay to slay” policy,’ Kredo wrote. He furthermore reported that in 2020 the PA allegedly allocated $155 million in foreign aid for its ‘pay to slay’ in program….”

It’s the world against Israel. Note the next article.

The World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Fight Against Israel

 Israel 365 wrote on April 3:

“With an annual budget of almost $30 million, the WCC is succeeding in hurting Israel.  Formed as a collective of 347 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories… it plays a key role in mobilizing churches worldwide to support international… campaigns against Israel.

“The WCC is a central promoter of the Kairos Palestine document, which characterizes terrorist acts of ‘armed resistance’ as ‘Palestinian legal resistance,’ denies the Jewish historical connection to Israel in theological terms, calls to mobilize churches worldwide in the call for BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions], and compares Israel with the South African apartheid regime.

“The WCC is also critical of Christian Zionism, claiming that ‘Christians who promote “Christian Zionism” distort the interpretation of the word of God and the historic connection of Palestinians—Christians and Muslims—to the Holy Land, enable the manipulation of public opinion by Zionist lobbies, and damage intra-Christian relations.’ In February 2021,… Frank Chikane, moderator of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (WCC-CCIA)… portrayed Israel as ‘demons’ and stating that ‘those who support Israel to brutalize Palestinians,… the blood of the people of Palestine will be sought from them because they collaborate by allowing this system to continue.’…

“In June 2017, the WCC published and circulated a letter by the National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine that called on the UK to apologize for the Balfour Declaration, labeled Israel a ‘colonial state,’ and portrayed Palestinians as the true victims of the Holocaust.”

USA Removes Sanctions against ICC

JTA wrote on April 2:

“The Biden administration removed sanctions that President Donald Trump had imposed on International Criminal Court officials while continuing to decry the ICC’s work targeting U.S. and Israeli personnel. ‘These decisions reflect our assessment that the measures adopted were inappropriate and ineffective,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday in a statement. ‘We continue to disagree strongly with the ICC’s actions relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations,’ Blinken said, referring to separate investigations into alleged war crimes by U.S. and Israeli personnel.

“‘We maintain our longstanding objection to the Court’s efforts to assert jurisdiction over personnel of non-States Parties such as the United States and Israel,’ he said, referring to the fact that neither Israel or the United States have accepted ICC jurisdiction. ‘We believe, however, that our concerns about these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions.’

“Trump last year imposed economic sanctions and travel restrictions against ICC workers directly involved in investigating American troops and intelligence officials for possible war crimes in Afghanistan. In the same executive order, Trump said he may extend the sanctions against investigations into U.S. allies, naming Israel. Israel backed Trump’s sanctions and reportedly asked Biden not to remove them.

“The Palestinian Authority in February cleared a major hurdle to getting the ICC to prosecute Israelis when an ICC panel decided the court has jurisdiction to investigate Israelis and Palestinian terrorists, including from Hamas, for alleged crimes during the 2014 Gaza War.”

What a terrible shortsightedness by the USA towards the ICC.

Russian Buildup of Troops at Ukraine’s Border

Express wrote on April 3:

“Russian troops are gathering close to the border with Ukraine, a move which has sparked concern across the West…

“Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was ‘gravely concerned’ at the situation, while US President Joe Biden offered reassurances to Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a 50-minute phone conversation yesterday. Ukraine, Western countries and NATO have all accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of sending troops and heavy weapons to prop up proxies in Donbass who seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014, at the same time Russia annexed the Crimea.

 “Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other in recent weeks for a spike in violence in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces have fought a conflict which has killed 14,000 people in seven years by Ukraine’s estimate. Russia says it only provides political and humanitarian support to separatist fighters in what it casts as an internal conflict. However, speaking yesterday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC Russia troops were massing at Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, as well as ‘in the illegally occupied Crimea’. He added: ‘So from three directions we observed a military build-up of the Russian federation. Ukraine is not looking for any escalation – we do not need war.’

“Mr Kuleba has discussed matters with Mr Raab, who subsequently tweeted that he had ‘reaffirmed UK support for Ukraine’s sovereignty & territorial integrity’. He added: ‘We are gravely concerned about Russian military activity which threatens Ukraine.’ After his conversation with Mr Biden, President Zelenskiy said: ‘… President Biden assured me that Ukraine will never be left alone against Russia’s aggression.’…

“The Kremlin said yesterday any deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to further tensions near Russia’s borders and force Moscow to take extra measures to ensure its own security… Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters yesterday that the situation at the contact line in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatist forces was quite frightening and that multiple ‘provocations’ were taking place there….

“In a statement issued on Thursday, the European Union said: ‘… the Russian Federation has launched yet another conscription campaign in the illegally-annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to draft residents of the peninsula in the Russian Federation Armed Forces. This is another violation of international humanitarian law…’”

The Daily Star added on April 3:

“Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer has warned WW3 could be sparked by rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine… The terrifying alert has come after footage was widely shared on social media showing suspected large scale Russian military movements in regions close to rebel-held eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea… With tension sharply rising, Pavel Felgenhauer, who has written several books about Russia’s political and military leadership… warned events could see ‘war in a month’… ‘The crisis has the potential to escalate into a pan-European war, if not even a world one,’ Felgenhauer warned starkly in an interview with Rosbalt news outlet in Russia…

“‘In the West, they don’t know what to do about it.’… He claimed all the conditions could be in place by early May when Russia will hold a major Red Square parade to mark the anniversary of victory in World War Two, and he suspects a ‘decision has been made already… Some (in the West) say that the Russians should not be provoked, and military intervention is too risky. Others, on the contrary, are in favour of unification (of Russia and Ukraine) and open confrontation…’”

France 24 wrote on April 2:

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that most of Ukraine’s military appeared to understand the danger of a ‘hot conflict’ in Donbass. ‘I very much hope that they will not be “incited” by politicians, who in turn will be “incited” by the West, led by the United States,’ said Lavrov. ‘Russian President Putin said (this) not long ago, but this statement is still relevant today, that those who would try to start a new war in Donbass – will destroy Ukraine.’”

Newsmax added on April 4:

“The U.S. European Command has raised its threat level as Russia has increased its aggression in Eastern Europe and the Arctic over the last two weeks, including Moscow’s buildup of military troops and equipment in eastern Ukraine and an ‘unusual peak’ of Russian warplanes flying near Alaskan airspace…”

According to the Bible, Russia and Ukraine will unite to ultimately fight Europe.

Russia-Ukraine Situation Cause for Concern

 Deutsche Welle reported on April 8:

 “Mykhailo Samus of the Kyiv Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, is convinced that Moscow has long been preparing for an invasion and has already begun concentrating equipment and troops along the border with Ukraine. The analyst says, ‘Russia has effectively created three new armies encircling Ukraine.’ He says six submarines armed with Kalibr cruise missiles — which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads — have been dispatched to Crimea…”

 CNN wrote on April 8:

 “The United States is considering sending warships into the Black Sea in the next few weeks in a show of support for Ukraine…

 “White House press secretary Jen Psaki said…, ‘The United States is increasingly concerned by recently escalating Russian aggressions in eastern Ukraine, including Russia’s movements on Ukraine’s border. Russia now has more troops on the border of Ukraine than any time since 2014. Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed this week alone…’

 “On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops in order to de-escalate the situation… According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Putin accused Kyiv of ‘provocative actions.’”

 The Daily Star wrote on April 8:

 “It is feared that within days more than 95,000 assault troops, backed by tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and even thermobaric rocket batteries will be ready to invade. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops— including reservists—have been called up to the border and US advisers are believed to be ‘in [the] country’… American intelligence assessments grade the threat of a major Russia-Ukraine flare-up as [a] ‘potential imminent crisis’ as stated by their European operations centre EUCOM…

 “More than ten heavily-armed Russian warships are now steaming towards the Caspian Sea from the Black Sea, armed with artillery and other weapons to back Putin’s land forces…”

Europe’s New Lockdown Rules and Germany’s Ambitions

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 2:

“Since the start of the pandemic, the Scandinavian country [of Sweden] has… kept bans and prohibitions to a minimum. However, since the start of January this year the government has been clamping down a little more. It passed a new set of  measures… but in comparison with other EU countries, these are very mild. A maximum of four are allowed to sit at a single table in a restaurant. Up to eight people are allowed to meet. Shops and tourist accommodation remain open.”

It does not look like as if Sweden fares worse than the European lockdown countries.  Still, it was announced that a majority of Germans want stricter and tougher lockdown rules and that Angela Merkel should have more authority over the German states. Of course, one has to be very careful with those polls as many are manipulated and ask ambiguous questions. Still, if true, do these Germans really know what they are asking for?

Former German Minister of Interior, Thomas de Maizière (CDU), is demanding a change of the German constitution to allow the enforcement of emergency laws (“Ausnahmezustand”) by the government in case of a crisis (Die Welt, April 3).

The Guardian reported on April 5:

“The interior minister, Horst Seehofer, said a nationwide approach was the only way for the country to effectively fight the virus’s spread. ‘There is a great desire among the population for unified rules,’ he told the newspaper Welt am Sontag. ‘Therefore my proposal is to establish uniform rules with a federal law … which would prescribe which measures have to be taken according to the incidence value.’”

Such a law would deprive the German states of their authority… a dangerous precedence for Germany’s government which has historically proven to abuse empowering laws once it has the chance.

 The Associated Press reported on April 3 that “Germany’s president [Frank-Walter Steinmeier] says the country is enduring a ‘crisis of trust’… amid pandemic restrictions and dissatisfaction over the government´s response… [He] conceded that ‘there were mistakes’ regarding testing, digital solutions and vaccinations.” “Mistakes” is a very mild term. In fact, Germany’s mishandling shows complete incompetence of Germany’s leaders while they are desperately trying, including through unconstitutional dictatorial means, to stay in power.

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 5:

“North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) State Premier Armin Laschet called for a harder lockdown [or “bridge lockdown”] on Monday… However, Laschet’s request has been met with skepticism from fellow German lawmakers… The chairman of the CDU and one of [Merkel’s] potential successors as chancellor…  is asking for fewer private contacts, which could require curfews at night, and for more people to work from home… ‘I think a lot of what Mr Laschet says is unclear,’ said Berlin State Premier Michael Mueller (SPD)… ‘I don’t think Mr Laschet has thought things through.’

“The co-chairwoman of The Left party, Janine Wissler also criticized Laschet… ‘Whether his proposals are based on insight or because he has lost the power struggle against the chancellor, remains [to] be seen. In any case, this crisis management makes one become fearful and anxious.’”

Laschet’s NRW has become one of the most dictatorial and liberty-restricting states in Germany—and not only in regard to coronavirus measures and lockdowns.

The Daily Mail wrote on April 7:

“Angela Merkel has called for a ‘short national lockdown’ to curb Germany’s coronavirus crisis… It comes a fortnight [two weeks] after Merkel made a humiliating apology for the ‘mistake’ of trying to impose a five-day Easter lockdown… But today, her spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer signalled another flip-flop by the Chancellor.”

According to Bild Online, dated April 7, Bavaria’s Markus Soeder rejected these concepts, saying that this is not the time for “experiments” and that the present coronavirus infection numbers in Germany do not give an accurate and honest picture. Actually, they have not done so for a long time.

Reuters reported on March 31:

“Finland’s government has withdrawn a proposal to confine people largely to their own homes in several cities to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic… The decision followed a statement from a constitutional law committee that deemed the proposal too vague and not in compliance with the constitution.”

The Brussels Times wrote on March 31:

“The Belgian State has been ordered to lift ‘all coronavirus measures’ within 30 days, as the legal basis for them is insufficient, a Brussels court ruled on Wednesday… The judge gave the Belgian State 30 days to provide a sound legal basis, or face a penalty of €5,000 per day that this period is exceeded, with a maximum limit of €200,000…”

Other (European) countries should follow Finland’s and Belgium’s lead.

ECHR: Compulsory Vaccinations May Be Necessary!

 Deutsche Welle wrote on April 8:

 “The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg ruled Thursday that compulsory vaccinations  would not contravene human rights law and may be necessary in democratic societies. The ruling came following conclusion of a complaint brought to the court by Czech families regarding compulsory jabs for children… Although the ruling did not deal directly with COVID-19 vaccines, experts believe it could have implications for the vaccination drive against the virus, especially for those who have so far stated a refusal to accept the jab.

“This judgment ‘reinforces the possibility of a compulsory vaccination under conditions of the current COVID-19 epidemic,’ Nicolas Hervieu, a legal expert specializing in the ECHR, told AFP news agency… The decision said that the compulsory vaccines administered by Czech health authorities were in line with the ‘best interests’ of children… By Czech law, children must be vaccinated against nine diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and measles. The case was brought to the court by families who had been fined, or whose children had been refused access to a nursery for failing to comply with their legal vaccination duty.”

How Reliable Are Big Surveys regarding Vaccine Passports?

Breitbart wrote on April 1:

“Britain is a nation of cowed, compliant, gullible, vaccine passport bootlickers, if you believe the latest survey from Ipsos MORI. Apparently, eight out of 10 Britons think there should be ‘vaccine passports’ for people who want to work as ‘a frontline worker or in the NHS or care sector’. A majority (58 per cent) actually believe you ought to take the jab merely to be allowed to travel on public transport. Have the liberty-loving British really turned so quickly into a nation of joyless, vaccine-compliant, Big-Government-worshipping bootlickers?

“I have my doubts… lots of people [are] enjoying themselves in the sun at Nottingham Park… mainstream media lockdown addicts tried to reframe this as a ‘Covidiots go mad outdoors’ disaster story. But what I see is people behaving naturally — and not buying into the government narrative that coronavirus is just waiting to kill them as soon as they open their mouths…

“Ipsos MORI… suggests to respondents that if ‘vaccine passports’ are adopted, it ‘could lead to coronavirus restrictions being lifted more quickly.’ Ipsos MORI must know — because everyone is feeling it — that people are now so desperate for ‘coronavirus restrictions’ to be ‘lifted more quickly’ that they’d happily sell their grandmothers into slavery and their children to Satan…

“At the time of writing, 90 per cent of respondents have answered that they think the results of COVID polls from the big polling companies are ‘poll-ox’. For once, this is an unscientific opinion poll with credibility.”

Depending on how issues are framed and whether “leading” questions are asked, the desired poll results are predictable.

Police in London Shut Down Worship Service

The Daily Mail wrote on April 3:

“A Good Friday service at a Polish church was shut down by police for breaching Covid rules as worshippers were threatened with £200 fines. Officers shut down the religious ceremony in Balham High Street, south London, at around 5pm yesterday. Footage shared on social media shows an officer tell worshippers that the gathering is ‘unlawful’ and that they have to go home.

“But the parish Parafia Chrystusa Krola — Christ the Believer — has issued a statement saying it believes police ‘brutally exceeded their powers’…

“Official coronavirus guidance states communal worship or prayer can be attended by as many people as a place of worship can accommodate, as long as they are socially distanced. People are also encouraged not to mingle after a service and go back to their homes as quickly as possible.

“In the video, a police officer tells a church full of worshippers wearing face masks that they have to stop the Good Friday service. He says: ‘You are not allowed to meet inside with this many people under law. At this moment in time you need to go home. Failure to comply with this direction to leave and go to your home address, ultimately could lead you to be fined £200 or, if you fail to give your details, to you being arrested…’

“People on social media have slammed the police for shutting down the service, labelling the handling of the situation ‘disproportionate‘. One wrote: ‘I’m actually ashamed of what you did on Good Friday of all days. Stop hiding behind Covid transmission, when we see large scale protests being facilitated at this very minute in London.’”

Breitbart added on April 4:

“The move caused considerable anger among conservatives who traditionally back the police in the face of violent protesters calling to defund them, accusations of ‘institutional racism’, and so on, with Brexit champion Nigel Farage, for example, sharing a video of the ‘bust’ and commenting, ‘I want to support our police forces but this sort of thing makes it very difficult.’”

The police action would have been clearly disproportionate and inexcusable. Sadly, such autocratic actions are not limited to England. Paris just deployed 6,600 police to enforce new coronavirus lockdown rules “which include a ban on traveling more than 10 kilometers (6 miles), a ban on outdoor gatherings of six people or more and a continued nationwide 7 p.m. curfew” (Breitbart, April 3).

Polish Church Stands Up to Police in Canada

Breitbart reported on April 4:

“Police were … expelled from a Polish church in Alberta, Canada after disrupting an Easter service… Pastor Artur Pawlowski ordered the six officers who descended on the Cave of Adullam Church out of the property… accusing them of ‘intimidating people in a church during the Passover’… Pawloski said to the camera as the officers walked away. ‘Passover. The holiest Christian festival in a year, and they’re coming to intimidate Christians during the holiest festival — unbelievable!’ he exclaimed…

“The pastor had been polite but firm with the half-dozen officers originally, telling them: ‘Please get out, get out of this property, immediately get out’ as they clustered together a short distance inside the building. He became markedly firmer as they attempted to linger and put questions to him, insisting: ‘I don’t want to hear a word. Out! Out! Out of this property immediately, until you come back with a warrant — out!’

“Pawloski chastised them as ‘Nazis’ and declared that ‘Gestapo is not welcome here’ as they straggled out, largely in silence…”

The parallels are there, except that the Gestapo, once in full power, might have used their guns and shot everyone.

But Not So in Ireland

ADF International wrote on April 1:

“Irish Christians cannot gather to worship at church this Easter Weekend. This month marks nearly a full year of the blanket ban on public worship being in place throughout the country. Supermarkets and hardware stores remain open with precautions in place, as well as public transport – yet churches are deemed too dangerous to open their doors, even to masked and distanced worshippers… In response to a challenge at the High Court, the government has confirmed that it is a criminal offense for a priest to conduct mass unless for the purpose of a funeral or a wedding. Similarly, worshippers could face a fine or up to 6 months jail time for leaving their homes to attend a place of worship…

“Recently, Scotland’s top civil court found that a similar blanket ban on worship was unlawful… In November, Westminster’s chief medical and scientific advisors conceded that evidence for church closures was… ‘not based on scientific fact.’”

In light of such inconsistent guesswork, words fail…

Facebook—the new Roman Empire?

Breitbart wrote on April 3:

“Here’s a recent headline to ponder from… Axios: ‘The sovereign state of Facebook vs. the world.’… Axios was exaggerating, of course; Facebook is not a sovereign state (although it does plan to issue its own currency). So yes, Facebook is huge and powerful, bidding to be a key partner in… the international reordering of world power, in favor of the powerful. As the article details: ‘Facebook’s 3 billion monthly active users, its mountain of money and its control over the flow of information all put the company on an equal footing with governments around the world — and, increasingly, it’s getting into fights with them’…

“… every conservative recalls that back in January, Facebook banned Donald Trump, even as it continued to allow repressive foreign countries, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as left-wing extremists, to flourish on its site. Heck, it’s been reported that Facebook has actually hired citizens of the PRC to help with its censoring.

“Meanwhile, Facebook’s March 3 announcement that it would resume accepting American political advertisements was treated as huge news… Facebook is the single most important media company in America today, and so of course politicians are happy to pay to be seen on its platform.

“… Facebook… founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg [displays] many similarities [with] Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor… Zuckerberg has manifestly sought to model himself after that ancient empire-builder…

 “Zuckerberg and Facebook have been fashioning themselves into some sort of world state.  Just last month, The New Yorker magazine published a 7,500-word article, headlined, ‘Inside the Making of Facebook’s Supreme Court.’ As the piece detailed, Facebook has spent more than $100 million to create its own planetary governing body, formally known as the Oversight Board, aimed at adjudicating questions of content and censorship…

“Its stock price has increased by more than a third in the last year, such that Zuckerberg himself is worth almost $100 billion. And yet still, empires fall… no empire, no greatness, is permanent… And yet the globe-girdling social network has so much embedded power and momentum that it will likely do just fine in the future; for instance, if Facebook can work with the Democrats to put the focus on heavy content-moderation, it can create a barrier against smaller rivals, which won’t be able to afford such content-moderation… the Biden administration’s new trade chief, Katherine Tai, announced  just on March 26 that the U.S. government would be imposing tariffs on countries that added taxes to big U.S. digital firms, including Facebook…”

The dangerous influence and power of Facebook is obvious.

Star Wars’ Trans Jedi Knights

Breitbart wrote on March 31:

“The official Facebook page for the Star Wars movie franchise celebrated ‘Trans Day of Visibility’ on Wednesday by unveiling the recently created characters Terec and Ceret, who are ‘trans non-binary Jedi Knights.’ ‘In honor of #TransDayOfVisibility,’ the caption to the artwork reads, ‘we’re proud to unveil an exclusive cover highlighting Terec and Ceret, trans non-binary Jedi, currently featured in Marvel’s The High Republic comic. We support trans lives and we are passionate and committed to broadening our representation in a galaxy far far way.’

“The High Republic project is a new multi-media ‘sub-franchise’ made up of books for kids, young adult and adult novels, and comic books intended to expand the Star Wars universe into all new stories set 200 years before the saga of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The Star Wars franchise has taken criticism from left-wing activists for its reluctance to introduce fully realized LGBTQ characters into its Skywalker saga movies, books, and comics.

“LGBT Star Wars characters often appeared in fan stories before Disney bought the franchise but some also appeared in officially licensed computer games, novels, and comics. But the blockbuster movies steered clear of gay representation for the most part, bringing criticism onto the franchise. Disney included a lesbian kissing scene in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Disney made headlines later when it removed the lesbian kiss scene from the film in Singapore, bending to the country’s strict rules surrounding LGBT content in Singapore

“The effort to add LGBT characters has become a concerted effort since 2012, when Disney acquired the property from Lucasfilm for $4 billion. Since the purchase, Disney has been steadily adding LGBT characters to every part of the franchise. The characters are considered ‘cannon,’ and are therefore sanctioned and permanent additions to Star Wars stories.”

At the same time, the Disney franchise warns against Disney movies such as Peter Pan, Dumbo or Aristocats as racially or ethnically problematic. Disney would turn in his grave if he knew what has become of his accomplishments.

California’s Schools to Destroy Christianity?

Israel 365 News wrote on March 29:

“The Department of Education in California… has approved a 900-page ‘Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum’ designed to ‘decolonize’ America. The program aims to right the supposed wrongs of the imperial Christianity that swept the Americas clean of their indigenous religions. The curriculum’s core promise is that it will help root out Christianity, and the capitalism and racism that apparently came with it.

“To empower children as forces for ending such white colonialist hangovers, pupils are being instructed to pray in chants each day to Aztec gods that formerly sacrificed (and sometimes ate parts of) children and their parents. The curriculum instructs the pupils to invoke these gods to empower themselves as ‘social warriors’…

“Huitzilopochtli, the former Aztec god of war and sun, is expected to be particularly helpful in the new curriculum’s mission to right these wrongs. Students are encouraged to entreat Huitzilopochtli (a deity who inspired hundreds of thousands of human sacrifices during Aztec rule) to endow themselves with ‘a revolutionary spirit’ in order to bring ‘transformation’ in combatting ‘white supremacy, racism and other forms of power and oppression.’

“It is not enough, apparently, in today’s ethnic studies to learn about other religions. Children must be made to practice those religions… the new curriculum ‘recommends that teachers lead their students in a series of indigenous songs, chants, and affirmations, including the “In Lak Ech Affirmation,” which appeals directly to the Aztec gods.’ As the pupils chant and clap to the gods, including Tezkatlipoka (the vengeful god of night and sorcery), Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent regarded as the god of wind and rain), and Xipe Totek (the life-death-rebirth deity who wears a suit of flayed human skin), they will be instructed to seek ‘healing beliefs’ while attaining revolutionary empowerment. The students will shout ‘Panche beh! Panche beh…! You are my other self,’ appealing to the gods to give them critical consciousness.”IF TRUE, then this would be the most blatant blasphemous attempt of California’s Department of Education to teach our children idolatrous concepts and practices in complete violation of God’s biblical commands NEVER to do that.

Village News wrote on March 30:

“California’s state education board unanimously approved a model ethnic studies curriculum Thursday, March 25, after years of divisive debate, multiple drafts and more than 100,000 public comments about the proposal. The nearly 900-page curriculum focuses on ‘historically marginalized peoples’ – particularly racial minorities – and calls on students to study the ‘imperialism, settler colonialism and genocide, both cultural and physical’ of those peoples.

“The curriculum made national headlines early in March after Discovery Institute scholar Christopher Rufo, who researches ‘woke’ ideology in public education, released details of a draft lesson plan about pre-Columbian American history. The lesson plan called for the ‘decolonization’ of American society and would have students chant to the Aztec god of human sacrifice. One of the ‘lesson resources’ included in the draft curriculum would have teachers lead students in an ‘ethnic studies community chant’ to various Aztec gods for the power to become ‘warriors’ of social justice. The lesson plan linked a video showing what appeared to be students participating in a unity chant with similar language described.

“The ‘chants, affirmations, and energizer can be used as energizers to bring the class together, build unity around ethnic studies principles and values and to reinvigorate the class following a lesson that may be emotionally taxing or even when student engagement may appear to be low,’ according to the draft curriculum.

“Tezkatlipoka, one of the Aztec gods mentioned in the chant, is associated with cannibalism and human sacrifice according to the World History Encyclopedia…

“In a March 10 report about the curriculum published in City Journal, Rufo detailed the radical ideas espoused by R. Tolteka Cuauhtin, the original co-chair of the ethnic studies curriculum who worked on the pre-Columbian American history material. Cuauhtin’s book ‘Rethinking Ethnic Studies,’ which is referenced throughout the lesson plan, denounced the U.S. as a ‘Eurocentric, White supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal, heteropatriarchal and anthropocentric paradigm.’ Cuauhtin also claimed White Christians are responsible for ‘coloniality, dehumanization and genocide’ against Native Americans because European colonization of the Americas led to the replacement of indigenous religions with Christianity.

“The curriculum materials call for ‘transformational resistance’ against the ‘hegemonic Eurocentric neocolonial condition.’ One of the terms included in the lesson plan is ‘countergenocide.’ ‘The chants have a clear implication: the displacement of the Christian God, which is said to be an extension of White supremacist oppression and the restoration of the indigenous gods to their rightful place in the social justice cosmology,’ Rufo said in City Journal.

“The ethnic studies curriculum may have been approved by the state education board, but it is still only a recommendation for districts that want to incorporate ethnic studies and not yet a statewide requirement….”

However, it is to be feared that many schools and teachers in California will adopt these blasphemous concepts and practices, and that other states will follow California’s terrible lead.

Snopes, a California fact-checking website which is considered “one of the best” by the left-wing media, and which is run by a couple (husband and wife), wrote on March 31:

“The California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC), which schools can voluntarily adopt or not, suggests that students participate in a ‘community chant’ that includes references to ‘tezkatlipoka’ and ‘huitzilopochtli,’ which are translated as ‘self reflection’ and ‘the will to act,’ respectively. Some historical accounts describe those words as the names of gods to whom the Aztecs carried out human sacrifices. However… Tezkatlipoca and huitzilopochtli are presented in the community chant not as gods of human sacrifice, but as the names of broad indigenous concepts that teach students self-reflection and action…”

Even if the last comments were true, it would make no difference (in fact, it would make it even more dangerous due to the intentional cover-up and secrecy as to what was happening) because these names clearly are associated with awful pagan gods or demons, and the Apostle Paul tells us that we are not to come in contact with demons in any way. Snopes also falsely claims in the article that accounts of mass human sacrifices by Aztecs, if true at all, are largely exaggerated.

Archbishop of Canterbury Warns Against Suppression of Opinion

 Daily Mail wrote on March 31:

“The Archbishop of Canterbury has railed against the creeping trend of cancel culture as a ‘huge threat’ to the Church of England’s future. Justin Welby also defended the right to freedom of speech after a teacher was suspended for showing his class a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. In a rare intervention, the head of the Church waded into the row engulfing the school in Batley, West Yorkshire, where the teacher has gone into hiding after furious protests from Muslim parents….

“He further slammed cancel culture and those that are trying to expunge Britain’s history. Statues of controversial figures have been targeted by campaigners, and last year a Bristol monument to the slave trader Edward Colston was memorably toppled… Welby said: ‘We can’t erase the past. It’s impossible. We have to learn from it sometimes, often, always… We cannot cancel history. We cannot cancel differences of opinion.’ …

“The Archbishop noted it was an alarming trend growing at UK universities, where controversial speakers have been no-platformed.”

Not Race, but Suitability?

Daily Mail wrote on April 2:

“Lady Colin Campbell today claimed that Princess Anne is the royal Meghan and Harry accused of racism in their bombshell interview with Oprah – but insisted the Queen’s daughter was completely misunderstood by the Sussexes…

“’There were no concerns about Meghan’s colour. Princess Anne was rightly concerned that if the marriage proceeded and there were children there would be huge problems, not because of Meghan’s colour, but because of Meghan’s inability and determination to remain unable to appreciate the cultural differences’. “

Trump Warns against Use of Addictive Substances

The New York Post wrote on April 2:

“Former President Donald Trump took a thinly veiled shot at his White House successor, saying the key to good parenting is keeping kids away from drugs, cigarettes and booze. The… father of five took the apparent swipe at President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter — who has detailed his lifelong struggles with alcohol and drugs in a new memoir — during a Thursday interview with Real America’s Voice anchor Gina Loudon. ‘You have to talk to them, you have to be with them,’ Trump told Loudon. ‘A lot [of] people… don’t give their children enough time.’

“Trump, 74, whose brother Fred died of alcoholism in 1981, then stressed the importance of keeping his kids away from addictive substances. ‘You could have good children, but if they start with the drugs or the alcohol – and I always add cigarettes in there too, frankly – but I say no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes and I’ve said it for years to all of them,’ the former commander-in-chief told Loudon. Trump said he stresses his stern anti-drug and alcohol stance to his five children from three marriages – Don Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany and Barron – to the point that they start ‘going wild’ in response to his fatherly wisdom. ‘You know, they don’t like it,’ Trump said. ‘But it really, so far, I think, has had a pretty good impact.’

“Without elaborating, Trump then told Loudon he had witnessed ‘some really great children go bad’ because… ‘they get hooked on drugs or alcohol, and you really just can’t let that happen, because once that happens, then you’re dealing in a new ballgame,’ Trump told Loudon…

“Hunter Biden’s new memoir, ‘Beautiful Things,’ in which he details his struggle with substance addiction following the 2015 death of his older brother, Beau, who died of brain cancer at 46, will be released on April 6. The 51-year-old Biden has had at least six stints in rehab for alcoholism and drug addiction, including a crack cocaine binge in 2016. Three years later, The Post exclusively revealed that Hunter Biden was suspected of smoking crack at a Washington, DC, strip club where he dropped ‘thousands of dollars’ during multiple visits.”

We would agree with Donald Trump that one should stay away from drugs and cigarettes. However, the Bible does not prohibit the moderate use of alcohol and even recommends it. On the other hand, a former or recovering alcoholic must avoid the consumption of alcohol at all costs. (The only exception for such a person is the consumption of a very small portion of alcohol during the Passover evening, for truly converted Christians, after much prayer to God for His special protection on that occasion.)

 Easter Bonfires.. once pagan but now no more…?

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 4:

“It’s a tradition almost everywhere in Germany to light a big Easter bonfire. The originally pagan custom, which celebrates the arrival of spring, was adopted by Christians to represent the resurrection of Christ…”

God does not accept this kind of worship which has its roots in paganism. He condemns it thoroughly.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Israel—More Deadlocked Than Ever?

The Times of Israel wrote on March 26:

“Forty-six hours after polling stations closed, Israel’s election results were finally announced Thursday night… Voter turnout was way down — from 71.5 percent a year ago to 67.2 percent… neither the pro- nor anti-Netanyahu alliances have a clear path to a majority…

“… the Israeli electorate was asked to contemplate the mindblowing possibility of Netanyahu… seeking to govern with the parliamentary backing of both Arabs and… anti-Arabs: He would have Ra’am on one flank, and, on the other, the far-right Religious Zionism party… These two beyond-implausible partners do have one thing in common, however: their anti-LGBT stance. So we were also looking at a coalition featuring two anti-LGBT parties and a senior minister who is gay — Netanyahu loyalist Amir Ohana…”

Israel Today wrote on March 25:

“Our fourth election in two years upon which we had placed so much hope failed to bring any clarity. Quite the opposite, the situation now seems to be even more deadlocked than it was after the previous elections.”

This does not sound very promising for Israel’s future.

“EU Agenda: Erase Israel from the Map.”

Israel 365 wrote on March 31:

“A recently released report exposed European Union funding of illegal ‘Palestinian’ construction in the sections of Judea and Samaria designated for Israeli control… the EU has spent approximately three billion Euros in the effort to exert illicit control over areas the Oslo Accords established as under Israeli control. These actions violate international law as well as circumvent any attempts at bilateral negotiations. According to the report, the EU is funneling $952,460 to the Palestinian Authority for new Arab construction in the Old City of Jerusalem and another $778 million for the development of areas around Hebron and Bethlehem. Another $500 million is slated for construction in the Arab city of Ramallah in Samaria…

“Betzalel Smotrich, a Member of Knesset and head of the Religious Zionist Party, warned that ‘this process is one of the most dramatic and dangerous that is currently taking place under our noses in the state of Israel. Very quickly the results will be irreversible… This trend is further exacerbated by the use of an Ottoman-era code based on Islamic law that grants land rights based on agricultural use, effectively allowing Arabs to grab land without any claim of legal ownership.

“Naomi Kahan, Director of the international division of Regavim, [said:] ‘The EU is working very hard to create a de facto ‘Palestinian’ state in total contravention of international law and the Oslo Accords. They don’t hide it and even make statements describing what they do. This goes beyond aid to the ‘Palestinians’. Their efforts are focused on completely erasing the map of Israel. The EU has even planned Arab towns where Israeli towns already exist… The EU is continuing the tradition established by the British when they used their mandate to pander to Arab interests and set up Jordan on land that had been designated for the Jewish state,’ she explained, noting the precedent. ‘They are calling for a return to pre-1967 when Judea and Samaria, which had been designated for Israel, were illegally occupied by Jordan for 19 years in an occupation that nobody except the British recognized…’”

The Bible shows that in these last days, a European power bloc will fight against Israel and invade and occupy the Promised Land.

Biden Not Fit for Office?

The Daily Mail wrote on March 27:

“Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician [with the rank of Rear Admiral], believes President Biden’s press conference performance Thursday raises questions about his fitness for office. The Texas congressman said Friday that Biden’s behavior at his first solo press conference ‘should concern every American who wants to know that their president is fit for duty and in control,’ Fox News reported. ‘The president of the United States was armed with a picture book of friendly reporters to call on and with what appeared to be prepared answers, but he still could barely make it through his first press conference,’ Jackson said.

“Biden’s first formal news conference came 65 days after he took office, far longer of a wait than many of his predecessors, and he answered reporters’ questions for a little over an hour. Among the notable developments were Biden’s announcements that he plans to seek reelection in 2024 with Vice President Harris as his running mate… ‘If President Biden cannot handle questions from his cheerleaders in the White House press corps, then it is concerning to think about how he represents the American people when speaking to foreign leaders,’ Jackson said.”

Speculations are ripe for evoking the 25^th Amendment of the US Constitution against Joe Biden. It says that if the President becomes unable to do his job, the Vice President becomes the President (Section 1) or Acting President (Sections 3 or 4). Unless the President resigns voluntarily, transfers his powers voluntarily to the Vice President or dies, the 25^th Amendment allows the Vice President, together with a “majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide”, to issue a written declaration that the President is unable to discharge his duties.

China and Iran Sign Cooperation Deal

The Algemeiner wrote on March 27:

“Foreign ministers from China and Iran, which are both subject to US sanctions, signed a landmark 25-year cooperation agreement on Saturday. ‘Relations between the two countries have now reached the level of strategic partnership and China seeks to comprehensively improve relations with Iran,’ China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted by Iran’s state media… ‘Our relations with Iran… will be permanent and strategic,’ Wang said…

“President Hassan Rouhani… voiced appreciation for Beijing’s support within Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers… China, Iran’s largest trading partner and a long-standing ally, agreed in 2016 to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion over a decade.”

The Times of Israel wrote on March 27:

“The New York Times reported that China will invest some $400 billion in Iran in exchange for oil as part of the deal. The two countries will also step up military cooperation with joint training, research and intelligence sharing… The deal signed Saturday could undermine US leverage over Iran ahead of expected negotiations and lessen American influence in the Middle East.”

In an attack of Asiatic hordes on the Promised Land right after Christ’s return, China and Iran will be in military alliance.

The Suez Canal Fiasco… Massive Container Ship Ever Given Freed…

CNBC wrote on March 29:

“The Ever Given, the massive container ship that became wedged in the Suez Canal and cut off traffic in the vital waterway for almost a week, has been refloated, authorities said Monday… The Ever Given is one of the largest container ships in the world. The 220,000-ton vessel is able to carry 20,000 containers, and stretching more than 1,300 feet is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall.

“The ship, which ran aground last Tuesday, created further disruptions in a global supply chain already straining under the ongoing impacts of Covid-19. Around 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal. Lloyd’s List estimates that more than $9 billion worth of goods passes through the 120-mile waterway each day, translating to around $400 million per hour.

“Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the technical manager of the ship, said last week that the Ever Given ran aground due to heavy winds. Over the weekend Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie said that human or technical error may have played a role in the ship deviating from its course.

“Expert salvage crews were called in to help with the refloat operation. More than 10 tugboats were on the scene, as well as specialized dredging equipment. More than 20,000 tons of sand and mud were removed during the dredging operation. High tide also contributed to Monday’s successful refloating… The ship’s refloating means traffic can resume in the Suez Canal… More than 350 vessels are currently waiting on either side of the canal… This includes container ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers. As the Ever Given remained lodged last week, some ship operators opted to re-route vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding more than a week of additional sailing time, while also increasing fuel costs [in fact, hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional fuel costs] …”

Greenwich Time had reported on March 26:

“…  [the] grounded container ship… has come to symbolize the perils of a global economy that relies on goods traveling around the world in larger and larger vessels…. Some tankers have already opted to travel around the southern tip of Africa instead, adding weeks to their journeys through a region known for piracy… Pirates have long preyed on ships moving in the waters off the Horn of Africa, and the seas off oil-rich West Africa are now considered among the world’s most dangerous for shipping…

“[Egypt] spent $8 billion in 2015 to widen parts of the canal, but not the section in question. With more than 200 other ships stuck in the bottleneck, moving the Ever Given will only create a new set of headaches. Many of those vessels will arrive in European ports at the same time, and find they have nowhere to dock….”

The Daily Beast had added on March 27:

“… this same ship was involved in an accident in Hamburg in 2019, when its owners rammed into a ferry and destroyed it…”

This new incident shows how dependent the world is on the shipping industry, and how quickly everything can change and collapse. But the Suez Canal is not the only critical trade chokepoint. Note the next article.

Three More Critical Trade Chokepoints

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 27:

“DW looks at [three other] chokepoints that a strong post-COVID economic recovery relies on.

“Strait of Hormuz. The sea passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that leads to the Indian Ocean is the most critical chokepoint for oil and gas. Some 167 kilometers (90 miles) long, about a quarter of seaborne-traded oil and a third of the world’s liquefied natural gas passes through the strait… The strait connects many different powers and oil market players, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. The actual width of the fairway for the huge tankers is roughly 3 kilometers in both directions, meaning the waterway could be easily controllable during a conflict….

“Strait of Malacca. The 900-km long strait is Asia’s primary chokepoint and one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The waterway links Asia with the Middle East and Europe, carrying about 40% of global trade… At its narrowest point off Singapore, the strait is only 2.7 kilometers wide…  Some 16 million barrels per day of oil flowed through the waterway in 2016, making it the world’s second most important energy passageway… The strait has become increasingly important strategically to Beijing, with nearly 80% of China’s crude oil imports passing through, from the Middle East and Africa…

“Panama Canal. The 80-kilometer Panama canal spans the narrowest part of Panama and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. One of world’s busiest shipping routes, it has historically handled about 5% of world trade and nearly 14,000 transits were made last year… In theory, 98% of the world’s shipping can now ply the route, avoiding the lengthy and hazardous Cape Horn route around the southern tip of South America….”

More Dangerous Nonsense from Merkel and Jens Spahn

The Local wrote on March 26:

“Health Minister Jens Spahn has asked people in Germany to ‘ideally’ only meet outside with others before the Easter holidays… Things won’t yet be back to normal by Easter, Spahn said… Current rules allow for gatherings of up to two households, or five people excluding children under the age of 14…”

Bild Online reported on March 27 that Spahn is under investigation because of alleged misuse of tax money in connection with his mask deals, and questions have been raised regarding a potential conflict of interest because of the purchase of many masks, which were in short supply, through his “husband’s” company. According to Focus, Spahn’s popularity is presently in “free fall.”

In addition, many German doctors call for a “2-week hard lockdown despite the public furor over plans for a strict Easter lockdown, which were quickly rescinded” (Deutsche Welle, March 27).

Deutsche Welle reported on March 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged federal states to do more to curb infections during a televised interview. She also suggested additional measures such as curfews… If states do not take suitable actions in the ‘foreseeable future,’  Merkel warned the federal government could possibly amend the Infection Protection Act to implement nationwide restrictions… Merkel said all Germans should be able to get vaccinated by the end of September. She said Germany would not get ‘any vaccine that is not produced in Europe.’”

Merkel was severely criticized by some in the press and by politicians and state leaders for these comments. It was pointed out that Merkel or the government has no authority to change the Infection Protection Act. This would be within the sole authority of the German parliament, which is on holiday and it would be extremely unlikely that they would meet before Easter. Bild Online commented: “That was Merkel’s Power Politics“ and „Merkel is not the Legislator.“  (“Das war Merkelische Machtpolitik“ and „Merkel ist nicht der Gesetzgeber.“).  However, other politicians, such as Bavaria’s CSU leader Markus Soeder, apparently supported Merkel’s demands. A very dangerous development towards a German dictatorship.

 Also, Germany demands now from everyone entering Germany [irrespective of the origin of the country] to present a negative COVID-test.

Leaders of two German states Call for NATIONAL Lockdown; AstraZeneca Only for Those Over 60

The Guardian wrote on March 31:

“Regional leaders of two German states… have urged the rest of the country to re-impose a tough lockdown… In a joint letter reported on by Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Bavaria’s conservative premier, Markus Söder, and the Green head of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, said the situation was ‘more serious than many believe’… Despite the political impasse over another lockdown and an already stuttering vaccine rollout, Germany on Tuesday heeded growing concerns over a rare blood-clotting condition and, alongside Canada and several other European countries, [have] chosen to restrict use of the AstraZeneca jab to those aged 60 and over…

“The daily newspaper Die Welt argued that faith in the vaccine had been eroded so badly that Germany should stop using it altogether. Prioritising AstraZeneca for the over-60s after the country’s vaccine regulator had initially only authorised the same jab for the under-65s, the newspaper said, ‘did not build trust but uncertainty’…

“Young people who expressly wish to receive the AstraZeneca shot will still be able to do so after being informed of the potential side-effects by a doctor. The vaccine regulator is going to decide by the end of April whether the 2.2 million people under 60 who have already a first dose of the AstraZeneca shot in Germany will receive their second dose from the same manufacturer.”

What a confusing mess. Germany’s leaders clearly prove that they are unable and incompetent to deal with the situation effectively.

Also, do lockdowns really work or are they even necessary? Or, could they be counter-productive and harmful? Note the next article.

Where is the Proof that Lockdowns Work?

The Norwegian paper steigan.no wrote the following on March 23:

“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott… [rescinded on March 2, 2021] lockdown, masking orders and other coronary restrictions… Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi closely followed Abbott, declaring that closures and masking orders would be lifted from March 3 and that businesses could resume in full. But Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was ahead of them. He lifted masking orders and coronary restrictions on February 8.  Montana‘s Governor Greg Gianforte lifted the masking order on February 12.

“The North Dakota House of Representatives has ruled that masking is illegal. As of March 2, 2021, there are 16 states that no longer have a masking order in the United States. This, of course, has led to strong controversy…

“It’s almost three weeks since all coronary restrictions were lifted in Texas… it seems that there has been no increase in infection or death in Texas since the state lifted the coronary restriction. On the contrary, it looks like the winter virus season is over…

“Florida has always practiced a much less restrictive infection control than, for example, the lockdown state of California. In Florida, life has largely gone as normal, with no lockdown and masking. In Florida, too, we are seeing a marked decline in deaths. The virus season seems to be coming to an end there as well.

“For the sake of comparison, let’s include the opposite pole, the lockdown state of California… It seems that it has not played a particularly big role if you have not had a lockdown at all (Florida), have closed the lockdown (Texas) or have continued with a strict lockdown all the time (California).

“We find the same pattern in [the states of North Dakota and Mississippi.] . It is not possible to trace any increase in deaths after the repeal of the corona rules, and also in these two states the winter virus season is in full swing…

“The lockdown policy has never been based on research, and it has never before been practiced… This policy has inflicted enormous damage on the world, it continues to do so, and it applies not only financially in the form of mass unemployment, but also in the form of deaths and illness due to lack of treatment for other diseases and a massive increase in mental health problems.

“It is those who have proposed and implemented this draconian policy who bear the burden of proof, and so far we have not seen any scientific evidence that this has been a correct course to follow.”

Still, lockdowns are being imposed by politicians and a scared medical field on a gullible public.

Masks and Ban on Indoor Dining Accomplish Very Little

Life Site News reported on March 26:

“Masks and bans on indoor dining do little to stop the spread of  COVID-19, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Infection…

“According to the CDC report…  Mask mandates reduced case growth between zero and 1.8 percent, and COVID death rates by .7 and 1.9 percent, with an increase in deaths 21-40 days after the mandate went into effect.  Indoor dining bans decreased case growth between .1 and .4 percent with an increase in cases in four time periods the bans were implemented. Restaurant bans were associated with a slight growth in COVID mortality.

“Media outlets reported the findings but downplayed the numbers. ‘CDC study shows link between mask mandates, reduced COVID-19 spread as states lift restrictions,’ reported ABC on March 5 (the day the result released to the public). ‘CDC study finds easing mask and restaurant rules led to more COVID cases and deaths, as some states move to lift restrictions,’ stated CNBNC…

“The CDC’s findings on masks are in line with a Danish study published in November and a study on quarantined Marine recruits published in the New England Journal of Medicine in December. Both studies found limited evidence that mask-wearing was effective in stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2.  On September 11, CDC reported in a group of 314 with and without COVID-19, there was no significant difference in vigilant mask use….”

Where is the reporting in our left-liberal mass media about these findings?

Craziness Galore

CBS Dallas wrote on March 30:

“The Catholic Diocese of Dallas is responding to Dallas mother Deirde Hairston’s allegation that she was escorted out of Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, while holding her baby — for not wearing a mask. And there’s video of the incident. Appearing on Dr. Taylor Marshall’s podcast, Hairston, who’s pregnant, described how she was escorted out by officers after Holy Communion with the eucharist ‘still on her tongue,’ and told the church didn’t want her there. One of the three officers tells Hariston that she will ‘place her in handcuffs,’ if Hairston doesn’t leave… Cell phone footage shows Hariston asking what crime she has committed, to which police replied she was ‘trespassing on a business.’

“Hariston said her parish-priest, Father Ryan called police. Once outside, Hariston said the usher ran to her car and took photos of her license plate as police were taking her information. She also said she was issued a ticket for trespassing.

“Holy Trinity… responded on March 29, two weeks after the incident and two days after Marshall shared the interview on Youtube. In it, they state that Hairston wasn’t arrested or ticketed, merely issued a trespass warning. They also said the pastor of the parish has required masks at Mass out of concern for the health and welfare of its entire congregation. Hariston and her husband said that isn’t true. They said it wasn’t required – only encouraged….”

It seems a balanced and sound approach is thrown out of the window and replaced by a spirit of fear, panic and hysteria.

The Vaccine Passport Program

The Dossier wrote on March 28:

“What was labeled an unhinged conspiracy theory just last year has become a reality today. Unindicted human rights [violator] Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that New York has rolled out the nation’s first COVID vaccine passport program with the introduction of the ‘Excelsior Pass.’ According to reports, the COVID-19 vaccine passport is already ready for use at dozens of venues statewide… While advertised as a ‘voluntary’ measure, New York State officials are making it clear that not participating in the program will result in an individual being essentially shut out from society… The ‘Excelsior Pass’ mobile application will display a green checkmark if the person has been vaccinated or tested negative for COVID-19. A red ‘x’ means they have not met this standard…

“New York is just one of several states that is introducing an independent vaccine passport program (Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to his great credit has ruled it out as a misguided, authoritarian idea). With so many states developing their own applications, this complicates privacy and security matters even more so, given the reality that this means several companies will be able to possess sensitive health information, and will have to send your medical records through multiple networks. Competition for vaccine passport contracts is heating up, and there are many technology companies seeking to profit from COVID Mania.

“… Several European Union members… South American countries, China, and other nations are moving forward on their own vaccine passport systems.”

Newsmax reported on March 28:

“The White House is working on a COVID-19 vaccine passport initiative that could be required for travel, sporting events and even eating out. The report comes as major U.S. airlines and nearly 30 travel and labor groups are pushing President Joe Biden to develop a standardized, government-backed credential to ‘accelerate safe economic activity and recovery.’”

 There can be no doubt that these measures will contribute to the establishment of a dictatorial autocratic society.

Vaccine Passports, Nazi Germany and the Star of David

JTA wrote on March 30:

“Political activists… are comparing the idea of ‘vaccine passports’ to Nazi Germany, with many invoking the yellow Stars of David that Nazis forced Jews to wear during the Holocaust…

“Richard Grenell, former… ambassador to Germany and a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, tweeted a meme showing a Nazi Gestapo officer in the Quentin Tarantino film ‘Inglourious Basterds’ saying ‘You’re hiding unvaccinated people under your floorboards, aren’t you?’ The original line from the movie uses similar wording in referring to Jews. ‘Speak up now…’  Grenell wrote.

“In Britain, conservative pundit James Delingpole tweeted, ‘Wouldn’t it be better just to cut to the chase and give unvaccinated people yellow stars to sew prominently onto their clothes?’”

The comparison between the contemplated vaccination passports and the Yellow Stars of David is by no means far-fetched.

New Mutations Resistant to Vaccines

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, warned that…  there is a growing danger that the next virus mutation will become resistant to the vaccine…”

In fact, it’s more than just a theoretical danger. It has been recognized that today’s known vaccines do not protect against the corona mutations already occurring in Brazil and in other countries.

Hypocritical Censorship

In several articles, Fox News wrote on March 31:

“Facebook removed a video of an interview with former President Trump conducted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, saying any content ‘in the voice of Donald Trump’ would be scrubbed from the social media platform. Facebook permanently banned the former president from their platform in January after the Capitol riot… ‘We are reaching out to let you know that we removed content from Lara Trump’s Facebook Page that featured President Trump speaking,’ the Facebook employee wrote. ‘In line with the block we placed on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, further content posted in the voice of Donald Trump will be removed and result in additional limitations on the accounts.’…

“The Media Research Center unveiled its latest TechWatch Report on Tuesday, which found that ‘more than 260 conservative users on Facebook and Twitter had their posts about Biden scrubbed from the social media platforms’ in the months leading up to the Democratic National Convention…. The study found that the 129 instances of censorship on Facebook included video of ‘a stammering Biden accidentally endorsing Trump’ and a ‘collage of photos that depict Biden sniffing, hugging, or kissing young girls has been censored on a regular basis,’ [MRC’s] Weaver and Moon wrote…. ‘Facebook and Twitter openly deny working with Biden. Yet the platforms appear to cover for him,’ Weaver and Moon wrote…

“CNN’s tepid coverage of the latest developments in the Andrew Cuomo saga continued this week, this time with no mention of the ninth accuser who has come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against the Democratic New York governor… The pro-Cuomo network has similarly avoided the damning groping allegation made by the governor’s sixth accuser… Meanwhile, CNN has gone nearly an entire week without the explosive reporting alleging that Cuomo had prioritized COVID testing for family members and allies, including his kid brother anchor Chris Cuomo. Chris Cuomo returned to his primetime program on Monday night after being conveniently absent last week when the scandal broke. The host made no mention of the controversy he himself was implicated in…”

It is sickening to see how the left-wing mass media and Big Tech are suppressing anything which is not in line with their agenda. Note the next article.

The Right to Voice our Opinions

Dan Wootton, in the Daily Mail, wrote on March 30:

“… despite my personal feelings, I defend with a passion the right for both Meghan [Markle] and Sharon [Osbourne] to loudly voice their opinions, which should play an important role in our public discourse over the thorny social issues that are, very sadly, starting to divide us… Meghan was allowed to share her ‘truth’, as she branded it, to Oprah Winfrey without even the slightest hint of scrutiny. That’s despite the fact she unleashed a dossier of ludicrous claims that defied long-dated royal protocols, historical fact and basic believability, according to many staff members I’ve spoken to who lived through her tumultuous two years as a member of the Royal Family.

“Sharon, meanwhile, was instantly damned to the modern-day torture of public cancellation for merely raising the possibility that her close friend Piers Morgan may well have more insight as to whether Meghan was indeed telling the truth. One of the biggest threats facing democracy in 2021 is a craven desire to shut down voices who are brave enough to speak out against liberal groupthink on controversial issues…

“… my fear is that free speech advocates like me are losing the battle… the tyranny of suppression and cancellation has never been so real in modern culture…

“Believing in Sharon Osbourne or Piers Morgan’s right to express their opinion on Meghan Markle doesn’t make you a bad person. Believing that Meghan isn’t a very nice person who told a load of porkie pies to Oprah doesn’t make you racist.

“Believing we must question the most draconian restrictions to our freedom and liberty since World War Two doesn’t make you a murderer….”

Very true and very insightful… and VERY politically incorrect…

No Private Wedding of Harry and Meghan

Newsmax wrote on March 31:

“Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has contradicted British royal Meghan’s claim that she married Britain’s Prince Harry several days before the official lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2018. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, told Oprah Winfrey in an interview earlier this month that she wed Queen Elizabeth’s grandson in a secret ceremony officiated over by the Archbishop a few days before the Windsor event… ‘You know, three days before our wedding, we got married – no-one knows that,’ she said. ‘Just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.’

“But Welby contradicted that. ‘The legal marriage took place on that Saturday,’ Welby was quoted as saying by Die Welt, adding that he personally signed the marriage certificate. ‘I would have committed a crime if I had signed something that was not true.’

“He said he had earlier had a ‘series of private and pastoral meetings’ with Harry and Meghan, but declined to give details on the conversation…”

Jews Unwelcome in Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 28:

“In some cases, the coronavirus pandemic has served as a pretext to restrict worship. Jews in the European Union are deeply troubled by this development… In December, the European Court of Justice upheld a ban on ritual slaughters — a religious and humane method for killing animals for consumption — in Belgium… Banning access to and the producing of kosher meat makes Jewish life impossible. Similarly, proposed bans on male circumcision in Denmark, Finland and Iceland run counter to religious freedom. These policies are de facto bans on Jewish life… While professing to uphold individual liberty, Europe is undermining freedom.

“EU lawmakers repeat over and over that Jewish life must be appreciated and respected. But assertions like these ring hollow and hypocritical in light of recent laws outlawing religious practices… Over the past decade, many Jews have left EU countries, feeling no longer welcome. That stems not only from the growing number of anti-Semitic incidents, but also from the gradual curtailment of religious freedoms…”

Sadly, anti-Semitism is rampant in Europe.

Religious Freedom in Danger in USA

Breitbart wrote on March 27:

“The former archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, noted in an interview Friday that religious liberty is in peril in the United States due to declining appreciation for the importance of faith. ‘The United States was founded by Europeans seeking religious liberty,’ Archbishop Chaput noted…

“‘It was a very important issue for them, even though they didn’t really recognize the liberty of Catholics at first, or the liberty of slaves, in the first decades of our country… Today, we don’t have any respect for the dignity of the unborn as a country. When you don’t do that, you begin to embrace ideologies that enable us to interfere with the order of creation, like gender theory. Likewise, if we don’t respect the elderly, which we don’t, then we embrace things like euthanasia,’ he added. ‘Things can turn pretty bad pretty quickly and I worry about that.’ … Bishops themselves contribute to the scandal when they act as if supporting abortion does not harm a person’s relationship with the Church, he added.”

The French Minister of Interior just said in an interview that Evangelicals in France pose an important problem, and that the law of God is inferior to the national law of France.

Was Mary Christ’s First Disciple?

Breitbart wrote on March 29:

“… the Evil One is taking advantage of the crisis to disseminate distrust, desperation, and discord,’ [Pope Francis said].

“‘And us? What should we do?’ he continued. ‘The one who shows us is the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who is also his first disciple. She followed her Son. She took upon herself her own portion of suffering, of darkness, of confusion, and she walked the way of the passion keeping the lamp of faith lit in her heart.’”

The claim that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was Christ’s first disciple is absolutely false. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery.”

Marxist Ideology in Oregon’s Classrooms

The Western Journal wrote on February 12, 2021:

“The Oregon Department of Education is promoting a course for teachers that links math lessons to racism and a culture of ‘white supremacy’…

“According to the teaching materials, too much focus on asking students to get the ‘right’ answer when solving math problems is connected to white supremacy…  Furthermore, the course will ask teachers to identify and ‘challenge the ways that math is used to uphold capitalist, imperialist, and racist views’…

“In Oregon, the idea that there are wrong answers to math problems is being challenged… If you’re wondering where something so brazenly anti-American originated from, the lesson thanks the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for its ‘generous financial support.’”

Has one ever heard such stupidity?

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.