How Strong Is the US Military?

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Contrary to President Donald Trump’s assertion that ‘our nation is stronger today than it ever was before,’ the ‘Salute to America’ [parade during the 4^th of July celebrations] looked more like a military antiques road show than a display of a 21st-century military power.

“The age of the current force was most apparent in the Army hardware on display… The M-1A2 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley infantry combat vehicles… represent a generation of armored vehicles that were designed in the 1970s and procured in large numbers during the 1980s. More than three decades later, they remain, albeit with modification, the mainstay of the U.S. Army and have been used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The aircraft that flew over the capital echoed the theme of an advanced but aging force. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was another product of the Reagan defense buildup. Although it is an impressive aircraft able to evade enemy radar, the U.S. Air Force has fewer than 20 of them—far short of the 132 the Air Force originally envisioned purchasing when the bomber first took flight in 1988, and its successor, the B-21 Raider, has yet to make its first flight. The two F-22 Raptors that flanked it are newer aircraft but, like the B-2, exist in only small numbers (187 rather than the 750 originally envisioned)…

“America’s non-stealthy aircraft are becoming more vulnerable. Decades after it was introduced, stealth is still working its way into the U.S. military—in the form of the F-35 plane that the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps are procuring. In the meantime, most U.S. combat aircraft are not stealthy and are less and less useful in high-threat environments. Indeed, as a result of a lack of aircraft-modernization programs over the past 30 years, the Air Force’s fighter force is half the size it was when the Berlin Wall fell, and has reached an unprecedented average age of 26 years…

“Moreover, military displays like the one on July 4 obscure the fact that the U.S. armed forces are still largely organized the way they were a generation ago and employ tactics that have seen only marginal change from those employed in past wars…

“The United States tends not to parade its nuclear forces in public. Had Trump done so, the public would have seen not row upon row of new missiles, such as those that have appeared in recent Russian and Chinese parades, but rather a force of land- and sea-based missiles and bombers that date back to the late Cold War or its immediate aftermath…

“The wars of the future may depend not so much on the kinds of things you can put on parade, but on new technologies that reimagine warfare. Adversaries have invested in blunting America’s ability to project military power abroad, including by striking critical bases of operations, disabling information networks, and interfering with communication, navigation, and imagery satellites that support military operations…”

In light of these facts, it might perhaps not be all that stunning to realize that the US will lose its biblically prophesied war with Europe.

US Costliest Warship Cannot Carry Ammunition

Bloomberg wrote on July 30:

“Only two of 11 elevators needed to lift munitions to the deck of the U.S. Navy’s new $13 billion aircraft carrier (the costliest warship ever) have been installed… It’s another setback for contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. — and for the Navy, which had said in December it planned to complete installation and testing of all 11 elevators before the Ford completed its post-delivery shakedown phase this month… Instead, the shakedown phase has been extended to October and the vessel won’t have all the elevators installed — much less functioning — by then… Essentially, the ship can’t deploy… It can’t carry ammunition…

“The elevators aren’t the only issue plaguing the ship, which has had problems with two other core systems — the electromagnetic system to launch planes and the arresting gear to catch them when they land… ‘I am concerned overall that the Navy is under-equipped in key areas,” the Oklahoma Republican [Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe] said in a statement. ‘The USS Gerald R. Ford is a prime example of that — delivered nearly two years late, billions over budget, and 9 of 11 weapons elevators still don’t work, with costs continuing to grow’…”

The US President’s War Powers

The Week wrote on July 28:

“The U.S. is currently conducting military operations in at least seven countries. In addition to Afghanistan and Iraq, American forces are involved in conflicts in Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Niger, and Libya. Most of these campaigns are being carried out under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which Congress passed just a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 60-word resolution granted the president sweeping powers to use force against any nation, organization, or person who aided in the attacks. That was understood to include Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network al Qaida and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Constitution gives Congress the sole power to ‘declare war,’ but since 2001, presidents have repeatedly used the AUMF to justify military operations around the globe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently suggested President Trump had the authority to unilaterally order a war against Iran because of the AUMF.

“Can Trump do that? Legally, it’s a big stretch. Pompeo has told Congress that Iran has ‘very real’ ties with al Qaida. Intelligence analysts, however, are highly skeptical… there is no evidence of active collaboration between Iran’s Shiite rulers and Sunni-dominated al Qaida. So, the Trump administration’s trial balloon on Iran has alarmed members of both parties in Congress…

“Presidents Bush and Obama invoked the AUMF at least 37 times for military actions in 14 countries and at sea. Obama invoked it to strike ISIS in the Middle East and al–Shabab in East Africa—terrorist groups that didn’t exist on Sept. 11, 2001. Obama administration lawyers argued that those groups were ‘associated forces’ of al Qaida, so the law still applied. But even before the AUMF, American presidents had steadily expanded their war powers over the last century.

“Through what authority? Through their role as commander in chief of the military. The Framers acknowledged that the president should be able to order a military response to an emergency, such as a foreign attack on the U.S., without a formal declaration of war. American presidents have steadily expanded the definition of ‘emergency’; as a result, the U.S. has had only five declared wars in its history, the last of which was World War II. President Truman didn’t seek congressional approval for the Korean War – which lasted for three years and cost the lives of 40,000 Americans – by describing it as a ‘police action’ under United Nations rules. The small American presence in South Vietnam metastasized into a full-blown… undeclared war [which] lasted until 1975, killing more than 58,000 Americans and more than 1.3 million people altogether…

“In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which required the president to seek congressional approval for any conflicts lasting more than 60 days. Presidents have mostly just ignored it. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all used loose interpretations of ‘national emergency’ to justify interventions in conflicts in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Bosnia. Obama argued that the War Powers Resolution didn’t apply to airstrikes in Libya because they wouldn’t involve ground troops or the ‘sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire.’ The Obama and Trump administrations have used a similar rationale to justify supporting Saudi Arabia’s brutal campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump used the same legal framework for airstrikes on Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria last year.

“Why doesn’t Congress object? It often does, but it’s nearly impossible to rein in the president without overwhelming, veto-proof congressional majorities. Congress passed a bipartisan bill in April demanding that Trump remove all troops involved in ‘hostilities’ in Yemen, but the president simply vetoed it… In many cases, Congress has actually preferred to let the president take the lead on military action abroad. When Obama asked Congress in 2013 to authorize military strikes against Syria in retaliation for chemical weapons attacks against civilians, the Senate refused even to hold a vote…”

So, practically, the power of the US President to declare and wage war is seemingly unrestricted. This should be of great interest to every American—and to American allies and foes alike.

US Economy Slows

npr wrote on July 26:

“U.S. economic growth fell to a 2.1% annual rate in the second quarter — down from a 3.1% pace in the first three months of 2019…  President Trump has targeted a growth rate of 3% or above, citing the Republican tax cuts passed in 2017. But some studies have found that the tax cuts passed have done little to boost growth, in part because most of the benefit went to wealthy people and corporations.

“A 5.2% drop in exports — amid economic weakness in Europe and elsewhere as well as the U.S. trade war with China and other countries — contributed to the slowdown… In addition… the Commerce Department cited a number of other factors for the slowdown, including drops in business investment and investments in commercial and residential real estate. But consumer spending jumped 4.3% in the second quarter and government spending surged 5%….

“The economic slowdown comes even as unemployment, at 3.7%, is at near 50-year lows. Over the past three months, employers have added an average of 171,000 jobs each month. The trade war has taken a toll on manufacturing, and Boeing’s ongoing problems with the grounding of its top-selling 737 Max have also hurt the economy, analysts say… ‘We’re already seeing some signs of slowing momentum in the U.S. economy and slowing business investment overall,’ Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told NPR’s Jim Zarroli [said].”

The question in light of this is as to how long the low unemployment figures and the high consumer spending can be maintained. 

Fed Cuts Interest Rates – Why?

The Week wrote on July 31:

“The Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in a decade on Wednesday…

“It’s unusual for the Fed to cut rates as data show ‘above trend growth’ and such a strong labor market, rather than waiting to offer stimulus when the economy is heading into trouble, said Ethan Harris, head of global economic research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. ‘There’s no historical precedent,’ he said.”

The Democratic Debate: Socialists vs. Moderates

AFP wrote on July 31:

“The ideological divide between Democratic presidential hopefuls came into focus Tuesday as leading progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their liberal policies on healthcare and immigration against surprisingly energetic attacks from moderate rivals. The fault lines emerged immediately in the second debate of the 2020 Democratic primary race, with lesser-known candidates taking sharp digs and warning that forcing radical change could ensure President Donald Trump’s re-election…

“[Warren] and Sanders faced dramatic pushback including from ex-congressman John Delaney who delivered a scathing rebuke to their ‘fairy tale economics’ that risk bankrupting the economy… Warren and Sanders… are essentially tied for second, at about half Biden’s support…”

Second Democratic Debate

Fox News reported on August 1:

“Former Vice President Joe Biden dominated the debate stage and weathered the attacks of nine opponents for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday night, emerging the clear winner… [He] delivered his message compellingly and convincingly. Even during his less strong moments, Biden remained the focal point of the conversation, speaking for over 21 minutes – more than any other candidate on stage…

“Despite Biden’s strong performance and solid frontrunner status, it is clear that the party has seismically shifted away from the centrist Democratic Party of the 1990’s…”

US Allies Are Distancing Themselves from America

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Two of America’s closest treaty allies have announced military efforts explicitly designed to exclude the United States. Australia is ‘seeking to cement its status as the security partner of choice for Pacific nations’ by establishing an expeditionary training force. And the United Kingdom wants to create a multinational force to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s not a coincidence that allies are striking out on their own. Countries in the Pacific worry that the U.S. is forcing them to choose between their economic connections to China and their security relationships with the U.S…

“America’s friends are choosing to dissociate themselves, believing their interests are better served without American strength. It seems the rest of the world is losing faith that the U.S. is a reliable partner… The U.S. is ceasing to be a country that its allies come to for help solving problems. On the contrary, America’s allies think the U.S. is the cause of their increasingly tenuous security… [US] relations with close allies have frayed in systemically significant ways…”

The Algemeiner wrote on July 26:

“Denmark said on Friday it welcomed a British government proposal for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and would consider a military maritime contribution… The initiative won initial support from Denmark, France and Italy… The backing contrasts with a lukewarm response shown by European allies to a similar American call first voiced at NATO in late June, which was resisted by France and Germany. They worried the US-led military alliance would be dragged into a possible confrontation with Iran.

“EU-member Denmark is among the world’s biggest seafaring nations and home to the world’s biggest container shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk, which sails in the high-tension area. ‘The Royal Danish Navy is strong and capable and would be able to contribute actively and effectively to this type of engagement,’ said Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen. A final decision would still need to be discussed in parliament.”

Germany Refuses to Assist USA

Breitbart wrote on July 31:

“The U.S. has requested naval cooperation from Germany in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran escalate, but the political leaders of the European nation have refused to assist their NATO allies. The German Federal Foreign Office said that Washington has approached them to contribute to a new surveillance mission in the Persian Gulf but had rejected the appeal saying there was no prospect of a contribution, German tabloid Bild reports.

“Germany’s allies, including the U.S. and the UK, have been attacked in the Persian Gulf by Iran in recent months. and under the doctrine of collective defence guaranteed by the NATO alliance, Germany is duty-bound to come to the aid of its allies if asked. Yet senior members of Angela Merkel’s left-centrist coalition government have made clear working with the U.S. is out of the question.”

Trade Deal between US and UK?

The Guardian wrote on July 31:

“Boris Johnson has presented a trade deal with the US as a way of offsetting the economic costs of leaving the EU, and Donald Trump promised the two countries could strike ‘a very substantial trade agreement’ that would increase trade ‘four or five times’. Trump, however, would not be able to push an agreement through a hostile Congress, where there would be strong bipartisan opposition to any UK trade deal in the event of a threat to the 1998 Good Friday agreement, and to the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic…

“[Republican] Pete King [said] his party would have no compunction about defying Trump over the issue…

“For the past eight months, Congress has held up ratification of a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, the USMCA, which Trump has presented as an extraordinary achievement… Representative King said a UK trade deal would face even greater obstacles…

“The Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has said that a US-UK trade deal has ‘no chance whatsoever’ of passing in Congress…”

Partisan Decision of US Supreme Court to Support Trump’s Wall

Breitbart wrote on July 26:

“The U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to begin building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border using emergency funds, lifting an injunction Friday that had been imposed by a district court in California and upheld by the Ninth Circuit.

“After Congress refused to appropriate enough funding to build a barrier along the border earlier this year, President Trump declared a national emergency to allow the administration to access more money. In total, he ordered $8 billion spent — though, as Breitbart News pointed out, only $3.6 billion needed an emergency declaration.

“The decision was largely along partisan lines, with all five Republican-appointed justices voting to lift the injunction, while all three liberal justices were opposed…”

As can be seen from this example, the US Supreme Court has become—or has always been—a political force. The decision is difficult to comprehend from just a merely legal standpoint.

Strange Happenings at the Mexican Border

World News Daily Report wrote on July 24:

“A group of Minutemen watching the Mexican Border for illegal migrants and drug traffickers, have proceeded to the citizen arrest of two men in an SUV, carrying 1300 pounds of cocaine. The volunteers were completely astonished when the two arrestees pulled out CIA ID cards and explained they were actually carrying the drug as part of their duties and that the cargo belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency.

“… the CIA spokesperson, Dean Boyd, has officially denied any link between the organization and the two men… Both the border patrol officers and minutemen seem unconvinced, however, and many of them seem to believe that the secret service agency is hiding something… Both the FBI and the DEA have announced that they would collaborate with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in this case, which has already attracted a lot of attention in Southern Texas.”

One does wonder…

U.S., Guatemala Sign Treaty Denying U.S. Asylum to Migrants

The Week wrote on July 27:

“President Trump on Friday announced an agreement with Guatemala that will require migrants traveling through the country to seek asylum there rather than the United States. American officials said the deal could go into effect within weeks, but critics are expected to challenge it in court, arguing that Guatemala is one of the world’s most dangerous countries and, therefore, should not be considered a place of refuge for those fleeing violence.

“Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has also granted multiple injunctions on the deal preventing the government from entering into it without congressional approval. American asylum laws require that almost all asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border be allowed to seek refuge in the country, unless they passed through a ‘safe third’ country, which is what Guatemala would be considered if the deal does go into effect.”

Even though the proposed deal was described by the conservative media as a great victory for Donald Trump, it faces substantial legal challenges in both countries. 

Believing Flip-Flopping Boris Johnson?

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Philips has warned that ‘we can’t believe Boris’ on his pledges to deliver Brexit… [She] joked that his colleagues should keep count of how many times Prime Minister Johnson pledges to take the UK out of the EU on October 31st, after his predecessor Theresa May stated 108 times that the UK would leave on March 29th. Ms Philips remarked: ‘No, we can’t believe Boris because this is the man who first of all reportedly wrote two different versions of his columns to The Telegraph on whether we should Remain or Leave.’

“Mr Johnson has u-turned on a number of positions in the past, including having voted for Mrs May’s withdrawal treaty on its third vote in the House of Commons, despite having voted it down twice before on grounds that it would reduce the United Kingdom to a ‘vassal state’ or ‘colony’ of the EU…

“Show host Martin Daubney revived the possibility of a Nigel Farage-Boris Johnson election pact…  Mr Farage also shared his colleague’s scepticism that the Tory government under Johnson would deliver Brexit, saying: ‘I don’t believe a single word the Conservative Party tell us. Theresa May told us 108 times we were leaving on March 29th and we didn’t, so just because Boris says we’re leaving on the 31st of October doesn’t mean we’re going to.’”

Nigel Farage also said that unless an election pact between him and Boris Johnson is formed, Mr. Johnson will not succeed. On the other hand, he might carry out Brexit—even without a deal. Also note the next interesting article about his close relationship to Israel.

Johnson a Passionate Zionist

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 24:

“Boris Johnson[’s] Jewish ancestry and personal experiences volunteering on an Israeli kibbutz as a young man positively impact his feelings about the Land of Israel and the Jewish people… He has great-grandparents who were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish and sometimes refers to himself as a ‘one-man melting pot.’

“Johnson’s maternal great-grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant… [he] was not a practicing Jew but was descendent of a strictly Orthodox Jewish rabbi from Lithuania. Throughout his political career, Johnson has been a strong advocate for Israel. Writing for The Jewish Chronicle, Daniella Peled reported in 2007 that Johnson is, ‘an enemy of politically correct anti-Zionism and immensely proud of his own Jewish ancestry.’ She quoted Johnson saying, ‘I feel Jewish when I feel the Jewish people are threatened or under attack, that’s when it sort of comes out. When I suddenly get a whiff of antisemitism, it’s then that you feel angry and protective.’

“In addition to his Jewish ancestry, Johnson has even stronger ties to Israel through his Jewish stepmother… Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… British politicians rarely call themselves ‘Zionists.’…”

Pound Could Hit Historic Low

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 30:

“The new U.K. government’s tough line on Brexit negotiations is pummeling the pound, reflecting increased investor fears the country could crash out of the European Union without an exit agreement… Two days of heavy selling have raised fears that sterling is heading toward its lowest level against the dollar in more than 34 years…

“‘People had thought that Boris Johnson may soften his stance once he was in power, but now the market is realizing that a no-deal Brexit is a very real possibility,’ said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors in London… The pound could fall to $1.18 as Oct. 31 approaches, she said… Analysts are now placing the probability of a no-deal Brexit between 35% and 45%, up from 20% to 30% at the start of July.”

Russia and China Best Friends

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Now that Putin is Xi’s ‘best and bosom friend’, where does that leave the west?  An ever closer alliance between Beijing and Moscow has the Pentagon worried as a threat to US power in east Asia…

“A China-Russia axis is not a new idea but the question is gaining in topicality. Look no further than last week’s aerial confrontation over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. For the first time, China and Russia joined forces to mount an air patrol using long-range bombers and spy planes…

“China and Russia agree on many issues, principally the obsolescence of liberal democracy and the attractions of authoritarian governance. When Putin hosted Xi Jinping in Moscow in June, they celebrated a 30% year-on-year increase in bilateral trade and signed various cooperation deals. Russia is selling China its latest weaponry, including S400 ground-to-air missiles and SU-35 jets.

“Bigger, more frequent joint military exercises are planned… Putin has met Xi about 30 times since 2013. Xi calls him his ‘best and bosom friend’. All this… is deeply troubling, not just for Pentagon war-gamers but also for western allies… Trump’s two summit meetings with North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un, have failed to produce any movement on denuclearisation. Now things are beginning to unravel. On Thursday, Pyongyang resumed ballistic missile testing.

“Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, while pursuing improved relations with China, also wants his country to be more self-reliant militarily. But he failed to secure a mandate to change Tokyo’s pacifist constitution in last weekend’s Upper House elections. That has tied his hands – which suits China and Russia just fine.

“Compared with Japan, South Korea’s relations with China are less encumbered by historical baggage. But the large American military presence there is a constant irritant… The Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, lamely agreed this year to shelve bilateral territorial and fishing disputes under pressure from Xi. Cambodia has reportedly agreed to host a Chinese naval base, although it officially denies it.

“Meanwhile China, sensing division and weakness, is noisily amplifying its longstanding objections to US (and British) geopolitical ‘meddling’. After more violence in Hong Kong last week, it pointedly told the US to remove its ‘black hand’.  Xi is simultaneously ramping up pressure on US-protected Taiwan… Beijing vowed to ‘resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China and safeguard national unity at all costs’.

“This sterner-than-usual warning follows Washington’s decision to supply $2.2bn (£1.8bn) in arms to Taiwan and a heightened US naval presence in the Taiwan Strait. Yet despite these American moves, Taiwan, in common with other rattled regional friends and allies, doubts Trump can be counted on…”

The Bible prophesies that a strong economic and military power bloc will be forming in the Far East, consisting of countries such as China, Russia and others. This power bloc will turn out to be hostile towards the West, especially continental Europe.

Crackdown on Russia’s Opposition

Deutsche Welle reported on July 27:

“Police in Moscow said they arrested more than 1,000 people [newer accounts put the number in excess of 1,400] on Saturday during an unauthorized rally to demand fair upcoming elections in Russia’s capital city. Around 3,500 people took to the streets, according to media reports [but the real figure was undoubtedly much higher, according to other press releases], in a demonstration which lasted more than seven hours. Demonstrators were protesting a decision by Moscow’s electoral authorities to keep several opposition members off the ballot for a city council election in September…

“Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition activist, had called for people to attend the rally. He was jailed for 30 days on Wednesday for organizing ‘unauthorized’ demonstrations… [Deutsche Welle wrote on July 28: “It’s not the first time Russian authorities have detained Navalny. The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that Russia’s arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a verdict Moscow rejected.”]

“Last weekend, 22,000 people attended a protest in Moscow to protest the ban on opposition candidates, the largest such demonstration in years… anti-Kremlin parties have been steadily marginalized in Russian politics since President Vladimir Putin first took office 20 years ago…

“Sergey Dik, a journalist working in [Deutsche Welle’s] Russian department, was briefly arrested… when he… was covering the protests on behalf of DW Russia… He immediately told the police officers that he is a journalist. They asked to see his ID, at which point Dik informed them that he had his passport as well as his foreign ministry press accreditation in his backpack. As he went to show his accreditation, the special forces offers told him that it was ‘some worthless document.’

“He was then taken to a police van, which transported him, along with 20 other detainees, to the ‘Marino’ police station in southeastern Moscow. A minor and another journalist were also among those who were detained… ‘It quickly became clear that the police were simply arresting everyone arbitrarily,’ Dik said. ‘They just come here, grab someone and lead or drag that person into the police vans — young men, women and also older people — and all without knowing whether these people are actually taking part in the protest,’ he said…

“After almost an hour and a half in the police van and the station, Dik was released.”

The Guardian added on July 27:

“Police also arrived at the homes of multiple opposition figures with search and arrest warrants, and called the editor-in-chief of the country’s leading independent television station in for questioning… Taken by surprise, authorities responded over the past week by launching a series of legal procedures against various opposition figures, alternating between the sinister and the absurd.

“Alexei Navalny, the highest profile opposition politician, was arrested outside his house earlier in the week as he stepped out to go jogging and buy his wife flowers for her birthday; he has been sentenced to 30 days in jail. Others received midnight knocks on the door from investigators, who demanded to search their properties and branded them suspects in the crime of ‘hindering the work of the electoral commission’…

“Sources told Russian media outlets that a department of the FSB security services, the successor of the KGB, is running the cases against opposition leaders… ‘This is the end of Russia’s 30-year experiment with elections,’ said Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran Russian liberal politician… Yavlinsky, who came third in the 2000 presidential election in which Putin first won the presidency, said that ‘with each year the elections are less and less real, but this is really the end’…

“Now, authorities will… have to decide whether to step back or crack down, at a time when [former KGB intelligence officer and Russian spy Vladimir] Putin’s ratings are slipping and his ruling United Russia party is widely despised…”

The Sun added on July 27:

“Demonstrators decrying the leader’s grip on power were beaten and dragged away to cells as security forces used batons to storm the crowds… Amnesty International described the security force’s ‘military’ style tactics as reaching a ‘new low’…”

Historically, Russia has always been a dictatorship, and there is really no indication that this will change—most certainly not under Vladimir Putin. When the Russian government is challenged, those in power react with brutal force. 

Navalny Poisoned? 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

“Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny’s personal doctor, Anastasiya Vasilyeva, said Monday that an unidentified ‘toxic agent’ may have caused his health to deteriorate while in police custody. Navalny was rushed to a Moscow hospital on Sunday but was since reported to be in ‘satisfactory condition’ and taken back to jail. ‘… he was in a life-threatening condition,’ she told reporters. ‘And now they are sending him back to the same place where that same toxic, chemical substance might be again… This was a chemical substance – even the doctors here have admitted that…’

“Navalny’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, supported that assumption, saying: ‘It is indeed poisoning.’”

It is not the first time that Vladimir Putin’s government has been accused of poisoning its opponents—and at least in some cases, overwhelming evidence points at the government’s guilt.

Atheistic China Persecutes Christians

CBN wrote on July 27:

“The Chinese government continues to tighten its grip on Christianity by actively discouraging young people to engage in things of faith. Under the last year’s new Regulations on Religious Affairs legislation, schoolchildren are even encouraged to report any family members who espouse Christian views… the new policy has created fierce rifts amongst families as children are encouraged to [question] and undermine the religious beliefs of those closest to them. In addition, the youngsters are fully aware that, if they report members of their family, it could result in their arrest and prosecution…

“‘My teacher says that Christianity is an evil cult,’ one boy explained to his mother… ‘Before starting school, I told my child about God’s creation, and he believed it,’ she explained. ‘But after being taught at school, my child is like a different person. In atheistic China, these pure and innocent children have been taught to hate God.’…

“Another school screened a propaganda video in which Jesus-followers were depicted as big scary monsters. After the presentation was complete, a teacher warned that Christian relatives might ‘cast spells’ on the youngsters… students were advised to ‘supervise’ their parents to ensure that they don’t partake in any religious activities…”

Such as was done in Nazi Germany under Hitler. 

Chinese Forces Gather at Hong Kong Border 

news wrote on July 31:

“The White House is monitoring the sudden gathering of Chinese forces at the border with Hong Kong, in a worrying sign of escalation… following another night of unrest and clashes between protesters and police…

“Growing ranks of Hong Kong’s typically conservative and publicity-shy bureaucrats have begun an unprecedented online dissent campaign against the city’s pro-Beijing leaders… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged China to ‘do the right thing’ by Hong Kong… China hit back immediately, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying blaming America for the protests. ‘It’s clear that Mr Pompeo has put himself in the wrong position and still regards himself as the head of the CIA,’ Ms Hua said.”

UN Anti-Israel Resolution 

JTA wrote on July 26:

“Norway and six EU countries voted at the United Nations in favor of two resolutions that singled out Israel for criticism as a violator of women’s and human rights. Israel was the only country named Tuesday as a violator or trouble spot by the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council during the session…

“The council’s rotating president is currently the Norwegian UN ambassador. France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta joined China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela and 29 other nations in supporting a resolution that says ‘that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights.’…

“Only Canada and the United States voted against the resolution. The United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Romania and Ukraine were among the nine nations that abstained.

“Nikki Haley, the previous US ambassador to the UN, tweeted on Thursday: ‘It amazes me how the U.N. condones votes like these. It is a total mockery of human rights to allow Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen to name Israel as the world’s only violator of women’s rights…’”

Bild Online commented about the “scandalous” UN Resolution and Germany’s decision to abstain, asking Germany’s UN ambassador:

“How could Germany be silent, Herr UN-Ambassador? It is a new low point of the German conduct at the UN regarding Israel—a poor testimony for Germany’s UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen… He was not even present during this farce, but sent a replacement…”

Even though some European countries and especially the German government with its controversial UN ambassador might give lip services for the support of Israel, their actions show quite consistently a totally different and disturbing picture of anti-Israeli politics. Ultimately, European countries will even intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy Jerusalem, as the Bible clearly predicts.

“Top Rabbi in Israel: We Must Build the Third Temple”

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 29:

“The former Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem and one of the leading rabbis in Israel today said in an interview: ‘we must do everything in our power to build the Temple’.

“Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl is an Israeli rabbi and Posek (a legal scholar who determines the position of Halakha (Jewish law) in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive, or in those situations where no clear halakhic precedent exists). He is the head of the Yeshiva (seminary) of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, a faculty member at Yeshivat HaKotel, and Rabbi of the Ramban Synagogue. Nebenzahl used to serve as the chief rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem. Today, the post was taken over by his son, Rabbi Chizkiyahu Nebenzahl…

“The rabbi emphasized that there has never been any sort of ruling from Chazal (Jewish sages of the Mishna) that states that the Jewish people should wait for it to fall from the sky contrary to what many ultra-orthodox Jews believe. One piece of evidence Rav Nebenzahl submits comes from Midrash Rabah of Parshat Toldot, saying: ‘When the Roman Empire gave the Jews permission to build the Temple, they built it. They didn’t wait for it to fall from Heaven’.

“The rabbi added that there is a mitzvah (commandment) to build the Temple – even if we can’t yet offer sacrifices. He added that questions surrounding the renewal of Temple sacrifices should not get in the way of the Third Temple being built…”

A Third Temple will be built soon.

New Dirty Allegations against Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Kleine Zeitung wrote on July 27:

“The national election campaign has already reached an all-time low.  On the Internet, a new website with allegations against ÖVP chairman Sebastian Kurz has emerged. In it, the former Chancellor is accused of having been active in the 1990s as a child porn actor…

“This campaign ‘is becoming more and more the dirtiest battle there has ever been – and all with only one goal, namely, to damage Sebastian Kurz sustainably,’ ÖVP General Secretary Karl Nehammer said… Only a few days ago, Kurz was associated with rumors about drugs by the research institute ‘Zoom’, registered in Switzerland… Now it’s ‘one more step down’, says Nehammer.

“[Apart from the accusation of participation as a child porn actor in the 1990s,] there is also a mail circulating that accuses Kurz of sexual relationships with underage Syrian or Afghani [hustlers], Nehammer [reported]…

“As contact, a Dr. Siegfried Mayr is mentioned on the website… Mayr said Saturday afternoon that the site was authentic and the allegations against Kurz were substantiated by witnesses…

“Nehammer [stated:] ‘What is happening here in regard to allegations, rumors, slander and insults, is a systematic… filthy campaign against Sebastian Kurz… With Dirty Campaigning they want to permanently damage Kurz.’ The ÖVP Secretary General announced legal action against the partially unknown actors and has reportedly forwarded the ‘fake mail’ to data-forensic investigations to identify the authors…

“With similar words, Kurz responded himself Sunday on Facebook: ‘The last few days have highlighted the degree of horror [or gruesomeness] that this campaign will bring,’ Kurz writes… He believes that one wants to suppress his policy. The 2017 election campaign was apparently just a foretaste. ‘From the left and from the right, new innuendos, defamation and filth of the lowest kind are being disseminated on an almost daily basis.’ Kurz refers to fake e-mails… and then continues: ‘That’s not enough. Rumors of child pornography, drug abuse or corruption are being scattered around, leaving no stone unturned, saying “Something is going to stick”, in order to sabotage us and our country.’ In short, it is assumed that it is about ‘fighting by all means the change we stand for,’ including [fighting] all those who support this path of change.”

 Politics has always been a rotten and dirty business, but it seems now that there is no end to accusations and innuendos… and that is true around the world. The accused finds him- or herself always in the precarious situation as to whether to remain silent (which could be construed as an admission of guilt in the court of public opinion) or to speak out (which could be construed as a desperate attempt by the “guilty” accused to deny the “facts.” The nice-sounding concept of “presumption of innocence until proven guilty” is in many cases just a farce.) However, the truth, whatever it may be, will come to light and prevail in God’s due time. This proves once more that a true Christian cannot and must not have any active part in politics. In any event, we feel that Sebastian Kurz has still an important role to play on the world scene. 

The Dangers with Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“Amazon staff review thousands of audio recordings made by Alexa each day… The clips were accidentally captured by the popular digital assistant — confusing the noises for the commands it should be listening to — and sent off for analysis. Staff at the tech firm review one in every five-hundred recordings made by Alexa, whether of deliberate commands to the assistant or accidental recordings… the revelation is a reminder of the extent of the personal information that the tech firm has on its users. Amazon has an English-speaking team monitoring thousands of Alexa recordings daily based in Bucharest, Romania… along with similar setups in Boston, Costa Rica and India…

“It is estimated that Amazon’s Echo and Echo dot smart speakers — on which Alexa operates — can be found in around 6.5 million homes in the UK alone. ‘All Amazon Alexa owners will likely be stunned by the news that Amazon employees can listen to intimate moments,’ Kaspersky principal security researcher David Emm told the MailOnline. ‘While digital assistants such as the Amazon Echo are supposed to be activated by a specific ‘wake-up’ word, time and time again recently these devices have hit the headlines for intruding on people’s privacy, so the question is, where does this end?’…

“On Twitter, various Alexa users report their smart speaker devices being accidentally activated by random sounds — or even to no apparent cause… consumers need to be made aware ‘that what goes on at home doesn’t necessarily stay at home.’ ‘It is an alarming wake-up call to owners of all digital assistants that the vendor has access to a huge volume of your personal information,’ he said. This information is of potential value not only to cyber-criminals who could conceivably gain access to the data, but advertisers as well…

“The Sun’s investigation comes after similar privacy issues were revealed with Apple’s equivalent digital assistant, Siri — which is so sensitive that even the sound of a zipper being pulled can set it off… There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on… In particular, it has been suggested that Siri is especially disposed towards unintended activation on Apple Watch devices….”

Amazon’s and Apple’s conduct should not be ignored or glossed over…

Cheaters Linked to Professional Misconduct

The Independent wrote on July 31:

“… a new study suggests that marital infidelity and professional misconduct are linked…

“The study’s researchers said their investigation suggests a strong connection between people’s actions in their personal and professional lives…”

Earthquakes in Europe, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia

The Sun wrote on July 31:

“The island of Crete was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this morning… Greece is a hotspot for earthquakes…

“While France has not been hit by strong earthquakes in recent history, the country is still affected by shakes, especially along western France… Just last month, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit France with tremors felt as far as Bordeaux and Normandy…

“Spain does not have dangerously strong earthquakes although they are common in certain regions such as Costa Blanca. In March, holiday resorts in the area were hit by a magnitude 4 earthquake… Eastern and central Italy often experience earthquakes, with a 6.2 quake in 2016 killing more than 150 people…

“Turkey has experienced some of the most deadly earthquakes in the world. In 1999, thousands of people were killed following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.

“… the UK rarely experiences strong earthquakes – the most recent being a 3.3 magnitude quake in February this year. One of the largest earthquakes to hit the UK was in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1.

“The countries with the most earthquakes are Japan and Indonesia – with the deadliest in 2004 on the island of Sumatra, triggering the Boxing Day tsunami.”

In addition, we will soon experience strong earthquakes in other places around the world, including in America and also in Italy and Israel.

America’s Recycling Crisis—Robots to the Rescue

CNBC wrote on July 27:

“The U.S. is facing a recycling crisis that is burying cities and towns in tens of millions of tons of garbage a day. The problem began last year when China, the world’s largest recyclable processor, stopped accepting most American scrap plastic and cardboard due to contamination problems, and a glut of plastics overwhelming its own processing facilities. Historically, China recycled the bulk of U.S. waste.

“Contamination in the U.S. is high… The situation is dire for many local economies as recycling costs skyrocket. It’s forced many cities and some small communities to stop recycling all together. [Others threaten to charge fees for recycling, which would most certainly not help the situation.] Now more waste is ending up in landfills and incinerators.

“To tackle this environmental catastrophe, U.S. companies and researchers are developing AI-assisted robotic technology that can work with humans in processing plants and improve quality control… Sorting trash is a dirty and dangerous job. Recycling workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be injured on the job… The profession also has high fatality rates.

“The way the robots work is simple. Guided by cameras and computer systems trained to recognize specific objects, the robots’ arms glide over moving conveyor belts until they reach their target. Oversized tongs or fingers with sensors that are attached to the arms snag cans, glass, plastic containers, and other recyclable items out of the rubbish and place them into nearby bins.

“Denver-based AMP Robotics… has developed software… so robots can recognize different colors, textures, shapes, sizes and patterns to identify material characteristics so they can sort waste. The robots are being installed at the Single Stream Recyclers plant in Sarasota, Florida and they will be able to pick 70 to 80 items a minute, twice as fast as humanly possible and with greater accuracy…”

Amazing what the human mind can do. This would be actually good news for a change… if it works.

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.

US Tensions with Iran… Seeks “Continued” Friendship with Saudi Arabia

AFP wrote on July 20:

“The United States is deploying troops in Saudi Arabia as tensions soar with its arch-rival Iran raising concerns over navigation in the Gulf’s strategic Strait of Hormuz. It will be the first deployment of its kind since 2003, when American forces withdrew from the kingdom after a 12-year presence and two US-led wars with Iraq that culminated with the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein…

“Analysts say the deployment is aimed at bolstering ties between Washington and Riyadh — particularly military relations — strained in the past year…

“Trump’s administration has faced anger from lawmakers at home for not doing more to punish Saudi Arabia over last year’s killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul… There has been growing outrage in the US, and around the world, over American arms sales to Saudi Arabia… Despite the criticism, Trump has repeatedly hailed Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the kingdom’s defence minister.”

The Sun wrote on July 22:

“DONALD TRUMP has slammed claims Iran smashed an American spy ring as ‘just more lies and propaganda’. It comes after an Iranian intelligence ministry official appeared in a state TV documentary which brags about capturing CIA spies and sentencing them to death… The programme describes a CIA spy operation which involved recruiting Iranian civilians to steal secrets on the promise they could emigrate to America… [None of the alleged captured spies are Americans.]

“Iran is second only to China in the number of people it executes every year — officially about 500 people are put to death annually on charges ranging from murder, drug dealing to opposing the regime or being gay. Firing squads or hanging is the preferred method.

“According to Amnesty International confessions are extracted under torture and some trials are held in secret…”

British Tensions with Iran

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on July 22:

“Britain was weighing its next moves in the Gulf tanker crisis on Sunday… as a recording emerged showing that the Iranian military defied a British warship when it boarded and seized a ship three days ago… in apparent retaliation for the British capture of an Iranian tanker two weeks earlier… there are few obvious steps London can take at a time when the United States has already imposed the maximum possible economic sanctions, banning all Iranian oil exports worldwide…

“The Iranian capture of the ship in the global oil trade’s most important waterway was the latest escalation in three months of spiraling confrontation with the West that began when new, tighter US sanctions took effect at the start of May.”

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

“About a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the busiest shipping lane in the world for crude tankers, and it is less than 25 miles (40km) wide at its narrowest point… Friday’s tanker seizures caused [oil] prices to rise… The UK has already advised all British-flagged ships not to enter the Strait of Hormuz until the crisis is resolved. There are eight British-flagged ships in the region at present…

“There is an urgency about the security of British ships, since one option is for British-flagged ships to be reflagged to avoid them becoming a target of the Iranians, something that would deal a blow to the British shipping industry. There are about 4,500 ships registered with Britain or its overseas territories.”

The Sun wrote on July 25:

“Boris Johnson has ordered the Royal Navy to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz… Fears have recently been raised that the Royal Navy lacks the strength to conduct missions to protect UK shipping. Since the Falklands War, the navy has dropped from 80 vessels to 50 but with ten of those currently out of action for maintenance.”

European Tensions with Trump over Iran

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

“The UK must be responsible for the safety of its own ships in the Gulf, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said [adding: ‘The US has a responsibility to do its part.’] His remarks reflect unresolved tensions between Britain and the US over Donald Trump’s plans for a US-led military convoy to protect international shipping operating off the Iranian coast… [the United States Central Command said it is working on a ‘multinational maritime effort’ called Operation Sentinel ‘to increase surveillance of and security in key waterways in the Middle East to ensure freedom of navigation in light of recent events in the Arabian Gulf region.’]

“The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to his German and French counterparts on Sunday to urge them to recognise the need to internationalise the maritime security operation in the Gulf. A multinational task force already exists, and it is not clear what the US believes its proposed Operation Sentinel will add…

“Britain has concerns that a US-led maritime security operation may have a different emphasis since Trump wants Europeans to join the US in pulling out of the nuclear deal signed in 2015.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 22:

“Britain announced plans Monday to develop and deploy a Europe-led ‘maritime protection mission’ to safeguard shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz…

“He also sought to put distance between Britain and its closest international ally, the United States. Washington has broken with London on Iran policy… The foreign secretary said the planned European mission was not part of the U.S. policy of exerting ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran.

“It was unclear which countries will join the protection force or how quickly it can be put in place. Hunt said he had consulted with foreign ministers of Oman, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and Denmark…”

The Guardian added on July 22:

“The proposal has parallels with existing international maritime forces operating in the Gulf as well as EU anti-piracy force operating off the east coast of Africa. However, these missions are protecting shipping largely from non-state actors…

“Hunt admitted the US had first requested the UK to contribute to a US-led maritime protection force… He said the US plan was helpful and it was important to coordinate, but said he wanted the contribution to the proposed naval protection force to be as broad as possible, implying a number of European countries would not be willing to contribute assets if the force was US-led.”

Boris Johnson new UK Prime Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 23:

“Boris Johnson was elected leader of the British Conservative Party on Tuesday… [He] will take over the reins from outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, having repeatedly pledged during the campaign to leave the European Union at the end of October ‘come what may.’ …

“His ascent to power was marked with regular controversies and gaffes, starting with his job as a trainee reporter at The Times newspaper, where he was dismissed for concocting a quote from his own godfather. In 2004, by then an MP, the Oxford graduate was sacked from his roles as shadow arts minister and Conservative Party vice-chairman for lying about an extramarital affair. His London mayorship was epitomized by a 53.5 million pounds (€59.5 million, $66.5 million) waste of taxpayer money on a failed vanity project, meant to be a garden-covered pedestrian bridge over the River Thames…”

“Boris Johnson Is How Britain Ends”

The New York Times wrote on July 22:

“Boris Johnson… faces the most complex and intractable political crisis to affect Britain since 1945… Mr. Johnson, whose laziness is proverbial and opportunism legendary, is a man well practiced in deceit, a pander willing to tickle the prejudices of his audience for easy gain… his premiership could bring about the end of Britain itself…

“He seems not to have principles… Tackling Britain’s deep divisions requires depth of character, conviction and principle, none of which its incoming prime minister has ever hinted at possessing…”

EU Congratulates Johnson, but…

The Guardian wrote on July 23:

“Boris Johnson’s election as Conservative leader has been greeted in Brussels with a rejection of the incoming British prime minister’s Brexit demands and an ominous warning by the newly appointed European commission president [Ursula von der Leyen] about the ‘challenging times ahead’… The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, tweeted that he wanted to work ‘constructively’ with Johnson on the basis that both sides were committed to facilitating ‘the ratification of the withdrawal agreement’, the deal struck by Theresa May that the new Conservative leader has repeatedly described as dead…

“He has promised to rapidly renegotiate almost all of May’s departure deal, ditching the Irish backstop border guarantee policy, something that would seem a huge task over any timescale, let alone little more than 12 weeks, a fair proportion of which is taken up by a summer break. If this fails, he will be set on a no-deal departure for 31 October, and a likely huge clash with MPs.” BBC News wrote on July 23:

“…EU leaders’ welcoming tone does not signal a willingness to accept whatever Prime Minister Johnson might demand in terms of changes to the Brexit deal. He’s right when he says a no-deal Brexit is bad for Brussels but he overestimates EU wiggle room. Amendments will only be forthcoming if EU leaders deem them workable, if Dublin is on board and if Brussels is convinced the new prime minister commands a majority in parliament to get the Brexit deal through once and for all. Big ifs…”

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on July 23:

“The EU is adamant that the deal with May will stand, saying Britain has to take it or leave it… Economists warn that a no-deal Brexit would disrupt trade and plunge the U.K. into recession . Fears that Britain is inching closer to crashing out of the bloc weighed on the pound once again Tuesday. The currency was down another 0.3 percent at $1.2450, nearly a two-year low…”

How Boris Johnson will proceed and whether he will stick to his promises is anybody’s guess. In the past, he strongly advocated that Britain should not leave Europe, stating that Europe was the best thing which could have happened to Britain. He also attacked Donald Trump, saying that Trump was unfit to be President. Even though he is considered to be Trump’s ally, he does not shy away from publically criticizing him when it is politically advantageous for him; for instance, when calling his remarks about four Congresswomen “racist.” This is a rather odd statement, coming from Johnson, given his ”offensive and racist comments, such as calling Papua New Guineans cannibals” (The Associated Press, dated July 23. It also said in a related article: “Boris Johnson aspires to be a modern-day Winston Churchill. Critics fear he’s a British Donald Trump.”)

Johnson’s Night of the Blond Knives

 The Sun wrote on July 24:

“Just hours after he became Britain’s 55th Prime Minister this afternoon with a promise to deliver Brexit in 99 days, more than a dozen were booted in a shock reshuffle… His rival Jeremy Hunt was the most high profile to get the sack – after he was offered a job as Defence Secretary but turned it down. Almost all of those who were axed were backers of Hr Hunt, showing the new PM is keen to ditch those who gunned for his opponent or were part of May’s team who failed to deliver Brexit.

“… a Boris supporter told the BBC this afternoon: ‘This is a bloodbath. I hope he knows what he’s doing.’ Furious allies of Jeremy Hunt turned on Boris over the purge and warned it would backfire by creating powerful enemies who will move against the new PM at the first hint after Mrs. May formally stepped down. Chancellor Philip Hammond, David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, David Lidington, the PM’s deputy and Rory Stewart all quit earlier – before Boris even had the chance to sack them…”

Johnson’s actions could very well backfire.

UK to Become the Greatest Place on Earth?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“The British prime minister has vowed to push through Brexit — even without a deal. Johnson has backed an October 31 deadline to leave the EU, describing it as the beginning of a ‘new golden age for the United Kingdom.’ [He] told Parliament that he was committed to the October 31 deadline to leave the EU ‘for the purpose of uniting and re-energizing our great United Kingdom and making this country the greatest place on earth.’…”

The Daily Mail wrote on July 25:

“Defiant Boris Johnson chanelled Donald Trump today as he promised to make Britain the ‘greatest country on Earth’ on his debut in the House of Commons… telling MPs he was determined to honour his ‘do or die’ promise to secure Brexit by the end of October.

“Going on the attack after his unprecedented bloodbath of 17 Cabinet ministersovernight, Mr Johnson warned that the Irish border backstop must be scrapped altogether, saying ‘a time limit is not enough’. He urged the EU to ‘rethink’ its refusal to make more concessions in the negotiations – threatening to withhold the £39billion divorce bill unless the UK gets a better deal. He said the UK was ‘better prepared’ than many thought for No Deal…

“In a limited olive branch to Brussels, Mr Johnson did say he would unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in the UK to stay after the country leaves the bloc…”

Tensions with Turkey

On July 19, Newsmax published the following article by Patrick Buchanan:

“In 1951, Turkey ended a neutrality dating to the end of World War I and joined NATO. In the seven decades since, there has been no graver crisis in U.S.-Turkish relations than the one that erupted this week.

“Turkey has just received the first components of a Russian S-400 air and missile defense system, despite U.S. warnings this would require the cancellation of Turkey’s purchase of 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters… The sale has been canceled. The Turkish pilots and instructors training in the U.S. are being sent home. Contracts with Turkish companies producing parts for the F-35 are being terminated.

“Under U.S. law, the administration is also required to impose sanctions on Turkey for buying Russian weaponry. Wednesday, the Pentagon warned Turkey against military action in an area of Syria where U.S. troops are deployed. The Turks appear to be massing for an incursion against U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces Ankara regards as terrorist allies of the Kurdish PKK inside Turkey.

“How America and Turkey avoid a collision that could wreck NATO, where the Turks field the second-largest army in the alliance, is not easy to see. U.S. hawks are already calling for the expulsion of Turkey from NATO. And expulsion of U.S. forces and nuclear weapons from the Incirlik air base in Turkey in retaliation is not out of the question…

“In this new century, leaders of both parties have plunged our country into at least five wars in the Middle and Near East… None of these wars has produced a victory or success for us. But taken together, they did produce a multitrillion-dollar strategic and human rights disaster… ‘Great nations do no fight endless wars,’ said Trump. Yes, they do. As the British, French, Germans, Japanese and Russians showed in the last century, that is how they cease to be great nations.”

“Russians and Ukrainians Are ‘One People'”

Newsmax wrote on July 20:

“…the Kremlin released comments by President Vladimir Putin, saying that the two countries will mend ties despite their five-year conflict. Putin went as far as to say that Russians and Ukrainians are one people…

“Ties between the former allies deteriorated after protesters in Kiev unseated the country’s Kremlin-backed leader in 2014 and Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea before fomenting a war in which he still denies involvement.”

Russia and Ukraine will unite and fight together in a prophesied nuclear war with continental Europe.

Trump for Another Four Years

Piers Morgan wrote on July 22 in the Daily Mail:

“[Trump] knows most Americans would never vote for a diehard socialist to run the country. In fact, there’s never been a genuine socialist U.S. president in the country’s 243-year history… The Squad proudly bleed pure unadulterated socialism from every pore… Their policy proposals include free healthcare and tuition for all and a massive environmental ‘Green New Deal’ program. All of which sounds great until you try to calculate a budget for it all, and realize it would cost $43 trillion which would instantly bankrupt America…

“They also persistently scream that Trump must be impeached… Yet any attempt at impeachment, which would certainly fail due to the Republicans’ control of the Senate, would be a gift to the incumbent President. It’s little wonder then that Trump wants the Squad to dominate Democrat discourse, since everything they do or say further enrages and mobilizes his base…

“The Squad is deeply unpopular even within their own party… And there lies the big problem for the Democrats: how do they shut up the Squad?… Trump knows the Squad is a very potent vote-winner for him. The more everyone’s talking about them, the less they’re talking about Biden, Harris, Warren, Buttigieg or any of the other Democrat presidential candidates.

“And that means the whole image of the Democratic Party is now being moulded into far-left socialism, to potentially disastrous electoral consequences… If Trump can… keep the Squad center-stage then the 2020 election could come down to a straight fight between capitalism and socialism, at a time when the U.S. economy is surging and job numbers are roaring, and with the specter of socialist-run Venezuela lying in ruins… So long as they remain the face of the Party, the Democrats are doomed.”

Mueller Hearings – No Favors for Democrats

Fox News wrote on July 24:

“Democrats hoping that hours of testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller might fuel their case for President Trump’s impeachment were left with little new material at the conclusion of Wednesday’s back-to-back hearings, as Republicans gloated that the spectacle failed to make the case to oust the president…

“Mueller stood by his team’s findings at Wednesday’s hearings—reiterating that the special counsel’s office found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump associates and Russia, while also stating that the president was not exonerated on allegations of obstruction of justice despite his assertions to the contrary.

“But in doing so, he also repeatedly refused to drift beyond the bounds of his report… Mueller declined to go down the road of the impeachment topic, under questioning from both Republicans and Democrats…

“Even fierce Trump critics voiced concern that the hearings were doing Democrats no favors. Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe called the hearing a ‘disaster’ that ‘sucked the life’ out of the Mueller report…

“Perhaps one of the most seemingly revealing moments in the hearings occurred when Mueller testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee that if it were not for the Office of Legal Counsel rule that says a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller would have criminally charged the president based on the findings of his investigation. ‘The reason that you did not indict the president is because of the OLC opinion that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?’ Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. asked Mueller. ‘Correct,’ Mueller replied.

“Mueller backpedaled on these remarks at the top of the second hearing of the day, saying ‘I want to add one correction to my testimony this morning. I want to go back to one thing that was said this morning by Mr. Lieu, who said and I quote, “You didn’t charge the President because of the OLC opinion.” That is not the correct way to say it. As we say in the report and as I said at the opening, we did not reach a determination as to whether the President committed a crime.’”

Mueller also said that a president could be charged with a crime after the expiration of his term in office, but he declined to address the problematic topic of the statute of limitations, which is apparently not tolled. If the Democrats thought they could use Mueller’s testimony to beef up their case for impeachment against Trump, they were disappointed. Trump is not going to be impeached.

Bi-Partisan Deal on Increasing Federal Spending

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 22:

“Congressional and White House negotiators reached a deal to increase federal spending and raise the government’s borrowing limit, securing a bipartisan compromise to avoid a looming fiscal crisis and pushing the next budget debate past the 2020 election. The deal for more than $2.7 trillion in spending over two years, which must still pass both chambers of Congress and needs President Trump’s signature, would suspend the debt ceiling until the end of July 2021. It also raises spending by nearly $50 billion next fiscal year above current levels…

“For President Trump, the deal pushes the debt-limit question out beyond the 2020 election and provides a boost to military spending that he can tout on the campaign trail. For congressional leaders, it ensures an initial measure of stability and marks a win for the kind of pragmatic deal making that has been in short order in Washington in recent years. The accord also marked another example of Washington’s rising tolerance for deficits, among both Democrats, who prize domestic spending, and Republicans, who consistently seek more money for the military.”

The Telegraph added on July 22:

“Nobody can claim a big win — though they did — but both sides view it as better than a protracted battle this fall that probably wouldn’t end up much differently.

“However, it also comes as budget deficits are rising… requiring the government to borrow a quarter for every dollar the government spends — despite the thriving economy… It ignores warnings from deficit and debt scolds who say the nation’s fiscal future is unsustainable and will eventually drag down the economy.”

Such insanity cannot go on forever.

Americans Mistrust their Government and News Media

AFP wrote on July 22:

“Americans distrust the news media, but see government and political leaders as even more untrustworthy… 69 percent of Americans say the federal government intentionally withholds important information from the public, while 61 percent say the news media intentionally ignores important stories. Nearly two-thirds say it is hard to tell the difference between what is true and false when they hear elected officials, and almost half said the same about information they encounter on social media.

“The survey highlighting growing mistrust among Americans in institutions and in each other… 64 percent of US adults believe trust in each other has declined… and that it keeps neighbors apart… at least part of [the] reason for the lack of trust in government lies with President Donald Trump, who has repeated at least 10,000 falsehoods since taking office… and who has repeatedly attacked mainstream media reports about him as ‘fake news.’’

It will even get much worse. The Bible has prophesied this to happen. We read in Micah 7:2, 5: “The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion…”

Proposed US Refugee Plan Echoes Dark Time in American History

JTA wrote on July 24:

“In July 1939, eight months after Kristallnacht and seven weeks before Hitler would invade Poland, Congress killed a bill that would have allowed 20,000 Jewish refugee children into the United States. Opponents of the bill… said America should help its own poor people before foreigners, and worried that letting in children could later lead to admitting their parents…

“After the war, and the Holocaust, Congress passed two bills that let 80,000 Holocaust survivors move to the U.S. Since then, the United States has continued accepting tens of thousands of refugees per year. But next year, that number may again shrink — this time to zero… Stephen Miller, the architect of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, may try to eliminate refugee admissions next year — no refugees would be allowed beyond the borders…

“Jewish historians and refugee advocates, however, say that if implemented, the eradication of the refugee program would echo a dark time in American history… Daniel Okrent, author of ‘The Guarded Gate,’ a new book about anti-immigrant sentiment targeting Jews, Italians and other immigrants in the early 20th century, [said:]

“‘Despite what Americans learned about the Nazi depredations, about the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht and so on, the American public was not interested in setting aside the quotas to allow more Jews into this country.’… Americans as a whole have never been particularly pro-refugee…  In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the cap on refugee admissions was 110,000. Trump cut that to 45,000 and then to 30,000. But the United States has not even met those numbers…”

Trouble in Puerto Rico

Axios wrote on July 22:

“Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans filled the streets of San Juan Monday demanding the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló…

“Leaked text messages revealed Rosselló and members of his inner circles making sexist and homophobic comments and mocking victims of Hurricane Maria, a disaster that killed thousands and caused the longest electrical blackout in U.S. history. The leak came just days after a separate incident, in which the FBI arrested two officials from Rosselló’s administration for mishandling government contracts worth millions of dollars.

“On Sunday, Rosselló announced that he would resign as leader of his party and would not run for re-election next year, but refused to step down as governor before the end of his term. His concessions have not been enough for the thousands who have taken to the streets over the past two weeks. A number of U.S. officials have joined calls for Rosselló to resign, both over the profane text messages and his administration’s handling of Hurricane Maria.

“President Trump tweeted on Monday: ‘A lot of bad things are happening in Puerto Rico. The Governor is under siege, the Mayor of San Juan is a despicable and incompetent person who I wouldn’t trust under any circumstance, and the United States Congress foolishly gave 92 Billion Dollars for hurricane relief [actually, Congress has allocated $42.5 billion in disaster relief to Puerto Rico, according to Axios], much of which was squandered away or wasted, never to be seen again. This is more than twice the amount given to Texas & Florida combined. I know the people of Puerto Rico well, and they are great. But much of their leadership is corrupt, & robbing the U.S. Government blind!’”

NBC News wrote on July 24:

“Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced his resignation Wednesday [effective August 2] days after demonstrators at the island’s largest protest in recent history called for his ouster over a scandal involving leaked private chats, as well as corruption investigations and arrests.”

Hong Kong Crisis Escalates

ABS News reported on July 22:

“China harshly criticized the weekend demonstration, saying ‘central authority cannot be challenged.’ The Chinese rebuke came after its Hong Kong office was targeted Sunday night by protesters who pelted it with eggs and spray-painted its walls. It made no mention of the violent attack hours later at a subway station by men wielding iron pipes and wooden poles as they beat up people clad in the pro-democracy movement’s black shirts…

“The attack on China’s Liaison Office was an escalation of the weekslong protests, during which demonstrators besieged Hong Kong’s legislature and police headquarters but did not direct their ire at China itself. It came after more than 100,000 people marched through the city to demand democracy and an investigation into the use of force by police to disperse crowds at protests…

“The ‘one country, two systems’ framework, under which the former British colony was returned to China in 1997, allows Hong Kong to maintain a fair degree of autonomy in local affairs… The growing crisis in Hong Kong has fueled fears that China’s People’s Liberation Army may intervene.”

Returning Hong Kong to China was prophesied to happen, as Britain was and is to lose its power and influence.

Hardship in Zimbabwe

The Guardian wrote on July 21:

“Millions of people in Zimbabwe face hardship, hunger and chaos as the economy comes close to ‘meltdown’… More than 18 months after the military coup that removed Robert Mugabe from power, the new government is struggling to overcome the legacy of the dictator’s 30 years of repressive rule and the consequences of its own failure to undertake meaningful political reform.

“Official figures published on Monday showed annual inflation had almost doubled to 175% in June, adding to the pressure on a population already struggling with shortages of basic foodstuffs, fuel and medicine. The rising prices reminded many of the economic collapse caused by Mugabe’s policies a decade ago, when hyperinflation emptied shelves of basic foodstuffs and led the southern African country to abandon its currency…

“A severe drought has caused further hardship and rolling power cuts as water levels in dams have dropped… About 7 million people are threatened with hunger… Some have resorted to selling livestock and land, spending savings, withdrawing children from school and begging…”

Merkel on Collision Course with Trump

The Local wrote on July 19:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday condemned President Donald Trump’s xenophobic tweets against four minority Democratic congresswomen, saying the US leader’s attacks ‘go against what makes America great’… International condemnation has rained down over the comments. British Prime Minister Theresa May called them ‘completely unacceptable’. New Zealand’s leader Jacinda Ardern said she ‘completely and utterly’ disagreed with Trump.

“While usually refraining from commenting on other countries’ domestic politics, Merkel on Friday had markedly sharp words about Trump’s latest attacks. Questions over racism are particularly sensitive in Germany given its Nazi past, and the government routinely speaks out forcefully in favour of tolerance and diversity.

“Trump and Merkel’s relationship had been strained from the start, with the US leader haranguing the German chancellor even before he took office. During his election campaign, the US property mogul called Merkel’s decision to take in a million asylum seekers a ‘catastrophic mistake’ and suggested that she was ‘ruining Germany’.

“Merkel [has drawn] the startling conclusion that the US may no longer be a reliable partner for Germany and the European Union. Europe must step up as a player in world affairs, Merkel said in 2017, signalling that the EU needs to take control of its destiny in the Trump era…

“Earlier this year during a commencement speech at Harvard University, dubbed by German media such as Spiegel Online as her first ‘Anti-Trump speech’, [the] German leader deplored attacks on free trade, ‘walls’ of any kind and ‘lies (described) as truth.’… Merkel also indirectly took a stab at Trump’s penchant for hiding the truth. ‘We shouldn’t call lies truths, and call truths lies,’ she added, receiving the largest round of applause…”

The relationship between the USA and Germany will continue to deteriorate, even after Merkel steps down. It is not to be expected that anyone in Germany will become the new German Chancellor who would be sympathetic towards Trump.

Ursula von der Leyen vs. Donald Trump

Politico wrote on July 17:

“Ursula von der Leyen has called Donald Trump’s discussions of NATO ‘immature,’ questioned why he wants to be a ‘best buddy’ with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and even suggested the president is uncomfortable with strong female leaders. Now she’ll be his main counterpart in the European Union… The new role for von der Leyen… will put her at the forefront of negotiations with the U.S. over trade, technology and other major issues… even some of her fans worry that her ascent to the Commission presidency will further fray the tenuous U.S.-EU relationship under Trump…

“Von der Leyen, often referred to as VDL, is close to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has long had a tense relationship with Trump… Von der Leyen is a strong believer in multilateralism and the European project. That alone could turn off Trump, who is skeptical of international alliances and often stresses the overriding importance of national sovereignty…”

EU-US Trade War Coming?

Politico wrote on July 21:

“EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström has warned that the U.S. is likely [to] soon impose retaliatory tariffs on up to $25 billion of European products, as part of a dispute over airline subsidies… It could get even worse. Seven Commission officials and EU diplomats said they fear Trump will carry out a long-standing threat to impose painful auto tariffs as early as November. The EU has said it is ready to retaliate with its own tariffs targeting €20 billion of U.S. exports.

“‘Compared to one year ago, the number of trade irritants has increased, not decreased,’ said Luisa Santos, director for international relations at BusinessEurope… The outlook is grim, according to Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics: ‘Trump firmly believes — and has convinced many Americans — that the U.S. has been taken advantage of all these years, and that Europe should make unilateral concessions,’ he said.  Trump has repeatedly said he wants to slash the U.S.’s $169 billion trade-in-goods deficit with the EU. His 2020 reelection campaign risks escalating the conflict, Hufbauer said: ‘Trump really believes that confrontation with foreign countries gets him votes.’…

“There is no indication that trade talks will move forward… Jürgen Matthes from the German Economy Institute said… that Trump’s trade war with China demonstrated that ‘when in doubt, Trump goes the way of confrontation.’… BusinessEurope’s Santos said that Europe’s fate would partially hinge on the U.S.-China trade talks, as Trump’s advisers would seek to avoid a two-front trade war, particularly if tensions with Beijing escalated further…”

Merkel Remembers Operation Valkyre and Attacks Right-Wing Extremism

The Huffington Post wrote on July 20:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel used the [75^th] anniversary of a celebrated assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler to lash right-wing extremism on Saturday… The 1944 plot to kill Hitler… called Operation Valkyrie… was the most famous of the attempts on Hitler’s life. It was led by German Col. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who plotted with several co-conspirators to assassinate the Nazi leader with a briefcase bomb.

“Stauffenberg, just 36 years old at the time, placed the briefcase next to Hitler before a meeting at Hitler’s secret Wolf’s Lair headquarters in an East Prussia forest. But Hitler survived the assassination attempt with minor injuries after someone moved the briefcase next to a heavy table leg, which deflected much of the explosion. Four people were killed when the briefcase detonated. Stauffenberg and some 200 co-conspirators were caught and executed within hours…

“Germany is battling a new eruption of right-wing extremism. There are an estimated 24,000 right-wing extremists in Germany, and close to 13,000 are believed to have a tendency to violence… In May the nation’s right-wing party Alternative for Germany, which has a nationalist and anti-immigrant agenda, became the nation’s largest opposition party in German Parliament.”

Germany to Increase Military Spending?

The EUObserver wrote on July 22:

“Germany’s new defence minister and CDU leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK), plans to increase military spending to the Nato target of two-percent of GDP by 2024, which is also a frequent demand of US president Donald Trump.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partners, the SPD said they would not allow Trump to dictate military spending.”

To be clear, AKK’s proposal to increase Germany’s military spending is not based on any desire to please Trump.

Austria to Become an Authoritarian State under Kurz?

 vaaju wrote on July 21, 2019:

“‘Courier’ editor Helmut Brandstätter warns in his new book about an ‘authoritarian state’ – driven by… ÖVP chief and former chancellor Sebastian Kurz… ‘Sebastian Kurz wanted the power at all costs.’ …  ‘With brutal pressure and penetrating intervention, the ÖVP chief and his spokesmen try to bring the media in line.’..

“Brandstätter sees the road to an authoritarian state interrupted, but not necessarily ended, by the coalition’s temporary end. He warns specifically against leaving again the Ministry of the Interior to the FPÖ [and by extension, the governmental reigns to the ÖVP under Kurz] this fall… ”

Courier or ‘Kurier’ is a liberal Austrian newspaper, which was at one time the most successful paper in Austria. Its editor, Helmut Brandstätter, also wrote that Kurz’s search for power was “never limited by content-related substantial convictions,” and that it was therefore “absolute.”

NGO Migrant Ships Continue Despite Strong Opposition

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 21:

“Humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee says it has relaunched migrant rescues off Libya, seven months after it was forced to abandon its activities [following hostility from several European governments].

“The operation comes amid growing concerns for people attempting the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing from the conflict-hit North African country. The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking… is expected to arrive in the central Mediterranean at the end of the month… [which] can hold up to 200 migrants.

“The charities reported there were almost no rescue vessels patrolling the Mediterranean, where at least 426 people have died so far this year… SOS Mediterranee said these migrants were attempting ‘to escape the escalating conflict in Libya and the deplorable conditions of Libyan detention centers.’…

“In recent weeks there have been repeated confrontations between Italy’s populist government and other charities seeking to bring rescued migrants ashore. Last month, the captain of German charity ship Sea-Watch 3, Carola Rackete, was arrested after she docked with 40 migrants at the port of Lampedusa without permission.  ‘Our presence at sea is to save lives. We hope that the countries will understand and join with us as there is no other solution in the central Mediterranean,’ head of operations at SOS Mediterranee, Frederic Penard, told the Agence France-Presse news agency…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 21:

“The Marella Discovery picked up 111 migrants, including 33 children, near Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula… The migrants’ boat was found in distress on Saturday evening, some 74 kilometers (40 nautical miles) off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula… The passengers were taken to the Greek port of Kalamata…

“Several times a week, boatloads of people — many of them from Africa — attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea for a better life in Europe. Greece, Italy and Spain have borne the brunt of the influx of newcomers over the past decade, many of whom are picked up by migrant rescue ships operated by European charities. A failure by European Union states to agree an effective disembarkation procedure has prompted Italy’s populist [far-right] government to ban several migrant ships from docking at the country’s ports.

“Although the number of migrants attempting the perilous journey has fallen from 362,000 in 2016 to 116,000 in 2018, an average of six migrants die every day in the Mediterranean…”

The EUObserver added on July 19:

“Countries who rejected non-European migrants or raised concern on rule of law, such as Poland, could expect more sympathy from the European Commission, its new president, Ursula von der Leyen, has indicated.”

This would indicate that Europe’s horrible immigration policy will not change under von der Leyen, but it might even become more devastating for the survival of migrants.

Europe Needs to Rediscover Christian Heritage

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Europe must rediscover its Christian heritage and not be afraid of promoting openly Christian values, said Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako in an interview this week… ‘I understand that there are no longer Christian religious classes in Belgian schools, only classes about Islam.’… ‘Europe should not be ashamed of Christian values that we in Iraq defended for centuries… Christians are afraid of Muslims in Europe but they are not helping Christians in Iraq…

“‘Throughout the Middle East Christians are ready to die rather than deny their faith, while many Muslims in Europe are ready to die rather than continue living in a continent where “infidels” make the law.’… While the European Union (EU) could be a big help…, they have done virtually nothing, he said. Individual European nations, such as Hungary, have provided assistance, but the EU itself ‘is not helping Christians,’ he declared…”

Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Condemns Homosexuality

JTA wrote on July 23:

“The Sephardi chief rabbi of Jerusalem said gay people cannot be religious Jews and called homosexuality ‘a wild lust that needs to be overcome.’ Rabbi Shlomo Amar made the remarks last week during a sermon… [He said:] ‘It would be better if they cast off their kippah and Shabbat [observance] and show their true faces.’

“… Three groups representing religious LGBTQ Jews… slammed his remarks in a joint statement Tuesday… ‘Rabbi Amar, with your harsh comments you called on our families to vomit us out of our homes and from our communities,’ the organizations said.

“Last week, Israel’s new education minister, Rafi Peretz, came under fire for saying he supports gay conversion therapy and that he has used the practice to help homosexual youth. He later walked back his remarks, condemning the practice.”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Germany’s von der Leyen New European Commission President

Deutsche Welle reported on July 16:

“German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has won the vote to become the next president of the European Commission, and will be the first woman to hold the post. She received 383 out of 747 possible votes, just nine more than the minimum for her election. 327 lawmakers voted against her and 22 abstained.

“In brief remarks after the final tally was announced, she said her aim was for a strong and united Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated von der Leyen, calling her a ‘committed European’ who would ‘tackle with great vigour the challenges facing us as the European Union.’ ‘Though I am losing a long-standing minister, I am winning a new partner in Brussels,’ Merkel said, via her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Twitter…

“Von der Leyen will step down as defense minister on Wednesday and will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker at the helm of the commission on November 1. She will be the first German to lead the EU executive branch since the creation of the modern European Union…”

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

“German commission secretary-general Martin Selmayr… has said he will leave his post by the end of the next week. By convention, the two top posts in the commission should not be held by nationals of the same country…

“French and German MEPs representing the far left and the far right [had] railed against Von der Leyen’s previously stated aspiration to forge a ‘United States of Europe’ and establish an EU army…

“On Brexit, she was booed by Brexit party MEPs as she reiterated her openness to a further extension of the UK’s membership of the EU after 31 October… The leader of the Brexit party, Nigel Farage, accused Von der Leyen of wanting to build ‘a centralised, undemocratic, updated form of communism where nation state parliaments will cease to have any relevance at all.’ ‘Be in no doubt: five years of these people [and] the European Defence Union will be complete,’ Farage said. ‘And what is there for defence can also be used for attack.’”

In a related article, the Guardian wrote on July 16:

“If Von der Leyen’s approval ratings have recently plummeted, making her the least popular minister in Merkel’s cabinet, it is because her handling of Germany’s notoriously under-funded military at times displayed… deficiencies.

“When she diagnosed the troops with an ‘attitude problem’ after the emergence of stories about rightwing extremist activities and hazing of new recruits, she was accused – and not only by members of the Bundeswehr – of choosing a good write-up over loyalty to her staff… More recently, Von der Leyen grabbed negative headlines over the accusation that her defence ministry had allocated over-inflated contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros to external consultants. A parliamentary committee is investigating the ministry for accusations of nepotism, and Von der Leyen is expected to be invited as a witness in December. In Brussels and Berlin, she will have two stages to manage.”

Prophecy marches on. With Von der Leyen at the European helm, a European army is only a matter of time.

Von der Leyen Another Reason for Brexit?

The Sun wrote on July 17:

“The new woman running the EU is the perfect advert for Brexit. Ursula von der Leyen narrowly squeaked into power in a secret ballot against no rival candidates in another triumph for European democracy. This unpopular, failed German defence minister is a fanatical federalist who longs for the Brussels club to become a single country made up of client states.

“‘The world needs more Europe,’ declared the new EU president, falsely. Ursula is dead set too on a European army, with Eurocrats ordering national troops to war. Remember when Remainers sneered that was just a paranoid scare story told by Leavers?

“Good luck to Ursula and her EU. She’s welcome to it… We can’t wait to be out.”

Boris Johnson UK’s last PM?

The Guardian wrote on July 18:

“Boris Johnson could be the UK’s last prime minister, Gordon Brown has warned… Brown, the former Labour prime minister, warned of an approaching ‘head-on conflict’ between Johnson’s hardline views and the Scottish National party’s ‘extreme nationalism’, with its intention to abandon the pound and leave the UK single market and customs union…

“Brown said Johnson’s brand of anti-Europe conservatism was regarded in Scotland as anti-Scottish…”

AKK new Germany’s Defense Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s surprise decision on Tuesday to hand AKK (Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer) the Defense Ministry immediately came under fire from the opposition, largely due to her lack of experience in the field. The leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) joins the Defense Ministry in the middle of extensive reforms and on the tail-end of countless scandals left behind by her predecessor Ursula von der Leyen…

“On the international stage, how AKK addresses the German defense budget will be of huge interest to Germany’s fellow NATO allies — not least of all for the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Berlin for failing to spend 2% of its GDP on defense — a target which NATO adopted at its 2014 Wales Summit in response to the Ukraine crisis. AKK, too, has previously advocated the 2% target. But… reaching such a target in the current legislative period is seemingly impossible. Merkel’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), staunchly positioned themselves against the 2% goal in Germany’s 2017 federal elections and have remained resolute…

“Underfunded and overflowing with scandals, the German Defense Ministry can quickly become a political minefield and is prone to making headlines with ongoing scandals. AKK will be hoping that she won’t be part of the next one.”

According to Der Spiegel, two-thirds of Germans disapprove of AKK’s appointment as Defense Minister.

Spahn Was Considered Favorite as Defense Minister

Fox News reported on July 17:

“An ambitious younger conservative who also ran in last year’s CDU leadership election [but was defeated by AKK], Health Minister Jens Spahn, had been considered favorite to become defense minister. Kramp-Karrenbauer’s move to take the job avoids giving a potential rival more exposure.”

Spahn, who is openly gay, was again defeated by AKK. In his present role as Health Minister, he has made quite a few controversial and problematic decisions, if compared with biblical concepts (see also the article on vaccinations below).

Mandatory Measles Vaccinations in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

“Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday backed a draft law that would make it compulsory for all children at kindergartens, schools and daycare centers to be vaccinated against measles. The measure, which would go into force on March 1 2020, still needs to be passed by Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag.

“Under the proposed bill, children at daycare and education institutions, as well as employees there, have until July 31, 2021 to provide proof of vaccination. Kids who aren’t immunized won’t be able to attend daycare, while parents who refuse to vaccinate their school-aged children could face a fine of up to €2,500 ($2,800). Fines may also apply to facilities that allow unvaccinated children to attend. ‘We want to protect all children from measles infection,’ Health Minister Jens Spahn said… He added that he also hoped to boost voluntary vaccinations in schools for other infectious diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.

“The law also covers medical staff, and residents and workers at asylum seekers and refugee accommodations… the law would obligate around 600,000 children and adults in Germany to get a measles vaccination. Exemptions apply to people born before 1970, those who cannot tolerate the vaccination on medical grounds, as well as those who can prove they have already had the disease.”

US and Turkey… Edging Closer to Crisis?

The Associated Press wrote on July 12:

“The U.S. edged closer to crisis Friday with NATO ally Turkey, which began receiving components of a Russian-made air defense system in defiance of Trump administration warnings that the deal would mean economic sanctions and no access to America’s most advanced fighter jet… For months, Washington urged Turkey to buy the American-made Patriot air defense system instead and has insisted that buying from Russia would result in economic and military penalties. Turkey has said it was not offered favorable terms on the Patriot…

“Turkey has long been a key to the defense of NATO’s southeastern flank, and some believe its willingness to buy key weaponry from Russia — long identified as NATO’s main adversary — suggests the possibility that its alliance status is in jeopardy… ‘By accepting delivery of the S-400 from Russia, President Erdogan has chosen a perilous partnership with Putin at the expense of Turkey’s security, economic prosperity and the integrity of the NATO alliance,’ the top members of the Senate committees on Foreign Relations and Armed Services said in a joint statement…

“Some see the Russian sale as an attempt to drive a wedge between NATO allies. In their joint statement, the Senate committee leaders also called the Turkish action ‘a troubling signal of strategic alignment with Putin’s Russia’…

“The prospect of a further rupture in Turkey’s relations with Washington also raises a delicate issue rarely mentioned in public: the status of American nuclear weapons stored at Turkey’s Incirlik air base. Turkey has had a nuclear role in NATO for decades, but this new split is likely to cause some in Washington to question the wisdom of keeping those nuclear bombs at Incirlik…”

American Nukes in Europe

The Sun wrote on July 17:

“The United States and its allies in the Nato military alliance never disclose the locations of the nuclear arsenal but it appears… six sites have inadvertently  been   disclosed… A draft version of the document entitled ‘A new era for nuclear deterrence? Modernisation, arms control and allied nuclear forces’ was published earlier this year. But Belgian newspaper De Morgen spotted that it contained details about the nuke sites. A section on the nuclear arsenal read: ‘These bombs are stored at six US and European bases — Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi-Torre in Italy, Volkel in The Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey.’

“The study was written by a Canadian senator Joseph Day for the Defense and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The final version of the report has now been published online with specific reference to where bombs are stored deleted.”

Sanctions against Turkey

Bloomberg wrote on July 14:

“Relations between the European Union and Turkey are set to hit a new low… the bloc’s foreign ministers [were to] announce a suspension of most high-level contacts with Ankara, confirm another cut in financial aid, freeze negotiations on an aviation accord and reaffirm the threat of sanctions targeting companies involved in energy exploration off the coast of Cyprus.

“The spat over Mediterranean natural-gas reserves adds to a series of disagreements straining ties between European nations and their NATO ally — from democratic standards to the purchase of Russian missiles. While an escalation is in no-one’s interest, so much is piling up that it looks increasingly difficult to avoid.”

Richard Grenell—America’s Controversial Ambassador to Germany

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 13:

“Berlin’s political class… has been struggling to come to terms with Mr. Grenell’s unorthodox diplomacy since he arrived last year, delivering to Berlin a shock similar to President Trump’s own disruption of establishment Washington.

“Mr. Grenell, a confidant of the president and former adviser to his campaign, embodies both the diplomatic doctrine of the Trump administration and its new posture toward U.S. allies in Europe: engagement, public criticism that rankles host nations, some achievements and some unbridgeable divides… ‘Trumpian foreign policy is obviously more confrontational,’ said Cliff Sims, Mr. Trump’s former White House director of strategic messaging…

“On his first day in his new post, Mr. Grenell, 52 years old, sparked outrage in Germany with a tweet demanding German companies wind down their operations in Iran. The acrimony was compounded by his call in a Breitbart News interview for empowering conservatives across Europe—a statement German officials viewed as political meddling exceeding the mandate of a diplomat. A senior member of a governing party compared Mr. Grenell to a far-right colonial officer, while opposition politicians, including a vice chairman of the German Parliament, called for the U.S. ambassador to be expelled…

“Mr. Grenell also has campaigned relentlessly against Nord Stream 2, a controversial Russian-German pipeline opposed by Washington, as well as on Germany’s failure to meet its North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense-spending targets. Those initiatives have ruffled feathers in Berlin but haven’t led to changes… Ms. Merkel… has ignored U.S. objections to the pipeline, which is due to double Russia’s gas shipments to Germany…

“Mr. Grenell’s undiplomatic manner has made him the president’s favorite ambassador, according to current and former officials… Mr. Grenell’s approach has rankled others in the White House, where some advisers complain that the ambassador doesn’t accept direction on policy or communications and is too quick to exceed his mandate, according to a senior administration official. This official said Mr. Grenell has ‘made more enemies than friends, both inside and outside of Germany.’

“Mr. Grenell in some ways is following the president’s lead. Mr. Trump has taken a confrontational stance toward Germany since the earliest days of his administration. In an early 2017 meeting with Ms. Merkel at the White House, Mr. Trump went on a lengthy riff about German car imports, describing American streets as being flooded with Mercedes… He has since repeatedly chided Germany over its military spending and has threatened tariffs against Germany’s flagship car industry… The president views Mr. Grenell ‘not just as his man in Germany, but his man in Europe,’ said Mr. Sims, the former White House director of strategic messaging.

“That close relationship has at times created tensions between Mr. Grenell and his boss, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Grenell, who is openly gay, appealed to Mr. Trump this spring when he felt the State Department was slow to issue guidelines on how to mark Pride Month… The president issued two tweets in support of Mr. Grenell’s campaign…

“Rufus Gifford, the former ambassador to Denmark, called “Mr. Grenell’s tactics… embarrassing to the United States… It’s irresponsible. It’s not the role of an ambassador. It’s disrespectful to the host government…’”

The rift between the USA and Germany is bound to continue.

Heightened Tensions with Iran

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 18:

“President Trump said the U.S. Navy downed an Iranian drone that was flying too close to a U.S. warship in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after Iranian forces said they had seized a foreign tanker, the latest in a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions in a vital oil shipping route.

“Mr. Trump said the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, took defensive action against the drone, which he said was ‘threatening the safety of the ship and the ship’s crew’ in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow channel leading into the Persian Gulf through which a third of the world’s seaborne oil is transported.

“The drone was ‘immediately destroyed,’ Mr. Trump said. The president called the approach by the drone the latest “of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.’…

“Tensions are rising in the region. Earlier in the day, a Wall Street Journal reporter aboard the USS Boxer witnessed close encounters between a group of U.S. ships and the Iranian military.”

“Bastille Day Parade Showcases European Military Cooperation”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 14:

“German Chancellor Merkel and other European leaders have highlighted their shared defense potential on Bastille Day amid rifts with the US. Troops from 10 countries participated in the annual Paris parade.

“Key European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday to commemorate France’s national holiday, Bastille Day, which marks the July 14, 1789 storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris during the French Revolution… Heads of state and government from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal also joined Merkel and Macron in the reviewing stand… European leaders are under pressure to boost their military ties amid growing rifts with Washington and Britain’s looming exit from the European Union.

“On Saturday, Macron had issued a statement heralding a new national military space force command from September. The president said space has become a ‘true national security issue’ due to increased spending and interest in the area from the United States, India, China and Russia. ‘Never since the end of World War II has Europe been so important,’ Macron said in a statement to mark July 14…

“In November 2018, defense ministers from 10 European countries gathered in Paris to set the agenda for the EI2, which is spearheaded by President Macron. ‘To face new threats, Europe needs a strong defense,’ the French Defense Ministry said in a tweet after the meeting. ‘With the European Intervention Initiative, 10 European countries are committed to its protection.’

“[Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko] Maas [agreed, saying:] ‘We need a true European security and defense union’…”

Fox News added on July 14:

“The annual Bastille Day celebration in Paris this year was not just about showcasing France, but also military cooperation among European [countries]. The flags of 10 countries of the European Intervention Initiative, a joint military pact created last year, led Sunday’s military parade down the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris… Some 4,300 soldiers, around 200 vehicles and over 100 aircraft, some from other European countries, were taking part in the parade that was opened by Spanish troops…

“Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, one of the key events of the French Revolution. The day has become a national holiday in France.

“The European Intervention Initiative is a 10-country coalition of European militaries ready to react to crises. The French-led initiative, which includes Germany, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal [as well as Finland], was launched last year, according to Reuters.”

Bloomberg wrote on July 14 under the headline, “European Army”:

“France’s long-term ‘ambition’ is to work with several other states to create a European Army to share in procurement, command and operations, Defense Minister Florence Parly said, reaffirming the plan announced by President Macron. While details and the time-frame are still unclear, the plan has led to tensions with Donald Trump, who has interpreted the initiative as an effort to shut out the U.S.”

Ultimately, 10 European nations or groups of nations will combine their efforts to create a powerful army under the command of a charismatic political and military leader. However, it won’t be the ten nations currently forming the EI2. For instance, Britain will most certainly not be part of the final configuration, while countries such as Italy will most certainly be part of it.

Russia Prepares for Regional Wars in Europe

Express wrote on July 15:

“Heinrich Brauss, who is also a retired German lieutenant general, claimed while Europe, the US and UK’s attention is more focussed on issues world leaders have deemed more pressing, Russian President Vladimir Putin is plotting a regional war with member states right under their noses. He told Berlin publication Welt am Sonntag: ‘At a time when our political attention is shrouded in climate change, the migration crisis, the EU crisis and many other issues that call for cooperative solutions, Russia is preparing under Putin – totally unprovoked – for regional wars in Europe, which they want to end with the help of nuclear weapons threats.’

“Mr Brauss and Joachim Krause, director of the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University, said the aim of Russia’s strategy is to seek confrontation with the West and undermine the unity of the Western alliance. Both men say that while President Putin is aware he would have little chance of success in a NATO-wide conflict, Mr Brauss added the Russian leader wanted ‘the ability to escalate dominance in a regional conflict in Europe’.

“Mr Brauss and Mr Krause said that in the event of an armed conflict, Russia could try to launch a ‘limited-scale surprise attack backed by a nuclear threat before NATO can respond effectively’. They have predicted this would most likely take place on the Black Sea region and the Baltic states. The warnings come weeks after Moscow officially suspended the INF treaty, sparking fears of a conflict that could escalate to World War 3.

“Military experts are even more alarmed by the fact Russia continues to arm itself with super and hypersonic missiles. The US has also been urged to disarm itself along with Russia, as tensions between the two power nations hit boiling point… Russia, the US and China are all battling to dominate previously unclaimed territory adding even more fuel to fears of conflict. Beijing has claimed waters in the South China Sea, Moscow has claimed ice in the Arctic regions and the US is battling for space in the solar system.”

The Bible prophesies that in the end time, a nuclear war will break out between Russia and Europe.

Missiles and other Sophisticated Weapons by Far-Right Italian Extremists

The Local wrote on July 15:

“Anti-terrorism police in northern Italy have seized an air-to-air missile and other sophisticated weapons during raids on far-right extremist groups, police revealed on Monday. Three people were arrested – two of them near Forli airport.

“Police also seized Neo-Nazi propaganda in raids in several cities. Italian media say the raids were part of an investigation into Italian far-right help for Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.”

ABC News added:

“… police found a French-made missile at an airport hangar that they apparently were seeking to sell.”

This is frightening indeed.

How Trump Conquered the Republican Party

The Week wrote on July 14:

“Republican members of Congress said nothing when President Trump told minority congresswomen to ‘go back’ to where they came from.

“Trump tweeted this morning that ‘Progressive Democrat Congresswomen’ should ‘go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.’ Trump was almost certainly talking about the group popularly known as ‘the squad’ — Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

“WaPo’s Phil Rucker points out that ‘three of the four members of “the squad” were born in the United States, so they would ‘go back’ to Cincinnati, Detroit and New York.’ (Omar was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a refugee.)…

“Trump knows he can say whatever he likes and face no consequences from the party he has conquered… No modern president, besides George W. Bush immediately after the 9/11 attacks, has enjoyed such popularity with Republican voters.”

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

“The president seems to regard divisive… rhetoric as his best chance of staying in the White House. Analysts say he may be right…

“John Zogby, an opinion pollster and author, said: ‘… Trump is a guy obsessed with winning and a guy who has demons… Going for the base has worked for him…’

“Trump is breaking from every previous incumbent president in modern times by not even attempting to reach across the divide and broaden his coalition… Immigration and border security is set to be the defining issue… Ron Brownstein, a senior editor at the Atlantic, told CNN: ‘Under Trump, the Republican coalition has become overwhelmingly centered on the voters and the parts of the country that are most uneasy with demographic change… And what’s striking is how few Republicans, however much they may grumble privately, have been willing to stand up against this redefinition of the party.’

“Indeed, the Republican response was muted with only a small number of current and former office holders stepping forward to condemn Trump’s behaviour. Many seem willing to ride this tiger into the 2020 contest…

“Michael Steele, the former chairperson of the Republican National Committee, said: ‘There are people out there who believe what Trump says… this speaks to our history, how we look at each other, how we view people who are not from here and people who are from here. It’s a sad statement about the state of America that some of our political leaders are silent because they are afraid of Donald Trump.’”

Reuters reported on July 17:

“Support for U.S. President Donald Trump increased slightly among Republicans after he lashed out on Twitter over the weekend in a racially charged attack on four minority Democratic congresswomen… The national survey, conducted on Monday and Tuesday… showed his net approval among members of his Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points to 72%, compared with a similar poll that ran last week.”

Britain Not Happy With Trump

BBC News wrote on July 15:

“UK Prime Minister Theresa May has criticised US President Donald Trump for calling on several Democratic congresswomen of colour to ‘go back’. The outgoing PM called Mr Trump’s words ‘completely unacceptable’…”

The Sun added on July 15:

“Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt (both contenders for the post of Prime Minister) [were] grilled [during their last TV debate] on today’s comments from President Trump… Hunt says it’s ‘totally offensive’ for him to say such things, and Boris adds it is ‘unacceptable’…

“Mr Johnson said: ‘If you are the leader of a multiracial multicultural country, you simply cannot use that kind of language about sending people to where they came from. That went out decades and decades ago and thanks heavens. So it’s totally unacceptable and I agree with the Prime Minister [Margaret Thatcher].’

“Hunt… said: ‘I have three half-Chinese children and if anyone ever said to them “go back to China” I would be utterly appalled. It is totally un-British to do that. So I hope that would never happen in this country.’”

The ongoing controversy between Britain and the USA does not seem to end; rather, further comments by Trump only seem to acerbate the situation.

In Defense of Israel?

JTA added on July 15:

“President Donald Trump said that his call for some Democrat congresswomen to ‘go back’ to their countries also was in defense of Israel… Amid the outcry [by Democrats] over Trump’s suggestion, he wrote on Twitter: ‘So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion.’…

“He also wrote: ‘They talk about Israel like they’re a bunch of thugs, not victims of the entire region.’… Ilhan and Tlaib have been especially outspoken in their criticism of Israel, and have been widely criticized by Jewish groups on the right and in the center…”

While most Trump supporters did not choose to criticize Trump for his above-described comments, they were surely extremely unhappy with his condemnation of Bitcoin, as the next article points out. Insofar, Trump’s words might have been a bridge (almost) too far even for many of his base and the conservative media such as Breitbart.

Trump Attacks Bitcoin and Faces Strong Backlash from his Supporters

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“President Donald Trump faced a backlash from his online supporters last week after he condemned the Bitcoin cryptocurrency as ‘highly volatile’ and a facilitator of illegal activity. Trump called for Facebook’s new ‘Libra’ cryptocurrency to be regulated like a bank.

“Many of the president’s biggest fans are users and supporters of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As companies like PayPal, Patreon, and various major credit cards conduct financial blacklisting to impoverish the political right, and as the far left demonize, harass, and even assault those suspected of supporting conservative causes, Bitcoin provides an escape route financial blacklisting and a method to discreetly support conservatives.

“But President Trump is not on board. In a string of tweets during his social media summit last week, he derided Bitcoin as ‘not money,’ accused it of being ‘highly volatile and based on thin air.’ Filmmaker and author Mike Cernovich, who strongly supported the president’s campaign in 2016, said the president had received bad advice on cryptocurrencies. ‘Trump is usually a visionary,’ said Cernovich. ‘He has clearly been misled by advisers who don’t have his best interests in mind. Bitcoin offers a way for freedom-minded people to buy and trade without having to submit to Wall Street.’

“One potential source of pressure against cryptocurrencies at the federal level may be the FBI. Under James Comey, the Bureau launched its ‘Going Dark’ initiative, a multi-million dollar investigation of encrypted technologies like bitcoin, based on concerns that federal agencies are unable to snoop on encrypted communications, devices, and transactions. The program was continued by Comey’s successor, Andrew McCabe.

“Bill Ottman, CEO of the free-speech friendly social network Minds, was in attendance at the President’s social media summit last week, but expressed concern at Trump’s statements about cryptocurrencies…

“Gab, the internet free speech project that develops platforms and technologies aimed at bypassing Big Tech censorship… was even blunter in its assessment of Trump’s comments. ‘You are wrong about this’ said Gab’s official account on Twitter in a response to the President’s account. ‘Bitcoin is free speech money.’

“Preston Byrne, a technology lawyer, fellow of the Adam Smith Institute, and Trump voter said the President was correct to criticize Facebook’s Libra coin, but is wrong on Bitcoin… ‘Facebook already controls how we make social communications. Now it wants to control financial communications as well.’ Byrne suggested that Facebook might use control of a currency in the same way that they use their dominance in communications to censor conservatives…

“Byrne urged the President to differentiate corporate-controlled cryptocurrencies like Facebook’s Libra from decentralized tech like Bitcoin. ‘The President is clearly advised on Bitcoin by Steve Mnuchin and others in the Treasury Department and the Fed, at the direction of bank lobbyists,’ said Byrne. ‘This view doesn’t really accord with what’s going on with the main regulatory agencies…’ Far from being more susceptible to crime than other forms of monetary exchange, Byrne also pointed out that using Bitcoin to commit crime, with its public ledger of all transactions, is ‘actually a really good way to get arrested.’”

Fox News added on July 15:

“The price of bitcoin tumbled Monday after President Trump tweeted Thursday that he was ‘not a fan’ of cryptocurrencies… Bitcoin price briefly hit below $10,000 just after midnight Monday, a two-week low for the leading digital coin… The cryptocurrency appeared to rebound slightly to bring it past $10,000 as of Monday morning. It’s unclear what caused the sudden price drop, but it comes just days after Trump took to Twitter to slam cryptocurrencies.”

This won’t make many Trump supporters too happy. Regardless, we are convinced that he is going to be re-elected as he has to fulfill a prophetic role… for better or for worse.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trump’s Reelection Is Assured!”  

Earthquakes in Indonesia and Australia

Fox News wrote on July 14:

“A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Moluccas islands on Sunday… creating panic and causing damage to houses in eastern Indonesia… Indonesia is located on the so-called Ring of Fire, a major area in the Pacific Ocean where about 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur. It’s also home to nearly 452 volcanoes.

“Last week, a 6.9 magnitude quake rocked the northeast shore of Sulawesi, located west of the area impacted on Sunday… Sunday’s earthquake produced at least seven aftershocks, each stronger than 5 magnitudes…

“The most powerful earthquake to hit the area occurred in 2004 when a 9.5 magnitude quake triggered a huge tsunami that killed 226,000 people and 126,000 in Indonesia. Just last year a tsunami killed thousands in the area of Sulawesi…

“The quake struck just hours after a 6.6 magnitude impacted Western Australia (This was the strongest earthquake in Australia for more than 30 years). The agency asks residents to remain calm and be on alert for more aftershocks…”

On July 15, the Drudge Report linked to the following article by Infowars:

“… a magnitude 6.1 quake just hit Japan, a magnitude 6.6 quake just hit Australia and a magnitude 7.3 earthquake just hit Indonesia.  And of course all of this comes just about a week after southern California was hit by the two largest earthquakes that it has experienced in more than two decades.  So is all of this shaking unusual?…

“Within the last seven days, our planet has experienced an average of more than 677 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater per day.  That means that the number of global earthquakes right now is more than 3 times above normal. And the number of very large earthquakes is at a frighteningly high level as well… there have been 121 earthquakes of at least magnitude 4.5 around the world within the last seven days, and that includes the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that just hit Japan.

“None of this is ‘normal’… In fact… a 4.0 earthquake has rattled Manhattan, Montana. This earthquake follows the string of quakes that have rattled the globe over the past few weeks producing powerful earthquakes in Southern California and rattling Seattle, Washington… we definitely need to keep a close eye on the Northwest, because they are definitely overdue for a ‘Big One’ of their own and there are several volcanoes in the region that could literally go off at any time.

“Meanwhile, the shaking in southern California simply will not stop… there have been 10,303 earthquakes of all magnitudes in California and Nevada within the last seven days… if a magnitude 9.0 earthquake were to hit southern California someday, it would be 707 times more powerful than the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that we just witnessed…

“Our entire planet is being greatly shaken, and many believe that what we have witnessed so far is just the beginning.”

Subsequently, further major earthquakes struck, including a 5.7 earthquake, hitting the island of Bali on July 15. Christ DOES talk about the “beginning of sorrows,” to be followed by the “Great Tribulation.”

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

“As Benjamin Netanyahu becomes Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, he is solidifying his place as the country’s greatest political survivor and the most dominant force in Israeli politics in his generation. He has persevered through scandals, crises and conflicts, winning election after election even as the country grows more bitterly polarized. His supporters credit him with keeping Israel safe and prosperous, maintaining its Jewish character and boosting its standing internationally. His opponents… claim he has dashed hopes for peace with the Palestinians…

“But as the longevity of his 13-year rule is set to surpass that of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion on July 20, all agree Netanyahu has left a permanent imprint on Israel… Just as he is about to cross a milestone, Netanyahu faces perhaps his greatest political challenge yet. After failing to form a parliamentary majority following April elections, the country is holding a repeat vote on Sept. 17. The following month, he faces a hearing with Israel’s attorney general, who has recommended indicting Netanyahu on corruption charges. If formal charges are filed, Netanyahu could be forced to step aside.

“In contrast to his predecessors, the 69-year-old hasn’t left his mark by winning a war or signing a peace accord… In confronting President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran in a brazen 2015 speech to Congress, Netanyahu also debunked the conventional wisdom that an Israeli leader could not survive an open clash with an American president. Since Trump’s election in 2016, Netanyahu has enjoyed unprecedented backing, drawing frequent accusations of partisanship.”

Al-Aqsa Mosque Targeted for Destruction in Lieu of Third Temple?

Mint Press News wrote on June 24:

“The iconic golden dome of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, located on the Temple Mount or Haram el-Sharif, is the third holiest site in Islam and is recognized throughout the world as a symbol of the city of Jerusalem. Yet, this ancient site that dates back to the year 705 C.E. is being targeted for destruction by increasingly influential… groups…

“Some observers may have noticed the growing effort by some Israeli government and religious officials to remove the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque from the Jerusalem skyline, not only erasing the holy site in official posters, banners and educational material but also physically removing the building itself. For instance, current Knesset member of the ruling Likud Party, American-born Yehuda Glick, was also the director of the government-funded Temple Institute, which has created relics and detailed architectural plans for a temple that they hope will soon replace Al-Aqsa… ‘In the end we’ll build the temple and it will be a house of prayer for all nations,’ Glick told Israeli newspaper Maariv in 2012. A year later, Israel’s Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel stated that “we need to build a real Temple on the Temple Mount.’ Ariel stated that the new Jewish Temple must be built on the site where Al-Aqsa currently sits…

“In recent years, a centuries-old effort by what was once a small group of extremists has gone increasingly mainstream in Israel, with prominent politicians, religious figures and political parties advocating for the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque in order to fulfill a specific interpretation of an end-times prophecy… this movement has gained powerful allies, not just in Israel’s government, but among many evangelical Christians in the United States, including top figures in the Trump administration who also feel that the destruction of Al-Aqsa and the reconstruction of a Jewish Temple are prerequisites for the fulfillment of prophecy… Furthermore, given the influence of such movements on the Israeli and U.S. governments, these beliefs of active Messianism… are pushing the world towards a dangerous war.”

We are not aware of any evangelical Christians in the USA who are openly advocating the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque, but there are many who in some way participate in the preparation of the building of the prophesied Third Temple.

“All Dogs Are Bad and Their Owners Accursed, Israeli City’s Rabbis Rule”

JTA wrote on July 12:

“More than a dozen rabbis from the city of Elad near Tel Aviv issued an edict declaring all dogs bad and warning residents that keeping them will make them accursed. The edict, dated June 14, contains the signatures of all the Sephardic rabbis in Elad, a city of about 46,000 residents where most of the population is haredi Orthodox. The city’s chief rabbi, Mordechai Malka, also signed the edict…

“‘We have heard and have seen that lately, a serious phenomenon has spread in our city Elad, in which young boys and children walk around publicly with dogs. This is strictly forbidden. As explained in the Talmud and by the Rambam, anyone raising a dog is accursed and especially in our city where many women and children are afraid of dogs,’ the anti-canine edict states.”

“The rabbi of neighboring Holon, Avraham Yosef, is quoted as writing: ‘I do not find any grounds for permitting any dog whatsoever in any manner.’ The term ‘bad dog’ means ‘any dog, for it barks on whomever it does not know and because of its bark it is a bad dog even if does not bite,’ the edict also states…”

This is stupid and ridiculous. How crazy can this world get?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Germany Rejects US Call for Syria Troops

AFP wrote on July 7:

“Discord broke out in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition Sunday, after the United States urged the country to send ground troops to Syria as Washington looks to withdraw from the region. ‘We want ground troops from Germany to partly replace our soldiers’ in the area as part of the anti-Islamic State coalition, US special representative on Syria James Jeffrey had told German media…. Jeffrey, who was visiting Berlin for Syria talks, added that he expects an answer this month…

“A clear rejection of the American request came from Merkel’s junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD)… But deputy conservative parliamentary leader Johann Wadephul told news agency DPA that Germany should ‘not reflexively reject’ the US call for troops… Wadephul [is] seen as a candidate to succeed Ursula von der Leyen as defence minister if she is confirmed as European Commission chief…

“The US appeal comes after Trump has repeatedly urged Berlin to increase its defence spending, last month calling Germany ‘delinquent’ over its contributions to NATO’s budget… Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) told business newspaper Handelsblatt on Saturday that Trump wanted ‘vassals’ rather than allies. ‘I’d have liked the federal government to tell him once or twice that it’s none of his business’ how much Germany spends on defence, Schroeder said. ‘This isn’t a banana republic here!’”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 8:

“German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Monday that Germany would not increase its military presence [in Syria]… ‘[This] means no ground troops,’ Seibert said… [However] CDU party leader and possible Angela Merkel successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is prepared to negotiate Germany’s contribution in Syria…”

As the media reports, Germany’s current official stance, if maintained, is likely to anger President Donald Trump.

Iran Announces Second Breach of 2015 Nuclear Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“The Iranian government on Sunday said it would once again breach the 2015 nuclear deal by raising its enrichment of uranium beyond limits agreed with several world powers. [The permitted enrichment level is 3.67%]… Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the move was a countermeasure to ‘US economic terrorism.’… The decision comes less than a week after Iran acknowledged breaking the deal’s 300-kilogram (661-pound) limit on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.

“Sunday’s announcement was immediately condemned internationally, with Germany saying they were ‘extremely concerned’ at the news…

“Israel accused Tehran of starting a ‘march’ towards nuclear weaponry. ‘The enrichment of uranium is made for one reason and for one reason only: it’s for the creation of atomic bombs,’ said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ‘The leaders of the P5+1 [the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China, and Russia] … committed themselves to snap back sanctions the minute Iran did that. It just did. Where are you?’…

“Germany and other EU countries have sought to keep the accord alive by developing a money transaction system known as INSTEX that allows Iran to circumvent US sanctions and continue doing business internationally. But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed the mechanism because it does not include Iran’s oil sector.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 8:

“Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday gave the other signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a final 60 days to find ways to counter United States sanctions against Tehran or it would implement its third deliberate violation of the accord… Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov said… Sunday’s announcement by Iran was one of the ‘consequences’ of the US abandoning the deal. China was another signatory to put blame on the US, saying that ‘unilateral bullying’ by the Americans was the cause behind the escalating Iran nuclear crisis.”

Tehran has also said that it would keep reducing its commitments every 60 days unless the other signatories protect Iran from US sanctions.

Newsmax added on July 8:

“Iran threatened on Monday to restart deactivated centrifuges and ramp up its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity as its next potential big moves… Enriching uranium up to 20% purity would be a dramatic move, since that was the level Iran had achieved before the deal was put in place… It is considered an important intermediate stage on the path to obtaining the 90% pure fissile uranium needed to make a bomb.”

According to Der Spiegel, dated July 8, experts felt that before the deal was made, Iran could produce a bomb within weeks or months. Since then, Iran claimed that they destroyed the enriched and purified fissile uranium needed to produce the bomb. Whether this is really true is anybody’s guess, as foreign inspectors were not allowed to visit all the different Iran sites, and Iran is now referring to “deactivated” centrifuges which they are willing to restart.

Gibraltar Detains Syrian Oil Tanker

AFP wrote on July 6:

“Iran demanded Friday that Britain immediately release an oil tanker it has detained in Gibraltar, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United States… Authorities in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory on Spain’s southern tip at the western entrance to the Mediterranean, said they suspected the tanker was carrying crude to Syria in violation of EU sanctions…

“The Grace 1 was halted in the early hours of Thursday by police and customs agencies in Gibraltar, aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines. Gibraltar’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that the vessel can be held for 14 more days, the territory’s attorney general said…

“In a statement, Britain’s Foreign Office said it welcomed Gibraltarian authorities ‘acting to enforce the EU Syria sanctions regime’… Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell told reporters the vessel was detained at the request of the United States. But Gibraltar insisted it acted of its own accord… Russia said the tanker’s detention was a ‘targeted action aimed at further complicating the situation around Iran and Syria’…

“White House National Security Advisor John Bolton, a champion of the hawkish policy towards Tehran, tweeted the interception of the supertanker was ‘excellent news’. According to specialised shipping trade publication Lloyd’s List, which analyses vessel-tracking data, the 1997-built ship is laden with Iranian oil.”

The Church of God has believed and proclaimed for a long time that ultimately, Gibraltar will end up belonging to Spain.

Ukraine Wants to Talk to Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the recently elected president of Ukraine, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume peace talks to solve the ongoing conflict between their respective countries on Monday… Zelenskiy proposed: ‘I suggest the following lineup for talks: me, you, US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.’

“Zelenskiy was also clear about the topic of the meeting: ‘Let’s discuss who Crimea belongs to and who isn’t in the Donbass region.’ Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov… said the proposal would be reviewed…

“Zelenskiy and Putin have never met, but during his inaugural address in May, the Ukrainian president vowed that resolving his country’s conflict with Russia would be his top priority. The conflict began in March 2014, when pro-Russian separatists staged an uprising in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region after pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovich was forced to flee the country in February 2014. The actions took place shortly after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in February and March 2014, sparking international condemnation.

“Since then, some 13,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine. Russia has strongly denied any involvement in the region, despite ample evidence that it has continually shipped arms and troops into the area. Though peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany resulted in the so-called Minsk Agreements in 2014 and early 2015, both sides have violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and the situation remains at an impasse… The EU has been unapologetically supportive of Ukraine, issuing sanctions against Russia in an effort to force its hand. [European Council President Donald] Tusk underscored the deteriorating state of the situation, saying ‘The tragedy in eastern Ukraine continues with disastrous humanitarian consequences for local people trapped by Russia’s war.’”

Finally, Ukraine will become part of Russia.

“Pope” Putin Meets with Pope Francis

The New York Times wrote on July 4:

“Pope Francis is viewed by many European liberals as the greatest moral voice against the resurgence in populism and the demonization of migrants. But for many European nationalists, anti-migration politicians and opponents of gay rights, the real spiritual strongman of their movement is the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, their alternate pope. So when Mr. Putin visited the Vatican on Thursday, it was more than a mere meeting — their third — between the two men. Rather it was a tête-à-tête between the standard bearers of competing views of Christianity on the European continent as ideological polarization between nationalists and liberals cleaves the West…

“Mr. Putin has many fans in Italy, including the country’s de facto leader, Mr. Salvini, who has publicly professed admiration for the Russian leader… The most devout Putin followers talk of the Russian leader in mystical terms, comparing him to the Katechon, a Greek word referring to a force that keeps the Antichrist at bay… Amid this backdrop, Francis has been careful not to antagonize Russia by taking sides in the conflict in Ukraine, or between the Ukrainian Orthodox churches…”

Church Militant wrote on July 8:

“For Putin, the meeting… represented a way to reify his stature as a global leader. For Francis, the meeting represented a way to gain leverage in his relationship with populist, anti-migration Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and in negotiating better relations with the Russian Orthodox Church — as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church…

“In January, Ukraine broke from the Russian Orthodox Church it had been tied to for more than four centuries and started its own independent Orthodox Church… Bartholomew I, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, to which Ukraine had been loyal until 1686, recognized the independence of [the] Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In response, the Russian Orthodox Church… said it would no longer recognize the Istanbul-based patriarch. Putin sided with Cyril, patriarch of Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church…”

Potential Nuclear Planetary Catastrophe Averted?

Bloomberg wrote on July 9:

“The 14 sailors who died during a fire last week on a nuclear-powered Russian military submarine prevented a ‘planetary catastrophe,’ a top naval officer said at their funeral… Russia broke three days of secrecy July 4 and confirmed that the stricken underwater research vessel was nuclear-powered… Russian authorities had previously refused to say whether the country’s worst naval incident in more than a decade involved a nuclear-powered vessel. They have also refused to say what type of craft was involved, with the Kremlin calling the information ‘absolutely classified.’…

“The vessel is linked to a secret nuclear-submarine project known as Losharik…The fire was Russia’s most serious naval incident since 20 people died on a Nerpa nuclear submarine in 2008… Russia’s worst post-Soviet naval disaster occurred early in Putin’s presidency, in August 2000, when 118 crew died on the Kursk nuclear submarine that sank in the Barents Sea after an explosion. The authorities were also accused of a cover-up.”

This shows how quickly our planet can be threatened by nuclear catastrophes.

Merkel’s Health Cause for Concern?

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s body shook visibly at a public event for the third time in less than a month on Wednesday… Merkel shook as she stood at a military honors ceremony alongside Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne outside the chancellery in Berlin, listening to the two countries’ national anthems. It followed similar episodes on June 18 and June 27. As in both those cases, the incident started as she stood still without talking…

“Merkel, who has been German leader since 2005, turns 65 on July 17. She suggested that the psychological impact of the first incident was responsible for the subsequent episodes… Public figures’ health is generally regarded as a private matter in Germany and the country’s privacy laws are very strict on that type of information. It is not publicly known if Merkel has any health problems…

“A spokeswoman for Merkel… declined to comment on whether there had been any other shaking episodes beyond the three publicly known ones. Merkel said last year that she won’t seek a fifth term as chancellor and won’t seek any other political job after her current term ends in 2021.

“She gave up the leadership of her center-right party after a pair of poor state election performances that followed a rocky start to her fourth-term government. She has shown no sign since of wanting to give up the chancellorship before her term is up.”

Greece Has a New Leader

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“Conservative party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis was being sworn in as Greece’s new prime minister Monday, a day after his resounding win over left-wing Alexis Tsipras, who led the country through the tumultuous final years of its international bailouts. Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won 39.8% of the vote, giving him 158 seats in the 300-member parliament, a comfortable governing majority. Tsipras’ Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, garnered 31.5%. The extremist right-wing Golden Dawn, Greece’s third largest party during the height of the financial crisis, failed to make the 3% threshold to enter parliament.

“Mitsotakis will have to move fast to deal with the myriad of problems still plaguing the economy… Greece’s economy shrank by a quarter and poverty and unemployment levels soared during the country’s nearly decade-long financial crisis… The country’s debt stands at about 181% of annual GDP…

“‘New Democracy’s clear victory in Greece’s parliamentary elections yesterday will be welcomed by investors,’ said economics consultancy Capital Economics in a research note. ‘But it will not be a game changer for the economy, not least because the government will still be constrained by its membership of the single currency and its “surveillance” agreement with the EU… [The] enhanced surveillance’… bears a striking resemblance to a bail-out program… the government will get further relief on the cost of servicing its public debt only if it sticks to tight fiscal policy.’”

It is not clear at all whether Greece will be part of the final ten European nations or groups of nations resurrecting the ancient Roman Empire.

America’s and Europe’s Outrageous Immigration Policy

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 4:

“It’s easy to criticize Washington’s migration policies as inhumane, but the approach taken by the European Union is even more outrageous. Politicians in the EU outsource the horrors and wash their hands of any guilt…

“A father and his daughter lie dead on the bank of the Rio Grande, entwined in an embrace, after drowning in their attempt to reach the United States… They came from El Salvador and had attempted to swim across the border and the image of their bodies went around the world last week. It is absolutely heart-breaking… In the United States, the photo triggered a response similar to the one in Germany in 2015, when pictures of the deceased three-year-old Alan Kurdi, whose body washed up on the beach in Turkey, made the rounds…

“In addition came the revelations last week that U.S. authorities in Texas exposed around 300 children to inhuman conditions in cells with open toilets in the middle of the room and a lack of soap, clothing and food… Trump’s pick as the next director to lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency once said that when he looks into the eyes of detained migrant children, he sees future gang members… Without a doubt, America is no longer the country that was once proud to offer a new home to immigrants from around the world….

“Today’s migration policies in the European Union are even more brutal than those pursued by Donald Trump… the Europeans have entered into pacts with Libyan militias that operate horrific camps where torture and rape are commonplace, and they work together with the so-called Libyan coast guard, which is little more than a militia at sea. Sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean have practically been shut down, and Italian hardliner Matteo Salvini is no longer allowing private rescue ships to come ashore in the country.

“… This year alone, just under 600 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean, a figure that is far greater than the number who have died along the U.S.-Mexican border. The horrors of the EU’s migration policies aren’t playing out in front of the cameras — they are unfolding in North Africa and on the high seas…

“Despite the suffering, the situation in the Mediterranean Sea is quite convenient for countries in northern Europe… the EU is selling its soul… the EU member states, the German government included, aren’t making any serious efforts to deal with the issue. Instead, they’ve outsourced the horrors and washed their hands of any guilt. Which is why it is only a matter of time before the next iconic image of dead immigrants will shock people around the world — without changing anything.”

A change to these horrible developments will only happen after Jesus Christ has returned to this earth.

Strains in Special Relationship between USA and UK

The Hill wrote on July 8:

“President Trump on Monday said he would ‘no longer deal with’ the U.K.’s ambassador to the U.S. [Sir Kim Darroch] after leaked cables revealed the diplomat’s blunt assessment of the Trump administration. Even as Trump bristled at being criticized in secret diplomatic notes, he went after outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, who expressed ‘full faith’ in Darroch, over her handling of Brexit. ‘What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way,’ Trump wrote, adding that ‘the good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister.’

“Darroch wrote in secret cables to top officials in London that Trump is viewed as ‘insecure’ and ‘incompetent.’ He said there are doubts in Washington about whether the White House ‘is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional, less unpredictable, less faction-riven, less diplomatically clumsy and inept.’ The British government has expressed regret to Trump administration officials for the leak…

“The cables were published by U.K. newspaper The Mail on Sunday, providing fresh evidence of strains in the so-called ‘special relationship’ between the U.S. and U.K. during Trump’s presidency.”

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“British officials said they were hunting for the culprit behind the leak, which was both an embarrassment to Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and a major breach of diplomatic security… The documents were intended for senior U.K. ministers and civil servants. Government officials think the mole will be found among British politicians or officials, not in foreign governments or among people who aren’t British…”

Axios wrote on July 8:

“As the ambassador to a top U.S. ally, Darroch meets regularly with senior officials in the Trump administration. May will be replaced later this month, probably by the Trump-friendly Boris Johnson. If this is more than a passing dispute, Johnson will have to decide between standing by Darroch and the British diplomatic service, or making an early goodwill gesture to Trump by choosing a favorable replacement…

“Darroch, a highly regarded career civil servant, was due to leave Washington at the end of this year… The real surprise here isn’t the contents of the private messages Darroch sent back to London, but the fact that they leaked to the Mail on Sunday tabloid in the first place. There has been frantic speculation about the motives behind the leak.”

It will have to be seen whether this is only a temporary impasse between the USA and the UK or the sign of an ongoing phenomenon. Note the next article.

Britain’s Ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch Quits after Boris Johnson Refused to Support Him

The Sun wrote on July 10:

“BRITAIN’S ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch has sensationally quit today after being embroiled in a Donald Trump leak storm… Sir Kim wrote: ‘The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like. I am grateful to all those in the UK and the US, who have offered their support during this difficult few days. This has brought home to me the depth of friendship and close ties between our two countries…’

“MPs have… come forward to support Sir Kim – including Theresa May, who said it is a ‘matter of deep regret’ that Sir Kim felt it necessary to stand down. It is understood the PM did not want him to resign and had urged him to stay – but he made it clear to her his mind was made up as he thought his position had become untenable following Trump’s decisions to bar him from attending key events and working together. She even sent a written note supporting him this week, her spokesperson said earlier.

“Foreign Secretary and leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt, who had stood by Sir Kim, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by his decision. In a statement, he added: ‘For 42 years, Sir Kim served his country with the utmost dedication and distinction. I profoundly regret how this episode has led Sir Kim to decide to resign. He deserves to look back upon his career as a servant of Britain with the greatest satisfaction and pride.’

“Mr McDonald [Simon McDonald, the most senior official at the Foreign Office] said this lunchtime that it was the first time a friendly government has refused to deal with a British envoy – after Donald Trump said he’d no longer work with the ambassador following the leaks. He told MPs this afternoon: ‘It was his judgement that as long as he remained in Washington he would remain a target and his family with him … Nothing like this has ever happened before.’…

“Friends say Sir Kim decided the game was up last night after watching Boris Johnson [refuse] to back him during a live TV debate last night. The Tory leadership candidate refused several times to say he would keep Sir Kim in his post if he became prime minister…

“Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said on Twitter: ‘The shameful forcing out of Kim Darroch after Johnson failed to back him shows Johnson as PM would be nothing more than Trump’s lap dog. What a humiliating prospect for our United Kingdom.’… But Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, a friend of Mr Trump, said it was ‘the right decision’.”

The Guardian added on July 10:

“Darroch’s decision will put pressure on Johnson, who was criticised by some Conservatives after the leadership debate for refusing to give Darroch his support even as his rival, Jeremy Hunt, said he would expect the ambassador to stay in post until his planned retirement. When pressed on the point, Johnson gave only mild criticism of Trump and said a good relationship with the US was ‘of fantastic importance’. Sir Alan Duncan, a Foreign Office minister, said Johnson had thrown Darroch ‘under the bus to serve his own personal interests’ and accused him of ‘contemptible negligence’.”

British Airways Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“British Airways has been fined 183.4 million pounds ($230 million, €205 million) by the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) [under the new UK Data Protection Act] after computer hackers stole customer data last year… The ICO said the penalty was the biggest it had ever handed out and the fine was the first to be made public under new rules.

“British Airways revealed in September 2018 that computer hackers had carried out a ‘sophisticated, malicious criminal attack’ on the airline’s website and app, and obtained the credit card details of some 380,000 customers. The airline promised to ‘fully reimburse’ affected customers…

“Airlines have become frequent targets for cyberattacks in recent years, due to their hyperconnected service models, which allow passengers to easily book and pay for flights. Passengers also have to include passport data and credit card information when booking a flight online. There were about 1,000 cyberattacks per month reported by airlines in 2016…”

The penalty imposed on British Airways, which the airline has vowed to fight, seems to be unduly harsh, given the fact that unscrupulous evil hackers have been committing crimes on the airline and its customers.

US Courts vs. Trump

npr wrote on July 9:

“A federal appeals court in Manhattan says President Trump cannot block critics from his Twitter account, calling it ‘unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.’ In a 29-page ruling on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court’s decision that found that Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked certain Twitter users, because he uses his Twitter account ‘to conduct official business and to interact with the public.’ By preventing critics from accessing his feed, the president is barring them from participating in what the judges deemed a public forum.”

The Washington Post wrote on July 9:

“A federal judge in New York on Tuesday denied a bid from the Justice Department to replace the team of lawyers on the case about the census citizenship question…

“U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman denied the formal, legal bid to do so. ‘Defendants provide no reasons, let alone “satisfactory reasons,” for the substitution of counsel,’ Furman wrote. He also noted that a filing in the case was due from the department in just three days, and that the department had previously pushed for the matter to be moved along quickly.”

Subsequently, Trump abandoned his “effort to have a citizenship question added to the 2020 census, instead instructing federal agencies to provide the Commerce Department with records on citizenship… The Supreme Court last month ruled that the administration could not add the citizenship question to the census for now…” (The Week, July 11, 2019). The Independent wrote that Trump has “capitulated” and has suffered “a major defeat” in the matter.

npr added on July 11:

“President Trump announced Thursday he would sign an executive order to obtain data about the U.S. citizenship and noncitizenship status of everyone living in the United States… his executive order will direct all U.S. agencies to provide the Department of Commerce all information they have on U.S. citizenship, noncitizenship and immigration status…

“Trump appears to be doing what the Census Bureau encouraged over a year ago… Some of the steps Trump outlined are already underway. The Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security… had already entered into agreements with the Census Bureau to provide the bureau with information on noncitizens.”

This is a somewhat frightening development. Why and for what purpose is information needed about LEGAL noncitizens?

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

“An appeals court on July 3 upheld a freeze on Pentagon money to build a border wall with Mexico, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s ability to make good on a signature campaign promise before the 2020 election.

“A divided three-judge panel of the ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed with a lower court ruling that prevented the government from tapping Defence Department counterdrug money to build high-priority sections of [a] wall in Arizona, California and New Mexico.”

Trump’s Top Officials to Speak to pro-Israel Evangelicals Conference

JTA wrote on July 8:

“Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton are set to address the annual Christians United for Israel conference, a sign of how much President Donald Trump values pro-Israel evangelicals.

“Pence, Pompeo, Bolton as well as ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Jason Greenblatt, the top U.S. Middle East negotiator, will speak Monday and Tuesday at the conference taking place in Washington D.C. Such a broad array of top senior foreign policy and security officials is rare for pro-Israel groups.

“Trump has on multiple occasions noted that the pro-Israel evangelical community has shown the most appreciation for his Israel-related actions, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, defunding the Palestinians, pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights…

“Other notable speakers [are] an array of Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. No Democrats appear on the schedule.”

The article also published a picture of Pastor John Hagee shaking hands with Vice President Mike Pence at the Christians United for Israel annual conference on July 17, 2017. Hagee and other evangelicals believe strongly that an end-time third temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return, and they seem to suggest that Trump will be instrumental in some way in helping to build that temple.

Biblical City of Ziklag Found

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 8:

“Researchers from a joint expedition including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, believe that they have discovered the famous biblical city of Ziklag, a Philistine city where a young David sought refuge from King Saul…

“About a thousand square meters were excavated; the find revealed evidence of Philistine settlement dating from the 11th-12th century BCE. Large stone structures were uncovered, including finds characteristic of Philistine culture. Stone vessels and metal vessels found on the site are similar to finds from this period, discovered in the past in excavations of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gat, all ancient Philistine cities…

“A rural settlement from the time of King David, dating to the beginning of the 10th century BCE, was discovered above the remains of the Philistine settlement, which was destroyed by a fire. There were dozens of complete pottery vessels found in the remains of buildings, identical to those found in the fortified Jewish city of Khirbet Qeiyafa…

“The name Ziklag gives clues as to the origin of its inhabitants. It is not a local Semitic name but a Philistine name, further proof that the Philistines were not native to the area but migrated to the land of Israel from Europe. [Based on DNA testing, some believe that the ancient Philistines came to the Middle East from southern Europe more than 3,000 years ago].

“Ziklag is mentioned several times in the Bible, most famously in the Book of Samuel, when the young David is granted refuge from King Saul by the Philistine King Achish of Gat. David appears to have been awarded Ziklag as a vassal state, under the protection of Achish, and he used it as a base for raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. According to the Book of Samuel, the city was destroyed by the Amalekites and the population was enslaved.

“After King Saul is killed in battle with the Philistines, David leaves Ziklag, traveling to Hebron to be anointed King of Israel.”

More historical proof that the Bible is accurate in everything.

Dumping 1.5 Tons of Rat Poison on the Farallon Islands?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 7:

“For most humans, life on these jagged islands off the coast of San Francisco would be a nightmare: Waves lash the shore with treacherous force, the stench of guano fills the air, and the screech of seagulls is so loud that resident scientists wear earplugs to bed. But wildlife thrive on ‘the Devil’s Teeth’ – the name given to the Farallon Islands by sailors over a century ago. The islands boast one of the world’s largest breeding colonies for seabirds… and their beaches are covered with lolling sea lions and seals. The waters surrounding the islands teem with 18 species of whales and dolphins.

“The islands also host tens of thousands of house mice – an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem… The explosive growth in mice has attracted burrowing owls, who not only eat the mice but also prey upon the storm-petrels, a rare bird with a declining population.

“The federal government contends that the only way to get rid of the mice is to drop 1.5 tons of rat poison pellets from a helicopter onto the islands. But Bay Area conservationists are worried that the poison, an increasingly controversial rodenticide called brodifacoum, will kill other species and make its way up the food chain… The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that manages the Farallones, acknowledges that while some non-target species will likely be killed in the process, broadcasting poison over the islands is a tried-and-true method of tackling rodent infestations. Biologists say that the long-term benefits will far outweigh any collateral damage…

“Critics insist there is reason to be wary of brodifacoum, an anticoagulant that causes internal bleeding. Mountain lions in California have been found dead with the rodenticide in their systems after eating small prey that ingested the poison. California outlawed consumer use of the poison in 2014… Critics do not refute that the mice need to go. But they do not buy the federal government’s insistence that rodenticide is the best way to get the job done…

“Alison Hermance, director of communications at Wildcare, a wildlife hospital in San Rafael, has seen firsthand how rat poison has affected local species. The organization began testing livers of patients – hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes – about 10 years ago for brodifacoum. They found that 76% of the 600 animals had been exposed to the poison. ‘People don’t recognize that this is a much bigger issue,’ said Hermance, who called the Farallones poison plan ‘ludicrous’…”

It very well seems to be.

“The Asteroid Peril Isn’t Science Fiction”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 5:

“Even if we managed to spot a small but dangerous asteroid heading for Earth, we currently have no means to stop it…

“Many scientists argue that the most effective way to deal with a threat from a small asteroid would be to send up an unmanned spacecraft armed with a nuclear explosive device (they hesitate to call it a bomb) to blow it up or nudge it off course. Nuking an incoming asteroid is also the preferred Hollywood method… but the nuclear option faces serious hurdles in the real world…

“In December 2018… a 30-foot-wide asteroid exploded in the atmosphere over the Bering Sea with the explosive force of a dozen Hiroshima atomic bombs—but except for a few satellites and sensor systems, no one noticed…

“Hundreds of thousands of… near-Earth asteroids, both large and small, haven’t been identified. We have no idea where they are and where they are going. On Feb. 15, 2013, a relatively small, 60-foot-wide asteroid traveling at 43,000 mph exploded in the atmosphere near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, sending out a blast wave that injured 1,500 people. No one had seen the asteroid coming…

“Nor is it clear that we could deflect a small but dangerous asteroid heading our way even if we did spot it. No asteroid-deflection method has ever been tested in real-space conditions—and, as [a scientific] conference’s war game demonstrated, using untested technology always entails a risk that the mission could go terribly wrong…

“Earth has been hit millions of times by powerful asteroids, and it will inevitably be hit again—whether two centuries from now or next Tuesday. So it isn’t a question of whether humankind will have to confront the prospect of a destructive asteroid hurtling our way; it is only a question of when.”

In the war game scenario, even though the asteroid was “blown up,” preventing it from hitting Denver, a piece hit New York and wiped out Manhattan.

Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes California

The Week wrote on July 5:

“ A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked Southern California on Friday evening, just one day after a 6.4-magnitude temblor struck the same area. Friday’s quake was reportedly felt as far north as Sacramento, as far east as Las Vegas, and as far south as Mexico. There are reports of damaged buildings and roads, fires, and several injuries.

“The seismic activity was the largest in Southern California [for] at least 20 years and was followed by multiple aftershocks, some of which surpassed magnitude 5.0. More aftershocks are expected and could reportedly occur for years… The fault causing the quakes appears to be growing, scientists said.”

The 6.4 quake is now considered a foreshock to Friday’s 7.1 earthquake. Also, the earthquakes had no effect on diminishing the magnitude of potential earthquakes along the San Andreas fault. If anything, their magnitude would have been increased. This means, it is still an ongoing concern with ever increasing likelihood that the long overdue “big one” with a potential magnitude of 9 or higher and causing waves up to at least 20 meters high will strike California’s West Coast residents in the near future. The last time there was a strong earthquake on the San Andreas fault was 1906 when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the San Francisco area, causing widespread damage and thousands of deaths.

Why Comparatively Little Damage in Ridgecrest?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 10:

“Ridgecrest suffered far less damage than cities hit by less powerful quakes in recent years, including Napa and Paso Robles, where older buildings in the downtown areas crumbled amid the shaking. Experts were quick to point out that last week’s quakes would have proved far more devastating had they been located near bigger cities filled with more susceptible buildings. ‘You take a 7.1 and put it into the Hollywood fault or Newport-Inglewood fault in Long Beach — we’re going to see substantially different levels of damage,’ said Ken O’Dell, president of the Structural Engineers Assn. of Southern California…

“Many cities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties haven’t required fixes to brick buildings, a vulnerability Californians have known about for a century… There are at least 1 million of… vulnerable homes in California, but Ridgecrest has very few… Some of the worst damage was to mobile homes, which often are not secured to their foundations…

“The happenstances of geology and geography also worked in the town’s favor. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake started at an epicenter 10 miles northeast of central Ridgecrest. But it occurred on a fault that focused the worst shaking waves away from Ridgecrest and Trona, to the northwest and southeast, respectively, of the epicenter, and into sparsely populated areas…”

German Catholics Storm out of Sermon Urging Forgiveness for Predator Priests

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 5:

“Retired [Roman Catholic] priest Ulrich Zurkuhlen caused consternation in the city of Münster, northwest Germany, when he dedicated his sermon to the concept of forgiving priests who had sexually abused minors. Zurkuhlen’s remarks come at a difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church, as it grapples with continued allegations, from various parts of the world, of priests’ predatory conduct and church attempts to cover it up.

“In 2018, the German Bishops’ Conference published a report revealing that 1,670 priests, roughly 4.4% of clerics, had abused 3,677 people between 1946 and 2014 in Germany.

“The controversial sermon took place in the Holy Spirit Church of Münster… parishioners were incensed, with some 70 members of the congregation walking out in protest. Several parishioners reportedly interrupted the 79-year-old Zurkuhlen and tried to argue with him… the situation became chaotic and the priest was not able to finish the sermon…

“Stefan Rau, a fellow priest of the Holy Spirit Church, regretted Zurkuhlen’s position…”

Rau said he believes forgiveness isn’t the duty of abuse victims. In addition, the bishop of Münster, Felix Genn, has reportedly asked Zurkuhlen to stop preaching. However, if there is genuine repentance on the part of the pedophile priest, a true Christian has the duty to forgive him. This is true for every sin which is sincerely repented of. Otherwise, God will not forgive us our sins either.

Ten-Year-Olds Tell the Teacher About LGBT Ideology

Life Site News reported on July 1:

“A 10-year-old [and her classmate were] suspended from school for a week after asking [their] teacher permission to be excused from participating in a ‘Pride Month’ LGBT lesson… Susan Papas… who banned the children from the school… has been reported to the local authorities for what amounts to an unlawful act…

“Kaysey… says she was kept in detention for five hours from 10am to 3pm. Kaysey’s and Farrell’s version of the story, which differs widely from what their teacher and the head of their school alleged, has been corroborated by their classmates.

“‘This is why parents are beginning to see the dangers of the imposition of the new sexual and gender ideology that does not permit dissent even from  innocent ten year old children,’ said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is aiding the two students and their families in this matter. ‘This incident highlights again just how aggressive and intolerant the LGBT agenda can be… An ideology that has to resort to such heavy-handed tactics to force ten-year-old children to accept something that instinctively they do not, only highlights how life-crushing that ideology is… When bullies know that right is not on their side they resort to coercion and intimidation…’”

Out of the mouth of “babes”…

Some Potentially Good News from Australia

CNA wrote on July 6:

“Australia’s coalition government has proposed the introduction of legislation that would make it unlawful to discriminate against people on the ground of their religious belief or activity… It would be made clear that religious groups cannot be required to make their property available for same-sex marriage celebrations… The government wants to make religious belief and activity a protected class, like race or sex. It also hopes to ensure that groups rejecting same-sex marriage are not stripped of their charitable status…

“When same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia in 2017, efforts to include amendments that would protect religious freedom failed during parliamentary debate… Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney noted last year that ‘we cannot take the freedom to hold and practice our beliefs for granted, even here in Australia,’ and that ‘powerful interests now seek to… strip us of charitable status and protections.’”

It is even shocking to contemplate that a church might lose its charitable status for stating plainly what the Bible condemns.

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.

Has America Lost Its Patriotism?

The New York Post wrote on July 3:

“American patriotism has just reached a record low…

“America is a radical idea that had never come close to being implemented before — a broad-based democracy with government engineered for the purpose of zealously protecting our natural, or God-given, rights… As late as 1870, only 40% of the men in Britain were entitled to vote. Voting in America was not universal until women got the vote in 1920, but the US was miles ahead of everybody else in allowing its people to be heard.

“Even more important, the US was and is miles ahead when it comes to allowing its people to speak. In Britain, people can and do get thrown in jail for things they’ve said on Twitter… A 2014 headline in The Guardian reads, ‘Is it right to jail someone for being offensive on Facebook or Twitter?’ No, it isn’t right. It is in fact quite wrong, and in America it is unthinkable because we have the world’s strongest protections for speech.

“The First Amendment, like everything else about America, has not always worked perfectly (Woodrow Wilson threw Eugene V. Debs in jail under the Sedition Act for opposing World War I) but is a great and noble ideal…

“A Gallup survey notes that 150 million people, or one out of 25 adults on the planet, would move to the US if they could. That’s more than the next four countries combined. ‘America remains unusually attractive to people from all over the world — in a way to which no other country compares,’ Gallup reported.

“Everybody knows America is number one, which is why, even among the hating class of Americans, no one ever leaves… On July 4, 1776, we began setting up the greatest opportunity for human flourishing the world has ever known…”

And still, American patriotism, which is the love for our country, is at an all-time low. The Bible has prophesied this. It says that because of our many sins, God will “break the pride of [our] power” (Leviticus 26:19).

Iran Breaches Deal with Europe and other Powers

The Associated Press wrote on July 1:

“Iran announced on Monday it had amassed more low-enriched uranium than permitted under its 2015 deal with major powers, its first major step in violation of the deal since the United States pulled out of it more than a year ago.

“The step could have far-reaching consequences for diplomacy at a time when European countries are trying to pull the United States and Iran back from the brink of war, less than two weeks after Washington aborted air strikes at the last minute.

“The Europeans… had pleaded with Iran to keep within its parameters… The move is a test of European diplomacy after French, British and German officials had promised a strong diplomatic response if Iran fundamentally breached the deal.

“Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said Britain was urgently considering its next moves along with its partners, and urged Iran to ‘reverse this step.’ Her foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he was ‘deeply worried’ by Iran’s announcement…

“Iran announced in May that it would speed up production of enriched uranium in response to the Trump administration sharply tightening sanctions against it that month… In the two months since the U.S. sanctions were tightened, the confrontation has taken on a military dimension, with Washington blaming Tehran for attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf region, and Iran shooting down a U.S. drone. Trump ordered air strikes in retaliation, only to call them off minutes before impact.

“The nuclear deal imposes limits both on how much enriched uranium Iran can hold and on how pure its stocks can be, a pair of related thresholds intended to keep Tehran from amassing enough material, in a sufficiently refined state, to make a nuclear bomb.

“… Iran’s next move would be to enrich uranium slightly beyond the 3.67% maximum purity allowed under the deal, a threshold Tehran has previously said it would cross on July 7. That could be seen as a bigger breach than Monday’s announcement that it holds too much material at a permissible purity…

“Israel, which considers the Iranian nuclear program an existential threat, has backed Trump’s hard line, as have U.S. allies among the rich Arab states of the Gulf, which consider Iran a foe and benefit from having its oil kept off markets…”

It has been speculated, for instance by The Week, dated July 1, that because of Iran’s breach, Europe will impose sanctions on Iran. However, while European leaders expressed their “extreme concern,” they have already rejected the possibility of inflicting sanctions.

Will Israel Strike Iran?

Express wrote on July 1:

“The USA has raised alarm over concerns that Israel could soon drag the country into a war with Iran, after the Islamic Republic breached the limit on its uranium stockpiles… The breach comes less than a day after senior US allies of the White House had warned that Israel would strike Tehran as soon as the uranium limit was breached…

“Republican Senator, and key Trump ally, Lindsey Graham told CBS: ‘The most likely war would be between Israel and Iran if the Iranians started to reprocess and enrich beginning July the 7th in a manner that would accelerate their path to a bomb. He urged President Trump to prepare to send the ‘strongest signal possible’ to Iran once the government in Tehran fulfills its threat to breach the limits on uranium supply…

“The Republican claimed the recent moves by Tehran will place Iran on a ‘pathway’ to a nuclear bomb — something that could pose a national security threat to both the US and Israel. He warned that a full-blown war could break out between Israel and Iran if Tehran restarted its nuclear program.”

Iran has stated that Israel would be destroyed “in half an hour” if the USA were to attack Iran. By implication, the same threat would exist if Israel were to strike Iran. Even though this threat could be considered as hyperbole, the Bible says that Israel will receive a wound or a military defeat in the very near future. It will then try unsuccessfully to obtain help from Germany.

US Will Sanction Every Country Importing Iranian Oil

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on June 28:

“The United States will sanction any country that imports Iranian oil and there are no exemptions in place, the US special envoy for Iran said on Friday… Tehran has been selling increased volumes of petrochemical products at below market rates in countries including Brazil, China and India since the United States reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports in November…”

The Washington Post wrote on June 28:

“The U.S. special representative for Iran said Friday that European companies have a choice: Do business with the United States or do business with Iran, as Europe announced that a new system to allow trade with Tehran was in place…

“Meeting Friday with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Trump urged the German leader to join the United States in keeping up ‘maximum’ pressure on Iran, the White House said. But Europe is doubling down on the nuclear deal. Austria, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden released a statement Friday stressing the importance of preserving the pact, describing it as a ‘major contribution to stability in the region.’”

The Iran debacle will further alienate the EU and the USA.

No Congressional Approval Needed for War with Iran

The Huffington Post wrote on June 28:

“The Senate failed to pass an amendment Friday that would have forced President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before going to war with Iran, leaving in place broad powers for the president to launch military action…

“It’s unlikely that the amendment would have neutralized Trump’s ability to strike Iran. The president, for instance, could have declared a national emergency in order to justify military action, or he might have refused to sign the defense authorization bill.”

This was clear from the outset. Trump can launch military strikes, and no one can stop him.

How Iran Could Retaliate

National Interest wrote on June 29:

“Iran cannot use sanctions to punish America, but it can inflict economic pain by threatening the valuable shipping lanes running from Persian Gulf ports, through the straits of Hormuz, and into the Gulf of Oman…

“The north-eastern half of the Gulf coast is Iranian territory, meaning Iranian units can stage fast boats and long-range missile batteries for attacks at any point along that roughly 1,000-mile coastline…

“Iran couldn’t ‘win’ a war versus the United States… but it could cause losses in amounting to tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in disrupted trade, and a terrible toll in human lives, not just drones and damaged tanker hulls…

“The Pentagon certainly has no appetite for an invasion and occupation of Iran, which has twice the population of Iraq. A prolonged air war—the more likely outcome—could kill thousands, and deplete stocks of expensive standoff-range missiles, without necessarily succeeding at destroying Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile technologies in their hardened underground shelters.

“Meanwhile, Iran would retaliate with asymmetric warfare across the Persian Gulf, the Middle East and potentially beyond. Nor could the United States necessarily control the duration of the war…”

A Biblical Book of Trump?

JTA wrote on June 27:

“It isn’t news that Sheldon and Miriam Adelson are big fans of President Donald Trump. The Republican mega-donors gave millions to Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. But Miriam Adelson took it one step further on Thursday. The Israeli-American physician compared the president to biblical prophets in an article in which she asked why he has not enjoyed higher support among American Jews. ‘That this has not been the case… is an oddity that will long be pondered by historians,’ Adelson wrote in an article for Israel Hayom, of which she is the publisher.

“‘Scholars of the Bible will no doubt note the heroes, sages, and prophets of antiquity who were similarly spurned by the very people they came to raise up.’ She went on to say she wished there would be a biblical book named after Trump in the future. ‘Would it be too much to pray for a day when the Bible gets a “Book of Trump,” much like it has a “Book of Esther” celebrating the deliverance of the Jews from ancient Persia?’ Adelson asked. Last year, Trump honored the Israeli-born Adelson with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, noting her career in medicine and philanthropy.”

It is very possible that Trump might play a further role in assisting with the building of the prophesied third Temple in Jerusalem.

Towards the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News ran the following headline on July 1:

“Trump’s Israel Ambassador Sledgehammers his Way to the Third Temple.”

The article continued:

“President Donald Trump’s Israel envoy including Ambassador David Friedman and Middle East Advisor Jason Greenblatt hammered through the final wall to reconnect a 2,000-year-old road that Ancient Jews used to bring sacrifices up to the Second Temple to sounds of the shofar in the background.

“The City of David discovered the ‘Pilgrim’s Road’ which was used by Israelites during the Second Temple period (516 BCE-70 CE) to bring sacrifices from the Valley of Siloam up to the Temple Mount, the site of the Second Temple and the Third Temple (which has not yet been built)…

“‘In the past six years, we’ve been working on excavating intensively,’ says Archaeologist Dr. Joe Uziel.  ‘The Pilgrim Street which led from the Siloam Pool up to the Temple Mount, about 600 (656 yards) meters long, 8 meters (8.7 yards) wide would have housed the thousands of pilgrims which arrived in Jerusalem from surrounding areas in order to take part in the ceremonies on the Temple’ Uziel added.”

The Jordan Times added on July 1:

“Jordan on Sunday condemned Israel’s opening of the so-called ‘pilgrim’s road’ tunnel, dug from beneath the village of Silwan to reach Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, warning against such irresponsible acts and violations that increase tensions.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Christ’s Return IS NEAR indeed!”

Trump and Kim Jong Un Together Again

 nbc News reported on June 30:

“Taking an unprecedented step onto North Korean soil, President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Washington and Pyongyang will relaunch stalled nuclear talks… Side-by-side with Kim in the heavily-fortified demilitarized zone, Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to cross the 1953 armistice line separating North and South Korea, then joined Kim for a roughly 50-minute meeting. ‘Stepping across that line was a great honor,’ Trump said, later adding that it was ‘something incredible.’… He even invited Kim, who rarely leaves the country, to visit him at the White House…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 30:

“Experts have warned that North Korea may never agree to fully give up its nuclear ambitions, which they say Pyongyang views as vital for regime survival.”

So far, previous meetings between Trump and Kim Jong Un have been pretty unsuccessful.

The Huffington Post added on June 30:

“Pope Francis on Sunday praised President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un… for taking the step to meet. The Catholic leader said he hoped the ‘significant gesture’ would be a stepping stone to the resolution of conflicts in the Korean peninsula and worldwide…

“‘I salute the protagonists, with a prayer that such a significant gesture will be a further step on the road to peace, not only on that peninsula, but for the good of the entire world,’ Francis continued…”

There will be no lasting peace on this earth until Jesus Christ returns.

Donald Trump Tries to Appease Putin

The Huffington Post wrote on June 28:

“The G-20 summit marked Trump’s first formal meeting with Putin since last July’s controversial Helsinki meeting, and his first since special counsel Robert Mueller finished his report concluding that Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“Asked whether he would discuss the interference problem with Putin, Trump smirked and wagged his finger at the Russian president, saying, ‘Don’t meddle in the election.’ Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both laughed.”

However, it’s not funny, but very sad. Trump’s attempts to appease Putin won’t work. Putin’s Russia will never be a true friend of Trump or the USA. On the other hand, no war is prophesied between Russia and the USA before Christ’s return, but there WILL BE a nuclear war between Russia and other Far Eastern nations and Europe.

Europeans Surrender to Russia

The EUobserver wrote on June 27:

“Earlier this month, Russian air forces targeted hospitals in Syria, EU institutions presented evidence that Russian actors spread divisive material ahead of the European elections in May, and Dutch prosecutors indicted three Russians and one Ukrainian for complicity in murdering 298 people by downing flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.

“Despite all this, European governments have handed the Council of Europe (CoE) to Russia this week… For Russia, the council’s surrender… is a huge foreign policy success. For the council, it is a disaster…”

Only in the future will Europe realize what Russia and other Far Eastern countries are really up to, and then Europe, being frightened by rumors of war preparation, will respond with great anger and launch a military attack, setting in motion a full-fledged nuclear war, which Europe will lose.

Cozying up to Saudi Arabia

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

“For many he’s an international pariah, but you wouldn’t know it by the lavish reception Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received at the G-20 summit this week. He beamed as he stood front and center, sandwiched between President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for a group photo. He exchanged an impish grin as he sat down next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He posed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a group of flag-waving kids ahead of an earlier signing ceremony for $8 billion in deals.

“Even as rebukes pile up elsewhere — a U.N. expert has called for an investigation of his alleged role in the killing of a prominent journalist, and a growing number of Americans are questioning their nation’s support for his kingdom and its role in the war in Yemen — some leaders in Osaka have gone out of their way to make sure the prince feels comfortable…

“Trump, who has long been loath to scold authoritarian leaders for human rights abuses, seemed to go out of his way at times to shepherd Prince Mohammed, at one point patting him on the back as they walked together. As the two sat down over breakfast Saturday, Trump praised his ‘friend’ for taking steps to open up the kingdom and extend freedoms to Saudi women.

“Trump initially ignored reporters’ questions about the prince’s alleged role in Khashoggi’s death, but when pressed later at a news conference he called the killing ‘horrible’ while claiming that ‘nobody so far has pointed directly a finger at the future king of Saudi Arabia.’… Following a monthslong inquiry, Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, recently said she’d concluded that Khashoggi was a victim of a ‘deliberate, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible.’”

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“Theresa May has raised concerns about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian cost of the conflict in Yemen during a face-to-face meeting with the Saudi crown prince at the G20 summit in Osaka… May’s demeanour as she met the crown prince did not appear as frosty as it did when she met Vladimir Putin on Friday…”

America vs. Rest of the World re “Climate Change”

The Times wrote on June 29:

“Theresa May has clashed with Donald Trump as she demanded world leaders take tougher action to combat climate change. The US president snubbed May’s attempt to get world leaders to ‘raise their ambition’ on climate change and refused to reverse his position on the landmark 2016 Paris agreement.

“America was the only country not to recommit to the Paris accord at the G20 summit in the Japanese city of Osaka, despite May pushing for the ‘strongest wording we can deliver’…”

France 24 added on June 29:

“After copious disputes, the Group of 20 major economies Saturday agreed to disagree on climate change, with the USA dissenting from a commitment to carry out the 2015 Paris climate change agreement… the grouping said ‘signatories to the Paris Agreement reaffirmed their commitment to its full implementation in fighting climate change, referring to the 19 members except the US…”

Trump, Xi Revive Trade Talks at G-20 Summit

The Week wrote on June 29:

“President Trump on Saturday said that trade negotiations with China are ‘back on track’ after he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for 80 minutes in Osaka, Japan, during the G-20 summit. Trump agreed [to] delay new tariffs on Chinese goods and to scale back restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei, allowing U.S. firms to sell high-tech equipment to the company. In exchange, Trump said Beijing has agreed to buy large amounts of U.S. farm products.

“As for Huawei, Trump said his administration would hold meetings to discuss the company, which is on the so-called entity list meaning that U.S. companies cannot provide it with U.S.-origin technology without government approval. But Trump said his discussions with Xi revolved around equipment that doesn’t involve ‘a great national-emergency problem.’”

Al Jazeera News wrote on June 29:

“… there was no agreement [between the USA and china] to comprehensively roll back the punitive tariffs that the two sides have imposed on one another’s goods…”

Ongoing Trade War between USA and EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Just days after reaching a truce over trade with China, the US government on Monday increased pressure on Europe in a long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies. The United States could hit European Union products with $4 billion (€3.5 billion) in tariffs according to a statement on Monday… The commodities affected includes sausages, hams, pasta, olives and many European cheeses…

“The proposal would be a retaliatory measure due to a dispute with the EU over ‘subsidies on large civil aircraft,’ the press release confirmed. The US and the EU have been embroiled in tit-for-tat threats regarding tariffs on planes, tractors and food for well over a decade, but this has ramped up significantly under the nationalistic Trump administration.”

EU and South American Countries Agree on Historical Free Trade Treaty

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 28:

“The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of four South American countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay — have agreed to draft wording for a free-trade deal after almost 20 years of talks, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday. He said the historic deal was ‘sending a strong signal,’ calling it the ‘largest trade agreement the EU has ever concluded.’…

“Talks intensified after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States on a protectionist platform. That forced the EU halt talks with the US and look elsewhere to shore up trade partnerships. The EU has recently signed trade agreements with Canada, Mexico, and Japan. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted on the historic nature of the agreement from the G20 summit in Japan, writing, ‘This will be one of the most important trade agreements of all time and will bring enormous benefits to our economy.’…

“The treaty must now be approved by the European Parliament and individual member states. That could prove contentious. Some countries, such as France, fear a flood of South American beef on European markets. Environmental groups, who now hold greater sway in the new European Parliament also fear the deal could fuel further deforestation in South America.”

Europe is becoming more and more an extremely influential economic powerhouse, while the USA is left increasingly in the cold.

EU and Vietnam Agree on Trade Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

“The European Union has signed a landmark free trade deal with Vietnam… paving the way for tariff reductions on 99% of goods… The EU has described the free trade deal as ‘the most ambitious free trade deal ever concluded with a developing country.’…

“The agreement still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. Some EU… lawmakers oppose such deals with Vietnam because of the country’s poor human rights record (including the incarceration of political prisoners who posted ‘anti-governmental’ criticism on Facebook).

“Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia… The EU is Vietnam’s second-largest export market after the United States…”

When the issue is economic advantage, everything else is being put on the back burner.

Meet Boris Johnson–the Next British Prime Minister?

The Editorial Board of the New York Times wrote on June 29:

“The bombastic and narcissistic former mayor of London and foreign secretary is the favorite to become the next prime minister. Brexit, here we come.

“The front-runner to become Britain’s next prime minister is a portly white man with unkempt blond hair, an adoring base of supporters, disdain for Europe, a dodgy private life and a loose relationship with truth and principle. There are also differences between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, but the similarities have been much noted in some European circles, with no small misgivings…

“Like Mr. Trump with his tweets and rants, Mr. Johnson delights his followers with outrageous statements that they take as straight talk…

“It strains credulity that the European Union would reopen the agreement or that any wholly new set of terms for leaving the union would pass Parliament — or that the E.U. would show any sympathy and patience for Mr. Johnson, whom the French newspaper Le Monde called a ‘small-scale Trump.’…”

Newsmax added on June 30 that Boris Johnson stressed his readiness to quit the EU without a deal by October 31.

MEPs Shock EU Parliament

Express wrote on July 2:

“Brexit Party MEPs shocked the opening session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg by turning their backs on the EU anthem. The MEPs from Nigel Farage’s party kicked off their time at the European Parliament in dramatic fashion. The 29 Brexiteer MEPs carried out the orchestrated move as soon as the Ode to Joy began to play…

“Conservative MEP Geoffrey Van Orden defended the Brexit Party stunt… ‘For years the European Union has said that it doesn’t have the ambition to be a state… It is States that have an anthem. I’m sorry but I don’t recognise a state called Europe, I want to see a Europe of independent nation states.’…

“Speaking in Strasbourg, leader Nigel Farage promised a ‘turquoise takeover’ if Brexit is not delivered… ‘We are here to be defiant. We shouldn’t be here at all. We are hoping we are only going to be here until October 31… At the moment, we are cheerful because we won the election. We are the biggest party in the whole of Europe – how about that?’”

Europe’s New Parliament President

The Local wrote on July 3:

“Newly-elected European Parliament President David Sassoli is a former television journalist who turned to politics ten years ago as a centre-left MEP. Parliament on Wednesday chose the 63-year-old social democrat to succeed another Italian, Antonio Tajani, an ally of Silvio Berlusconi from the right-wing EPP group.

“His election means Italy keeps one of its three key European jobs, following the departure of European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi and of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. The sober intellectual will not be an ally of the populist coalition currently ruling in Rome.”

Ursula von der Leyen to Replace Jean-Claude Juncker as European Commission President?

The Guardian wrote on July 3:

“Ursula von der Leyen, the nominee to lead the European commission, [received] a mixed reaction to her historic appointment [Her actual final parliamentary confirmation is supposed to take place on July 16, but it is not guaranteed at all.]

“Germany’s defence minister was a surprise choice to lead the commission, as EU leaders struggled to reach a compromise during three days of summit talks dedicated to finding people to lead the EU’s most important institutions.

“Von der Leyen needs to win support from a majority of members of the European parliament in order to take over the reins from Jean-Claude Juncker on 1 November… [She] would be the first woman to lead the EU executive in its 62-year history… her appointment has been heavily criticised by Socialist and Green MEPs.

“Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács… also boasted of the defeat of Manfred Weber, the centre-right candidate to become European commission president, who was the first choice of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

“Socialist MEPs meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday reacted with fury when reports emerged of the Von der Leyen compromise… In 2018, the German Bundestag launched an investigation into suspected nepotism and errors by Von der Leyen in the awarding of contracts. The minister admitted last year her department had made mistakes in allocating contracts worth millions of euros to external consultants… Von der Leyen has generated negative reviews from army chiefs.

“Her appointment was part of a package that included proposing Christine Lagarde for the European Central Bank. The Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, will take over from Donald Tusk as president of the European council. The Spanish foreign minister, Josep Borrell, will be the EU’s foreign policy chief, the third person to hold the role.

“The Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout tweeted that the ‘very disappointing deal’ was old Europe at its worst. ‘A backdoor deal with candidates emerging to please the national leaders from Germany, France and Spain. This is not the change that was promised to European voters,’ he said.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 3:

“Von der Leyen’s nomination to lead the EU’s executive body has been widely criticized in her home country. Leading [German] lawmakers [across Germany’s political spectrum] have called it a ‘farce’ and a ‘victory for backroom politics.’…

“Von der Leyen’s candidacy was endorsed by all EU leaders apart from German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a European Council vote on Tuesday. Merkel abstained because her domestic coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), refused to give their approval.”

If the socialists, the liberals and the Greens were to vote against von der Leyen, then she won’t be confirmed. In that case, another “compromise” candidate would have to be nominated and, according to Bild Online, the “chaos would be complete.” Former European President Martin Schulz gave an exclusive interview to Bild, explaining why Europe’s democracy is “damaged.”

Germany’s New Far-Right Terror

Der Spiegel wrote on June 27:

“The recent politically motivated assassination of a prominent local leader in Germany has raised concern about the growing threat of far-right extremism in the country… What has been described in recent years as increasing disinhibition and brutalization has reached a new level… In fact, it has long been apparent that far-right violence is escalating…  Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, is dealing with its own string of right-wing extremist incidents…”

The Guardian wrote on June 28:

“A group of German rightwing extremists compiled a ‘death list’ of leftwing and pro-refugee targets by accessing police records, then stockpiled weapons and ordered body bags and quicklime to kill and dispose of their victims…

“The 30-odd members of the group reportedly had close links to the police and military, and at least one member was still employed in the special commando unit of the state office of criminal investigations…”

The fact that German public officials are sympathizers of or even collaborators with extreme right-wing groups is indeed very disconcerting, and begs the question as to whether we are going to see a repeat of what happened before and when Hitler came to power.

Italy Arrests German Captain

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 29:

“Italian police have arrested the German captain [Carola Rackete] of a migrant rescue ship after she docked at the port of Lampedusa [with 40 migrants remaining on board]… Sea-Watch 3 entered the Italian port of Lampedusa without authorization early Saturday following a two-week standoff between the charity ship’s captain and Italian authorities…

“Italy had refused the German rescue ship port entry since it picked up 53 migrants who were floating on an inflatable raft off the Libyan coast on June 12. After waiting at sea for an invitation from Italy or an EU state to accept the ship, Rackete decided to head to Lampedusa, where she was blocked by Italian government vessels…

“Rackete’s arrest comes after… Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Portugal had agreed to host the estimated 40 African migrants remaining on the ship….”

AFP added on June 29:

“While five European countries on Friday agreed to take in the migrants, permission for the Dutch-flagged Sea-Watch 3 to enter port and disembark the migrants did not come. Sources at the interior ministry, headed by Italy’s far-right Matteo Salvini, said he was waiting for precise guarantees on ‘numbers, timelines and means’ of the migrant redistribution before allowing them off…

“‘I have decided to enter the harbour, which is free at night, on my own,’ [Rackete] added… ‘It’s been almost 60h since we declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it’s up to us… the charity said on Twitter… the Dutch-flagged Sea-Watch 3 has been stuck in the Mediterranean, during a heatwave, since rescuing… migrants drifting in an inflatable raft off the coast of Libya on June 12… On Wednesday, after over two weeks at sea, and as tempers on the small boat frayed, Rackete decided she had no choice but to enter Italian waters illegally to bring the remaining migrants to safety.”

This entire tragic affair reminds us of events prior to World War II, when countries refused to allow a ship entering their harbor transporting Jews who were fleeing from Nazi-Germany. That refusal was shameful then, and today’s repetition of these events is shameful now. Even though some European countries finally declared that they would permit the migrants to enter their country, the objectionable conduct of the far right “Catholic” Italian government continues.

Italy’s Far-Right Government under Attack

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas commented on the incident, saying that rescuing must not be ‘criminalized.’ ‘It a humanitarian duty to save lives,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘It is on the Italian judiciary to swiftly clarify the accusations.’ [He also wrote: ‘Sea rescues must not be outlawed’].”

The Local added on June 30:

“[Maas’] position was echoed by Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn, while French Foreign Minister Christophe Castaner said that Italy’s decision to close its ports to those rescued at sea ran counter to maritime law.

“… Salvini, who heads the far-right League party, welcomed Rackete’s arrest. ‘Mission accomplished,’ he tweeted. ‘Law-breaking captain arrested. Pirate ship seized, maximum fine for foreign NGO,’ said Salvini, whose hardline immigration stance has boosted his popularity…”

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

“[German] Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has criticized Italy over the arrest of German sea-watch captain Carola Rackete. In the summer interview of ZDF he questioned the actions of the government in Rome against the sea rescue. …

“‘It could be that there is Italian legislation, when a ship may call at a port, Steinmeier said… ‘Only: Italy is not just any state. Italy is in the middle of the European Union, is the founding state of the European Union. And that’s why we can expect a country like Italy to handle such a case differently.’ …

“From Germany, the captain reached a wave of solidarity. The TV presenters Jan Böhmermann and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf called for donations for the maritime rescue service. That worked: By Sunday afternoon, more than half a million euros already came together. ‘With the events of recent days, this inhumane, cold-blooded and unscrupulous policy has reached a new low,’ said Böhmermann…

“On Sunday, even Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser spoke up. ‘People who save lives should not be arrested. People who kill and sow and promote hatred and suffering should,’ he tweeted…

“According to Vatican News, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin also said that human lives must be saved in any case and in whatever way. This must be ‘the pole star that guides us, everything else is secondary’…

“The Council President of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, called Rackete’s arrest ‘a shame for Europe’. ‘A young woman is arrested in a European country because she has saved human lives and wants to bring the rescued people safely ashore,’ said the regional bishop. This makes him sad and angry.”

The positions of the Vatican and the Evangelical Church are biblical and absolutely correct. Some few politicians in Germany don’t agree, including representatives from the “liberal” FDP and—not surprisingly—from the “far-right” AfD, stating that Rackete’s arrest was “justified” and that she was a “common left-wing criminal.”

 Italy’s far-right Matteo Salvini responded to the many international concerns regarding his actions that he does not care about those, and that Germany, for instance, should mind its own business.

Deutsche Welle reported on July 2:

“Italian judge Alessandra Vella on Tuesday ruled that Sea-Watch captain Carola Rackete had not acted against the law when she refused to comply with a ban on entering Italy’s territorial waters… the judge [said] Rackete was ‘doing her duty saving human lives.’…”

While Germany and other countries reacted with relief, the Italian government and especially far-right (some say “extreme”) Interior Minister Matteo Salvini responded that he was “appalled” and that the court order was a travesty of justice, damaging Italy,  and that the “Italian justice system” will have to be changed.

It can be expected that sooner or later, Germany, France and other European countries will clash with the dangerous direction of Italy’s government and Italy’s terrible economic conditions, especially now that Europe’s new European Parliament President David Sassoli, an Italian social democrat, is not a supporter of the current Italian government.

The Local reported on July 3: “The European Commission said on Wednesday it has for now decided against taking disciplinary action against Italy over its high public deficit after the government in Rome pledged to rein it in.”

It will be interesting to observe what the outcome will be… as Italy will definitely be part of the final configuration of the ten nations or groups of nations of core Europe.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg…

The EUObserver wrote on July 3:

“Well beyond the situation in Italy, the criminalisation of solidarity has spread across Europe and entrapped both NGOs and ordinary citizens, including lifeguards, fire-fighters, doctors, priests, journalists, teachers and volunteers.

“… at least 158 people… have been investigated or formally prosecuted from 2015 to 2019… The criminalisation of solidarity has claimed victims in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. All these cases can be related to one EU law—the 2002 Facilitation Directive—which fails to distinguish between human smuggling and humanitarian assistance.

“Individuals across Europe are being investigated and charged with smuggling, money laundering, membership in a criminalisation organisation, even espionage. Everyday acts of kindness – giving someone food, water, a ride, a phone call, a place to sleep – are being turned into illegal acts.

“Donating food and water is what Hungarian pastor Gabor Ivanyi did, only to become the first volunteer criminalised in Hungary.  Offering shelter has led to charges against priests in Germany, Italy and Switzerland as well as journalists and mayors in other European countries. The most recent target was pastor Norbert Valley, who was arrested in the middle of a church service.

“Driving a pregnant woman in labour to the nearest hospital is what Benoit Ducos did. Simply offering a ride has led to cases against academics, writers and retirees in Denmark, France and Greece. First responders have been stopped from doing their job, including medical staff and firefighters like Spanish firefighters Manuel Blanco, Julio Latorre, Miguel Roldan and Quique Rodríguez…

“In Greece, the jailing of volunteer lifeguards on Lesvos scared away most other civilian emergency rescuers… European citizens have donated millions to life-saving NGO boats, which are now being detained, confiscated and consumed by massive legal fees and fines.

“One of Europe’s few female boat captains, Pia Klemp, faces up to 20 years in prison in Italy for the work of her boat Luventa…

“These cases are just the tip of the iceberg… Just last week, Italy’s Salvini government adopted a decree to fine NGO boats €10,000-50,000 per person rescued and to spend €3m on undercover investigations of them.

“[Many are concerned] by the EU’s lack of action. All people have a right to dignity and all European citizens have the fundamental right to help.”

This is scandalous and godless indeed. We must ask this question: Would Jesus Christ have refused to help people in need because the human government would have told Him so? We all should know the answer.

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.

Fox News vs. Trump: “His Story on Iran Does Not Add Up”

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“Friday on Fox News Channel’s ‘Shepard Smith Reporting,’ Chris Wallace, anchor of ‘Fox News Sunday,’ said President Donald Trump’s story on why he called off a military strike against Iran, didn’t ‘hold together.’… Wallace said, ‘I talked to a former top national security official in an earlier Republican administration who says this just doesn’t add up.’ He continued, ‘The president would have been fully briefed by the generals as to, if you hit target A, here are the dangers, or here is the possible collateral damage. So the idea that the president, ten minutes before the actual go…  you’re learning for the first time that there were going to be 150 casualties, seems pretty unlikely and certainly not the way it’s been done in the past.’

“Smith said, ‘The explanation — as you said — just doesn’t make sense.’

“Wallace said, ‘It doesn’t hold together. The timeline for when he learned information and when he decided to act doesn’t make a lot of sense. In a sense, maybe that’s the biggest problem. You can argue if you don’t want to strike, don’t strike. If you want to strike, do strike. But don’t send mixed messages that confuse not only your enemies but even your allies and people here in this country, as to what you’re going to do.’

“Smith said, ‘And then tweet out your whole thought process of American foreign policy and intervention.’”

President Trump responded on Saturday that he had been briefed in general as to casualties, but that he wanted to know the specifics. His relationship with the conservative and generally pro-Trump Fox News network has recently seen some upheavals. The interesting news to be taken from the incident is that, according to some comments in news reports, the USA has “lost its appetite” for getting involved in any military confrontations and wars in the Middle East (also note the next article). This vacuum will be filled by a politically and religiously unified Europe which will powerfully intervene in the Middle East in the not-too-distant future.

Did Fox News Host Tucker Carlson Help Prevent War With Iran?

On June 21, the New York Times published an article with the following headline:

“Urged to Launch an Attack, Trump Listened to the Skeptics Who Said It Would Be a Costly Mistake…”

The article continued:

“He heard from his generals and his diplomats. Lawmakers weighed in and so did his advisers. But among the voices that rang powerfully for President Trump was that of one of his favorite Fox News hosts: Tucker Carlson.

“While national security advisers were urging a military strike against Iran, Mr. Carlson in recent days had told Mr. Trump that responding to Tehran’s provocations with force was crazy. The hawks did not have the president’s best interests at heart, he said. And if Mr. Trump got into a war with Iran, he could kiss his chances of re-election goodbye.

“However much weight that advice may or may not have had, the sentiments certainly reinforced the doubts that Mr. Trump himself harbored as he navigated his way through one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions of his presidency… The concerns that Mr. Trump heard from Mr. Carlson reflected that part of the presidential id that has always hesitated at pulling the trigger… Mr. Trump has at times pulled back from the use of force, convinced that America has wasted too many lives and too much money in pointless Middle East wars and wary of repeating what he considers the mistakes of his predecessors.

“As Mr. Carlson and other skeptics have argued, a strike against Iran could easily spiral into a full-fledged war without easy victory. That, Mr. Trump was told, was everything he ran against. And so the president struggled into the early evening, committed to taking action to demonstrate resolve right up until the moment he decided against it and called off the warplanes and missile launchers…

“Mr. Trump was given a list of at least a dozen strike options generated this month after there were attacks on tankers in the region. The list was then narrowed down to at least two alternatives. Among the targets would be facilities like radar and missile batteries… the casualty estimate played to the concerns that Mr. Trump had shared with Mr. Carlson and other skeptics of military action in the Middle East.

“Gen. Jack Keane, a retired Army vice chairman who is close to the Trump White House, said another factor came into play during the deliberations — the president was told that the attack on the drone was really a mistake, as Mr. Trump had publicly suggested to reporters early in the day. ‘The president got some additional information that the Iranian national leaders were frustrated or furious with the tactical commander who made the decision to shoot down the American drone,’ General Keane said in an interview…

“General Keane said it was unclear whether the commander who ordered the downing of the drone was operating within his authority or was a rogue figure. But either way, he said, it impressed upon Mr. Trump that he would be risking a dangerous escalation over what was not intended to be an attack by Iran’s top leaders… it contributed to the decision, which he said was mainly driven by the casualty concern…

“By this point, time was running out… Mr. Trump scrubbed the mission. The decision made, the military ordered ships and planes in the region to stand down. At the White House, Mr. Trump turned on his television to watch the opening of Mr. Carlson’s 8 p.m. show, where he heard what surely must have sounded like vindication. Onscreen, Mr. Carlson declared that ‘foreign wars have ended in dismal failure for the United States.’

“While no decision had been announced yet, Mr. Carlson praised Mr. Trump for resisting military intervention in Iran. ‘The same people who lured us into the Iraq quagmire 16 years ago are demanding a new war, this one with Iran,’ he said. ‘The president, to his great credit, appears to be skeptical of this — very skeptical.’ If he kept the television on, though, Mr. Trump would have heard a radically different message from another friend on Fox at 9 p.m. With the news of Mr. Trump’s decision still not public, Sean Hannity declared that Mr. Trump may have ‘no choice’ but to ‘bomb the hell out of them.’

“For one night, at least, that would not be true. But the battle for Mr. Trump’s ear is not over.”

The German mass tabloid, Bild Online, ran an article on June 23, repeating the scenario set forth by the New York Times, adding:

“US-expert and political scientist Christian Hacke said: ‘Trump has gained the respect of the political center. It was a genius move, because this way, he still holds the reigns in his hands. He is constantly being underestimated, especially in Germany. More and more, he turns out to be a crafty and shrewd politician engaged in power politics, and a manipulator.’”

US Struck Iranian Military Computers

The Associated Press wrote on June 23:

“U.S. military cyber forces launched a strike against Iranian military computer systems on Thursday as President Donald Trump backed away from plans for a more conventional military strike in response to Iran’s downing of a U.S. surveillance drone… Two officials told The Associated Press that the strikes were conducted with approval from Trump. A third official confirmed the broad outlines of the strike…

“The cyberattacks — a contingency plan developed over weeks amid escalating tensions — disabled Iranian computer systems that controlled its rocket and missile launchers, the officials said. Two of the officials said the attacks, which specifically targeted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps computer system, were provided as options after Iranian forces blew up two oil tankers earlier this month…

“The action by U.S. Cyber Command was a demonstration of the U.S.’s increasingly mature cyber military capabilities and its more aggressive cyber strategy under the Trump administration. Over the last year U.S. officials have focused on persistently engaging with adversaries in cyberspace and undertaking more offensive operations…”

Further US Sanctions Against Iran

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 24:

“President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that imposes what he says are ‘hard-hitting’ new sanctions against Iran. The new sanctions will specifically target Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials…

“US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the measures ‘go after the supreme leader’s office and lock up literally billions more in assets.’”

Trump Tells Other Countries to Protect Their Own Gulf Shipping

Agence France-Presse (AFP) wrote on June 24:

“President Donald Trump on Monday told other countries to protect their own Gulf oil shipments, declaring that the United States has only limited strategic interest in the dangerous region. In a pair of tweets, Trump said US aims regarding Iran boil down to ‘No Nuclear Weapons and No Further Sponsoring of Terror.’ As for Iran’s threats to shut sea lanes used to transport a large portion of the world’s oil exports through the Persian Gulf, Washington is not concerned, Trump said.

“Stating that the United States is now the world’s biggest energy producer, thereby weaning itself off decades of dependence on Middle Eastern oil, Trump said ‘we don’t even need to be there.’ And the US military should not be depended upon to keep the narrow sea routes along Iran’s coast free. ‘Why are we protecting the shipping lanes for other countries (many years) for zero compensation,’ he asked. ‘All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been a dangerous journey.’… Trump’s tweets add to his record of seeking a wider drawdown of the US diplomatic and military footprint around the world.”

Exactly as prophesied in the Bible!

Israel Might Strike Iran

The Conversation wrote on or about June 21:

“Israel, which has faced threats to its national security since its founding as a Jewish homeland in the Middle East in 1948, is known to take aggressive, preventive action to protect itself – including by launching preemptive strikes on neighboring nations it perceives as threatening. If international relations with Iran grow more volatile, Israel could take dramatic, unilateral action against its neighbor and longtime adversary…

“Israel has a counterproliferation policy, called the Begin Doctrine, which allows it to wage preventive strikes against enemies with weapons of mass destruction programs. Using the Begin Doctrine as a justification for preemptive strikes, the Israeli government has for decades quietly decimated nuclear and chemical facilities across the Middle East.

“When President Saddam Hussein’s potential nuclear military ambitions raised concerns in 1981, the Israeli government destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor in a surprise attack called Operation Opera… In 2007, Israel responded to Syria’s failure to report its uranium processing by striking a nuclear reactor in the Deir ez-Zor region. The United States, which was reportedly informed ahead of the attack, made no effort to stop Israel.

“Israel has also been accused of sponsoring the assassinations of at least four Iranian nuclear scientists since 2010. The incidents have never been fully investigated, and Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the targeted killings.

“Israel has also deterred nuclear proliferation in the Mideast using less lethal, more high tech strategies. In 2008 and 2009, Israel used computer malware called Stuxnet to disrupt Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The program infected the software that controlled centrifuge speed at the Natanz nuclear plant, alternately speeding up and slowing down the machines that produce enriched uranium to cripple production of the material. The Obama administration secretly supported the cyberattacks… Decades after Israel’s 1981 attack on Iraq’s nuclear plant, President Bill Clinton called it ‘a really good thing.’…

“Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist government is openly hostile to Israel… If the nuclear deal ruptures further and Iran does restarting uranium enrichment, Israel might launch targeted airstrikes against it… Of course, potential Israeli attacks on Iran present… serious risks. Because most of Iran’s reactors are in full operations, air strikes may mean cutting off the power supply to Iranian citizens and could release large amounts of radioactive contaminants into the air.

“Iran, a militarily well-equipped country, would surely retaliate against any Israeli attacks. That, too, would trigger a conflict that would spiral throughout the Middle East…”

The Bible tells us that Israel will receive a wound in the near future. This might describe military defeat. We need to watch as to how this will unfold.

Christians without Influence in the Holy Land

Zenit wrote on June 21:

“Christians in the Holy Land may exist, but they have lost the influence they used to have in international politics, says Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem. In an exclusive interview with ZENIT in Amman, Jordan, the Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem, residing in Jordan, affirmed this…

“‘Jordan is a central point of the Middle East… I think each government is interested in having the journalist, having journalism, under its protection, at the service of the regime, more than at the service of the truth, or of the reality… These were journalists from all over the world, including from Italy, Germany. They understood the sensitivity related to Israel and the Holy Land. Yet, they used to qualify: “I do not know if I will be able to publish all that you say…

“‘It is great if we [Christians] can exist and continue to live in the Holy Land, to be a small element, salt, salt to the society, salt to the earth. However, regardless, we do not have influence like we did before. In government, our presence is so reduced. We cannot change [politics]… The issue is also that this question of Christians leaving the Holy Land, does not interest the international politics… Their existence or nonexistence does not matter to the international politics…

“‘We have until now, thank God, Christian people, Christian families, but we do not have any longer, a Christian government…”

All of this will change in due time, and the Catholic Church will again have a huge influence in the Holy Land, including Israel. Note the next article.

Strong Israeli-Vatican Ties

The Algemeiner wrote on June 21:

“New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan said this week that ties between Israel and the Vatican have ‘quite literally made the world a better place’… Dayan recalled that Theodor Herzl had unsuccessfully sought to get support from Pope Pius X in 1914 for the effort to create a Jewish state in Palestine.

“A century later, he noted, Pope Francis not only visited Israel, but laid a wreath at Herzl’s grave. That tribute to the father of modern Zionism, Dayan said, resulted from the ‘century-long dialogue’ between the Catholic Church and State of Israel.”

The past role of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land should not be underestimated.

Russia Warns the USA… and Follows through with Action

The Sun wrote on June 24:

“Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that US plans to deploy missile systems near the Russian border risks a nuclear standoff on a par with the height of the Cold War. The Cuban missile crisis erupted in 1962 when the Soviet Union responded to a US missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba – just miles from the US coastline. It sparked a tense 13-day standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The crisis was defused when Soviet ships headed for Cuba turned back in the face of a US naval blockade. Eventually, the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba in return for the US promising not to invade Cuba…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin made similar remarks in February. He warned that Moscow would match any US move to deploy new nuclear missiles closer to Russia by stationing its own missiles closer to the US… The warning came as one of the Russian navy’s most advanced warships entered Havana’s harbour on Monday. It docked at the port used until this month by US cruise lines – with tourists seen taking photos of the imposing vessel. The Admiral Gorshkov… is armed with cruise missiles, air defence systems and other weapons. The frigate… is part of Russia’s Northern Fleet.”

European Cowardice —Russia Back in Good Graces

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 25:

“The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted in favor of restoring Russia’s voting rights, five years after they were revoked over its illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula… The assembly voted 118 in favor and 62 against, with 10 abstentions…

“The head of Ukraine’s delegation… said the decision sends a ‘very bad message’ to Moscow and others. ‘Do what you want, annex another country’s territory, kill people there, and you will still leave with everything,’ he said.

“Germany and France reportedly pushed through a compromise that would allow Moscow to return to the Council of Europe. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the compromise would ensure ‘millions of Russians the protection of the European Court of Human Rights.’”

Europe and especially Germany and France told Russia this: You can illegally invade another country, without fear of any repercussions.

Germany Faces Backlash

Deutsche Welle reported on June 27:

“Pro-democracy advocates, a former CIA officer and world chess champion Garry Kasparov have slammed the German government’s response to Russia’s voting rights being reinstated in the Council of Europe… ‘Russia belongs in the Council of Europe — with all the rights and obligations that entails,’ German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement on Twitter. ‘This is good news for Russia’s civil society.’

“The statement, which was posted in German as well as excerpted in English, racked up hundreds of comments, including from rights activists and prominent Kremlin critics. Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion and a former leading figure in the Russian opposition, issued a scathing critique of the decision.

“In a series of tweets, he compared it to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler in 1938 after he seized the Sudetenland and said the move was likely linked to the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project with Russian state gas producer Gazprom that will deliver gas from Russia directly to Germany. ‘… Appeasing a dictator and rewarding aggression will make things worse, it always has,’ he said.

“‘Are you kidding me?’ wrote John Sipher, a former CIA officer who ran the US intelligence agency’s Russia operations, later adding: ‘shame.’ Alice Stollmeyer, executive director of the pro-democracy initiative Defending Democracy, said that either the German government is ‘still naive or it is willing to sell our values.’ ‘I don’t know which is worse,’ she added.”

It appears that the German government is willing to “sell our values” for pecuniary gain. Kasparov’s comparison to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler is worthy of consideration.

Trump Delays Deportation Order for Two Weeks

Breitbart wrote on June 22:

“President Donald Trump suspended Saturday his threat to deport millions of illegal immigrants, after previewing a renewed enforcement surge. ‘At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border,’ Trump wrote on Twitter. ‘If not, Deportations start!’…

“There are currently 1.7 million illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America living in the United States with deportation orders or a pending deportation order, according to federal data.”

Trump’s concept is this, and it is brilliant: If Republicans and Democrats can’t come up with a solution, which is highly unlikely, it will be their fault.

Fox News Anchor Shephard Smith Attacks Trump Administration

Breitbart reported on June 24:

“Monday on Fox News Channel, anchor Shepard Smith criticized the Trump administration for their alleged treatment of migrant children. Smith said, ‘Dirty and hungry children sleeping on concrete floors without blankets, toothpaste, soap or diapers. Some kids found covered in mucus. Some 3-year-olds being cared for by 7-year-olds and 8-year-olds. Horrifying. Both President Trump and Vice President Pence defended the treatment of migrant children. Yesterday, the VP tried to shift the blame to Democrats in Congress.’

“He continued, ‘Just last week, a Justice Department attorney argued that they don’t necessarily need to provide migrant children with soap and toothbrushes for them to be safe and sanitary. Soap and toothbrushes not necessary for safe and sanitary conditions.’ Smith concluded, ‘Soap and toothbrushes are not optional for children in detention. They are necessary. Were these particular children prisoners of war rather than innocent children, failure to provide those necessities would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Yet President Trump claims his administration is doing a fantastic job under the circumstances.’”

If true, these would indeed be terrible and inhumane conditions for innocent children. 

But note the next article.

Newsmax reported on June 27:

“The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to send President Donald Trump a bipartisan, Senate-drafted, $4.6 billion measure to care for migrant refugees detained at the southern border, capping a Washington skirmish in which die-hard liberals came out on the losing end in a battle with the White House, the GOP-held Senate and Democratic moderates.

“The emergency legislation, required to ease overcrowded, often harsh conditions at U.S. holding facilities for migrants seeking asylum, mostly from Central American nations like Honduras and El Salvador, passed by a bipartisan 305-102 vote. Trump has indicated he’ll sign it into law.”

Turmoil in Ethiopia

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 24:

“Amhara’s state president, his adviser, and the state attorney general — all three were killed on Saturday, as people in military uniform stormed the local government offices in the Amhara state capital Bahir Dar. A little later Ethiopia’s army chief of staff, Seare Mekonnen, and a retired general were killed by Seare’s own bodyguard — an attack that Ethiopia’s government believes to be related.

“All of this was reported by the office of the prime minister, including announcements by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed himself, or state media. Since Saturday internet lines have been cut and state-run media have been the primary source of information… State sources have reported that General Asaminew was shot dead outside Bahir Dar on Monday.

“… Ethiopia has been rocked by regional and political tension.  Since he has come into power just over a year ago, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has cracked down on high-ranking military personnel allegedly involved in corruption, torture, and other crimes…

“While Abiy and his government still have overall control over the country, the weekend’s events have created a certain degree of uncertainty. Elections set for May 2020 [will probably not take place]…

“Abiy should have done more to condemn the ethnic tensions within the countries… According to the United Nations, at least 2.4 million people have been displaced by the ethnic tension in Oromo, Amhara, and Tigray regions.”

No Further Brexit Negotiations

The EUObserver wrote on June 21:

“EU council chief Donald Tusk said Friday the EU was ‘looking forward to working together with the next UK prime minister’, but that the ‘withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation’. He added that the EU wants to avoid a disorderly Brexit and establish a close future relationship.

“‘We will enter into talks, but we underline yet again, that the withdrawal agreement has been negotiated,’ German chancellor Angela Merkel said.”

Concern Over Angela Merkel’s Health

The Telegraph wrote on June 27:

“Concern is growing over the health of Angela Merkel after the German Chancellor was overcome by a shaking fit for the second time in a little over a week on Thursday. Eight days after footage showed Ms Merkel desperately trying to maintain composure as she shook from head to foot at a reception for the Ukrainian president, she has suffered another bout of trembling.

“Footage from Thursday morning shows Ms Merkel’s legs shaking as she stands through a swearing-in ceremony in Berlin for the country’s new justice minister, Christine Lambrecht. Ms Merkel can been seen clutching her arms in an attempt to control herself while glancing uncomfortably to her side. An aide then offers her a glass of water which she turns down. The chancellor looks wobbly throughout the entire video of roughly one minute and ten seconds, which was shared by the German Press Association.

“According to journalists present at the occasion, the 64-year-old quickly regained her composure after the ceremony was over. Ms Merkel’s office immediately moved to dampen speculation that the incident was the symptom of an underlying health problem.”

Major Blow for Erdogan

The Associated Press reported on June 23:

“The opposition candidate for mayor of Istanbul celebrated a landmark win Sunday in a closely watched repeat election that ended weeks of political tension and broke the long hold President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party had on leading Turkey’s largest city… Imamoglu narrowly won an earlier mayoral election on March 31, but Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, AKP, challenged the vote over alleged irregularities… The voided vote raised concerns domestically and abroad about the state of Turkish democracy…

“Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, Ankara office director of the German Marshall Fund, argued … Erdogan is already facing… ‘a perfect storm’ this summer. Erdogan was already at odds with Western allies over Turkey’s plans to buy the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system and its challenge of EU-member Cyprus over natural gas drilling rights.”

Watch Spain

Politico wrote on June 24:

“The days of Spain playing a bit role in Brussels are finally coming to an end. Madrid has a great opportunity to shape EU politics and policies over the next five years… [The] U.K…. is tearing itself apart over Brexit… Benelux, the Netherlands especially, has lost its enthusiasm for an ever-closer union. And the Franco-German alliance is casting around for new partners to champion closer cooperation on defense, migration and the future of the euro… such a partner is close at hand. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has become the de facto leader of European social democracy, the second biggest political family in both the European Council and the Parliament…

“His interest in the Continent is reflected in his Europe team: His economy minister, Nadia Calviño was a director general in the European Commission; his foreign affairs minister, Josep Borrell, was president of the European Parliament; and Luis Planas, his agriculture minister, was Spain’s permanent representative in Brussels. Other top officials are strong pro-Europeans who understand the workings of the EU machine… What will give the prime minister leverage on the European stage… is a strong pro-European consensus among Spaniards. The country’s Euroskeptic party, Vox, suffered a big defeat in last month’s European election with only 6.2 percent support…

“All signs point in the direction that Spain will not only be shaping the bloc’s politics, with appointments in key EU decision-making positions, but charting the course when it comes to policy too. Sánchez’s sherpa, José Manuel Albares, recently disclosed Spain’s strategic agenda for the next Commission, which highlights [these] priorities: completing the European monetary union, strengthening Europe’s social policies… a greater global role for the EU, a bigger EU budget and more fiscal harmonization. Here, of course, cooperation with Germany and France will be crucial, but Spain will also have to find key allies in smaller member states…”

Non-Israelite European Countries (such as Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain) seem to displace more and more those of Israelite descent in the political arena, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. France is still very much in the lead as well, but France, which is to a large part a descendant of Reuben, is described as unstable as water. Note the next article.

Denmark Turns Left

The Guardian wrote on June 26:

“Social Democrats leader, Mette Frederiksen, 41, said late on Tuesday night that after three weeks of negotiations, she had reached agreement with three leftist parties to form the one-party minority government, a common arrangement in Denmark. But reports suggest she had to give ground on several of her party’s controversial hardline immigration measures to reach the agreement with her leftwing partners and form the third centre-left government in the Nordic region this year.

“… negotiations aimed at securing the parliamentary backing of the three other parties in the traditional leftist ‘red bloc’ – the Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre), Socialist People’s party and Red Green Alliance – took 20 days, the longest negotiation period since 1988.”

“Social Democratic parties also came to power earlier this year in Finland and Sweden,” according to Reuters, dated June 26.

Unprecedented Heat Wave in Europe

The Weather Channel reported on June 26:

“A heat wave currently baking western Europe has already set new all-time June record highs… Germany recorded its hottest June temperature on record, Wednesday, with a high of 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in Coschen, near the Polish border about 65 miles southeast of Berlin… The previous German June heat record had stood for almost 72 years. Fifty-one German reporting stations set new June heat records Wednesday…

“Clermont-Ferrand, France, topped out at 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday afternoon, setting an all-time record high for any month of the year. Several locations in Switzerland also set all-time record highs for any calendar month…

“Highs ranged from the 90s to low 100s in parts of Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland on Wednesday… The heat will continue into this weekend across parts of the continent…

“Wildfire danger will also increase to extreme levels by this weekend in parts of Europe because of the hot, dry conditions… Heat waves are especially dangerous when they occur early in the summer, before people have had time to adapt to the seasonal heat…

“Europe’s biggest heat-wave catastrophe occurred in the first two weeks of August 2003. Great Britain saw its first 100-degree Fahrenheit readings in more than 300 years of recordkeeping, and similar temperatures were widespread across Europe. Adding the various national counts implies that more than 50,000 people died as a result of the 2003 European heat wave. Later estimates brought the toll as high as 70,000, though the exact number is difficult to discern. No heat wave in global history has produced so many documented deaths…”

Are these warning signs for Europe of much worse things to come?

Abominable “Hail Satan” Prayer in Alaska Government Meeting

Breitbart wrote on June 21:

“The official, Iris Fontana — who also happens to be a member of the Satanic Temple — delivered an invocation ahead of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting Tuesday, sealing the prayer with ‘Hail Satan.’… Almost a dozen people walked out in protest, including Mayor Charlie Pierce…

“Technically, the satanic prayer was permissible due to pushes from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska.

“KSRM reports: ‘In October, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the borough’s previous prayer policy violated the State Constitution. The lawsuit was brought on by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska. The previous policy only allowed certain groups to deliver the invocation. The borough then passed a resolution to amend their policy at their meeting on November 20 to broaden the scope of eligible invocation providers to better reflect the diversity of beliefs in the borough.”…

“The Satanic Temple made headlines in April after the IRS announced that it recognized it as a ‘church,’ thereby giving it tax-exempt status.”

A society allowing this kind of blasphemy is DOOMED.

Appalling Jury Duty System

The Sun wrote on June 22:

“Carly Hull, 29, was told by Judge Barbara Mensah that jury service was the only public service the state asks people to do in peacetime… The judge… told Hull: ‘On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings when people gave up their lives to ensure the freedoms we have in this country of a fair trial and of innocent until proven guilty, you think you can impose a selfish attitude to jury service.’

“Hull, of Cook Road in Stevenage, was summoned before the judge having failed to attend for jury service earlier this month. She had first been called in February, but had jury service deferred until 3 June after she said she had childcare problems. Hull… told Luton Crown Court’s jury office that she had forgotten the date and had not received a letter telling her to attend. The jury officer again deferred her service until 10 June, but the judge said she then said that was not enough time to get childcare…

“Jury service is a vital part of the criminal law system of the UK and anyone over the age of 18 can be summoned to be a juror. Summons are based on the electoral role and in most circumstances you can face a fine of £1,000 if you don’t attend. You can defer your jury service if you can’t attend on the dates for which you’ve been summoned, but you have to give other dates in the next 12 months when you can attend instead…

“[Hull’s husband] is taking unpaid leave for five days next week to look after the children. [Hull] has also arranged for her mother, who works at the Lister Hospital, to look after the children if the jury service is extended… [The judge said:] ‘If you are not here on Monday, the court will take more stringent action — you could go to prison.’”

It is clear that Hull did not act wisely or diligently enough in this case. It has also become clear as to how overbearing, intrusive and ridiculous the entire (unbiblical) jury system has become… both in the UK and the USA. The judge’s unqualified comparison between jury duty and D-Day is appalling.

Prince William: Absolutely Fine by Me if My Children Came Out as Gay

Daily Mail wrote on June 26:

 “Prince William today said he would wholeheartedly support his children if they were gay as he spoke to young people disowned by their own parents because of their sexuality. The future king, 37, is the first royal to open up on the subject and admitted he had recently discussed it with his wife Kate. But the prince also confessed he worried that George, five, Princess Charlotte, four, or Louis, one, could also be ‘persecuted’ if they were gay because they are third, fourth and fifth in line to the throne, respectively.

“The Duke of Cambridge was visiting a LGBT charity in east London that helps young people forced on to the streets because of their sexual orientation or for being transgender… His words have been praised on social media by campaigners who believe his comments will be well received.

“One tweet: ‘The wonderful thing is that Prince William is the sort of person, that can and will help stop the bullying that children who are LGBTQ or a different in schools and in society’. Another wrote: ‘How wonderful that the future King is using his influence and platform to be an ally for the lgbtq community… [He] said it would be ‘absolutely fine by me’ if in the future Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, four, or Louis, one, came out as gay or lesbian… His visit comes ahead of the annual Pride in London parade… It is not the first time the Prince has become involved in LGBT issues. Three years ago, he appeared on the cover of the gay magazine Attitude…”

God looks at this quite differently!

Abominable—British Court ORDERS Abortion

Fox News reported on June 22:

“A British judge ordered Friday that an abortion be performed on a mentally disabled woman who is 22 weeks pregnant, despite objections from the woman and her mother. Justice Nathalie Lieven admits in the ruling of the ‘heartbreaking’ case that it’s an ‘immense intrusion’ to order the abortion against the woman’s will, but argued that it’s in the best interest of the woman…

“The unnamed woman, a Roman Catholic, reportedly has developmental disabilities and the mental age of a 6- to 9-year-old. She has been described as being in her 20s and is in the care of an NHS trust, as part of the country’s National Health Service. The woman’s mother, a former midwife, opposes the abortion procedure and told the court that she could take care of the child with the support from the daughter, Sky News reported. A social worker who works with the woman also said the pregnancy should not be terminated.

“But the judge said the woman didn’t have the mental capacity to make her own decisions even it look like she wanted to continue the pregnancy. ‘I think she would like to have a baby in the same way she would like to have a nice doll,’ she said, pointing out that she didn’t fully comprehend what having a baby entails. She added that having a child would be more traumatic for the woman than aborting it, as she wouldn’t be able to take care of the child due to the risk posed by her mental health problems and it would have to be put in a foster care.”

An appalling and abominable decision, in which the “best interest” clause has been terribly abused. No consideration whatsoever for the LIFE of the unborn child! This reminds us of horrible decisions in Nazi Germany. A society allowing these kinds of decisions is DOOMED.

Abominable Abortion Decision Overturned by Court of Appeal

The Sun wrote on June 24:

“A COURT ruling that a woman with the mental age of a child must have an abortion against her will has been overturned after her mum said she would care for the baby… Yesterday, the woman’s mum, a Catholic and former midwife, challenged the initial court order issued on Friday, insisting that she would look after the baby on her daughter’s behalf. John Sherrington, a bishop in the Catholic diocese of Westminster called the original ruling ‘sad and distressing.’ He added that it ‘raises serious questions about the meaning of “best interests” when a patient lacks mental capacity and is subject to the court’s decision against her will.’…

“The three judges on the Court of Appeal didn’t explain why they ruled against proceeding with the abortion and said they would give their reasons at a later date…

“Three specialists, an obstetrician and two psychiatrists made the decision, concluding that giving birth and having a child would be detrimental to the woman’s psychiatric health... ‘To force abortion on any person is abhorrent and to do so in the name of medicine and in the complete defiance of the religious and cultural values of the mother concerned calls into question the structures of law and justice in our society,’ said John Deighan, deputy chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children…

“Before the court’s decision on Monday, John Sherrington said: ‘Forcing a woman to have an abortion against her will, and that of her close family, infringes her human rights, not to mention the right of her unborn child to live in a family that has committed to caring for this child…'”

Thankfully, this abominable decision was overturned, but what is shocking and frightening is that an indifferent judge of the “Court of Protection” can even make such a decision without any regard for the life of the unborn child.

Breitbart added on June 24:

“‘Thank God, humanity has prevailed,’ said Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, reacting to the news of the decision of the Court of Appeals. ‘Courts simply do not have the authority to order the killing of a baby,’ Pavone added… ‘Now it’s time for all of us to resist the injustice of abortion in whatever way it rears its ugly head.’…

 “In a statement, Clare McCarthy of Right to Life UK, addressed the concerns of Lieven’s pro-abortion rights background. ‘Justice Lieven’s background as a lawyer in numerous abortion advocacy cases calls into question her fitness to adjudicate in this case,’ she said. ‘The fact that this case relates directly to abortion and the fact that the Judge has a strong background of pro-abortion advocacy, undermines the impartiality of the judiciary.’

“In the U.S., Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) condemned Lieven’s ruling on Twitter: ‘If story accurate 22 week pregnant disabled woman is being required to undergo a forced abortion by UK court. The U.S. should offer her & her mother a visa. And why are the voices who always talk about a woman’s right to choose so quiet on this?’

“Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser called the decision for forced abortion a ‘horrific violation of the human rights of both unborn children and their mothers.’ ‘Justice Lieven’s order reeks of eugenics and is the type of oppression one would expect to see under a totalitarian regime, like China’s brutal state-enforced population control,’ the pro-life leader added. ‘Such a ruling could not occur in a vacuum – it exposes a culture of devaluation of human life and prejudice toward individuals with disabilities, right up to the most elite levels of society.’”

Sadly, we could not agree with that more. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Abominable! Court Orders Abortion Despite Mother’s Objection”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

“Israel’s Netanyahu Names New Golan Settlement ‘Trump Heights'”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 16:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday unveiled a gold-trimmed sign naming a proposed new community on the disputed Golan Heights after US President Donald Trump. The label is a gesture of appreciation for Washington’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory which the Jewish-majority state seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day war and later annexed without international recognition. The new settlement will be called ‘Ramat Trump,’ Hebrew for ‘Trump Heights.’…

“Addressing the ceremony, Netanyahu called Trump a ‘great friend’ of Israel and described the Golan, which overlooks northern Israel, as an important strategic asset. ‘The Golan Heights was and will always be an inseparable part of our country and homeland,’ he said… Developing Ramat Trump will not be easy. Ringed by high yellow grass and landmines, it is roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Syrian border and a half hour drive from the nearest Israeli town, Kiryat Shmona, a community of about 20,000 people near the Lebanese border.”

JTA wrote on June 16:

“The name is listed in a bill to establish the community that has been submitted for approval. Since the current government is interim after the dissolution last month of the Knesset and call for new elections, it cannot officially approve the project, which will have to wait for the next government.

“The U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said that the last time Israel named a community for a sitting president was Kfar Truman in central Israel in 1949. He also pointed out that Trump’s birthday had been on Friday and called the new community an ‘absolutely beautiful’ birthday present.”

Donald Trump will continue to play an important biblical role in relation to Israel.

Iran Threatens to Break Uranium Stockpile Limit

JTA wrote on June 17:

“Iran said Monday that it will break the uranium stockpile limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal in the next 10 days… Since the Trump administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal one year ago, Iran has pushed the limits of breaching the agreement with world powers. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union remain committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“In May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani set a 60-day deadline for the powers to set new terms for the nuclear deal, including easing restrictions on Iran’s banking and oil sectors. Iran threatened that if the world powers failed to meet the deadline, it would remove caps on uranium enrichment levels and resume work at Arak…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called on the international community to reimpose sanctions on Iran… ‘Israel will not allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons.’”

The Iran debacle will increase the hostility between the USA and Europe. It may also lead to war in the Middle East. Note the next articles.

Europe Is Trying to Circumvent USA Sanctions against Iran

The EUbulletin wrote on June 13:

“Instex, [the] payment system designed by the EU to circumvent US sanctions on trade with Iran, will be ready soon, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced earlier this week. Maas was having talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif about saving the nuclear pact with world powers signed in 2015… Instex could protect at least some of Iran’s economy from the sweeping US sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitments under the deal to cut back on its nuclear program.

“While the US has withdrawn from the deal, France, Britain, and Germany designed Instex as a special-purpose instrument to defuse the rising US-Iranian conflict. Maas also warned the tensions may have an impact on the entire Middle Eastern region which makes keeping the nuclear pact alive an important task for the EU…”

However, Instex has not been implemented so far.

More US Troops for the Middle East

Breitbart wrote on June 17:

“[The USA will send] 1,000 additional troops for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East. Just over two weeks ago, the Pentagon authorized sending 1,500 troops to the Middle East… This was on top of sending the USS Abraham Lincoln and a bomber squadron to the region.

“Those deployments came after [warnings] there were threats against U.S. troops in the region, the sabotage of four vessels, an armed drone attack on Saudi pumping stations, and a rocket attack in Iraq near the U.S. embassy… two oil tankers — one belonging to Norway and the other to Japan — were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, allegedly by limpet mines deployed by Iran. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo… attributed the attacks to Iran…

“Iran denied carrying out the attacks, but British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also said the attacks were ‘almost certainly’ carried out by Tehran…”

Deutsche Welle added on June 18:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday there is ‘strong evidence’ Iran was behind the twin tanker attacks… Merkel called for a peaceful solution to tensions in the Persian Gulf… ‘It is a very serious situation,’ she said, adding that Germany would tell all sides and especially Iran, ‘that the situation should not escalate.’…

“Merkel warned Iran of consequence[s] if it violated any part of the nuclear accord…”

Iran Shoots Down US Drone…  Tensions Run High

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

“President Donald Trump declared Thursday that ‘Iran made a very big mistake’ by shooting down a U.S. surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz but suggested it was a foolish error rather than an intentional escalation of the tensions that have led to rising fears of open military conflict. Asked about a U.S. response, the president said pointedly, ‘You’ll soon find out.’

“The downing of the huge, unmanned aircraft, which Iran portrayed as a deliberate defense of its territory rather than a mistake, was a stark reminder of the risk of military conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces…

“Iran… insisted the drone had invaded its airspace… [Trump] said the American drone was unarmed and unmanned and ‘clearly over international waters.’… U.S. Gen. Guastella [told] reporters that the aircraft was 34 kilometers (21 miles) from the nearest Iranian territory and flying at high altitude when struck by a surface-to-air missile…

“The Senate’s top Democrat [Nancy Pelosi] called the downing of the American drone ‘deeply concerning’…  Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called Iran a ‘murderous regime’ and said, ‘If they’re itching for a fight they’re going to get one.’”

Egypt’s Former President Mohammed Morsi Dies in Court

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 17:

“Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s former president, died Monday after collapsing during a session in court, state television reported. The 67-year-old was the country’s first democratically elected president and a member of Egypt’s most powerful Islamist group, the now banned Muslim Brotherhood.

“Morsi was on trial for espionage and had just addressed the court when he blacked out, reports said. He was taken to a Cairo hospital but could not be revived… The Islamist was democratically elected in 2012, one year after the popular uprising that ended the rule of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak… Morsi, often described as a divisive figure, spent just one year in office. He was toppled by the army in July 2013 following mass protests against his government… His then-defense minister and army chief, current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, took power and was subsequently elected president. Morsi and thousands of other members of the Brotherhood were jailed in the crackdown that followed…

“[Morsi] was also serving a 20-year sentence related to the killing of protesters during 2012 demonstrations, as well as a life sentence for espionage for Qatar. He had denied all charges…

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was a Morsi ally, paid tribute to the former leader: ‘May Allah rest our Morsi brother, our martyr’s soul in peace,’ he said… Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a key backer of the Muslim Brotherhood, expressed his ‘deep sorrow’ on Twitter…  Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director with the Human Rights Watch, tweeted that Morsi’s death was ‘terrible but entirely predictable’ given the government’s ‘failure to allow him adequate medical care, much less family visits.’”

It is very risky to be in high political positions in dictatorial countries like Egypt.

Hong Kong’s Contentious Extradition Bill

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 16:

“Chief Executive [Beijing-appointed] Carrie Lam has apologized for her handling of the contentious extradition bill after protesters called for her resignation. The city’s leader has put the plans on hold, but won’t withdraw them completely…

“The bill proposed a legal mechanism to allow Hong Kong residents and Chinese or foreign nationals traveling through the city to be extradited to mainland China… critics believe it would tighten Beijing’s grip on the autonomous city, which is governed under a ‘one country, two systems’ policy cemented during the British handover of Hong Kong in 1997…protesters are concerned that an extradition agreement would allow Hong Kongers to be handed over to courts controlled by the Communist Party in mainland China, where a fair trial is not guaranteed…”

Britain lost Hong Kong to China, and here we see the results. Even though the pressure is mounting, Lam has refused so far to resign.

Fox Poll: Voters Say Trump Has Gone Too Far on Immigration

Newsmax reported on June 16:

“Half of American voters say the Trump administration has gone too far on immigration enforcement… a Fox News poll shows. The 50% who say enforcement of immigration laws has ‘gone too far’ is more than double, 24%, those who say actions haven’t gone far enough. About one in five say the measures are about right.

“By a wide majority — 73% to 24% — Americans favor giving legal status to young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, so-called Dreamers. Allocating more agents to the border was a more popular choice than imposing tariffs on Mexican imports or building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. On tariffs, nearly eight in 10 of those polled had concerns that things they buy will be more expensive. More voters say tariffs hurt rather than help the U.S. economy, with 45% saying they hurt and 33% saying they help…”

In time, either Trump will see the handwriting on the wall and change some of his rather extreme positions, or the majority of Americans will accept them, no matter what.

Millions to Be Deported?

The Washington Post wrote on June 17:

“President Donald Trump said in a tweet Monday night that U.S. immigration agents are planning to make mass arrests… ‘Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States,’ Trump wrote, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…

“The family arrest plan has been considered even more sensitive than a typical operation because children are involved and Homeland Security officials retain significant concerns that families will be inadvertently separated by the operation, especially because parents in some households have deportation orders but their children – some of whom are U.S. citizens – might not. Should adults be arrested without their children because they are at school, day care, summer camp or a friend’s house, it is possible parents could be deported while their children are left behind…”

The operation will allegedly be targeting Central American families and unaccompanied minors who had turned 18, according to Politico, June 18, 2019.

Trump Staying Longer than 8 Years?

The Independent wrote on June 16:

“Donald Trump has suggested the American people would ask him to stay in the White House beyond two terms… he said he could see himself staying in office beyond 2024. ‘The good news is that at the end of 6 years, after America has been made GREAT again and I leave the beautiful White House (do you think the people would demand that I stay longer? KEEP AMERICA GREAT),’ he wrote…

“Mr Trump… has also previously endorsed suggestions that he should stay in the White House after eight years as president…”

This begs the question: Could President Trump stay in office for longer than eight years?

hiphopdx wrote on February 7, 2017:

“The Twenty-Second Amendment of the Constitution allows for an America president to serve two terms in office, which would come to eight years. The last — and only — president to serve more than that was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected to the Oval Office four times. This was before the amendment was introduced in 1947… In order to change the Constitution, there must be approval from two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate…

“However, the Constitution can also be amended by a constitutional congress called by two-thirds of state legislatures. On this front, the Republicans are just one legislature short, currently [in 2017] holding 32 of 50…”

In addition, Bustle explained on April 12, 2018:

“… a two-term president who later became vice president could theoretically become president again if the president they served under resigned.”

This means, the term of office for both the vice president and the president is four years. Neither the Constitution’s eligibility provisions nor the Twenty-second Amendment’s presidential term limit explicitly disqualifies a twice-elected president from serving as vice president. As vice president, he could become president again if the president resigns.

To us, it is a foregone conclusion that Mr. Trump will be re-elected in 2020. And as we strongly believe that he is the last President of the USA, the potential scenarios, as described above, are quite interesting.

India Imposes Tariffs on US Goods 

Axios wrote on June 15:

“India announced it’s imposing higher tariffs on 28 U.S. products from Sunday, after Washington withdrew the South Asian country’s preferential trade status… It’s the latest escalation in President Trump’s trade war, designed to cut U.S. deficits. The tariffs on products including almonds and apples are as high as 70% on some items and are in response to Washington’s refusal to exempt Delhi from higher taxes on steel and aluminium imports…

“India was until the U.S. cut privileges on June 5 the biggest beneficiary of the Generalized System of Preferences scheme, which allowed duty-free exports of up to $5.6 billion…”

The American trade war with China and Europe—and now with India, as well as Mexico—will ultimately see the USA as the loser in this fight.

The Government’s and Doctors’ Fight Against Anti-Vaccines Continues…

arstechnica wrote on June 14:

“Anti-vaccine advocates received a blow in New York Thursday as state lawmakers banned non-medical exemptions based on religious beliefs—and there may be more blows coming.”

“Also on Thursday, the American Medical Association adopted a new policy to step up its fight against such non-medical exemptions. The AMA, the country’s largest physicians’ group and one of the largest spenders on lobbying, has always strongly support[ed] pediatric vaccination and opposed non-medical exemptions. But under the new policy changes, the association will now ‘actively advocate’ for states to eliminate any laws that allow for non-medical exemptions…

“In 2015, California eliminated non-medical vaccine exemptions following a large measles outbreak linked to Disneyland visitors. But in the years following, the state saw the number of children with medical exemptions triple… Lawmakers in California are now considering a new bill that would crack down on… bogus exemptions by granting state health officials oversight of any medical exemptions that doctors provide. Prominent anti-vaccine advocates, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr, have opposed the legislation. This week, actress Jessica Biel joined the fray, coming out on the side of anti-vaxxers. In an Instagram post, she… suggested that the additional oversight would make it harder for children who genuinely need medical exemptions to get them.”

It is also recommended by doctors that all US travelers flying abroad to any country should be vaccinated. For a “recommendation” to a “mandate” is sometimes only a small step. When will this nonsense ever cease? Note the next article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding measles.

AAP News wrote on June 17:

“Federal health officials are warning U.S. travelers to protect themselves from measles outbreaks in Europe…

“Measles is highly contagious, and the record number of measles cases in the WHO (World Health Organization) European region not only puts unvaccinated and inadequately vaccinated travelers at risk, but also increases the risk for nontraveling US residents who come into close contact with returned travelers who are ill,’ researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote in a new article ‘Spread of Measles in Europe and Implications for US Travelers.’…

“Some of the WHO European region’s 53 countries are among the most popular destinations for U.S. travelers but may be incorrectly perceived as safe from infectious diseases, authors said… Since May 2018, the European countries with the most measles cases have been Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Italy, France, Romania and North Macedonia…

“International travelers should carry a copy of their immunization records…”

Hysteria rules…

Interim Austrian Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein’s Partner under Attack

Brigitte Bierlein, the president of Austria’s constitutional court, became Austria’s first female [transitional] chancellor until new elections in September.

JC wrote on June 3:

“The life partner of Austria’s new chancellor Brigitte Bierlein was the judge who, in 2006, freed Holocaust revisionist David Irving from prison. In 1989, Irving made two speeches in Austria in which he denied the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz. In November 2005, having entered Austria to attend a meeting of far-right students, Irving was arrested under the law that forbids ‘re-engagement in National Socialist activities’ including Holocaust denial.

“He was sentenced to three years imprisonment in February 2006. Released on appeal in December of that year, Irving returned to Britain to serve out his sentence on probation. Ernest Maurer, the presiding judge in the appeal case and the new chancellor’s partner, said at the time that Irving committed the offences an ‘extremely long time’ ago and that the defendant had undergone an ‘unprecedented change’ in his views on the Holocaust…

“Once back in Britain, Irving told the BBC he did not feel the need to show remorse for what he had said about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. The decision to release him was condemned by Vienna’s main Jewish community group, the IKG, which called for his verdict to be examined and dismissed him as someone ‘close’ to Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ). Mr Maurer has a reputation as a very conservative jurist and someone who, as the political columnist Hans Rauscher told the New York Times, was ‘known for very lenient opinions toward right-wing extremism.’…

“The Wiener Zeitung has called Mr Maurer an ‘intimate friend’ of [late former Chancellor Joerg] Haider…”

Austria’s Strache Won’t Take Up EU Parliament Seat

The EUObserver reported on June 17, 2019

“Austrian far-right ex-leader Heinz-Christian Strache, who quit as vice-chancellor over a video showing him offering to fix state contracts to someone who posed as a Russian oligarch, said Monday he would not take up a European Parliament seat.

“He stepped down as the Freedom Party’s leader last month after German media published the secretly filmed 2017 footage. Strache got enough preferential votes to get a seat in the parliament.”

He might have other plans pertaining to Austria itself.

“Ten Thousand People Are Praying for Sebastian Kurz”

Der Standard wrote on June 16:

“During his non-election campaign tour of Austria, former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz found time during the ‘Awakening Austria’ event to pray together in the sold out… Wiener Stadthalle. [Australian missionary] Ben Fitzgerald, the ‘passionate lover of Jesus and leader of Awakening Europe and GODfest Ministries’, as it says on the organizational club’s website, held a ‘blessing prayer’ for Sebastian Kurz.”

Fitzgerald prayed for Kurz, “Father, we thank you so much for this man. For the wisdom you gave him. For the heart.”

The paper also mentioned that Kurz describes himself as belonging to the “Church portion“ of his party, the ÖVP, and that he went at times to the monastery Göttweig for meditation practices.

Kurz, after having received his blessing, thanked Cardinal Schönborn and Ben Fitzgerald for their prayers for Austria. It was explained that the Catholic Church and Cardinal Schönborn also participated in this charismatic event which was conducted by “Awakening Europe.” The paper also explained that Ben Fitzgerald claims of having had spiritual visions and of having received the command from God to reclaim or bring back Europe. It was pointed out that Fitzgerald spoke in Nürnberg on the very field where Hitler had given one of his speeches in front of 150,000 people.

Austria’s Hapsburg Family and a United Catholic Europe

Catholic Herald wrote on May 30:

“A little over a hundred years ago, Emperor Karl of Austria, his wife Zita and their small children were forced to leave their last refuge in Austria for Swiss exile. Two abortive attempts to regain the Austrian throne led to their exile and his death in Madeira.

“Over the following decades the imperial exiles made the best of things, with the heir, Archduke Otto, trying first to catalyse resistance to Hitler on Austria’s part, and then with more success to ensure that the victorious Allies would treat Austria as a victim rather than a perpetrator… 800 years of Habsburg rule left a strong imprint on Austria – not just in the still very Catholic and conservative countryside.

“… when elected a Member of the European Parliament, Archduke Otto [as] Chief organiser of the so-called ‘Pan-European Picnic’ of 1989 – which helped bring down the Wall –… was foremost in calling for the rapid integration into the European Union of Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and the once partly Habsburg Poland.

“But in the aftermath of their liberation and incorporation into the EU, a strange phenomenon emerged: they found they had more in common with each other (and in recent years with Sebastian Kurz’s Austria) than with the Western nations. Not only did they share scepticism toward Western Europe’s embrace of abortion and sexual licence, their national cultures – despite the nationalisms that tore them apart – have much in common.

“Sociological studies have found that in Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia –­ those areas that were once part of Austria-Hungary – have a much higher rate of trust in police and courts and less corruption than those that were not. The test-runners have dubbed this ‘the Habsburg effect’…

“The growth of the common cultus of Emperor Karl since his beatification in 2004 has also played its part. There are – not too surprisingly – 26 shrines to him in Austria. But there are eight in the Czech Republic, 16 in Hungary, three in Slovakia and two in Croatia…

“And what of the House of Habsburg itself in all of this? Otto’s elder son, Karl, ably assisted by younger, Hungary-based brother Georg, is certainly keeping the flag flying through the Paneuropa Union, the Knightly Order of St George, and a host of cultural, political and religious activities throughout the former empire chronicled on his informative eponymous website. Their sisters are also plugging away at similar tasks. Cousin Michael, of the Hungarian branch of the family, is head of the group working for the beatification of Cardinal Mindszenty, while his son, Eduard, is Hungary’s envoy to the Holy See. It is now a large clan, scattered across the globe, but by and large an extremely hard-working one.

“The website of the Austrian branch of Paneuropa declares: ‘The soul of this continent is Christianity. Whoever takes it out of political action, makes Europe a soulless body.’… In any case, considering how many tourists flock to see the mere relics of Habsburg rule in Central Europe’s capitals today, one can only guess at the flood that would pour in to see the revived rituals of an imperial and royal court in such varied settings…”

We should keep a watchful eye on the Habsburg dynasty.

Britain’s New Advertisement Rules

Daily Mail wrote on June 14:

“Adverts which show men struggling with household chores are now banned under new gender stereotype rules. Scenarios likely to be problematic under the new rule include a man with his feet up while a woman cleans up her family’s mess or a woman unable to park a car.

“Advertisements must not include gender stereotypes which are likely to cause harm or serious or widespread offence from today. Advertisers will also have to tread carefully when, for example, contrasting a daring boy with a caring girl, or if they belittle a man for carrying out stereotypically ‘female’ roles or tasks, the Committee of Advertising Practice warned.”

The craziness of this world is mind-boggling.

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.

YouTube’s New Anti-Extremism Policy

The New York Times wrote on June 5:

“YouTube announced plans… to remove thousands of videos and channels… in an attempt to clean up extremism and hate speech on its popular service. The new policy will ban ‘videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion,’ the company said in a blog post. The prohibition will also cover videos denying that violent events, like the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, took place…

“The decision by YouTube, which is owned by Google, is the latest action by a Silicon Valley company to stem the spread of hate speech and disinformation on its site. A month ago, Facebook evicted seven of its most controversial users, including Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and founder of Infowars. Twitter barred Mr. Jones last year…

“The kind of content that will be prohibited under YouTube’s new hate speech policies includes videos that claim Jews secretly control the world, that say women are intellectually inferior to men and therefore should be denied certain rights, or that suggest that the white race is superior to another race…

“YouTube announced in January that it would recommend fewer objectionable videos, such as those with conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and vaccine misinformation, a category it called ‘borderline content’…”

thinkprogress wrote on June 6:

“Conservatives cry censorship after YouTube rolls out new anti-extremism policy. The policy is littered with problems and YouTube itself is struggling to defend the move…

“Conservatives claimed that the [action] was part of a wider liberal agenda to silence dissenting voices…”

It surely appears to be that way. Subsequently, Google’s CEO stated in an interview that he wants to see YouTube expand its crackdown on “borderline” content.

China’s Brutal Censorship

ctpost wrote on June 8:

“Websites of The Washington Post and the Guardian appear to now be blocked in China as the country’s government further tightens its so-called ‘Great Firewall’ censorship apparatus as it navigates a politically sensitive period. Until this weekend, The Post and the Guardian were among the last few major English-language outlets that were still regularly accessible from mainland China without the use of virtual private networking (VPN) software, according to the censorship tracker greatfire…

“Chinese Internet authorities have gone into overdrive in recent weeks ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4, 1989, prohibiting users on the popular WeChat social media service to post keywords or pictures related to the event…

“Every language edition of Wikipedia was fully banned in mid-May. A CNN reporter said the network’s website was blocked again this week shortly after CNN… ran a top story commemorating the 1989 incident… the trend since 2013 has shown more and more foreign websites being irrevocably added to China’s blacklist.

“Outlets such as Bloomberg, the New York Times, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have been blocked for years. So have social media services such as Facebook and Twitter and all Google-owned services, including YouTube. Other popular services such as Dropbox, Slack and WhatsApp are also prohibited… While a small number of Chinese users download VPNs to access banned websites and social media services, China has increasingly found ways to enforce the bans – including through physical intimidation.”

Woe unto those who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness.

Huge Demonstration in Hong Kong against Chinese Dictatorship

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 9:

“Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents are participating in a rally on Sunday against a government plan that would allow extraditions to authorities in mainland China… The turnout at Sunday’s rally marks the event as one of the largest protests in Hong Kong’s history… The proposed extradition law is one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Hong Kong since a 2003 national security bill, which was scrapped by the authorities after at least half a million residents took to the streets to oppose it…

“Hong Kong authorities have come under immense pressure from the international community to ditch the extradition bill. Foreign ministers of Germany and Britain have spoken against the bill, while 11 European Union envoys recently met Chief Executive Carrie Lam to formally protest the law. The International Chamber of Commerce to the EU office in Hong Kong and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission also voiced serious concerns about the controversial extradition bill…

“Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 after 99 years under British colonial rule. The ‘one country, two systems’ principle underpins the reunification process and allows the territory relative autonomy in the 50-year transition period. But more than 20 years into the process, critics are concerned Chinese authorities are already tightening their grip on political and social life. In 2012, a report on freedom of the press in Hong Kong showed it had deteriorated alarmingly… Chinese authorities have clamped down on pro-democracy demonstrations in recent years…”

Not surprisingly, China blamed the USA for the demonstrations in Hong Kong. That Britain lost Hong Kong was in fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

“The End of the World As We Know It”

On June 3, Project Syndicate published an article by Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“After three decades of moving toward a single global market governed by the rules of the World Trade Organization, the international order has undergone a fundamental change. The United States and China are locked in a tariff war that at first seemed to be about the bilateral trade balance, but has turned out to be about much more…

“Last month, under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration, Google terminated its cooperation with Huawei, thereby depriving the Chinese smartphone maker of the license to use Google’s Android software and related services. The move poses an existential threat to Huawei. But, more than that, it marks both a new pinnacle in the Sino-American [i.e., Chinese-American] conflict and the end of US-led globalization…

“The Trump administration’s latest move is meant to signal that the US will not hand over its dominant global position without a fight. Yet by precipitating a break in the existing trade relationship with China, the US will incur immense costs of its own.

“No doubt turbulence awaits Europe, too. A rupture in the global economy would pose a fundamental challenge to the European – and especially the German – export model… [The EU’s] exporters have become increasingly reliant on the Chinese market…

“Past experience has shown that Europe usually needs a crisis in order to move to the next stage of its development… Europe may now have no choice but to develop a geopolitical strategy for the twenty-first century. The EU… must get to work safeguarding its prosperity and sovereignty in an age of Sino-American rupture…”

And that is exactly what the EU will do… with dangerous unforeseen consequences. Also, in regard to the deteriorating relationship between the USA and Europe, Newsmax reported on June 11:

“President Donald Trump on Twitter Tuesday accused Europe of devaluing the euro zone’s single currency and also targeted U.S. monetary policy with renewed attacks on the U.S. central bank. ‘The Euro and other currencies are devalued against the dollar, putting the U.S. at a big disadvantage,’ Trump tweeted without offering any evidence. He also slammed U.S. interest rates for being too high.”

Tariff Fight with Mexico Not Over

AFP wrote on June 10:

“Amid speculation about the contents of Mexico’s deal to curb mitigation in order to avert President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said he had rebuffed the US demand for such a measure, but agreed to revisit the matter in 45 days… Ebrard, who led the Mexican negotiating team in marathon talks in Washington, spoke as Trump renewed his tariff threat over a secret provision in the deal.

“Trump tweeted that part of the deal would require approval by the Mexican Congress — he did not give details — and that ‘if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!’”

Axios wrote on June 10:

“Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said at a news conference Monday that there is no secret immigration deal between Mexico and the United States…

“Ebrard said at the press conference that there had merely been an agreement for both parties to monitor migration in upcoming months, with a contingency for discussions on further asylum reforms if it was determined that individuals crossing the U.S.’ southern border had not been reduced…”

“If the US Cuts Immigration from Mexico, Who Will Do the Jobs Americans Don’t Want?”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 10:

“Trump had threatened to impose tariffs of 5% on all imports from Mexico, worth $346.5 billion (€305 billion), ‘until illegal immigration across the southern border was stopped.’ The tariffs would have begun on June 10, rising to 10% on July 1, 15% on August 1, 20% on September 1 and 25% on October 1. Mexico exported to the US $346.5 billion worth of goods in 2018 — meaning that a 5% tariff on those products would have meant a de facto tax increase of $17 billion on agricultural goods, machinery, clothing and components used to make other products…

“About 8 million immigrants from Mexico have jobs, making up 5% of the US workforce… The Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of the nation’s farm workers are unauthorized…

“A study for the dairy industry said that if federal labor and immigration policies cut the number of foreign-born workers by 50%, about 3,500 dairy farms would close, leading to a drop in milk production and a rise in prices of about 30%.

“Unauthorized immigrants make up 24% of maids and cleaners…

“While Mexican workers in the US average $1,870 per month, the average wage in Mexico is $291 per month, or just over $2 an hour, with the minimum wage roughly $4.15 for a full day’s work. Caterpillar is considering opening a plant in Monterrey in northeastern Mexico while General Motors is shifting some of their Detroit operations to Mexico. Ford is planning on moving some of its Detroit south of the border.”

In addition, many big firms operating in the USA, such as Home Depot, Vons, Walmart, Starbucks, McDonalds and quite a few other fast-food stores, have opened branches in Mexico.

USA vs. Germany

The EUObserver wrote on June 13:

“US president Donald Trump has pledged to send at least 1,000 extra troops to Poland to deter Russian aggression.

“He also praised Poland’s nationalist-populist government, while again attacking Germany on defence spending and on its Russia gas pipeline.”

President Trump also stated that he plans to withdraw the 1,000 US troops for Poland from Germany.

Close Encounter

npr wrote on June 7:

“The U.S. Navy says ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ maneuvers by a Russian destroyer nearly caused it to collide with a U.S. missile cruiser in the Philippine Sea on Friday. The Russian warship came within 50 to 100 feet of the USS Chancellorsville, which was busy recovering a helicopter, and the American ship had to take drastic action to avoid the other vessel, the Navy says. Russia’s military, however, provided a different version of events and said the U.S. ship was at fault [saying that] the two vessels were ‘heading in parallel directions’ when the U.S. ship ‘impeded’ its warship…

“The near-collision comes two years after two other warships in the 7th Fleet — the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain — were involved in high-profile accidents. In those cases, the Navy vessels collided with cargo ships… Friday’s incident comes on the heels of another close encounter. Earlier this week, a Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Navy aircraft three times while they were in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea…”

Imagine the devastating consequences if such an accident actually did take place.

Attacks on Oil Tankers in the Gulf of Oman

The Allgemeiner wrote on June 13:

“Two oil tankers were attacked on Thursday and left adrift in the Gulf of Oman, driving up oil prices and stoking fears of a new confrontation between Iran and the United States, which blamed Tehran for the incident…

“Crude oil prices spiked more than 4% after the attacks near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping artery for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf energy producers…

“Washington accused Tehran of being behind a similar attack on May 12 on four tankers in the same area.

“Tensions between Iran and the United States, along with its allies including Saudi Arabia, have risen since US President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal last year between Iran and global powers that aimed to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has repeatedly warned it would block the Strait of Hormuz if it cannot sell its oil due to US sanctions…

“The Saudi-led military coalition, which is battling the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, described Thursday’s events as a ‘major escalation.’ Russia, one of Iran‘s main allies, urged caution, saying no one should rush to judgment about the incident or use it to put pressure on Tehran…

“Britain said it was ‘deeply concerned’ about the attacks. Germany, which like Britain remains a party to the nuclear pact with Iran, said the ‘situation is dangerous’ and all sides needed to avoid an escalation.

“The Arab League said some parties were ‘trying to instigate fires in the region’…”

Arabs and Greek Orthodox Church against Israel

The Jordan Times wrote on June 4:

“His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering position on the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem, and in defending the just and legitimate rights of the Palestinians… The King stressed the need to maintain coordination between mosques and churches, and among churches, to counter challenges… For their part, the attendees thanked His Majesty for his positions in defence of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem…

“Jerusalem Awqaf Director Mohammad Azzam Khatib Tamimi highlighted the King’s efforts in safeguarding Al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as other holy sites…

“In remarks by Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City and all Jordan and Palestine, delivered on his behalf by Archbishop Christoforos Atallah, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Jordan… [he] voiced confidence in the King’s clear stance on the need for a just and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem, and the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital… He thanked the King for his ‘generous donation for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’ to help implement needed renovations.”

This article, written from a Jordanian perspective, shows the close cooperation between Arabs and Christian churches, and their determination to support the Palestinians against the Jews in Israel.

Boris Johnson Steamrolling Ahead

Axios wrote on June 13:

“There is little standing in the way of Boris Johnson becoming Britain’s next prime minister… Johnson is a brash Brexiteer who has vowed to take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal if one can’t be reached by October…

“Step one in the two-step process to replace Theresa May as Conservative Party leader, and thus prime minister, officially began on Thursday. Johnson got off to a massive head start after 114 Conservative Members of Parliament selected him — far more than went for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (43), Environment Secretary Michael Gove (37), or former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab (27).

“Seven candidates had enough backers to move on to the next round, with three others eliminated. The voting will continue until the list is whittled down to two, whom the party’s 160,000 members will then choose between…

“If he does triumph, Johnson will take ownership of the most intractable dispute in recent British political history and a divided party that has fallen to once-unthinkable depths in the polls. There are clearly many who think he’s just the man for the job.”

Ongoing Immigration Nightmare for Children

AFP wrote on June 8:

“When reporters toured a shelter for immigrant children in February, authorities showed off classrooms, soccer fields and art studios to prove the kids were being treated well. This week President Donald Trump’s administration cancelled all that special care, citing a lack of funding. Some 13,200 children and teens, most of them Central American, are being held in 168 shelters for minors in 23 states across the United States. In all of them, activities that are not essential or not linked to the children’s physical safety began to be cut this week…

“Minors who cross the southern US border without an adult are classified as Unaccompanied Alien Children and sent to centers of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they live until they can be reunited with their parents or US-based relatives. Many human rights groups deem these places as being akin to prisons or even concentration camps.”

It is terrible when innocent children must suffer because of the conduct of adults.

EU Accused of Help Killing Illegal Immigrants

The EUObserver wrote on June 4:

 “EU states’ efforts to ‘deter’ migrants from Libya have helped kill more than 14,000 people… according to a lawsuit filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague…

“The EU’s decision to end a sea rescue operation called Mare Nostrum off the coast of Libya led to a gross increase in drownings, [the] 243-page document… alleged… The EU’s policy of returning migrants to Libya, despite the political chaos there, exposed a further 40,000 people to ‘crimes against humanity’ in militia-run camps there between 2016 and 2018, the lawyers’ document added.

“‘European Union officials were fully aware of the treatment of the migrants by the Libyan coastguard and the fact that migrants … would face immediate detention in detention centres… in which murder, sexual assault, torture and other crimes were known by the European Union agents and officials to be common,’ it said… ‘the EU is orchestrating a policy of forced transfer to concentration camp-like detention facilities,’ it added. The EU policy constituted the ‘most lethal and organised attack against civilian population the ICC had jurisdiction over in its entire history,’ it said.”

If true, it would sound awfully similar to what Nazis began to do in Germany prior to World War II.

“Justice” in Totalitarian Italy? Demagogues Responsible?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 8:

“Pia Klemp stands accused of aiding illegal immigration after she saved people from drowning in the Mediterranean. The Bonn native has accused Italian authorities of organizing ‘a show trial.’

“… According to German public broadcaster WDR… [Klemp] has personally assisted in the rescue of more than 1,000 people at risk of drowning in unsafe dinghies as they attempted to cross to Europe in search of a better life. An already immigrant-unfriendly government in Rome became even more so in June 2018, when newly appointed Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right League party promised a crackdown the likes of which modern Italy had never seen.

“Since assuming office, Salvini has sought to put a stop to migrant rescue ships docking on Italian shores and allowing refugees to disembark. In January, the nationalist leader made headlines with the forced evacuation of [immigrants and] his refusal to clarify where the people, many of whom had lived in Castelnuovo di Porto for years and become integrated into town life, were being taken.

“Shortly thereafter, Sicilian prosecutors ruled that Salvini could be charged with kidnapping more than 177 migrants left stranded on a ship he had ordered impounded.

“… the captain blames not only the Italian government but what she sees as a failure of the European Union ‘to remember its avowed values: human rights, the right to life, to apply for asylum, and the duty of seafarers to rescue those in danger at sea.’ Klemp added that ‘demagogues’ such as Salvini, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer were effectively allowing thousands to perish in the Mediterranean each year…”

Catholic Church Concerned About Salvini

Firstthings wrote on May 31:

“Several ecclesiastical figures expressed horror at the results of last week’s European Parliament elections… The reactions centered on the Matteo Salvini’s stunning victory in Italy, where his Lega Party took more than 34 percent of the Italian vote, exceeding even the most extravagant forecasts. This means that in absolute figures the Euroskeptic Lega party will have the third-highest number of seats in the new parliament…

“On May 27, the semi-official Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published a front-page editorial by Andrea Monda (personally appointed as the newspaper’s editor-in chief last December by Pope Francis), who criticized the pro-sovereignty movement that made extraordinary gains in Sunday’s elections. That movement is the enemy of Europe, the editorial proposed, and the Lega’s substantial victory in Italy was particularly worrisome… It was not a vote for something, but ‘against’ something, driven by fear…

“Luxembourg Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich… criticized Italy’s interior minister Matteo Salvini for preying upon Catholics by appealing to their religious sense, also suggesting that Italian Catholics are easily duped… suggesting that Salvini is not a real Catholic, despite his claims to the contrary…

“Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, the editor-in-chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, railed against the election results in a full-page article in Famiglia Cristiana. ‘There is a toad, a moral sickness, in the belly of our country, which is also infecting our Church,’ Spadaro observed, since a significant number of self-identified Catholics evidently voted for Salvini…

“These three examples are just the tip of the iceberg, the latest signs of a process by which leading spokesmen for the Church in Europe seem to be growing more overtly political…

“To take just one more example from the Italian political scene, leading ecclesiastical figures have demonized Salvini for closing Italian ports in an effort to curb illegal immigration, calling him everything from the antichrist to Satan…”

While the quoted article was written in support of Salvini and as an accusation against the leading Catholic figures mentioned therein, it is interesting that something seems to be developing in Italy which may remind us of the long-lasting quarrel between the Catholic Church and Mussolini whose sincere dedication to the Catholic faith was also [correctly] questioned on numerous occasions.

Sebastian Kurz Gay?

Haaretz wrote on May 18:

“As for [former Austrian Vice-Chancellor] Strache’s claims in the leaked video that Sebastian Kurz is gay and partakes in sex orgies, the chancellor refused to comment, adding that such matters are unimportant.”

Kurz is described as a “practicing Catholic.” He is living together with his girlfriend, without being married. Still, there have been rumors about Kurz’s alleged homosexuality for quite some time. “Heute” wrote on November 13, 2018, that a local branch of the opposition party, the SPÖ, suggested on Facebook that Kurz might be gay. Strache’s party, the FPÖ, has been strongly opposed to gay marriages, which Kurz has been supporting. Same-sex marriage in Austria has been legal since 1 January 2019, following a decision of the Constitutional Court on 4 December 2017. Austria’s interim chancellor, Brigitte Bierlein, has been the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court since 2003, and the sitting President since 2018. Note our new StandingWatch program: “Is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz gay… and Would it Matter?”

Abortion Essential to Be Successful in Business?

Breitbart wrote on June 10:

“The top executives of more than 180 companies have signed a letter that says abortion is essential in order for people to be successful in their businesses… ‘Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health, independence and economic stability of our employees and customers,’ they said, adding: ‘Simply put, it goes against our values and is bad for business. It impairs our ability to build diverse and inclusive workforce pipelines, recruit top talent across the states, and protect the well-being of all the people who keep our businesses thriving day in and out.’

“The letter appeared as a full-page ad in the New York Times Monday… The abortion lobby, led by Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the ACLU formed the coalition of business executives as more states are passing restrictions on abortion.”

This is just abominable.

Pope Changes Bible?—Not too Fast!

The Daily Mail wrote on June 6:

“Pope Francis has changed the Lord’s Prayer after criticising the English translation for implying that God – not Satan – leads people into temptation. Francis approved an alteration [of] the line ‘lead us not into temptation’ which now reads ‘do not let us fall into temptation’, which is closer to the French translation…

“Francis also approved changes to The Gloria from ‘Peace on earth to people of good will’ to ‘Peace on Earth to people beloved by God.’”

Actually, both “changes” convey more accurately, to an extent, the intended meaning of these verses.

Vatican Sets the Record Straight on Gender Theory

Reuters reported in June 10:

“The Vatican condemned gender theory on Monday as part of a ‘confused concept of freedom’, saying in a new document that the idea of gender being determined by personal feeling rather than biology was an attempt to ‘annihilate nature’. LGBT rights advocates denounced the 30-page document, called ‘Male and Female He Created Them’, as harmful and confusing, saying it would encourage hatred and bigotry.

“The document, the Vatican’s first on gender theory, was written by the Congregation for Catholic Education as an ‘instruction’ to Catholic educators on how to address the topic of gender theory in line with Church teaching…

“[The Vatican’s booklet] says gender theories are ‘often founded on nothing more than a confused concept of freedom in the realm of feelings and wants, or momentary desires provoked by emotional impulses and the will of the individual, as opposed to anything based on the truths of existence’… While the document is not signed by Pope Francis, it several times quotes from his speeches and teachings and those of previous popes…”

We agree with the Vatican on this issue and its evaluation of the matter. However, note the next article.

God Gender-Neutral?

Daily Mail Australia wrote on June 2:

“Catholic schoolgirls are being taught that God is gender-neutral and banned from using the words ‘Lord’, ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ in prayers… Top schools including All Hallows, Stuartholme, Loreto College and Stuartholme School are leading a push towards a feminist interpretation of the Christian Bible…

“’As we believe God is neither male or female, Stuartholme tries to use gender-neutral terms in prayers … so that our community deepens their understanding of who God is for them, how God reveals Godself through creation, our relationships with others and the person of Jesus,’ a spokeswoman told The Sunday Mail.

“Loreto College in Coorparoo has taken the word ‘Lord’ from their prayers as it is a ‘male term’… the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference did suggest schools use gender-neutral terms where appropriate…”

What a horrible blasphemous travesty!

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.

Mr. Trump Goes to Britain

ABC News wrote in June 2:

“President Donald Trump departs Sunday for a five-day trip to Europe, heading first to the United Kingdom for a three-day state visit before continuing on to Ireland, where he will meet with the prime minister and visit one of his Trump-branded properties and pay his respects at Normandy on the 75th anniversary of D-Day…

“While the UK’s internal politics couldn’t be more complicated on their own, the president has already shown in an interview to the British news outlet The Sun that he isn’t likely to keep his opinions to himself… The president criticized May’s handling of Brexit in the interview, telling the Sun that she should have ‘negotiated from strength’ by making more demands of the EU during the course of negotiations…

“Beyond the issue of Brexit, the president has also waded into the leadership contest for the next prime minister, expressing his favor for Boris Johnson, who is vying to be the next prime minister, calling him a ‘friend of mine’… The president has also offered praise for Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who actually campaigned alongside Trump during the 2016 campaign as the two drew parallels between Trump’s anti-establishment campaign and the UK’s Brexit vote…”

Express wrote on June 2:

“US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson revealed the Americans will be ‘ready to go’ with a trade deal with the UK as soon as Brexit is resolved, claiming preparations for an agreement have already been ‘lined up’… Mr Johnson argued the USA and the UK will have a ‘great relationship whatever happens’ with Brexit. The US official claimed Donald Trump’s office was already in talks with the UK trade department to secure a post-Brexit US-UK trade deal and deliver it in a speedy manner…

“It comes after Donald Trump called on Britain to leave the European Union without a deal if Brussels refuses to meet its demands, as he urged the Government to send Nigel Farage into the negotiations… In his second extraordinary intervention into British politics ahead of this week’s state visit, the US president suggested the UK should ‘walk away’ from talks and refuse to pay the £39 billion divorce bill if its requests are not met… Mr Trump added that if he was in charge, he would not pay the EU divorce bill, and he claimed it is not too late to ‘sue’ the EU to give Britain greater ‘ammunition’ in the talks.”

Marking the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

The Washington Post reported on June 5:

“British royalty and leaders from around the world gathered here Wednesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, honoring the men and women who participated in what is still the largest naval, air and land operation in history.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May were among the 16 world leaders who attended events throughout the day to mark the anniversary of the allied invasion of northern France.

“The commemorations began in the morning at an amphitheater, near the Portsmouth harbor, where Queen Elizabeth II wore a bright pink dress and sat next to Trump and Prince Charles, her son. Leaders from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Slovakia were in attendance.

“Addressing the crowd from her box, the queen said that when she attended events marking the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, some thought they would be her last. ‘But the wartime generation — my generation — is resilient, and I am delighted to be with you in Portsmouth today,’ she said.

“‘On behalf of the entire country — indeed the whole free world — that I say to you all, thank you,’ she said…

“Trump’s trip to Britain was many things, but it was not dull. He was treated to a good dollop of royal pomp, while tens of thousands of Londoners took to the streets to register their dislike for him…

“On Wednesday, Trump tweeted: ‘Could not have been treated more warmly in the United Kingdom by the Royal Family or the people. Our relationship has never been better, and I see a very big Trade Deal down the road.’”

In spite of controversy, the amazing connection between the US and the UK was on full display during this commemoration. However, circumstances will arise which are prophesied to break this bond in the near future!

Brigitte Bierlein New Austrian Interim Chancellor

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 30:

“President Van der Bellen has named Brigitte Bierlein interim chancellor to take over for the outgoing Sebastian Kurz… Bierlein will serve as chancellor until elections in September. Bierlein, a constitutional judge [and sitting president of the Austrian Constitutional Court], will become the first woman to lead the country.

“Bierlein will be tasked with assembling a parliamentary-backed Cabinet and overseeing a caretaker government until new elections are held…”

BBC added on May 30:

“From 2003, she served as Vice President of the Constitutional Court. She held the position until she took over the presidency in 2018, her candidacy backed by Mr Kurz’s right-wing coalition government.

“Politically, she is considered to be right-wing with socially conservative views. Her apparently close ties with Mr Kurz’s People’s Party and Mr Strache’s Freedom Party have been noted by Austrian media…”

Kurz Ahead in Polls

POLITICO wrote June 2:

“Sebastian Kurz may have just lost a vote of confidence, but new polls show he could ultimately end up Austria’s chancellor again.

“A survey conducted for Austria’s Krone newspaper showed Kurz’s center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) at 38 percent, compared to the 31.5 percent the party won in the October 2017 national election. The Social Democrats followed with 21 percent, compared to 26.9 percent in 2017.”

The emerging leadership in Austria and Germany points to dramatic changes ahead throughout the EU!

Chief of Merkel’s Junior Coalition Partner Resigns

The Guardian wrote on June 2:

“Andrea Nahles, the leader of Germany’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), has announced her resignation, raising concerns that Angela Merkel’s government might collapse. Nahles, who will step down from all her political roles including that as leader of the SPD parliamentary group, said her resignation was a consequence of the poorest ever performance from the SPD in its 156-year history last weekend, when it received just 15.8% of the vote at the European parliamentary elections, 11 points down on 2014…

“Nahles’s decision plunges both the party and the future of the 15-month-old so-called grand coalition with the Christian Democrats (CDU) under Merkel into doubt. The future of the coalition now depends on the decision as to who succeeds Nahles. Anyone more to the left of the party might consider collaboration with the CDU unworkable and could push for a departure from the coalition. While a minority government might be tolerated, it is more likely that such a decision would trigger new elections, and probably lead to the premature end of what Merkel has declared is her final chancellorship.

“The CDU was on Sunday sending out the message that it was in favour of keeping the grand coalition afloat. Many SPD members were sceptical about the party entering its third coalition in four terms with the CDU… Many are convinced the SPD’s close association with the CDU has increasingly damaged them at the polls…

“The co-chair of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Alice Weidel said the days of Merkel’s government were numbered (The formation of the grand coalition meant the AfD became the strongest opposition party in parliament).… The former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel said the party was racked with inner turmoil, with Nahles’s resignation a sign that it needed a ‘detoxification’.”

Russia and China Forge New Ties

CNBC reported on June 5:

Under this headline, “Putin and Xi hail ‘unprecedented’ ties as US relations sour,” CNBC added:

“Russia and China appear to be intent on strengthening their alliance and fostering deeper cooperation in the face of increased political and economic hostility from the U.S.

“The bid to strengthen bilateral ties continues this week as Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Russia Wednesday for the start of a three-day state visit and top-level talks with Putin.

“Welcoming Xi to the Kremlin on Wednesday, Putin said ties between Russia and China stood at ‘an unprecedented level.’ Xi echoed that sentiment by saying that the countries’ relations had withstood ‘trials and tribulations’ over the years and were now better than ever.

World powers are shifting and aligning—all directly pointing to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy!

German-US Relationships… Never Been Worse Since World War II

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has just been to Berlin. The composed diplomatic courtesy shows just how far Germany and the US have drifted apart… Pompeo has visited 40 countries since he took office. Yet he has never found time for Germany until now. There was a visit scheduled a few weeks ago. However, Pompeo canceled because he had to make a trip to Iraq at short notice. Such an affront to Germany — formally such a close ally — would have been unconscionable a few years ago.

“… the areas of conflict raised their head: Iran, Syria, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the German defense budget, relations with China. To search for a topic where there is no conflict would be to search in vain. Even worse is the impression that this estrangement has long been routine…

“The German chancellor made her true feelings towards the US government abundantly clear in a now-lauded speech that she gave at Harvard on Thursday. It was a passionate plea for multilateralism, for climate protection, for the triumph of facts over lies. Not once did Merkel mention US President Donald Trump by name, but the reference was evident in every sentence.

“… in reality, the respective governments are living on different planets.”

Pope Pleas for European Unity!

Reuters wrote on June 2:

“Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for Europe to stick together and revive the ideals of its founders on Sunday, saying ideologies and fear-mongering politicians were threatening its very existence as a bloc…

“He said Europe had to again ‘take up the mysticism’ of its founding fathers and overcome divisions and borders.

“‘Please let’s not let Europe be overcome by pessimism or by ideologies, because Europe is not being attacked by canons or bombs in this moment, but by ideologies – ideologies that are not European, that come either from outside or which stem from small groups in Europe,’ he said.

“Francis urged Europeans to remember how the continent was divided and belligerent in the years leading up to both world wars in the 20th century.

“‘Please, let’s not return to this. Let’s learn from history. Let’s not fall in the same hole.”

“Israeli Police Quell Temple Mount Riots After Jewish Visitors Enter for Jerusalem Day”

The Algemeiner wrote on June 2:

“Riots broke out on the Temple Mount on Sunday after the Israel Police permitted Jewish visitors to enter the site in honor of Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the reunification of the city in 1967… Police stated that they pushed the rioters back toward the al-Aqsa mosque, where they barricaded themselves. They were eventually dispersed successfully and several arrests were made.

“The Islamic Waqf, which manages the site, blasted the police and said, ‘the violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa by the occupation is an attack on the feelings of Muslims all over the world, not only in Palestine, we call on Muslims to come to the mosque and protect it from desecration.’… Jordan, which officially administers the site, also attacked Israel, with the Foreign Ministry issuing a statement saying, ‘We strongly condemn the continued Israeli violations against al-Aqsa.’”

Trump Not Happy about Israeli Politics

JTA wrote on June 3:

“‘Israel is all messed up with their election. I mean, that came out of the blue three days ago. So that’s all messed up. They ought to get their act together,’ [President Donald Trump] said. ‘Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous. So we’re not happy about that,’ he said, using Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nickname.

“Trump added that the new elections could harm the chances of success for his administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan…

“Hours after the fall of Israel’s government very early Thursday morning, Trump called Netanyahu ‘a great guy’ and said of the new elections scheduled for Sept. 17, ‘That is too bad. Because they don’t need this. I mean they’ve got enough turmoil over there, it’s a tough place.’”

The Algemeiner added on June 3:

“White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the Palestinians deserve ‘self-determination,’ but stopped short of backing Palestinian statehood and expressed uncertainty over their ability to govern themselves… The Palestinian leadership has refused to deal with the Trump administration since late 2017 when the president decided to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Hundreds of Earthquakes Hit Southern California

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 3:

“A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was felt in parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon, one in a series of quakes to hit the Riverside County area…

“It has been almost five years since California experienced its last earthquake of magnitude 6 or stronger. But scientists say the calm period will end, with warnings about seismic dangers ranging from the Big One on the San Andreas fault to catastrophes that could come from lesser-known faults, such as Hayward or Newport-Inglewood.

“Researchers also recently discovered that the state has experienced 10 times more earthquakes than previously known. They documented 1.8 million earthquakes in Southern California over the last decade, the vast majority so small that they had been undetectable to computing systems. Previously, only 180,000 earthquakes were on record for the last 10 years.”

A World Held Captive

The website of inverse wrote the following on June 2:

“I was born in the early 1970s. This means in my lifetime, the number of people on Earth has doubled, while the size of wild animal populations has been reduced by 60%… We have chopped down over half of the world’s rainforests, and by the middle of this century, there may not be much more than a quarter left. This has been accompanied by a massive loss in biodiversity, such that the biosphere may be entering one of the great mass extinction events in the history of life on Earth…

“To understand you are in a prison, you must first be able to see the bars. That this prison was created by humans over many generations doesn’t change the conclusion that we are currently tightly bound up within a system that could… lead to the impoverishment, and even death of billions of people.”

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.