This Week in the News

Strange Movie

A new “science fiction” movie with Chris Pratt was released on July 1. It describes the need to destroy hostile Sabbath-keeping aliens, called “White Spikes.” At about 30 minutes in the movie, the following remarks are made about the aliens: “They crawl back into their nest to keep the Sabbath, their day of rest.”

A review by pluddedin.com states:

“The only real reference we’re given to spirituality at all is that the White Spikes, as the aliens are known, rest every seventh day. Naturally, humans call it their ‘Sabbath.’”

The website of sreenrant.com states:

“An intriguing quirk of the Whitespikes’ story in The Tomorrow War is the routine that they go into hiding for one day every week. The absence on the seventh day is a convenient plot device at first, as this gives the human army a designated day to bring new recruits from the past to the future. However, there is never an explanation given for why the Whitespikes do this, to begin with. Are they returning to the Queen Whitespike for breeding purposes? Are they honoring some sort of Whitespikes Sabbath? It is a puzzling mystery that The Tomorrow War doesn’t address.”

Overall, the movie has received many bad reviews. What is concerning is the concept (intentional or not) that Sabbath-keeping aliens are determined to conquer the earth and that they must be destroyed. The movie also claims that these aliens have been on planet earth for a long time without having been noticed. An old Catholic prophecy states that Antichrist will come, claiming to be Christ, and forcing Sabbath-keeping upon mankind. According to that demonic prophecy, Antichrist needs to be fought against. Whether the moviemakers knew anything about this concept, is doubtful. But Satan does know.

Germany and Poland

euronews.com wrote on July 31:

“[Armin Laschet who is] Germany’s centre-right candidate to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor in the country’s September election said he feels ‘deep shame and humility’ over Nazi Germany’s ‘crimes’ against the Poles during World War II… ‘This responsibility will determine our policy toward Poland also in the future,’ said Laschet… ‘Germany must always be aware of its historical responsibility for Poland’s freedom and independence,’ Laschet said.

“Germany was a great advocate of Poland’s joining the European Union in 2004 and is attentive to the current rule-of-law conflicts between the right-wing Polish government in Warsaw and the EU’s leading bodies…

“[Laschet’s visit occurred] exactly 77 years since the start of Warsaw’s two-month devastating struggle against the occupying Nazi German forces… The revolt ended in the surrender of the Polish Home Army resistance fighters. The Germans destroyed the city, believing it would never rise from the rubble or be Poland’s capital again.”

Laschet’s speech was deeply political and delivered with the attempt to woo Poland to stay within the EU and submit to the EU’s “standards.”

Merkel and what Comes Next…

Foreign Policy wrote on July 9:

“Though Merkel would never contemplate cooperating with the far-right Alternative for Germany at home, she was happy for the past decade to ally at the EU level with Orban’s right-wing, autocratic Fidesz party [of Hungary]…. Merkel recognized how good relations with the Orban regime served German commercial interests and hence used her enormous influence to shield him from EU criticism….

“Most analysts agree that Merkel would probably have been reelected if she had chosen to run for an unprecedented fifth term in office. She remains Germany’s most popular politician by quite some distance… Her CDU successor, Armin Laschet, lacks both charisma and fresh ideas

“Though Merkel may not be the savior of Europe some have made her out to be, she may have paved the path for a new leader who could be.”

Iran Attacks Israeli Tanker

Israel 365 News reported on August 1:

“Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett blamed Iran on Sunday for the attack that left two dead on the Israeli-managed oil tanker in the Arabian Sea on Thursday night… Bennett was quoted… as saying that while Iran is denying responsibility for the incident, ‘I state here absolutely: Iran is the one that carried out the attack on the ship.’ ‘The intelligence evidence for this is there and we expect the international system to make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake,’ said Bennett, who called the attack ‘cowardly’ and ‘piratical.’ Regardless, he added, Israel knows how to ‘convey the message to Iran in our own ways.’

“The Japanese-owned vessel Mercer Street is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd., a London-based company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer. It sails under a Liberian flag… A Briton and a Romanian died in the attack… The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher escorted the Mercer Street to a safe harbor following the attack…

“‘Upon arrival, U.S. forces determined through clear visual evidence that an attack had occurred,’ the statement [by the US] said, adding that initial findings indicated the ship had been hit by a drone strike. Iran and Israel have accused each other of multiple attacks on each other’s vessels in recent months…

“In mid-March, U.S. sources told The Wall Street Journal that Israel had attacked 12 ships illegally carrying Iranian oil to Syria since 2019, using weapons such as naval mines to damage the vessels….”

It will remain to be seen how the “international community” will respond, and what Israel might do.

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 1:

“The latest attack by Iran on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman has crossed a deadly line in the war-between-wars waged by Israel, and could force the Jewish State to rethink its maritime strikes against Tehran. The escalation between the two countries has been ongoing for years…

“When he served as defense minister under Benjamin Netanyahu, Bennett argued that Israel should aim for the head of the octopus, Tehran, and not its tentacles – Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.”

The Times of Israel wrote on August 2:

“Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday warned that Israel must act immediately against Tehran… There are ‘hundreds of Iranian UAVs in Iran, Yemen, Iraq and other countries,’ Gantz warned… ‘We will act to remove any such threat,’ [Gantz said].”

Iran Threatens “Response”

The Algemeiner wrote on August 2:

“Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday, after the United States, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman… However, an unnamed Iranian official told the country’s Nournews news agency earlier that Tehran considered ‘the threats of Western officials and the Zionist regime (Israel) to be more of a propaganda gesture’…

“Israel has voiced concerns about efforts by Tehran and US President Joe Biden’s administration to revive the nuclear pact, under which Iran curbed its sensitive nuclear work in exchange for lifting sanctions.”

Incidents like these could very well end up in an outright war in the Middle East. And the Bible indicates that Israel will suffer defeat in a war… and that PRIOR to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

US Supports Hezbollah

Israel 365 wrote on August 5:

“Right after Lebanon’s ruling party Hezbollah attacked Israel with missiles on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will pledge close to $100 million in additional ‘humanitarian aid’ to Lebanon…  It should be noted that Lebanon is currently controlled by the Hezbollah terror organization…

“The Biden administration did not specify how the new funding would be spent but Biden did say that it was in addition to $560 million in humanitarian aid earmarked for Lebanon over the past two years.”

Fear-Mongering in the UK

The Mail on Sunday published on July 31 the following insightful article by Kirstie Allsopp, describing vividly the fear-mongering in the UK:

“Our vaccination rate is among the best in the world. More than 90 percent of adults have antibodies. Infections are falling and even ‘Professor Lockdown’, Neil Ferguson, says the end is in sight. Why, then, is Britain so gripped by continuing fear? Why do we continue with doom-laden public announcements, with the ‘pingdemic’ and with extreme and economically damaging restrictions?

“We can see it all around us – the colleagues who refuse to return to the office; the older people still terrified to leave the bottom of their drive; the clubs, choirs and sewing circles that have collapsed because no one dares take the risk of meeting human beings. Most troubling of all is the growing – and disastrous – acceptance that fresh restrictions might be needed for the autumn and winter ahead… almost a fifth of people favour a permanent 10pm curfew!

“This is partly because the Government has done its best to spread fear, terrifying the life out of ordinary Britons. Early in the pandemic it was recognised that the UK was the most Covid-scared nation in Europe. We were not compelled to keep children inside for weeks like the Spanish, but it turns out many of us did, just the same. We weren’t ordered to wear masks in the street like the French were, but many of us did.

“Brits have gone far beyond the mandated restrictions and have done so with vigour. Is it because our Government did such a good job of scaring us that we are still genuinely afraid? Perhaps. But I worry that there is a deeper reason – that the firm hand of the nanny state is one that too many of us enjoy. And that, today, many millions of us have come to believe in a ‘new normal’.

“A dangerous division is emerging – between those of us who want our freedoms back as soon as possible and those who believe in a new, more regulated life with spells of home imprisonment whenever our medical scientists become concerned. Which is often.

“Facemasks are the most obvious sign of this. Wearing them is no longer compulsory, aside from in specialist locations… Even the repeated assertions that masks work are open to challenge, to put it no more strongly. (The Government spent many months insisting that they don’t, remember.) Yet millions of us continue to wear masks, even in situations where they cannot possibly be effective – in the park, on the beach…

“I am most troubled that the comfortable liberal voices… seem genuinely thankful we are governed not by a functioning parliament but a star-chamber of medical scientists…

“Fear of Covid has made some people very rich indeed and they aren’t going to let go of that in a hurry. The threat to our way of life is serious – and has been coming for some time…

“If we all go round in masks for fear of being thought uncaring, we will end up in a world where people forget how to do the most caring thing in the world – and that is smile…”

This analysis applies to many countries around the world. “Democratic” governments become more and more authoritarian and dictatorial and create ridiculous restrictions to destroy liberty and freedom, and sadly, many gullible and ignorant people love it.

Fear-Mongering and Autocratic Measures in Australia

The following article by Breitbart, dated August 1, describes the awful situation in Australia:

“Footage of police helicopters flying over beaches and parks in Australia to enforce draconian coronavirus lockdown measures is circulating on social media.”

Also note this article by Reuters, dated August 2:

Australia’s Queensland state on Monday extended a COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane, while soldiers began patrolling Sydney to enforce stay-at-home rules… Meanwhile the lockdown of Brisbane and several surrounding areas comes as Sydney, the biggest city in the country, begins its sixth week under stay-at-home orders.”

The Sun added on August 2:

“Australia is enforcing one of the most severe lockdowns in the world and recently called in the military to help enforce its ‘Zero Covid’ strategy… Borders remain shut…

“On Saturday, up to 1,300 police swarmed Sydney and set up roadblocks in a massive show of force… Tens of thousands of maskless protestors took to the streets in Melbourne and Sydney last weekend to oppose the government’s latest round [of] lockdown restrictions…

“More than half the country’s 25 million people have been ordered to stay at home…”

Australia—a prison camp?

Living in Darkness

The Ron Paul Liberty Report wrote on July 29:

“When the ideas of Liberty dominate – humanity flourishes. When the ideas of tyranny and authoritarianism dominate – humanity suffers.

“Back and forth the pendulum seems to swing. From light to dark; and then dark to light. We live in dark times.

“Many people now look back on 2020 with regret, shame and anger. Rolling over to fear did not work out at all. Allowing government to take unprecedented unconstitutional control over society produced nothing but disaster, as it always has (and always will).

“The masks turned out to be useless, as was the anti-social distancing. The lockdowns produced record drug overdoses, skyrocketing suicides amongst the young (i.e., those least at risk) as well as mental and physical problems that will probably reverberate for many years to come.

“With a virus that has a survival rate of 99.7% (and 99.9% in children) the entire world was turned upside-down; not by the virus itself, but by the government policies enacted in the name of it.

“Even though so many people all over the world now see the light, the authoritarians continue forward without pause. Over the past weekend, there were massive protests all over the world… There is tremendous resistance to the insane follow-up ideas that are being proposed — mandated vaccines and vaccine passports… Civilization itself is being challenged in ways that it’s never been challenged before…”

Protests All Over Europe

The Associated Press reported on August 1:

“More than 200,000 people turned out Saturday in France to protest vaccination requirements for the third straight weekend, at times clashing with police. Some 80,000 others protested in cities across Italy last weekend.”

Deutsche Welle reported on August 1:

“Anti-lockdown protesters scuffled with Berlin police on Sunday, as thousands of people defied a court ban on demonstrations… Judges had prohibited several of its planned gatherings this weekend, including one for Sunday that organizers expected would attract over 20,000 people. The court said it could not allow the rallies to go ahead over fears participants would flout rules on mask wearing and social distancing…”

Nice excuse for suppression of unpopular opinions. Focus reported that the UN may investigate whether the actions of the police against the demonstrators in Berlin were illegal. 

People Will Resist

The Washington Post wrote on August 1:

“In recent weeks, calls for vaccine mandates have increasingly been heard…  there’s a top-down push to get reluctant citizens vaccinated… But if this rhetoric and these efforts lead to a de facto national vaccine mandate, it will backfire: Americans from all walks of life resist being told what to put into their bodies, and many will resent any politician or institution that makes them get vaccinated, creating a crisis of legitimacy for any government, university or business that forces constituents, students or employees to get vaccinated…

“… many of the vaccine-hesitant are well-educated, work in the health-care industry and have questions about how effective the vaccines are at stopping transmission, whether they’re safe to take during pregnancy or if they impact fertility… Not only won’t mandates resolve many citizens’ concerns on these issues, they could lead many to feel that their concerns are being overlooked. And the more that government flexes its political muscles to urge or enforce vaccine compliance, the greater incentive there is for populist politicians to push back, reinforcing the idea that the fight over vaccines is a fight about individual liberty…

“The debate is also about how much faith individual Americans have in the information they’re given… Making people get vaccinated… will likely increase mistrust…”

Italian Eatery Fined

Insider wrote on July 30:

“An Italian eatery in California is requiring patrons to show proof of being unvaccinated and discourages masks… the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)… issued the establishment five citations on June 17, with fines totaling $165,520 due to be paid this July.

“The violations in the DIR’s report range from ‘serious’ to ‘willful-serious’ and demonstrate a failure to provide sufficient COVID-19 protection to both employees and diners, according to the report. The DIR’s inspection found that the restaurant failed to ‘provide face coverings and ensure they were worn by employees’ indoors, according to its report…

“Elsewhere in the country, some restaurants are beginning to require patrons to show proof of vaccination…”

The DIR’s persecution of the Italian eatery—a logical extension of Biden’s fear-mongering tactics—is unconscionable. At the same time, Biden’s fear-mongering prevails also in other parts of the USA.

The Fully Vaccinated NOT Protected?

msn wrote on July 31:

“About three-fourths of people infected in a Massachusetts Covid-19 outbreak were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus with four of them ending up in the hospital… The new data… also found that fully vaccinated people who get infected carry as much of the virus in their nose as unvaccinated people, and could spread it to other individuals…

“While the delta variant continues to hit unvaccinated people the hardest, some vaccinated people could be carrying higher levels of the virus than previously understood and are potentially transmitting it to others… A CDC document that was reviewed by CNBC warned that the delta variant sweeping across the country is as contagious as chickenpox, has a longer transmission window than the original Covid strain and may make older people sicker, even if they’ve been fully vaccinated…

“Delta, now in at least 132 countries and already the dominant form of the disease in the United States, is more transmissible than the common cold, the 1918 Spanish flu, smallpox, Ebola, MERS and SARS, according to the document. Only measles appears to spread faster than the variant.”

If 74% of the people in this outbreak were fully vaccinated, it begs the question of whether the vaccine actually prevents the spread as the politicians and policymakers say. And so, the fear-mongering continues. Also note the next section.

Vaccines Make Covid More Dangerous?

Life Site News reported on July 30:

“Top vaccine scientist Dr. Robert Malone warned that vaccines could be making COVID-19 more dangerous and said the vaccination push may need to be halted altogether…  Dr. Melone has been the chief inventor of mRNA technology and mRNA and DNA innovations while working with the Salk Institute in the 1980s. Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines rely on mRNA technology. Malone is also a licensed physician who received his medical training at Northwestern University, Harvard University medical school, and UC Davis…

“… ‘they think the vaccines are perfectly safe. And not only they’re not perfectly safe… [but] we got the worst case type of adverse event that scares… all vaccinologists, which is antibody dependent enhancement.’

Hundreds of thousands of complications after coronavirus vaccination have been reported by federal authorities…”

On July 30, Life Site News reported:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed there are no more ‘excuses’ to not get the COVID-19 shots and attributed new cases of the virus to those who have not been jabbed… Recent statistics from the U.K. government show that most cases,  more than 50 percent, of the Delta variant of COVID-19 are in those who have had two doses of the virus jab.”

It is amazing how willfully uninformed governmental politicians claim to be. Trudeau’s claim is demonstrably false. And so, draconian measures to impose vaccinations are being employed, as the next article shows as well.

Going from Door to Door

Life Site News reported on July 30:

“Before the White House announced the government would be ‘literally knocking on doors’ to push coronavirus vaccines, health workers, military personnel, and volunteers in some states were already doing just that

“This sort of scenario — a government representative pushing an experimental vaccine at citizens’ doorsteps as a menacing soldier stands by — is exactly what many Americans were worried about when then-President Donald Trump said in the fall of 2020 that the ‘military … is going to distribute the vaccine.’ …

“Many Americans may now find themselves wondering what to do if a stranger with a clipboard — or military personnel — shows up at their door [asking] invasive questions and encouraging reception of an experimental shot… While government agents can approach, speak to and even question citizens without violating the Fourth Amendment, Americans have a right not to answer questions or even speak with a government agent….

“While in theory one can refuse to speak with police or other government officials during a ‘knock and talk’ encounter, as the courts have asserted as a justification for dismissing complaints about this police investigative tactic, the reality is far different. Indeed, it is unreasonable to suggest that individuals caught unaware by these tactics will not feel pressured in the heat of the moment to comply with a request to speak with government agents who display official credentials and are often heavily armed, let alone allow them to search one’s property. Even when such consent is denied, police have been known to simply handcuff the homeowner and conduct a search over his objections.

“‘Interestingly, liberals in California, including Governor Newsom, advised illegal immigrants to refuse to open the door in cases where federal law enforcement came to arrest illegal immigrants,’ noted LifeSiteNews Vice President Gualberto Garcia Jones, a legal expert on human rights. ‘While this is not great legal advice for those guilty of a federal crime, it is very good advice for those who wish to protect their privacy from an overreaching government official.’

“‘The White House has tried to downplay the vaccine door-to-door gestapo by stating that it would not be carried out by police or federal officials but by local community partners. In that case there is no possible situation where a resident would be obliged to answer the door and much less disclose private health information such as COVID experimental gene therapy injection status,’ he emphasized.”

These door-to-door tactics are clearly problematic and unworthy of a free society. It is important not to buckle and become a dumb sheep when someone knocks at our doors.

The Lies of the US Government

Dr. Ron Paul wrote the following on August 2 in the weekly column of the Ron Paul Institute:

“… it’s not shocking to discover that a US Administration lies and deceives the electorate… Watching these early months of the Biden Administration it’s hard not to think that lying, deceiving, and manipulation is rising to a whole new level.

“Take ‘ending the endless war’ in Afghanistan…  Just this week, Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US is increasing – not ending – its airstrikes on Afghanistan… Then last week Biden announced an ‘end of the US combat mission’ in Iraq by the end of the year… While the ‘mission’ was over, the US troops would remain in-country in an ‘advisory role.’…

“Also, just over a week ago President Biden told us that if we got the vaccine we would not get Covid. Then a few days later his own CDC released data from a Massachusetts study showing that 78 percent of the people who caught Covid were fully vaccinated. Is it any wonder Americans have lost all faith in ‘the science’ as it pours forth from the politicized ‘scientists’ in charge of US public health institutions?

“The US mainstream media has morphed into a de-facto arm of the Biden Administration, however, covering up for all of these lies and word-games and holding precisely no one in government accountable. So much for a free media acting as a check on government power…

Governments lie. We understand that. It is the nature of politics and power. In the absence of independent institutions to hold government accountable, however, such lies become indistinguishable from facts, and soon ‘freedom’ itself becomes slavery, as Orwell wrote. Let’s hope more of America wakes up soon.”

The sad truth is, there is little hope that America will wake up, as the next article shows.

Blaming the Unvaccinated

The Hill wrote on August 3:

“An overwhelming majority of vaccinated Americans in a new poll blames those who are unvaccinated for a recent spike in coronavirus cases nationwide…

“The poll found that two-thirds of all respondents say they trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ‘provide them with accurate information about coronavirus and COVID-19…’”

Likening Coronavirus Restrictions to the Nazi Period

JTA wrote on August 2:

“The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican party is the latest Republican figure to liken coronavirus restrictions to the Nazi period. John Bennett on Friday posted on the party’s Facebook page a photo of a yellow star labeled ‘Unvaccinated.’ He [listed] purported restrictions on the unvaccinated, including not being able to fly or ‘enter a pub, restaurant club or theater,’ as well as limited access to work, services and healthcare…

“The Nazis ‘gave [Jews] a star to put on, and they couldn’t go to the grocery store, they couldn’t go out in public, they couldn’t do anything without having that star on their shirt,’ The Washington Post quoted Bennett as saying. ‘Take away the star and add a vaccine passport.’”

Bennett was strongly condemned for his statements by Oklahoma’s top Republicans and the Oklahoma City Jewish federation.

More Dictatorship in the USA

The Associated Press wrote on August 5:

“The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said Wednesday… The Biden administration has kept in place travel restrictions that have severely curtailed international trips to the U.S… Under the rules, non-U.S. residents who have been to China, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India in the prior 14 days are prohibited from entering the U.S. All travelers to the U.S., regardless of vaccination status, are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of air travel to the country.”

Reuters added:

“The White House has held discussions with airlines and others about how it would implement a policy of requiring vaccines for foreign visitors.”

From one dictatorial measure to the next…

Fox News wrote on August 4:

 “Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected Friday to announce a mandatory vaccine policy for all active-duty forces in the U.S. military... The directive that all 1.3 million service members will be required to get shots in their arms comes just days after President Biden urged all federal employees to get vaccinated… The Department of Justice was also asked by the president to look into the legality of mandating for the military a vaccine that has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. DOJ officials said a vaccine mandate would require a presidential waiver.”

 A large percentage of active-duty forces are strongly opposed to getting vaccinated. It will remain to be seen what their reaction will be to Biden’s planned mandatory vaccine policy.

Dr. Fauci to be Investigated Criminally?

Fox News wrote on August 5:

“Sen. Rand Paul slammed Dr. Anthony Fauci for ‘very dangerous’ advice on the coronavirus… ‘Dr. Fauci needs to be away from government, away from advice, because almost all of his advice had been wrongheaded. But some of it’s actually very dangerous,’ Paul, who is also a doctor, [said]. The remarks came amid a discussion on an op-ed from the Atlantic titled, ‘Unvaccinated People Need to Bear the Burden,’ which advocated for allowing only vaccinated individuals to fly on domestic flights. ‘Obscene,’ Paul said in response to the op-ed… He went on to say that there’s no correlation between a mask mandate and incidents of the virus…

“The interview comes after Paul and Fauci have had repeated fiery exchanges during Senate hearings… Paul has also sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking for a criminal investigation of Fauci, ‘because he has lied to Congress,’ months after he slammed the doctor as  a ‘left-wing advocate…’”

 It is not to be expected that Fauci will be criminally investigated or charged, as he is one of the strongest supporters of Biden’s draconian restrictions and measures.

Resist!

In an article which was published on August 4 by the Ron Paul Institute, Senator Rand Paul wrote the following:

Resist. They can’t arrest us all. They can’t keep all your kids home from school. They can’t keep every government building closed – although I’ve got a long list of ones they should. We don’t have to accept the mandates, lockdowns, and harmful policies of the petty tyrants and feckless bureaucrats. We can simply say no, not again. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi — you will not arrest or stop me or anyone on my staff from doing our jobs… We will make our own health choices. We will not show you a passport, we will not wear a mask, we will not be forced into random screening and testing so you can continue your drunk with power rein over the Capitol.

President Biden — we will not accept your agencies’ mandates or your reported moves toward a lockdown. No one should follow the CDC’s anti-science mask mandates. And if you want to shutdown federal agencies again — some of which aren’t even back to work fully — I will stop every bill coming through the Senate with an amendment to cut their funding if they don’t come to work…

Local bureaucrats and union bosses — we will not allow you to do more harm to our children again this year. Children are not at any more risk from COVID than they are for the seasonal flu… There is no reason for mask mandates, part time schools, or any lockdown measures….

“I’m not a career politician. I’ve practiced medicine for 33 years. I graduated from Duke Medical School, worked in emergency rooms, studied immunology and virology, and ultimately chose to become a surgeon. I have been telling everyone for a year now that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health officials were NOT following science, and I’ve been proven right time and time again…  We are at a moment of truth and a crossroads. Will we allow these people to use fear and propaganda to do further harm to our society, economy, and children? Or will we stand together and say, absolutely not. Not this time. I choose freedom.”

However, most Americans, because of fear or willful ignorance or misguided blind support, will not “resist,” and those who do might very well be arrested and prosecuted. This is how dictatorships work. 

Facebook Illegally Removed Posts

Breitbart wrote on July 30:

“A court in Germany has ruled that Facebook illegally removed the posts and account of an unnamed author, because it did not inform the user of why the posts had been taken down… In its three-page summary, the Karlsruhe-based court stated that Facebook’s terms of service regarding the deletion of posts and blocking accounts for violating its community standards were ‘null and void.’

“This, it added, is because Facebook does not undertake to inform the user about the removal of an offensive post at least retrospectively, to advise that it is blocking an account, to give a reason for doing so, or to offer the right of appeal… According to the report, the post that Facebook removed said ‘migrants can murder and rape here and nobody cares! It’s about time the Office for the Protection of the Constitution sorted this out.’”

Facebook’s removal of posts not in line with Facebook’s left-wing agenda has been outrageous for a long time.  

Google Challenges New German Law

Reuters wrote on July 27:

“Google said on Tuesday that it was taking legal action over an expanded version of Germany’s hate-speech law that recently took effect, saying its provisions violated the right to privacy of its users.

“The Alphabet unit, which runs [the] video-sharing site YouTube, filed suit at the administrative court in Cologne to challenge a provision that allows user data to be passed to law enforcement before it is clear any crime has been committed.”

Germany’s laws and measures are becoming more and more dictatorial in so many different areas.

The Dangerous Nonsense of the LGBT Agenda

Life Site News wrote on August 2:

“Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed into law a package of extreme pro-LGBT laws this week that legalize knowingly spreading HIV…  HIV continues to be a debilitating, life-threatening illness, with nearly 40,000 diagnoses in the U.S. in 2018 and 1,361 in Illinois…

“The enactment of the HB 1063 makes Illinois the second state, following Texas, to repeal all criminal penalties for spreading HIV. It also comes after the federal government last year substantially reduced restrictions on blood donation for active homosexuals, who still make up the vast majority of HIV cases…

“Other bills approved by Pritzker on Tuesday include House Bill 3709, which reclassifies ‘infertility’ as ‘a person’s inability to reproduce either as a single individual or with a partner without medical intervention’… HB 3709 mandates that insurance companies cover infertility services, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), for homosexuals and single people. IVF, strongly denounced by the Catholic Church, often involves the destruction of human embryos, millions of which may be abandoned or discarded at fertility clinics across the country.

“Gov. Pritzker also signed two bills… that change marriage certificate rules, adding ‘gender-neutral’ options and allowing pronoun changes. Other states, like Wisconsin, have imposed similar measures this year. As the governor’s office noted in a press release last Tuesday, Illinois has already taken several radical pro-LGBT steps, like requiring ‘LGBTQ+ history’ in public school lessons and mandating Medicaid coverage for transgender surgeries, during Pritzker’s tenure.”

Where is this country heading!!!!

Privacy a Fiction

The Washington Post wrote on August 1:

“The top administrator of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops resigned last month after a newsletter used data from his cellphone to confirm his use of the dating app Grindr and track his movements to gay bars. Questions about hypocrisy aside, this invasion of an individual’s intimate life should be alarming when it happens to anyone — yet it could easily happen to everyone.

“The problem of information privacy can seem abstract to the everyday American. Sometimes, the harms of unregulated data collection look negligible: Who cares if an advertiser is able to target a particular type of shoe to a particular type of person? The more insidious possibilities, meanwhile, can appear hypothetical: Would someone really purchase anonymous location data, go to the trouble of re-identifying its subject and then exploit what they find to publicly harass? Now we know that the answer is yes. The consequences of Congress’s failure to pass federal legislation governing how companies collect, process and sell the reams of data available in the Internet age are starker than ever.

“In the case of the priest, it appears Grindr collected sensitive information and passed it along to third parties, who might in turn have passed it to other parties, until eventually it landed in the hands of a data broker: one of many companies that vacuum up personal data and spit it back out to customers… Something similar happens to most smartphone users most days as they tap on virtual jewels of candies for high scores, or as they check the weather. Information including their location is gathered and sold, usually for the end purpose of advertising: to greet people who recently went to nightclubs with deals on party dresses, for instance, or to lure them into a nearby store. The possibilities for abuse of this already intrusive ability are manifold…

“The data-brokerage business is so lucrative because it’s so easy. There are scarcely any limitations on who can sell information, who can buy it and who can sell it all over again.”

More Nonsense

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 31 about the removal of some spectacular sculptures:

“The giant white elephants at tourist magnet Hollywood & Highland are being quietly removed as new owners update the famous shopping center where the annual Academy Awards are held and shed references to the movie industry’s past — features that revive memories of racism and sexual exploitation.

“Crews on Thursday night began dismantling two giant white fiberglass elephants, which are part of the complex’s tribute to the Babylon set of D.W. Griffith’s 1916 movie ‘Intolerance.’ All of the faux Mesopotamian elements will be taken out or altered in favor of a design developers hope will be more timeless as part of a $100-million makeover of the mall… that is set for completion next summer…

“Workers are dismembering the enormous elephant sculptures at night…”

Regardless of the reasoning or “justification,” American culture and history are systematically being destroyed.

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.

This Week in the News

Chaos in Germany Over Coronavirus Restrictions

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s top aide warned on Sunday that unvaccinated people will have fewer freedoms than those who have decided to get the coronavirus jab. Helge Braun, the outgoing leader’s chief of staff, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that they may find themselves being denied entry to bars, cinemas or sporting events…

“But the Christian Democrat candidate running to replace Merkel in this September’s election used an interview with broadcaster ZDF to distance himself from the plans. Armin Laschet, the premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Sunday that ‘in a free country, there are civil liberties not only for certain groups.’ ‘I don’t believe in compulsory vaccination, and I don’t believe in indirectly putting pressure on people to get vaccinated,’ he said.

“The deputy leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, Wolfgang Kubicki, hit out at the comments by Braun. He told newspapers from the Funke Media Group that his plans amount to ‘the introduction of compulsory vaccination through the back door.’ ‘Moreover, such a categorization of fundamental rights into a first and second class is clearly unconstitutional,’ he said.”

The Associated Press added on July 25:

“German politicians across the political spectrum on Sunday criticized a warning by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff that restrictions for unvaccinated people may be necessary… Rolf Mützenich, head of the center-left Social Democrats’ parliamentary group, said politicians should be focusing more on getting willing citizens vaccinated than penalizing the unvaccinated. ‘We’re not going to sustainably change the vaccination behavior of individuals with threats,’ he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.”

One wonders what is going on in Merkel’s administration and in Germany as a whole… and where is the “respect” for the Constitution? Now, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Soeder (who would love to become chancellor, even though he has been “supporting” Laschet) openly disagreed with Laschet and shared his “vision” for Germany, stating that those who are vaccinated should receive “exclusive rights” which should not be given to the unvaccinated. He also supported Jens Spahn’s new proposed test requirements for all travelers, regardless in what way and from what country they arrive in Germany.

The writing of national suppression of liberty and freedom is clearly on the wall.

Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer Twists the Constitution

dpa wrote on July 27:

“The rising Corona infection figures have reignited the long-standing debate about more restrictions for the unvaccinated. ‘This is not discrimination against the unvaccinated,’ said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer in an interview with broadcaster RTL/ntv.

“He said he respects it if someone decides against vaccination for personal reasons. ‘But the person who has not been vaccinated must also realise that we have to protect society as a whole and therefore can only allow those who have been vaccinated to attend major community events.’”

So this IS discrimination, pure and simple!

Demonstrations in France and Elsewhere against Coronavirus Passport

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Around 300 anti-vaccine passport protesters stormed the town hall of Chambéry, denouncing French measures to implement a vaccine passport…

 Last weekend, over 100,000 people took to the streets to protest France’s vaccine passport policy, which will see people required to present a health pass to access certain businesses such as restaurants or engage in various forms of travel. Business owners that do not check for the health pass could also be punished under the new policy, with fines for up to Euros 45,000 (£38,487/$53,100) and a year in prison.”

More and more people show their discontent with anti-vaccine passports, which will promote diverse governments, such as France, to respond with and enforce harsh and many times unconstitutional measures.

The Associated Press added on July 24:

Some 160,000 people… protested Saturday across the country [of France] against a bill requiring everyone to have a special virus pass to enter restaurants and mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all health care workers.

“Similar protests were held in neighboring Italy.”

Breitbart reported on July 26:

“Despite widespread protests, the French parliament has approved a law requiring… that anyone over the age of 12-years will be forced to present a health pass displaying a negative coronavirus test, vaccinations, or recent Covid recovery in order to do simple things like travel by train or aeroplane in France.

“The pass will also be required for restaurants, museums, swimming pools… In fact, any venue or place that can hold more than 50 people will be required to check guest’s health status…”

Spain Prepares for Emergency Laws

El Pais wrote on July 6:

“All adults will be required to provide ‘personal services’ to the state if a crisis is ever declared in Spain, according to the reform of the National Security Law being prepared by the government. The draft legislation… indicates that all citizens, without exception, must follow the orders and instructions of the relevant authorities if a state of crisis… is declared.

“The reform also states that authorities can temporarily requisition all types of assets, take over or temporarily occupy those that are needed and suspend all activity…”

These are dangerous steps towards an outright dictatorship, reminiscent of the times under Franco.

Britain’s New Pingdemic

Reuters wrote on July 22:

“British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, declaring a ‘pingdemic.’… hundreds of thousands of people have been advised — or ‘pinged’ — by the National Health Service’s contact-tracing app to isolate for 10 days.

“The drastic reduction in staffing that has resulted has sown chaos through sectors as diverse as food supplies, haulage, supermarkets, hospitality, manufacturing and media. To avoid disruption, many people have deleted the app from their phones…

“Official data showed the app had told nearly 620,000 people to isolate in England and Wales in the week up to July 14… Government ministers… have allowed some workers in critical roles to carry on working, even when ‘pinged.’”

Whatever man tries to do fails miserably.

Eric Clapton Won’t Play for Discriminated Audiences

The Independent wrote on July 22:

“Eric Clapton has said that he will not play at venues where a COVID-19 vaccine is required for entry.

“Earlier this week, Boris Johnson unveiled plans for nightclubs and large music venues to demand proof of double vaccination to enter from the end of September…. The [world-famous] musician [said] he refuses to perform for ‘discriminated audiences.’”

Good for him.

Just Blame and Accuse the Unvaccinated

La Croix reported on July 13:

“The second-most senior Orthodox bishop in the Moscow Patriarchate has urged all people of Russia to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying their refusal to do so is akin to committing a sin… The sin consists in thinking only of oneself instead of thinking of others…’

“‘The Orthodox Church does not see pandemics as punishment from God,” Professor Panev [a priest] pointed out. He said it is just the opposite. ‘God did not leave human beings defenseless: medicine is a gift from God; we must use it,’ he noted.”

Strange biblical ideas by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Bennett Accuses Israelis and Is Strongly Attacked

Israel Today wrote on July 25:

 Over 80 percent of Israelis over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But for one reason or another, some one million Israelis eligible for the vaccine have not taken it. Some are ‘anti-vaxxers,’ folks opposed to all vaccination, but far more are merely suspicious of the various coronavirus vaccines.

“Last Thursday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett upset those one million Israelis by accusing them of putting the rest of the nation in danger. ‘One million Israelis are refusing to get vaccinated,’ Bennett said in a primetime television address. ‘They are endangering the entire population, they are endangering the other 8 million citizens in the country.’… Bennett urged vaccinated Israelis to ‘convince’ their unvaccinated countrymen: ‘If you know a vaccine refuser, convince them, explain to them that they are risking the health of others.’…

“Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton said that she was not entirely pleased with Bennett’s speech and felt it would turn Israelis against one another… Shasha-Biton noted that Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar was also uncomfortable with the prime minister’s address, and reminded fellow cabinet ministers that ‘even those who are not vaccinated are still citizens of Israel.’ Many others also attacked Bennett for what they saw as a public shaming of anyone who has chosen not to take the Pfizer vaccine…

“Many of those being infected are already fully vaccinated, showing that the Pfizer vaccine does not prevent infection by the Delta variant. At the same time, the number of infected individuals requiring hospitalization has not risen significantly…”

Apart from the fact that this development shows the disunity within the Israeli coalition government, it also mirrors the attitude in many countries against the unvaccinated who are being labeled and treated as scapegoats, like the Jews were in Nazi Germany.

Fauci Recommends Masks and Booster Shots

The Associated Press wrote on July 25:

“The United States is in an ‘unnecessary predicament’ of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday. ‘We’re going in the wrong direction,’ said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as ‘very frustrated.’

“He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is ‘under active consideration’ by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said.”

This is a total turn-around and completely contradicts what Fauci recommended earlier.

Breitbart added on July 27:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set on Tuesday to recommend masks for vaccinated people indoors under certain circumstances… Already some areas of America are bringing back coronavirus protocols, such as Palm Beach, Florida, which has mandated masks and social distancing measures even though 100 percent of residents ages 16 and older are vaccinated.”

It seems like, they do not know what they do.

More Lies and False Promises

Reuters reported on July 26:

“The United States will not lift any existing travel restrictions ‘at this point’… The decision… means the long-running travel restrictions that have barred much of the world’s population from the United States since 2020 will not be lifted in the short term… The announcement almost certainly dooms any bid by U.S. airlines and the U.S. tourism industry to salvage summer travel by Europeans and others covered by the restrictions. Airlines have heavily lobbied the White House for months to lift the restrictions.

“The United States currently bars most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil…

“Last week, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21 — even as Canada said it would begin allowing in fully vaccinated American tourists starting Aug. 9.

“Asked on July 15 at a joint appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about when the United States would lift European travel restrictions, Biden said he would ‘be able to answer that question to you within the next several days — what is likely to happen.’…”

With Biden’s fanatic obsession with restrictions, lockdowns, masks and travel bans, nothing less was to be expected. But he is paying a price. Note the next article.

Biden’s Approval Numbers Way Down

ABC News wrote on July 25:

“As President Joe Biden completed 100 days in office, the country was optimistic about the coming year, but now, just after hitting the six-month mark,  Americans’ optimism about the direction of the country has plummeted nearly 20 points…

“A majority — 55% — of the public say they are pessimistic about the direction of the country, a marked change from the roughly one-third (36%) that said the same in [a] poll published May 2. In the early May survey, Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic by a 28-percentage point margin…

“The decline in optimism has occurred across the board among Democrats, Republicans and independents… The optimism-pessimism flip comes as Americans give Biden his lowest approval rating for his handling of the pandemic… It likely reflects the growing concern that lockdowns could be reinstated…

“Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans approve of the president’s handling of immigration…”

The situation will only get worse…

Biden’s Plot to Snub the UK (and Other Allies)

Express wrote on July 29:

“Americans on both sides of the pond welcomed the UK’s announcement on Wednesday that anyone vaccinated in the US will not need to self-isolate after arriving from an amber list country. But hopes of the US President returning the favour have been dashed… The US is unlikely to allow vaccinated Britons into the country without the need to quarantine them anytime soon… Following the government’s announcement, demand for flights from the US to the UK surged…

“From 4am on Monday, fully vaccinated travellers from the US, the EU and a handful of other European countries will no longer need to self-isolate for 10 days when entering Britain.

“Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen… urged ministers to ‘go further’ by moving the US to its green travel list, which would also exempt unvaccinated passengers from quarantine…

“It is not possible for most European travellers, including those from the UK, to enter the US due to coronavirus fears. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also advises Americans against travel to the UK.”

It is amazing how the Biden Administration and its scientific “supporters” are trying to do everything to destroy the US economy and to alienate its (former) friends. And sadly, many, if not most Americans (including theme parks, Las Vegas, etc.) are far too willing to support and embrace Biden’s new rules. But not all. 

As the Ron Paul Institute reported on July 28:

“After months of assuring vaccinated Americans that they no longer need to wear masks, the CDC has suddenly reversed itself and taken the country back to early 2020: everyone must wear a mask! This time, however, there are signs of rebellion particularly among Republican governors. As the CDC has no legal authority to tell Americans what to do, many in positions of authority – for example Texas and Florida governors – have said they will ignore Fauci and his cohorts.”

On the other hand, The Sun reported that it is now claimed that the UK is pretty much over the pandemic due to herd immunity.

More Coronavirus Restrictions… Here We Go Again

Daily Mail wrote on July 29:

“Italy tightened their rules this week, announcing that unvaccinated tourists without the country’s ‘Green Pass’ – an app-based vaccine passport – will be banned from public spaces. The new rules, which start from August 6, is just the first step of the Green Pass rollout, and it could soon become mandatory for plane and train travel too.

“All countries are enforcing their own restrictions of varying degrees of stringency, with some restricting entry to vaccinated tourists only, and others only insisting on a lateral flow or PCR test. It is vital to check the latest requirements before travel or risk being turned away.”

This is TRULY a world held captive by Satan.

Why Don’t Scientific “Experts” Finally Stop Talking?

The Sun wrote on July 27:

“NOTHING has worsened the panic, misery and loss of public confidence more over the past 18 months than freelancing scientists and other politically motivated ‘experts’ baselessly predicting catastrophe… They have loved their 15 lucrative minutes of fame and snapped up every invitation to pontificate before a TV camera… every word is treated as gospel.

“… All involved should be ashamed… It does far more harm than good for self-interested boffins to spout off when their guess is no better than anyone else’s.”

They won’t stop talking, ever, because they love the attention.

Fauci Under Attack by Left-Liberal New York Times

Fox News wrote on July 29:

“New York Times columnist Bret Stephens took aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday amid the Biden administration’s efforts to combat so-called coronavirus ‘misinformation.’ In a piece headlined, ‘Covid Misinformation Comes From the Top, Too,’ Stephens… [pointed] to the recent fiery clash Fauci had with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., over whether the U.S. government funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that may have led to the coronavirus outbreak… He pointed to the explosive report from Vanity Fair last month that revealed State Department officials were told not to explore the Wuhan lab’s gain-of-function research because ‘it would bring unwelcome attention to U.S. government funding of it.’…

“The Times columnist then called out Fauci over his comments about herd immunity, insisting he ‘lied’ about what he saw as the threshold figure… He also listed the CDC’s faulty overestimation over the outdoor spread of COVID and its study that claimed Black and Hispanic children were ‘at greater risk of being hospitalized,’ which became a contributing factor to schools being closed despite consistent evidence that schools were never a superspreader for children.

“‘The impact of this misinformation on everyday life has been immense…’”

The damage caused by the alleged lies of Fauci and others has been done, and cannot be cured. 

Biden Accused Again of Lying

The New York Post wrote on July 29:

Career politician President Biden is being mocked for claiming he used to drive an 18-wheeler truck… The 48-year political veteran made the claim while visiting a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania on Wednesday… But challenged by Fox News to produce evidence, a White House spokesperson could only point to a December 1973 article from the Wilmington Evening Journal that showed Biden rode in an 18-wheeler, not that he drove one…

 “When Fox News again pressed the White House that riding in a truck is not the same as being behind the wheel, a spokesperson pointed to a United Federation of Teachers post that said Biden drove a school bus in the past as a summer job, the outlet said. But most school buses have at most six wheels — a third of the president’s claim, Fox noted.

“Asked again about the clear difference, the White House did not respond, Fox said. Biden was mocked online for the claim, with some joking that he may have been referring to his favorite toys as a kid…

“Biden has been accused of other flubs over his past, including that he ‘got started out of a HBCU, Delaware State’ — which the historically black college denied.”

Biden’s ongoing alleged lies are quite disturbing, including his more than questionable denials of possessing knowledge of his son’s business deals. It is sad that we almost must assume that politicians are lying to us because otherwise, they would not be politicians. The left-wing media reported consistently when Trump was apparently caught with another of his many alleged lies… but the silence when it comes to Biden’s alleged lies is deafening. 

Weapons All Over the World

Euronews wrote on July 23:

“The US, the UK, Spain and Canada openly supply weapons to the Saudi-led coalition [of Arab nations]… Italy is the fourth biggest weapons exporter in the EU… Belgium, Germany, France and Spain are the other European countries that have allowed exports to Saudi Arabia…

“In the last five years, France’s main clients outside of Europe were Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but it also sold arms to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Israel, Ethiopia and Afghanistan among many others. Germany has exported to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, but also to countries like South Sudan and Somalia. Spain and Italy’s exports have also headed to the same volatile destinations…

“What is the ultimate purpose of Europe’s defence industry? Is it to protect people? Is it for profit or to gain political and economic influence? What about human rights?”

These are good questions. Of course, it is all in line with biblical prophecy telling us that Europe will become the most powerful military entity.

Putin Warns Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“[Putin] on Sunday warned that its navy is ready to carry out an ‘unpreventable strike’ on enemy targets if it was in the country’s ‘national interests.’ Putin was speaking in Saint Petersburg during a parade of warships… ‘We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it.’

“His remarks follow an incident in the Black Sea in June when Russia said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of Crimea waters… The British government… said any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian ‘gunnery exercise,’ and that no bombs had been dropped… Putin said last month Russia could have sunk the British warship HMS Defender, that it accused of illegally entering its territorial waters, without starting World War Three and said the United States played a role in the ‘provocation.’”

Britain is finding itself more and more as the object of aggression from many countries around the globe, but it does not seem to acknowledge it.  

Putin Emboldened by Biden to Attack Israel?

Israel 365 wrote on July 25:

“For the first time, last week Russia announced it helped Syria operate against an Israeli airstrike in Syria. According to some reports, the change in policy comes in the wake of a meeting between Putin and Biden in which the US president expressed displeasure at Israeli strikes against Iranian targets…

“[A report claims that] Russia is now supplying Syrian forces with more advanced anti-missile systems. Russia maintains a significant military presence in Syria to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad who has been fighting a civil war for ten years.

“An anonymously sourced report by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat cited a ‘well-informed’ Russian official as saying that the Kremlin has ‘run out of patience’ with Israeli air raids in Syria. The source credited the shift in policy to an understanding between Russia and the US arrived at in the recent meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin. ‘Washington does not welcome the continuous Israeli raids,’ the Russian source claimed, saying that Moscow now felt free to respond aggressively to Israeli airstrikes…”

Ultimately, the whole world will turn against Israel.

Biden Warns of U.S. War over Cyberattacks

Radio Free Europe wrote on July 28:

 “President Joe Biden warned that a major cyberattack on the United States could lead to an actual ‘shooting war,’ in comments that mentioned Russia and China as threats to U.S. national security. ‘I think it’s more than likely we’re going to end up, if we end up in a war — a real shooting war with a major power — it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyberbreach of great consequence. And it’s increasing exponentially, the capabilities,’ Biden said in a speech to the U.S. intelligence community on July 27.

“Biden noted a growing number of cyberattacks against government agencies and private industry that U.S. officials have linked to Russia and China. Cybersecurity has moved to the top of the Biden administration’s agenda after a string of attacks during his first six months in office, including ransomware attacks.

“At a Geneva summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, Biden said the two leaders discussed keeping 16 types of critical infrastructure off-limits to cyberattacks, including the energy and water sectors. Biden entered office having to deal with the fallout of the SolarWinds hack that affected U.S. government agencies and businesses, a sophisticated attack blamed on Russian government hackers.

“Suspected Russia-based criminal groups have also been linked to high-profile ransomware attacks targeting Colonial Pipeline and meat-processing giant JBS. Another hit technology firm Kaseya that impacted hundreds of businesses globally.

“The Kremlin scoffed at Biden’s assessment that Russia ‘has nuclear weapons and oil wells and nothing else,’ saying the speech appeared to be tailored toward the U.S. intelligence community. ‘(The United States) can hardly be called a partner. It is more like an opponent or a “vis-à-vis”,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on July 28… The United States and its Western allies earlier this month blamed China for a global hacking campaign that included a massive attack on Microsoft software and accused Beijing of complicity with hackers in ransomware and other cyberattacks.”

Biden’s weak performance during his meeting with Putin did not help solve the situation.

Russia and China—Joint Military Exercises

Reuters wrote on July 29:

“Russia and China will conduct joint military exercises involving 10,000 troops in mid-August, the Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday.

“Moscow has sought to boost relations with China since 2014, when its political ties with the West sank to post Cold-War lows over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.”

Tumult in the Catholic Church

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke has expressed his ‘profound sorrow’ over Pope Francis’s recent letter drastically restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘Those who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘are deeply disheartened by the severity of the discipline’ imposed by Pope Francis in his letter and ‘offended by the language it employs to describe them, their attitudes and their conduct,’ Cardinal Burke states in an essay published online July 22.

“‘It is apparent from the severity of the document,’ states Burke, a canon lawyer and the former head of the Vatican’s supreme court, that Pope Francis issued it ‘to address what he perceives to be a grave evil threatening the unity of the Church,’ a perception Burke clearly does not share.

“The pope’s letter places restrictions on the Latin Mass that ‘signal its ultimate elimination,’ the cardinal adds… The pope’s message to the ‘devout faithful who have a deep appreciation and attachment’ to the Traditional Latin Mass is that ‘they suffer from an aberration which can be tolerated for a time but must ultimately be eradicated,’ Burke declares….”

Newsmax wrote on July 25:

“Barely a week after Pope Francis issued his controversial order limiting the celebration of the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional Latin Mass, the leader of roughly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide found himself under strong fire from some of the top officials of his Church… So far, four Cardinals — the officials second in authority only to the Pope — have voice[d] their strong disagreement with Francis’s July 19 order…

“German Cardinal Gerhard Muller hit this hard, charging that Francis’s goal is ‘extinction in the long run’ of the Mass celebrated by Catholics from the time of the Council of Trent (1545-63) until 1970… ‘Without the slightest empathy,’ wrote Muller, formerly Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict, ‘one ignores the religious feelings of the [often young] participants in the Masses… Instead of appreciating the smell of the sheep, the shepherd here hits them hard with his crook.’…”

Predictably, Pope Francis’ liberal agenda, as it became obvious from the very start of his papacy, was bound to create a clash with conservative Traditionalist within the Catholic church. Will there be an open schism, as has happened several times in the past, when two and at one time even three competing popes claimed the office simultaneously?

Huge Asteroid to Fly by the Earth

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 25:

“An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza is set to fly by the Earth on Sunday, July 25, in what could be described as a relatively ‘close’ approach…

“Due to flying so close to the Earth (about 2.8 million miles, or 4.5 million kilometers), the asteroid is considered potentially hazardous. However, this is not a significant risk, with the distance actually being almost 20 times the distance between Earth and the moon. However, there is still the potential for danger, as gravitational tugs have the potential for changing an object’s path.

“The danger of an asteroid impact remains among the worst possible natural disasters that could happen to the planet, as mankind does not have much in the way of combating them…”

The Bible indicates that this danger is very real.

Daily Mail added on July 26:

“An ‘unusually large meteor’ briefly lit up southern Norway on Sunday, creating a spectacular sound and light display as it rumbled across the sky. The meteor flew over Oslo at around 01:00, with the phenomena seen as far north as Trondheim.

“Experts believe that a piece of the meteor may have hit Earth, possibly not far from the capital. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries. However, experts say finding any remnants is no mean feat, and could take ‘some 10 years.’… Analysis of the meteor suggests it could have weighed at least 22lb (10kg)….

“A meteor that exploded over the central Russia near the city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 rained fireballs over a vast area and caused a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured 1,200 people.”

California’s Worsening Drought

The Sacramento Bee wrote on July 23:

“Forced to reckon with a worsening drought, California’s water regulators are preparing to forbid thousands of farmers from tapping into the state’s major rivers and streams. It’s an extraordinary step — and one that regulators didn’t take during the last drought, which was considered one of the worst on record…

“Most farmers who rely on the State Water Project or the federal Central Valley Project are already struggling with dramatically reduced allocations. The proposed order released Friday covers those thousands of farmers with direct legal rights to pull water out of the rivers…”

It was also reported that “more than 85 large wildfires were burning around the country” (The Associated Press, dated July 25).

What we are witnessing around the world are numerous and manifold natural catastrophes. It is as if God is allowing these disasters to wake us up.

Largest Earthquake in More than 50 Years

New York Daily News wrote on July 29:

“The Alaska peninsula was rocked late Wednesday night by the strongest earthquake to hit the United States since 1965. The powerful 8.2-magnitude quake struck just more than 50 miles south of Perryville, Alaska… So far, there have been at least two aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 6.2 while the other measured about 5.6…

“… the 1965 Magnitude 8.7 was five times as energetic, and the 1964 Magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake was 30 times more energetic than tonight’s Magnitude 8.2… The Great Alaska Earthquake is the largest ever to hit the United States…”

When will the really big earthquakes hit the USA in populated areas?

Disgraceful Change of Famous Name of Baseball Team

Newsmax wrote on July 23:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday criticized Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team for changing its name from the Indians to the Guardians starting next season… In a statement sent via email, Trump said: ‘Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace.’’

“He then claimed that Native Americans… will be the ones most upset about the team changing its name and logo… ‘Wouldn’t it be an honor to have a team named the Cleveland Indians, and wouldn’t it be disrespectful to rip that name and logo off of those jerseys?… The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening… A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!’”

Still, it seems this kind of nonsense will only continue in a world totally cut off from God.

Left-Wing Wikipedia Unreliable

Breitbart wrote on July 23:

“In an interview Thursday for Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger stated he was embarrassed about helping found the site given its increasing left-wing bias. Noting it helps shape the understanding many Americans have of the world, Carlson asked Sanger what could be done to fix the problems on Wikipedia, but Sanger doubted it was possible to fix the site from the inside..

“Sanger also apologized to those individuals whose reputations have been harmed by Wikipedia because of his role in founding it, though Carlson also noted Google’s role in promoting the site…  Over the past year, Sanger has repeatedly criticized Wikipedia for left-wing bias, stating its neutrality was ‘dead’… He noted how differently articles about Donald Trump and Barack Obama covered scandals in their presidential administrations, as well as how scandals involving Joe Biden have been covered. Sanger also criticized coverage of religious and scientific topics as pushing a liberal or establishment view. Recently, he stated that the site could no longer be trusted to give anything other than a left-wing or establishment view, mentioning the site’s ongoing purge of conservative media

“Sanger explained that… Wikipedia allows anonymous contributions by anyone…”

We can attest to that. Terrible libelous articles have been published on Wikipedia about our organizations, filled with lies and misrepresentations from “anonymous” writers.

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.

This Week in the News

Biden Administration Is “Helping” Facebook—This Is Fascism!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Caitlin Johnstone:

“… the Biden administration has admitted that it is giving Facebook a list of accounts to censor for spreading ‘disinformation’ about the Covid-19 response. ‘We’ve increased disinformation research and tracking,’ Press Secretary Jen Psaki told the press on Thursday. ‘Within the Surgeon General’s Office, we’re flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation. We’re working with doctors and medical professionals to connect medical experts with people, who are popular with their audiences with accurate information and boost trusted content. So, we’re helping get trusted content out there.’

“Psaki told the White House press corps that the administration has a list of accounts who produce most of the anti-vaccine information on Facebook, which civil libertarians are decrying as an obviously authoritarian government overreach. ‘The Biden administration is telling Facebook which posts it regards as “problematic” so that Facebook can remove them,’ Glenn Greenwald said on Twitter in response to the news. ‘This is the union of corporate and state power — one of the classic hallmarks of fascism — that the people who spent five years babbling about fascism support… There is no circumstance — none — in which it’s acceptable for the White House or any other agency of the government to be providing lists to Facebook of “problematic” content it wants removed, yet that’s exactly what Psaki says they’re doing… This is authoritarianism.’

“… All of these online platforms use censorship… to hide undesirable political speech from the mainstream public in direct collaboration with government and government-tied institutions.

“Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world… enlists the government… funded management firm The Atlantic Council to help it determine what content to censor and what to boost… Google, which owns YouTube, has been financially intertwined with US intelligence agencies since its very inception when it received research grants from the CIA and NSA…

“In a corporatist system of government, where there is no separation between corporate power and state power, corporate censorship is state censorship. The actual government as it actually exists is censoring the speech not just of its own people, but people around the world…”

With this development and these admissions by the Biden Administration, the argument that Facebook and other Big Tech giants are just private companies and not subject to the Constitution has been blown out of the window.

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The remarks [of press secretary Jen Psaki] riled critics already concerned about collaboration between the Biden administration and Big Tech…  Psaki’s remarks Friday drew bipartisan derision, with critics calling Big Tech outlets ‘state actors’ and ripping the Biden administration for playing judge and jury on truth. One writer said it was a precursor to censoring other so-called ‘misinformation’ on social issues…”

That is the fear. A government engaged in such kind of conduct would certainly be willing and capable of enforcing additional restrictions on our liberties and freedoms.

Kamala Harris Invokes the Bible—This Is so Ignorant

Israel 365 News wrote on July 14:

“In a recent video from the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about vaccinations. Invoking the Bible, Harris claimed that: ‘the act of getting vaccinated, the act of administering the vaccinations, well these acts are the very essence of what the Bible and so many faiths tell us about the importance of our role and our power. When we say love thy neighbor and I truly believe in the power of that’…

“Does this raise questions about the separation of Church and State? What about faiths that oppose vaccines? These questions and more are being asked by some Americans.”

In addition, where does it say in the Bible that you must be vaccinated and that you don’t love your neighbor (as yourself) if you don’t?

Fox News’ Clear Passes and Masks—This Is SO Hypocritical!

CNN wrote on July 20:

“Fox News personalities have spent months both trafficking in anti-vaccine rhetoric and assailing the concept of showing proof of vaccination status. But Fox Corporation… has quietly implemented the concept of a vaccine passport as workers slowly return back to the company’s offices… The system allows for employees to self-report to Fox the dates their shots were administered and which vaccines were used.

“The company has encouraged employees to report their status, telling them that ‘providing this information to FOX will assist the company with space planning and contact tracing. Employees who report their status are allowed to bypass the otherwise required daily health screening

“The concept… is known internally as ‘FOX Clear Pass.’ While the ‘Fox Clear Pass’ is voluntary for employees, and other companies have similar tools, it is still remarkable, given how vocal Fox’s top talent has been in criticizing the concept of vaccine passports. Fox News has spent months portraying the notion that people might be asked to show vaccination status as dangerous to personal freedom and anti-American

“It’s not the first time that Fox has been so brazenly hypocritical about coronavirus precautions. While its television hosts railed against face masks, the company issued guidance recommending employees wear them. It also said it would require people attending tapings of host Greg Gutfeld’s show to wear masks.

“It’s unclear whether Fox will require vaccinations when employees fully return to the office… When CNN began to reopen its facilities in June, vaccinations were required in order to come in…”

One must wonder what is going on with Fox News. On Tuesday, Fox News defended Dr. Fauci against Rand Paul, even though it seems pretty obvious that Paul was right with his allegation that Fauci might have lied to Congress. In addition, Fox News and Newsmax ran segments this week advising people to get vaccinated, as allegedly, only the unvaccinated are getting sick now. However, this claim is blatantly false, not to speak of dangerous side effects from the vaccines which have been manifested.

Biden Not Helping Cuba—This Is Hypocrisy

AFP wrote on July 17:

“Thousands of Cubans protesting against their government managed to catch the attention of US President Joe Biden, but they have been left deflated by his response… Prior to his election, Biden had told online opposition news outlet Cibercuba that he would eliminate Trump’s restrictions on remittances and travel, which he said had harmed Cubans and separated families. But six months into his tenure, Cubans are still waiting for concrete action to back up the promises….

“Biden… did not announce new measures. He did, however, trade barbs with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. ‘Cuba is, unfortunately, a failed state and repressing their citizens,’ Biden said on Thursday. The next day, Diaz-Canel fired back: ‘The United States has failed in its efforts to destroy Cuba, despite spending billions of dollars to do so…’ Russia, China and left-wing governments in Latin America have expressed support for the Cuban regime.

“Not only ordinary Cubans have expressed disappointment at Biden’s lack of action… Ben Rhodes, the former US national security advisor under president Obama, urged Biden to act. ‘Cubans have been bravely expressing their frustrations and exercising their universal rights in ways that are truly inspiring. We should be thinking above all about what we can do to help them,’ Rhodes tweeted on Tuesday.

“New York-based anti-embargo lobbying group Cuban Americans For Engagement (CAFE) hit out at the Biden administration for being ‘hypocritical when it claims to support the Cuban people while complacently applauding the demonstrations.’”

Restoring the Internet—This Is Difficult

Yahoo!News wrote on July 16:

“President Joe Biden’s suggestion that Washington bring full internet access to Cuba following government restrictions could break new ground on digital rights but face major technical and geopolitical hurdles

“Cuba has been limiting both fixed and mobile internet access with cuts to some apps like Facebook and Instagram, and has used other methods to filter online content with Chinese-made technology…

“Democracy activists in authoritarian regimes have used a variety of techniques to get around internet limitations including virtual private networks… but none have been used on a large scale. Satellite, drone and balloon internet services remain at an early stage and often are delivered through official carriers…

“Havana would likely consider any effort to bring an unfiltered internet a violation of its sovereignty…”

These problems also exist when other dictatorial countries shut down the Internet for their citizens, as they are prone to do.

Troubles in South Africa—This Is a Race War

Hal Turner Radio Show wrote on July 14:

“All food in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa has been either looted or intentionally destroyed. The Zulu tribe is now publicly saying they intend to ‘starve-out’ the white and Indian (sub-continent) people in that province… It looks like a race war is upon South Africa…

“These troubles in South Africa are being carried out by some of the very same type of people we saw here in America, doing much the same, last summer. At the time, they dressed-up their race-hatred with slogans like ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ANTIFA; but the base hatred is still the same…

“So BARBARIC are these people [in Johannesburg], they step over the dead bodies so they can continue looting…”

Israel’s Tense Calm—This Is Only Temporary

Israel Today wrote on July 20:

“This past Sunday was… the fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem that once stood at the site where now two Muslim structures are located, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. These two Muslim shrines were built in the 7th century for the purpose of expressing Islam’s superiority over Christianity and Judaism…

“In 2021, the reality is no different and Muslims on the Temple Mount behave as if they have more rights to that sacred compound than other religious groups, and especially than Jews whom they routinely accuse of ‘defiling’ the holiest site in Judaism. The 1,600 Jews who visited the Temple Mount’s courtyards on Sunday were again referred to by several Muslim states and the Palestinian Authority as ‘settlers’ who allegedly ‘stormed’ the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In reality, however, Jewish visitors have no interest whatsoever in Al-Aqsa and do not even try to enter it…

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this week contributed to the confusion and tensions with Muslim groups and countries. He first announced that Jews had the right to ‘pray’ in their sacred place… Bennett later retracted his words, saying… that Jews had the right to ‘visit’ the Temple Mount… The flip-flop by Bennett most likely had to do with the flood of condemnations that came from the Muslim world, including that of Ra’am, the Islamist political party that is now part of the new Israeli government, as well as from alternate-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid

“‘The Al-Aqsa Mosque and dunams around it are the exclusive property of the Muslims and no one else is entitled to it,’ Ra’am said in a press release. It marked the first time that the Islamist coalition partner went directly against its own government. Ra’am also used the words ‘storming’ and was annoyed that a group of Jews had sung the Israeli national anthem… during their visit to the Temple Mount. Ra’am further warned that the events on the Temple Mount could heat up the situation in Jerusalem and the entire region and even lead to a ‘catastrophic religious war.’

“The media in Israel later reported that Lapid was the one who had spoken to Bennett and forced him to amend the content of his original statement. It showed that Lapid, who is the leader of the coalition’s largest faction… is in reality much more than ‘alternate prime minister’ and foreign minister. He’s the one pulling the strings until he replaces Bennett as prime minister in less than two years…

“There were fears that Palestinian terrorist movements in Gaza would violate the shaky ceasefire with Israel… A tense calm now reigns on the Temple Mount following Sunday’s clashes…  The tensions over the Jewish visits and prayers at the Temple Mount probably couldn’t have been avoided, but Bennett’s flip-flop should have been. It was the first time the new Israeli PM was really tested since he assumed office in June and, according to some observers, he failed to pass the test.”

This was predictable. How long can this obscure “coalition” be successful?

Reversing Pope Benedict—This Is Disappointing!

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI’s signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics who immediately decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy. Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass that Benedict relaxed in 2007, and went further to limit its use. The pontiff said he was taking action because Benedict’s reform had become a source of division in the church and been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church and its liturgy.

“Critics said they had never before witnessed a pope so thoroughly reversing his predecessor. That the reversal concerned something so fundamental as the liturgy, while Benedict is still alive and living in the Vatican as a retired pope, only amplified the extraordinary nature of Francis’ move, which will surely result in more right-wing hostility directed at him…

“Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin. These groups cannot use regular churches; instead, bishops must find alternate locations for them without creating new parishes. In addition, Francis said bishops are no longer allowed to authorize the formation of any new pro-Latin Mass groups in their dioceses…

“The pope’s rollback immediately created an uproar among traditionalists already opposed to Francis’ more progressive bent and nostalgic for Benedict’s doctrinaire papacy.

“This is an extremely disappointing document which entirely undoes the legal provisions,’ of Benedict’s 2007 document, said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. While Latin celebrations can continue, ‘the presumption is consistently against them: bishops are being invited to close them down,’ Shaw said, adding that the requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was ‘unworkable.’ ‘This is an extraordinary rejection of the hard work for the church and the loyalty to the hierarchy which has characterized the movement for the Traditional Mass for many years, which I fear will foster a sense of alienation among those attached to the church’s ancient liturgy,’ he said.

“Benedict had issued his document in 2007 to reach out to a breakaway, schismatic group that celebrates the Latin Mass, the Society of St. Pius X, and which had split from Rome over the modernizing reforms of Vatican II….

“Some of these traditionalists and Catholics already were among Francis’ fiercest critics, with some accusing him of heresy for having opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion… For years… Francis has made known his distaste of the old liturgy…”

Is a split within the Catholic Church between traditionalists and liberals inevitable?

New Emoji Designs and Change of Bird, Bug and Fish Names—This Is Insane

Daily Mail wrote on July 16:

“A pregnant man and a gender neutral person wearing a crown are among the emoji set to be approved this September and coming to smartphones next year….

“The pregnant man and pregnant person recognise that ‘pregnancy is possible for some transgender men and non-binary people’, Emojipedia says. The gender neutral person wearing a crown… comes in a range of different skin tones, as do 15 new handshake combinations.”

Daily Mail added on July 15:

“Woke warriors are behind a drive to rename hundreds of bird species because their names are deemed to have links to slavery and colonialism… It comes after bug experts are getting rid of the name ‘gypsy moth’ because some Roma people consider it to be an ethnic slur….

“The Oriental rat flea, Asian needle ant and the West Indian cane weevil are also now being scrutinized…”

NBC Chicago wrote on July 17:

“Minnesota state Sen. Foung Hawj was never a fan of the ‘Asian carp’ label commonly applied to four imported fish species that are wreaking havoc in the U.S. heartland, infesting numerous rivers and bearing down on the Great Lakes. But the last straw came when an Asian business delegation arriving at the Minneapolis airport encountered a sign reading ‘Kill Asian Carp.’ It was a well-intentioned plea to prevent the spread of the invasive fish. But the message was off-putting to the visitors.

“Hawj and fellow Sen. John Hoffman in 2014 won approval of a measure requiring that Minnesota agencies refer to the fish as ‘invasive carp,’ despite backlash from the late radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, who ridiculed it as political correctness….

“Now some other government agencies are taking the same step in the wake of anti-Asian hate crimes that surged during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service quietly changed its designation to ‘invasive carp’ in April. ‘We wanted to move away from any terms that cast Asian culture and people in a negative light,’ said Charlie Wooley, director of its Great Lakes regional office.

“… The four species described collectively as Asian carp — bighead, silver, grass and black carp — were brought from China a half-century ago to rid Southern sewage and aquaculture ponds of algae, weeds and parasites. They escaped into the wild and have migrated up the Mississippi and other major rivers. The Great Lakes and their $7 billion sport fishery are vulnerable.”

This insanity has been going on for years, but is becoming more and more aggressive and hostile these days all over the Western world.

Converting Children to Become Gay—This Is Sick!

The American Spectator wrote on July 9:

“The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a music video July 1 titled ‘A Message From the Gay Community’ that details their mission of ‘converting’ children. A soloist introduces the virtual music performance by dedicating the song to progress made in Pride Month… He continues, ‘We’ll convert your children, it happens bit by bit, quietly and subtlety and you will barely notice it…’

“The soloist then begins a duet, with another singer joining in: ‘Just like you’re worried, they’ll change their group of friends…’ The verses slowly build into a boisterous chorus of ‘we’re coming for your children’ and ‘the gay agenda is coming home.’ The video concludes by flashing LBGTQ flags over the screen…

“Both conservatives and people of faith responded with criticism and worry, arguing that the choir is saying the leftist agenda out loud… The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a statement on July 8 defending the song… The group said the ‘tongue-in-cheek humor is lost on many,’ adding, ‘After decades of children being indoctrinated and taught intolerance… from using the Bible as a weapon to reparative therapy, it’s our turn.’”

The ”tongue-in-cheek humor” is indeed lost. The reference to the Bible is even more alarming.

EU Court Tries to Push Russia—This Is Futile

Life Site News wrote on July 16:

“Russia rebuked a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) this week that pushed the country to recognize same-sex ‘marriage.’  The ECHR’s order, handed down on Tuesday, held that Russia’s refusal to register homosexuals as ‘married’ violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes a ‘right to family life,’ and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination. The Strasbourg-based court has interpreted the articles… to apply to same-sex unions, despite previous rulings to the contrary and no language about homosexuality in the text of the European Convention…

“Russia slammed the ECHR ruling, reaffirming on Tuesday that marriage in the country remains strictly between men and women. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that same-sex ‘marriages’ are ‘not allowed’ under Russia’s constitution…

“The ECHR… does not have enforcement powers, and the Russian government enacted a law in 2015 allowing the country to overturn ECHR verdicts. Russia, which joined the Council of Europe in the 1990s, has not implemented nearly 90% of leading judgements from the court in the past ten years…

“Last Tuesday, the ECHR issued another ruling against Russia for letting a woman prohibit her gender-confused former husband from visiting their children. A Russian court had declared that being around the father, who had undergone surgery to impersonate the opposite sex, would have a ‘negative impact on the mental health’ of the children.

“The ECHR’s attempts to impose LGBT ideology on Russia resemble ongoing efforts by the European Union to force Hungary to rescind a new children protection law that bans pro-LGBT materials in schools… ‘Brussels bureaucrats have no business at all, no matter what they do, we will not let LGBTQ activists among our children,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded.”

The EU must know that its push against Russia will not result in any change of conduct. It seems that the EU’s obsession with the LGBT agenda can be compared with the behavior of an angry bull in a China shop.

EU’s Military to the Rescue—This Is Dangerous

The Defense Post wrote on July 12:

“The European Union… formally established a military mission for Mozambique to help train its armed forces battling jihadists in the north of the country. A deadly insurgency by militants linked to the Islamic State group has ravaged the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since late 2017, claiming some 3,000 lives and displacing 800,000 people. Former colonial master Portugal is already providing training for Mozambican troops. Lisbon’s military instructors on the ground are expected to make up some half of the new EU mission, which will be headed by a Portuguese commander.

“‘The aim of the mission is to train and support the Mozambican armed forces in protecting the civilian population and restoring safety and security in the Cabo Delgado province,’ an EU statement said, without giving details on the overall size of the deployment. ‘The mandate of the mission will initially last two years…’

“A senior European diplomat told AFP in June that other countries including France, Italy, and Spain are also expected to provide personnel for the mission. The approval of the EU training mission comes as regional powers are also looking to bolster their support for Mozambique’s fight to crush the insurgency. Last month, … 16 southern African countries… as Mozambique’s government said it was open to foreign boots on the ground to battle the jihadists…

“The EU has several other training missions in Africa, including in Mali, Central African Republic, and Somalia. The operation in Mali — aimed at boosting the fight against jihadists — has continued to operate despite concerns after the latest… strike of military coups hit the country in May.”

Europe will get more and more involved in military actions outside its territory.

EU Getting Ready for a Large-Scale Military Operation in Libya?—This Is Remarkable

Express wrote on July 19:

“A leaked document revealed that Brussels is finalising plans for ‘large-scale’ operations in the North African state in the coming months. It will pit the EU against Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which have all become involved in Libya’s brutal civil war. The internal report, obtained by the EU Observer website, highlighted the need for an EU military mission in the region to curb human and arms trafficking…

“EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the plans soon but the Commission’s foreign affairs arm has yet to announce the formal tabling of the proposals… France is expected to be one of the main supporters of a military mission to Libya. Its foreign minister Jean Yves Le Drian echoed the sentiment of the EU report in a speech at the UN’s Security Council in New York on Thursday…”

The military ambitions of the EU are becoming SO obvious.

Putin: Ukraine Created by Soviets and Bolsheviks, at Expense of History—This Is Noteworthy

RT wrote on July 12:

“Russia’s president has claimed that much of Ukraine is historically and ethnically Russian, and Kiev’s turn to the West since the 2014 Kiev Maidan amounts to a rejection of its deep ties with Moscow and its political reality.

“In an article published on the Kremlin’s website on Monday, President Vladimir Putin described how almost all of the Eastern European nation had fallen under the Russian Empire, and how Ukrainians and Russians can trace their culture and history back through shared roots. ‘Thus,’ he argued, ‘modern Ukraine is entirely the brainchild of the Soviet era. We know and remember that, to a large extent, it was created at the expense of historical Russia.’ According to him, ‘the Bolsheviks treated the Russian people as an inexhaustible material for social experiments. They dreamed of a world revolution, which, in their opinion, would abolish nation-states altogether.’ As such, Putin argued, Russia’s ‘borders were arbitrarily cut, and generous territorial “gifts” were handed out.’

“The status of the disputed Crimean peninsula, for example, has been a key point of contention between Moscow and Kiev. Ethnically dominated by Russians, it was historically administered from Moscow until 1954, when it was signed over by then-Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev, in what amounted to a technicality given the lack of internal borders in the USSR. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Crimea was governed from Kiev until it was reabsorbed by Russia in 2014.

“According to Putin, the shared interests of both the Russian and Ukrainian people were ignored by those behind the 2014 Maidan and those supporting the uprising from abroad. Western countries directly intervened in the internal affairs of Ukraine and supported the coup,’ he said. ‘It was dominated by radical nationalist groups. Their slogans, ideology [and] open aggressive Russophobia in many ways began to determine the state policy in Ukraine.’

“The president went on to criticize a new bill being considered by politicians in Ukraine, which would deny ethnic Russians, who trace their presence in the region back centuries, the right to be considered ‘indigenous people’ in the country. ‘The most disgusting thing is that Russians in Ukraine are forced not only to renounce their roots, from generations of ancestors, but also to believe that Russia is their enemy,’ he said. ‘It is no exaggeration to say that the policy of forced assimilation and the formation of an ethnically pure Ukrainian state, aggressively disposed to Russia, in its effects is comparable with the use of weapons of mass destruction against us,’ Putin wrote.”

According to the Bible, Russia and Ukraine will be united against Europe. It is clear that Putin’s thinking goes in that direction. How this “unification” will take place remains to be seen.

Austria Bans Muslim Brotherhood—This Is a Slippery Slope

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Austria has become the first country in the European Union to ban the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood as part of a new anti-terrorism law.

“The law bans the Egyptian-founded Muslim Brotherhood by adding it to a list of organisations linked to ‘religiously motivated crime’. It sets a punishment of a month in prison and a €4,000 (£3,407/$4,717) fine for those who propagate the group’s literature or disseminate its slogans… the Muslim Brotherhood has a long history in Austria. It first opened an office in the city of Graz in the mid-1960s, which was used as the group’s financial hub before moving to Switzerland…

“The new designation for the Muslim Brotherhood comes after the Austrian government has also banned the symbols of the ultranationalist Turkish Grey Wolves, the far-left Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Islamic State, and other extremist groups.

“The move to ban the Muslim Brotherhood comes after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, in the aftermath of the Vienna terrorist attack, promised to create a new criminal offence related to ‘political Islam’, saying it would allow the government to ‘take action against those who are not terrorists themselves, but who create the breeding ground for it.’

Could this be a precursor for the persecution of other “religiously motivated” groups, even though they do not commit violence or crimes? The Bible predicts a martyrium of true Christians in continental Europe.

Microchips in Our Brains and Cyborg Implants—This Is Scary

Life Site wrote on July 19:

“Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), called for microchips to be implanted ‘in our brains.’ Schwab… detailed his microchip prediction in a 2016 interview with Swiss broadcasting group RTS, saying that brain chips would be widely introduced ‘certainly in the next ten years.’…

“Schwab’s predictions may appear easily dismissible as the ramblings of a Marxist social engineer from a Nazi-linked family. However, five years out, his microchip fantasy seems to have been just about spot-on.

“Facebook, for example, has been building brain-reading technology since at least 2017… Facebook unveiled plans to develop a ‘brain mouse,’ purportedly to allow users to type with their minds. The social media giant’s brain-computer projects have made steady progress since then… Facebook researchers can reportedly convert brain data to text with an error rate as low as 3 percent…”

Forbes had already written on June 5:

“DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, has long been exploring technology for ‘super soldiers’ with extraordinary capabilities… Their latest effort, known as ADAPTER involves cyborg implants to toughen soldiers against two of the commonest health issues in modern warfare: limited access to safe food and water, and sleep disruption. Each implant will be a miniature factory full of bacteria producing therapeutic substances on demand…

“A key benefit of ADAPTER is that soldiers will not need to carry multiple types of medication around with them, remembering to take them on a specific timetable. The implant will do all that automatically…

“While ADAPTER will target [two] specific problems… the longer term implications are much greater… ADAPTER promises to make U.S. troops healthier and more capable in the field. Putting bioelectronic bacterial factories into soldiers’ guts might seem like a radical idea, but the American military has always pushed the boundaries. In 1777, George Washington ordered mandatory inoculation against smallpox for the Continental Army. In that sense, the futuristic ADAPTER is just part of a long tradition.”

This technology does not give us more hope for a better future. One is reminded of God’s conduct at the tower of Babel when He decided to intervene because, otherwise, man’s thirst for scientific advances might have reached the point of destroying the earth and mankind much earlier.

Devastating Flooding in Europe—This Is Unique and Sad

CBS wrote on July 16:

“The death toll from devastating flooding in western Europe climbed to over [150 on Saturday], as buildings continued to crumble under the force of raging torrents unleashed by storms that parked over the region for days… the scale of the disaster is unlike anything the area has seen in living memory.

“Entire neighborhoods lay in ruins after days of heavy rains — the worst deluge recorded in the region in more than 200 years. The downpour sparked flash flooding across huge swathes of western Germany and several neighboring nations.

“Water spilled over the banks of rivers and turned roadways into torrents so powerful that they crushed much of what stood in their way.

“… thousands of residents in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate states had been forced to evacuate their homes, while 165,000 were left without electricity.

“… The amount of rain that fell over 48 hours was double what normally would have fallen for the entire month of July.

“… Neighboring countries Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have also been badly affected…”

The Associated Press added on July 16:

“The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, who hopes to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel as the nation’s leader after Germany’s election on Sept. 26, said the disaster had caused immense economic damage to the country’s most populous state.

As it was predictable, the rain falls were blamed on global warming and climate change, even though it is difficult to see any real cause-and-effect connection. In other news, it was reported that Siberia suffers from unprecedented burning; and that China was hit by deadly floods and the worst rains in 60 years, affecting tens of millions.

Newsmax gave the following update in an article, dated July 21:

“A relief official said on Wednesday rescue crews were unlikely to find any more survivors in the rubble of villages devastated by floods in western Germany… At least 170 people died in last week’s flooding, Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands went missing… Any victims that are found now are likely to be dead…

“For immediate relief, the federal government will initially provide up to 200 million euros ($235.5 million) in emergency aid, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday more funds can be made available if needed. That will come on top of at least 250 million euros to be provided from the affected states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations… The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but… rebuilding after previous floods cost about 6 billion euros…

“The floods have dominated the political agenda less than three months before a national election in September and raised uncomfortable questions about why Europe’s richest economy was caught flat-footed. Two-thirds of Germans believe that federal and regional policymakers should have done more to protect communities from floods… Chancellor Angela Merkel… said authorities would look at what had not worked after being widely accused of not being prepared despite severe weather warnings from meteorologists…”

Rejecting Lies and Accepting Truth—This Is Simple

The Ron Paul Institute republished on July 14 an article by Chris Rossini:

“I was struck by a quote that I’ve certainly read before, but it’s just so relevant when reading it again today: ‘We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, but they are still lying.’ – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn…

“Many choose to achieve their goals by harming others, and either taking or destroying their property… It’s no surprise then that lies are a very popular means that are used to achieve ends. Truth and lies are interchangeable for these individuals…

“No man is all-knowing… we will frequently be presented with ideas that are untrue. Those ideas come from the mouths of other ignorant individuals. That doesn’t mean that the false ideas that come from others always come with malicious intent… when it comes to people in power, you always have to assume first that what’s being said is intended to dupe you. It’s a shame that it has to be that way…

“Whether or not the lies that we’re presented with on a daily basis are malicious or simply out of ignorance, we each have a monumental choice that must constantly be made. Do we choose to believe it? Or not? Each of us is responsible for choosing which ideas to accept and believe, and which to reject… We’re each responsible for telling the truth or telling lies. We’re each responsible of choosing what to believe and what to reject….”

Very true. Spreading and believing lies is an individual choice… but it will have dire consequences for those who believe and practice the lie.

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.

This Week in the News

Haiti in Turmoil

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Haiti’s interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination… The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haiti’s last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation — which lasted nearly two decades — as a way to avert anarchy.

“The request was received but there has been no decision… the Biden administration has so far given no indication it will provide military assistance… Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance… The letter asked for troops and security at key installations…

“Meanwhile, more details emerged [of the killing]. Among those arrested are two Haitian Americans… Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombia’s military… It’s not known who masterminded the attack…

“Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished in recent years as corruption and drug trafficking have become entrenched. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory…”

It will be interesting to see how the USA and the UN will react, if at all, to avoid a complete disaster in Haiti and the outbreak of more violence.

Mass Demonstrations in Cuba

Fox News wrote on July 12:

“Anti-government protests broke out Sunday in Cuba demanding freedom and calling on the disbandment of the country’s communist dictatorship, all while some of the U.S.’s most outspoken, self-professed Democratic socialists appear to be in lockstep by not acknowledging the historic events unfolding on the island about 90 miles from Florida.

“Fox News has emailed Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders and has yet to receive a response from any of them. As of early Monday, none have even mentioned the protest on social media.

“Thousands of Cubans marched on Havana’s Malecon promenade and elsewhere to protest food shortages, high prices and the coronavirus outbreak in one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the country ever

“The Biden administration was criticized on social media for appearing to have difficulty finding its footing on how to respond to the protests. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, took the State Department to task over a tweet that blamed the protest on concerns over COVID-19 and not the worsening economic situation or the fact that protesters chanted, ‘We Want Liberty.’ ‘People in Cuba are protesting 62 years of socialism, lies, tyranny & misery not expressing concern about rising COVID-19 cases/deaths. Why is it so hard for @Potus & the people in his administration to say that?’ Rubio tweeted…

“Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant… [tweeted that the Communist government in Cuba] ‘has brutalized & denied freedom to generations of Cubans, and forced my family & so many others to flee… The American people stand squarely with the men & women of Cuba and their noble fight for liberty.’”

The Cuban government has announced that it will stage “counter demonstrations,” raising the fear of a brutal crackdown.

USA Being Blamed for Cuban Uprising

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“Cuban police were deployed to major cities such as Havana on Monday following the protests a day earlier… Authorities have blocked social media sites in an attempt to censor information about the demonstrations. Mobile internet outages — the only way Cubans can go online — are also common…

“Diaz-Canel and other top Cuban officials have accused the US of orchestrating the unrest… Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, a top official in the Communist Party of Cuba, said the demonstrations were funded by the US government to foment ‘instability and chaos’ in the country. He compared the protests to the US-backed demonstrations in 2019 against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally… Mexico and Russia… both warned that the situation in Cuba could be used as a justification for foreign interference in the country’s affairs….”

Biden Under Pressure

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“They are two tiny Caribbean states whose intractable problems have vexed U.S. presidents for decades. Now, Haiti and Cuba are suddenly posing a growing challenge for President Joe Biden that could have political ramifications for him in the battleground state of Florida… The administration has come under fire from both sides of the political spectrum for its responses to each of the crises, both unfolding less than two hours’ flying time from Miami. The troubled U.S. history in both countries has hardened positions, making virtually any policy decision politically unpalatable for a president seeking to toe a middle line….

“On Cuba, the political right in the U.S. has accused Biden — who said as a presidential candidate that he would revert to Obama-era policies that loosened decades of embargo restrictions on Havana — of not being supportive enough of Cuban dissidents. Democrats, meanwhile, are unhappy that Biden has yet to reverse Trump’s hard-line approach to the island’s communist government as his administration carries out its review of Cuban policy…”

Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Politico wrote on July 14:

“Former President George W. Bush on Wednesday offered fresh criticism of the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, as the U.S.-backed government in Kabul appears increasingly imperiled and Taliban fighters continue to make rapid gains across the country.

“Asked whether the drawdown was a mistake, Bush told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in an interview: ‘I think it is, yeah. Because I think the consequences are going to be unbelievably bad and sad.’

“Bush, whose administration launched the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, specifically cited the plight of Afghan women and girls whom he said could ‘suffer unspeakable harm’ at the hands of the Taliban.

“Bush expressed similar concern for the fate of thousands of Afghan translators and interpreters — as well as their families — who aided U.S. and NATO forces throughout the two-decade war effort. ‘It seems like they’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people,’ Bush said. ‘And it breaks my heart.’

“The remarks from the former president come as even senior Biden administration officials have acknowledged what Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby described as a ‘deteriorating security situation’ in Afghanistan, where the Taliban claims to have overtaken 85 percent of the country’s territory.

“The Islamic fundamentalist group has taken over nearly 10 percent of Afghanistan in the last week alone, and it now controls 195 of the country’s 407 districts — while contesting another 129. Despite the escalation in the conflict, the U.S. marked one of the final phases of its drawdown on Monday with the departure of Gen. Scott Miller, the top general in Afghanistan who was among the last of the American forces on the ground…

Biden denied that a Taliban takeover was inevitable, saying: ‘The likelihood that there’s going to be a Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.’”

The Guardian added on July 14:

“Taliban fighters said on Wednesday that they had taken control of one of Afghanistan’s main border crossings with Pakistan, perhaps their most strategic gain so far in a rapid advance across the country as US forces pull out.”

That a Taliban takeover is happening should not be in doubt.

Turmoil and Violence in South Africa

The Sun wrote on July 14:

“MILITIAS armed with rifles in South Africa are guarding against looters after the worst violence since the end of apartheid left 75 dead. The vigilantes have stepped into the vacuum left by a police force hopelessly overstretched by the spiralling chaos that has seen deadly stampedes and a hospital torched.

“… scared South Africans have been forming ‘defence squads’ to guard homes and businesses… Shopping malls and warehouses have been ransacked or set ablaze in several cities…”

Ukraine’s Futile Hope in German Help

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Germany to do more to help Ukraine protect itself against Russia. But with Merkel’s retirement imminent, grand commitments are looking increasingly unlikely… relations between Ukraine and Germany have soured more recently.

“A main focus [is] protecting Ukraine against potential financial losses from Nord Stream 2. The pipeline will transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European countries, meaning they will lose out on transit fees… German government spokesman Steffen Seibert reiterated that Ukraine must remain a transit country for gas from Russia. Seibert did not provide concrete details…

“Zelenskyy [called] for Germany to supply arms to Ukraine, a request that Berlin has so far refused. Zelenskyy made a bid for weapons in May, weeks after around 100,000 Russian troops amassed on its border and in the annexed Crimea region.”

Ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite against the EU and Germany.

No More “Ladies and Gentlemen” at Lufthansa

The Local wrote on July 13:

“Europe’s largest airline group Lufthansa said Tuesday it was retiring ‘ladies and gentlemen’ as an on-board greeting in favour of gender-neutral alternatives. A spokesman for the German company told AFP the move was intended to make all passengers on board feel welcome, including those who do not identify as male or female. ‘Crews are being instructed to choose a greeting that includes all passengers,’ he said, adding that ‘dear guests’ or a simple ‘good morning/good evening’ would be used instead.

“The new policy, which will be phased in gradually, applies to German flag carrier Lufthansa as well as the group’s Swiss, Austrian, Brussels and Eurowings airlines… In recent days major cities including Berlin, Munich and Hamburg said that their transport networks would stop using the word ‘Schwarzfahren’ (black riding) to describe travel without a ticket in response to complaints the word had a racist taint.”

Will this nonsense ever stop?

Right-Wing Leaders Unite against EU

The Gatestone Institute wrote on July 12:

“The leaders of 16 political parties from across Europe have announced an unprecedented alliance to defend the sovereignty of European nation states, protect the nuclear family and preserve traditional Judeo-Christian values. The July 2 ‘Joint Declaration on the future of the European Union’ represents the first significant endeavor by euroskeptic parties to jointly oppose efforts by European federalists to transform the European Union into a godless multicultural superstate.

“Signatories include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. The document, penned by former Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who leads the powerful Law and Justice (PiS) party, has also been signed by conservative parties in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.

“The document states that the European Union requires ‘profound reform’ because, ‘instead of protecting Europe,’ it has itself become ‘a source of problems, anxiety and uncertainty.’ The signatories say that the EU has become a tool of ‘radical forces’ that are determined to carry out a civilizational transformation of Europe. Their objective, they say, is to create a European superstate void of European traditions, social institutions or moral principles.

“The signatories say that conservative establishment parties in Europe have abandoned traditional Judeo-Christian values ​​and have aligned themselves with leftist positions for political gain. They are especially critical of mass migration policies that have allowed millions of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to settle in Europe even though many newcomers reject European values.”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Divided EU–East and West.”

EU’s Contemptible Resolution on Abortion and Most Extreme LGBT Agenda

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“In addition to being the ‘month of pride’…, June was also remembered for the new record-low to which human rights have fallen in the developed countries of the European Union. Namely, the European Parliament adopted the resolution on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU (2020/2215 (INI)), prepared by Croatian socialist Predrag Fred Matić. The resolution calls on all EU member states to completely eliminate all legal barriers and restrictions to abortion and to allow elective abortion (abortion on demand, without any specific medical or other reason) in order to bring their laws ‘into line with international human rights standards’. And not only that, the resolution expresses ‘regret’ that in some Member States medical providers have the right to refuse to perform an abortion on grounds of a ‘so-called conscientious objection’…

“… women will now be able to prevent new lives from coming into the world even more easily by…  receiving an abortion pill by mail and having a DIY abortion at home… without medical supervision and without an ultrasound before or after the procedure…

“The resolution also… promotes the most extreme elements of the LGBT agenda. Instead of providing children at school with true information about sexuality, hormonal contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. and affirming the importance of health, marriage and childbirth, ‘comprehensive sex education’ programs tell children to just ‘use protection’ and ‘get tested regularly’, giving them the illusion of safety and a ‘pass’ to engage in sexual activities, and when contraception fails – which happens ever so often – they can ‘simply’ have an abortion, as a backup plan

“The resolution calls on the WHO to change the definition of infertility to include same-sex couples and transgender persons…”

Shocking and abominable.

The Dictatorships of France and Other European Countries

Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“France is to make coronavirus vaccination passes compulsory for bars, cafés and restaurants, President Emmanuel Macron announced tonight… He also said there would be ‘compulsory vaccinations’ for those working with ‘fragile people,’ such as the elderly and the disabled… Mr Macron told care workers: ‘You will have until September 15 to get vaccinated. From September 15, checks will be made and sanctions applied’.

“As well as being asked for vaccination passes on long distance planes, coaches and restaurants, anyone going out to eat or drink will need one from August 1. ‘From the beginning of August, the health pass will apply to cafés, restaurants, hospitals, retirement homes, and long-distance transport: planes, trains and coaches for long journeys,’ said Mr Macron. This measure will apply to thousands of British tourists who are hoping to holiday in France this summer. Mr Macron said: ‘From this week, border controls will be further reinforced for nationals from countries at risk, with forced isolation for unvaccinated travellers.’ Mr Macron added: ‘From July 21, use of the health pass will be extended to places of leisure and culture…

Italy has introduced similar regulations, with the Covid vaccine being compulsory for health care workers and pharmacists, while those who opt out risk suspension or a salary cut. Meanwhile in Denmark, restaurants and public events require a digital pass showing that you have been fully vaccinated or have a recent negative test. Some German states require the same for restaurants, though suggestions of making vaccines obligatory have prompted widespread unease…

“France’s secretary of state for European affairs Clément Beaune advised people to ‘avoid Spain and Portugal as destinations’ because the French government is considering restrictions on travel to their neighbours.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“The German chancellor [Angela Merkel] stressed there would be no obligation to vaccinate in Germany, saying that mandating shots could endanger public trust…

Greece… on Monday announced mandatory immunization for healthcare workers who have until September 1 to get the jab; and nursing staff, who will be required to begin receiving vaccinations immediately… On Tuesday, Belgian hospitals published an open letter calling for mandatory vaccinations at the nation’s hospitals and healthcare facilities.”

The ongoing dictatorship in Europe (and elsewhere, see articles below) should wake up everybody, but sadly, most are sound asleep.  

Fully Vaccinated Tourists BARRED from Entering EU!

The Associated Press wrote on July 13:

“After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife received two doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer to a European destination of their choice. They were wrong. The couple — and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort — could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don’t recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.

“Although AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Europe has been authorized by the continent’s drug regulatory agency, the same shot manufactured in India hasn’t been given the green light. EU regulators said AstraZeneca hasn’t completed the necessary paperwork on the Indian factory, including details on its production practices and quality control standards. But some experts describe the EU move as discriminatory and unscientific, pointing out that the World Health Organization has inspected and approved the factory. Health officials say the situation will not only complicate travel and frustrate fragile economies but also undermine vaccine confidence by appearing to label some shots substandard…

“Earlier this month, the European Union introduced its digital COVID-19 certificate, which allows EU residents to move freely in the 27-nation bloc as long as they have been vaccinated with one of the four shots authorized by the European Medicines Agency, have a fresh negative test, or have proof they recently recovered from the virus… the U.S. and Britain remain largely closed to outside visitors…

“The refusal of some national authorities to recognize vaccines manufactured outside the EU is also frustrating some Europeans immunized elsewhere, including the U.S….”

Could despicable profit-making motives have anything to do with these “discriminatory and unscientific” decisions by European countries?

Terrible Statistics of Adverse Effects and Deaths

Children’s Health Defense wrote on July 13:

“Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included 9,049 reports of deaths, across all age groups, following COVID vaccines — an increase of more than 2,000 compared with the previous week…

“Data released today show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 2, 2021, a total of 438,441 total adverse events were reported… There were 41,015 serious injuries reported during the same time period — up 6,950 compared with last week.”

Still, it is being postulated by governments, politicians, doctors and the pharma industry that all these vaccinations are totally safe.

Biden’s “Gestapo-Style Tactics”

Life Site wrote on July 7:

“White House officials announced yesterday that the federal government will be ‘knocking on doors’ in order to push more people to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. ‘We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door – literally knocking on doors – to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,’ said President Joe Biden.

“The president attempted to shame those who have declined to take a vaccine which is not fully tested and which has increasingly been shown to produce disastrous health side effects for some, including death. Because ‘millions of Americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected,’ Biden claimed that ‘their communities are at risk. Their friends are at risk. The people they care about are at risk.’

“Biden also targeted unvaccinated young people ‘who may have thought that they didn’t have to be vaccinated, didn’t have to worry about it, didn’t have to do anything about it up to now.’…

“Announcement of the door-to-door plan immediately sparked an enormous backlash on social media, with many critics comparing the new White House initiative to Gestapo-style tactics. ‘That’s Nazi Germany,’ declared Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow… ‘This is communism,’ he added. ‘Sending Joe Biden’s Gestapo door-to-door to check up on non-vaccinated Americans is really a recipe for disaster,’ tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican candidate for Congress in Florida…

“Others taking to Twitter focused on how the White House initiative was misguided and would perhaps violate the confidentiality of patient records. ‘Vaccine education and conversation should be between a doctor and patient, not by a grassroot government door knocker,’ said, Nicole Saphier, MD, a New York physician and author. “Others made known their outright rejection of the Biden’s door-to-door plan. ‘Not on my watch!’ proclaimed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. ‘I won’t buy a magazine subscription door to door,’ tweeted retired Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff. ‘What makes you think I’d take a free poison into my body?’”

Breitbart added on July 11:

“[Former Planned Parenthood president and] CNN medical contributor Dr. Leana Wen said Friday that life needs to be ‘hard’ for Americans who have not received a coronavirus vaccine with ‘twice weekly testings.’”

Incredibly and quite disturbingly, some Republican “Rhinos” (Republican dissidents) even support Biden’s approach.

Fauci’s and Biden’s Dangerous Propaganda

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 13:

“ In a CNN interview over the weekend, Fauci told the host that he’s very much in favor of vaccine mandates and that any vaccine hesitancy is ‘horrifying’ considering how safe and effective the shots are.

“The White House has warned that those questioning the shots are ‘dangerous’ and ‘extremist,’ motivated by (conservative) politics.”

Such irresponsible statements are just abhorrent.

New Zealand follows Biden’s Lead

Life Site News wrote on July 9:

“New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister suggested that his government would need to ‘go out and find’ any Kiwis who were still unvaccinated next year…

“[His] comments… have raised eyebrows among those skeptical of the hastily produced experimental shots and the politicization of vaccination by government officials.”

It reveals the same spirit.

Child Abuse?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 12:

“Wanted: a pediatrician who actually believes in science and not child abuse.

“My children are months overdue for their checkups because they are distraught about having to wear masks. The baby, who doesn’t yet have to cover her breathing orifices, was traumatized at her recent visit by seeing everyone dressed like a mummy. How can it be that the doctors responsible most for the health of children can’t read simple data and studies showing clearly that children are more at risk from the trauma of the response to COVID than from the virus?

“Scientists from University College London and the Universities of York, Bristol, and Liverpool studied the data from all pediatric COVID-19 infections in the U.K. and found that just 25 children under 18 likely died from the virus in a country with over 12 million children. Only six of those children had no known serious underlying conditions, although the authors caution that they could not confirm that all of them were indeed healthy. The rest of the fatalities were among those with the sorts of conditions that cause people to die every year from other endemic respiratory viruses for which we never disrupt society or force masking and experimental injections…

“According to this data, healthy children under 18 have a 1 in 2 million chance of dying of COVID in the U.K. over the course of a year. According to the CDC, in the US, every person has a 1 in 500,000 chance of being struck by lightning in a given year. In other words, there is more math and science behind destroying the lives of children and forcing them to wear a protective suit or stay inside for a year because of lightning than because of COVID.

“The forced masking and vaccination of children is likely the biggest scandal of all time. For pediatrician offices to continue focusing their regulations on COVID when every other ailment is a bigger threat to children is global malpractice that will leave an indelible stain on a profession that now follows voodoo rituals over science. There is simply no way a pediatrician can possibly think it’s humane to pressure children to get the experimental injections, even if the risk factors are as low as they believe.

“Even if we are to trust Pfizer’s own trial data and allow the foxes of profit from guarding the academic henhouse, there is a 1 in 333 risk for a serious adverse event (SAE) from the vaccine… So, let’s assume that somehow the vaccine is 100% effective in stopping the one in 2 million pediatric deaths. On the way to that 2 million pediatric vaccination number, over 6,000 children would suffer serious adverse effects, including life-altering disabilities and deaths. But that is from Pfizer’s untrustworthy data. A detailed analysis from Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center found that the rate of just one serious side effect – myocarditis – was as high as 1 in every 3,000-6,000 among young men.”

Voodoo rituals over science is an interesting comparison…

China “Recovered” before Vaccines

Money Morning wrote on July 12:

“… we need to remember that China went into this pandemic first and thus came out of it first too (notably before vaccines were developed, which is something we seem to be forgetting as we discuss our own release from lockdown).”

FBI Under Attack

Breitbart wrote on July 12

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a tweet on Sunday telling Americans to report their own family members and peers for ‘suspicious behaviors.’ The tweet included a link to a government booklet that was first written in 2015 on ‘indicators’ that someone may be contemplating violent action.

“Conservatives slammed the FBI for encouraging Americans to report their family members. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted: ‘In both Cuba & China, they also ask children to spy on their parents….’

“Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) tweeted: ‘These people protected Hillary, abused NSA surveillance databases against Americans, used known, unreliable DNC-funded propaganda to spy on Trump, perpetuated the Russia hoax, & lied to the FISC repeatedly. And now they tell you that you should spy on your family.’

“Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell tweeted: ‘This is outrageous. The FBI has a growing credibility problem and this type of sinister snitching is clearly unhelpful. Why hasn’t the FBI made more progress finding the BLM rioters from last summer? Why hasn’t the FBI leadership apologized for the Russian hoax they pushed?

“Mike Doran, Middle East expert and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, tweeted: ‘If any person takes this seriously, I feel sorry for them. The FBI encourages us to snitch on family members. Meanwhile FBI leaders cover up for the transgressions of their colleagues, to say nothing of their families.’”

Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union, former Communist East Germany and so many other dictatorships were and are known for these kind of tactics.

Spying on Tucker Carlson?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 8:

“After the shocking revelation that the US National Security Agency had intercepted Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s emails and then leaked them to media in an effort to smear him, the question all Americans should be asking is: how did we get to this banana republic state? Will there be any accounting for this lawlessness?”

Chances are, there won’t be…

President Joe Biden Direct Beneficiary of Hunter’s Financial Deals?

Breitbart wrote on July 12:

“Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), said on Monday that his organization had confirmed that President Joe Biden ‘was a direct beneficiary’ of Hunter Biden’s financial deals with foreign interests

“GAI is in the process of investigating its copy of files found on Hunter Biden’s laptop… GAI’s forthcoming reports on the laptop’s contents will expose disastrous dimensions of the Biden family…”

Will anything really come out of it?

Trump Speaks at CPAC

The New York Post wrote on July 11:

“Former President Donald Trump delivered a blistering rebuke of President Biden, Big Tech, critical race theory, the media and other targets during a fiery keynote speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday… He wasted no time jumping on the key themes of his post-presidency — immigration, the media and the election he deems fraudulent… Trump lambasted the ‘fake news’ media and tech companies, saying they conspired to stifle him while ignoring stories critical of Biden…

“Trump has remained a potent force in the GOP since exiting the White House and has repeatedly railed against the 2020 election results as fraudulent… Trump has also stressed the importance of the 2022 midterm elections, touting favorable candidates and vowing to oust GOP candidates he deems disloyal. He has also not ruled out another run for the White House in 2024….”

In fact, he has said repeatedly that he has made up his mind as to what he will do in 2024, but that he cannot reveal it as yet due to certain rules and regulations pertaining to political candidacies.

Donald Trump to Run and Win?

Newsmax wrote on July 10:

“Former President Donald Trump will not just run again for the White House in 2024, but he will win, political analyst and Newsmax host Dick Morris predicted Saturday…

“Trump will ‘absolutely’ win, Morris added… saying he will take both elections, starting with ‘the Republican primary, which he can’t possibly lose.’ ‘No matter what happens, he could win that from jail if he has to,’ Morris joked. ‘The other is the general election, which a Republican is guaranteed to win because of the terrible performance of [President Joe] Biden. So in a real sense, the future is laid out for Donald Trump. He is going to be the 47th president of the United States.’”

Let us wait and watch…

New Deadly Epidemic for Birds

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“…a new epidemic seems to have hit multiple bird species in North America. Across the United States, people have been finding dead birds. The birds appear to have been hit by a wave of mysterious illnesses since April… the illness has spread at least 965 kilometers (600 miles) from the capital, across the Midwest regions of the United States and into the state of Indiana… Animal centers have been examining the birds for a possible cause of death or illness, but tests have been inconclusive so far…

‘We are losing our population of birds at an alarming rate,’ says [Jim Monsma, director and founder of the animal rescue center City Wildlife in Washington, D.C.], including Fledglings, European Starlings, Bluejays and others. ‘About a third of the species in America are decreasing rapidly. It’s spreading to other species,’ he says. ‘And we certainly cannot rule out the possibility that it might spread to humans.’’

The Bible predicts that in these end times, many birds will die.

True Christianity?

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“75% of Christians in America believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Yet… more than 25% (and sometimes even a majority) of Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Evangelicals support gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other positions that are antithetical to what the Bible and traditional Christianity clearly teach…

“… every time a ‘Christian’ comes out in support of gay marriage or the gay lifestyle, he or she is also supporting… beliefs that directly [undermine] Christianity… Christians who take heretical stances on gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other issues are causing great damage. They are sowing chaos and division within Christianity as the clear teachings of the Bible are being called into question. Indeed, denominations have been ripped apart by these heretical teachings. More ominously, though, such Christians are… supporting conduct condemned by the Bible. First, they are hurting the unrepentant sinner… Second, they are harming those sinners who truly wish to repent and live a moral life…

“Rather than affirming sinful conduct, we should be encouraging these people to do all they can to heroically live up to the tough—but loving—demands of the Christian Faith, demands that lead to true joy and true life both now and in eternity.

“Why do people who claim to be ‘Christian’ hold views that are against what the Bible and traditional Christianity profess?… First, ignorance… Second, intellectual laziness… Third, peer pressure… Fourth, the desire to avoid looking into one’s own soul… Finally, simple arrogance. Some of these people just think they know better than the Bible and almost two thousand years of Christian teaching…”

This wrong attitude and endorsement of unchristian values and doctrines is, sadly, not limited to the issues mentioned in the article. We dare to say that most teachings of traditional Christianity are in opposition to the Bible.

The Search for the Red Heifer

Israel 365 News wrote on July 11:

“The Temple Institute launched its Red Heifer program about a decade ago but even in Temple times, an animal that fulfilled the Biblical requirements was exceedingly rare. The Temple Institute has a breeding program in Israel and is investigating the possibility of utilizing genetic science to produce an entirely red calf…

“The heifer, born from a natural birth, must be entirely red, with no more than two non-red hairs on its body. It must also never have been used for any labor or have been impregnated… To be suitable for the ceremony,  the heifer must be two years and one day old. Sometimes, a calf that is perfectly red when it is young develops black or white hairs as it grows older, or it may develop a blemish. Sometimes, the colored hairs fall out or disappear…

“According to Jewish tradition, there will only be ten red heifers in human history with the tenth heifer ushering in the Messianic era…”

Jews believe that the red heifer is a necessary requirement for building the Third Temple. The Bible does not support this idea. In Old Testament times, a red heifer procedure for purification is described, but the animal did not have to have the stringent requirements, as Jews have invented.

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.

This Week in the News

President Biden Seemed to Have Known about His Son’s Shady Business Dealings

The Ron Paul Institute published on July 3 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“We have previously discussed the concerted and often embarrassing blackout in the media on stories involving Hunter Biden’s influence peddling during his father’s tenure as Vice President. That includes the burying of the laptop story and the growing contradictions over his father’s denial of any knowledge or involvement in his shady business dealings. Even recent reports that Hunter may have paid prostitutes with his father’s account were blacked out by mainstream media… Now, however, there is a major allegation that Hunter used access to his father to seal previously unknown deals with Mexican businessmen…

“As in the past, Americans interested in such stories have had to rely on the foreign press or a couple [of] domestic sites for such information. The new emails include references to the use of Air Force II by Hunter Biden to pursue the deals — a similar pattern revealed with regard to the China dealings. The emails detail a number of visits to Mexico, including a February 2016 flight on Air Force II with his father…

“It obviously does not sound… good if you are a reporter who has been repeatedly assured by President Biden that he had no knowledge or involvement in any dealings with Hunter. That was previously refuted by various sources…

“The new emails contain additional information directly contradicting President Biden… Hunter arranged for then Vice President Biden to have dinner on April 16, 2015 with his Ukrainian, Russian and Kazakhstani business associates…

“It is clear that Hunter Biden was selling access and influence. It appears that Joe Biden was aware of that effort. That is very serious. If these emails are false, this is a major story. If they are true, this is a major scandal…”

The selective and hypocritical reporting of America’s mainstream media is stunning…

Another Witch Hunt?

The Associated Press wrote on July 2:

“Companies give perks to their employees all the time. Many top executives at Fortune 500 companies have access to a corporate jet for personal use, a company apartment, or an expense account for fancy meals. Even lower-level employees regularly get access to perks like tuition reimbursement or cash to join a gym. But the extravagant perks prosecutors say the Trump Organization lavished onto its CFO Allen Weisselberg — apartments, cars, cash for holiday tips, tuition for his grandchildren to name a few — are well beyond the level of compensating a valued employee, some tax law experts said…

“Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and his allies have tried to frame the indictment against Weisselberg and the Trump Organization as a ‘witch hunt’ by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats. They have said the perks involved were standard for successful American companies…

“The indictment alleges that this wasn’t just a matter of Weisselberg failing to report his pay properly. It says the Trump Organization, as a company,  was complicit…. But that doesn’t mean the allegations, which will require proof of willfulness, will be easy to establish in court. ‘That’s really going to be the burden that the DA’s office is going to have to prove is that there was a scheme here, and that it wasn’t just a series of mistakes or misunderstandings,’ [one tax expert said].”

In addition, clients have a reasonable expectation that their accountants advise them properly and keep suitable accounting records. To construe criminal liability in the case at issue sounds extremely far-fetched.

US Supreme Court Refuses to Hear LGBT Case

RT wrote on July 2:

“The US Supreme Court has passed on hearing a case that would have settled whether businesses are entitled to refuse services for same-sex marriages on religious or free speech grounds. Declining to consider the appeal brought by a Washington state florist, the Supreme Court on Friday deferred to earlier state court rulings on the case.

“In 2013, Barronelle Stutzman refused to provide flowers for the same-sex wedding of two male customers because it violated her ‘relationship with Jesus Christ.’ The couple took her to court over the matter, and state judges ruled that she had broken a law prohibiting businesses from discriminating against people due to their sexual orientation. The Washington Supreme Court backed that decision…

“Prior to the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case, Stutzman’s lawyers argued that ‘these First Amendment violations must stop’ and that the justices should rule that ‘religious people should be free to live out their beliefs.’”

Passing the buck to somewhat liberal Washington state courts, as the US Supreme Court did, does not help to establish the law.

Trump Sues Big Tech in Class Action Lawsuits

Newsmax reported on July 7:

“Former President Donald Trump has announced class-action lawsuits against tech giants Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube parent company Google, over their ‘unlawful’ censorship of him and other conservatives, after the social media giants banned him from posting in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol…

“The actions are being supported by the America First Policy Institute, headed by former Trump officials Linda McMahon and Brooke Rollins… Trump is banned from Twitter and will not be eligible to return to Facebook for two more years…

“But even before Jan. 6, Trump took aim at Dorsey and Zuckerberg, along with Big Tech, signing an executive order meant to limit legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for the content users post on their platforms [and from banning or censoring users]. President Joe Biden revoked Trump’s order in May…”

The New York Post added on July 7:

“[Trump said:] ‘We’re asking the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida to order an immediate halt to stop social media companies’ illegal and shameful censorship of the American people.’… Trump accused the big tech companies of violating Americans’ First Amendment rights by selectively censoring information… Trump added that he’s asking the court to impose punitive damages against the companies… [and] that the team is looking to reform Section 230 [of the Communications Decency Act], which legally protects social media companies from content their users post and how they moderate their platforms…

“Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)… and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have both introduced legislation in Congress aimed at reeling in the power of big tech companies. Members of both political parties in Congress historically supported reforms to laws governing Big Tech firms such as Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter. For example, both President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) backed repeal of Section 230…”

Haitian President Jovenel Moise Assassinated

Deutsche Welle  wrote on July 7:

“The president of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, 53, was shot and killed in his private residence, the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced… [He] has called a state of siege in Haiti and closed the international airport… ‘The president was assassinated at his home by foreigners who spoke English and Spanish,’ Joseph told AFP, labeling the assassination a ‘hateful, inhumane and barbaric act.’…

“The Dominican Republic announced it was closing the border that it shares with Haiti on the island Hispaniola… The US Embassy announced it would be closed Wednesday due to the deteriorated security situation in Haiti…

“The President of Colombia called the murder a ‘cowardly act’… British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was ‘shocked and saddened by the death of President Moise. He called the murder ‘an abhorrent act’…  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appealed for Haiti’s ‘political unity to get out of this terrible trauma that the country is going through.’ Finally, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen wished Haiti’s first lady [who was also injured in the attack]  ‘a prompt recovery’. As Haiti is one of the few countries that recognizes Taiwan separate from China, he added that his island nation stood ‘together with our ally Haiti in this difficult time.’”

Sanctioning Lebanon?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Lebanon continues to unravel as its economic and political crisis worsens. The country has not had a government for almost a year now and its economy is in the process of collapsing after decades of mismanagement and corruption… It is estimated that almost half of all Lebanese now live below the poverty line thanks to the ongoing crisis…  around 77% of Lebanese households don’t have enough food or enough money to buy food…

“Most Lebanese blame their leaders for the crisis. After the end of Lebanon’s almost 15-year-long civil war in 1990, peace negotiations divided power between 18 religious sects there. The peace deal effectively set the stage for decades of corruption and the resulting near-collapse of the Lebanese banking system.

“… the German Embassy in Lebanon confirmed that the EU was looking into sanctions against Lebanese leaders. France had already taken some steps unilaterally and began blocking visas for some Lebanese officials in April this year.

“‘I think European governments feel pretty desperate and there’s a lot of frustration,’ Julien Barnes-Dacey, head of  the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said. ‘But I don’t think the question is really one of whether [imposing sanctions] is tough enough, it’s a question of whether they will be effective.’…

“Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs based at the American University of Beirut, agreed… As an example, he cited the French ban on visas. ‘They [the members of the Lebanese elite] usually have two or three passports and they just enter Europe through another country, like Italy,’ Bahout noted. ‘Then we see pictures of them shopping in Paris or Nice.’

“Imposing sanctions could also be dangerous, added Shahin Vallee, head of the geo-economics program at the German Council on Foreign Relations… ‘either you sanction all Lebanese politicians as a block or you do targeted sanctions,’ he said. ‘But then you could create an imbalance in the political system. Sanctions could backfire.’ ‘In choosing politician X over politician Y, the EU would be setting some against others,’ Bahout agreed.”

It seems that in this world, there is nothing but political problems without any tangible and lasting solutions.

Russians and Ukrainians One People

JTA wrote on July 1:

“Vladimir Putin… suggested that Israel offered a good model for his designs on Ukraine…

“Essentially he suggested that Slavic peoples take a cue from Israelis and unite as one people despite different ethnicities, origins and maternal languages… adding that Ukrainians and Russians ‘are generally one people.’…”

And that “one people” will combine their efforts to fight against continental Europe.

Putin’s Ridiculous Attempts to Rewrite History

Daily Mail wrote on July 2:

“Vladimir Putin has made it illegal to compare the Soviets to the Nazis… [His] uncompromising view whitewashes Stalin’s tyranny, his early alliance with Hitler in carving up Poland and the genocidal terror of the Great Purge.

“Putin signed the bill last night which bans the publication of material which draws parallels between the ‘aims and decisions’ of the Soviets and the Third Reich, and anything which denies the Red Army’s ‘decisive role’ in defeating Hitler…

“The claim is bound to infuriate former Soviet states like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which say they were occupied by the Red Army and forced to join the Soviet Union.”

Putin’s persecution of those who want to tell the truth and his attempts to rewrite history are not only ridiculous, but they are also extremely dangerous. Note the next two sections.

Stalin and Hitler both Responsible

In a related article, Daily Mail wrote:

“In August 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing on Soviet and German spheres of influence across Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland… After Hitler invaded Poland on September 1 the Soviets moved in from the east, seizing great tracts of territory agreed upon in a secret clause. Poland was crushed between the vice of Moscow and Berlin. More than three million people perished in Nazi-occupied Poland and an estimated 500,000 in the Soviet occupied part. Stalin also annexed eastern Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and parts of Romania; he also attacked Finland and extorted territorial concessions.

“Over the next two years the Soviet Union and Germany signed economic pacts, with Moscow supplying raw materials to the German war machine including 865,000 tonnes of oil and 1.5 million tonnes of grain. In exchange, Berlin shipped locomotives, turbines, generators, diesel engines and vital military intelligence to Moscow. Stalin received plans for naval cruisers, destroyers, heavy naval guns and samples of the Nazi’s latest warplanes, including Messerschmitt fighters and Junkers ‘fast bombers.’…

“The talks eventually collapsed because of the intransigence of Hitler and Stalin over access to territories including Finland, as well as Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Hitler remarked to his top brass that Stalin ‘demands more and more’, ‘he’s a cold-blooded blackmailer’ and ‘a German victory has become unbearable for Russia’ so that ‘she must be brought to her knees as soon as possible.’ Hitler attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, tearing up existing treaties, in an attempt to conquer Communism… The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, founded after the Cold War to help keep peace in Europe, has said the Soviet Union was equally responsible for WWII, which claimed 50 million lives…”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Germany’s Invasion of the Soviet Union… but let’s stick to the Truth!”

Hitler’s and Stalin’s Atrocities

Daily Mail also published this related article:

Stalin’s Great Purge, taking place from 1937 – 1938 is estimated to have killed between 600,000 to 1.2 million. Political opponents and ethnic minorities were summarily executed, while others were sent to gulags where they died in horrendous captivity in Siberia… some historians have put the total as high as 6 to 10 million, this being across his entire despotic tenure from 1922 to 1953…

“The Holocaust was Hitler’s systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women and children, around two thirds of Europe’s Jewish population…

“The Holodomor, or the Hunger, was [Stalin’s] mass starvation of an estimated 3.5 million in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. When famine struck across the Soviet Union that year, the Ukraine was pillaged by the army and secret police who stole the harvest and all the food in villagers’ homes. Ukrainians dropped dead in the streets, lay dying and rotting in their houses, and some women became so desperate for food that they ate their own children…

“The Nazi Hunger Plan was devised to steal food from the Soviet Union and give it to soldiers and civilians to continue fuelling the German war effort… Historian Timothy Snyder estimates that ‘4.2 million Soviet citizens (largely Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians) [were] starved by the German occupiers in 1941–1944.’

“Between 1929 and the year of Stalin’s death in 1953, 18million men and women were transported to Soviet slave labour camps in Siberia and other outposts of the Red empire – many of them never to return. Prisoners worked in the most extreme climates, facing temperatures of -20C (-4F)… By the time the last Soviet gulag closed its gates, millions had died. Starvation was not uncommon, as prisoners were barely fed enough to sustain such difficult labour. Other prisoners were simply dragged out to the woods and shot by guards…

“From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps across occupied Europe. The camps were run exclusively by the SS… The first camps were filled with many of Hitler’s political opponents… Many were killed in gas chambers, others died of starvation, in extreme working conditions, while others were killed by firing squad and by hanging…”

This is so terrible, showing the cruelty of man.

Another Russian Cyber Attack

The Sun wrote on July 5:

“RUSSIAN hackers REvil have demanded a $70 million ransom in Bitcoin for a decryption key, after a cyberattack that targeted 1,000 US firms. The breach, which is the largest ransomware attack on record, has reportedly hit the IT systems of up to 1 million companies across the globe, by breaching the systems of US-based software firm Kaseya…

“The demand was posted on a blog typically used by the REvil cybercrime gang – a group with links to Russia, that is considered to be among the cybercriminal world’s most prolific extortionists…

“US President Joe Biden was on Saturday branded ‘weak’ against Vladimir Putin, after hundreds of US companies were hit by the breach. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted on the weekend: ‘Remember when President Biden gave Putin a list of things that were supposed to be off-limits for cyber attacks? What he SHOULD have said is that ALL American targets are off-limits.’…”

Of course, Putin denies all responsibility, and Biden’s demands of just keeping some American firms off limits did not help one bit.

Military Action against Cyber Attackers?

CPO Magazine wrote on July 5:

“NATO’s proposed response [to cyber-attacks] could involve military action against perpetrators… EU NATO members could turn to the alliance to address specific security incidents originating from specific countries such as Russia and China.”

Before military action is employed, one would need to know where the perpetrators are located. It appears that at this point, NATO has no clue.

Dr. Merlone Speaks out against COVID Vaccinations for Young Adults and Children

Life Site News wrote on June 30:

“As many colleges throughout the nation mandate students to be injected with experimental COVID-19 gene-therapy vaccinations… the inventor of the mRNA technology behind at least two of the vaccines said a risk-benefit analysis doesn’t justify the jabs for young adults, and certainly not for those under 18 years of age.

“Dr. Robert Malone, who was a guest on Tucker Carlson Tonight last week, recently had his voice suppressed on YouTube discussing these topics, though, as Carlson asserted, he ‘may be the single most qualified person on planet earth to discuss this subject,’ and thus, ‘we think he has a right to speak.’

“The physician’s primary concern is that there is still insufficient data for anyone, including the young, to be able to exercise sufficient informed consent regarding the reception of these experimental biological agents. ‘[O]ne of my concerns is that the government is not being transparent with us about what [the] risks are,’ he said. ‘I know that there are risks. But we don’t have access to the data and the data haven’t been captured rigorously enough so that we can accurately assess those risks. And therefore, for folks like your audience, you, and me, we don’t really have the information that we need to make a reasonable decision.’

“‘[Therefore], I am of the opinion that people have the right to decide whether to accept vaccines or not, especially since these are experimental vaccines,’ Malone said, affirming the fact that the vaccines are not FDA-approved, but only authorized for emergency use…

“When asked by the Fox News host if the benefits of the injections outweigh the risks, Malone said that in the case of younger Americans, ‘I have a bias that the benefits probably don’t outweigh the risks in that cohort… I can say that the risk-benefit ratio for those 18 and below doesn’t justify vaccines…’

“While many young people are essentially required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall in order to attend school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) best estimate is that those under 20 years of age have a 99.997 percent survival rate if infected with COVID-19.

“Further, CDC data released last Friday reveals reports of 387,087 total adverse events in the United States following injections of experimental COVID-19 gene therapy vaccines, including 6,113 deaths and 31,240 serious injuries, between Dec. 14, 2020, and June 18, 2021.”

But the mass media and certain physicians and governments are vigorously promoting vaccinations for young people, while suppressing those with different opinions and attacking those who refuse to get vaccinated.

Healthy 13-year old Boy Dies of Apparent Complications from Covid Vaccine

Detroit Free Press wrote on July 5:

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the case of a 13-year-old Saginaw County boy who died in his sleep three days after getting his second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in mid-June… The boy… lived in Zilwaukee and had just completed eighth grade when he got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine June 13 at a Walgreens store, said… his aunt… [He] had no known underlying medical conditions. He complained of common post-vaccine symptoms, she said, in the two days between his immunization and death, which included fatigue and fever…

“The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices found that among adolescents and young adults who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, there appears to be an association with… cases of myocarditis and pericarditis. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can affect heart rhythm and its ability to pump. Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac or pericardium around the heart.

“… complications have been reported at a rate of 12.6 per million among people ages 12-39 within 21 days after a second dose of the vaccine… Some cases have been reported after the first vaccine dose as well.”

These are terribly frightening figures.

The Unvaccinated Under Attack

CNN wrote on July 3:

“Unvaccinated people do more than merely risk their own health. They’re also a risk to everyone if they become infected with coronavirus, infectious disease specialists say. That’s because the only source of new coronavirus variants is the body of an infected person…

“‘Unvaccinated people are potential variant factories,’ Dr. William Schaffner… told CNN Friday. ‘The more unvaccinated people there are, the more opportunities for the virus to multiply,’ Schaffner said… it has to replicate to do that. An unvaccinated person provides that opportunity.”

In addition, Dr. Fauci claimed that over 99% of those who died of Covid in June [he alleged that 10,000 died of Covid in June] were unvaccinated. And so, let the witch hunt against unvaccinated people begin!!! Note the next article.

Mandatory Vaccinations

Medical Press wrote on July 5:

“A growing number of countries and territories around the world are forcing people… to be vaccinated against COVID-19… In the Vatican, the world’s smallest state, vaccinations were made obligatory for residents and workers in February, with those refusing liable to be sacked…

“Several countries or territories have imposed vaccinations on certain sections of the population. Italian doctors and health workers in the public and private sector must get vaccinated or face being banned from working directly with patients…

“On June 16 the British government announced all care home staff in England will need to be fully vaccinated. If approved by parliament, the new legislation means anyone working in a care home must have two doses of a vaccine from October unless they have a medical exemption…

“Some 60 percent of all service industry workers in Moscow—just over two million people—were ordered to be fully vaccinated by August 15… other localities have taken similar measures, including… Saint Petersburg

“The city of San Francisco… will require all municipal employees to be vaccinated or they could face penalties up to and including dismissal… More than 150 employees at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas have already been fired or resigned after failing to comply with orders to get a shot…

“[France] is working on a draft law to force health workers to be jabbed…”

Worldwide totalitarian dictatorships and liberty-depriving measures are on the rise as NEVER before. Please view our recent News and Prophecy program from June 26, titled, “The World’s March towards Totalitarianism.” 

Merkel’s Last Official Visit to UK

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Angela Merkel has said she will [be] taking a ‘step by step’ approach to the new relationship with the United Kingdom after Brexit. The German leader was also non-committal when asked if UK prime ministers could be invited to European Union summits as an attempt to repair ties in the post-Brexit era…

“Chancellor Merkel has said she expects travel between Germany and the United Kingdom to be made easier soon. ‘I assume that in the foreseeable future, those who have been vaccinated twice will be able to travel again without having to go into quarantine,’ Merkel told the press conference that followed her talks with Johnson. Germany currently requires travelers from the UK to undergo a 14-day quarantine period…

“Chancellor Merkel said she and Johnson had discussed the Northern Ireland Protocol and that pragmatic solutions were needed… Prime Minister Johnson said there remained a lot of issues to resolve with regard to Northern Ireland.”

These vague assumptions and assurances by Merkel are unfortunately all too common. Let us pray for GOD’s intervention—in spite of what men and women might want to do.

Get Rid of the Travel Ban!

The Hill wrote on July 5:

“The Biden administration is coming under pressure to ease travel bans for international tourists… critics say the administration needs to move faster, slamming travel bans as unrelated to the spread of COVID-19 and raising concern about the loss of revenue from international business travel, summer vacations and foreign students trying to arrive before the fall semester.

“The administration’s travel bans are ‘frozen in time,’ said Steve Shur, president of the Travel Technology Association, a trade organization that partners with online travel agents, airlines and hotels…

“Travel into the U.S. from abroad is largely shut down, with exceptions for American citizens returning from abroad, family members of U.S. citizens and individuals from exempted groups such as international students. The U.S.-entry bans target travelers from China, Iran, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil and South Africa. In April, President Biden banned travel from India…

“But experts say picking and choosing countries based off of COVID-19 infections is arbitrary because the disease, including the… delta variant, is already entrenched in the U.S….

“While the U.S. has working groups with the E.U., Mexico, Canada and U.K. about safely reopening travel, hopes for a planned U.S. and U.K. travel corridor for the summer appear to be shelved… ‘The Biden administration is in no hurry … and the chances of anything happening before August now seem to be zilch,’ a person familiar with the U.K. discussions told the Financial Times last week. Advocates for the travel industry are deeply frustrated…”

It is amazing how unrealistically the US government is dealing or not dealing with urgent matters.

Slovenia—Thorn in Brussel’s Side

Express wrote on July 3:

“Slovenia’s increasingly strained relations with Brussels will undoubtedly be underscored for the next six months as Prime Minister Janez Jansa prepares to be a thorn in Brussels’ side during his presidency of the EU. The Slovenian leader has been in charge of the rotating EU presidency for just three days and he already lashed out at the EU’s treatment of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

“Mr Jansa said on Friday that the Hungarian leader must be allowed to express his ideas about the European Union’s future, warning that the bloc would ‘continue to shrink’ if people are excluded from the debate. His comments were a further sign of a growing alliance between the nationalist leaders of Slovenia, Hungary and Poland that is worrying more liberal countries in the EU.

“Mr Orban faced criticism at an EU summit last week over a Hungarian law banning schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality, with French President Emmanuel Macron referring to a fundamental ‘East-West divide’… In western capitals, the increasingly assertive coalition of eastern leaders is being watched with concern. Some academics believe an ‘Eastern European Union’ is emerging…”

RT added on July 4:

“Sandwiched between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, Slovenia is a tiny country of 2.1 million people. However, for the next six months, it will set the agenda of the European Council… [Prime Minister] Jansa… proclaimed that Slovenia is not ‘a colony’ of the EU to be dictated to…”

This is an interesting development as according to biblical prophecy, ten core nations or groups of nations will develop from the current EU, consisting of 27 member states.

Orban and the Colonial European Empire

Express wrote in a related article on July 3:

“Hungarian… Prime Minister Viktor Orban… has rejected criticism from the EU of a law against the portrayal of homosexuality, saying it was the behaviour of colonisers. Mr Orban said: ‘They want to tell us how to live our lives and how to behave.’ According to the law passed in June, minors in Hungary are no longer allowed to have access to information about homosexuality, transsexuality and gender reassignment. Only depictions of heterosexual lifestyles are permitted in curricula, films and advertisements that are accessible to people under the age of 18…

Seventeen EU countries have requested that Hungary be brought before the European Court of Justice because of the law… The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte suggested that Mr Orban should decide whether Hungary wants to adhere to the EU’s fundamental values or leave the Union. ‘This is a colonial approach,’ Mr Orban told public radio on Friday…

“Several leading European newspapers have refused to run a paid advertisement signed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying they do not want to give space to a politician they accuse of subverting human rights and press freedom. The one-page ad says that Brussels is building a ‘super-state,’ denounces what it calls the ‘European Empire’, calls for the strengthening of national parliaments and stands up against closer European integration.”

The Times of Malta; the Belgian newspaper De Standaard and the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter refused to run the ad, in addition to two other newspapers in Belgium, La Libre Belgique and De Morgen. It was printed by newspapers Le Figaro in France, ABC in Spain, Jyllands-Posten in Denmark and Mlada fronta Dnes in the Czech Republic.

Trigger Warnings for Certain Topics in Class at British University

Daily Mail wrote on July 5:

“Fury has erupted after University of Reading lecturers were told to issue trigger warnings to students if classes contain ‘distressing’ content… But critics slammed the move saying that Britain’s universities are descending into ‘an educational Dark Age’

“The full list of topics that will lead to a ‘trigger’ warning at the University of Reading [includes:]

“Sexual Assault; Abuse; Child abuse/paedophilia/;Incest; Animal cruelty or animal death; Dissection; Self-harm and suicide; Eating disorders and body hatred; Violence; Pornographic content; Kidnapping and abduction; Death or dying; Pregnancy/Childbirth; Miscarriages/Abortion; Blood; Mental illness and ableism; Racism and racial slurs; Sexism and misogyny; Classism; Hateful language directed at religious groups (e.g., Islamophobia, antisemitism); Transphobia and trans misogyny; Homophobia and heterosexism.”

While some of the topics, if discussed improperly, are indeed sensitive, to include other topics in the trigger warning system is plainly ridiculous and uncalled for. In addition, it is not clear as to why there should be a trigger warning in the first place when classes discuss certain topics. Why would doing so be distressing per se?

Creation of Pig-Human Hybrid Organ?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 4:

“A team of Israeli researchers have developed a hybrid organ – an organ from a pig with ‘human’ blood vessels – that they believe could help alleviate the shortage of transplant organs. There have been many attempts to implant animal organs in humans but this has largely been unsuccessful, mostly due to acute rejections, explained Dr. Shahar Cohen of Beilinson Hospital, whose team developed the hybrid organ.

“The main trigger of an organ rejection is the internal lining of its blood vessels, he said. This coating is the point of contact between the transplanted organ and the recipient’s body. ‘We looked for a way to produce an alternative coating that does not cause rejection,’ Cohen told The Jerusalem Post… Cohen’s team removed the coating from the pigs’ blood vessels and replaced it with a more ‘friendly’ coating to the human immune system that was engineered in the laboratory from human placenta cells, which, as far as is known, do not trigger rejection…

“‘We remove the pig’s internal layer of blood vessels and replace it with a “human layer,” thereby humanizing the blood vessels of the organ and generating a hybrid organ – a pig organ with humanized blood vessels. This is the way to surmount the barrier to pig organs in humans.’ He said the team chose to use placenta cells because the placenta is the ‘ideal organ that connects two human beings and plays a key role in maintaining the connection between mother and fetus.’… Next, he said, the researchers plan to perform their first hybrid organ transplants in animals and in about five years Cohen hopes that the first human transplant can be performed…”

Where will it end?

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.

This Week in the News

The Lie about the Delta Variant

On June 24, the Ron Paul Institute republished an article from the Dossier:

“Prominent actors within the US government have been lying to the American people about COVID-19 for 18 months and counting, and their latest behavior shows that the individuals in charge of US Government Science have no intention of stopping the charade anytime soon. Over time, their lies have evolved to become so common and so reckless to the point that someone with even the most rudimentary understanding of viruses can instantly debunk the lies.

“The latest ‘Delta variant’ paranoia peddling has put their incompetence, deliberate spreading of falsehoods, and perpetual gaslighting of their own citizens on display for the world to see. The Biden Administration, through lifelong government bureaucrat Anthony Fauci, is making a hard push to fear monger about the supposed dangers posed by the ‘Delta variant’ of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“A video posted from the White House account made the rounds Thursday morning, stating: ‘…The Delta variant is more contagious, it’s deadlier, and it’s spreading quickly around the world – leaving young, unvaccinated people more vulnerable than ever. Please, get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Let’s head off this strain before it’s too late.’…

“First of all, it goes against all understanding of 101 concepts for a virus to mutate to become both more contagious and more deadly. If a virus becomes more contagious, it spreads faster but does not kill off its host. If a virus becomes more deadly, it doesn’t spread as fast because it has taken out its host. In fact, the best evidence we have on the Delta variant shows that it is probably less deadly than previous mutations. And it’s always good to remember that we’re talking about a disease that sports an original recovery rate well over 99%.

“Second, the idea that human intervention can ‘head off’ a strain is an idea straight out of ‘COVID Zero’ (the idea that you can eliminate the virus from this earth) pseudoscience playbook. Fauci and the gang are by no means brilliant minds, but they are well aware that they cannot eliminate a virus from circulation. This makes it obvious that there are several ulterior motives in play, none of which have anything to do with our health.

“Outside of academic models (we all know how well those held up in the past with lockdowns, masks, etc), there is no hard evidence anywhere in the world that this Delta variant is any more or less dangerous than any other mutation of the virus. In fact, the statistics on this variant shows no particular reason for alarm. Yet the government is… baselessly making stuff up about a virus based on absolutely zero real world data.

“Since the beginning of COVID Mania, the government has never been on the side of science, evidence, and data. From the infamous Gates-funded panic models and fraudulent Chinese government ‘science’ that encouraged the world to lock down indefinitely, to the absurd ‘studies’ about the efficacy of masks, this latest Delta variant scaremongering has once again put their lies on display for the world to see. Given the almost two years of immunity building related to the virus, the threat posed by COVID-19 at this point in time is virtually nonexistent. There never was a legitimate reason for a single restriction on our liberties, and today, the ‘delta variant’ argument to curb our rights and transform our society is more baseless than ever before.”

Thoughts to ponder.

The Ron Paul Institute added on June 30:

“The media has joined the ‘public health experts’ in hyping the danger of the ‘Delta variant’ of the coronavirus. Fauci warns that it is the most dangerous yet. Yet data from the UK strongly suggest that, like all viruses, it becomes weaker with each mutation. So who’s telling the truth and who is pushing a narrative?”

The Washington Post wrote on June 26:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Europe remains ‘on thin ice’ in its fight against the coronavirus, as experts predicted that the more infectious delta variant, which was first detected in India, would become the dominant variant across much of the continent by summer’s end. ‘We need to remain vigilant,’ Merkel, who is set to leave office this year, said Thursday.”

This does not sound good.

Daily Mail added on June 26:

“Boris Johnson will attempt to persuade Angela Merkel to allow Britons to visit EU countries this summer, as uncertainty over foreign trips continues.  The Prime Minister will meet the German chancellor at Chequers on Friday (July 2) to discuss her hopes to introduce an EU-wide quarantine policy to protect against the ‘Delta’ variant which has taken hold in the UK. She has been met with various levels of support, with French President Emmanuel Macron backing her plans – while Madrid is adamant that it will set its own border policy…

“Much of Europe is on the ‘amber list’ and UK holidaymakers are unlikely to book a trip to the Continent if they face a lengthy stay in self-isolation upon their arrival. The exact date for the easing of the ‘amber list’ rules for people who are fully vaccinated is yet to be set but August appears likely…”

Let us hope that Boris Johnson will be able to persuade Angela Merkel to give up her ill-conceived proposals, give up her politically motivated paranoia, and restore liberty and freedom to the people.

Propaganda Goes On

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 27:

Experts say the Delta variant poses a greater chance of infection for unvaccinated people if they are exposed. The variant, first identified in India, may be twice as transmissible as the conventional coronavirus strains… But vaccinated people are well protected against infection and illness from the Delta variant…

“There is no widespread scientific consensus on whether the Delta variant is more likely to cause more serious illness than other strains….”

Words fail… Still, several countries are imposing again partial or even full lockdowns. They are very good at hitting the panic button, and that without ANY or even contrary to scientific evidence. Also note the next article.

“Majority of Physicians Decline COVID Shots” 

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) published the following article on June 16:

“Of the 700 physicians responding to an internet survey by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), nearly 60 percent said they were not ‘fully vaccinated’ against COVID. This contrasts with the claim by the American Medical Association that 96 percent of practicing physicians are fully vaccinated. This was based on 300 respondents. Neither survey represents a random sample of all American physicians, but the AAPS survey shows that physician support for the mass injection campaign is far from unanimous.

“‘It is wrong to call a person who declines a shot an “anti-vaxxer,”’ states AAPS executive director Jane Orient, M.D. ‘Virtually no physicians are “anti-antibiotics” or “anti-surgery,” whereas all are opposed to treatments that they think are unnecessary, more likely to harm than to benefit an individual patient, or inadequately tested.’

“The AAPS survey also showed that 54 percent of physician respondents were aware of patients suffering a ‘significant adverse reaction.’ Of the unvaccinated physicians, 80 percent said, ‘I believe risk of shots exceeds risk of disease,’ and 30% said ‘I already had COVID.’

“Other reasons for declining the shot included unknown long-term effects, use of aborted fetal tissue, ‘it’s experimental,’ availability of effective early treatment, and reports of deaths and blood clots…

“Nonphysicians were also invited to participate in the survey. Of some 5,300 total participants, 2,548 volunteered comments about associated adverse effects of which they were aware. These included death, amputation, paralysis, stillbirth, menstrual irregularities, blindness, seizures, and heart issues. ‘Causality is not proven. However, many of these episodes might have resulted in a huge product liability or malpractice award if they had occurred after a new drug,’ stated Dr. Orient. ‘Purveyors of these COVID products are protected against lawsuits.’”

Shocking!          

Unverified Data in Portugal

America’s Frontline Doctors wrote on June 23:

“Following a citizen’s petition, a Lisbon court was forced to provide verified COVID-19 mortality data, reports AndreDias.net. According to the ruling, the number of verified COVID-19 deaths from January 2020 to April 2021 is only 152, not about 17,000 as claimed by government ministries. All the ‘others’ died for various reasons, although their PCR test was positive. ‘We live in a fraud of unprecedented dimensions,’ wrote Dias.”

Dias continued that even “the reference to 152 death certificates issued ‘under Justice Ministry supervision’ is spurious, as all death certificates are issued under Justice Ministry auspices, being the only institution that issues them…”

Canada’s Reasoning for Lockdowns

The Jewish Voice wrote on June 27:

“Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Strang admitted during a COVID-19 hearing last month… the goal of Canada’s strict lockdowns…

“When a citizen asked Strang via phone call whether Canada’s injunction banning public gatherings was still necessary, Strang explained: ‘… bringing large numbers of people together can present some risk… But I think the other purpose of the injunction is to prevent groups that are deliberately spreading false information that creates risk… The information itself if listened to creates risk to the public…’”

Incredible that they would admit such blatantly unconstitutional and illegal conduct.

The Next Pandemic… Dying from Antibiotic Resistant Infections

El Pais wrote on June 25:

“Edith Heard… is the director general of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory… [said:] ‘Many companies stopped developing antibiotics, so now there are only a few drugs. That will be the next big killer. In 10 to 20 years we will be dying from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, which we will no longer be able to treat…

“‘If we don’t do something, in 20 years the antibiotics that exist today will not be able to treat the infections we have. It’s going to be the next pandemic…”

US Position on Golan Heights

The Times of Israel wrote on June 25:

“The US State Department on Friday denied that the Biden administration planned to rescind recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, after a false report sparked an uproar in Israel. ‘US policy regarding the Golan has not changed, and reports to the contrary are false,’ State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs Department tweeted.

“Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the claim that the Biden administration was walking back former president Donald Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights was part of efforts to harm Israel’s ties to the US and undermine the new government. The rumor spread after a spurious report in a far-right US news site [the Washington Free Beacon] was picked up by some mainstream Israeli news outlets, leading to an outcry from several politicians. ‘The Golan Heights is a strategic asset and an integral part of the sovereign State of Israel. The United States recognized our sovereignty over the Golan Heights and its strategic importance to Israel’s security,’ Lapid said.”

The future will show what the Biden Administration is REALLY up to when it comes to Israel’s status.

US Strikes Iraq and Syria

Deutsche Welle reported on June 28:

“The US military carried out airstrikes on ‘facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups’ near the border between Iraq and Syria… The militias were using the facilities to carry out attacks by ‘unmanned aerial vehicles’ — otherwise known as drones — against US interests in Iraq…

“Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi slammed the US raids as ‘flagrant violation’ of his country’s sovereignty… It marks a rare criticism of US military action in the conflict-stricken Middle Eastern nation…

“Since the start of the year, there have been more than 40 attacks against US interests in Iraq… Sunday’s strikes mark the second time Biden has ordered retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militia since taking office five months ago. Biden last ordered limited strikes in Syria in February in response to rocket attacks in Iraq.”

Even under the Biden Administration, America’s reputation among allies suffers.

EU: Abortion a Human Right

C-Fam wrote on June 24:

“The European Parliament adopted a resolution that labels abortion a ‘human right’… The resolution… calls on EU member states to decriminalize all abortions and to allow abortion-on-demand in order to bring their laws ‘into line with international human rights standards.’…

“Abortion advocates were militant in their speeches during a heated debate and resorted to violent and fearful rhetoric… The resolution, prepared by Croatian socialist Predrag Fred Matić, doesn’t just promote abortion. It attacks the conscience rights of doctors who refuse to perform abortions and calls on EU members to remove ‘all limitations’ on abortion during the COVID-19 emergency…

“The resolution also endorses ‘comprehensive sexuality education’ and promotes the most extreme elements of the LGBT agenda. It calls for bans on any kind of therapy to help individuals with same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria to cope with or overcome their condition, and it calls on the World Health Organization to change its definition of infertility to ensure it applies to same-sex couples and men and women who identify as transgender…

“Several pro-life MEPs… made passionate calls for protections for mothers and children in the womb from abortion…

“Despite the spirited opposition to the resolution, it passed comfortably with 378 votes in favor and 255 against. While the resolution is not binding, its recommendations can be incorporated into the policies of the powerful European Commission…”

The EU is becoming more and more a dictatorial power bloc and cesspool of inhumane and ungodly ideas.

 The EU vs. Hungary

Politico wrote on June 25:

“Leaders from around the EU confronted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over anti-LGBTQ+ measures on Thursday in an extraordinary clash reflecting rising tension over the bloc’s core values.

“In a heated debate around the European Council table in Brussels, leaders spoke in unusually personal and emotional terms. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte suggested Orbán should leave the EU while Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel spoke of his own struggles to be accepted as a gay man. ‘I did not become gay. I am, it is not a choice,’ Bettel told the conservative Hungarian leader…  ‘My mother hates that I am gay, I live with that… It is about basic rights, the right to be different.’

“… The controversy erupted after the Hungarian parliament passed legal amendments to ban the promotion and portrayal of homosexuality or sex change to minors… Orbán received support from Poland… and to some extent also from Slovenia, while a few countries — such as Slovakia — did not take a clear position…

“Orbán has repeatedly insisted that the amendments are about protecting children’s rights… Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga took a combative approach, writing on social media that Rutte has ‘written himself out of the circle of civilized people… Hungary doesn’t want to leave the EU. On the contrary, we want to save it from hypocrites,’ Varga tweeted…

“Over half of the EU’s member nations signed a declaration condemning Hungary’s legislation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a ‘shame,’ and the EU executive has indicated it will take legal action…  The Commission could ultimately take Hungary to court over the amendments. While that process is a relatively slow one, there is reason to believe the law wouldn’t hold up. In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that a nearly identical law adopted by Russia in 2013 was discriminatory. In a sharp rebuke to the Kremlin, the court said the law encouraged homophobia.

“The EU now has a mechanism that allows the bloc to cut funding to countries if some rule-of-law problems impact the financial interests of the EU, but it remains unclear when and how it would be used… Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven told fellow EU leaders that his citizens were fed up that budget money they contribute to the EU is going to countries that don’t uphold the Union’s core principles…”

The EU has core principles?

Euractiv reported on June 29:

Poland should copy a Hungarian law that bans schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality, the Polish education minister [Przemysław Czarnek] has said as the nationalist government attacks what it calls ‘LGBT ideology.’”

Jewish groups vs. Orbán

JTA added on June 25:

“Jewish groups in Hungary have condemned a new law in the country that forbids sharing content on homosexuality with minors. Called the ‘gay propaganda law,’ the legislation passed last week in parliament follows similar moves in Russia in 2013 that define written or visual materials pertaining to sex reassignment or homosexuality as propaganda that should not be allowed to reach children…

“Mazsihisz, the largest federation of Jewish communities in Hungary, [stated:] ‘The Mazsihisz, as a Jewish group, firmly believes that all people are inherently pure and their emotions do not make them unclean…’

“Hungary’s right-wing government under Viktor Orban has clashed on several issues with Mazsihisz, which has warned that the government’s campaign criticizing Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros risks encouraging antisemitism, and that the government is facilitating Holocaust revisionism. Other local Jewish groups, including the EMIH Jewish federation, have disputed these allegations.”

Czech President Supports Orbán

The Daily Caller wrote on June 28:

“Czech President Milos Zeman [expressed] his support for the recent Hungarian legislation that banned gay and transgender content for minors…

“Zeman defended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, saying that he is against the Hungarian education system’s ‘manipulation’ of parents and children… ‘I see no reason to disagree with him, because I am completely annoyed by the suffragettes, the Me Too movement and Prague Pride…’”

More Idiocy from California–Travel Ban for State Employees…

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

“California added five more states… to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, the state attorney general announced Monday. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta added Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to the list that now has 17 states where state employee travel is forbidden except under limited circumstances. ‘Make no mistake: We’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country — and the State of California is not going to support it,’ Bonta said.

“Lawmakers in 2016 banned non-essential travel to states with laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The 12 other states on the list are: Texas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee. The five states newly added to the list have introduced bills in their legislatures this year that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports [by women] consistent with their gender identity, block access to health care and allow the discrimination of the LGBTQ community, Bonta said….”

If you thought it could not get any crazier… It appears that it is Rob Bonta who is guilty of discrimination. This is TRULY a world ruled by SATAN!

Putin Tries to Woo Germany, Ignores the Past

Carnegie Europe wrote on June 24:

“To mark the eightieth anniversary of Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote a commentary in the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit. Putin’s commentary is an attempt to woo Germany back to its once-cozy relationship with Russia, blame NATO expansion eastward for undermining European security, and point the finger at the United States for the ‘armed coup’ in Ukraine in 2014.

“With a German audience in mind—and especially with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron now anxious to reset EU relations with Russia—Putin presses all the right buttons. He praises how West Germany ‘concluded the deal of the century’ by agreeing to a long-term gas deal with the Soviet Union back in 1970. It was, he wrote, the foundation for ‘constructive interdependence’ despite serious misgivings and criticism by the United States. The controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that brings Russian gas directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea is a continuity of that interdependence, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized during his talks with Merkel in Berlin on June 23.

“As for NATO, Putin lashes out at the U.S.-led military organization for expanding to Eastern and Central Europe during the late 1990s and onward. ‘Many countries were put before the artificial choice of being either with the collective West or with Russia. In fact, it was an ultimatum,’ Putin wrote. Actually, these countries that were once under the Soviet yolk weren’t forced to join NATO. They chose to apply because they wanted security. They didn’t trust post-1989 Russia.

“And finally, Putin repeats an old plea that plays into the hands of those who want to end the transatlantic relationship and the NATO security umbrella. Putin’s oft-repeated version of a Europe whole, free, and united is one based on creating a ‘common space of cooperation and security from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.’ It would ‘comprise various integration formats,’ including the European Union and the Moscow-initiated Eurasian Economic Union.

“Putin’s words chime well with many German Social Democrats who still yearn for Ostpolitik. This policy, devised during the 1970s, was aimed at stabilizing relations between West Germany and Moscow through economic, energy, and political ties…

“Putin blames the United States for the ‘unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine’ in 2014 which ‘European countries weak-heartedly support[ed].’… According to Putin, the United States—with some support from Europe—’provok[ed] a split within Ukraine and the withdrawal of Crimea.’ The fact that Russian-backed militia forces invaded parts of Eastern Ukraine in 2014 and are still there is ignored. So is the historical fact that Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula in early 2014.

“Forget too how Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and annexed Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or how it still has troops in the Moldova region of Transnistria…

“From cyber and chemical attacks and murders of opponents in Germany and the United Kingdom to poisoning Putin’s arch critic, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and silencing critics back home, Russia’s leadership is in denial about the present and the past.

“… when Putin writes about defeating Nazi Germany at the tremendous cost of to the Red Army and civilians, for Central and Eastern Europeans, especially Belarus and Ukraine whose peoples were ruthlessly murdered by the Nazis and the Red Army, defeat of the Wehrmacht was not liberation but occupation. If it had been liberation, why did the East Germans rise up in 1953, the Hungarians in 1956, and the Czechoslovaks in 1968?…

“Organizations such as Memorial that try to investigate the Stalinist crimes, or others who want to understand their country’s past, are obstructed from doing so. In Russia, this past is off limits.

“After 1945, aspects of the past—especially collaboration with the Nazis—were off limits for several Western European countries, while East Europeans were prevented from dealing with the past. Aspects of the Holocaust, Jewish deportations, enforced exile of ethnic communities, and Stalinist trials and executions were off the agenda…”

Everyone in politics  seems to be willing to rewrite history to fit into their own personal agenda.

EU vs. Ethiopia

The East African (News) reported on June 25:

“The Ethiopian army on Thursday denied carrying out deadly airstrikes targeting civilians at a busy market place in Togogo, a town in the Tigray region… [The military official] told reporters Thursday that the airstrikes targeted only rebels who had been gathered to celebrate Martyrs’ Day. [He] also denied reports that innocent people were killed in yesterday’s attack. He claimed that those killed were militants in civilian clothing.

“Eyewitnesses and hospital sources, however, yesterday told Nation.Africa that over 50 civilians had been killed in Tuesday’s aerial attack…

The European Union and the United States have condemned the airstrikes… ‘This is yet another attack adding up to the horrific series of international humanitarian law and human rights violations, atrocities, ethnic violence, combined with serious allegations of use of starvation and sexual violence as weapons of conflict’ said the EU in a statement.

“The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Joseph Borrell, has placed Ethiopia on the agenda for the next Foreign Affairs Council in July to discuss possible responses with EU member states.”

Ultimately, the final leader of the EU will militarily intervene and conquer Ethiopia.

The European Army and the Republic of Ireland

News Letter wrote on June 25:

“With the prospect of a European Union army gaining ‘new impetus’ due to Brexit, the TUV has questioned whether the Republic of Ireland will now be forced to choose between membership of the EU or military neutrality…

“The party’s East Londonderry representative and ex-serviceman Jordan Armstrong was commenting after an EU body said the departure of the UK has made it easier to create a multi-nation ‘Rapid Military Response’ team. On Thursday, a member of the EU’s European Army Interoperability Centre cited the tensions in Ukraine as an example of where such a force could be deployed.

“The article said: ‘Talks about developing the Rapid Military Response team have also arisen due to comments made by former US President Donald Trump. He critiqued the EU for heavily relying on NATO military action led by the US instead of taking a role for itself, particularly when the security threat is presented on its borders. ‘Brexit has also given new impetus to the EU in refining and improving their defence and security policies, as the United Kingdom had previously placed many constraints on the EU.’

“It adds: “Furthermore, Ukraine has recently appealed to western nations for urgent intervention as Russia has significantly increased its military presence in its Ukrainian territory.”

“… Armstrong said: ‘It is no secret that the EU wants to expand its power and influence. With a flag, an anthem, a currency and now the prospect of an army it is increasingly taking on the trappings of state.’”

Hence, the united STATES of Europe…

The Catholic Church’s Belief in Evolution

Israel 365 wrote on June 23:

“Last month, the Vatican Observatory Research Group (VRG) launched… a website to present their theories, with the expressed mission of showing the world that ‘the Church and science can coexist.’ A closer look shows that the Vatican project is challenged by the Biblical account of creation and comes very close to explicitly rejecting Genesis…

“In a 2002 interview for the Catholic Education Resource Center, George Coyne, a Jesuit… stated that the Vatican policy was to firmly embrace evolution… as fact… ‘New knowledge has led us to realize that the theory of evolution is no longer a mere hypothesis… The Catholic church has long accepted a developmental worldview, complete with descent from apes and a Big Bang beginning,’ Coyne said…

“Coyne’s writings still serve as the basis for the Vatican’s website. In one paper, he rejects the validity of ‘intelligent design’, the assertion that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as random natural selection. “In this conflict between evolution and Biblical Creation, Coyne and the Vatican assert that evolution is the irrefutable truth. On the new website, Coyne states that ‘intelligent design movement lies outside [scientific] methodology.’”

Some “Christians” and Jews believe in evolution by intelligent design, meaning that God guided the process. This concept is as wrong as blind or accidental evolution.

US Catholic Bishops “Clarify” Position on Communion

Newsmax wrote on June 26:

“The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops clarified its position on giving politicians who support abortion communion by saying a recent vote does not mean a ‘national policy’ to deny them… ‘The bishops made no decision about barring anyone from receiving Holy Communion,’ the organization said…

“According to Catholic doctrine, anyone in a state of mortal sin, such as ‘receiving or participating in an abortion,’ should not take Communion unless they have first been to confession… The move was seen as a step in the direction of denying Communion to Biden, who is the first practicing Catholic President since John F. Kennedy, for his support of abortion. Other Democrat Catholics like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., could also be denied, under the new guidance… [The] bishops [said they] were not pressured to make the clarification from the Vatican in Rome…”

If one wants to believe that…

S.F. Archbishop Disagrees

Breitbart wrote on June 26:

“San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has blasted the 60 ‘Catholic’ Democrat congressmembers who published a defense of their public support for abortion. In their open ‘Statement of Principles,’ the 60 Democrats assert that the U.S. bishops should not deny Holy Communion to professed Catholics who promote abortion.

“In his response, Cordileone notes… ‘Surely the members of Congress know, as committed Catholics, that the early Church described abortion as a form of homicide… and that the Christian community condemned abortion as early as the first century in the Didache… ‘they ignore one of the most basic principles of Catholic belief: “Don’t intentionally kill, or collude in enabling others to kill, innocent human life.”’

“The archbishops saves some of his choicest expressions for the heart of his response, underscoring the hypocrisy of the signers of the statement…”

However, looking at the history of the Catholic church in killing millions of innocent lives, then their hypocrisy is blatantly obvious.

Pope Warns against False Preachers

The Catholic Telegraph wrote on June 23:

“Pope Francis warned against preachers who sow division and mistrust online. ‘There is no shortage of preachers who, especially through the new means of communication, can disturb communities.

“‘… they strongly affirm that the true Christianity is the one they adhere to, often identified with certain forms of the past, and that the solution to the crises of today is to go back so as not to lose the genuineness of the faith. Today too, as then, there is a temptation to close oneself up in some of the certainties acquired in past traditions.’”

As part of the Catholic Church‘s foundation is their own traditions, the Pope is referring to biblical teachings which he considers as being obsolete, and therefore, anyone clinging to the teachings of the Ten Commandments [including the Fourth Commandment], unclean meat, or annual Holy Days is viewed by him as a false preacher.

Inconclusive UFO Report

The Week wrote on June 25:

“The United States government has released a highly-anticipated report on unidentified flying objects, but it wasn’t able to come to a definitive conclusion… 144 reports of unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) were examined, but investigators were not able to explain 143 of them…

“In one case, an object was identified as a ‘large, deflating balloon,’ but the report said the ‘others remain unexplained.’ ‘Of the 144 reports we are dealing with here, we have no clear indications that there is any non-terrestrial explanation for them — but we will go wherever the data takes us,’ a senior U.S. official [said.]

“The official also [said] that investigators believe most of the sightings were of ‘physical objects’…”

Donald Rumsfeld Dies at 88

The Columbus Dispatch wrote on June 30:

“Donald Rumsfeld – Republican power broker, controversial defense secretary and architect of the Iraq War – died Tuesday, days before his 89th birthday…

“President George W. Bush selected Rumsfeld for his second stint as Pentagon chief in 2001 [He had been appointed as Defense Secretary under Richard Nixon in 1975]. Rumsfeld vowed to shake up the military bureaucracy, seeking to make it leaner and more agile. The Sept. 11 terror attacks changed everything.

“Rumsfeld oversaw the Pentagon’s response and its initial attack on al-Qaida bases in Afghanistan. With stunning speed, U.S. commandos and airstrikes toppled the Taliban from power, and a democratically elected government was established.

“By early 2002, Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney turned the Pentagon’s attention to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden, nearly captured in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, slipped away into Pakistan, where he was killed in 2011.

“In 2003, U.S. forces invaded Iraq to prevent Saddam from launching attacks with weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found, and the mismanaged American occupation led to a guerrilla war and sectarian violence.

Bush fired Rumsfeld in 2006 as the United States was mired in grinding insurgencies that killed and maimed thousands of U.S. troops and thousands more combatants and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 2,000 troops remain in Iraq supporting a fragile government fighting Islamic insurgents, and the last U.S. combat troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, where the top commander warns of a brewing civil war.”

What the article shows is that the USA did not win a major war since World War II—not in North Korea or Vietnam, nor in Afghanistan or Iraq. The Church of God has proclaimed for a long time that the USA will not win a major war until the time of Jesus Christ’s return.

Giuliani’s Law License Suspended

Newsmax wrote on June 26:

“Rudy Giuliani’s license to practice law in New York was suspended after a state appeals court claimed this past week he lied in arguing the 2020 presidential election was stolen from his client, former President Donald Trump. The court claimed Giuliani had made several false statements about voting in Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, highlighting a court hearing in Pennsylvania where the former New York City mayor alleged there was widespread voter fraud but had not mentioned it in his former written complaint.”

Newsmax quoted Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz as follows:

“‘I taught legal ethics for 35 years at Harvard… I’ve never seen a case like this’… Giuliani did not have a hearing or an opportunity to prove whether or not he had told the truth, or if he knew that he was lying, Dershowitz [said]. The ruling against Giuliani’s law license might stand in the New York courts, which means that it could end up being decided in the Supreme Court, according to Dershowitz.

“Still, Dershowitz said he thinks, after there is a hearing, it will be much harder to make Giuliani’s suspension stand. ‘The criteria is so vague,’ said Dershowitz, noting the court not only ruled against Giuliani for his ‘misstatements’ in courts but also for his comments to the media. ‘If you start holding lawyers responsible for everything, they said… I can tell you myself and my own experience: Many, many lawyers who have committed much, much worse lies in the public domain, and they don’t go after them… This is a very selective department.’”

Dershowitz is right.  

Life Site News added on June 26:

“‘It’s a complete invasion of my First Amendment rights and my rights as an attorney, I’m allowed to have a client,’ Giuliani responded… ‘President Trump is not allowed to have a lawyer, of course it’s a partisan hit. I didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing I said that a witness didn’t tell me. We’re getting to be like East Germany.’

“‘Can you believe that New York wants to strip Rudy Giuliani… of his law license because he has been fighting what has already been proven to be a Fraudulent Election?’ Trump himself added… ‘this is what the Radical Left does to him. All of New York is out of control, crime is at an all-time high—it’s nothing but a Witch Hunt, and they should be ashamed of themselves…’”

We are observing more and more radical developments in this country, especially from the left, not unlike former socialist and Marxist East Germany, as Giuliani correctly points out.

Bill Cosby Released from Prison Due to Violation of Constitution

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote on June 30:

“Bill Cosby was released from prison Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction and barred him from being retried… The justices ruled the 83-year-old comedian — who has served more than two years of a three-to-10-year sentence — had been denied a fair trial, citing an agreement struck with a previous prosecutor that the justices said barred Cosby from ever being charged with the 2004 assault of Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

“Justice David N. Wecht, writing for the majority, said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele was legally bound by that decade-old promise and therefore should not have brought charges when new evidence surfaced in 2015. Vacating Cosby’s conviction, Wecht said, ‘is the only remedy that comports with society’s reasonable expectations of its elected prosecutors and our criminal justice system.’”

Cosby always insisted on his innocence and refused a parole offer which would have required him to plead guilty and show remorse. While we do not condone his alleged behavior, if he is in fact guilty of the accusations which have been made against him, this shows the problems with the legal system when it comes to apparent technicalities that determine innocence or guilt, rather than the facts. However, as the next article shows, more than just mere technicalities are involved in the Cosby case.

Cosby and Trump

 Newsmax wrote on July 1:

“No matter what people think of Bill Cosby, the fact remains that he wasn’t given due process in his trial proceedings and an appeals court made the right decision to free him from prison because he shouldn’t have been tried in the first place, Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz argued…

“Dershowitz also rejected the argument that Cosby was released on a ‘legal technicality.’ ‘It’s a constitutional basis,’ he said… ‘The Constitution provides that no person shall be prosecuted without due process of law. So it’s anything but a technicality. It’s the heart and soul of our legal system.’

“Dershowitz also commented on the indictments that have been handed down against former President Donald Trump’s namesake company, the Trump Organization, and its Chief Financial Officer Alan Weisselberg… ‘They don’t generally go after people criminally for tax violations that even the IRS apparently hasn’t gone after them for,’ said Dershowitz… In these situations, the IRS usually sends the person accused a letter ordering them to pay their taxes, and it’s ‘rare that you get criminal prosecution for this kind of thing.’

“At any rate, Vance’s goal is ‘obviously to try to flip’ Weisselberg to get him to turn against Trump, the ‘ultimate target of any of these prosecutors,’ said Dershowitz.”

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.

This Week in the News

The Butcher—Iran’s New President

The Sun wrote on June 19:

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

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

Thomson/Reuters wrote on June 19:

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

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

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

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

Bennett Warns the World

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

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

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

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

Reuters added on June 20:

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

US Takes Down Iran-linked News Sites

The Associated Press wrote on June 22:

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

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

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

New Violence in Israel

The Times of Israel reported on June 18:

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

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

There will be no peace…

Ready to Invade the Golan Heights?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

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

Israel 365 wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle also reported the following on June 18:

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

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

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

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

EU to Sanction Hungary over anti-LGBT Law?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on June 15:

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

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

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

But not from God.

Who is Europe’s Enemy?

Politico wrote on June 14:

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

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

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

Austria’s Chancellor on the Defensive

Der Spiegel Online worte on June 20:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A New Catastrophe in the Making…

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

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

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

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

From one pandemic to the next…?

USA Halts Lethal Aid Package to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on June 18

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

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

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

Abolishing or Restoring the Draft?

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

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

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

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

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

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

America Could Lose Its Next War

War on the Rocks wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

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

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

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

RT wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

Oregon Police Officers Resign En Masse in Protest

ABC News reported on June 17:

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

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

This seems to be so upside down…

Covid Mandates New “Fascist Dictatorship”

Life Site News wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just the Beginning?

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

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

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

WHO: Do NOT Vaccinate Children!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 21:

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

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

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

Now, what about THAT?

Brainwashed in the USA

The Daily Mail wrote on June 19:

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

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

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

More British Nonsense

Daily Mail wrote on June 20:

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

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

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

Farage: Don’t Trust “Chameleon” Boris Johnson

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

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

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

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

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

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

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

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

Trump’s stories seem to change by the day…

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

The Hypocrisy of our Leaders

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The sentiments expressed in the article are telling.

Biden’s Claim to Power and Brutality

Die Welt Online wrote on June 11:

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

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

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

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

Johnson Clashes with EU Leaders

Bloomberg wrote on June 12:

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

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

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

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

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

Trump Strikes Back at Macron

Newsmax wrote on June 12:

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

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

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

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

Historic Low Relationship between Russia and the West

NBC News wrote on June 11:

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

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

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

Illinois News added on June 11:

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

Biden Meets Putin

The Associated Press wrote on June 16:

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

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

Express wrote on June 16:

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

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

The Geneva Meeting

Breitbart wrote on June 16:

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

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

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

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

Reuters wrote on June 17:

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

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

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

Why Is the EU Suppressing Reports of Antisemitic Schoolbooks?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 10:

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

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

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

This is highly remarkable.

New Israeli Government Sworn In

The Associated Press wrote on June 13:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Naftali Bennett… an Enigma

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 10:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The End of Zionism?

Israel Today wrote on June 10:

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

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

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

This concern is definitely legitimate.

New Violence 

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 17:

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

AfD first in Saxony-Anhalt for Voters under 30

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 11:

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

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

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

The AfD is far from gone.

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

The U.S. Sun wrote on June 11:

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

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

Incredible!

Daily Mail added on June 11:

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

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

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

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

Side Effects Prompt CDC Investigation

The Washington Times wrote on June 11:

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

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

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

All of this is just mere insanity.

Live Bats on Wuhan Premises

Breitbart wrote on June 13:

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

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

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

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

Wuhan Institute Still Operational

Breitbart wrote on June 15:

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

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

Cardinal Marx Obeys the Pope

The Vatican News reported on June 11:

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

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

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

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

The Foolishness of the “Wise”

Daily Mail wrote on June 9:

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

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

This is beyond craziness.

Swallowed by a Whale

Boston CBS News reported on June 12:

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

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

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

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

Fox News added:

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

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

A Fifth Ocean

WDRB reported on or about June 13:

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

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

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

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

Creating Chimeras

Life Site News wrote on June 14:

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

Sick, foolish and dangerous.

Toxic Cosmetics

Newsmax wrote on June 16:

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

The Biggest Election Scam in Israel

Breitbart wrote on June 6:

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

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

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

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

US in Confusion over Iran

Thompson/Reuters reported on June 7:

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

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

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

USA and Europe

The Week wrote on June 9:

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

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

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

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

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

Biden and the US Press

The Week wrote on June 9:

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

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

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

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

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

Our Fake Mass Media

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 4:

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

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

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

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

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

Republicans Want Fauci Ousted

Fox News reported on June 5:

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

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

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

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

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

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

The Moscow Times wrote on June 3:

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

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

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

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

Putin’s Dictatorship

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subsequently, Deutsche Welle reported on June 10:

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

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

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

Open Skies Treaty Gone

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

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

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

California to Pay Church Legal Fees Due to Permanent Injunction

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

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

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

Biden Urged to Push EU to be a Military Power

Politico wrote on June 2:

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

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

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

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

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

In this context, Airforce Technology reported on May 17:

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

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

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

On the Way to EU Dictatorship

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

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

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

This sets a dangerous precedence.

EU Imposes Coronavirus Travel Passports

The Associated Press wrote on June 9:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bloomberg added on June 5:

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

Deutsche Welle added on June 5:

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

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

The New York Post wrote:

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

More LGBT Nonsense

Daily Mail wrote on June 4:

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

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

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

Is Trump Planning his Comeback?

Newsmax wrote on June 4:

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

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

Newsmax reported on June 5:

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

US Supreme Court Denies Green Card for Aliens entering US Illegally

Daily Mail wrote on June 7:

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

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

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

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

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

Roll Call wrote on June 7:

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

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

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

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

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

German Catholic Church More Trouble for Rome

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

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

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

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

Newsmax reported on June 10:

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

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

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

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

Hezbollah’s Rising Presence in Germany

The Algemeiner wrote on June 9:

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

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

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

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

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

Spahn under Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 5:

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

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

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

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

Forced to Consume Pork!

The Associated Press reported on June 4:

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Russia and Belarus

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

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

NBC News added on May 28:

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

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

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

Germany Refuses to Help Ukraine militarily

The Associated Press wrote on June 1:

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

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

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

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

Russian Hackers Attack Again

CNN wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

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

Breitbart added on June 1:

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

Fox Business wrote on June 2:

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

So quickly things can change.

Netanyahu Ousted?

On June 2, JTA reported the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

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

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

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

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

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

Germany Admits Genocide in Namibia

NPR wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

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

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

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

France Resists More “Brain Dead” NATO Funding

Reuters wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

Classified Information about Nuclear Weapons in Europe Leaked

Deutsche Welle reported on May 29:

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

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

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

Australia Invaded by Millions of Mice and other Problems

MSN wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unparalleled American Debt

National Review wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

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

More Propaganda—Vaccine Passports and Vaccinations of Children

Axios wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

The Associated Press added on May 28:

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

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

NBC News reported on May 28:

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

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

Radical Increase of Kid Suicide Due to Lockdowns

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

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

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

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

Oregon Objects…

week.com wrote on May 25:

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

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

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

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

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

Coronavirus Created through Laboratory Manipulation?

Daily Mail reported on May 28:

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

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

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

The Daily Mail published this opinion piece on May 28:

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

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

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

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

The Sun added on May 29:

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

Censorship Galore

Breitbart reported on May 28:

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

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

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

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

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

Deliberate Lies by CNN

Newsmax wrote on May 28:

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

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

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

Incredible… but not surprising…

Trump to Return in August?

Mediaite wrote on June 1:

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

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

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

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

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

Abortion Industry Condemns New Texas Law

Live Action wrote on May 26:

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

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

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

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

America’s Catholic President supports what God condemns.

Rainbow Index of Christian Churches—Schism in Catholic Church

Life Site News wrote on May 26:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sodom and Gomorrah…

Canadian Persecution of Churches Continues

Global News wrote on May 31:

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

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

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

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

Black Matter and Einstein’s Error?

Business Insider reported on May 29:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

©2025 Church of the Eternal God
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