NATO: No Help for Israel

WallStreet Online wrote on June 2:

“In light of growing tension in the Middle East due to Trump’s cancellation of the Iran deal, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg made clear that Israel could not rely on protection from NATO in case of an Iranian attack. ‘Israel is our partner, but not a member of NATO. The guarantee for protection of Article 5 does not apply to Israel,’ Stoltenberg said to Der Spiegel.”

The New Jerusalem Post added on June 2:

“In response to Stoltenberg’s announcement, Volker Beck – the German Green Party politician and former head of the German-Israel parliamentary group in the Bundestag – asked on Twitter: ‘That raises the question: What does this clarification mean for the security dialogue between NATO, EU, Germany and Israel?’”

Good question. NATO becomes more and more irrelevant for Israel and Europe, but would the EU intervene on behalf of Israel? View our new StandingWatch program, titled, “NATO: No Protection for Israel.”

Iran Vows Tenfold Response to Any Attack

The Times of Israel wrote on June 4:

“Iran’s top leader said Monday that anyone who fires one missile at his country ‘will be hit by 10’ in response… In a speech, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said he had ordered atomic authorities to increase the country’s nuclear enrichment capacity. The increase he detailed in his speech would not exceed limits set by the nuclear accord, which European countries have said they hope to salvage.

“In a series of tweets on Sunday, [he called] the Jewish state the ‘cancerous tumor’ of the region that must be ‘removed and eradicated.’”

According to some news outlets, Netanyahu responded to Iran’s announcement to increase nuclear enrichment activities that Israel was prepared to strike Iran. Further, news emerged this week that in 2011, Netanyahu had already ordered an attack on Iran within 15 days, but had later withdrawn the order.

Significant Differences between Germany and Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“Israeli PM Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Germany comes at a politically turbulent time. Israel expert Peter Lintl sums up the divide between Europe and Israel: ‘Europeans have a hard time understanding Israelis… There are indeed significant differences. Germany believes that the nuclear agreement with Iran was a step in the right direction. Israel, on the other hand, says that the agreement offers Iran the opportunity to develop a nuclear bomb…

“‘Germany has rejected any suggestion of relocating embassies to Jerusalem based on the historical background that Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 declaring it the unified capital…’”

Deutsche Welle added on June 4:

“[In their meeting in Berlin on Monday, the] Israeli and German leaders may have stressed commonalities, but on Iran’s nuclear potential they’re miles apart… The two close allies are on diametrically opposite sides of this particular issue… Israel opposes the deal… It wants to see Germany cease doing business with Tehran…

“Fielding questions from reporters, Merkel said that Germany and Israel shared the goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons but disagreed on the means to that end. Merkel said that before the UN-sponsored deal Iran had been close to developing such weapons and that the deal would guarantee ‘more transparency.’ Netanyahu countered that the deal would give Iran permission to develop ‘unlimited’ amounts of enriched uranium in the future in return for not enriching uranium now. He said that was unacceptable.

“Netanyahu… was keen to stress that ‘radical Islam’ was the greatest danger faced by the world today and said that Iran continued to call for Israel’s destruction. He also claimed that Tehran intended to start a ‘religious war’ within the Islamic world, which he warned would lead to further masses of refugees who would try to flee to Europe — a pointed reference to the issue that is widely regarded as Merkel’s Achilles heel…”

Even though the article states that Germany and Israel are “close allies,” this manifests itself as a misconception when digging deeper. And the relationship between Israel and Germany, as well as Europe, will further deteriorate.

EU, Mexico and Canada Retaliate Against Trump’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

Reuters reported on June 1:

“Canada, Mexico and the European Union retaliated against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum with levies on billions of dollars of U.S. goods from orange juice and whiskey to blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The EU took the United States to the World Trade Organization to challenge the legality of the new tariffs and the Trump administration’s national-security justification…

“President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Washington’s closest allies drew condemnation at home from Republican lawmakers and the country’s main business lobbying group and sent a chill through financial markets…

“Canada and Mexico, embroiled in talks with the United States to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), responded swiftly. Canada, the largest supplier of steel to the United States, will impose tariffs covering C$16.6 billion ($12.8 billion) on U.S. imports… ‘The American administration has made a decision today that we deplore, and obviously is going to lead to retaliatory measures, as it must,’ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said…

“For the EU, a decision on just how far to push back will require agreement among the 28 member states that make up the world’s biggest trade bloc. Germany, by far the biggest exporter to the United States, is keen to avoid a wider trade war, especially as the Trump administration has floated the prospect of tariffs on cars. Other countries such as France favor more forceful retaliation against what they see as American bullying. EU members have so far given broad support to a European Commission plan to set duties on 2.8 billion euros ($3.4 billion) of U.S. exports. EU exports subject to U.S. duties are worth 6.4 billion euros ($7.5 billion)…

“French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned Trump to tell him he believed the tariffs were both a mistake and illegal, his office said. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue warned in a letter to the body’s board that current trade policies could threaten economic progress and cause the loss of more than 2 million jobs, mostly in states that voted for Trump.”

The EU and Canada filed complaints with the WTO. But as Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1: “The European Commission is hopping mad, and it’s ready to fight back… [But] US President Donald Trump has already signaled his country would withdraw from the World Trade Organization, should it side with the EU in its ruling [which might take months to be rendered anyhow]. In other words, Europeans shouldn’t pin too much hope on the WTO.”

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in an interview that he finds it “insulting and unacceptable” that Canada would be described by President Trump as a threat to or a security risk for the USA. “FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has launched a furious attack on Donald Trump, warning his decision to impose trade tariffs on the EU is illegal and could lead to war” (Express, dated May 31).

“Trump Refuses to Back Down as EU and Canada Hit Back”

The Independent wrote on June 1:

“The decision by the Trump administration to finally impose the 25 per cent tariffs on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminum weeks after they were announced has sparked outrage among some of Washington’s staunchest allies with Theresa May saying: ‘The EU and UK should be permanently exempted from tariffs’ and she is ‘deeply disappointed at the unjustified decision by the US.’…

“Germany’s Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker, warned that the decision could start a trade war that no side would win… The European Union and China have already said they will deepen ties on trade and investment as a result of the move to impose steel and aluminum tariffs…”

USA Being Attacked by G7 Finance Leaders

Reuters reported on June 1:

“The United States’ closest allies attacked the Trump administration on Friday for imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and mounted challenges with the world’s top trade body, fouling the mood at a G7 finance leaders meeting…

“Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso… called the U.S. action ‘deeply deplorable.’… Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that the tariffs were ‘imposed under a false pretext of safeguarding U.S. national security.’…”

The media spoke about the G7 meeting as 6 vs. 1.

US Summit with North Korea Set Again for June 12

The Sun wrote on June 1:

“PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong-un is back on after he met with a North Korean envoy at the White House [on Friday]. It comes after a letter from Kim Jong-un was today passed onto the US President, which he described as ‘very nice’ and ‘very interesting’ [even though he said later in the same press conference that he had not read the letter]…

“Despite the upbeat message in the US, Kim Jong-un, in a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister on Thursday, complained about the US trying to spread its influence in the region…

“Kim Yong Chol [was] the most senior North Korean visitor to the United States since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok visited Washington in 2000 to meet President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. That was the last time the two sides, which are technically at war, attempted to arrange a leadership summit. It was an effort that ultimately failed…

“Kim Yong Chol, [former North Korean spy chief and currently the] vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party’s central committee, was allowed into the United States despite being on a US sanctions list. And North Korean officials are not normally allowed to travel outside the New York area.”

Further, according to President Trump, North Korea’s atrocious human rights violations were not raised during the meeting, either.

More Nonsense from Giuliani and Trump’s Legal Team: “Trump Can Probably Pardon Himself”

 ABC wrote on June 3:

“In an interview Sunday with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on ‘This Week,’ Rudy Giuliani discussed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of whether the president may have tried to obstruct justice in the probe of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. When Stephanopoulos asked if the president has the power to pardon himself, Giuliani said he ‘probably does.’ ‘He has no intention of pardoning himself,’ said Giuliani… But it is a ‘really interesting constitutional argument: “Can the president pardon himself?”’

“Giuliani added, ‘I think the political ramifications of that would be tough…’

“Giuliani’s comments come on the heels of the publication of a 20-page letter sent to Mueller from Trump’s legal team earlier this year… The letter, dated Jan. 29, argues that, as president, Trump cannot be indicted, cannot be subpoenaed and could not be guilty of obstruction of justice due to his position as ‘chief law enforcement officer’…”

The Washington Post added on June 3:

“… while arguing that the president has the theoretical ability to pardon himself, Giuliani and other Trump allies on Sunday nonetheless rejected the reality of such a brash move — in part because of the political backlash they said could lead to Trump’s impeachment…

“The reality, however, is more nebulous. The Republican Party… has so far failed to assert any clear red line over which Trump could walk that would prompt them to take action against their party’s leader. And Republican lawmakers have remained largely silent as Trump has repeatedly gone to war with his Justice Department and the FBI, intentionally and routinely degrading public trust in the institutions tasked with holding him accountable for misbehavior…

“The president and his allies have long privately played out the strategy that burst into public view this weekend. As early as last summer, for instance, as Mueller’s probe dragged on, the president began asking advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself. His lawyers at the time discussed his pardoning powers as well…”

The Huffington Post added on June 3:

“President Donald Trump’s lawyer says Trump could shoot the FBI director in the Oval Office and still not be prosecuted for it. ‘In no case can he be subpoenaed or indicted,’ Rudy Giuliani told HuffPost Sunday… Giuliani said impeachment was the initial remedy for a president’s illegal behavior ― even in the extreme hypothetical case of Trump having shot former FBI Director James Comey to end the Russia investigation rather than just firing him…”

CNN wrote on June 4:

“President Donald Trump asserted Monday that he has the right to pardon himself but suggested that he won’t use that power… ‘As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?…’ the President tweeted.”

IF the contentions of Giuliani’s and “numerous legal scholars” WERE even remotely correct, then we would have a totalitarian dictatorship in the USA unheard of and unparalleled in ANY democratic country.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

The Huffington Post wrote on June 2:

“Franklin Graham is on a crusade across California. But unlike his father [the late Billy Graham]… he’s looking for voters he can deliver to the Republican Party…

“Graham’s decision to focus on turning out evangelical voters in the Golden State… demonstrates how much today’s Religious Right has departed from its early history…

“… today’s Religious Right, led by [Franklin] Graham and other Trump supporters, takes a defensive position, angrily defending their sense of occupying a shrinking place in the nation as an oppressed minority. It’s that aggrieved identity that led evangelicals to abandon their formerly high character standards for politicians in order to embrace the thrice-married casino magnate Trump in the first place, a man who may not join them in the church pews on Sunday but promised to fight for them on America’s political battlefields… Graham has… distinguished himself from his father who, after an early flirtation, ultimately abandoned the political realm. Disgusted by his friend Richard Nixon’s vulgarity revealed in the White House tapes (plus embarrassed by how the recordings had also captured his own anti-Semitic statements), Billy Graham distanced himself from politics.

“In marked contrast, neither Trump’s own filthy language nor hateful rhetoric has diminished Franklin Graham’s support for the president. ‘I can’t think of anything mean he’s said,’ Graham told the Times in February. Even more tellingly, Graham has argued that Trump’s affair with the adult film actress Stormy Daniels was ‘nobody’s business.’ Such moral compromises for the sake of politics have long troubled some evangelical leaders, including Franklin’s father. Even in the heady days of the early Reagan years, Billy Graham refused to allow his evangelistic association to help the Religious Right…

“Manipulating religion in service of the Republican Party, and especially Trump, now appears to be exactly Franklin Graham’s project… white evangelicals’ support for Trump doesn’t expose their hypocrisy…”

True Christians are NOT to get involved in politics. And God most certainly requires a high moral standard of a leading politician. Please see our Q&A on this issue, asking and answering the question, “Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his ‘public’ job effectively?” We said: “The behavior of politicians really does matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behavior of their leaders.”

US Supreme Court Sides with Baker against Gay Couple

NBC News reported on June 4:

“The U.S. Supreme Court gave a boost to advocates of religious freedom on Monday, ruling that a Colorado baker cannot be forced to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, in a case that involved marriage equality and protection from discrimination.

“But the opinion was a narrow one, applying to the specific facts of this case only. It gave no hint as to how the court might decide future cases involving florists, bakers, photographers and other business owners who have cited religious and free-speech objections when refusing to serve gay and lesbian customers in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2015 same-sex marriage decision.”

Proud to Be Gay… Supported by Trump

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Ambassador Richard Grenell expressed nothing but praise for President Trump, Mike Pence, and John Bolton, during an interview with Breitbart London, describing what it is like to be the most prominent [and high-powered] openly gay diplomat in the history of the United States…  ‘I’m certainly proud of it…’ Grenell… thanked both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence…  ‘It’s never been an issue for President Trump. He communicated that very early’… Things were not the same before the coming of Trump, Grenell said, noting that he had been involved with the Republican Party since the re-election campaign of former President George H.W. Bush in 1992…

“In 2005, John Bolton spoke at the Log Cabin convention in San Diego as the U.S. ambassador to the UN…  He was for gay marriage. He was for gays serving in the military even back then, long before many of the Democrat politicians embraced it…

“President Trump has also been a supporter of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group which represents LGBT Republicans, recently issuing an official statement congratulating the group on its 40-year anniversary.”

We feel these statements, and many like them, speak for themselves.

US Ambassador to Germany Under Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“The German Foreign Ministry says it wants clarity about controversial comments made by the new US ambassador, Richard Grenell. In an interview with Breitbart News… he said he was excited by the rising wave of conservatism within Europe, adding that he saw his task as ‘empowering’ Europe’s right-wing governments and budding leaders…

“Adding fuel to the fire regarding Germany’s perceived lack of defense spending, Grenell said that Germany is losing credibility…”

The EUObserver wrote on June 6:

“US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, rejected on Sunday as ‘ridiculous’ claims that he ‘endorses’ conservatives in Europe… he tweeted: ‘I stand by my comments that we are experiencing an awakening from the silent majority – those who reject the elites & their bubble. Led by Trump’.”

Even though Breitbart might have quoted Grenell incorrectly, his denial sounds more like a confirmation.

Expelling Grenell from Germany?

AFP wrote on June 5:

“Leading German politicians on Tuesday called for the US ambassador to be expelled, after the staunch ally of Donald Trump was accused of meddling in domestic politics and aggravating already tense ties. Richard Grenell had taken up his diplomatic posting in Berlin on May 8, and immediately irked Germany when he tweeted on the same day that German companies should stop doing business with Iran as Trump quit the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.

“He stoked further outrage over the weekend with reported comments to far-right website Breitbart of his ambition to ‘empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders’. Grenell also raised eyebrows with his plan to host Austria’s arch-conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz — who the US envoy describes as a ‘rock star’, for lunch on June 13.

“‘What this man is doing is unheard of in international diplomacy,’ Martin Schulz, former chief of the Social Democratic Party and an ex-European Parliament president, told national news agency DPA. ‘If a German ambassador were to say in Washington that he is there to empower the Democrats, he would have been kicked out immediately. I hope that Kurz’s visit will lead Mr Grenell’s tenure as ambassador in Germany to be short,’ added Schulz, playing on the German word for short ‘kurz’. Schulz had earlier tweeted that the US envoy did not behave like a diplomat but like a ‘far-right colonial officer’.

“… the opposition far-left Linke party’s chief Sahra Wagenknecht said Grenell had disqualified himself as ambassador. ‘Someone like US ambassador Richard Grenell, who thinks he can lord over Europe and determine who is governing here, can no longer stay in Germany as a diplomat,’ Wagenknecht told Die Welt daily…

“Although Merkel herself belongs to the conservative camp, commentators said it was clear that Grenell was not seeking to bolster the chancellor’s party base, but rather its opponents from the far-right. ‘It is bad enough if that’s what he is thinking, let alone saying it,’ said the daily Berliner Zeitung…”

And so, all German parties, except for the AfD, have been condemning Grenell’s statements.

Germany’s AfD Causes Further Outrage

Note: The following article includes a strongly-worded quote from a German politician which might be offensive to some. In order to report correctly as to what was said exactly and the (in some cases exaggerated) reactions to it, we decided not to omit the quote.

AFP wrote on June 2:

“One of the leaders of Germany’s far-right AfD party sparked outrage Saturday by downplaying the crimes of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, saying they were ‘just a speck of bird shit in over 1,000 years of successful German history.’ The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the biggest opposition party in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, with more than 90 deputies…

“Gauland (77) has repeatedly attacked Islam, and argued that Germany should be proud of its veterans of two world wars. In 2016, he took aim at star footballer Jerome Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Ghanaian father. ‘People find him good as a footballer, but they don’t want to have a Boateng as a neighbour,’ Gauland said.

“The head of Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrat Union party quickly hit out at Gauland’s latest remarks on Saturday, saying that the AfD was revealing its true face. ‘50 million war victims, the Holocaust and the total war are nothing more than “bird shit” for the AfD,’ she tweeted…

“Set up in 2013 as an anti-euro party, the AfD recorded a surge in support after it began capitalising on unease in Germany over the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers since 2015.”

Die Welt commented: “Gauland means exactly what he says. And that makes it so dangerous.”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on June 4: “Alexander Gauland, co-leader of the AfD party, said he never meant to “trivialize or deride the victims” of Nazi rule, and that he chose the word Vogelschiss or ‘bird poop’ out of contempt for Nazis.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 4:

“Moderates in the Alternative for Germany have rejected Alexander Gauland’s trivializing characterization of the Third Reich. But hardliners blame the media and say the party chairman’s words were taken out of context… most AfD members defended Gauland, claiming that he had merely misspoken… One of those who is defending Gauland is the AfD’s leader in the state of Thuringia, Björn Höcke. He accused the media of distorting Gauland’s words. ‘Alexander Gauland has once again been quoted out of context by journalists… Before the quote in question, Alexander Gauland spent four or five sentences explaining in detail how he as an AfD member and as AfD chairman accepted Germany’s historical responsibility for the Nazi era.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 6:

“The co-chairman of Germany’s far-right AfD could face legal action for appearing to trivialize the Nazi era. A complaint has been filed with a public prosecutor, accusing Alexander Gauland of inciting hatred… [and describing] Gauland’s remarks as ‘scandalous’ and an ‘intolerable mockery of the victims of the Holocaust.’ Gülegen went on to accuse Gauland of seeking to ‘deliberately downplay’ the crimes committed during the Nazi era.”

In all fairness, it is hard to understand why Gauland’s comments received the kind of condemnation which they did, given the fact that he clearly condemned and distanced himself from Nazism. The terms he used (however one wants to translate them into English) do not in any way support or even belittle the atrocities by Nazi Germany. But such overreaction is typical for German politicians and the mainstream media.

The Future of Europe according to Merkel

Politico wrote on June 3:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday she supports the idea of a joint European defense force… Merkel’s French counterpart Emmanuel Macron has been pushing for the creation of a combined EU military force that could be deployed to trouble spots around the world…

“Merkel also called for the creation of an EU-wide asylum agency ‘that processes all asylum claims at the external borders, based on unified EU asylum law.’…

“Asked about her goals for the EU in the next five to ten years, Merkel said: ‘My goal is that the world knows: In foreign policy, Europe speaks with one voice.’”

Express added on June 3:

“ANGELA Merkel has backed key planks of Emmanuel Macron’s vision for an ever-closer European Union for the first time, including a joint EU army…”

The Telegraph added on June 3:

“The structural integration of the European Union’s armed forces has been a long-standing strategic ambition of the EU, with the latest initiative being based on the 2009 Lisbon Treaty… The United Kingdom, Europe’s pre-eminent military power, blocked this, fearing the creation of a Europe-wide army. However, [after] Brexit [the UK has] no say in the matter and the EU has pushed ahead with plans.

“A resurgent Russia and the election of Donald Trump, on a platform attacking Nato, may have lent a sense of urgency to the process. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) was initiated in 2017… The UK is exempted, Denmark and Malta have opted out. All 25 other European Union members are committed. Initial plans envisaged countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland creating permanent military structures to act on behalf of the EU and for the deployment of the EU’s battle groups and 18 national battalions. It could also comprise an EU military planning and operations headquarters in Brussels that would parallel Nato.”

So, it should be clear that a European army IS coming very soon.

Time to Fight

Martin Schulz, former European Parliament president, wrote in Der Spiegel Online on June 5:

“It is time to fight…. We are in the middle of a global fight between systems… It is a matter of survival of a free democracy… With Donald Trump, we have a president who scoffs at Western values… In our immediate neighboring countries, the enemies of the free world grow… they all propagate the spirit of Trumpism… All these phenomena have also reached our own country…

“Those who want to destroy the EU attack a model which has guaranteed freedom and democracy for more than seven decades… We have to fight stronger and more passionately than ever before for this Europe… We have to make sure that Germany will take the leading role in the strengthening of Europe…”

Austria for Lifting of Russian Sanctions because of Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 3:

“[Heinz-Christian Strache, the] leader of Austria’s Freedom Party says he wants to end EU sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the Ukraine crisis. [He] says the measures have damaged the Austrian economy. ‘It is high time to put an end to these exasperating sanctions and normalize political and economic relations with Russia,’ he said. The EU sanctions against Russia were imposed in an effort to return Crimea to Ukraine and end an ongoing conflict in the east of Ukraine.

“The remarks by Strache, leader of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), come amid a European diplomatic push to resolve the situation in Ukraine. The vice chancellor is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vienna during the week…

“Strache, whose pro-Moscow Freedom Party (FPÖ) is junior partner to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conservatives, has previously spoken out against the sanctions and warned against pushing Russia into the arms of China. Austria’s coalition government says it wants to act as a bridge between east and west, while Kurz has stressed its pro-EU stance is secure.

“Top-ranking FPÖ party members went to Moscow in 2016 to sign a five-year cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party. According to press reports, one of the points described the ‘raising of younger generations in the spirit of patriotism and work enjoyment.’ Sergei Zheleznyak, deputy speaker of Russia’s lower house — who signed the agreement and who is on the EU sanctions list — praised the party for opposing the EU sanctions. “Austria will take over the EU’s rotating presidency for six months in July.”

In addition to Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has the reputation of a hardliner as well. He is very popular in Germany. The German magazine Focus published an article WARNING against the grave dangers stemming from Kurz’s politics.  

Italy’s New Government… For Now!

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“Giuseppe Conte… was sworn in as Italy’s 58th prime minister on Friday, ending weeks of political turmoil that rocked financial markets and prompted concerns from the country’s European Union partners. Italy has been without a government since elections on March 4 failed to produce a clear winner. The far-right Lega (League)… and the anti-establishment, populist Five Star Movement (M5S), despite being diametrically opposed on some issues, have been trying to cobble together a government…

“President Sergio Mattarella… initially refused to approve Conte’s government last weekend. He rejected the inclusion of the ardently anti-euro Paolo Savona as economy minister. With Savona replaced by Giovanni Tria, an economics professor who has never advocated leaving the eurozone, Mattarella finally gave his approval on Thursday…”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote on June 1:

“It would be a miracle if the new prime minister… turned out to be anything more than a puppet controlled by the two party leaders. After all, this unknown law professor has no ties to either M5S or The League… Conte is destined to become a weak figure, a head of government who must call The League and M5S headquarters before making promises to foreign counterparts like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“And that goes for the whole cabinet, which also consists of novices — few have ever done more than work at city hall… But inexperience can be problematic…”

Daily Mail added on June 1:

“Italy swears in its new PM at the head of anti-EU populist government that is set to launch an immigrant crackdown, cut taxes but STAY in the Euro.”

Spain’s New Government… for Now!

The Guardian wrote on June 1:

“Mariano Rajoy, once viewed as the great survivor of Spanish politics, has been ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence after several former members of his party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved a scandal too far. He will be replaced by Pedro Sánchez, the leader of Spain’s opposition socialist PSOE party…

“It cements a remarkable comeback for Sánchez, who regained his leadership a year ago after a PSOE coup saw him deposed over his steadfast refusal to let Rajoy back into office following two inconclusive general elections…

“Rajoy, who served as premier for seven years, had managed to weather a string of corruption scandals within his People’s party (PP) but was unable to withstand political anger after Spain’s highest criminal court found the party had benefited from an enormous and illegal kickbacks-for-contracts scheme, known as the Gürtel case. The 63-year-old’s fate was sealed on Thursday afternoon when the Basque Nationalist party (PNV) joined the anti-austerity Podemos party and the two biggest Catalan pro-independence parties in backing the PSOE motion.

“Sánchez, 46, has promised to call elections but has said his minority government will spend a few months focusing on social and educational reforms before taking Spain to the polls. His time in office is unlikely to yield profound changes and he will have to heed the demands of the parties who backed his motion… [He] also held out his hand to the Catalan independence parties, saying he was willing to engage in dialogue over the long-running territorial and political crisis.

“The leader of the centre-right Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, who had not voted to remove Rajoy, said his party would be ‘very attentive to the concessions’ made to Basque and Catalan nationalists. He also called for early elections…”

“Re-Elected” Egyptian President Sworn In

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 2:

“Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (63) was sworn in for a second term on Saturday, little more than two months after winning an election that critics have widely regarded as a sham… El-Sissi was re-elected to a four-year term after winning 97 percent of the vote with voter turnout at 41 percent in a March election that featured no serious opposition… The top challenger was arrested and his campaign manager beaten up. Other legitimate contenders soon withdrew from the race, citing intimidation.

“El-Sissi, a former intelligence chief and defense minister, led the military coup in 2013 of Egypt’s first freely elected president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi, amid widespread protests against his divisive rule. Under el-Sissi, security forces have waged a widespread crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of Islamists as well as secular activists.

“Unauthorized protests have been outlawed and hundreds of websites, including those of independent media and human rights groups, have been blocked.”

This sounds like a Hitler-type dictatorship, as we know it from Turkey as well.

Canada’s Supreme Court: Courts Cannot Second-Guess Church Decisions

LifeSiteNews wrote on June 1:

“Canada’s top court has affirmed the right of religious groups to govern their own affairs. It ruled yesterday that an Alberta court had no jurisdiction to review a decision by a Jehovah’s Witness congregation to expel a member for alleged drunkenness and domestic verbal abuse… all nine Supreme Court justices agreed the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench had no authority to rule on [a] civil action against Jehovah’s Witness brought by [a] former member [who] had argued that his expulsion from the church affected his property and civil rights.

“Courts have neither the ‘legitimacy nor institutional capacity to deal with contentious matters of religious doctrine,’ wrote Justice Malcolm Rowe. ‘In the end, religious groups are free to determine their own membership and rules,’ Rowe concluded…”

This has also been the law in the USA for many years, even though lower courts might try time and again to ignore or circumvent it.

 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 Summit with North Korea—Off and On?

ABC News wrote on May 29:

“President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday that a high level North Korean official [Kim Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea] is heading to the U.S. for meetings [including with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] surrounding a potential revival of the June 12 Singapore summit with leader Kim Jong Un. The announcement comes a day after the White House described the summit as ‘expected’ in a readout of a call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe… The White House said Tuesday that Trump will meet with Abe on June 7 at the White House.”

Breitbart wrote on May 29: “The White House also confirmed that National Security Adviser John Bolton continues to speak frequently with South Korean and Japanese officials about the proposed summit.”

It is very likely that North and South Korea will unite in the future, and that a united Korea will become part of a Far Eastern anti-European coalition, including countries such as China, Russia and Japan.

Tariff on $50 Billion Worth of Chinese Goods

The Week wrote on May 29:

“The White House confirmed Tuesday that it will be going forward with the implementation of heavy tariffs on Chinese imports next month following weeks of concern that doing so might spark a trade war. Some $50 billion in imported goods will be subject to the 25 percent tariff, with a finalized list of goods expected by June 15.

“The U.S. also plans to restrict China’s access to American technology, with the administration citing national security concerns. Trade negotiations between the nations are ongoing…”

This will make China very unhappy, and anti-American sentiments will rise.

Trade War Coming? US to Impose Steel, Aluminum Tariffs on EU, Canada, Mexico

 AFP wrote on May 31:

“The United States said Thursday it will impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports [25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum] from the European Union, Canada, Mexico at midnight—another move sure to anger Washington’s trading partners. [Commerce Secretary Wilbur] Ross said talks with the EU had failed…

“French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has warned before the announcement that the EU would take ‘all necessary measures’ if the US imposed the tariffs… German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would respond in a ‘firm and united’ manner to the tariffs.”

Chancellor Merkel also said: ‘We consider this unilateral measure to be unlawful.” The EU has threatened to retaliate by imposing tariffs worth up to $3.3 billion on Harley-Davidson motorbikes, blue jeans, bourbon whiskey, orange juice and peanut butter. President Trump announced that he would “respond” to the EU if that was to happen.

The Associated Press wrote on May 31:

“Besides the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, the Trump administration is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of national security…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“Mexico was the first country hit by the tariffs to announce its response. The country’s Economy Ministry said that it would put penalties on US products including steel sheets, lamps, pork leg and shoulder, sausages, apples, grapes and different types of cheese…

“In a joint statement, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Japanese Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko said the tariffs would ‘cause serious turmoil in the global market and could lead to the demise of the multilateral trading system.’

“On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech at the OECD on the matter, where he warned about the consequences of a trade war…

“The imposition of tariffs comes at a time of high tension between Europe and the US…”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 31:

“President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union marks a new low in deteriorating trans-Atlantic relations… it offers another sign that the U.S. administration has broken with decades of American policy by playing down European ties.

“The tariffs are particularly painful for European leaders because the U.S. and EU together built the World Trade Organization three decades ago to promote and regulate free trade… the U.S. and EU had operated as peers on trade. Now the two camps could be headed for a trade war with unpredictable consequences, European officials warned…

“Trans-Atlantic relations are worsening as the EU faces financial pressure from political chaos in Italy, which has prompted fears of a renewed euro crisis…”

Ars Technica wrote on May 31:

“US President Donald Trump wants to escalate his trade war to include a total ban on German luxury cars, says a report in WirtschaftsWoche. According to the German publication, which says its report results from talking to several unnamed US and European diplomats, during French President Macron’s recent visit to Washington, Trump told him that he would ‘maintain his trade policy until no Mercedes models rolled on Fifth Avenue in New York.’

“WirtschaftsWoche’s article points out that just prior to his inauguration in 2017, Trump railed against the Mercedes-Benz vehicles he saw in New York.

“The US market is extremely important for luxury German automakers, and a ban on importing new vehicles would be devastating for brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz…”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trade War Coming? US Imposes Tariffs on Europe.”

The Far Right vs. the Far Left in Berlin, Germany

The Associated Press wrote on May 27:

“Supporters of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party marched through central Berlin to protest against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government Sunday, and were kept away from a raft of counter-demonstrations by a heavy police presence.

“Police said over 5,000 people turned out for the demonstration organized by the anti-migration Alternative for Germany, known by its German acronym AfD. A variety of counter-protests against the far right attracted well over 25,000 people in total, they said.

“The AfD event opened with German flags, placards such as ‘No Islam in Germany’ and chants of ‘Merkel must go’ outside Berlin’s central train station. The party’s supporters then marched to the landmark Brandenburg Gate. Opponents chanted ‘Nazis out’ from the other side of the monument… About 2,000 police officers were in place to prevent trouble, including reinforcements from other parts of Germany. The march concluded without significant trouble.

“AfD won 12.6 percent of the vote to enter Germany’s national parliament last year on anti-migrant and anti-establishment sentiment. It is now the largest of four opposition parties after the country’s two biggest parties finally agreed to continue a centrist ‘grand coalition’ under Merkel earlier this year.”

Even though the demonstrations were more or less peaceful at this time, they remind us of the violent demonstrations and counter-demonstrations of the right and the left before Hitler rose to power in Germany.

More Chaos in Italy

The New York Times wrote on May 29:

“Italy’s quiet, white-haired president, Sergio Mattarella, emerged as the most contentious figure in Italian and European politics. His refusal to confirm a euroskeptic economist as a government minister set off the collapse of a populist coalition hours before it was expected to take control of the European Union’s fourth largest economy.

“Mr. Mattarella’s defenders hailed him as the courageous protector of Italy’s democracy, institutions and financial health, while fuming populists sought to make the usually revered figure of the Italian head of state the country’s public enemy No. 1. They called for his impeachment…

“It was Mr. Mattarella’s loyalty to the euro that prompted the 11th-hour collapse of the nascent government of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the anti-immigrant League. He determined that the alliance’s proposed economy minister, Paolo Savona, the co-author of a guide to leaving the eurozone, could lead Italy to abandon the euro without sufficient public debate, being that the parties maintained vague and shifting positions on the issue during the campaign leading up to the March 4 elections.

“But in deliberately forcing a new election over the euro, which a majority of Italians say they support, the usually careful and measured Mr. Mattarella expressly put an explosive issue with the potential of transforming Europe front and center…

“Mr. Berlusconi, the former prime minister… also gave his support to Mr. Mattarella, saying the Five Star Movement was ‘irresponsible as always, talking about impeachment.’”

Coalition Agreement Reached?

The Telegraph wrote on May 31:

“Italy’s populist parties finally reached a deal to form a coalition government on Thursday evening after nearly three months of political deadlock… After days of intensive negotiations, the anti-immigrant, hard-Right League party and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement ironed out their differences.

“The prospect of Western Europe’s first populist, Eurosceptic government will unnerve Brussels and could lead to further turmoil on financial markets, not just in Europe but around the world. Both parties are deeply Eurosceptic and have flirted with the idea of ditching the euro as Italy’s currency, although in the 24 hours before the breakthrough they had been at pains to deny that that was one of their objectives…”

No matter what will happen next, Italy will not abandon the euro or leave the EU.

It’s All Germany’s Fault

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 28:

“Italy’s populists, angry at being thwarted in their attempt to form a government, have been quick to assign the blame: It’s all the Germans’ fault. After President Sergio Mattarella vetoed their choice for finance minister and put the country on the path to new elections, the populist parties seemed certain to make Germany’s dominance in Europe a campaign issue…

“The caricature of the ugly German matched that of the lazy Italian, which ran through the German media in the past few days as the populists were on the verge of taking power with a plan to provide fiscal stimulus to Italy’s ailing economy. Newsweekly Der Spiegel ran a story titled ‘The moochers of Rome,’ casting Germany as the generous provider of funds to an ungrateful nation of deadbeats…

“Even a normally moderate commentator, Federico Fubini at Corriere della Sera, lit out against the Germans. ‘And this Germany, in the way it thrashes through Europe, is once again the de facto best ally and the greatest gift for the anti-Europeans of Italy.’ He proceeds to catalog once again Germany’s own infractions of EU rules, from its excessive current account surplus to its government aid for banks…

“Markets at first breathed a sigh of relief when the president rejected Mr. Savona. But the naming of Mr. Cottarelli, virtually a provocation in the current political environment, brought new agitation. The euro fell to a six-month low…

“Italy is in a political quandary with little hope of a quick resolution. In Brussels, too, the initial relief at dodging the bullet of a Euro-skeptic finance minister quickly gave way to concern that Mr. Mattarella’s move had fueled anti-European feeling in Italy. The perception is that pressure from Germany and France motivated the president’s rejection of Mr. Savona. But there is little evidence to back this claim…

“The growing worry in Brussels, as in Berlin, is that Italian voters would increase their support for the populist parties out of protest against perceived foreign interference.”

A comparison with the events in Germany and Italy under Hitler and Mussolini is compelling. Then, as now, Germany was the dominant force within the alliance.

Austria Wants to Fight Illegal Immigrants in Their Home Countries

The Associated Press reported on May 27:

“Austria’s chancellor says European border guards should be allowed to go to north Africa to prevent migrants from setting off across the Mediterranean Sea in rickety boats. Austria will take over the European Union’s rotating presidency in July. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s governing coalition took office in December after a campaign in which both partners talked tough on migration.

“Kurz told Sunday’s edition of German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that a new mandate for EU border protection agency Frontex should allow it ‘to act in third countries, with the permission of their governments, to end smugglers’ dirty business model and prevent smugglers’ boats setting off on the dangerous route across the Mediterranean.”

Austria Discriminates against Non-German Speaking Foreigners

The EUObserver wrote on May 29:

“Austria’s conservative led government announced on Monday plans to cap minimum welfare payments for non-German speaking immigrants, including refugees, at €563 a month, but with the perspective of reaching the Austrian normal level of €863, provided they passed a German test. The test itself costs €1,000.

“The move brings Austria into conflict with European Union rules requiring EU citizens to be treated equally.”

The controversial measures of Austria’s young chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, find more and more supporters inside and outside Austria.

Europe to Lead without the USA

The website of thecorner published the following interesting article on May 25, 2018.

The article was written by Israel Rafalovich, a “journalist based in Brussels who has over 50 years of experience in Tel Aviv, Brussels, Bonn and Washington, DC.”:

“Things have changed on the international political stage, and the European in particular, which gives the European Union an unprecedented opportunity to mould and shape its own military and foreign policy in a way that makes it possible for the EU to deal with crisis on the European continent and elsewhere without American interference. A key lesson is that the EU has to be the one to call the shots in matters of security, foreign policy as well as the economy…

“NATO is a relic of the past and no new ‘strategic concept’ can revive the irrelevance of NATO…  Today, more then ever before, the European Union must take responsibility for its security interests in a way that will result in defence integration and reinforce defence cooperation amongst EU member states.

“Is should be the EU’s assertion of sovereignty that its security is better assured by a dominating European Union and it should seek to become a serious counterpart for the United States.

“The unity among EU member states is a fundamental condition for the EU Security System to be successful… Mistrust of the United States runs deep in EU quarters and the European Union has to decide to what extent and what forum, if at all, the United States should remain politically and militarily engaged…

“EU member states should be working more forcefully for the creation of the new sovereign EU army under combined EU command and control, that will be a capable and powerful military force… They will also have to be ready to contribute to a EU military coalition in time of need according to their capabilities, and they will need to find ways to share resources or buy equipment together…

“If the ability to project force is now a sign of an independent EU foreign and security policy, then the EU has at last to get bolder and more resolute in its action. It is also an opportunity for the EU as well as a challenge to be able to walk alone on the international stage without American crutches. The EU is needed on the international stage and should play a decisive role in calming conflicts, and should become a counter balance to the United States on the world stage.”

The author expresses what many leaders in Europe think without perhaps expressing it in such drastic terms. But the Bible prophesies that this is exactly what is going to happen in Europe very soon.

EU Institutions Support Anti-Israeli Terrorists

Newsmax wrote on May 27:

“European Union institutions have given millions of euros annually to non-governmental organizations with ties to Palestinian terrorist groups and that support boycotts of Israel, according to Gilad Erdan, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs and public diplomacy.

“Examples include Norwegian People’s Aid, which received 1.76 million euros in EU aid in 2016, Erdan said in a 40-page report issued Friday. The group carried out a project with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is classified as a terrorist group by the EU and U.S. The Norwegian group also provided services to Iran’s energy sector, Erdan said. It was fined $2 million in April by the U.S. Department of Justice because of the links…

“More than a dozen organizations that promote anti-Israel boycotts have together received 5 million euros annually from the EU, the report says.”

Even though the EU gives lip service objecting to such support, and the accused organizations try to explain away their conduct, the facts speak for themselves, and they are very disturbing.

The European Data Protection Law—an Unprecedented Nightmare

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 25, 2018:

“After thousands of amendments, the European project has finally become a law. And, wow, what a law: The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Yet instead of clarity, the four letters create a lot of question marks. Companies have been complaining that their IT departments have been clogged up for months in preparation for the new rules. Freelancers are considering closing semi-private blogs. And even wedding photographers wonder who they can still photograph without having to fear cease-and-desist letters.

“A hopeless mess with plenty to share the blame… we have a law where it’s unclear whether users need permission to store information from other people’s business cards in their mobile phones… How is a freight forwarder behaving when he stores travel times and movement data about his own vehicles on his computer – is he violating his employees’ privacy? What are accountants, who’ve always informed their clients about current developments via e-mail, now allowed to do? Even law firms are unclear about the law. And doctor’s offices: Will they also need a data protection officer because they deal with sensitive data? Unclear.

“The GDPR… will… become a huge burden for the small ones: for companies with a few dozen employees, a server in the basement, but without a compliance department. A Bitkom survey shows that only 9 percent of startups have successfully implemented the GDPR due to a lack of resources… The law is too bureaucratic and does not answer the important questions ahead…

“… even internet firms in America, Asia and elsewhere have to abide by the new rules if they have European customers, or risk huge fines… the lawmakers overshot disastrously…  this week they hit hundreds of thousands of small family firms. These are businesses with only a few employees that need to keep and manage some data about their customers…

“So here we are, like you, feeling confused and overwhelmed. We have given up reading the new privacy notices…”

This is a horrible indictment of harmful and incompetent conduct by European bureaucrats.

“No Need to Be Concerned…?”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“The new EU data protection law taking effect May 25 has many small companies worried. But EU Commissioner Vera Jourova stresses that there is no need to panic – authorities will focus on watching the digital giants…

“‘If a company does not process data as its core business, if they do not sell the data and make money with the privacy of people, they will just have to make minimal changes. The data protection authorities will focus mostly on the most risky businesses… We have the law in place. We have the authorities with the power to sanction violations and we have companies and institutions which are aware of these rules…’”

On the surface, such “assurance” sounds good and comforting for smaller businesses (even though the statement that the EU will focus MOSTLY on digital giants and risky businesses should give pause for alarm), but the truth is altogether different anyhow. Note the next article.

A new EU Body Created Just to enforce the Data Protection Law

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“The European Data Protection Board is a new EU body tasked with enforcing the EU’s privacy laws with powers to impose massive fines. Its head Andrea Jelinek told reporters complaints against companies are expected to be immediate…

“Andrea Jelinek, a former Austrian police chief, will be in charge of coordinating enforcement of the EU’s general data protection rules as of Friday (25 May) – in a move that has rattled companies worldwide. Jelinek chairs a new EU body known as the European data protection board or EDPB which coordinates all the national data protection authorities in a bid to ensure European rights to privacy are uniformly respected throughout member states…”

This gives us a foretaste as to how it will be when the mark of the beast is enforced on all citizens of Europe… and elsewhere.

Ireland To Legalize Abortions

The Guardian wrote on May 26:

“Ireland has voted by a landslide to legalise abortion in a stunning outcome that marks a dramatic defeat for the Catholic church’s one-time domination of the Republic. The Irish electorate voted by 1,429,981 votes to 723,632 in favour of abolishing a controversial constitutional amendment that gave equal legal status to the lives of a foetus and the woman carrying it. The result was a two-thirds majority: 66.4% yes to 33.6% no.

“By voting yes in unexpectedly large numbers to abolish the eighth amendment to the Irish constitution, the country has enabled the government in Dublin to introduce abortion in Ireland’s health service up to 12 weeks into pregnancy… The eighth amendment – article 40.3.3 of the Irish constitution – which prohibited abortion, will be replaced with a clause stating: ‘Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.’

“… The prime minister, Leo Varadkar, said he wanted the new law to be enacted by the end of the year. Between 12 and 24 weeks, abortion will be available only in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, a risk to a woman’s life or a risk of serious harm to the health of the mother. After 24 weeks, termination will be possible in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. There will be provision for conscientious objection among medical practitioners, although doctors will be obliged to transfer care of the pregnant woman to another doctor…

“Victory for the yes side means that the only part of the United Kingdom and Ireland where abortion remains banned in almost all circumstances is Northern Ireland…”

Human life begins with conception. Abortion violates God’s sixth commandment against murder.

“Will Christianity Be Ditched When Prince Charles Becomes King?”

CBN News wrote on May 24:

“A new report from a leading UK think tank argues that Christianity should be reduced or purged from Prince Charles’ future Coronation Ceremony. Prince Charles is next in line to the throne and will be the first king in decades after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Before that happens, University College London’s Constitution Unit, says the coronation ceremony should cut back on its overtly Christian rituals for the sake of progress. ‘The UK is no longer a global or a colonial power. Celebration will therefore need to reflect what the UK has become rather than what it once was,’ the report said. ‘… a wholly Anglican coronation service is no longer capable of reflecting or responding to modern British society.’

“The ceremony is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who anoints the Monarch with oil, administers communion, and leads them in pledging their obedience to God in a series of Oaths. In the Oaths the monarch affirms he or she is a ‘faithful Protestant,’ and will preserve the church. The Constitution Unit says this needs to change, noting that half of the UK’s population has ‘no religious affiliation.’ The report suggests that a separate non-Christian ceremony could take place at Westminster Hall to honor Britain’s religious diversity…

“It is yet to be seen how Prince Charles’ coronation ceremony will proceed, especially since it is the first one the country will see in more than 50 years. While Prince Charles has been quiet about his own personal relationship with God, he has been a strong advocate of the persecuted Church.”

Even though the current Coronation Ceremony does not reflect TRUE Christianity, it is still remarkable that voices propose to abandon any reference to Christianity because of Britain’s modern unchristian society.

The Pope’s Contradictory Messages on Homosexuality

Christianity Today wrote on May 25:

“Pope Francis has warned Italian bishops to be wary of priesthood applicants suspected of having homosexual tendencies… ‘Keep an eye on the admissions to seminaries, keep your eyes open,’ the pope said, according to the Vatican Insider service of Italian newspaper La Stampa. ‘If in doubt, better not let them enter.’

“The remarks were reportedly made at a closed-door gathering at the Vatican on Monday, opening the 71st general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference. The pontiff reportedly called for ‘careful discernment’ of seminary applicants, including caution about those with ‘deep seated tendencies’ or who ‘practise homosexual acts’. These tendencies could lead to scandal, compromising both the priest and the Church, he said.

“The pope’s reported comments were confirmed by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia-Citta della Pieve, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, in a press conference yesterday… They appear to affirm the traditional Catholic teaching that practising homosexuals should not be admitted to the priesthood.

“The remarks will be seen by some as an attempt by Pope Francis to appease conservatives agitated by widely publicised comments the pope has been reported as saying, such as when he told a gay Chilean man who had suffered clerical sex abuse that God loved him the way he had made him…

“In now-famous remarks on his first overseas trip in 2013… Pope Francis said: ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?’ In 2016 he said that ‘when a person arrives before Jesus, Jesus certainly will not say: “Go away because you are homosexual.”‘

Pope Francis is always good for surprises, and one never knows what his position is on any given subject—or how long it will be maintained. His prior comments on homosexuality were controversial for sure, in light of the Catholic Church’s official teaching, but now it seems that he is backpedaling to appease the strong conservative fold in the Vatican. One wonders what his TRUE position is on the issue.

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.

Merkel and Putin Meet

Deutsche Welle reported on May 18:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the Iran nuclear deal was better than none at all in a press conference with Vladimir Putin on Friday…

“Both leaders said the Minsk accord was the ‘only basis’ to achieve peace in eastern Ukraine, and that work should continue in the so-called ‘Normandy’ format — involving Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. Merkel noted a ‘major breach’ in the ceasefire in the region overnight…

“Merkel stressed Ukraine should remain a gas transit country even after the Nord Stream 2 pipeline opens, said Germany was ‘ready to play its role.’ Putin said that Russian gas may still flow to Ukraine…

“Putin found warm words on Donald Trump, saying ‘I understand the US president, he protects his business interests. He wants to push his product to the European market.’ According to Putin, ‘Donald is not just the US president; he is also a strong, good entrepreneur’…

“Germany and Russia’s agreement on the importance of the Iran nuclear deal is a rare moment of concurrence between the two countries. Relations have been marred by differences over Moscow’s support for Syria’s President Bashar Assad, its annexation of Crimea and its role in the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine, among other things.”

German-Russian Relationship?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 17:

“… anyone who is pinning their hopes on relations with Russia… by making unilateral concessions on economic sanctions or other shifty compromises is gravely mistaken… such an appeasement policy would only be interpreted as weakness by Moscow… there are many who still don’t seem to have understood that Putin needs the confrontation with the West in order to secure his power within Russia because it distracts the Russian people from the economic stagnation and social problems in the country.

“It is simply naive to believe that any agreement can be reached with Putin on Ukraine. Or that it will be possible to negotiate a new European framework for peace with him. He has already undermined such a framework with his aggressive foreign policy towards Ukraine, through attempts to influence Western elections, and through cyberattacks against German institutions.

“At such times, it is doubtful whether Putin’s Russia, but not necessarily Russia in general, is the right partner for any further expansion of German-Russian energy relations… As long as the Kremlin adheres to its aggressive Ukrainian policy — and it will, because it is Putin’s way of consolidating domestic power – the sanctions must remain in place… we need to significantly increase our German, and also European, defense capabilities, both in traditional terms and against the new dangers of a hybrid cyber war…”

The Bible shows that in the future, Russia and Ukraine will be united against Europe.

Trump Cancels Singapore Summit with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un

CNBC wrote on May 24:

“President Donald Trump has canceled his historic summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month.  The meeting, which would have marked the first face-to-face encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, was set for June 12…

“The news came as North Korea made a show of dismantling a nuclear test site, but also on the heels of some sharp words from the North Korean government about America denuclearization demands. Trump’s decision also comes more than two weeks after he withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on the Middle Eastern country as long as it limited its nuclear program.

“Doubts had grown in recent days about whether Trump’s summit with Kim would actually happen. North Korea abruptly canceled talks with South Korea out of anger over joint military tests with the U.S. in the Korean peninsula… Earlier Thursday, a top North Korean official, Choe Son Hui, called Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks likening Pyongyang with Libya ‘ignorant’ and ‘stupid.’ Pence had said North Korea could end up like Libya if it doesn’t make a nuclear deal with Washington… The vice president’s comments also echoed those of Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, who had suggested the U.S. could pursue a Libya-style denuclearization plan with North Korea. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was eventually violently overthrown, a move the U.S. supported. North Korea’s Kim is concerned about regime change…

“There were no immediate details about how the administration would continue to pursue diplomacy with North Korea, which is the only nation to conduct nuclear-weapons tests this century. Yet Trump left the door open for arranging a new meeting with Kim…

“Read the full text of the letter here [from Donald Trump to Kim Jong Un, dated May 24]:

“… We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place. You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.

“I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.

“If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history…”

Reactions

The Associated Press wrote on May 24:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch Kim ally, said the North Korean leader had in fact done ‘everything that he had promised in advance, even blowing up the tunnels and shafts’ of his country’s nuclear testing site. Putin said of Trump’s announcement, ‘In Russia we took this news with regret.’…

“Trump’s announcement appeared to surprise South Korea, which had pushed to keep the summit on track as recently as Tuesday, when President Moon Jae-in met with Trump in the Oval Office and said the ‘fate and the future’ of the Korean Peninsula hinged on the talks…

“Trump, who considers himself a master dealmaker, has confounded aides and allies at every turn of the fateful flirtation with the North. He looked past the warnings of senior aides when he accepted Kim’s invitation to meet back in March. He unveiled the date and the time with characteristic showmanship. And after initially projecting calm in the face of North Korea’s escalating rhetoric, he made a sudden about face, though his letter also waxed poetic about the ‘wonderful dialogue’ emerging between the two leaders…

“The question now is how Trump’s maneuvering will be received. His letter could make the situation worse in a society where saving face can be pivotal. Kim might well take offense at the hardnosed U.S. approach after he released American detainees and destroyed a nuclear site…”

US-China Trade Agreements

CNN wrote on May 21:

“After weeks of tensions, China and the United States have reached a ceasefire. Both sides this weekend said they had agreed to not impose new tariffs on one another while talks continue, after reaching an initial agreement on trade. In a joint statement on Saturday, the countries said China would ‘significantly increase’ purchases of US goods and services to reduce their trade imbalance.”

Focus wrote on May 21 that the US-China trade agreements have a loser—Europe and especially Germany.

Deutsche Welle added on May 20:

“European officials are worried that a new trade deal between the US and China could come ‘at the expense of Europe.’… French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday warned that Europe could be hurt if the US and China adopt a new trade deal. ‘The United States and China risk entering an agreement at the expense of Europe if Europe is not capable of showing a firm hand,’ Le Maire told French TV station CNEWS. ‘The United States wants to make Europe and European countries pay for China’s bad behavior. All of that is totally absurd and incomprehensible.’

“Over the past decade, China has been a major source of foreign direct investment in Europe, with Germany the largest recipient on the continent. Germany is also China’s largest trading partner in Europe.”

EU, China and Japan Warn the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 24:

“The EU, China and Japan have decried the Trump administration’s idea to also heap US tariffs on imported vehicles – on top of steel and aluminum…

“The Wall Street Journal said vehicle import tariffs as high as 25 percent were being sought by US President Donald Trump…

“Citing national security was ‘far-fetched,’ said German DIHK chamber of commerce president, Eric Schweitzer and a European Commission spokesman in Brussels, Margaritis Schinas. ‘We should almost regard this as provocation,’ Schweitzer said, estimating it would cost an extra €6 billion ($7 billion) and impose ‘another nasty blow to our economic relations.’

“… Already, the EU is approaching a 1 June deadline on whether it will be exempted from US duties on steel and aluminum based similarly on protectionist rhetoric…

“Japan’s economy, industry and trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, said Tokyo would continue to remind US officials that any trade measures must conform to the WTO rules. Japan accounts for up to 40 percent of vehicles imported into the United States… Last week, Japan… warned at the WTO of possible retaliation…

“In Beijing, Chinese Commerce Minister spokesman Gao Feng warned the US that abusive imposition of national security provisions would ‘undermine the multilateral trade system and disrupt the order of international trade.’ China would ‘firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests,’ Gao told reporters…”

EU Foreign Policy Unification Is NOW!

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 18:

“Iran, Gaza, Jerusalem: If ever the time was right for EU countries to unite in their foreign policy as in their trade policy, it is now… May 2018 could one day enter history books as the moment when the EU countries including Germany at last embarked on a common foreign policy. The catalyst, as long expected, will have been an external power. Not, however, a common foe, but an ostensible ally: America’s Donald Trump.

“… the US and Europe can no longer pretend to be aligned. The US has forfeited its role of honest broker [in the Middle East]… If there is today an honest broker, it may ironically be Germany…

“Angela Merkel and her EU peers have certainly grasped the urgency of the moment… For Germany to play a diplomatic role… it would need to boost military spending far beyond its paltry 1.2% of GDP…”

Kurz Would Receive More Votes in Germany than Merkel

The left-liberal Austrian paper Kurier wrote on May 18 that more Germans would vote for Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, than for Angela Merkel.

Kurz would receive 38% of the German votes, while presently only 32.5% of Germans would vote for Merkel. The paper points out that it is noticeable that the support for Kurz is remarkably high in all political corners. 80% of voters from the right-wing and anti-Immigrant party AFD voters are clear supporters of Kurz, and one-third of Merkel’s party support Kurz as well. 20% of voters from the grand coalition party SPD and from the Left support Kurz, and even 13% of the Greens would vote for him if they had a chance.

Italy’s Incoming Eurosceptic Government

AFP wrote on May 21:

“Fears of a new European crisis grew on Tuesday over Italy’s incoming eurosceptic government… Governments and markets have suddenly become unsettled as the prospect of populists taking the helm of the EU’s fourth biggest economy suddenly becomes a reality after months of deadlock. A period when the rest of the world seemed to be in denial finally seemed to be over as Italy’s president was tasked on Tuesday on whether to approve little-known lawyer Giuseppe Conte as prime minister…

“Fear number one is that Italy, a founder member of both the EU and the euro, is set to irk financial markets and trigger a new eurozone crisis by refusing to stick to public spending and debt targets set by Brussels. The bloc’s enforcer for the euro, European Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, issued a tough public warning to the incoming Italian administration to pursue a ‘responsible’ budget policy…

“French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire meanwhile warned on Sunday that the ‘financial stability of the eurozone will be threatened’ if Italy ‘takes the risk of not respecting its commitments on debt and the deficit.’ The Frenchman also warned that Italy still had to clean up its debt-laden banks, whose health has long been a worry for the Eurozone…”

Italy First

Deutsche Welle added on May 21:

“Both coalition parties want to put a stop to immigration from Africa to Italy, and aim to deport 500,000 migrants… Matteo Salvini, until now a member of the European Parliament for the far-right, nationalist League, has rejected criticism of the new alliance. ‘It’s about Italy first…’

“… However, Matteo Salvini made clear that the coalition parties do want to stay in the EU, in the euro monetary union and also in NATO. ‘We want to remain in the Atlantic alliance, but at the same time we also want to aim for better relations with Russia,’ Salvini said… Both populist coalition parties will campaign in Brussels for a lifting of the EU sanctions against Russia imposed in response to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Russia’s activities in eastern Ukraine…”

Italy’s modern history of unpredictable and unstable governments is almost unique in the Western world. One never knows what will happen next there, but one thing is certain: Italy will NOT leave the EU or the Eurozone.

Hamas Leader Admits: “Peaceful Resistance Deceptive”

JTA wrote on May 18:

“A senior member of Hamas said that when his organization ‘talk[s] about “peaceful resistance,” we are deceiving the public.’ Mahmoud al-Zahar, who according to some is a co-founder of the Islamist group ruling Gaza, spoke May 13 about protests organized by Gaza on its border with Israel. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in demonstrations their leaders say is nonviolent; Israel points to evidence that demonstrators have been armed with Molotov cocktails and incendiary kites. ‘This is not peaceful resistance. Has the option [of armed struggle] diminished? No,’ Al-Zahar, former foreign minister in the Hamas government, said during an interview with Al-Jazeera. ‘On the contrary, it is growing and developing. That’s clear. So when we talk about “peaceful resistance,” we are deceiving the public.’

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Al-Zahhar’s remarks vindicate Israel’s firing of live ammunition on some protesters amid an international outcry over Israel’s actions. ‘I agree. Shooting guns and lobbing explosives at Israelis isn’t peaceful at all,’ Netanyahu said in the English-language video message. He also quoted Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar who before Monday’s riots was filmed saying that during the clashes, ‘we will tear down their border and tear out their hearts.’ This, Netanyahu said, ‘is what we are defending our families against. And you would do exactly the same.’…

“The United Kingdom, France, Canada and other countries have accused Israel of using excessive force in Gaza on Monday, though the United States, Australia and several other countries have blamed Hamas for the bloodshed. Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Council accused Israel of keeping Gazans ‘caged in a toxic slum’ during a special session in Geneva on the Gaza border clashes.”

How people can be easily deceived as to the Truth.

Development in Israel Sign for the End Time?

The Guardian wrote on May 19:

“For many on the Christian right, the state of Israel has been seen as a key to fulfilling prophesy… At the opening ceremony, two of the American speakers were evangelical superstars: Pastor Robert Jeffress, the author of several doomsday books about Israel, and John Hagee, who interpreted recent lunar eclipses as evidence that the end times were nigh. The Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, meanwhile, declared that Trump had ‘fulfilled biblical prophecy’…

“This ‘post-evangelical’ generation was raised on a steady diet of low-budget movies and pulp novels that injected a potent fear of the coming Rapture, a dynamic most eloquently described by the late Billy Graham. ‘I pick up the Bible in one hand,’ he said, ‘and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible. It’s being fulfilled every day round about us.’…

“It’s not only post-evangelicals who are dubious about the end times scenario…”

This development of abandoning the belief in the CORRECT “end-time” scenario (there will be no rapture, and the interpretations of lunar eclipses are far-fetched) is exactly what the Bible forewarns against, because it is when people are blinding themselves regarding the true signs of the time and declare peace that sudden destruction will come upon them.

A Photo with the Third Temple… Just a Joke?

Zero Hedge wrote on May 22:

“As if US-Palestinian relations weren’t already at the lowest point in perhaps all of history, they just sank even lower after a controversial photo… surfaced of the American Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, receiving a large aerial photograph of Jerusalem… As Ambassador Friedman attended an event sponsored by an Israeli charity, one of the staff members presented him with the framed photograph which featured a photo-shopped imagined Jewish Temple in the place where Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock currently stand. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper describes the image as ‘bearing a simulation of the Third Temple’ placed in the photograph at the heart of Jerusalem’s walled old city, with the ‘Third Temple’ featured front and center…

“Though the US Embassy is reportedly outraged at the incident which it says the ambassador did not endorse and was not immediately aware of, it’s seems hard to miss the huge stone temple prominently at the forefront of the image… The official statement concluded with the following: ‘The U.S. policy is absolutely clear: ‘we support the status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.’…

“For its part the Israeli charity responsible for the controversial photograph has issued an apology to Friedman and the embassy… Friedman, however, has been known for engaging in provocations aimed at showing his personal devotion to the Jewish state and preferred changes in US policy toward the conflict; for example, he’s long attempted to pressure the State Department to use terminology more friendly to the idea that the West Bank belongs to Israel…”

Ancient Jewish Coins Found on the Temple Mount

Breaking Israel News wrote on May 22:

“Five exceptionally rare ancient coins from among the very first ever minted by Jews were discovered on the Temple Mount, evidence of Jewish activity at the disputed site.

“The small coins – three in pristine condition and two showing signs of wear – were discovered as part of the Temple Mount Sifting Project, an archaeological initiative started in order to sift thousands of tons of dirt illegally excavated and dumped in the Kidron Valley by the Islamic Waqf in 1999. The Waqf excavations compromised the archaeological integrity of the Temple Mount and sparked outrage in Israel, leading many to suggest that the Waqf was intentionally attempting to eradicate evidence of two Jewish Temples which stood on the Mount for over 800 years…

“The newly-discovered coins bear the letters ‘YHD,’ or Yehud, the Aramaic name for the biblical kingdom of Judea, and are dated to the end of the 4th century BCE. According to one of the co-directors of the project, Zachi Dvira, only five other coins of this kind have been found in the 150 years of archaeological digging in ancient Jerusalem sites. Dvira noted that Jewish pilgrims would bring offerings of first fruits of the season to the Temple around the time of the Shavuot holiday, and would often convert their value to silver in the days of the Second Temple…

“‘These were the first coins ever minted by Jews,’ Dvira said in an interview with Israel’s Ynet news. ‘They express the people’s return to their land after the Babylonian exile, and their ability to hold and maintain diplomatic ties with the ruling empire—then Persia—similar to our relations with the United States today.’… In May 2017, UNESCO adopted a resolution denying Jewish connection to Jerusalem. In October 2016, the international body said the Jewish people have no ties to the Temple Mount.”

The Latest Insane Mass Murder in an American School

CBS wrote on May 19:

“10 people were killed and 10 others wounded in the shooting Friday morning at Santa Fe High School south of Houston. The suspected shooter [a 17-year old teenager] also had explosive devices, including a molotov cocktail, that were found in the school and nearby… Police found pressure cookers and pipe bombs around the school… Among the dead were a substitute teacher and several students…

“Students described [the suspected murderer] as quiet and ‘weird’ because a long trench coat was part of his wardrobe, even on days when the temperature neared 90 degrees… His motive is still unclear… the suspect had information in journals, on his computer and on cell phones that indicated he wanted to commit the shooting and take his own life afterward… the suspect ‘gave himself up’ and told authorities that he did not have the courage to take his own life… [He] posted the phrase ‘Dangerous Days’ on social media before the rampage along with a pentagram symbol.

“Two weapons were used in the attack… a shotgun and a .38 revolver, both of which were legally owned by the suspect’s father… A school resource officer was shot and injured in the shooting… [The suspected mass murderer] played on the junior varsity football team and was a member of a dance squad with a local Greek Orthodox church. His social media pages showed multiple images of guns. He recently posted a photo wearing a t-shirt reading ‘Born to Kill’ and there were also photos of a long green jacket with Nazi regalia.

“… one major question investigators will look into is why [the suspected mass murderer] allegedly opened fire in the art room and whether the class was specifically targeted.

“… the suspect had no criminal history…”

When will America’s violent culture and its fascination with guns and easy access to them ever cease? The answer is clear: Only AFTER Christ has returned to change our minds and hearts and give us a new way of thinking so that we will get rid of all weapons, as so powerfully described by the prophets Isaiah and Micah.

 School Shootings out of Control

Daily News wrote on May 18:

“More people have been murdered in schools so far this year than have been killed while serving in the U.S. military… 31 people — an overwhelming majority of whom were students — have been killed at schools since Jan. 1… Twenty-nine U.S. service members have been killed in the same timeframe, including both combat and noncombat deaths…

“Previous years, the numbers have typically been inverted, with service member casualties outnumbering student deaths by at least double… The number of individual school shootings is also much higher this year, with 16 deadly incidents across the country so far. Last year, there had been four fatal school shootings during the same period…”

Only in Germany: Parents Fined by Police for Not Sending their Children to School

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 22:

“Police in southern Germany have filed 21 cases of truancy after spot checks at the Allgäu and Nuremberg airports on May 17 and 18. Officers caught families attempting to fly prior to the three-day Pentecost weekend without approval for their children to skip school…

“All German children are required by law to be in classes during regular school hours unless they have been previously excused by the school… German schools often refuse to excuse children prior to long weekends and holidays…

“But the compulsory education laws go further… home-schooling is also illegal in Germany. The Wunderlich family from the central state of Hesse is suing the German government at the European Court of Human Rights after they were prohibited from home-schooling their children. The Wunderlich children were taken from the family for three weeks in 2013 until the parents agreed to send their three children to local schools.

“However, while in the care of the state, officials tested the children. ‘To their certain annoyance, the test revealed the children to be performing at the same level as the average state school student,’ wrote Robert Clarke, the family’s lead attorney, in Christian Today earlier this month. The European court has agreed to hear the case and Mr. Clarke expanded on his position: ‘The Universal Declaration of Human Rights — often described as the constitution of the entire human rights framework — says that parents have a ‘prior right’ to direct the upbringing of their children.’”

Deutsche Welle added on May 21:

“School truancy is treated seriously in Germany and parents can be held liable if children do not attend school from age six to 16… The fine for truancy can be as high as €1,000 ($1,177)…  ‘It’s true that we have to adhere to the rules, but getting the police involved is a bit of an exaggeration,’ said Stephan Wassmuth, head of Germany’s Federal Parents Council. The Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW) agreed, saying that ‘it makes more sense to have a conversation with parents. Police involvement for individual cases is too strong a reaction.’”

Der Stern wrote:

“Don’t the police have anything better to do? … This police conduct is merely annoyance.”

Die Welt stated:

“… religious reasons can justify an ongoing excuse, which must be applied for ahead of time in a timely fashion.”

The Horror Story of Germany’s Intrusive Church Taxes

Handelsblatt Global wrote on May 18:

“Germany has a church tax — unimaginable in the US or France. Anyone who was ever baptized or christened and has not officially left the church is liable.

“Thomas Bores is not religious. He was christened in the Catholic church during his first year on earth, like the overwhelming majority of babies in France. When his parents asked him at age six whether he wanted to go to catechism, he said no, and that was the end of his religious life. Or so he thought. Decades later when Mr. Bores moved to Berlin, in 2013, he checked the box for ‘not religious’ on his registration form. Two years later, he noticed €550 was missing from his bank account. He asked the payroll department at the company he worked for and was told the tax office had identified him as Roman Catholic and had billed him for back church taxes…

“Members of a recognized confession [mainly the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church—“Evangelische Kirche”] pay an additional 8 or 9 percent of their annual income tax to that church. And by ‘member’ the authorities mean anyone who has been christened or baptized. The money is automatically deducted just like payroll taxes or social insurance. People are thus on the hook to their church until they formally renounce their membership with an official declaration made in person at a district court that comes with a filing fee of about €30.

“When I arrived in Berlin last year from the United States, I checked the box for ‘konfessionslos’ (not religious) as I registered. That was the end of it, I thought. A few weeks later I received an official-looking letter from the ‘church-tax office’ (Kirchensteuerstelle). It said they needed clarification about my religious affiliation. The questionnaire, which included my tax number and was posted from the same address as my district tax office, asked for intrusive details about my life. Was I ever baptized or christened? If so, where and when? Had I ever been married in the church? If so, where and when? Was I a member of any free church? I was taken aback by the idea of having to share such personal information.

“After digging online, I discovered that this church-tax office is not an actual government agency, and the letter is a deceptive initiative to snare potential church taxpayers. Any person who acknowledges they were baptized or otherwise involved in a church who cannot show paperwork proving they officially left the church is considered to still be a member in Germany and thereby liable for church taxes and back taxes.

“Mr. Bores, the French citizen, determined, with the help of a lawyer, that the church-tax office in Berlin had written a misleading letter to his old diocese in France, which had replied with a copy of his christening certificate. And that was enough for the Catholic diocese of Berlin to claim him as a member.

“This surely must violate privacy laws, I thought, and I found a report on the topic from Berlin’s data-protection official. This 2016 review concluded that because the church-tax offices are not official government agencies, and their employees work for the church, they are not subject to government data-protection laws — even though they are housed in government buildings and receive data from a government agency…

“Many Germans are leaving the church just to opt out of the taxes, which rankles religious leaders. A single person earning €60,000 a year in Berlin would pay about €1,500 of that in church tax. But leaving the church means more than skipping Sunday services. In Germany and Switzerland, leaving the church is a formal affair, requiring an appointment at a local government agency, sometimes a district court…

“The problem also hits Germans. Many of those formerly from the communist East at one point found themselves paying church taxes because the documents related to their religious status did not survive the bureaucratic transfers after reunification…

“Mr. Frerk, the church-tax expert, got into trouble. He was never baptized, never had anything to do with the church, but suddenly received a pay stub that identified him as Protestant. How do you prove a negative? The tax office wanted him to collect letters from every town he’d ever lived in to prove his non-religious status. So he argued with officials for months before realizing what would solve the problem. He went before a judge to declare his exit. ‘What church are you leaving?’ The judge asked. ‘I don’t care, any of them,’ Mr. Frerk replied. With the official papers in hand, he went back to the tax office. Shortly thereafter he received a letter from the church-tax office, saying, ‘If you were able to leave the church, that must mean you were a member. We would like you to now pay us the back taxes.’

“Mr. Bores’ lawyer also advised that he pay the €30 to officially leave the Catholic Church in Germany even though he had never been a practicing Catholic in France. The exit took another three months to be processed. During that time he remained liable for church taxes. Mr. Bores is still fighting in court to get back his €550.”

This horrible and intrusive “church” tax law in Germany, and the appalling methods of the church-tax office, prove that there is NO real separation of church and state in Germany, and it shows the methods with which the churches are greedily trying to get money they are clearly not entitled to. The church tax law is based on a treaty between the state and the church (going back to the Weimar constitution) allowing the state to collect church tax for the church and then transfer the received church tax money to the church. The Roman Catholic church, in collaboration with the Protestant church (“Evangelische Kirche”) and the German state, have always had an incredibly all-powerful influence on the German people in other ways as well, either directly or indirectly. We should take note of the fact that for centuries the church (the woman in Revelation 17) has been riding the European states (the beast).

Sexual Abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Dutch News reported on May 22:

“The Jehovah’s Witnesses community in the Netherlands will not hold an independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of members, despite being urged to do so by justice minister Sander Dekker. By last month, 267 reports of sexual abuse involving Jehovah’s Witnesses had been made to a hotline set up by the Reclaimed Voices foundation in 2017 after Trouw published a report on the growing scandal.

“Dekker told RTL Nieuws on Tuesday that the organisation’s decision is ‘disappointing’ and that it is ignoring the victims who want to be heard. He has no powers to force the organisation to hold an inquiry… Dekker said last year that the church should look to the example of the Catholic church to dealing with complaints about sexual abuse. In total, 3,712 people have reported being victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic church to a special hotline set up in 2010. There are some 30,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Netherlands.”

All Chilean Bishops Offer Their Resignation to Pope Francis Because of Charges of Child Abuse 

Zenit wrote on May 18:

“In an unprecedented move, the bishops of Chile have presented their resignation, this Friday, May 18, 2018, in the Holy See… The 34 Chilean bishops have been meeting with Pope Francis in Rome from May 15 to 17 to ‘examine in depth their causes and consequences, as well as the mechanisms that have led in some cases to their cover-up and serious omissions towards the victims’ , reported the Holy See in a statement, published on May 12…

“In the declaration, the Chilean prelates ask for forgiveness ‘for the pain caused to the victims, to the Pope, to the People of God and to the country for our grave errors and omissions’… Nevertheless, Bishop Juan Ignacio González, Bishop of San Bernardo, has specified that placing his pastoral offices at the Pope’s complete disposition ‘implies that as long as the Holy Father does not make a determination, each one of the bishops members of the Episcopal Conference of Chile, continues in its pastoral works and in full functions.’”

Pope: God Made People Gay

Catholic News Agency wrote on May 20:

“A victim of the Chilean clergy abuse crisis who met privately with Pope Francis told a Spanish news source that the Pope told him to accept himself and his same-sex attraction, because God made him that way.

“Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of Chilean abuser Fr. Fernando Karadima, met with Pope Francis privately in April after being invited to the Vatican along with other victims of abuse… ‘He told me “Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like that and he loves you like that and I do not care. The Pope loves you as you are, you have to be happy with who you are,”’ Cruz recalled.

“The comment is controversial because it evokes a theological debate about the causes of homosexuality. The Catechism of the Catholic Church… states that ‘deep-seated’ homosexual inclination is ‘objectively disordered,’ and that homosexual acts are ‘acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law… Under no circumstances can they be approved.’”

The Guardian added on May 20:

“It is not the first time it has been suggested Francis has an open and tolerant attitude toward homosexuality, despite the Catholic church’s teaching that gay sex – and all sex outside of heterosexual marriage – is a sin… The new remarks appear to go much further in embracing homosexuality as a sexual orientation that is designed and bestowed by God. It suggests that Francis does not believe that individuals choose to be gay or lesbian, as some religious conservatives argue.

“Austen Ivereigh, who has written a biography of the pope, said Francis had likely made similar comments in private in the past, when he served as a spiritual director to gay people in Buenos Aires, but that Cruz’s public discussion of his conversation with Francis represented the most ‘forceful’ remarks on the subject since 2013…”

The Sun added on May 21:

“The Pope’s words signal a much more open and inclusive approach by the often restrictive faith – a move which will likely upset many conservative Catholics. The Vatican has neither confirmed nor denied the Pontiff’s comments to Cruz.”

Regardless of what the Pope says, the BIBLE calls homosexuality a sin. Homosexual conduct is due to choice.

“Ramadan an ‘Old German Custom’ Celebrated Longer than Oktoberfest”?

Breitbart wrote on May 18:

“German radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk Kultur has claimed that the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is not only an ‘old German custom’ but that it had been celebrated in the country longer than Oktoberfest. In an article, journalist Eren Güvercin claims that Ramadan is a thoroughly German holiday and that there is no question that Islam belongs to Germany.

“Güvercin maintains that the practice is older than the Oktoberfest, also known in Bavaria as Wiesn. While he provides no evidence for his assertion, the earliest Wiesn celebrations are thought to have been held on 12 October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The oldest mosque in Germany, by contrast, was built in Berlin in 1915 and was discovered by an archaeological team in 2015. The mosque, which was made of wood, was thought to have been intended for Muslim prisoners of war as it was built inside a World War One-era prison camp.

“According to Güvercin, the Islamic holy month is as German as the great poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or noted author of the First World War novel All Quiet on the Western Front Rainer Maria Rilke… The article comes after Interior Minister Horst Seehofer stated that Islam did not belong to Germany and was later contradicted by his coalition partner, Chancellor Angela Merkel. A poll of the German public revealed that they sided with Seehofer with 75 per cent stating that Islam probably did not belong to Germany or absolutely did not belong to the country.”

Güvercin’s statements are ridiculous and can be clearly categorized as “fake news.”

“Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts, Releasing 30,000ft Plume of Ash”

The Guardian wrote on May 17:

“Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted anew before dawn on Thursday, shooting a steely gray plume of ash about 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) into the sky that began raining down on a nearby town…

“Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. An eruption in 1924 killed one person and sent rocks, ash and dust into the air for 17 days… The volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. It is one of five volcanoes on Hawaii’s Big Island…”

The Associated Press wrote on May 21:

“White plumes of acid and extremely fine shards of glass billowed into the sky over Hawaii as molten rock from Kilauea volcano poured into the ocean, creating yet another hazard from an eruption that began more than two weeks ago: A toxic steam cloud… Scientists said the steam clouds at the spots where lava entered the ocean were laced with hydrochloric acid and fine glass particles that can irritate skin and eyes and cause breathing problems…

“In recent days, the lava began to move more quickly and emerge from the ground in greater volume. Scientists said that’s because the lava that first erupted was magma left over from a 1955 eruption that had been stored in the ground for the past six decades. The molten rock that began emerging over the past few days was from magma that has recently moved down the volcano’s eastern flank from one or two craters that sit further upslope — the Puu Oo crater and the summit crater. The new lava is hotter, moves faster and has spread over a wider area… The volcano has opened more than 20 vents, including four that have merged into one large crack. It has been gushing lava high into the sky and sending a river of molten rock toward the ocean at about 300 yards (274 meters) per hour…”

Shocking?–“Brides Should Pledge to ‘Obey’ their Husbands”

Daily Mail wrote on May 18:

“Piers Morgan’s wife Celia Walden says brides SHOULD pledge to ‘obey’ their husbands – as the world waits to see if Meghan omits the promise from her wedding vows…  [Walden] admitted… that she did vow to obey her husband Piers Morgan, even though it is now ‘out of fashion’.

“Many brides leave out the word ‘obey’ from the traditional pledge to ‘love, honour and obey’ their new husbands in modern ceremonies…

“Curious about what happened at Piers and Celia’s 2010 wedding, presenter Kate Garraway asked the journalist what she said… ‘I did say obey…’ she confessed. The revelation clearly shocked [presenters] Ben and Kate who jokingly screeched: ‘You fool!’…

“The royal vows were used by Queen Elizabeth in 1947 and come from the church’s Anglican Book of Common Prayer. In them, grooms vow ‘to love and cherish till death do us part’. The bride promises to ‘love, cherish and obey’. According to ABC News, the vows have been modernized, however.

“In 2000, they were changed to: ‘I, (bride/broom name), take you, (groom/bride name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.’

“Princess Diana omitted the word ‘obey’ from her vows at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. Kate Middleton followed in her footsteps in 2011…”

As it was widely expected, Meghan omitted in her vows the promise to obey her husband. Whether it is fashionable or not, the Bible clearly demands obedience of the wife to her husband, but of course only as such obedience is supported by Scripture. God would never want a wife to obey her husband in anything which violates the letter or the spirit of the law of God.

A Groundbreaking Modern Royal Wedding

The Sun wrote on May 19:

 “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first kiss delights fans as they seal [a] VERY modern Royal Wedding [and a] groundbreaking multi-cultural ceremony with a gospel choir and [an] eccentric American bishop… Royal experts [were] saying the couple have thrown the Royals into the 21st century.

“Ingrid Seward, Editor in Chief of Majesty Magazine said: ‘There’s never a royal wedding like this in modern history’… A gospel choir sang American soul singer Ben E. Kings 1960s hit Stand By Me to the couple, who had earlier been given their new titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex…

“Majesty Magazine’s Ms Seward added that the star of the wedding was the American preacher, The Most Reverend Michael Curry… Peter Rolfe, owner of luxury events organiser PAVE London, added: ‘What is obvious is how much the black community have been featured in the ceremony so far, which is different from previous royal weddings [Meghan, a divorcee and former actress, is the child of a white father and a black mother.]. It’s nice to put in Meghan’s heritage with the head of the Episcopal Church was probably the most memorable speaker in the ceremony. ‘He was very arousing. His speech about love caught everyone in the church by surprise… Some of the faces in the church showed they weren’t expecting such a rousing address’…

“Harry wore full military uniform… Kensington Palace confirmed that the Royal brothers would be wearing the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals, with the Queen giving her permission for Prince Harry to marry in his uniform…”

As Deutsche Welle reported, “Michael Bruce Curry, a US Episcopalian bishop [actually, he is the presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal church and a strong supporter of same sex marriage], [gave] an impassioned wedding address. His words [centered] on the power of love to transform human lives.” Episcopalianism is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican community; the Queen is the head of the Anglican church. His speech was in stark contrast to the military uniforms worn by the Royal brothers, as he referred to a world ruled by love, saying that “when love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields, down by the riverside, to study war no more…” (as quoted by the website of townandcountrymag).

Zimbabwe applies to Re-Join British Commonwealth

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:

“Zimbabwe has applied to re-join the British Commonwealth and invited observers to attend its general elections. The move is a major step towards re-engaging with the international community after Robert Mugabe’s ouster.

“Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially applied for his country to re-join the Commonwealth almost 15 years after it left… Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said in a statement that the member states ‘very much look forward to Zimbabwe’s return when the conditions are right.’ ‘Zimbabwe’s eventual return to the Commonwealth, following a successful membership application, would be a momentous occasion, given our shared rich history,’ Scotland said.

“Under former leader Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe left the voluntary grouping of mostly former British colonies in 2003. Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, had been suspended by the group for violent and disputed elections as well as the seizure of land from white farmers, which triggered a national economic collapse. Mnangagwa replaced Mugabe as leader following a de facto army coup last November.

“In the letter, Mnangagwa also invited Commonwealth officials to observe Zimbabwe’s general elections which are due to take place in July. The presidential, parliamentary and council elections will be the southern African nation’s first big democratic test.

“In order to become a member of the Commonwealth, Zimbabwe must show that it adheres to the group’s core values including democracy and rule of law as well as the protection of human rights including freedom of expression… If its application were to be accepted, Zimbabwe would be the fifth country to re-join the Commonwealth. The group is currently comprised of 53 countries, mainly former British colonies, representing 2.4 billion people.”

The survival or remnant of the once all-powerful British Commonwealth shows the degree of Britain’s downfall.

New Contemplated “Gender Neutral” Advertisement Requirements in the UK

Daily Mail wrote on May 17:

“The Committee of Advertising Practice is considering introducing rules that could effectively outlaw stereotypical characteristics such as boys being daring or girls being caring in adverts… Ad that seeks to emphasise the contrast between a boy’s stereotypical personality – for example, daring – with a girl’s stereotypical personality – for example, caring – needs to be handled with care, a committee announced today.

“Vetoed: Aptamil baby milk advert that showed girls growing up to become ballerinas and boys becoming scientists and rock climbers… Other notions on the endangered list for advertising include women not being able to park cars and men failing to change nappies…

“Some big brand names have already taken voluntary measures to end what they see as gender stereotyping. Knorr TV ads used to show a mother and daughter in the kitchen but now feature a father and son…

“The consultation finishes at the end of July and any new rules are likely to come into effect by December.”

As the gender neutrality movement is reaching new heights of stupidity, one can only imagine what these new advertisement rules will look like.

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.

America’s Opening of Its Embassy in Jerusalem

JTA wrote on May 14:

“The United States dedicated its newly established embassy in Jerusalem in a high-profile ceremony attended by prominent Trump administration officials… The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which passed both houses of Congress by overwhelming votes, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and called for relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A presidential waiver signed every six months until now has allowed successive administrations to suspend moving the embassy on the grounds that this was ‘necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.’

“Several of the speakers… reminded the audience that exactly 70 years ago, nearly to the moment of the ceremony, the United States under President Harry Truman became the first country to recognize the new state of Israel.”

One could say that the timing for the ceremony was carefully staged, but it was surely no coincidence that an American President would relocate the embassy to Jerusalem 70 years after the recognition of Israel as a state and after all previous presidents had refused for more than 20 years to move the embassy.

The Long History of Jewish Dreams of Jerusalem as Capital

The New York Post wrote on May 14:

“In the Second century AD… Roman emperor Hadrian had planted the seeds for the rebellion with his ambitions to remake Jerusalem, including the planned construction of a Temple to Jupiter on the site of the old Jewish Temple. The leader of the Jewish rebellion, Bar Kokhba, was fired by a vision of a united Israel with Jerusalem as its capital…

“King David conquered the city in 1,000 BC and made it the capital of the kingdom of Israel. His son Solomon built the First Temple. ‘He who has not seen Jerusalem in her splendor has never seen a desirable city in his life,’ declares the Babylonian Talmud. ‘He who has not seen the Temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life.’

“But Jerusalem would repeatedly be captured and the Temple destroyed (first by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and then by the Roman Emperor Titus)…

“Psalm 137 recounting the Babylonian captivity avers, ‘If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.’ The Jewish people never forgot. In one of the miracles of our age, after long centuries of exile punctuated by genocide at the hands of the Nazis, they re-established Israel in 1948, and then gained control of all of Jerusalem in 1967 (prior to that, when Jordan held East Jerusalem, Jews couldn’t visit the Western Wall).

“The notion that the City of David isn’t the capital of Israel was an impolite fiction, honored by the United States and the West for fear of provoking Arabs hostile to the very idea of the Jewish state. Its prime minister, parliament and highest court are based there, and it’s unimaginable that Israel would ever agree to any peace deal that didn’t recognize it as the capital…”

But there might soon be more to come. Note the next article.

Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?

Set forth below are excerpts from Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech during the opening of the US embassy, as quoted by the Times of Israel, dated May 14:

“In Jerusalem, King David established our capital three thousand years ago. In Jerusalem, King Solomon built our Temple, which stood for many centuries. In Jerusalem, Jewish exiles from Babylon rebuilt the Temple, which stood for many more centuries. In Jerusalem, the Maccabees rededicated that Temple and restored Jewish sovereignty in this land.

“And it was here in Jerusalem some two thousand years later that the soldiers of Israel spoke three immortal words… ‘The Temple Mount is in our hands,’ words that lifted the spirit of the entire nation. We are in Jerusalem and we are here to stay…

“The prophet, Zechariah, declared over 2,500 years ago, ‘So said the Lord, “I will return to Zion and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth.”’

“May the opening of this embassy in this city spread the truth far and wide, and may the truth advance a lasting peace between Israel and all our neighbors. God bless the United States of America and God bless Jerusalem, the eternal, undivided capital of Israel.”

Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump reiterated their “position” that the status quo was not to be changed. But repeated references in Mr. Netanyahu’s speech to the Temple and the Temple Mount make one wonder what is really going on behind the scene. We might be closer to the biblically prophesied building of the Third Temple prior to the Coming of the Messiah than many may realize.

Violence in the Gaza Strip and Political Bickering

Newsmax reported on May 15:

“Thousands of Gaza residents turned out on Tuesday for the funerals of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops a day earlier… Monday’s violence on the border, which took place as the United States opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, was the bloodiest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict. The death toll rose to 60 overnight after an eight-month-old baby died from tear gas that her family said she inhaled at a protest camp on Monday. [But see the article below.] More than 2,200 Palestinians were also injured by gunfire or tear gas…

“May 15 is traditionally the day Palestinians mark the ‘Nakba’, or Catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven from their homes in violence culminating in war between the newly created Jewish state and its Arab neighbors in 1948… More than 2 million people are crammed into the narrow Gaza Strip, more than two thirds of them refugees. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt maintain tight restrictions on the enclave, deepening economic hardship and raising humanitarian concerns…”

The worldwide response to the violence was predictable. Most countries blamed Israel for responding “excessively” to the “demonstrations,” which were instigated by the terror organization Hamas. Note the following articles.

Israel Faces Backlash

The Associated Press wrote on May 15:

“Israel faced a growing backlash Tuesday and new charges of using excessive force…

“Israel says it has the right to defend its border against a possible mass breach and accuses Gaza’s Hamas rulers of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of the protests. A military spokesman said Tuesday that 14 of those killed a day earlier were involved in attacks…Gaza Health Ministry, which provided the toll from Monday’s violence, said a 9-month-old girl died from tear gas exposure, but medical officials later cast doubt on that claim, saying the infant had a pre-existing medical condition. It remained unclear Tuesday where and how the child died…

“In Brussels, Prime Minister Charles Michel [of Belgium] called the Israeli actions ‘unacceptable violence’ and said there was a ‘clear lack of proportionality’… German spokesman Steffen Seibert said the violence ‘concerns us greatly,’ but also accused Hamas of cynically escalating the unrest. Ireland’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to express ‘shock and dismay.’ Turkey asked Israel’s ambassador to leave temporarily and the country lowered flags to half-staff to mark three days of mourning… On Monday, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel until further notice…

“U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said no member ‘would act with more restraint than Israel has’ in its confrontation with Palestinians at the Gaza border…”

Breitbart added on May 15:

“Turkey has called on all Islamic countries to review their ties with ‘terror state’ Israel ahead of an extraordinary summit of the world’s main pan-Islamic body to protest Israel’s actions in defending itself against deadly Gaza riots. ‘Islamic countries should without fail review their relations with Israel,’ Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling party in parliament Tuesday…”

Turkey’s reaction was to be expected. The Bible warns modern Turkey (biblical Edom) that it will suffer greatly for its hatred towards Israel and the USA. In addition, the Bible also shows that most countries will turn against the USA and Israel.

“Playing Western Rulers Like a Fiddle”

The Week wrote on May 16:

“Hamas has played Western liberals like a fiddle. In many ways, it is clear that militarily at least, Israel ‘won’ its confrontation at the Gaza border, killing scores of Palestinians and injuring many hundreds more without suffering a single casualty of note. But it is actually the other way around. It is Hamas that won a big victory against Israel…

“Israel is a unique state in that it has to fight every day not just for its security but also its legitimacy… By now, many thousands (if not millions) of people have seen photos and video seeming to show defenseless Palestinian protesters exterminated by heartless, faceless Israelis. Much of the American media has taken an unseemly delight in villianizing Israel and the Trump administration while glorifying the Palestinians…

“Gaza is governed by Hamas, a terrorist group. In the days leading up to the events, Hamas leaders had called on the populace not to peacefully march, but to attack. Hiding among civilians to launch attacks is a time-honored tactic by Hamas, and in doing so put Israel in a no-win situation…

“From Hamas’ perspective, what happened was an extraordinarily successful insurgency operation. Not because it killed any Israeli soldiers, but because it killed Palestinian civilians, whose lives have always been so cheap to their leaders. Not because it achieved any tactical objectives, but because it didn’t. Hamas’ objective was not to breach any point at the border crossing, but to win the hearts and minds of journalists and social media users everywhere. It worked like a charm.”

Peace Talks Dead?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 14:

“The White House has said it expects to push forward with a still-secret plan to secure what Mr. Trump has called ‘the ultimate deal’ for Middle East peace. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations collapsed under the Obama administration in 2014. U.S. officials have said their plan is mostly finished and the White House is seeking the right time to present it.

“But Palestinians have already said the decision to open a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem means they no longer recognize the U.S. as the main broker of peace talks. Palestinian officials are refusing to meet with representatives of the Trump administration and so it’s not clear whether a peace plan, if presented, will move the end of hostilities closer.

“Mr. Trump’s decision to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv has faced fierce criticism from European and Arab officials who have said it is likely [to] hamper any future peace negotiations.”

The contemplated “peace deal” for the Middle East never had a chance to succeed.

Europe Reacts

We are now presenting several articles to show how Europe is viewing and reacting to President Trump’s actions. We hasten to add that the quotes are not to be misconstrued as constituting our approval or disapproval of those articles. Rather, as we clarify regularly in our “Acknowledgment and Disclaimer” statement at the end of these Current Events sections, “they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy.” In this case, they show the European fear and even hatred towards President Trump and America; the resulting (biblically prophesied) growing alienation between the USA and Europe (for whatever reason), and the European desire to unify powerfully in order to establish itself as a counterforce to the USA.

“In Light of Trump, Europe Needs to Wake Up!”

Deutsche Welle’s Editor-in-Chief commented on May 15, 2018:

“The flames and fighting in the Gaza Strip after the opening of the US Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem are evidence of the dangerous and destructive power of President Donald Trump… The embassy compound extends halfway into East Jerusalem – an area that Palestinians would claim as their capital in the event of a two-state solution. It’s a diplomatic slap in the face to many Palestinians… a deliberate provocation on Washington’s part…

“What could possibly drive this man to destroy the hard-won Iran nuclear deal with a single signature, without even bothering to consult his European counterparts and determine a way forward? In doing so, Trump has shown a willingness to risk further escalation in the Middle East, as well as throw 70 years of peaceful trans-Atlantic relations with Europe overboard.

“…recent events have highlighted the disastrous power this man possesses… When he acts, he doesn’t think about consequences… He doesn’t care how his actions and his verbal attacks affect any country other than the US…

“For Europe and for Germany, this should be a huge wake-up call. Seven decades after the end of World War II, it’s time for Europe to grow up. And that means shouldering responsibility for foreign policy and security issues. Germany needs to finally get serious and start investing in its armed forces again… the European Union needs to… emerge as a strong body…

“One cannot and should not depend on a country that is being governed by a man like Donald Trump…”

Trump—the Great Unifier of Europe?

Der Editorial staff of Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 11:

“Lately, the American president has emerged as a great unifier of Europe. Ever since Trump’s Tuesday announcement that the U.S. was withdrawing from the nuclear agreement with Iran… the Europeans have been united in shock, in anger at Trump’s irresponsible move and in their refusal to accept it. But they are also united in their helplessness when it comes to dealing with this new America…

“An attack on the Iran deal is an attack on the pride of European foreign policy… More than anything, though, Trump has humiliated Europe to a greater degree than any U.S. president before him… To complete Europe’s humiliation, Trump’s new U.S. ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, sent out a tweet this week demanding that German companies immediately begin winding down their operations in Iran. It sounded more like the words of a colonial power issuing orders than those of a diplomat in an allied country.

“It isn’t the first time that America’s traditional trans-Atlantic allies have received such shabby treatment from Trump. The U.S. president has repeatedly accused his NATO partners of being freeloaders, he withdrew from the Paris climate agreement despite massive protest from Europe and he has indicated his willingness to start a trade war with the EU…

“Ultimately, the question becomes whether Europe can see this crisis as a wake-up call, as the start of a new common foreign policy, and whether they will continue to endure Trump’s humiliations or position itself as a diplomatic counterforce. Wolfgang Ischinger, the German diplomat, says the crisis of confidence with the U.S. could be turned into a positive. ‘It is another dramatic wake-up call for the European Union to finally get a grip on itself. For the European project, I cannot imagine a better motivation than this shock from Trump’…”

Trump Drove the Last Nail into the Coffin of the Atlantic Alliance

Foreign Policy wrote on May 11:

“The Atlantic alliance, built to contain the Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II, began to die when the Cold War ended. What kept it alive over the last three decades has been less strategic necessity than a convergence of values — the values of the liberal postwar order. Now, the senior partner of the alliance, the United States, has lost interest in those values. The alliance was already a corpse, but Donald Trump drove the last nail into its coffin when he decided this week to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran.

“What now? The United States will lurch from crisis to crisis, but Europe faces more existential questions: It has been expelled from the garden — albeit a very thorny one — maintained by U.S. military and diplomatic power and now must build a new home of its own…

“The Iran decision has resonated among European leaders as none of Trump’s previous follies has… As a simple matter of geographical proximity, Europe is threatened by conflict in the Middle East as the United States is not… Europe simply cannot afford to follow the American lead if the United States is prepared to sow further chaos in the region…

“Europe’s leaders needed the shock. Hours after Trump’s announcement, Macron, Merkel, and British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a joint statement reminding the world that the deal had been ‘unanimously endorsed by the U.N. Security Council’ and thus remained ‘the binding international legal framework’ on Iran’s nuclear program. European Council President Donald Tusk announced that Trump’s Iran and trade policies ‘will meet a united European approach.’

“The fur will fly if the United States goes ahead with secondary sanctions targeting European companies that continue to do business with Iran…

“All talk of a unified European army has long vanished, but Macron has invited the defense ministers of 10 European nations to Paris next month to discuss his plan to create a battle-ready force of up to 100,000 troops…”

Going Their Separate Ways

Zero Hedge wrote on May 16:

“The US withdrawal from the Iran deal has not buried it. That agreement is still very much alive. Even the US’s closest allies have refused to follow suit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed President Trump for his decision to pull out. The unofficial leader of Europe believes it ‘damages trust’ in the global order… In defiance of the US, Germany became the first EU country to begin the construction of its portion of the Nord Stream 2 gas project on May 3. It did so even before Sweden and Finland had agreed to permit the pipeline to pass through their territorial waters. The US is adamant in its opposition to Nord Stream 2. Washington does not shy away from twisting the arms of any allies who dare to see Russia’s stable and cheap energy supplies as an alternative to America’s more expensive liquefied gas that must be transported by sea.

“The US-European relationship has been clouded by Washington’s plans to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU. The German chancellor has pointed out on a number of occasions that the US and EU have been clashing more frequently, which indicates that a wider schism is opening up within the Western alliance…

“Meanwhile, the EU is prepared to introduce countermeasures in response to the US-imposed punitive restrictions against European companies doing business with Iran. The idea has been floated of adopting an EU-wide blocking statute to nullify any US sanctions. A trade war is just around the corner…

“The German chancellor believes that US global influence is on the wane and the time is ripe for Europe to stop relying on America’s military protection… EU High Representative Mogherini has announced her intention to submit for consideration by mid-June the new European Peace Facility that will streamline the EU’s funding of defence and military operations. Seventeen joint European defense-program projects are being pursued within the framework of PESCO.

“The US openly humiliated Europe… Sooner or later anyone’s patience wears thin.Today Europe is being pushed toward countering the ‘America First’ message with a ‘Europe First’ policy… It looks like the European locomotive is shifting tracks to head off in that new direction. Despite all the nice words about common values and so on, these two entities are gradually diverging to go their separate ways.”

EU’s Donald Tusk Slams Donald Trump; EU Considers Applying Law PROHIBITING their Firms to Comply with US Sanctions

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 16:

“European Union President Donald Tusk slammed US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as EU leaders gathered for a summit in Sofia to find a common path forward after Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. ‘Looking at the latest decisions of President Trump, someone could even think “with friends like that, who needs enemies?” But frankly speaking, Europe should be grateful [to] President Trump, because thanks to him we have got rid of all illusions. He has made us realise that if you need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arm.’…

“European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the EU was willing to a so-called blocking statute that would make it illegal for European companies to comply with US sanctions imposed on Iran and not recognize US court decisions that enforce American sanctions. The blocking statute was developed in 1996 to counter US sanctions on Cuba, but has not been tested yet. The statute would enforce legal penalties on EU companies complying with US sanctions on Iran, while providing compensation for any costs and losses suffered as a result… ‘We did discuss the possibility of applying our blocking statute. We are ready to do so, if needed.’”

It has long been prophesied that continental Europe will become a most powerful might, and that ten nations or groups of nations will emerge from the Eurozone countries. They will be a strong and unified economic, political and military entity, being led by a charismatic leader of German or Austrian descent, referred to in the Bible with different designations, such as the “beast,” the “king of the North”, the “king of Assyria” or “King Jareb.” Very soon now, the developments will lead to the manifestation of this man on the world scene.

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.

Trump Withdraws from Iran Nuclear Deal, Imposes Sanctions on Iran

JTA wrote on May 8:

“‘I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal,’ Trump said, speaking at the White House Tuesday…

 “Trump’s decision comes after a full court press by three European nations also party to the 2015 deal not to pull out. Over recent weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have visited Washington to try and persuade Trump to stay in the deal…

“Israel and Saudi Arabia, by contrast, have been U.S. allies pressing for a pullout from the deal. Netanyahu last week unveiled documents showing that Iran had before the 2015 deal hidden the breadth of its nuclear weapons development. Trump credited Netanyahu’s presentation in making his decision. ‘Today we have definitive proof that this promise was a lie,’ he said, referring to Iran’s pledge to roll back its nuclear program…”

The Associated Press wrote on May 8:

“President Donald Trump… dealt a profound blow to allies, deepened his isolation on the world stage and revived doubts about American credibility in the most consequential foreign policy action of his presidency…

“The leaders of Britain, Germany and France immediately urged the U.S. not to take any actions that could prevent them and Iran from continuing to implement the agreement… In Washington, the Trump administration said it would re-impose [the “highest level” of] sanctions on Iran immediately but allow grace periods for businesses to wind down activity… National Security Adviser John Bolton said nobody should sign contracts for new business with Iran…

“For the Europeans, Trump’s withdrawal constitutes dispiriting proof that trying to appease him is futile…”

Breitbart added on May 8:

“[Trump] added that any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear ambitions will also be sanctioned by the United States: ‘We will not allow a regime that chants ‘death to America’ to gain access to the most deadly weapons on earth.’”

German Companies Should Wind Down Operations Immediately?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 8

“Richard Grenell, the new US Ambassador to Germany, sent out a warning to German businesses on Twitter, saying that ‘German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.’”

DPA and the Local wrote on May 9:

“Grenell’s tweet was met with immediate scorn from the German political establishment. Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to Washington from 2001 to 2006, responded on Twitter by giving ‘advice’ of his own. ‘Germans are willing to listen, but will resist taking instructions,’ he wrote.

“The head of the Social Democrats, Andrea Nahles, also responded dismissively to Grenell’s comments. Nahles said that, while it wasn’t her job to tell diplomats how to do their jobs ‘he seems to need a little bit of tutoring.’”

Handelsblatt Global added on May 9:

“The reaction [to Grenell’s post] was fast and furious. His message to Germany was retweeted almost 6,000 times (and counting) and there were close to 1,500 comments, many of them from angry Germans basically telling the ambassador, a longtime critic of the Iran deal, to butt out… German companies doing business in Iran have been preparing for this moment for months… European companies in Iran do not work with dollars at all; they prefer euros or perhaps dirhams…

“Before the last lot of sanctions was imposed, Germany was Iran’s biggest trading partner. After the Iran deal was reached in 2015, German exports there grew by 27 percent. In 2017, German exports to Iran were worth an estimated $3.5 billion and today many of Germany’s biggest businesses are working with Iran, as are hundreds of the country’s medium-sized firms…”

The Iran deal, which was “negotiated” by European powers and the Obama administration, was terribly one-sided in favor of Iran. The withdrawal under President Trump was to be expected, and it constitutes another small piece in the puzzle of biblical prophecies, as it causes now a further rift between the USA and the EU.

German Reaction and Litmus Test for Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 8:

“The historical connections between Berlin and Tehran make Germany a strong supporter of the nuclear deal… There’s hardly an issue on which there is more consensus in German politics than the Iran nuclear deal. From the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) to the Left Party, no one in the country shares the US president’s skepticism about the 2015 agreement…”

While the deal was totally unfavorable towards the USA and Europe, “[n]early two-thirds of Americans oppose the country’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord,” according to Newsmax, dated May 8.

Handelsblatt wrote on May 8:

“The announcement Tuesday marked a rupture with major European allies who helped negotiate the accord and who lobbied intensively with Mr. Trump to keep the deal in place… The unilateral move threatens to further destabilize the tumultuous situation in the Middle East. Oil prices have surged in anticipation of US withdrawal and may rise even further amid concerns about supply from OPEC’s third-largest exporter.

“The US sanctions against Iran add a further note of uncertainty to trade relations along with US threats of tariffs in retaliation to what it sees as trade abuses. Iran is already in a crisis with an economy in decline, a weakening currency and rising prices…

“After a good deal of bluster about forging a different path from the United States, Europeans will now have to prove they are capable of doing so. ‘The Iran deal has become a litmus test for European willingness and ability to protect its interests and to uphold a critical element of the international order,’ Oliver Meier, an expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin…

“The reaction in Germany was predictably unfavorable…”

As the article points out, it will be interesting to see what Europe is willing and capable of doing.

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 9:

“[German] Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Germany, France and the UK would speak with one voice on the Iran accord: ‘We remain committed to the nuclear deal,’ he said…  The German minister said that Trump’s decision was ‘incomprehensible’ and had dealt a blow to stability in the Middle East…”

Iran’s Options

JTA wrote on May 8:

“One half of the Iranian response is guaranteed to be rhetorical, with an emphasis on persuading Europe to resist the U.S. move by taking actions favorable to Tehran. The other half of Iran’s response will consist of accelerating its nuclear program in order to show that it will not accept the constraints imposed by a nuclear deal that Washington rejects…

“Iran’s rhetorical response to the re-imposition of sanctions will have three likely goals: 1) expedite and exploit a growing trans-Atlantic divide over Iran policy, 2) convince Europe not to comply with any prospective U.S. sanctions against Iran and 3) get Europe to shield entities that do business with Iranian parties. Given Europe’s fondness of the deal, this will not be a hard sell for Tehran…

“Should the Islamic Republic decide to respond more forcefully, it could resume flight-testing medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), which reportedly last occurred in July 2017. All of Iran’s MRBMs meet the internationally defined standard of being ‘nuclear-capable.’ They also can reach key U.S. partners in the region such as Israel and Saudi Arabia…

“Another way to respond forcefully… would be to harass U.S. warship sin the Persian Gulf, just off the coast of Iran…

“Finally, Iran could also respond via terrorism and assassination, although any such activity on European soil would cause the regime to lose international support. Instead, Tehran might target U.S. troops in Syria, Iraq, or another location in the Middle East… Case in point are the intensifying prospects for war between Iran and Israel in the Syrian theater…”

None of these options sound good for either Israel or the USA.

Ongoing Hostilities between Israel and Iran

The Sun wrote on May 10:

“Iranian forces in Syria have launched missiles at the Israeli military in the annexed Golan Heights region, Israel’s army has claimed. An Israeli air defence (IDF) spokesman said ‘about 20 rockets’ were fired by Iranian Quds Force at the Jewish state’s defensive line in the area – which has been occupied by Israel since 1967. He said that Israeli forces had ‘responded’ after several bases were targeted, adding: ‘The IDF sees this Iranian attack on Israel with severity. This event is not over.’…

“Shortly before the suspected strikes on the Golan Heights, reports within Syria claimed that Israel had attacked targets in the Quneitra province south of Damascus. Syria’s state media said air defences had intercepted ‘hostile Israeli missiles’ on early Thursday morning that were fired over the south west of the capital city. This comes after missiles strikes last night were attributed to Israel following reports of ‘irregular activity’ of Iranian forces in Syria…

“Tuesday’s attacks represent an immediate escalation in tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump walked away from the 2015 nuclear agreement Barack Obama struck with Iran… As… Assad appears to be headed toward victory, Israel fears that Iran, along with tens of thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen, will carry out attacks against it.”

European Relations with US at a State of “Worrying Change”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 6:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said he is worried about European relations with the US…

“Trans-Atlantic relations are in a state of worrying change, with a US administration that takes an ‘every man for himself’ approach to global affairs, the German president said on Sunday… His remarks come as Europe remains at odds with US President Donald Trump over trade, defense and the Iran nuclear deal.

“‘Honestly speaking, I’m really concerned about the development of the trans-Atlantic relationship,’ Steinmeier said. ‘Not because I’m looking at a president with some irritating Twitter messages, but because a substantial change is now going on and (there is) a new American administration that no longer sees us as parts of a global community where we act together but sees the world basically as an arena where everyone has to somehow find their own way.’

“Steinmeier’s comments echo those made by several European politicians since Trump took power more than a year ago, pledging to implement a policy of ‘America First.’”

This article was written BEFORE the announcement of American withdrawal from the Iran deal. Since that announcement, the relationship has become worse.

Eurozone Investors Weary of US Debt

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 9:

“While the US economy is strong, a creeping decline in foreign investment indicates that eurozone investors are growing weary of US debt… Foreign investors are buying less and less American debt, yet the US moves onward with a debt-heavy budget and globally unpopular diplomacy…

“The European Central Bank found that after 2015, over half of US debt securities had been purchased by eurozone investors. Germany in particular holds $90.1 billion (€76 billion) of US debt. In 2017 that trend reversed and eurozone investors became net sellers…

“As long-time president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Maya MacGuineas has seen the US economy through highs and lows. The debt is really a symptom of a broken government process, says MacGuineas, there is no economic justification…

“With $21 trillion in debt and a fresh deficit scheduled to pass $1 trillion per year by 2020, the US carries more debt than the entirety of the EU’s debt combined. It is unlikely any other country in the world could pull this off…”

And maybe the USA can’t pull it off, either.

Moving Embassies to Jerusalem

JTA wrote on May 8:

“Paraguay is moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from its current position near Tel Aviv… Paraguay will be the third country to move its embassy to Jerusalem. The United States will dedicate its temporary Jerusalem embassy on May 14, followed two days later by Guatemala.”

Handelsblatt reported on May 7 that Jerusalem’s mayor declared that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people. The paper added that Israel views Jerusalem as the undivided capital of its state, while the Palestinians desire the eastern part of Jerusalem (which was occupied by Israel in 1967) as the capital of their future state “Palestine.” Please note in this context our Editorial in this issue.

Macron Gets Charlemagne Prize

Euractiv wrote in May 6:

“French President Emmanuel Macron will receive the Charlemagne Prize, the EU’s version of the Nobel Peace Prize, on 10 May… ‘Macron is a head of state with a claim to European leadership’, states the Board of Directors of the Society for the Conferring of the International Charlemagne Prize…‘In the person of Emmanuel Macron, the Charlemagne Prize Society honours a courageous pioneer for the revitalisation of the European dream’, the Board of Directors state…

“The Charlemagne Prize is awarded annually on Ascension Day by the city of Aachen, where Charlemagne, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, was buried. The City of Aachen refers to Charlemagne as the ‘founder of western culture’, and asserts that under his reign, Aachen was the spiritual and political centre of what is now western Europe.

“Among the most recipients are the current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his former capacity of Prime Minister of Luxembourg (2006), former NATO secretary General and EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana (2007), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2008), Council President Donald Tusk in his former capacity of Polish Prime Minister (2010), former Council President Herman Van Rompuy (2014), and former President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, a native son of Aachen (2015).

“In 2016 the Charlemagne Prize was given to Pope Francis in a ceremony which took place in the Vatican, in the presence of Juncker, Tusk and Schulz…”

It appears like Emmanuel Macron will be “used” as an architect for the further unification of Europe. However, the final leader will not be a man from France, but from Germany or Austria.

Macron for Stronger Ties with Catholic Church

Christian Today wrote on May 5:

“President Emmanuel Macron… will travel to the Vatican in June to meet Pope Francis… In April, Macron called for stronger ties between the state and the Catholic Church… The issue is particularly sensitive in historically Catholic France, where matters of faith and state were separated by law in 1905 and which is now home to Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish communities…

“Under a tradition that began in the 15th century when France was a monarchy, French leaders are automatically given the title of ‘First and Only Honorary Canon’ of the Rome Basilica of St John’s in Lateran, which is also the pope’s cathedral in his capacity as bishop of Rome.”

A strong collaboration between the Catholic Church and the entirety of continental Europe (not just France) is clearly prophesied to occur.

Comeback for Martin Schulz?

Der Tagesspiegel wrote on May 4:

“Three years ago, Martin Schulz (SPD) received the Charlemagne prize for his accomplishments as president of the EU Parliament… Schulz’s heart beats for Europe… He gave more power to the EU Parliament than any other politician. Right now, his hands are tied. But this does not have to continue.

“Social Democrats begin to think of Schulz’s grandiose future role… At the end of April, Schulz elated the delegates with his advocacy for the strengthening of Europe… ‘Without a strong Europe, the populists will win,’ he shouted. ‘Then there will be war.’ It is now being discussed within the SPD whether the comeback of Schulz for the big stage of Brussels is being prepared…

“Schulz said that right now, he sees his role in the German Parliament… As former President of the EU Parliament, he says that he knows very well what influence Germany could have in Brussels… ‘That is why I’m pretty established in the German Parliament at this time.’ At this time.”

Schulz might very well be another architect to be “used” for the final unification of European core nations.

Trump Angers France and Britain

Express wrote on May 6:

“In a speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Friday, Mr Trump imitated the shooting of victims in the Paris attack and said if civilians had been armed ‘it would have been a whole different story.’ The French government has issued its strongest criticism of the US President since he took office… The Paris foreign office said in a statement: ‘France expresses its firm disapproval of President Trump’s comments about the Paris attacks on Nov. 13, 2015 and demands that the memory of the victims be respected. France is proud to be a country where acquiring and carrying firearms is strictly regulated.’

“French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he hoped Mr Trump ‘would come back on his words and express regret’. Mr Le Maire told BFM television on Sunday: ‘His comments are shocking and not worthy of the president of the world’s greatest superpower.’ The mayor of Paris, along with other French politicians, were angered by Mr Trump’s comments after he mimicked the scene of the massacre by Islamist assailants at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall, which left 90 of the 130 victims dead. Mr Trump used his hands in a gun gesture and said: ‘They took their time and gunned them down one by one. Boom! Come over here. Boom! Come over here. Boom!’

“Former French president Francois Hollande took to Twitter to condemn Mr Trump’s comments as ‘shameful’ and ‘obscene’.

“Mr Trump’s comments have also caused upset in Britain, after the US leader linked knife crime to an absence of guns. The US president, whose state visit to Britain is planned for July 13, told NRA members that a ‘once very prestigious’ London hospital, which he did not name, had become overwhelmed with knife attack victims. Making stabbing gestures, he said: ‘They don’t have guns. They have knives and instead there’s blood all over the floors of this hospital. They say it’s as bad as a military war zone hospital. Knives, knives, knives, knives.’…”

In a related article, Express wrote on May 6:

“Mr Griffiths, who works at the Royal London Hospital… said he would be happy to invite Mr Trump to tour the hospital and meet police and the capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan ‘to discuss our successes in violence reduction in London’ when the president visits the UK.

“The director of the capital’s major trauma system, Royal London surgeon Professor Karim Brohi, said: ‘Knife violence is a serious issue for London… There is more we can all do to combat this violence, but to suggest guns are part of the solution is ridiculous. Gunshot wounds are at least twice as lethal as knife injuries and more difficult to repair.’…”

Even the relationship between the USA and the UK is prophesied to deteriorate.

Accept Brexit!

Express wrote on May 4:

“Piers Morgan caused uproar from the BBC audience when he said those wanting to thwart Brexit must accept ‘it’s over’ and respect the democratic vote… Mr Morgan said: ‘What I’m absolutely sure about is this – we had a referendum. We had a democratic vote in this country.

“‘Everybody had a chance to go ahead and have their say and this country voted, democratically, to leave. It wasn’t the choice I would have made but that was the decision taken. We are going to get into a very dangerous place in this country, in my view, if we actually go against the democratic result of a democratic referendum in this country. I would urge people to be very careful.’”

Whether many of the Brits want to accept Brexit or not, it is certain to occur.

Mr. Trump’s Credibility Further at Stake

The Editorial Board of the conservative and generally Trump-friendly Wall Street Journal wrote on May 3:

“Most storms pass eventually. This week Donald Trump tried to ensure that Stormy Daniels doesn’t rain down permanent distraction on his Presidency, though at the cost of further damage to his credibility. Mr. Trump contradicted his previous statements that he had no knowledge of payments that his lawyer had made to Ms. Daniels — the pornographic-movie actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford —to quell stories of an alleged affair.

“Speaking in his new role as Mr. Trump’s lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani disclosed that Mr. Trump made a series of payments to reimburse lawyer Michael Cohen, who had paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 as part of a non-disclosure agreement late in the 2016 presidential campaign.

“In explanatory tweets Thursday, President Trump said that ‘Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA.’

“The apparent reason for these contortions is the possibility that the payments if made by Mr. Cohen would have exceeded federal campaign-finance donation limits…

“Messrs. Trump and Giuliani are arguing that Mr. Trump’s payments to Ms. Clifford were made for reasons that fall outside Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. And perhaps these admissions will lessen Mr. Trump’s legal vulnerability. What remains is the political damage. Attempting to quiet a similar storm in 1998, President Bill Clinton said, ‘I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.’ Many of Mr. Clinton’s political supporters were unmoved by the allegations against him. Similarly now, Mr. Trump’s most ardent backers believe these charges aren’t relevant to his public initiatives as President.

“That may be true regarding whether Mr. Trump had an affair more than a decade ago. Voters in 2016 knew Mr. Trump was no choir boy, and the irony is that news of an affair would probably have made no difference in his race against Hillary Clinton, who was Bill Clinton’s wife and chief defender.

“But Mr. Trump’s public deceptions are surely relevant to his job as President, and the attempted cover-up has done greater harm than any affair would have. Mr. Trump asked Americans, not least his supporters, to believe his claims about the payments. They were false and conveniently so in putting the onus on Mr. Cohen. Now, as more of the story has emerged, he wants everyone to believe a new story that he could have told the first time.

“Mr. Trump is compiling a record that increases the likelihood that few will believe him during a genuine crisis—say, a dispute over speaking with special counsel Robert Mueller or a nuclear showdown with Kim Jong Un. Mr. Trump should worry that Americans will stop believing anything he says.”

First For, Now Against Gun Control

Bloomberg reported on May 4 (as republished by Newsmax):

“President Donald Trump delivered a strong support for the National Rifle Association at its annual meeting on Friday… ‘You give your time, your energy, your vote and your voice to stand strong for those sacred rights given to us by God, including the right to self-defense,’ Trump told the group’s members…

“But the Parkland, Florida shooting, which left 17 high school students and school employees dead and galvanized gun-control advocates, led Trump to consider supporting firearms restrictions the NRA has long opposed, including expanded background checks. That flirtation didn’t last long. Under pressure from the NRA’s leaders and its allies in Congress and within the White House, he fell back in line and hasn’t taken on the gun group. He pivoted from weighing limits on gun sales to encouraging teachers to arm themselves— a position enthusiastically backed by the NRA.”

Sadly, President Trump is fundamentally wrong when stating that self-defense is a God-given right and when promoting arming teachers. Both positions are strongly condemned in the Bible.

Trump’s “Facts” Change and Change and Change…

Newsmax wrote on May 4:

“Fox News anchor Shepard Smith attacked President Donald Trump on Friday for speaking to the National Rifle Association in Dallas, months after slamming Congress for being ‘afraid’ of the powerful gun lobby in the wake of the Florida school massacre. ‘The president falsely stated that Democrats wanted all guns outlawed,’ Smith said on his program. During a roundtable discussion with school-shooting survivors after the Feb. 14 attack, President Trump had called for such measures as raising the legal age for buying AR-15s from 18 to 21 and tightening background checks on gun buyers. ‘Today, he headlined the NRA convention,’ Smith said.

“The Fox anchor also blasted Trump for the ‘brand-new series of words presented for our consumption’ on the $130,000 payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels over allegations of an affair with the president in 2006. ‘Maybe Team Trump’s just-shifting strategy’s shifting again,’ Smith said. ‘Maybe they’re trying to confuse everybody.’ Smith noted that Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who is now on Trump’s legal team, told Fox’s Sean Hannity Wednesday that Trump had reimbursed the $130,000 payment attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels. On Thursday, Trump appeared to back Giuliani on Twitter — but then said on Friday that the former mayor needed to ‘get his facts straight.’

“Last month, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he did not know of the Daniels payment. Smith observed: ‘What Team Trump said last month then changed last week, then reimagined again on Tuesday, was revised and extended again this morning. And space under the bus is now at a premium,’ he continued. ‘Rudy Giuliani found himself wedged there today, when the president said his lawyer still has to get his facts straight.”

“Smith then noted that Giuliani put out his own statement Friday afternoon seeking to clarify the Fox comments. Giuliani said: ‘My references to timing were not describing my understanding of the president’s knowledge, but instead, my understanding of these matters.’ But Smith quipped: ‘Now let this one sink in just in case this version lasts more than a few hours.’”

Shepherd Smith is one of the very few current anchors, commentators and moderators on Fox News who are not just turning a blind eye on everything President Trump does or says, however problematic it may be… unlike many others, including the unofficial spokesperson for Donald Trump, Sean Hannity,  who seems to be unwilling or unable to open his eyes to the facts.

According to the Washington Post’s fact-check list, President Trump engaged in over 3,000 exaggerations, misrepresentations or outright lies since his inauguration. The New York Times reported that he knew about the hush money being paid to Stormy Daniels BEFORE he denied any knowledge (As we reported earlier, it stretches the imagination anyhow to assume that an attorney would have paid hush money to a blackmailer without his client’s knowledge and consent.)

On the other hand, Fox News host Neil Cavuto did not hold back in pointing out the chaos which President Trump is creating. See the next article.

“Mr. President, It’s Your Stink! It’s Your Swamp!”

The Washington Post wrote on May 4:

“Fox News host Neil Cavuto ripped into President Trump’s trail of conflicting and false statements in a monologue on Thursday… Speaking directly to the president on his show, ‘Your World With Neil Cavuto,’ he questioned why Trump lambastes the news media for ‘fake news’ when his own statements are often contradictory… ‘Let me be clear, Mr. President,’ Cavuto said. ‘How can you drain the swamp if you’re the one who keeps muddying the waters?

“‘You didn’t know about the $130,000 payment to a porn star, until you did,’ he continued. ‘Said you knew nothing about how your former lawyer handled this, until you acknowledged today that you were the guy behind the retainer payment that took care of this. You insist that money from the campaign or campaign contributions played no role in this transaction. Of that you’re sure. The thing is, not even 24 hours ago, sir, you couldn’t recall any of this.’

“Cavuto went on to tick off a list of examples of statements Trump has made that were incorrect or appeared to conflict with earlier statements. There was ‘the time you said the Russians didn’t interfere in the 2016 election, until a lot of Republicans had to remind you they did,’ Cavuto said. ‘Came back months later, and you said, “Well, I never said that Russia didn’t meddle in the election,” when in fact you had—a lot.’

“There was the time Trump claimed the tax reform bill ‘would cost you a fortune when it turns out it is going to help make you a bigger fortune,’ Cavuto said. And the time ‘you said there was serious voter fraud in New Hampshire, and there wasn’t.’ And the time Trump said ‘millions of illegals voted in the last election, but they didn’t.’… ‘You are right to say some of them [in the press] are out to get you. But oftentimes they’re using your own words to bat you,’ Cavuto said. ‘You probably  might not care. But you should. I guess you’ve been too busy draining the swamp to stop and smell the stink you’re creating. That’s your doing. That’s your stink. Mr. President, that’s your swamp.’

“Cavuto, a Fox News host since the network started in 1996, has been known to be critical of Trump and to speak to him in a direct tone, as though Trump were sitting in his living room listening on the other side of the tube. Cavuto’s style breaks from that of many of his Fox News colleagues, particularly commentators who have heaped praise on Trump. But it’s more akin to that of Shepard Smith, who is known to poke holes in the president’s statements.

“Earlier this month, Smith said of Trump’s claims that the U.S. Postal Service was losing money because of Amazon: ‘None of that was true.’…

“In the past, he has told Trump to ‘stop scapegoating’ others following those tirades [on Twitter]… ‘They’re not the problem, Mr. President,” he told Trump, referring to those he targeted on Twitter. ‘You are.’”

Cloning Horror

Express wrote on May 3:

“Scientists have created a living embryo in a laboratory without using either egg or sperm in ground-breaking but hugely controversial experiments. The experimental research combined two types of stem cells and created a viable embryo – which the team say would provide an unlimited stock for medical research… The researchers believe the wonder creation could see mice being cloned in three years time, and humans two decades later. Lead researcher, Professor Nicholas Rivron of Maastricht University, said the main use for the embryos would be to test drugs and solve the infertility riddle.

“He said: ‘As you know, embryos are very precious, and it is impossible to use to test drugs on them as you don’t have the numbers. With blastocysts you can open up the numbers. This will allow screening medicines in the future.’ Professor Robin Lovell-Badge of the Francis Crick Institute added while the experiment was a huge breakthrough for modern science, it may come as a relief it cannot be replicated in humans yet…

“Cloning continues to fascinate the science world, particularly after Dolly the Sheep made headlines across the globe in 1996. The ewe lived for six years after being the first mammal cloned by professors at the University of Edinburgh by Keith Campbell and Ian Wilmut. The animal died five months before her seventh birthday from a progressive lung disease.”

“Major Quake Hits Hawaii, Prompts Further Volcano Eruptions”

Reuters reported on May 7:

“Lava spewing in fountains up to 300 feet high from an erupting Hawaiian volcano has destroyed 35 homes and other buildings… Kilauea, which began exploding on Thursday with fountains and rivers of lava flowing into neighborhoods, has opened 10 volcanic vents since then…

“The southeast corner of the island was rocked by a powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the volcano’s south flank on Friday, the strongest tremor since 1975, and more earthquakes and eruptions have been forecast, perhaps for months to come.

“Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes and one of five on the island, has been in constant eruption for 35 years. It predominantly blows off basaltic lava in effusive eruptions that flow into the ocean but occasionally experiences more explosive events…”

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

“The Relationship Between the US and German Leaders Isn’t Getting Any Better”

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 28:

“Ultimately… both [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel and [French President Emmanuel] Macron returned home empty handed… from meetings that were overshadowed by the talks between the two Koreas. Both realized that Trump is determined to implement what he promised his constituents’…”

The World Must Take Trump Seriously

Bild Online wrote on April 27:

“It was not Angela Merkel’s day. It was Donald Trump’s day. What his admired predecessor Obama was not able to do, he did with a mixture of strength and unpredictability…

“The world’s most powerful woman went home empty handed… [Trump] views himself to be on a mission to repair everything which was damaged by his predecessors…

“Trump was scoffed at, ridiculed and hated. All attempts to defeat him diplomatically, psychologically or with flattery have failed. The world—and that is the other message of this travel [by Macron and Merkel]—will have to learn to take him seriously.”

Another Delay re Tariffs

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 1, 2018:

“The Trump administration has pushed back its decision on imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union and other US allies…

“The Trump administration will extend temporary steel and aluminum tariff exemptions for the European Union, Canada and Mexico until June 1, Reuters news agency and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the decision. One source told Reuters that the US has reached an initial agreement with Australia, Argentina and Brazil concerning the tariffs.

“The temporary tariff exemptions were due to expire at midnight US Eastern Standard Time (0400 UTC), after which the US allied countries would face import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Trump already imposed the tariffs in March, but granted temporary exemptions to the EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and Brazil. South Korea secured a permanent exemption on steel tariffs, but only after agreeing to slash its steel exports to the US by around 30 percent.

“The US administration justified issuing the tariffs, which are aimed primarily at China, on national security grounds. Washington also told its allies that they must make concessions in order to obtain a permanent exemption. In a tit-for-tat move, the EU said that it will impose its own duties on US exports, including bourbon, motorcycles, peanut butter and makeup. Brussels said it will not agree to concessions until it first secures an exemption. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said any move to impose tariffs on Canada would be a ‘very bad idea.’ Canada is the largest steel importer into the US.”

The delay does not end the concern of a coming trade war between the USA and Europe.

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 2:

“This president does not value his allies… The US president and his trade advisers have made it clear to the EU that they want to dictate the conditions for the trade in steel and aluminum… But the European Union must not yield to this blackmail attempt from the White House…  the EU has no reason to be timid; it is an economic power equal to the US.”

A Chance for Germany?

Der Spiegel wrote on April 18:

“The cracks in trans-Atlantic relations caused by Donald Trump’s election provide an opportunity for Germany to finally forge ahead with its own foreign policy. One that draws Europe together and fights for what is right.

“The world has become a more complicated place and the U.S. is no longer a reliable partner…  Germany must become more active and become a foreign policy player… Together with France, we need to pull Europe together into a single unit… If Germany and France want to lead together, then they must talk to each other far more frequently…

“The new U.S. supports Israel’s settlements policy and wants to force international recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city. Most Europeans, on the other hand, believe this to be playing with dynamite and also tend to see the Palestinians more as victims than the Israelis. Europe supports the battle against climate change, whereas America, or at least its government, is promoting climate change for ideological reasons. Europe supports international courts, but the U.S. is against them. The same applies to a strengthening of the United Nations.”

Europe Needs France and Germany

On April 27, Germany’s former foreign minister and vice chancellor Joschka Fischer wrote the following in Project Syndicate:

“… without the US, Germany’s only other source of defense is a stronger Europe…at a time when the foundations of the global order are shifting at Europe’s expense, marginal reforms will not suffice… Europe and the West need a Franco-German response equal to that once provided by François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, and by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer before them. And they need it now. History will not stand still.”

Needed… a Stronger Nucleus of European Nations?

Politico wrote on April 10:

“Valéry Giscard d’Estaing wants to restart Europe — and move forward with fewer countries. At 92, the former French president and a preeminent architect of the European Union [is] still trying to shape the future of the Continent…

“Under Giscard’s presidency, France and Germany put in place the European monetary system that laid the ground for a single EU currency, and established the European Council, which is widely considered the most powerful institution in Brussels… For Giscard, the EU’s last major step forward took place in 1992, with the Treaty of Maastricht, which laid the foundations for the euro and widely expanded cooperation between European countries. The lack of progress has left the Continent adrift in a world buffeted by ever more rapid change…

“In a 2014 book, ‘Europa: The Last Chance for Europe,’ Giscard called for a rebooting of the European project, with the ‘urgent’ construction of a ‘strong and federated’ entity of 12 European nations that would include the six founding members (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) plus Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Poland…

“According to its chief executive Erika Widegren, Re-imagine Europa… will focus on Giscard’s ‘clear-cut vision’ of a ‘stronger nucleus’ of EU countries. She added that the countries Giscard thinks could work together may no longer be the 12 from his book since ‘things have changed drastically since 2014.’… ‘At the moment, Europe does not have a government,’ Giscard said.”

A strong nucleus of European core nations will emerge out of the EU. The Bible speaks of ten nations or groups of nations.

Martin Schulz Already Back?

Der Stern wrote on April 19 about former German Chancellor candidate and leader of the SPD, Martin Schulz:

“Actually, he is already back. Martin Schulz is apparently quite ready again…

“As stated, Martin Schulz has already returned … but only very few have noticed it.”

Crosses a Must in Bavaria, Germany

The Local wrote on April 25:

“Bavarian leader Markus Söder has announced that crosses must hang in all the state’s government buildings, saying the move is a ‘commitment to Bavarian identity and culture.’…’The cross is not a sign of religion,’ he said after the cabinet meeting. ‘This is not a violation of the principle of neutrality.’

“The new regulation was approved by the cabinet, allowing the new cross mandate to take effect by June 1st. The ordinance applies exclusively to the offices of the state of Bavaria… Alternative for Germany (AfD) officials reportedly welcomed the announcement, while other parties voiced their concern about the CSU’s religious policies…

“Free Democrat (FDP) leader Christian Lindner said: ‘The way Markus Söder and the CSU permanently instrumentalize religions for party politics is reminiscent of (Turkish President) Erdogan…’

“But the actual cross which was put up by the Minister-President does have a religious background. It hung in the Cabinet Room until 2008, was a gift from the former Munich Cardinal Friedrich Wetter and, according to Söder, was also consecrated by the religious figure… The south German state is one of the most Catholic regions in the country.”

The Local added on May 3:

“Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and the head of the German Bishops’ Conference, was having none of it — Mr. Söder, he said, was co-opting a clearly religious symbol for his own devices… ‘Seeing the cross purely as a cultural symbol shows a misunderstanding…’”

It is amazing how politicians try to get their way by circumventing the law with ridiculously juvenile arguments.

Germany’s New US Ambassador

The Local wrote on April 27:

“51-year-old Michigan native and ex-Fox News commentator Richard Grenell was officially appointed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador in Germany…

“This Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government grad… [was] appointed in 2001 by then-President George W.Bush to be the American spokesman at the United Nations. He ended up becoming the longest-serving person in this role, leaving the post in 2008.

“He then worked as a national security and foreign affairs adviser to Mitt Romney during his 2012 campaign for the White House. This made him the first openly gay spokesman for a Republican presidential candidate – a fact which he proudly states on his official website…

“While working at the UN, he unsuccessfully fought to have his partner, consumer insights expert Matt Lashey, listed as a spouse in the personnel directory… In 2013, he signed an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage.

“As a former Fox News contributor, he called the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that granted same-sex marriage across the United States ‘a huge win’, arguing that conservatives should rejoice…

“Grenell’s position representing the United States to Germany may be more confrontational than those who have held the position more recently given Trump’s opposing views with Angela Merkel on key issues, from trade to fighting climate change.

“Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the international Paris climate accord, which Merkel has called ‘unfortunate’, left the US President standing alone on the issue during the G20 summit in Hamburg…

“Grenell could seek to target increased trade between German companies and Iran… He furthermore has recently criticized Berlin’s attitude to the Syrian war: ‘French and British forces are joining the US in attacking Syria over the heinous chemical attack on civilians, and Germany should have joined this P3 group,’ he said.”

Trump’s “Shift”

The Week wrote on May 3:

“President Trump acknowledged Thursday morning that his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she says she had with Trump in 2006. Trump had denied knowing about the payment to Daniels when questioned by reporters on Air Force One last month. Cohen ‘received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement,’ a non-disclosure agreement, Trump wrote.

“‘These agreements are very common among celebrities and people of wealth.’ Trump’s tweets followed Rudy Giuliani’s interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, where Giuliani confirmed that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000.”

Many commentators and journalists concluded that Trump and the White House lied about the entire affair. Calls for impeachment can be heard again. Stormy Daniel’s lawyer echoed the sentiment by some that Trump will not endure his four years in office. However, Trump’s popularity rate is still at 50%. There will be no impeachment; Trump will stay in office for his entire tenure; and we take it for granted that in case of new elections, he will be reelected for another term.

The Miracle of the Jewish State

Bloomberg wrote on April 18:

“In November 1947, one day prior to the expected United Nations vote on partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, the CIA urged President Harry Truman not to throw his weight behind the idea. America would have to defend the new Jewish state when it faltered, the CIA’s secret memorandum warned, adding that ‘the Jews will be able to hold out no longer than two years.’

“Several months later, David Ben-Gurion was about to declare the establishment of the State of Israel. Seated among the dozen or so men who would determine the fate of the state-to-be, he famously turned to one of his top military commanders, Yigael Yadin, and asked him if he thought a new Jewish state would survive the military onslaught that the Arabs would inevitably launch. Yadin, who would later serve as chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, replied that he thought the Jewish state would have a 50-50 chance…

“Today… [a]s the modern Israeli state celebrates 70 years, the prevailing sentiment is one of extraordinary accomplishment… In 1948, there were some 650,000 Jews in Israel, who represented about 5 percent of the world’s Jews. Today, Israel’s Jewish population has grown ten-fold and stands at about 6.8 million people. Some 43 percent of the world’s Jews live in Israel; this population overtook American Jews several years ago and is now the world’s largest Jewish community…

“At times, financial collapse seemed imminent. Food was rationed and black markets developed. Israel had virtually no heavy machinery for building the infrastructure that it desperately needed. Until Germany paid Holocaust reparations, the young state’s financial condition was perilous. Today, that worry also feels like a relic from another time. Israel is not only a significant military power (and in the region, a superpower) but also a formidable economic machine. A worldwide center for technology that has more companies listed on the Nasdaq than any country other than the U.S., Israel’s economy barely hiccupped in 2008. The shekel, its currency, is strong… Israel has become an important cultural center…

“Yet some of the initial worries and troubles of those early years persist. Militarily, the looming enemy is… Iran. The Israeli military is bracing for a possible Iranian missile or drone attack. International support for Israel remains a concern…”

For more information on Israel’s past, present and future, view our StandingWatch program, “The Miraculous 70 Years Existence of the State of Israel… What’s Next?”

Big Earthquake Overdue in Israel

The Jewish press wrote on April 28:

“Starting at 7:45 AM, a series of three small earthquakes shook the Dead Sea region. The epicenter of the quakes were on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea and measured 3.1, 3.5 and 2.8 on the Richter scale.

“The Dead Sea sits right on the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system, which is a series of faults that run from the Maras Triple Junction (a junction with the East Anatolian Fault in southeastern Turkey) to the northern end of the Red Sea Rift (just offshore of the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula). Israel is generally hit with a large earthquake every 70 years, and the big one is currently long overdue.”

Confirmed—The First Two Temples WERE on the Temple Mount

Breaking Israel News wrote on April 25:

“A once thoroughly debunked theory that the two Jewish Temples did not stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is currently gaining traction in the Christian world. A new ‘Cry for Zion’ video explains why we know the Temples were on the Temple Mount and that it is essential for Christians to connect with the Jews’ holiest site.

“Cry for Zion, a nongovernmental organization of Jews and Christians advocating Jewish rights to the Temple Mount, features Doron Keidar, the founder of Cry for Zion, and John Enarson, the organization’s Christian Relations and Creative Director. Their motivation for producing the video was generated in reaction to Robert Cornuke’s best-selling book titled ‘Temple: Amazing New Discoveries that Change Everything About the Location of Solomon’s Temple,’ published in 2014.  According to Cornuke’s theory,both Jewish Temples stood further south in an area now known as Ir David (the City of David). Instead, a massive Roman fort stood on what is now known as the Temple Mount.

“Cornuke presents a theory that sheds doubt on the Jewish claim to the Temple Mount. Coupled with the UNESCO resolutions that designate the Temple Mount as an exclusively Muslim holy site, Keidar fears the Jewish claim to its holiest site is under threat. Cornuke’s theory was criticized for having no archaeological basis and for contradicting Temple-era historical accounts, such as that of Josephus Flavius, a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar who cited the Mount as the location of the Second Temple. Despite being definitively debunked by archaeologists and Biblical scholars, the alternate Temple location theory continues to have a following within some segments of the Christian community…

“‘I was surprised to discover that we have had a continual Jewish presence on the Mount, as well as on the Mount of Olives, east of Mount Zion facing the Holy Temple,’ Keidar said. ‘Thanks to this unbroken chain, we are absolutely sure of the location of the Temple. It is important for Christians to acknowledge that we have never abandoned the Temple Mount…”

Even though some uninformed and ignorant biblical “scholars” deny this FACT, a third temple WILL be built on the Temple Mount prior to Christ’s return. Please view our StandingWatch program, “A Third Temple prior to Christ’s Return.”

Antisemitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 22:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is ‘burdened’’ by the failure to eradicate antisemitism in  Germany… ‘I am embarrassed due to the fact that Jewish institutions require security details in 2018,’ Merkel said. She connected this with the arrival of refugees and ‘people of Arab heritage’ who, Merkel said, ‘bring with them a new form of antisemitism into Germany.’ The chancellor added that ‘to our regret, antisemitism existed in Germany even before [their arrival].’”

And sadly, anti-Semitism will continue to exist in Germany and in most Western European nations.

Israel Accuses Iran of Violation of Treaty

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 30:

“In a televised presentation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of moving nuclear weapons to a secret location. The US administration has indicated it plans to back out of the Iran nuclear deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented on Monday what he claimed was proof that Iran had broken the terms of the nuclear deal signed in 2015with major world powers.

“Netanyahu said he was prepared to share the ‘incriminating’ files on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, ‘Project Amad.’ He said Israel recently uncovered 55,000 documents and 183 CDs from Iran’s ‘nuclear archives.’”

It was also reported that Monday’s missile strikes on Syria “were likely carried out by Israel,” and Haaretz said that Israel was prepared to attack Iran broadly, both on Iranian soil, but also in Syria.

Ignorant Americans… Holocaust—What’s That?

The New York Times wrote on April 12:

“Thirty-one percent of Americans, and 41 percent of millennials, believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust; the actual number is around six million.

“Forty-one percent of Americans, and 66 percent of millennials, cannot say what Auschwitz was. And 52 percent of Americans wrongly think Hitler came to power through force.”

Alfie Dies—Shame on the Guilty Parties

Fox News wrote on April 30:

“Alfie Evans, a terminally ill British toddler whose case drew attention from Pope Francis and others around the world, has died, his parents announced Saturday morning. Parents Kate James, 20, and Tom Evans, 21, wrote on Facebook that they were “absolutely heartbroken” that they had lost their son.

“Alfie was born in May 2016. Later that year he suffered a series of seizures and was admitted to a hospital in Liverpool where he has been since, BBC reported. Alfie developed an incurable degenerative brain condition and was at the center of a legal battle over his treatment. Medics struggled to precisely identify Alfie’s condition.

“Doctors said further treatment was futile and recommended that Alfie be allowed to die, but his parents — backed by the pope and Christian groups — fought for months to take him to a hospital in Italy so he could be kept on life support.

“The hospital withdrew Alfie’s life support Monday after a series of court rulings sided with doctors who said continuing Alfie’s treatment was ‘not in Alfie’s best interests.’… Under British law, courts often intervene when parents and doctors disagree over the treatment of a child… News of Alfie’s death has brought an outpouring of messages from people sending their condolences.”

Bild Online wrote on April 29 that German Professor Dr. Nikolas Haas was asked by the British court to prepare an expert opinion regarding Alfie. He argued unsuccessfully that in light of the German history, a society must be able to treat all persons in the same way. He feels that the doctors’ decision to end Alfie’s life was based on the fear of high costs for the national health system and mere arrogance.

He pointed out that in Germany, the wish of the parents would have been accepted and the treatment of Alfie would of course have been ongoing, and that it was surprising that Alfie had not at least been transferred to the parents’ home, in accordance with the parents’ wishes. Bild reported that the wishes of the parents were not honored by the doctors because of the “hatred” of Alfie’s supporters towards the hospital staff.

If all of this is true, then it is abominable to see a “civilized” society use such autocratic and dictatorial powers to place its “judgment” over the judgment of the parents. The worst memories of Hitler’s Nazi Germany surface.

California About to Attack Homeschooling

Fox News reported on April 17:

“… you might think that California’s government has enough on its hands, just trying to keep kids in our public schools safe. But you’d be wrong… The recently introduced Assembly Bills 2756 and 2926 are cases in point.

“This first, AB 2756, requires fire marshals to perform in-home inspections of home-schoolers every year, implying that somehow home-educators are less fire-safe than other individuals. This is, of course, egregiously discriminatory on its face… With AB 2926, Assembly Member Susan Eggman proposes forming an appointed committee to ‘investigate’ homeschooling.The ‘instruction’ committee would subsequently share its findings so that the California legislature might consider how best to regulate those families…

“According to 2016 Census data, California now ranks 44^th in the union for pre-K through 12^th grade education… In contrast, home educated students typically score 15 to 30 percentile points better than their public school peers. This result is completely independent of whether the home-schooling parent is a certified teacher, and unrelated [to] the degree of state control and regulation. Of course, this annoys teachers unions, so they likely are quite happy about the new legislation. The NEA said in their 2014-15 Resolutions, ‘The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience.’…

“We already have mandatory vaccines in California. With the current anti-religious climate, perhaps the bureaucrats would insist all religious items, including Bibles, be removed from private homes… Maybe your family eats too much sugar, so the government would impose candy restrictions in your home…

“In a nation that honors freedom, the government does not belong in our private affairs, and home education is one such environment. California AB 2926 represents the government at its worst, grabbing for any shred of power over the citizen, with absolutely no reason to do so and every argument to invest its time and resources otherwise. Let California’s government fix all that’s wrong in our public schools – the poor scholastic performance, sexual abuse problems, and safety issues – before trying to micro-manage private citizens who are successfully overseeing their children’s education outside of government and union control.”

Breaking Christian News reported on May 1:

“Some traveled hours, others waited hours, all for the opportunity to protest one of the most outrageous homeschooling bills every introduced: California’s AB 2756….

“Nearly 1,000 people spoke out in opposition, reporters said, including a candidate for governor, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R). ‘AB 2756 is absolutely wrong. It must fail. It must fail today,’ he said. ‘California’s parents and children have the right to the very best education this state can possibly provide.’…

“By afternoon’s end, only two people from the surrounding area spoke in support of the controversial bill. Hours later, families got the news they’d been waiting for ‘no member of the committee was willing to make a motion for a vote.’ The bill was dead…”

Still, the power the governments [in this case California] want to impose on their citizens is indeed frightening. The tragic case of Baby Alfie should wake us up to realize where such totalitarian attempts might lead. Also note the next disturbing article.

California About to Attack Opponents to Homosexuality

Christian Headlines wrote on April 13:

“A bill quickly moving through the California state legislature may threaten the religious freedom of those who object to homosexuality… this bill… is known as Assembly Bill 2943… [and] include[s] ‘sexual orientation change efforts.’… For example, a simple monetary transaction – buying a book about overcoming homosexuality, or paying a counselor for help with gender confusion – would trigger AB 2943…

“Christian schools, churches and others who hold to a traditional understanding of marriage and sexuality would be open to lawsuits for teaching biblical truth about homosexuality or transgenderism…”

Please read our free booklet, “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.”

Confirmed—the Biblical Fountains of the Deep at the Tome of Noah

The website of beginningandend wrote the following on April 7:

“…scientists have now confirmed what Scripture refers to as ‘the fountains of the deep.’In the days of Noah and the Ark, these large pools of water beneath the Earth’s crust burst forth onto the surface providing the massive amounts of water needed for the global flood judgment. What has once been a source of skepticism and mockery for those who doubt the Bible, has now been confirmed by secular scientists, again showing that although written over 3,000 years ago, the Bible’s description of the Earth and its natural properties are indeed accurate.

“An international team of scientists led by Graham Pearson, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Arctic Resources at the U of A, has discovered the first-ever sample of a mineral called ringwoodite. Analysis of the mineral shows it contains a significant amount of water — 1.5 per cent of its weight — a finding that confirms scientific theories about vast volumes of water trapped 410 to 660 kilometres beneath Earth’s surface, between the upper and lower mantle. ‘This sample really provides extremely strong confirmation that there are local wet spots deep in the Earth in this area,’ said Pearson, a professor in the Faculty of Science, whose findings were published March 13 in Nature. ‘That particular zone in the Earth, the transition zone, might have as much water as all the world’s oceans put together.’

“Ringwoodite is a form of the mineral peridot, believed to exist in large quantities under high pressures in the transition zone. Ringwoodite has been found in meteorites but, until now, no terrestrial sample has ever been unearthed because scientists haven’t been able to conduct fieldwork at extreme depths. The vast oceans of water beneath the Earth’s crust is precisely what the Bible describes in the first book of Genesis…

“Many have questioned the Biblical account of Noah’s flood since the Bible clearly states that the water was 15 cubits (approximately 25 feet) over every mountain. This would require more water than presently exists on the Earth’s surface. However, with the confirmation of the subterranean oceans, that is now possible… Additionally, scientists have also just recently confirmed that large amounts of water could reach the Earth’s surface through deep sea faults. And the area of the globe with the greatest potential to do so [is] in the Pacific ‘ring of fire’ volcanic region… the precise area… as the most likely source for the great geysers that flooded the Earth in Noah’s day.”

Atheists and agnostics won’t be convinced, but for those with eyes to see, these discoveries are truly remarkable.

The Crazy Flat Earth Conspiracies

The website of iflscience reported on May 1:

“Flat-Earthers from around the globe have gathered once again for a conference… hundreds of years after people first circumnavigated the Earth, and thousands of years after we discovered that it was round…

“Hence why people claim that there is a wall around the Earth, or that rocket launches are faked by shooting them in reverse… One speaker even explained how we’re all living in a Pac-Man world. One speaker at the conference said that he had proved that gravity doesn’t exist… He explained at the conference that using a Nikon camera and a mobile app he tracked the movements of the Moon across the sky, and disproved the laws of planetary motion…

“In order to explain people living on the other side of the planet, it appears that flat-Earthers continue to believe that Australia doesn’t exist.”

Will stupidity never cease?

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.

Far-Right Victor Orban Wins in Hungary

JTA wrote on April 9:

“[Hungary’s] Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party won in a landslide, riding a wave of rhetoric and policies that have set Hungary apart from the rest of the European Union for its veneration of pro-Nazi collaborators, anti-Semitic politicians and propaganda campaigns that critics say amount to racist incitement against Jews and other minorities…

“Leaders of far-right movements in Europe – part of a rising force that since last year alone have made unprecedented gains in elections in France, Austria, Holland and Italy — celebrated Orban’s clinching of more than 49 percent as a victory for their cause.”

Der Spiegel wrote on April 9:

“It’s an historic victory for Orbán, but also for Hungary and the rest of Central and Southeastern Europe. Never before in Hungarian history and never since the end of the communist dictatorships has a party in the region scored such a commanding victory in three elections in a row.

“In an extremely divisive campaign, Orbán essentially focused on one single issue, warning against Hungary’s ‘downfall’ at the hands of ‘immigrants.’ It appears that a majority of Hungarian voters view him as the only guarantee against such a scenario.”

Skillful propagandists have always persuaded people to vote for them.

Far-Right Views All Over Europe

The Daily Mail wrote on April 4:

“Polish officials recently blamed Jewish people for their ‘own destruction’ while the Hungarian Prime Minster [Orban] declared Europeans should not ‘mix’ with Africans.

“The Croatian president on a trip to Argentina came under fire from a Holocaust survivors charity for thanking the country for taking in ‘notorious’ pro-Nazi criminals…

“Ever since WWII, such views were taboo in Europe, confined to the far-right fringes. Today they are openly expressed by mainstream political leaders in parts of Central and Eastern Europe…

“Casting himself as the savior of a white Christian Europe being overrun by Muslims and Africans, Orban has insisted that Hungarians don’t want their ‘own color, traditions and national culture to be mixed by others.’…

“Poland’s government has also been embroiled in a bitter dispute with Israel and Jewish organizations over a national law that would criminalize blaming Poland for Germany’s Holocaust crimes… The Balkans, bloodied by ethnic warfare in the 1990s, are also seeing a rise of nationalism, particularly in Serbia and Croatia…

“Meanwhile in Bulgaria, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, the government includes a far-right alliance, the United Patriots, whose members have given Nazi salutes and slurred minorities. Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov has called the country’s Roma minority ‘ferocious humanoids’ whose women ‘have the instincts of street dogs.’…”

German Persecution of Jews Not a Thing of the Past

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 2:

“Jews were driven from their homes by Christians for almost two thousand years. In 1492 the Alhambra Edict decreed that they should be expelled from what is now Spain, after living there under Muslim rule for centuries. Many of these Jews found refuge in the Ottoman Empire… Jewish life blossomed in Ottoman cities like Thessaloniki and Sarajevo for centuries, and lasted until the Nazis arrived. Those are historical facts one should perhaps be conscious of when speaking, on the one hand, of a ‘Judeo-Christian’ tradition, and at the same time of Muslims who ‘import’ anti-Semitism…

“Anti-Semitism in Germany is not imported. Anti-Semitism is Germany’s most successful export… The Germans are a people who manage to make the security of Israel and the fight against anti-Semitism a reason of state, while at the same time devoting an entire year to celebrating the reformer Martin Luther, who called for synagogues to be burned down and rabbis banned from their work, on pain of death…

“Anti-Semitism belongs to Germany, and to Europe. It is found on the political right, the political left, and in the so-called center of society…

“Yes, we must talk about anti-Semitic attitudes among Muslims in Europe and Germany… there is the Islamic Republic of Iran, which repeatedly threatens to annihilate Israel. And there is a minority of Muslims in Europe and in Germany who approve of this… And there are prominent German politicians who… share a podium with those who seek to justify attacks on Jews…

“When Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December, and Fatah, the supposedly moderate Palestinian party, called for ‘three days of rage,’ I didn’t need to read about it in the paper. I could see it in my neighborhood. On Sonnenallee, probably the most Arab street in Germany… you can’t venture down Sonnenallee at night in a kippah. In Germany, 2018…”

The abominable evil of anti-Semitism is not dead, but very much alive.

Doubting the Holocaust

Newsweek wrote on April 12:

“One-third of Americans think ‘substantially less’ than 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, according to a new survey that highlights a worrying lack of basic knowledge about the World War II-era genocide…

“The survey shows that 70 percent of Americans believe people care less about the Holocaust than they used to. A majority, 58 percent, said they believe something like the Holocaust could happen again…

“Around two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans believe there is anti-Semitism in the U.S. today, and a majority (51 percent) think there is either a great deal of (17 percent) or many (34 percent) neo-Nazis in the country today.”

Turkey vs. Israel… Who are the Terrorists?

The Jewish Press wrote on April 1:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a ‘terrorist’ on Sunday, and Israel of being a ‘terrorist state’ after 16 Gazans – including 10 convicted terrorists – were killed Friday in the Hamas-driven ‘Great March of Terror’ along the Gaza border…

“In response to the epithets, Prime Minister Netanyahu blasted the Turkish leader, saying, ‘The most moral army in the world will not be preached to by someone who for years has indiscriminately bombed civilian populations. Apparently this is the way they mark April Fool’s Day in Ankara.’…

“Erdogan has long championed the rights of Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization, which was spawned by the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Turkey’s Islamist leader has for decades maintained a close affiliation.

“Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also pointed out that the so-called ‘peaceful demonstration’ was nothing of the sort, using women and children as decoys and human shields while terrorists carried out violence against Israel.”

The Bible shows that Turkey will turn completely against Israel.

Preparations for the Third Temple Worship

Breaking Israel News reported on April 2:

“On the second night of Passover, this past Saturday night, dozens of men, women and children went out to the fields to harvest barley, not so much as a reenactment but a real Temple-related Passover ceremony. The following day, the harvest was brought to Jerusalem where it was turned into flour and Kohanim (Jewish men descended from Aaron the Priest) performed a full-dress rehearsal for the Wave Offering, which will take place once again in the Third Temple.

“As are most Temple related activities, the harvesting was done with musical accompaniment…

“The Kohanim wore authentic priestly garments that conformed to the Biblical requirements. Rabbi Baruch Kahane served in the role of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). In the Temple, a male sheep was brought as a burnt offering, but this was not done at the reenactment…”

Daily Mail added on April 2:

“Ultra-Orthodox Jews congregated at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Thursday for a mass priestly blessing on Passover – a tradition of recent decades echoing a pilgrimage from antiquity. Jewish priests wearing Talit prayer shawls took part in the Cohanim prayer in the Old City of Jerusalem…

“The Western Wall is a remnant of a supporting wall of the Second Temple complex, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It is accessible to non-Muslims via a ramp. Jews are allowed to visit but not pray at the compound to avoid provoking tensions…”

We know from Scripture that a third temple will be built prior to Christ’s return, and that temple worship services and animal sacrifices will resume, leading to violent confrontations in the Holy Land.

Francis: There Is No Hell!

The Guardian wrote on March 30:

“The Vatican has scrambled to clarify comments made by Pope Francis to a well-known Italian journalist that appeared to deny the existence of hell.

“The Holy See issued a terse statement saying a lengthy article published in La Repubblica on Wednesday by Eugenio Scalfari, 93, the newspaper’s founder, was ‘the fruit of his reconstruction’ and not ‘a faithful transcription of the Holy Father’s words’.

“While the Vatican conceded that Scalfari, an atheist who struck up a friendship with Francis in 2013, had held a private meeting with the pontiff before the Easter weekend, it said an interview had not been granted.

“During the meeting Scalfari asked the pope where ‘bad souls’ go, to which he was quoted as responding: ‘They are not punished. Those who repent obtain God’s forgiveness and take their place among the ranks of those who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot be forgiven disappear. A hell doesn’t exist, the disappearance of sinning souls exists.’…

“Pope Benedict XVI said in 2007 that hell ‘really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much anymore’, while in 1999 Pope John Paul II announced that hell was ‘the ultimate consequence of sin itself … rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy’…”

However, it was reported by the English press subsequent to 2007 that Pope Benedict had stated in a sermon that there was no hell. At that time, the Vatican chose to remain silent on the issue. In addition, Pope Francis had already declared in November 2016 that hell–or eternal damnation–was not a torture chamber, and he went on to say that the lake of fire in Revelation 20 describes the second death. But at that time, he went on to give an unbiblical explanation of the “second death” and of “the fire,” which was more in line with the official Catholic position.

CNS added on March 29:

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire’…

“As for the human soul,the Catholic Church teaches that it is eternal, immortal in countless places throughout the Catechism…”

The official teaching of the Catholic Church is clearly unbiblical.

Mainstream Media in Furor Over Francis’ Remarks

Life Site News wrote on April 4:

“Mainstream media was in a furor last week over the news of Pope Francis purportedly saying that ‘hell does not exist’ and that unrepentant souls in mortal sin simply ‘disappear.’…

“The story was highlighted in the United States by the Drudge Report… It linked to a March 29 article by Michael W. Chapman of CNS News, who called Francis’s alleged remarks ‘a denial of the 2,000-year-old teaching of the Catholic Church about the reality of Hell and the eternal existence of the soul.’…

“The New York Times led with the news that the Vatican had responded to the Repubblica piece with an assertion that Pope Francis does indeed believe in hell…

“Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said that ‘it was easy to see, with this pope, that the left is even corrupting the Catholic Church’…

“The Wall Street Journal intimated that with his remarks, which the Vatican did not deny, Pope Francis had yet again astonished. ‘It was an extreme yet telling example of how Pope Francis has shaken up perceptions of Catholic doctrine,’ wrote Francis X. Rocca, ‘drawing widespread attention from the non-Catholic world and causing turmoil within the church… Part of Pope Francis’ strategy has been generally to play down the importance of formal teaching’…”

This could be his way of trying to unite traditional Christianity under the umbrella of the Catholic Church.

Preparing for War?

Der Spiegel wrote on April 2 (our translation):

“War, war, war… People don’t want peace. Something is lacking for them when there is no war. That is why they are preparing for it… Who demonstrates today for peace?…

“At the end of the Cold War, there was a short-lived hope that a time of peace had begun. But that was an illusion. There is no peace… People say that they hate war. But this is not true… Quite to the contrary, a person is viewed with suspicion when he speaks of peace. Because he supposedly supports “our enemies”: Russia, the Palestinians, Iran, China, North Korea…

“We still destroy cities and countries in order to liberate them. We have learned nothing since Vietnam… until now, everybody who wants to rearm has said, ‘When you want peace, prepare for war.’”

The Bible says that mankind does not know the way to peace. Satan the devil rules this world, and he is the “god” of war. Mankind, being cut off from God, follows their leader and ruler, having adopted his evil desires.

New US Tax Law a Mess!

Yahoo News, Reuters, April 2:

“The largest association of accounting professionals on Monday asked the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to clarify whether the new Republican tax law allows continued deduction of business meals and other work expenses.

“Treasury and the IRS are the two agencies crafting rules to implement the tax overhaul passed in December. It will take effect for the 2018 tax year. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) said taxpayers need ‘immediate guidance’ on deducting business meals and other work-related expenses, such as entertainment and membership dues, all of which are affected by the new tax legislation…

“The AICPA represents more than 418,000 accounting professionals. It asked the agencies for more information on the deductibility of client-related business meals, employer-provided business meals and other food, employer-hosted recreational events, advertising, charitable contributions, transportation expenses and membership dues. While the new law says ‘entertainment expenses’ are no longer deductible, it has caused confusion about the deductibility of business meals, the AICPA said.

“Previously, taxpayers could deduct half the cost of most business meals. The AICPA asked the agencies to affirm the deductibility of such meals, and also for business meals paid for separately that occur before or after an entertainment event.

“There is also confusionon whether costs of employer-hosted events, such as employee appreciation days or holiday parties, are still deductible, the AICPA said. The IRS said it had received the AICPA’s letter and was in the process of reviewing it.

“Tax writers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have acknowledged they will pursue multiple fixes to provisions of the sweeping tax bill with unintended consequences… But passing a separate bill to address other ‘technical corrections’ could be difficult, as the midterm congressional elections near in November 2018, aides have said.

“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce last month identified more than 35 portions of the tax law that need additional clarification,either in additional legislation or by agency rulemaking.”

Of course, when laws are pushed through for the purpose of political gain, without reading and analyzing them, then this is the inevitable consequence.

Pax Trumpia Threat to Germany

On March 26, former German Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, wrote in Project Syndicate:

“After a year in which US President Donald Trump did not follow through on his promised protectionism, he has finally done so. It is quickly becoming clear that Trump’s attacks on free tradeare not just about global commerce, but about the entire rules-based international system…

“His decision to impose $50 billion in punitive import tariffs on many Chinese goods could severely disrupt global trade. And while he made a last-minute decision to exempt EU goods from such tariffs, Europe may yet end up in the line of fire…

“Trump’s protectionist policies thus challenge the entire German economic modelas it has existed since the 1950s. The fact that Trump has repeatedly singled out Germany, one of America’s closest allies in Europe, is no small matter…

“In Germany, there should be no illusions about what a transatlantic trade war would mean… now is hardly the time for disunity. The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU is already causing political dissonance among member states, and anti-European populists have just won a combined parliamentary majority in Italy…

“Europeans are on their own. One hopes that Europeans can act quickly to preserve their unity and salvage the international system that has provided them with peace and prosperity for generations.”

Most European nations are aware of the danger they face from the outside and from within. They will move quickly to bring about total unity, under the leadership of a charismatic ruthless and deceiving individual.

Stocks Worst Since the Great Depression

Bloomberg wrote on April 2:

“U.S. stocks had their worst April start since 1929, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The S&P 500 index slumped 2.2 percent, a rout exceeded only by its 2.5 percent decline 89 years ago, a prelude to the devastating crash later that year that brought on the Great Depression. (Back then, the index only comprised 90 stocks.)…

“The stock slide also looked pretty bad when compared to the beginning of other quarters. Equities lost more than on any other quarterly first day since October 2011, when stocks plummeted 2.8 percent, Bloomberg data show.”

These are the signs of the time, and they don’t look pretty.

USA Condemns Syria and Russia for Chemical Weapons Attack

Newsmax wrote on April 10:

“U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Monday condemned theRussia-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — as well as Moscow and Iran — for a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of mostly women and children in strife-torn Douma.

“In an impassioned speech at the U.N., Haley declared, ‘Only a monster does this.’ She then called the ‘Russian regime whose hands are all covered in the blood of Syrian children.’ ‘We must not overlook Russian and Iran’s roles in the murderous destruction,’ she said. ‘Russia and Iran have military advisers at Assad’s air field and operations centers. Russian officials are on the ground helping direct the regimes starve and surrender campaign. And Iranian allied forces do much of the dirty work.’”

Previously, President Trump named Vladimir Putin as one of those responsible for the Syrian atrocities. The pressure is on President Trump to decide whether or not to launch a military attack on Syria. According the news reports, Israel already launched several strikes on Syria.

Russia Warns USA and Vetoes UN Resolution

The Associated Press reported on April 10:

“A retired Russian general says any clash between the U.S. and Russia in Syria would quickly escalate beyond the region… He said in televised remarks Tuesday that Russian advisers are deployed across Syria and could be hurt by a U.S. strike.

“Russia has vetoed a U.S.-drafted U.N. resolution that would have condemned last weekend’s suspected gas attack near Damascus… The vote Tuesday afternoon in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, Bolivia joining Russia in voting ‘no,’ and China abstaining.”

Why anyone would have thought that Russia would approve the UN resolution is beyond comprehension. The UN is a meaningless paper tiger and incapable of bringing about any substantive change or progress.

Situation in Syria Escalates

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 11:

“A spokesman for the Russian president has dismissed Trump’s ‘Twitter-diplomacy’ in a call for caution. The US president had earlier warned Russia to ‘get ready’ for American missiles that ‘will be coming’ to Syria… Trump… wrote in a Twitter post: ‘Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!’…

“A top official in Iran, which also backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said his country would defend its ally against ‘foreign aggression.’…

“The US has been consulting with France and Britain over a military responseto Saturday’s alleged chemical weapons attack…”

The Sun wrote on April 12:

“Trump has back-pedaled on his threat to bomb Assad… Today, he

posted: ‘Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our ‘Thank you America?'”

President Trump also stated that the current relationship between the USA and Russia is worse than it was during the Cold War.

Fears of World War 3

Express wrote on April 12:

“World War 3: Theresa May calls EMERGENCY ‘war’ cabinet meeting as strike on Syria looms. THERESA May has called an emergency ‘war’ Cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis in Syria and the potential for imminent British military strikes against the Assad regime after US President Donald Trump signalled the US was ready to take action…

“Israel latest to back MILITARY ACTION in Syria as Netanyahu signals he is ready for WW3. ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Wednesday for action to be taken against Syria, as the UK, the US and numerous allies signalled they are gearing up for a military strike against the Assad regime following a chemical attack in Douma.”

“Australia’s Malcolm Turnbull SLAMS Russia and Syria for chemical attack as WW3 fears grow. AUSTRALIA’s Prime Minister appears to have given his backing to military action in Syria in response to the alleged chemical attack on civilians last weekend.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 12:

“Macron said… French and US officials were ‘working very closely, and we will have decisions to take, at the time we choose, when we consider it most useful and most effective.’…

“In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would not participate in any military strike on Syria.”

Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would not participate in a military strike either.

US Presidency Under Siege

The Daily Mail wrote on April 10:

“Donald Trumplashed out at his own Justice Department on Tuesday morning, following FBI raids on his longtime personal lawyer’s offices, home and hotel. ‘Attorney–client privilege is dead!’ Trump tweeted.

“The White House has yet to formulate a strategy for dealing with the fallout of an apparent criminal investigation of Michael Cohen by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Trump… is most angry about what he thought was an impenetrable barrier: the decades-old secrecy between Cohen and himself.

“Trump called Monday’s raid ordered by federal prosecutors on his personal attorney Michael Cohen’s hotel  room and offices ‘an attack on our country and what we all stand for’…

“Famed Harvard lawyer Alan Dershowitz…, a liberal who voted for Hillary Clinton, said Monday night that ‘this is a very dangerous day today for lawyer-client relations’. ‘This may be an attempt to squeeze Cohen… to get him to turn against his client,’ Dershowitz said in the clip… If this were Hillary Clinton [having her lawyer’s office raided], the ACLU would be on every TV station in America jumping up and down,’ Dershowitz protested. ‘The deafening silence of the ACLU and civil libertarians about the intrusion into the lawyer-client confidentiality is really appalling.‘

“When FBI agents swooped in on Cohen’s office Monday they seized a trove of documents related to the Stormy Daniels case and communications between the attorney and the president, in a dramatic escalation of Robert Mueller’s special counsel probe. They took his phone, personal computer and bank records – and Cohen is now under a microscope for both possible bank fraud and campaign finance violations.

“This indicates that Cohen is being investigated for using a home equity line of credit to borrow the $130,000 he paid Daniels, a porn star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. If Cohen did in fact lie to obtain credit from a ‘federally insured financial institution,’ he could be charged with a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. And if the payment is found to be an ‘in-kind contribution’ to Trump’s campaign, as it came just days before the election, Cohen could be facing a second felony. Violating campaign contribution limits is punishable by up to five years in prison…

“The president on Monday also called Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators ‘the most conflicted group of people I have ever seen.’ ‘This is the most biased group of people. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I’ve ever seen. Democrats all, just about all,’ Trump said, although Mueller himself is a Republican…”

It was also reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (a Republican) personally approved Monday’s FBI raid on President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen.

Boehner Promotes Medical Marijuana

The Hill wrote on April 11:

“Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has joined the board of a top cannabis corporation to promote the use of medical marijuana, a shift in his once-adamant opposition to legalization of the substance. Boehner released a statement Wednesday on Twitter saying that his ‘thinking on cannabis has evolved… I’m convinced de-scheduling the drug is needed so we can do research, help our veterans, and reverse the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities,’ Boehner said.

“Acreage Holdings is one of the nation’s largest cannabis corporations. Boehner will also be joined on the Board of Advisors by former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who won the Libertarian nomination for vice president in 2016. In a joint statement, the pair said they are hoping to de-schedule cannabis from a Class 1 drug at the federal level so it can be used for medical purposes…

“While dozens of states have moved to legalize marijuana in some form — either recreationally or for medicinal purposes — the substance is still prohibited at the federal level and is classified in the same category as heroin and LSD… Current Republican lawmakers said in February that they were optimistic about passing cannabis legislation in 2018.”

It’s about time. The Federal’s Class 1 drug designation of medical marijuana is totally ridiculous.

Brexit… a Managed Surrender for Britain

Politico wrote on March 23:

“Forget red lines, bellicose declarations and rhetoric about the United Kingdom taking back control — Brexit so far has been a process of managed surrender. British officials acknowledge that Prime Minister Theresa May has mostly had to accept the European Union’s terms for the divorce…

“However, the Brits insist, the real negotiation starts now and much is still to play for… Dream on! The withdrawal talks are likely to become even more lopsided as an unofficial October deadline for agreement on the framework of the future U.K.-EU relationship draws near. Any resemblance with a negotiation among equals is purely cosmetic…

“And that means the rest of the Brexit process is likely to look very much like it has thus far: a thunderous standoff masking a gradual retreat.”

Prince Charles Plans to Make Australia a Republic

Express wrote on April 2:

“Prince Charles, who is next-in-line to the throne wants Australia to become a republic… to be independent of the British Monarchy [it has been reported].

“The Prince will be in Australia this month for the start of the Commonwealth Games. The Games will kick-off with the Royal reading the Queen’s ‘secret message in a bottle.’ Prince Charles will have to remove the message from a baton that has made its way around the former British Empire nations that make up the Commonwealth.

“Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg said: “It all goes back to her speech to the Commonwealth on her 21st birthday in Cape Town in 1947 and dedicating her life to the Commonwealth.”

However, those former days of glory are long gone for “Great” Britain and the “British” Commonwealth.

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.

“Vladimir Putin’s Great Deceit”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18:

“It’s no surprise that Vladimir Putin was re-elected as Russian president. The outcome of this bogus election was preordained…

“The Kremlin controls every aspect of the political process in Russia and it didn’t leave anything to chance during this electoral spectacle… Many Russians undoubtedly voted for him; he is clearly popular with the public. But he is popular because the Kremlin has for years blocked other politicians from developing their own public profiles in the centrally controlled media… The president’s power rests not only on state repression, but also to the media’s portrayal of him as Russia’s only conceivable leader…

“Where will Putin lead Russia in the next few years? Many in the West fear Russia’s unpredictable and aggressive stance on the international stage, as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg most recently put it. The poisoning of the former Russian agent Sergei Skripal in the UK with a military-grade nerve agent made it clear that Putin is prepared to further escalate confrontation with the West…

“Russia has fallen behind economically and technologically, particularly compared to China, but also compared to the US, Japan and the EU. Russians sense their incomes are falling. But the Kremlin-controlled propaganda machine drowned out the homemade causes for the economic and social stagnation with anti-Western rhetoric and messages of bogus military strength…

“Putin will not change his course during his next term. Real reforms to the Russian economy and state would inevitably undermine the foundations of his power…”

Congratulating Putin?

The Week wrote on March 21:

“President Trump defended his decision to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election earlier this week, tweeting Wednesday ‘in past, Obama called him also,’ ‘getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing,’ and ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!’

“The Washington Post had reported that Trump was warned in all caps by national security advisers not to congratulate Putin, and aides told the president he needed to condemn the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England earlier this month, widely blamed on Moscow. Trump didn’t bring this up, the Post reports…”

Bild Online commented that some of the few leaders who did NOT congratulate Putin were Theresa May from England and Justin Trudeau from Canada, congratulating them for their backbone and strength of character.

Italian Election… Putin the Real Winner

The Hill wrote on March 8:

“Within Italy, the big winners in the March 4 elections were the two populist parties, who between them pulled in roughly 50 percent of the vote.

“The 5 Star Movement, which emphasizes the ‘drain the swamp’ part of the populist message, was the leading party, with 32 percent of the vote for both chambers of the Italian parliament. The League, more akin to the anti-immigrant policies [of] Marine Le Pen’s National Front in France, pulled about 17 percent, easily topping the center-right Let’s Go Italy (Forza Italia) of Silvio Berlusconi, disappointed in his hopes of returning to the forefront of Italian politics.

“Outside Italy, though, the undisputed winner was Vladimir Putin. But the strong and public Russian connections of Italy’s populist parties could have very concrete impacts on Italian policy going forward.

“The League, for example, has regularly protested European Union sanctions against Russia. In March 2017, League chief Matteo Salvini even signed a cooperation agreement with United Russia, Putin’s political party, which holds the lion’s share of votes in the Duma. Much of the agreement reportedly deals with exchanges of information and meetings between party and parliamentary representatives, but promotion of Italy-Russia trade and economic cooperation evidently also figured… Evidence of the 5 Star Movement’s friendly ties with Russia is also abundant…

“Putin doesn’t need, and presumably does not expect, an overtly pro-Russian shift in Italy. It’s already a help to Russia that one of the largest West European countries, the fourth largest European economy (in the top ten worldwide), an active contributor to NATO, and historically close to the United States, will be effectively paralyzed.”

Sooner than expected by many, Italy will become anti-Russian, as will be all of the countries within the EU. In fact, war will break out between Europe and Far Eastern nations, including Russia and China (note our article on China below). For more information, please read our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy… From Now until Forever.”  Also note the next article on Germany and Russia.

“Is Germany Turning on Russia?”

Handelsblatt Global wrote on March 21:

“Germany’s new foreign minister, Heiko Maas, has indicated a tougher line against the Russian bear since taking up his post a week ago. While former foreign minister and now German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier was busying congratulating President Vladimir Putin on his recent election win, Mr. Maas had far harsher words. ‘There certainly can be no claim to fair political competition in all respects,’ he said.

“… he was working on a joint statement with his EU colleagues condemning Russia for its alleged involvement in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain. For the Europeans, who view Russia as a threat since its invasion of Ukraine in 2014, there is only one plausible explanation: an assassination attempt ordered by the state.

“‘The first statements suggest that Maas is counting on clear opposition to Russia’s aggressive course, which violates international law,’ Norbert Röttgen, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German parliament, the Bundestag, told Handelsblatt. He is calling for a continuation of the ‘firm, consistent policy of non-acceptance of Russian aggression’ that Chancellor Angela Merkel has pursued alongside other European and NATO partners…

“Other members of the Bundestag take a different view, with a cross-party alliance of friends of Russia taking shape. Most recently, Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki, from the pro-business FDP party, spoke out in favor of ending sanctions imposed against Russia following its annexation of Crimea ‘step by step.’ The policy largely reflects business interests. There are 5,000 German companies with operations in Russia, and they believe business will pick up significantly if the sanctions are lifted.

“Ms. Merkel is unlikely to shift her line. Those who set the tone in her government do not trust Mr. Putin and see his expansive foreign policy as a threat to the European security architecture…

“Beyond economic cooperation, the overlap of common interests is shrinking. Russia intervenes in neighboring countries, launching cyberattacks in Europe and the US. And in Syria it is waging a merciless bombing war against the opponents of dictator Bashar al-Assad…”

Russian Cyber Operatives Attacking the USA

The website of thenextweb wrote on March 16:

“Russian cyber operatives are attacking critical American infrastructure such as energy grids, nuclear facilities, aviation systems, and water processing plants, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“The report details numerous attempts, since at least March of 2016, where Russian cyber operatives targeted government entities and multiple US critical infrastructure sectors.”

Russia stands also accused of having meddled through cyber-attacks in European nations.

The Threat of Cyber Attacks and Solar Storms

The Telegraph wrote on March 17:

“British cities would be uninhabitable within days and the country is only a few meals from anarchy if the National Grid was taken down in a cyber attack or solar storm, disaster and security experts have warned. Modern life is so reliant on electricity that a prolonged blackout would quickly lead to a loss of water, fuel, banking, transport and communications that would leave the country ‘in the Stone Age’.

“The warning comes weeks after the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said Russia had been spying on the UK’s energy infrastructure and could cause ‘thousands and thousands and thousands’ of deaths if it crippled the power supply…

“As well as a cyber attack, other black sky risks include extreme weather, an electromagnetic pulse caused by a nuclear detonation in the atmosphere and terrorist attacks on key substations or transformers. One of the most destructive risks would be a powerful solar storm. A previous storm in 1859, now known as the Carrington Event, caused so much geomagnetic disruption that telegraph operators reported sparks bursting out of their machines. Such a storm today could cause havoc to electrical systems.

“One of the biggest problems would be that water supplies and sewage services rely on electrical pumps… Fuel would also quickly run out because it requires electrical pumps, meaning transport and deliveries to shops, hospitals and institutions would quickly cease. As communications like the internet and phones failed, the Government would struggle to tell people what was going on…”

These predictions are by no means far-fetched, but they are of real concerns.

“Britain Has Taken Leave of its Senses”

The Daily Mail wrote on March 19:

“Not a day goes by without lunacy hitting the headlines… Take the story over the weekend about the two women who gatecrashed a men-only swimming session in South London, after telling staff they ‘self-identified’ as male… The women were feminists, making a legitimate protest against new gender equality laws that would allow people to pick their own sex, regardless of biology…

“The real problem arises when men who identify as women demand the right to use exclusively female facilities… Yet the Government is considering letting people self-certify their gender without any medical diagnosis…

“Hospitals have stopped calling mothers ‘mothers’ because it might upset the trans-fascists. A couple of weeks ago, retailers were knocking out gender-free Mother’s Day cards…

“This is the crazy world we live in, one in which a private girls’ school is thinking of installing ‘gender-neutral’ toilets, even though it has no transgender pupils… is this a serious country, or a joke …

“For instance, would any serious country give houseroom to an alleged ‘asylum-seeker’, who claims to have trained with Izal in Syria, boasts about hating the West and, after being lavished with money and kindness, attempts to blow up hundreds of people on the London Underground? No serious country would run down its Armed Forces, as successive governments in Britain have done, at a time of heightened tensions in the world… Nor would a serious country commission two expensive aircraft carriers, without bothering to provide the aircraft to use them. A serious country wouldn’t shut three-quarters of its police stations, withdraw foot patrols and expect victims to report crimes over the internet.

“In a serious country, the Old Bill wouldn’t fritter away millions pursuing ‘historic’ sex crimes allegations against former prime ministers and other public figures who are dead. A serious country wouldn’t turn a blind eye to the systematic rape of thousands of young girls by men of mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin because coppers and so-called child protection officers were scared of being called ‘racist’…

“In a serious, mature democracy, MPs wouldn’t grant the people a binding referendum on national sovereignty and then move heaven and earth trying to undermine and overturn the result.

“…forgive me if I ignore the confected fury over Facebook data being used to target potential Donald Trump voters. The Guardian, in particular, is getting terribly excited. If Hillary Clinton had won, we’d never have heard any more about it. In fact, when Obama was elected in 2008, he was hailed as a genius for the way in which his campaign used social media.

“And in 2012, one publication carried this glowing report: ‘Barack Obama’s re-election team are building a vast digital data operation that for the first time combines a unified database on millions of Americans with the power of Facebook to target individual voters to a degree never achieved before. ‘Facebook is also being seen as a source of invaluable data on voters . . . thus allowing the campaign to access their personal data and add it to the central data store — the largest, most detailed and potentially most powerful in the history of political campaigns.’ That publication?… The Guardian.”

So it seems indeed that Britain has taken leave of its senses… but so have most countries around the world, especially in Western Europe and the USA.

Germany: “US Will Fail if It Tries to Split Europe”

AFP wrote on March 18:

“US President Donald Trump ‘will not succeed’ in dividing European nations against one another over trade, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned… In the European Union ‘we are a customs union and act collectively…’

“The US leader says the shock measures are in response to ‘unfair’ trade practices, but the EU has vowed to retaliate…”

The relationship between the USA and Europe (and Germany in particular) is bound to deteriorate drastically. For more information, please read our free booklets, The Fall and Rise of Britain and America and Europe in Prophecy. 

EU Needs to Take the Lead in Maintaining Global Trade System

Euractiv wrote on March 20:

“As America retreats after Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, the world is moving on. Now is the time for the EU to take the lead in maintaining the global trade system…

“The EU is right to prepare for a fight… The EU and national European governments must continue to press Washington on the folly of the tariffs…

“Across the world, countries are taking trade initiatives which sidestep the US… The EU-Japan free trade agreement is almost done… The US may not want to play ball but many other countries are ready to do so.”

In the not-too-distant future, the EU will take a leading role in economic AND military matters, while the USA will become more and more irrelevant.

EU Exempted from US Tariffs; China Being Hit Hard

CNN wrote on March 22, 2018:

“President Trump is granting more exemptions to his steel and aluminum tariffs — and dodging a trade war with key US allies. The European Union, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea and Australia will not be subject to the trade penalties when they take effect Friday… Exemptions for Canada and Mexico were previously announced…”

Newsmax wrote on March 22, 2018:

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 700 points on trade fears, tumbling back into correction territory as U.S. stocks plunged the most in six weeks amid the threat of an escalating trade war with China that has the potential to disrupt global growth… President Donald Trump ordered tariffs on about $50 billion in Chinese goods.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 22:

“US companies from Walmart to Amazon have warned that sweeping sanctions against China could raise consumer prices and hit the stock market… IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warn[ed] of a global trade conflict that could undermine the broadest world recovery in years… According to a Bloomberg Economics estimate, a global trade conflagration could wipe $470 billion off the world economy by 2020.”

Terrible and Rotten US Budget Deal

Newsmax reported on March 22:

“Sen. Rand Paul has denounced the $1.3 trillion federal budget bill as ‘rotten, terrible’… lawmakers put together the massive spending bill [Wednesday night], which passed in the House Thursday. The Senate now needs to approve it and send it to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign [which he grudgingly declared he would do]. If it’s not approved by midnight Friday night, a government shutdown will occur.

“‘You have to know what’s in it. Really, should we be looking at 1,000-page bills with 24 hours to decide what’s in them? It’s really not a good way to run your government,’ Paul [said]. Government spending, Paul said, is out of control… ‘I’m upset that we’re spending like every Democrat that we criticized,’ Paul said… The national debt eclipsed the $21 trillion dollar mark last week.”

New National Security Adviser for Trump

The Daily Mail wrote on March 22:

“President Donald Trump will replace National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster with John Bolton on April 9, the White House announced late Thursday. Bolton, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is a hawkish conservativewith a pugnacious streak – and a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel. He is also a fierce opponent of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal… Bolton will be the third person to be Trump’s chief national security aide in his 14-month presidency.

“Trump has clashed with McMaster repeatedly in recent months, telling confidants that he considers the general a long-winded bore.  His departure comes barely a week after the president dramatically ousted former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tweet…

“[Bolton] remains a firm believer in the wisdom of President George W. Bush’s Iraq war, which Trump has routinely cast as a colossal mistake and a waste of money that could have been spent domestically…

“McMaster was originally hired as a quick-fix replacement for Gen. Michael Flynn, who was fired after mere weeks as National Security Advisor because he hid from Vice President Mike Pence and other officials the nature and extent of his contacts with Russia’s U.S. ambassador.”

Bolton has also repeatedly advocated nuclear war with North Korea.

China’s Dangerous Dictatorship

CNN wrote on March 20:

“China is ready to fight the ‘bloody battle’ against its enemies in its determination to take its place in the world, declared President Xi Jinping in a nationalist speech Tuesday that underlined his strongman rule over the world’s most populous country… His words were a rallying cry for his second term as President, a role he looks set to hold for life after China changed its constitution to remove presidential term limits. That move ensures Xi’s place as the country’s unquestioned political supremo in a world where China’s reach is extending further than ever before and rival superpower the United States is taking a back seat.

“At many points in his televised speech he harkened back to the country’s imperial past which critics have accused him of seeking to emulate as an emperor-like figure.  Xi listed China’s historic achievements — such as the invention of paper, Confucianism, and building the Great Wall — and the country’s experience of invasion from outside and ‘defending the national independence and freedom.’ He had strong language for supporters of formal independence for Taiwan or Hong Kong, saying that ‘not a single inch of our land’ could be ceded from China…  Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province to be retaken by force if necessary…

“Xi has been accused of pursuing a cult of personality similar to Mao’s… Xi’s power is even more concentrated than Mao’s…  Xi has now assumed absolute control of the party, army and state… In his speech, Xi stressed the importance of reforming China’s military and the absolute power of the Communist Party over the country…

“Xi’s installation as China’s absolute leader comes as his ally Vladimir Putin scored a record third term as Russian President with a landslide win in an election in which no real opposition was permitted to run. While Putin is more constrained by needing to keep to at least the appearance of representative democracy, he and Xi are the most prominent of a host of world leaders rolling back voting rights and shoring up their own authority.  Putin is cleared to rule Russia for six more years, and some analysts predicted he may follow Xi’s lead and remove term limits in order to serve indefinitely, pointing to the lack of a likely successor to the presidency.”

Israel Did Destroy Nuclear Reactor in Syria!

The Times of Israel wrote on March 21:

“After more than a decade of stubborn silence, Israel has finally acknowledged that its Air Force destroyed the Syrian nuclear reactor, on the night between September 5 and 6, 2007. Built by North Korea, the reactor was designed to produce plutonium as fissile material for nuclear bombs… When Israel struck, the Syrians were only weeks away from beginning to produce highly radioactive materials…

“Plainly, the decision by [Ehud] Olmert [Prime Minister at that time] to blow up the complex — after he had unsuccessfully asked then-president George W. Bush to do so — prevented Assad from attaining nuclear weapons. Potentially, it also prevented the world’s most bloodthirsty terrorists from acquiring the world’s most lethal weapons.”

Warning for Iran

JTA added on March 21:

“It is the second time that Israel has acknowledged destroying the nuclear reactor of an enemy country. In 1981 the IDF bombed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, for which it immediately claimed credit. ‘The message of the attack on the reactor in 2007 is that Israel will not accept the construction of a capability that threatens the existence of the State of Israel. That was the message in ’81. That was the message in 2007. And that is the message to our enemies for the future,’ IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said…

“Yisrael Katz, the intelligence minister, was more explicit in saying that the acknowledgment was a signal to Iran. ‘The courageous decision of the Israeli government almost 11 years ago to destroy the nuclear reactor in Syria and the successful operation following it sends a clear message: Israel will never allow nuclear weapons to countries like Iran who threaten its existence,’ he said.”

Third Temple a Growing Worldwide Phenomenon

Breaking Israel News wrote on March 5:

“A newly minted coin featuring President Trump, King Cyrus, and the Third Temple has been featured in media around the world, graphically illustrating that support for the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount is now a global phenomenon that is transcending political and religious boundaries.

“Three weeks ago, the nascent Sanhedrin and the Mikdash (Temple) Educational Center, a non-profit organization for education about the Temple, partnered in a risky venture to mint a commemorative medallion with an image of President Donald Trump and the Persian King Cyrus. The flip side features a stylized image of the Third Temple. Both signed a contract to mint 1,000 coins in the hope that the message on the coin that calls out to the US president to support the Jewish claim to the Temple Mount, would resonate with enough people to cover the total expense of the coins. They offered the coins to the public for a minimum donation of $50, and the response has exceeded all their expectations…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, was surprised by the overwhelming response, but the message was clear to him: Support for the Third Temple is growing…

“The source for the concept behind the coin is the Biblical silver half-shekel that was collected in Temple Times from every Jewish man. The Trump medallion does not adhere to the requirements of this Biblically mandated coin but proceeds from sales of the coin will go towards projects educating the public about the Jewish Temple…

“The next project that the two organizations will cooperate on is a reenactment of the Paschal Sacrifice on March 26. At that time, Kohanim (Jewish men of priestly descent) will recreate the Temple service in a manner resembling the Temple service as much as possible. They will be dressed in the priestly garments and using silver vessels intended for use in the Third Temple. A lamb will be sacrificed and roasted in a Biblically authentic manner.”

The Bible predicts that a third temple will be built. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People.” 

Pope Francis: Don’t Wear Crosses as Ornaments

Fox News wrote on March 20:

“The Pope hit out at the ‘abuse’ of the crucifix by people who wear them as fashion accessories… Pope Francis said that the crucifix is a religious sign to be ‘contemplated and understood’, rather than merchandised [and] not to be ‘abused’ by being treated as an ornament or clothing accessory.”

This won’t make many Catholics happy. In addition, the t-cross is a pagan symbol and not to be placed in Christian churches or homes. Further, it is not to be worn, worshipped or idolized by Christians at all. Note our Q&A on the cross. Also read our two Q&As on the sign of the cross. http://www.eternalgod.org/what-is-the-origin-of-the-sign-of-the-cross-should-christians-make-the-sign-of-the-cross-part-1/ and http://www.eternalgod.org/what-is-the-origin-of-the-sign-of-the-cross-should-christians-make-the-sign-of-the-cross-part-2/

Pope: “Nothing Wrong With Tattoos”

Breitbart wrote on March 20:

“There is nothing wrong with tattoos, Pope Francis told a group of young people Monday, urging them to be open to cultural expressions of ‘belonging’… the pope said that the problem is that some people exaggerate by covering their body with tattoos, but ‘the problem is the exaggeration, not the tattoos.’ …

“‘Don’t be afraid of tattoos,’ the pope [said], noting that for many years Eritrean Christians and others have gotten tattoos of the cross on their foreheads…”

The pope is dead wrong on this issue as well. Please read our Q&A on tattoos.

Polish Catholic Priest Wishes the Pope’s Death

The Associated Press reported on March 17:

“Poland’s leading archbishop deplored on Sunday comments by a senior conservative priest who had wished Pope Francis a quick death if he does not open to ‘wisdom.’ Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said he heard about the comments with ‘great pain and regret’ and has discussed them face-to-face with Msgr. Edward Staniek, who made them in a Feb. 25 church speech in Krakow.

“Krakow was the seat of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the late Pope St. John Paul II. Poland’s church remains attached to John Paul’s conservative stance, which largely differs from Francis’ inclusive message. A majority of Poland’s bishops see their mission as preserving the traditional Catholic values from the pressure of secularization. In his speech, Staniek, who is a prominent theologian… said that Francis has departed from the teaching of Jesus and was wrongly interpreting mercy as opening up to Muslims and allowing communion for divorced Catholics, who, according to the church, live in mortal sin and are not allowed communion… Staniek suggested Francis was an ‘alien body’ in the Catholic Church.”

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.

Trump Fires Tillerson!

The Washington Post reported on March 13:

“President Trump said Tuesday he has ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and plans to nominate CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him as the nation’s top diplomat, orchestrating a major change to his national security team amid delicate outreach that includes possible talks with North Korea.

“Trump and Tillerson have had a fraught relationship for many months. Trump told reporters Tuesday that he ultimately decided to fire the secretary because they disagreed over strategy in key areas of foreign policy, such as the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the approach to North Korea and the overall tone of U.S. diplomacy…

“Trump selected CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel to succeed Pompeo as the agency’s director. She would become the first woman to run the spy agency. Both Haspel and Pompeo would need to be confirmed by the Senate at a time when the closely divided chamber has stalled on confirming dozens of Trump nominees.

“Haspel, in particular, could come under added scrutiny over her past role running one of the CIA ‘black site’ prisons where detainees were subjected to waterboarding and other interrogation methods widely denounced as torture.

“The announcement of Tillerson’s departure sent shock waves across the globe. Many U.S. diplomats and foreign leaders reacted with disbelief because they assumed Tillerson had finally begun to settle into his job after rumors of his ouster had swirled for months — even taking on a nickname, Rexit.”

Arrest Warrant for Trump’s New CIA Director?

MSN wrote on March 13:

“Federal prosecutors in Munich are currently reviewing a request to issue an arrest warrant for Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump‘s recently named director of the Central Intelligence Agency (‘CIA’).

“Haspel currently serves as the deputy director for the CIA and her nomination to head the agency must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Prior to her appointment as CIA deputy director, Haspel controversially ran a secret CIA prison in Thailand used to house, question, and allegedly torture detainees during the second Bush administration’s War on Terror.

“Haspel’s tenure as ‘Chief of Base’ at the prison–and what she did while serving in that role–is the subject of the arrest warrant request.”

Russia Denies Role in Poisoning

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 13:

“Russia on Tuesday dismissed accusations of any involvement in the poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter as ‘nonsense,’ saying it will only cooperate with a British investigation if it receives samples of the nerve agent believed to have been used.

“Police, meanwhile, said the investigation of who poisoned Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, will last many weeks and that they are not ready to identify any people of interest in the inquiry. The father and daughter remain in critical condition in a Salisbury hospital.

“British Prime Minister Theresa May said Russia’s involvement is ‘highly likely,’ and she gave the country a deadline of midnight Tuesday to explain its actions in the case. She is reviewing a range of economic and diplomatic measures in retaliation for the assault with what she identified as the military-grade nerve agent Novichok.

“U.S. and European officials were quick to offer words of support for Britain, which will need the backing of its allies if any new sanctions are to have any impact.”

Russia Refuses to Respond

yahoo reported on March 13:

“Britain braced for a showdown with Russia on Wednesday after a midnight deadline set by Prime Minister Theresa May expired without an explanation from Moscow about how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent.

“The United States, European Union and NATO supported Britain after May said it was ‘highly likely’ that Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet military.

“Russia, which denied any involvement, said it was not responding to May’s ultimatum until it received samples of the nerve agent, effectively challenging Britain to show what sanctions it would impose against Russian interests.

“‘Moscow will not respond to London’s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance,’ Russia’s embassy in London said. ‘Any threat to take punitive measures against Russia will meet with a response.’

“Britain could call on Western allies for a coordinated response, freeze the assets of Russian business leaders and officials, limit their access to London’s financial center, expel diplomats and even launch targeted cyber attacks.”

Vladimir Putin continues to push at the West, and up to this point—with impunity!

Britain’s Response…

The Washington Post reported on March 14:

“British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday ordered the immediate expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats believed to be involved in espionage, in the first reprisals against Moscow for a chemical attack on a former double agent.

“May, speaking to Parliament, said the response would include a halt to high-level meetings between British and Russian officials and the cancellation of a planned visit to Britain by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“She also said the royal family and government ministers would boycott this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament in Russia. More countermeasures — some clandestine — are under consideration.

“The prime minister repeated the conclusion of British investigators that Russia had either deployed or lost control of a dangerous nerve agent used in the attack targeting former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33.

“May said Russia’s dismissive response to her demand for an explanation has ‘demonstrated complete disdain for the gravity of these events.’

“‘Instead, they have treated the use of a military-grade nerve agent in Europe with sarcasm, contempt and defiance,’ she told lawmakers.

“The British leader gave no further details on the Russian diplomats ordered out of the country but said they were deemed ‘undeclared intelligence officers.’ She called it the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from Britain since Cold War-era retributions in the 1980s.”

Britain has been pre-occupied with Brexit, and it seems that Europe is only offering tepid support for any strong response to Russia. After all, Russia’s oil and gas supplies are crucial for the EU. Britain may have to look very hard for meaningful help in penalizing Russia.

Four More Years for Angela Merkel!

dw wrote on March 14:

“Merkel’s election by Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, ends 171 days of waiting after Germany’s national popular election on September 24, 2017. Merkel was elected by deputies from her own conservative CDU-CSU and her junior coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPD)…

“Merkel’s first attempt to form a coalition, with the center-right Free Democrats and the Greens, failed. But she succeeded in doing a deal with the Social Democrats after weeks of late-night negotiation and over the opposition of many regional SPD leaders and one-third of the party rank and file.

“The 63-year-old Merkel will now begin her fourth term as German chancellor and her third as the leader of a grand coalition.”

Mrs. Merkel’s challenge remains—to bring unity to a Germany that grows increasingly polarized.

Putin Suggests that Jews and Minorities be Blamed…

UPI wrote on March 12:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing criticism over comments suggesting Jews and other minorities may have been responsible for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“During an interview with Megyn Kelly on U.S. television, Putin said he “couldn’t care less” about accusations of Russian interference in the election and 13 Russian nationals who were charged by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller last month.

“‘I couldn’t care less because they do not represent the government, I could not care less. They do not represent the interests of the Russian state,’ Putin said.

“‘Maybe they’re not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked,” Putin said when questioned about who meddled in the election. “Maybe they have dual citizenship. Or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don’t know.’”

France Won’t Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

breakingisraelnews  reported on March 9:

“French President Emmanuel Macron told an audience on Wednesday that he would fight anti-Semitism online and in the streets of France in order to protect the country’s Jews.

“‘There are hatreds that are rising again; there are the worst kinds of crimes,’ Macron said at the annual dinner of the extensive Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France, or CRIF, Jewish umbrella organization.

“‘We have understood, with horror, that anti-Semitism is still alive. And on this issue our response must be unforgiving,’ said Macron. ‘France would not be itself if Jewish citizens had to leave because they were afraid.’

“Official figures show that anti-Semitic crimes increased 26 percent last year in France, with a 22 percent increase in vandalism to Jewish synagogues and cemeteries.

“Though CRIF leader Francis Kalifat encouraged Macron to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as has U.S. President Donald Trump and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Macron called the move an ‘error.’

“France, he said, ‘would lose this status of honest broker, which is the only useful one for the region,’ if it were to recognize the Jewish claim on the city.”

President Trump has indicated that the U.S. Embassy would move to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in March of this year. This would mark the seventieth anniversary of the Jews’ declaration of the State of Israel (March 14, 1948). Along with France, most of the rest of the world is refusing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many of Israel’s neighbors constantly threaten a war of total annihilation, and the Bible clearly reveals that war is coming!

Pope Francis—Too Liberal?

CNN wrote on March 3:

“In the beginning, there were signs and wonder.

“Signs that Jorge Bergoglio would be different, which led 1.2 billion Catholics to wonder: What kind of Pope would this obscure archbishop from Argentina turn out to be?…

“… Five years later, Pope Francis is firmly among the most liberal, global and politically relevant Holy Fathers in modern history.

“And for some Catholics, that’s become a problem…

“’I now understand how liberals in the church felt under the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict,’ says Benjamin Harnwell, director of the Institute for Human Dignity, a religious right-wing think tank. ‘I never got it before. I thought they were just dissenters, but they really didn’t feel as if they were truly part of the church, and that the Vatican didn’t involve or want them. Well, the pendulum has swung the other way.’

“As Harnwell strolls his new headquarters — an ancient monastery in the hills outside Rome that holds magnificent paintings of Christian persecution and the bones of St. Boniface — he explains his belief that The Vatican is a house divided.

“There are those like Pope Francis, who believe the church should be more like a field hospital, attending to the wounded — regardless of faith or denomination — while creating a more Christ-like society on earth.

“And then there is his camp, which sees the Catholic Church as a supernatural organization, here to enforce the strict rules of heavenly entry.”

Cardinal Marx—A Power Broker to the EU

Politico reported on March 12:

“With allies in Brussels and the Vatican, Cardinal Reinhard Marx has shaped the European debate.

“The German cardinal is the archbishop of one of the Continent’s richest dioceses, and he has spent the last six years serving as the head of the Roman Catholic Church’s most important presence in Brussels. Like Cardinal Richelieu, the 17th-century cleric who served as chief minister to King Louis XIII, Marx has close relations with the highest secular powers in Europe: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker…

“As head of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, an advocacy organization consisting of representatives of the Catholic Church from the 28 members of the European Union, Marx has waded into the European debate, in public and behind closed doors…

“Marx belongs to the Catholic Church’s more liberal wing (he was made cardinal by the conservative Pope Benedict in 2010, but his views are clearly closer to those of Pope Francis). As president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences (known in Brussels as COMECE, an abbreviation of its French name), he has often found himself facing off on issues of theology or public policy against colleagues from more conservative Eastern European countries.

“COMECE includes members representing each of the EU28 (a single bishop represents Denmark, Sweden and Finland, while the U.K. has two: one for England and Wales, and one from Scotland). They meet regularly in Brussels to discuss EU policies that might affect them or their parishioners — making the organization a sort of religious parallel to the European Council. And it reflects many of its secular counterpart’s regional divides — especially when it comes to traditionally sensitive issues like abortion and homosexuality…

“Part of Marx’s power lies in his closeness to the Vatican, and in particular to Francis, who in 2013 asked him to serve as a counselor in a new structure outside the Roman Curia.

“Last fall, Marx helped organize a conference in Rome on ‘Re-Thinking Europe,’ which was attended by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and Sylvie Goulard, a confidant of French President Emmanuel Macron who is now deputy governor of the Bank of France…

“The diocese he oversees is one of the richest in the world. Thanks to the Kirchensteuer, a tax that registered Catholics have to pay every year in Germany, “it collects more than €5 billion a year, more than five times, for example, what is collected by the Italian Church,” according to the Vaticanista Sandro Magister.

“‘It has a budget higher than many small member states,’ said a Vatican official.”

Court Vindicates Couple for Refusing to Lie About the “Easter Bunny”

nationalpost reported on March 7:

“An Ontario child welfare agency placed promoting belief in the Easter Bunny above preventing possible trauma when it removed two girls from a foster home because the Christian couple refused to lie about the bunny’s existence, an Ontario judge ruled.

“In a stinging indictment of the actions of the Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton, a court judgment declared the CAS violated the foster parent’s right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression when the children were taken from their home and their fostering agreement terminated over the Easter Bunny dilemma.

“Derek and Frances Baars, who lived in Hamilton at the time but have since moved to Edmonton, sued the Children’s Aid Society last year, saying a CAS worker insisted they proactively tell two girls in their care, aged three and four, the Easter Bunny was genuine, despite the couple’s belief that all lying is wrong…

“The Baars are Christians and members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America…

“Evidence was clear the Baars sincerely believe it is wrong to lie, including lying to promote belief in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny…”

These Current Events are compiled and commented on. 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.

Trump Imposes Tariffs

Reuters wrote on March 7:

“U.S. President Donald Trump pressed ahead on Thursday with import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminum but exempted Canada and Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier ‘no-exceptions’ stance.

“Describing the dumping of steel and aluminum in the U.S. market as ‘an assault on our country,’ Trump said in a White House announcement that the best outcome would for companies to move their mills and smelters to the United States. He insisted that domestic metals production was vital to national security.”

“A Declaration of War”

thestar reported on March 2:

“In Europe, there appears to be a growing assumption that diplomacy alone is not working in dealing with the current U.S. administration.

“European officials have not minced words in recent months regarding a U.S. president they often consider to be an obstacle rather than an ally. But President Donald Trump’s announced intention to impose punishing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum triggered an especially sharp backlash Friday from a number of countries.

“Officials in Germany, which exports more steel to the United States than any other European country, were among the most vocal critics Friday. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, whose criticisms of Trump have almost become routine, called the U.S. decision ‘unfathomable.’

“’We must do everything we can to avoid an international trade conflict,’ Gabriel told German daily Die Welt.

“Bernd Lange, a German Social Democrat and head of the European Parliament’s trade committee, offered a more brutal assessment. ‘With this, the declaration of war has arrived,’ Lange told German public radio Friday morning.”

From The New York Times on March 7:

“European Union officials unveiled an array of tariffs on Wednesday that they would place on American-made goods if the United States followed through on President Trump’s plan to impose penalties on imported steel and aluminum, raising the specter of a trade war…

“Such a move by the United States would ‘put thousands of European jobs in jeopardy, and it has to be met by a firm and proportionate response,’ Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Union commissioner for trade, said at a news conference in Brussels. European officials have been meeting with their counterparts in Washington, urging them to revisit the plans, she added.

“If the American tariffs are put in place, Ms. Malmstrom said, Brussels would take three steps: It would take the case to the World Trade Organization, add safeguards to protect the European Union against steel diverted from the United States, and impose tariffs on a series of American-made goods.”

President Trump: “Trade Wars are Good…”

thestar wrote on March 2:

“Trump declared on Thursday that the U.S. will impose punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with trading partners and raising the prospect of higher prices for American consumers and companies.

“U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday insisted ‘trade wars are good, and easy to win,’ a bold claim that will likely find many skeptics, including those on Wall Street and even some Republicans.

“Trump has declared that the U.S. will impose punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with China and other trading partners and raising the prospect of higher prices for American consumers and companies. After the announcement Thursday, stocks closed sharply lower on Wall Street. China has expressed ‘grave concern.’

“Early Friday, Trump took to Twitter to defend himself: ‘When a country (U.S.A.) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!’

He later tweeted: ‘Our steel industry is in bad shape. IF YOU DON’T HAVE STEEL, YOU DON’T HAVE A COUNTRY!’

“Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican responded that trade wars are never won.

“’Kooky 18th century protectionism will jack up prices on American families — and will prompt retaliation from other countries,’ he wrote in a statement. ‘Make no mistake: If the President goes through with this, it will kill American jobs — that’s what every trade war ultimately does. So much losing.’”

Angela Merkel Prevails—But Weakened

The New York Times reported on March 4:

“Germany’s Social Democrats voted in favor of forming another government with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, ending nearly six months of political limbo and setting Europe’s economic powerhouse on a path to the political stability it craves — at least for now.

“The results announced on Sunday clear the way for Ms. Merkel, who was long considered a de facto leader of Europe, to remain in the chancellery in Berlin for four more years. It will also allow her to work with President Emmanuel Macron of France on overhauling the European Union in what many consider a crucial year…

“But Ms. Merkel will lead a diminished coalition, and many predicted that the country, shaken by the prolonged uncertainty that followed inconclusive elections in September, would not be the same again. Both main parties received their worst postwar results in those elections.

“By now, the ‘grand coalition,’ as the tie-up is known, looks anything but grand: In polls, it no longer commands a majority. And the far-right Alternative for Germany party, AfD, now the official main opposition in Parliament, has been gaining momentum.”

Italian Elections—A Push to the Right?

The Associated Press published on March 5:

“Since the European Union’s founding treaty was signed in Rome more than 60 years ago, Italy has been an unabashed booster of increased unity and common purpose. That may have come to an end.

“Euroskeptics and populists rode a wave of hostility toward all things EU and surged to the fore in Italian elections on Sunday, turning the founding EU nation into a potential obstructionist just when the bloc was emerging from a decade of economic gloom and seemed poised to rekindle its grand ambitions.

“Beyond moving away from the EU policies in Brussels, the Italian results were the latest indication that the continent is tilting further to the right.

“Sunday’s stunning outcome came at the end of a seesaw day for the EU that started out well enough when the German Socialists finally threw their weight behind a staunchly pro-Europe grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Now, it seemed, the Merkel-Emmanuel Macron partnership was on and the German-French engine was primed to push a core group of EU nations toward more unity.

“Then, Italy’s results started to come in and the message from Italian voters was clear: ‘Don’t necessarily count on us.’ Instead of a smooth ride under fair weather economic conditions, the bloc should brace for more of the chaos and havoc that anti-EU populists have spread in many member nations over the past few years.

cbcnews added on March 5:

“European leaders reacted with caution to the results.

“French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the election result was a reminder of the challenges tied to migration.

“‘Italy has, it’s undeniable, suffered for months and months under the pressure of migration,’ Macron said in Paris.

“A top aide for German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that despite Italy’s election showing no faction winning a clear majority, she hopes ‘Italy will manage to build a stable government and especially a government in the spirit of Europe.’

“The general-secretary of Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said Monday in Berlin, ‘the view across the Alps to Italy today is not an easy one, because it’s not foreseeable after this difficult result … how long it will take to get a government, whether there will be one at all, and who will lead such a government.’

“A German trade lobby group urged Italy’s next government to be ‘constructive’ about the European Union’s future course to ensure the two countries’ economies continue to thrive.

“The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry says it is ‘of great importance for the German economy whether Italy can form a stable government and continue following the path of reform it has set out on.’

“In Brussels, a European Commission spokesperson said it was confident a stable administration could be formed, ‘and in the meantime Italy has a government with whom we are working closely.’”

Regardless of the surfacing of movements to block the unification of Europe, that process is now taking place on several fronts—especially in the area of European militarization. PESCO, The Permanent Structured Co-operation, is the recently approved (December 2017) European defense pact. Twenty-five of the EU’s current 28 members have signed up — Britain, Malta and Denmark are not involved. Note the article below…

German Industry Responds to PESCO

DefenseNews wrote on March 6:

“The leading German defense industry group is urging its members to position themselves for new business through the European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation mechanism ― that is, if PESCO proves to be worthwhile in the first place.

“In a new whitepaper, the Federation of German Security and Defence Industries warns that domestic firms could miss out on a expected uptick in common spending, as Germany’s role in an initial batch of 17 PESCO projects is fairly vague. The projects were approved in December.

“Berlin is on tap to lead the formation of a European Medical Command, act as a major player in military logistics, guide training-related initiatives and build a European Union Force Crisis Response Operation Core.

“In contrast, France and Italy claimed topics with a heavy industry focus. France will advance a European secure software-defined radio, while Italy heads a section devoted to armored combat vehicles.”

Trump Administration Sues California

The New York Times reported on March 6:

“The Trump administration escalated what had been a war of words over California’s immigration agenda, filing a lawsuit late Tuesday that amounted to a pre-emptive strike against the liberal state’s so-called sanctuary laws.

“The Justice Department sued California; Gov. Jerry Brown; and the state’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, over three state laws passed in recent months, saying they made it impossible for federal immigration officials to do their jobs and deport criminals who were born outside the United States. The Justice Department called the laws unconstitutional and asked a judge to block them.

“The lawsuit was the department’s boldest attack yet against California, one of the strongest opponents of the Trump administration’s efforts to curb immigration. It also served as a warning to Democratic lawmakers and elected officials nationwide who have enacted sanctuary policies that provide protections for undocumented immigrants.

“‘The Department of Justice and the Trump administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair and unconstitutional policies that have been imposed on you,’ Attorney General Jeff Sessions planned to say on Wednesday at a law enforcement event in Sacramento, according to prepared remarks. ‘I believe that we are going to win.’”

Win or lose, this is a sad commentary on the state of these “United” States of America!

Netanyahu Compares Trump…

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 5:

“Netanyahu offered an enthusiastic endorsement of Trump’s decision in December to recognize the divided city of Jerusalem as capital of Israel, which previous administrations had refused to do in hopes of furthering peace negotiations.

“Netanyahu compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, an ancient Persian king who conquered a vast empire and allowed the exiled Jews in Babylonia to return to their ancestral home to rebuild their temple.

“‘The Jewish people have a long memory,’ Netanyahu said. Trump’s decision, he said, will be ‘remembered by our people through the ages.’”

Shameful Hypocrisy of Gay Priests

Newsweek wrote on March 5:

“A 1,200-page dossier containing the names of 34 ‘actively gay’ priests and six seminarians in Italy has been sent to the Vatican by the archdiocese of Naples.

“The allegations were compiled by Francesco Mangiacapra, a gay male escort who told local media he couldn’t put up with the priests’ ‘hypocrisy’ any longer…

“Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, an Italian Cardinal and the current Archbishop of Naples, said in a statement that none of the priests who were named in the dossier were stationed in Naples. He claims he forwarded the document to the Vatican because ‘there remains the gravity of the cases for which those who have erred must pay the price, and be helped to repent for the harm done.’

“The large file contains explicit WhatsApp messages, erotic photos and other evidence, but none of the 40 priests and seminarians were accused of paedophilia or having sexual relations with minors. ‘We’re talking about sins, not crimes,’ Mangiacapra said.

“The dossier is the latest in a string of sex scandals that have rocked the Italian church and Vatican.”

There is simply no justification for this behavior.

Stephen Hawking’s “Belief”

Newsmax reported on March 6:

“Stephen Hawking said Sunday he believes that ‘nothing was around’ before the so-called Big Bang that led to the beginning of the universe, USA Today reported…

“‘(I use a) Euclidean approach to quantum gravity to describe the beginning of the universe,’ Hawking said on the program about the Big Bang, which he believes happened nearly 14 billion years ago, per USA Today.

“‘The Euclidean space-time is a closed surface without end, like the surface of the Earth,’ Hawking continued. ‘One can regard imaginary and real time as beginning at the South Pole, which is a smooth point of space-time where the normal laws of physics hold. There is nothing south of the South Pole so there was nothing around before the Big Bang.’

“Hawking had previously said that events that happened before the Big Bang ‘have no consequences that can be observed,’ so there is no way to measure what happened, according to Tech Times.

“‘The universe will evolve from the Big Bang, completely independently of what it was like before,’ Hawking said on his website. ‘Even the amount of matter in the universe can be different to what it was before the Big Bang, as the Law of Conservation of Matter, will break down at the Big Bang.’”

However, the Bible shows that Someone was around before the so-called Big Bang occurred—and here is what He says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That is the truth, and we can believe it!

These Current Events are compiled and commented on. 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.