USA Vetoes U.N. Security Council’s Draft Resolution on Status of Jerusalem

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The United States was further isolated on Monday over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn. The remaining 14 council members voted in favour of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which… expressed ‘deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem.’ ‘What we witnessed here in the Security Council is an insult. It won’t be forgotten,’ U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said after the vote, adding that it was the first veto cast by the United States in more than six years…

“The U.N. draft resolution affirmed ‘that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council…

“Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The draft U.N. resolution had called upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Haley and Trump for the veto in a video clip posted on his Facebook page…

“Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said the Palestinians would seek a rare emergency special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Trump’s decision. Under a 1950 resolution, an emergency special session can be called for the General Assembly to consider a matter ‘with a view to making appropriate recommendations to members for collective measures’ if the Security Council fails to act. Only 10 such sessions have been convened, and the last time the General Assembly met in such a session was in 2009 on Israeli actions in occupied Palestinian territories. Any outcome of such a session is non-binding, but carries political weight.”

CNN wrote on December 18:

“Palestinian leaders slammed the US decision, citing it as further proof the White House could no longer play an impartial role in any Israeli-Palestinian peace process… Expecting the US veto, the Palestinians immediately changed their focus from the Security Council to the United Nations General Assembly, where each member has one vote and no country — not even the United States — can veto a resolution…

“Speaking in favor of the resolution before the vote, France and the United Kingdom insisted the final status of Jerusalem should only be determined in negotiations… The proposed resolution comes almost exactly one year after UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which criticized Israel for the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, calling them ‘a flagrant violation under international law.’ In the vote, taken in the waning days of the Obama administration, 14 of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution; the United States abstained, allowing it to pass.

“At the beginning of her speech, Haley made clear the results would be different if the vote were taken again. ‘Given the chance to vote again on Resolution 2334, I can say with complete confidence that the United States would vote no,’ said Haley, slamming the resolution as a hindrance to the exact peace process it was intended to advance…

“‘We will take legal, political and diplomatic action against Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem,’ Abbas said on Monday… In addition, Abbas signed 22 agreements and treaties in a move to solidify Palestinian standing in international affairs…”

The current 15 members of the UN Security Council are:

The five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA.

The current ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly are:

Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Not much was to be expected from most of these member states, except perhaps, under “normal” circumstances, the UK and some of America’s European allies.

US Will Take Names of Those Voting against It in UN General Assembly

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“The UN General Assembly will vote on a measure that would require the US to rescind its decision regarding Jerusalem. US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to countries that support the resolution… ‘All these nations that take our money and then vote against us at the Security Council and they vote against us potentially at the Assembly,’ Trump said at the White House. ‘They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us. Well, we’re watching those votes… Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,’ he concluded.

“The remarks follow a stern warning delivered by US Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday, who threatened to ‘take the names’ of countries that vote in favor of the draft resolution rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital… Turkey and Yemen requested the emergency session on behalf of the Arab group of countries and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation.”

U.N. General Assembly Condemns USA

The Associated Press wrote on December 21:

“The U.N. General Assembly has voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to declare President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital ‘null and void.’ Thursday’s vote, while a victory for the Palestinians, was significantly lower than its supporters had hoped for… It is noteworthy that 21 countries were absent.

“In that sense, it was a victory for the United States, with Trump’s threat to cut off U.S. funding to countries that oppose his decision having an impact.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 21:

“The United States and Israel were joined by Guatemala, Honduras and Togo [as well as small islands, namely Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau] in opposing the measure. Washington’s North American neighbors Canada and Mexico abstained [as well as Australia, the Philippines, Panama, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina and South Sudan] along with several eastern European countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic [Croatia, Hungary] and Romania. Alongside many Middle Eastern countries, much of western Europe supported the measure, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain…

“Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu… slammed the UN as a ‘house of lies.’… Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that the vote showed the ‘illegality’ of Trump’s Jerusalem move…”

CBS News added:

“In the end, major U.S. aid recipients including Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa supported the resolution. The absent countries included Kenya, which was the fifth-largest recipient of U.S. aid last year, Georgia and Ukraine, all of which have close U.S. ties.”

Breitbart reported on December 21:

“The leader of the populist Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) and new Austrian Vice-chancellor, Heinz Christian Strache, has also expressed a desire to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem. As early as July Mr Strache called for the international community to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, saying it would be ‘absurd’ not to.”

In the end, Austria voted FOR the resolution, following Germany’s lead. Note below many more articles about Heinz Christian Strache.

Trump Administration: Western Wall Will Be Part of Israel

JTA wrote on December 15:

“The Trump administration said it cannot envision an outcome in which the Western Wall [in eastern Jerusalem] is not part of Israel — the first signal by any U.S. administration that it recognizes a claim to Jerusalem outside the 1967 lines… Israel captured eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 Six-Day War…”

JTA wrote on December 18:

“The Western Wall is the outer wall and the largest remnant of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by Rome in 70 C.E. during the Jewish wars. Since 135 C.E. — the launch of the Jewish exile in the wake of the failed Bar Kochba revolt — Jews have directed prayers from wherever they are toward the destroyed Temple. There are indications throughout the Dark and Middle Ages of Jewish worship at the Wall, but the Encyclopedia Judaica dates permanent worship at the site to the early 1500s, probably a result of an influx of Jewish refugees from Spain into the city. Depictions of pious Jews praying at the site were a cliche by the late 19th century.

“Jordan’s almost absolute ban on Jewish worship at the Western Wall during its 1949-1967 occupation of Jerusalem became a sore point for Diaspora Jews, as well as for Israelis… Israel extended administrative control to eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, within a month or so of the Six-Day War. It declared the ‘complete and unified Jerusalem’ the capital of Israel in a 1980 law that was amended in 2000 to define borders that included the Old City; the law refers to the ‘Holy Places’ as being under Israeli protection…

“The wall abuts the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism, and the third holiest in Islam. Muslims believe its Al Aqsa mosque is where Muhammad ascended into heaven in his Night Journey… ‘For the United States to take this position formally is obviously a significant departure from previous policies,’ said Yousef Munayyer, the director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. ‘It has huge implications. There has been no formal American position on the holy sites that gave sovereignty to either party.’”

The control of the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, as well as the building of a third temple will become the cataclysm which will ignite the powder keg in the Middle East.

New National Security Strategy of the USA

Fox News wrote on December 18:

“President Trump on Monday unveiled a national security strategy that enshrines his ‘America First’ approach into U.S. policy, stressing American strength and economic security and putting rivals like China and Russia on notice. ‘America is in the game and America is going to win,’ Trump said, making clear that the United States will stand up for itself even if that means acting unilaterally or alienating others on issues such as trade, climate change and immigration…

“Trump, who released his 68-page national security strategy ahead of his speech, said he is making good on campaign pledges that he promised would ‘revitalize the American economy, rebuild our military, defend our borders, protect our sovereignty and advance our values.’ Trump’s national security strategy, a document mandated by Congress, is based on four principles: protecting the homeland by restricting immigration, pressuring trading partners, building up the military and otherwise increasing U.S. influence globally…

“‘China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,’ the strategy document says. ‘They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.’ The strategy accuses the two nations of ‘developing advanced weapons and capabilities that could threaten our critical infrastructure and our command and control architecture.’”

President Trump also said this (quoted from the transcript of his speech, as published by Al Jazeera News):

“We have withdrawn the United States from job-killing deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the very expensive and unfair Paris Climate Accord. And on our trip to Asia last month, I announced that we will no longer tolerate trading abuse. We have established strict new vetting procedures to keep terrorists out of the United States, and our vetting is getting tougher each month. To counter Iran and block its path to a nuclear weapon, … I declined to certify the Iran Deal to Congress…

“In Afghanistan, our troops are no longer undermined by artificial timelines, and we no longer tell our enemies of our plans… And we have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help.

“Our efforts to strengthen the NATO Alliance set the stage for significant increases in member contributions, with tens of billions of dollars more pouring in because I would not allow member states to be delinquent in the payment while we guarantee their safety and are willing to fight wars for them.  We have made clear that countries that are immensely wealthy should reimburse the United States for the cost of defending them. This is a major departure from the past, but a fair and necessary one – necessary for our country, necessary for our taxpayer, necessary for our own thought process.”

The “affected” NATO countries, including Germany, already declared that there will be no way that they will reimburse the USA for anything. This will further continued alienation.

Largest US Tax Overhaul in More Than Three Decades

Bloomberg wrote on December 20:

“After a year of infighting, frustration and failure, President Donald Trump and his Republicans finally have something to celebrate. The Senate early this morning passed the largest U.S. tax overhaul in more than three decades with barely a vote to spare, bringing Trump to the brink of his first big legislative win…

“The legislation — passed before Christmas, as Trump urged just two months earlier — quiets questions about the fractious party’s ability to govern. The measure’s repeal of the Obamacare insurance mandate also helps salve the wounds from Republican struggles to repeal the broader law earlier this year.

“But the celebration may be short-lived. Congress must quickly pass a spending bill by Friday to avoid a holiday government shutdown. The new year will bring more spending showdowns, Russia probe revelations and a midterm election in which the Democrats are increasingly favored to take back at least one house of Congress. The tax bill, with most of its benefits going to corporations and the rich, will provide ample fodder for the campaigns ahead.”

Subsequently, the US House of Representatives approved another short-term funding bill until January 19, 2018 to keep the federal government running.

Europe Worried About Trump’s Tax Reform

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 19:

“European finance ministers are worried. They say the US’s big tax reform bill contains measures that would unfairly disadvantage European business and contravene global fair-taxation rules…

“Last week, the finance ministers of Europe’s five biggest economies — Germany, France, the UK, Spain and Italy — wrote an anxious letter to their American colleague, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, and copied it to all senior Republican politicians in the Congress and Senate. The letter’s thrust: The draft US tax bill would… represent a thinly disguised form of trade war. ‘The United States is Europe’s single most important trade and investment partner,’ the finance ministers wrote… A day later, a similar letter was sent to Mnuchin by the European Commission’s four most senior economic officials and made many of the same points. The two letters didn’t get much of an answer — at least not a public one…

“Are the criticisms from Europe justified? In a word: Yes…  The US… proposes to play unfairly by taxing profits that have already been taxed in Europe…”

Whatever is happening in the USA these days causes opposition in foreign countries, especially in Europe.

The Trump “Tax-Cut” Will Complicate the Tax System

The Week wrote on December 18:

“You’ll be able to file your taxes on a postcard. That was the sales pitch the Republican Party made when it started out on tax reform. The whole idea was to make the tax code simpler and fairer. Now the House and Senate have hashed out a final compromise bill… So how did they do at living up to their promise? Not good.

“Jammed through at incredible speed, with virtually no public hearings or debate, the tax bill is a complete mess of glitches, opaque wording, and complications. Despite the bill’s rapid-fire pace, a group of tax experts was able to survey the tax code changes and compile at least some of the major problems. Not only will the Republicans’ tax bill increase the ways the wealthy and connected can game the tax code and avoid paying their fair share — it will likely make the tax system vastly more complicated, not less…”

Saudi Arabia vs. Yemen and Iran

The Sun wrote on December 19:

“A MISSILE fired at Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was shot down moments before it hit a royal palace today… The Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information tweeted: ‘Coalition forces confirm intercepting an Iranian-Houthi missile targeting south of Riyadh.’…

“[A previous] November 4 attack triggered the tightening of a longstanding Saudi-led blockade of Yemen – already on the verge of famine. Saudi Arabia angrily accused its arch foe Iran of supplying the missile to the rebels, a charge Tehran strongly denied.

“On Thursday, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley presented what she called ‘undeniable’ evidence that last month’s missile was ‘made in Iran’. A brutal civil war has been raging in Yemen for over two years and the conflict has claimed over 16,000 lives. A military alliance led by Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes against the Houthi movement, which now controls much of Yemen.”

Germany Still Looking for a Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 20:

“Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats have agreed to start talks on forming a government on January 7. The exploratory talks should end by January 12… The results of the exploratory talks will then be discussed within each their parliamentary parties and among the parties’ respective boards and Merkel’s CDU…

“Last Friday, Schulz announced that the parties had agreed to start preliminary talks although the SPD carefully noted that it wanted to keep open the possibility of a softer ‘cooperative coalition,’ while the CDU is mainly interested in forming a grand coalition… To date, the longest Germany has gone without a ruling government coalition was the 86 days that the CDU, CSU and SPD needed to agree to a grand coalition under Merkel’s leadership in 2013. The current talks have now surpassed that record.”

Key Positions for FPO in Austria’s New Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“People’s Party (OVP) leader Sebastian Kurz will become the next chancellor and coalition partner Freedom Party (FPO) head Heinz-Christian Strache [successor to the late Joerg Haider] will become vice-chancellor in the new Austrian government. Strache will also be minister for sports and public servants. Five other ministries go to Strache’s Freedom Party. They include the key interior, defense and foreign ministries.

“Kurz’s People’s Party will have seven ministers and one deputy. They include the finance, economy and justice ministries.”

Austria’s New Government Sworn In

The Huffington Post wrote on December 18:

“Austria’s new coalition government was sworn in on Monday, which includes members from the far-right Freedom Party for the first time in more than a decade… European countries met the ascendance of the new coalition with caution.

“… Austria’s president, Alexander Van der Bellen, announced his approval of the new coalition on Saturday after being promised that the new leaders would take on ‘a pro-European direction.’ ‘Sebastian Kurz and Heinz-Christian Strache have assured me that Austria is and will remain a strong country in the heart of Europe and that it will play an active role in the future shaping of the E.U.,’ Van der Bellen said…

“When Austria’s far-right Freedom Party entered government in the year 2000, there was an international backlash and harsh warnings from the country’s closest allies. The European Union imposed several months of sanctions on Austria, and Israel recalled its ambassador in protest. At the time, European governments believed an openly xenophobic party that was founded in the 1950s by a former Nazi SS officer and embraced nationalist views needed to be collectively isolated and contained. But in the years since, Europe has radically changed how it sees the far right… there are none of the same warnings from the EU today…”

Deepening Relationship with Germany

Deutsche Welle added on December 18:

“Austria’s new right-of-center coalition government wants to further deepen relations with Germany, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Monday before he assumed office. ‘Many personal, economic, political and cultural ties bind us to Germany,’ [he] told Germany’s Bild newspaper…

“As foreign minister, Kurz frequently criticized Berlin over immigration policy, and FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache once called German Chancellor Angela Merkel ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe.’… While Vienna’s incoming government encountered mixed responses in Germany, Merkel’s conservative Bavarian allies, the CSU, have been positive. ‘With Sebastian Kurz, Bavaria and Germany have one more ally in Europe,’ Alexander Dobrindt, the head of the CSU’s parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, told Die Welt newspaper…”

Maintaining its Distance

The Jewish Press wrote on December 18:

“The State of Israel is maintaining its distance in dealing with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) in Austria’s new coalition government, according to a statement issued by the government on Monday (Dec 18.)…

“The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed ‘grave concern’ over reports of the new coalition. ‘The FPÖ has a long history of anti-Semitism and xenophobia and we are concerned about the fact that they will control government ministries in the new Austrian government,’ said Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the EJC. ‘However, we hope that rather than as expected — that the Freedom Party will have an undue influence on the direction of the government led by the People’s Party — the Chancellor and his party will be able to discipline the intolerant elements within the FPÖ.’”

Historically, Hitler was not taken seriously either and his initial declarations of friendship and cooperation with the Jews were readily and naively believed… so much so that initially, Jewish bankers supported him and his party.

Friendlier Ties with Russia

The EUObserver wrote on December 18:

“Kurz’s coalition wants to see friendlier relations with Russia, and says that EU sanctions are a source of unwelcome tension.

“Tusk wrote a letter to Kurz on Monday, saying he trusts the Austrian government will continue to play a constructive and pro-European role in the European Union. Austria is the latest country to add to the sceptical chorus within the EU about the effectiveness of Russian sanctions…”

Friendlier ties with Russia will be very temporary, if at all. Note the next article.

Russia Practiced Full-Scale Invasion of Europe

The Sun wrote on December 20:

“RUSSIA has practised a full-scale mock invasion of the West that includes capturing Baltic states, bombing Germany and invading neutral countries, it has been revealed. The terrifying war drills were carried out in September and featured troops, artillery, tanks, missile attacks and naval and air force raids. At the time, Putin claimed the exercises were for anti-terror purposes and were purely defensive in nature. However, [Bild Online] reported that the drills were a dry-run for a ‘shock campaign’ against Western European NATO countries…

“Over two days, Russian fighter jets also flew mock sorties through the Baltic and North Seas, swooping down onto the edges of Germany and the Netherlands. These were designed to be a practice run for destroying high-value targets such as power reactors, airports and other forces, including naval battalions, practised invading neutral Finland, as well as Sweden, Norway and Poland…

“General Petr Pavel, head of NATO’s military committee, warned in September: ‘All together, what we see is a serious preparation for big war… when we look it in the big picture, we have to be worried, because Russia was not transparent.’”

The Bible tells us that Europe will be so worried in the future because of rumors from the East, that they will attack countries such as Russia and China.

Catalonia: Separatist Groups Win Absolute Majority

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 21:

“[O]usted regional President Carles Puigdemont was set to regain power in Catalonia after his… party captured 34 seats. Together with the 36 seats of the two other pro-independence parties, the separatists are headed for an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional parliament…

“Speaking from exile in Brussels, Puigdemont called the election a victory for the ‘Catalan Republic’ as well as a ‘slap in the face’ to Spanish Prime MinisterMariano Rajoy…

“Catalan National Assembly Vice President Agusti Alcoberro… demanded the release of imprisoned secessionist politicians and ‘the restitution of the government,’ sacked by Madrid…

“The pro-independence forces garnering an absolute majority could be a significant blow to the government of Prime Minister Rajoy [In fact, it is a total disaster for the Spanish government.]… The vote on Thursday had been ordered by Rajoy in the aftermath of a highly contested independence referendum on October 1 and a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence, both of which were ruled unconstitutional. The central government in Madrid also sacked Puigdemont’s regional government and took direct control of the region…

“Deposed regional President Puigdemont campaigned for his pro-independence… party from Brussels, where he had fled to avoid imprisonment by the Spanish authorities. Other pro-independence leaders currently in jail in Spain… campaigned… through letters, social media and prison-time phone calls.”

The question is, what will be Spain’s next move, since previous actions backfired terribly.

Bitcoin Threat to Banks and Worldwide Economy?

The Independent wrote on December 14:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes banks are going the way of the dinosaur, and bitcoin may be the meteor that brings about its extinction. The head of state appeared on a youtube video posted December 12 where he ponders in Hebrew ‘Is the fate of banks that they will eventually disappear? Yes. The answer is yes.’ He continued: ‘Does it need to happen tomorrow? And do we need to do it through Bitcoin? That’s a question mark.’

“The 70-second video shows Netanyahu discussing the function of banks, which he says act as middlemen and to protect their customers by offsetting risks and preventing theft… ‘The truth behind what I just said is what’s propelling bitcoin upwards,’ Netanyahu concluded.”

Express added on December 18:

“Independent research analyst Ronnie Moas predicted over the summer that the value in Bitcoin would reach as high as $5,000 (£3,738) when the digital currency was trading at just $2,600 (£1,943). Since then, Bitcoin has surged to $20,000 (£13,582) in value as of Monday, according to prices tracked on Coinbase.

“Now, Mr Moas, the founder of Standpoint research, claims the growth will shoot above $300,000 (£224,280) and become the ‘most valuable currency in the world’. He told CNBC: ‘Bitcoin is already up 500 per cent since I recommended it in the beginning of July, and I’m looking for another 500 per cent move from here. His claims are based on the idea that since only 21million Bitcoin can ever exist, increasing demand for the digital currency will naturally drive its price up, he said.

“Mr Moas said: ‘I don’t know how much gold there is in the ground, but I know how much bitcoin there is, and in two years there will be 300 million people in the world trying to get their hands on a few million bitcoin. ‘This mind-blogging supply and demand imbalance is what is going to drive the higher price.’… [a] study by Anglia Ruskin University, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University released on Friday said Bitcoin could pose a threat to [and could have a “knock-out effect” on] to the financial stability of traditional currencies and markets.”

These developments are not surprising in light of the incompetency, untrustworthiness, unproductivity and deceptive conduct of many banks.

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.

“Lord’s Prayer: Pope Francis Calls for Change”

The BBC wrote on December 8:

“Pope Francis has called for a translation of a phrase about temptation in the Lord’s Prayer to be changed. The current wording that says ‘lead us not into temptation’ is not a good translation because God does not lead humans to sin, he says. His suggestion is to use ‘do not let us fall into temptation’ instead, he told Italian TV on Wednesday night.

“The Lord’s Prayer is the best-known prayer in Christianity. The pontiff said France’s Roman Catholic Church was now using the new wording ‘do not let us fall into temptation’ as an alternative, and something similar should be used worldwide. ‘Do not let me fall into temptation because it is I who fall, it is not God who throws me into temptation and then sees how I fell,’ he told TV2000, an Italian Catholic TV channel…”

Bild Online added on December 8:

“The Lord’s Prayer is the most important and the most recited prayer of Christianity. Moreover, it is also the prayer that Jesus Christ himself taught to his disciples. From the believer’s perspective, to change it would be to correct the words of God 2000 years later… The current Lord’s Prayer is based on the New Testament, which was passed down in Greek…

“In France, the debate within the church has been decided… Since the first Sunday of Advent, in France the plea is now: ‘do not let us be tempted’.

“German-language theologians also think that an adjustment would make sense. Last week, however, the bishop of Regensburg, Rudolf Voderholzer, warned of ‘falsifying the words of Jesus’. The plea ‘do not lead us into temptation’ was passed down in exactly these words in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, said the former Professor of Dogmatics. ‘If we were to correct Jesus by saying “No, Jesus, you can’t have said that; we know better and will now correct you”, then we would soon end up with an entirely new bible based on our human ideas. The bible would no longer be the testimony of God’s revelation’, the diocese quotes one of the bishops’ earlier sermons. It is very likely that the German Bishops’ Conference will soon address Pope Francis’ criticism of the translation.”

On December 8, Fox News published a commentary by Scott Gunn, an Episcopal priest:

“Pope Francis has suggested that Catholics learn a new line when they say the Lord’s Prayer… This beloved prayer is said by nearly all Christians weekly, if not daily… No, the pope is not trying to put new words in Jesus’ mouth. Yes, I am grateful for what the pope is asking, even though I am not a Roman Catholic.

“There are two reasons I am grateful for the pope’s request to change ‘lead us not into temptation’ into ‘do not let us fall into temptation.’ First, these new words are actually closer to what Jesus said. Second, they offer better theology.

“Despite our ideas to the contrary, Jesus did not walk around speaking the English of the King James Bible…

“The English wording that we use when we pray the Lord’s Prayer comes from Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible from the late 1300s. Matthew 6:13, the newsworthy line, reads, ‘and leede us nat in to temptacioun.’ Starting in the later years of the 20th century, Bible scholars began offering better translations into English from the original languages of the Lord’s Prayer. The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible gives us Matthew 6:13 like this: ‘And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.’

“Why is this better? God does not create temptation for us… The Letter of James (1:13-14) in the New Testament puts it like this: ‘No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it.’…

“… Jesus Christ took on human flesh and knew every aspect of human life except for sin. Jesus knew what it was like to be tempted, because he was tempted by Satan. So our God knows the pain and struggle of temptation and does not will it upon us. Pope Francis would have us pray ‘do not let us fall into temptation.’ It’s a subtle difference. But it is an important difference. In this better translation, we are praying for God’s guidance to keep us away from temptation.”

Actually, the comments by Pope Francis and also by Scott Gunn in the above-quoted article have merits. The suggestions are not to change Christ’s words, but to clarify His words. We discuss in great detail the words of the “Lord’s Prayer” in our free booklet, “Teach Us To Pray,” copyright 2006. When explaining from the Bible the meaning of the clause, “Lead Us Not into Temptation,” we also state this:

“The New Testament Greek word for ‘temptation’ (‘peirasmos’), and the Greek word for ‘to tempt’ (‘peirazo’), can also mean, ‘trial’ and ‘to test.’ The same is true for the Hebrew words in the Old Testament, ‘massah’ and ‘nasah,’ which can mean ‘temptation’ and ‘tempt,’ or, ‘trial’ and ‘test.’…”

At the end of that section, we give the following summary:

“When we ask God the Father to protect us from temptation, or serious and sore trials, we understand that God never tempts us to sin. Rather, temptation to sin comes through our own desires, the society around us, and Satan the devil. Christ tells us to ask the Father to protect us from the temptation to sin.

“We also understand that God tests us to get to know us better. His tests are for the purpose of strengthening us and enabling us not to sin. We should not ask God the Father to withhold tests from us, but rather, as Christ tells us, ask the Father not to allow the trials we go through to be too difficult for us to bear. Conversely, we should ask the Father for strength and wisdom not to test Him, by doubting Him and His powers, by limiting—in our minds—His ability to help us, by trying to force our will upon Him, and by even questioning His involvement in our lives.”

Please note our new StandingWatch program, “The Lord’s Prayer—Does Pope Francis Really Want to Change It?” 

“Weapons Sales Up Again Worldwide”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Arms sales are increasing around the world… the main beneficiaries are armaments groups in the US and Western Europe…

“The global trade in arms and military services increased again in 2016, for the first time in five years. It was up 1.9 percent on the previous year — and 38 percent compared to 2002. These new figures are from the latest report on the international arms industry by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It says that in 2016 the world’s 100 biggest armaments groups sold $374.8 billion (€317.7 billion) of weapons and weapons systems.

“Particularly in the United States, armaments groups are producing and selling more weapons. According to the report, sales from US firms rose 4 percent in 2016, totaling $217.2 billion. This was not only because of the US’ own military deployments abroad: The figure was also boosted by the purchase of large weapons systems by other countries. The US group Lockheed Martin — the biggest weapons producer worldwide — did lucrative business selling its new F-35 to countries like Britain, Italy and Norway. Its biggest customer, though, is the United States Air Force.

“Big American players like Lockheed Martin make up the majority of the top 100 armaments groups researched by SIPRI’s experts. Once again, the report clearly shows that the majority of arms come from American companies — a total of 57.9 percent of all global arms sales. Western Europe takes second place in the list of the most important suppliers of arms, followed by Russia with 7.1 percent of arms sales around the world.

“The picture is more mixed in the Western European countries. While French and Italian firms are selling fewer arms, German and British groups — despite Brexit — increased their turnover. The German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, for example, and Rheinmetall, which makes military vehicles, profited from the demand for their products in Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia…

“The SIPRI researchers believe China may also be a top weapons manufacturer. The country does not, however, appear in their statistics, because the experts have no reliable data on the Chinese arms trade…

“There is no question but that wars prompt individual states to procure weapons. When crises threaten, countries spend more money on more modern arms: They buy new warships, fighter jets and tanks, and armaments groups sell more as a result. But according to SIPRI expert Fleurant, the majority of weapons are sold by arms manufacturers to the defense ministries of their own countries, not abroad. Thus the new SIPRI report not only provides information about who is selling and buying how many weapons: It also says something about how safe the world as a whole currently feels.”

Trying to find salvation in an arms race will never work. Actually, wealth gained through the sale of weapons for the purpose of fighting in war is ungodly.

“Nobel Peace Prize Winner: Nuclear War Is ‘One Tiny Tantrum Away’”

The Week wrote on December 11:

“While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on Sunday, the director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) warned that ‘the deaths of millions may be one tiny tantrum away.’ During the ceremony in Oslo, Beatrice Fihn said the world has a choice to make — ‘the end of nuclear weapons or the end of us’ — and said the risk of using nuclear weapons is ‘greater now than during the Cold War.’

“As North Korea continues to test missiles, including some believed to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to the continental U.S., and the war of words between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to escalate, a ‘moment of panic’ could lead to ‘the destruction of cities and the deaths of millions of civilians,’ Fihn said.”

Sadly, this warning is so true and relevant.

“Military Assessment: Major Report Warns US ‘Will Lose the Next War’”

The website of nzherald published the following on December 11:

“The world is looking bleak. From the nuclear bluster of North Korea, China’s relentless power creep in Asia and Russia’s covert invasion of Ukraine, the international situation is as dire as at any time during the Cold War. So is the world’s self-proclaimed ‘policeman’, the United States, up to the challenge? A new in-depth report from strategic think-tank Rand Corporation thinks not…

“‘US forces today… are failing to keep pace with the modernising forces of great power adversaries, are poorly postured to meet key challenges in Europe and East Asia,’ the report reads… Projected combat scenarios in Europe and Asia both present grim outcomes, the report finds…”

“Czech Leader Slams EU ‘Cowards’ on Jerusalem Stance”

y-net wrote on December 10:

“Milos Zeman, president of [the] only European country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital following [the] US announcement, says European Union states ‘are doing all they can so a pro-Palestinian terrorist movement can have supremacy over a pro-Israeli movement.’…

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Saturday evening on a two-day official visit to Paris and Brussels, vowing not to accept [a] ‘double standard’ from Europe on Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…

“The Europeans’ objection to the move was so strong, that Israeli officials stress that Israel’s main problem is actually with Western European countries rather than with the Arab, central and Eastern European countries, whose reactions were predictable and measured. Israeli state officials blasted the ‘European hypocrisy,’ saying that while the European foreign ministers rushed to strongly condemn Trump’s announcement, they failed to condemn the rockets fired at the southern city of Sderot over the weekend…”

The Bible prophesies that ultimately, Europe will become Israel’s most dangerous enemy.

Netanyahu vs. Erdogan

y-net wrote on December 10:

“Speaking during a joint press conference with [the] French president in Paris, Netanyahu says he won’t take lectures on morality from a leader ‘who bombs Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey and who jails journalists’; [he] tells Macron ‘just as Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would ‘not take lectures’ from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who over the weekend issued a tirade against Israel, accusing it of being a ‘terrorist state that murders children’…

“Later on, Erdogan’s office issued a statement slamming Netanyahu’s remarks in Paris. ‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks targeting the Republic of Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,’ a spokesperson said, adding that Israel, which disregards international law, has ‘occupied’ the Palestinian people’s hundreds-of-years-old homeland and systematically violates United Nations resolutions, must first account for its own actions.”

The relationship between Israel and Turkey will continue to deteriorate.

Burning of Israeli Flags in Berlin, Germany

The Local wrote on December 11:

“Israeli flags were burned at the Brandenburg Gate on Friday during a pro-Palestinian demonstration against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Ten people were arrested and investigations were launched into the violation of a foreign state’s sovereign signs. On Sunday evening, an Israeli flag was also burned on the edge of a protest march from Berlin’s Neukölln district to Kreuzberg, which was attended by around 2,500 demonstrators.

“Government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that the government strongly condemned protests in German cities where ‘hatred’ of Israel and Jews was expressed. Seibert noted that Berlin had a ‘particular responsibility toward Israel and Jewish people in general’ because Nazi Germany slaughtered six million Jews in the Holocaust.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday denounced the burning of Israeli flags to protest against the United States’ decision last Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital…

“Germany’s interior minister [Thomas de Maziere] has also criticized the burning of Israeli national symbols in Berlin… German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told Bild that despite understandable criticism of the US decision, ‘there is no right and also no justification to burn Israeli flags, incite hatred against Jews or question the right of Israel to exist.’… Justice Minister Heiko Maas also said there was no place for any sort of anti-Semitism.”

Anti-Semitism is again raising its ugly head all over the world. Note the next article as well.

Anti-Semitism Outbursts Across Europe

JTA wrote on December 10:

“On Saturday, protestors against the Jerusalem decision burned an Israeli flag in Stockholm…

“The Israeli-Jewish Congress… called on European governments not to allow the use of Trump’s declaration to serve as a ‘pretext’ for anti-Semitism… ‘It is unconscionable that Jews are under attack on the streets of Europe, whether by terrorists hurling Molotov cocktails or openly and brazenly calling for the mass murder of Jews in Malmo, Vienna and Paris,’ European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor said in a statement. ‘We call on European governments to take strong punitive action against those who perpetrated these acts and call for the immediate arrest of anyone… making murderous chants.’

“At other protest rallies about Jerusalem in Austria, France and Malmo, Sweden, participants chanted, respectively, in Arabic about an ancient massacre of Jews, freedom for Palestinian terrorists and shooting Jews.”

Peace Talks in Middle East… Where Is America?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday said that while Netanyahu has repeatedly announced a new US-led peace initiative, European diplomats have received no information on such a plan, even when US State Secretary Rex Tillerson was in Brussels last week. ‘They’ve announced to us some kind of American initiative. We’ve been waiting for several months. If it’s not the case, then perhaps the European Union should take the initiative, but it’s too early to say,’ said Le Drian while in Brussels.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 8:

“The move [to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital] … disqualifies the United States as a mediator… That means that it is now up to us – the Europeans, the Germans – to come up with new ideas and new formats, as difficult as that may be. Wherever possible, those new ideas should be developed in cooperation with moderate Arab countries…

“For German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who has been demanding that Germany be more courageous on foreign policy, the new situation in the Middle East presents a perfect opportunity. No other conflict should be as important to Europe as the one between the Israelis and the Palestinians…”

In light of America’s failure to be any credible broker, the EU WILL get involved.

No Role for the USA in Middle East Peace Talks

The Associated Press wrote on December 13:

“The Palestinian president said Wednesday his people will not accept any role for the United States in the Mideast peace process ‘from now on,’ following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Mahmoud Abbas spoke at a gathering of heads of state and top officials from Islamic nations at a summit in Turkey that is expected to forge a unified Muslim world’s stance against Trump’s move. Abbas called Trump’s decision a ‘crime’ that threatened world peace. He called on the United Nations to take charge of the peace process and create a new mechanism, arguing that Washington is no longer ‘fit’ for the task. The Palestinians are committed to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas said, but after Trump’s seismic shift on Jerusalem, Washington is not accepted as a fair negotiator. The speech marked a significant shift in Abbas’ approach toward the United States, after years of focusing on courting U.S. goodwill because of Washington’s role as sole mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Immediately after Trump’s announcement last week, Abbas had said the U.S. effectively disqualified itself as a broker, but Wednesday’s speech was more sharply worded and delivered to a global audience. Last week, Abbas aides said the Palestinian leader would not meet with Mike Pence during the U.S. vice president’s planned visit to Israel and the West Bank next week. Abbas had initially planned to meet with Pence in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem, but two senior aides have said the meeting would not take place because of Trump’s pivot on Jerusalem. The Istanbul gathering of heads of state and top officials from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation is also an opportunity for the Muslim world to offer its strongest response yet to Washington’s move. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan— the current president of the OIC — called on countries to urgently recognize the Palestinian state and Jerusalem as its capital…

“Israel has considered Jerusalem its capital since the state’s establishment in 1948 and sees the city as the ancient capital of the Jewish people… The Palestinians equally lay claim to Jerusalem and want the eastern part of the city as capital of their future state… The Old City, located in east Jerusalem, is home to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. These include the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.”

Does Trump Help in Building the Third Temple?

Newsweek wrote on December 11:

“Activists lobbying for the construction of a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem said Trump was playing a similar role to the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great, who allowed the Jews to return to Israel from exile. Jews also praised Cyrus for helping them build a second Jewish temple in the same place where the first had been destroyed.  Judaism’s First Temple stood from around 957 B.C. to around 586 B.C., and its Second Temple stood from around 515 B.C. to 70 A.D., according to the Hebrew Bible. Now, some Jews said Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital paved the way for the construction of a Third Jewish Temple in the same place the Second Temple had been before it was demolished.

“‘There have been amazing advances towards bringing the Temple this year. It was clear that Trump was part of that process, guided by Hashem [God],’ said Asaf Fried, official spokesman for the United Temple Movement, an association lobbying for the Third Temple’s construction on the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount is the elevated area above Jerusalem’s Western Wall that was once the site of Judaism’s two temples. The site is the third holiest place in Islam and has been the source of conflict between the two religions. It is currently under Israeli sovereignty but is administered by a Muslim religious trust. Jews are permitted to visit the site but are not allowed to pray there…

“The Temple Mount is believed to be the site where Abraham demonstrated his devotion to God by taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed… The Western Wall is all that is left of the Second Temple. Advocates for a Third Temple were supportive of Trump even before he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday. Evangelical Christians, who are staunch supporters of Trump, believed that a Third Temple would be built before the ‘end times’ that would usher the second coming of Jesus Christ…”

It is interesting that May 14, 2018, will be 70 years since the founding of the State of Israel. It was after 70 years, following the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, that the command to rebuild the Temple became a point of urgency as the Books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi reveal.

The interspersing of end-time events in these prophecies in conjunction with rebuilding the Temple makes President Trump’s proclamation all the more interesting. His action has been describes as “defiant” and has found no support outside of Israel and America.

Germans Trust Russia More Than the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 9:

“A new survey published by German public broadcaster ARD shows Germans trust Russia more than the US. America’s brand appears to have suffered considerably since the election of Donald Trump as US president last year. The poll… showed that 28 percent of respondents felt Moscow was a reliable partner, compared to 25 percent for Washington. The result is the first time the public’s trust in the US has fallen below Russia in over a decade…

“More than 90 percent said Paris was a reliable partner, while more than 60 percent said Britain, which has been trying to exit the European Union (EU), was a reliable partner… Nearly 60 percent of Germans had a favorable view of the US when Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, left office. That dropped to 35 percent at the beginning of Trump’s presidency.

“The decline in Germany has reflected a worldwide trend. ‘Attitudes have taken a dramatic turn for the worse, especially in Western Europe and Latin America,’ the surveyors said… the US’s favorability had only dramatically improved in one country: ‘Only in Russia has the image of the United States improved by a large margin.’”

As we said from the outset, the Presidency of Donald Trump will lead to an overall worldwide rejection of the USA (with perhaps a few exceptions such as, temporarily, Russia and Israel).

Germany’s Martin Schulz a European Radical?

Politico wrote on December 7:

“Germany is rediscovering Europe. After a prolonged, conspicuous absence, Europe has reemerged in recent weeks at the top of Germany’s political agenda, renewing hopes in some quarters (and fanning fears in others) that the Continent is poised to take a great leap toward closer integration. ‘We want a United States of Europe, thundered Martin Schulz, seemingly out of nowhere, at the annual convention of his Social Democrats (SPD) on Thursday…

“Merkel’s failure to build an alliance with the Greens and liberals has left a grand coalition as Germany’s only hope to form a majority government… After vociferously ruling out a grand coalition both before and after Merkel’s attempt to build a three-way alliance collapsed, Schulz’s credibility is at stake. Nothing less than the pursuit of a United States of Europe, it seems, would justify such an about-face. Schulz, who was roundly criticized both inside and outside his party for not emphasizing his European credentials during the campaign, has now moved to the other extreme. If his call for a U.S. of E weren’t enough of a jaw dropper, Schulz added that any country that refused to jump on board by 2025 should be kicked out of the EU altogether.

“The reactions weren’t long in coming. Alexander Dobrindt, a leader of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, called the SPD leader a ‘European radical.’”

Martin Schulz is a person who should be watched. And so are Sebastian Kurz andFPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache (see next article).

Austria Set to Have New Government Soon, while Germany Is Stalling

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“Set to become Europe’s youngest political leader, Sebastian Kurz has predicted a new government will be formed before Christmas. He said the far-right FPÖ has ensured the government will have a ‘pro-European’ stance…

“According to local media, the FPÖ [under FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache]reportedly secured top positions in the foreign, defense and interior ministriesduring coalition talks and agreed to a ban on public referendums to leave the EU.

“The far-right party also guaranteed support for EU sanctions against Russia despite its pro-Kremlin stance… If Kurz’s conservatives form a government with the FPÖ, it will mark the first time the party enters power in a decade.”

At the same time, coalition talks in Germany are proceeding rather slowly. As the Local reported on December 13, the “Social Democrats have been considering a third option [in addition to a Grand Coalition and new elections] – a ‘cooperation coalition’ or ‘KoKo’ – which could involve the SPD and the CDU/CSU forming an alliance and agreeing on some issues while leaving potentially conflict points to parliamentary debates… [believing] a ‘KoKo’ could free them up to oppose the CDU on issues such as social justice while working with them on Europe and digitalization. The SPD and CDU/CSU are moreover divided on issues such as health care and tax cuts.”

However, a “KoKo” does not seem to find much support in the German public.

EU Takes Over Global Trade Stage

Politico wrote on December 8:

“The international trading system created by the U.S. after the Second World War has a new leader — the European Union. The EU on Friday announced the conclusion of a landmark trade agreement with Japan — covering economies worth about 30 percent of the world’s GDP. That comes after scoring a trade deal with Vietnam in 2015 and Canada last year…

“EU-linked trade agreements are piling up at the same time the U.S. is retreating from the world stage. U.S. President Donald Trump’s decisions to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement,  and to block the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement system, along with his threats to hit China with tariffs, have raised the risks of a global trade war, for which there is little appetite elsewhere. That leaves the EU as the indispensable partner for world trade…”

Even in trade, the EU is taking the lead, while the USA is retreating.

“Twenty-Five EU States Sign PESCO Defense Pact”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“European Union member states on Monday moved ever closer towards establishing a defense union, after the European Council adopted the creation of a new European defense and security cooperation network known as PESCO. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which was first set out in the Lisbon Treaty, will allow members states to jointly develop military capabilities, invest in shared projects and enhance their respective armed forces…

“With 25 of the EU’s current 28 member states joining the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), there seems to be a great deal of consensus among member states but a few remain on the fence. The new defense union is expected to address immediate threats without having to rely on NATO for all of the EU’s defense needs… The countries that have chosen not to take part are Malta, Denmark – which has special opt-out status – and the UK (which is set to withdraw from the bloc in March 2019).

“Mogherini, described the move as ‘historic,’ while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hailed the move on Twitter, posting: ‘She is awake, the Sleeping Beauty of the Lisbon Treaty: Permanent Structured Cooperation is happening.’…”

This is just a first step towards the prophesied creation of a powerful EU army.

Brexit Deal?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 8:

“The EU and UK have reached an initial agreement on Ireland, citizenship rights and a divorce bill… paving the way for the two sides to move onto the next phase of negotiations on the future relationship in the areas of trade, defense and security, pending final approval at next week’s EU summit.

“The EU had been calling for clarity on three key issues — the Irish border, a financial settlement and the rights of EU-UK citizens  — before any future trade talks. The EU and the UK have reached a tentative agreement on these issues, with the ‘caveat that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’ as part of a final Brexit deal…”

Alabama Earthquake–Jones Beats Moore

McClatchy wrote on December 12:

“The election of Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate complicates — and could all but doom — Republican efforts to score any big wins for President Donald Trump. The narrowing of the Senate Republicans’ already-slim majority represents a huge loss to the GOP, which failed this year to deliver on a campaign promise to repeal Obamacare and has struggled to pass spending legislation.  Yet Jones’ victory over Republican Roy Moore also comes as a relief to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell championed Moore’s primary opponent and called on the nominee to leave the race after several women came forward to complain that Moore had pursued them as teenagers.

“The GOP struggled throughout 2017 when it controlled 52 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Tuesday’s loss is sure to boost the influence of maverick Republican senators such as Susan Collins of Maine, who was one of three Republicans to oppose the Senate’s latest effort to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Collins has played a critical role in the current tax debate as well…

“Moore would not necessarily have been a guaranteed Republican vote on anything. He railed against McConnell and establishment Republicans in the Alabama Republican primary and told Fox News in September that he wouldn’t have voted for the Republican health care plan…”

Defeat for Trump

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“The result is a blow to Trump… Jones becomes the first Democrat in a quarter of a century to win an Alabama Senate seat… A civil rights lawyer, Jones had never run for political office. He was best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen who killed four black girls in Birmingham’s 1963 church bombing…

“The defeat of Moore, a 70-year-old controversial Christian conservative, spells trouble for US President Donald Trump and his political base, as well as shrinking the Republican majority in the Senate to 51-49, in turn making the passage of Trump’s legislative agenda on taxes, healthcare and security more problematic…

“Twice ousted as state Supreme Court chief justice… Moore was fighting [for] the seat vacated when Attorney General Jeff Sessions left to serve in Trump’s administration… Moore was removed from his position as state Supreme Court chief justice the first time after he refused to remove a boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument at the state court building. The second time he was permanently suspended was for urging state probate judges to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples.”

Newsmax added on December 13:

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday he knew Roy Moore could never win the general election for the Senate seat from Alabama. In an early morning tweet Wednesday, Trump explained why he endorsed Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., over Moore in the Republican primary. ‘The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!’ In the general election, Trump endorsed Moore…”

A Day in the Life of Donald Trump

The New York Times wrote on December 9:

“Around 5:30 each morning, President Trump wakes and tunes into the television in the White House’s master bedroom. He flips to CNN for news, moves to ‘Fox & Friends’ for comfort and messaging ideas, and sometimes watches MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ because, friends suspect, it fires him up for the day.

“Energized, infuriated — often a gumbo of both — Mr. Trump grabs his iPhone. Sometimes he tweets while propped on his pillow, according to aides. Other times he tweets from the den next door, watching another television…

“The ammunition for his Twitter war is television. No one touches the remote control except Mr. Trump and the technical support staff — at least that’s the rule. During meetings, the 60-inch screen mounted in the dining room may be muted, but Mr. Trump keeps an eye on scrolling headlines. What he misses he checks out later on what he calls his ‘Super TiVo,’ a state-of-the-art system that records cable news.

“Watching cable, he shares thoughts with anyone in the room, even the household staff he summons via a button for lunch or for one of the dozen Diet Cokes he consumes each day.

“But he is leery of being seen as tube-glued… On his recent trip to Asia, the president was told of a list of 51 fact-checking questions for this article, including one about his prodigious television watching habits. Instead of responding through an aide, he delivered a broadside on his viewing habits to befuddled reporters from other outlets on Air Force One heading to Vietnam. ‘I do not watch much television,’ he insisted. “I know they like to say — people that don’t know me — they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources — you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don’t get to watch much television…’

“Mr. Trump spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television, sometimes with the volume muted, marinating in the no-holds-barred wars of cable news and eager to fire back… When the guests depart, the remote control comes back out. He is less likely to tweet at this hour, when the news he would react to is mostly recycled from hours earlier. But he watches Ms. Pirro and her fellow Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, and sometimes ‘hate-watches’ CNN to get worked up, especially Don Lemon… From there it is off to bed for what usually amounts to five or six hours of sleep. Then the television will be blaring again, he will reach for his iPhone and the battle will begin anew.”

Newsweek added on December 9:

“This is the same Trump who famously told reporters who asked him about Roy Moore allegations in November that he didn’t know about the allegations because he does ‘not watch much television… The truth doesn’t come as much of a surprise –– since he’s taken office, the president tweets frequently about the stories and escapades of various broadcast news corporations, often offering praise for Fox News or promoting its reports, while putting forth harsh criticism of liberal-leaning networks like CNN…”

Even before he became President, his main source of information being television was well known.

“Trump ‘Infuriated’ by Haley’s Comments on Sexual Allegations Against Him”

On December 11, Newsmax re-published the following article by the Associated Press:

“Donald Trump sailed past a raft of allegations of sexual misconduct in last year’s presidential election. Now the… spotlight is turning back to Trump and his past conduct…

“With each day seeming to bring new headlines that force men from positions of power, the movement to expose sexual harassment has forced an unwelcome conversation on the White House… But a Capitol Hill investigation into Trump’s conduct appears unlikely. The Senate and House Ethics Committees investigate members of Congress, not presidents, and Republican-led committees are not apt to investigate Trump on sexual misconduct unless there is some sort of connection to the ongoing Russia probe…

“The president’s advisers were stunned Sunday when one of the highest-ranking women in the Trump administration [Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations] broke with the White House line and said the accusers’ voices ‘should be heard.’…

“Sixteen women have come forward with a range of accusations against Trump, many after the release of the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape last October in which Trump was caught on an open microphone bragging about groping women…”

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly interviewed four of these women on her show and stated afterward that, having practiced law for ten years, she felt that the case made against Donald Trump was credible.

Fires Continue to Rage in California

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 14:

“Fire officials confirmed Thursday that a firefighter died while battling the Thomas fire, which ranks as the fourth-largest in the state’s modern history…

“Despite a couple of days of reduced winds and feverish efforts by firefighters to establish new containment lines, the 242,500-acre Thomas fire has surpassed the size of the Zaca fire, which scorched Santa Barbara County in 2007…

“Firefighters have taken advantage of a two-day lull in winds to increase fire containment to 30%. Those efforts could be tested soon, however, as forecasters predict a new blast of Santa Ana winds… and sundowner windsover Santa Barbara County…

“In Thursday’s incident report, fire officials said they didn’t expect to reach full containment of the blaze until Jan. 7 — more than three weeks from now…

“The fire has destroyed more than 900 homes in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since it began Dec. 4…”

Witchcraft on the Rise in the USA

CBS New York wrote on December 8:

“At a time when participation in traditional religions is declining among Americans, the practice of witchcraft is said to be on the rise… Nestled in the heart of the Hudson Valley is the Church of the Eternal Circle, the only legally recognized Wiccan Church in the state of New York… It’s estimated that as many as a million people identify as being a witch in the U.S. with 20 percent of that population said to be in New York.

“… members say witchcraft is actually grounded in love and spirituality… They say magic is simply the belief that you can make anything happen. ‘It’s kind of like prayer’… There is… a love for the goddess of creation and inspiration… A somber celebration marked the start of winter. Known as the night of souls, it’s when witches honor their ancestors…”

Terrible!

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.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Capital of Israel and Moving US Embassy to Jerusalem

The New York Times wrote on December 6:

“President Trump on Wednesday officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing decades of American foreign policy. Mr. Trump made the formal announcement during a speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, with Vice President Mike Pence standing behind him.

“The following is a transcript of his remarks…

“‘In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city, and so importantly, is Israel’s capital. This act passed congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. And was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. Yet, for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law’s waiver, refusing to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city. Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time. Nevertheless, the record is in.

“‘After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…

“‘It was 70 years ago that the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries…

“‘Jerusalem is today and must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the stations of the cross, and where Muslims worship at Al Aqsa Mosque.

“‘… consistent with the Jerusalem embassy act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace…

“‘The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif…”

It is interesting that President Trump did not say that Jerusalem was the exclusive capital of Israel; that he declared support for a two-state solution if both sides agree (which will never happen; see next articles); that the status quo at the Temple Mount is not to be changed; and that Muslims are to be able to worship at the Al Aqsa Mosque. Finally, even though he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (not excluding the possibility that the eastern part of Jerusalem might ALSO become the capital of a Palestinian state), he signed a waiver delaying the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for at least six months, and it is expected that he will continue signing waivers for the next 3 to 4 years, according to ABC News of December 5.

All in all, it seems his big announcement was “much ado about nothing,” except that it upset the rest of the world.

Trying to Please the Evangelicals?

Fox News wrote on December 5:

“There are millions of evangelical eyes on Trump, waiting to see if he will keep his campaign promise to move the embassy, longtime Pastor John Hagee told Fox News. ‘I can assure you that 60 million evangelicals are watching this promise closely because if President Trump moves the embassy into Jerusalem, he will historically step into immortality,’ Hagee said.

“‘He will be remembered for thousands of years for his act of courage to treat Israel like we already treat other nations. If he does not, he will be remembered as just another president who made a promise he failed to keep which would generate massive disappointment in that strong evangelical base that went to vote for him against Hillary Clinton,’ he added…

“A March 2016 Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans didn’t express an opinion when asked if the U.S. embassy should move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But of those who did have an opinion, Americans were split with 24 percent supporting a move and 20 percent disagreeing with relocation.”

Warnings and Reactions

The Daily Mail wrote on December 6:

“In Gaza, U.S. and Israeli flags were burned and in the West Bank Hamas declared Friday a ‘day of rage,’ raising the specter of mass violence in the occupied territories… Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump…”

AFP wrote on December 5:

“Warnings multiplied on Tuesday, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning Trump in a speech that the status of Jerusalem is a ‘red line’ for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel.”

Newsmax wrote on December 6:

“Pope Francis… called on Wednesday for the city’s ‘status quo’ to be respected… The Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with both sides agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its ‘united and eternal’ capital…

“The Vatican and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1994… The Vatican signed its first treaty with the ‘State of Palestine’ in 2015.”

The EUObserver wrote on December 6:

“Trump’s decision comes despite warnings by Germany, France, EU officials, and Arab and Muslim leaders that the Jerusalem move would make the conflict worse. Recognising Jerusalem ‘as the capital of Israel does not calm a conflict, rather it fuels it even more,’ German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said… He called Trump’s plan ‘a very dangerous development’…

“Gabriel echoed French president Emmanuel Macron… [who] restated the EU and UN position that Israel and Palestine must share ‘Jerusalem as their capital’ in future.”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 6:

“Former German Ambassador to Israel Rudolf Dreßler told DW that the United States would seriously harm the Middle East peace process with an embassy move… Now Russia, China and the EU will take over this role [of negotiating with Israel and the Palestinians].

“… if renewed violence should become a reality — for instance, with a third intifada — then Germany and all of its EU partners will have a lot to deal with. We will have to determine how to reformulate the EU’s role against the backdrop of Trump and Netanyahu’s policies in Israel…”

Saudi Arabia Might Strike a Deal with Israel against Iran

Israel National News reported on December 3:

“A bombshell report suggests that Saudi Arabia [is] ready to sign a deal with the Jewish state… Prime Minister Netanyahu’s former national security advisor Yaakov Nagel told the Telegraph that Saudi Arabia is so desperate to ink an agreement with Israel that it is prepared to move forward despite lack of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia’s traditional position forbids negotiations with Israel until a two-state solution is implemented…

“Israel has long been rumored to be holding covert ties with Saudi Arabia and Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said last week that Israel enjoys warm relations with many Arab countries despite the fact that these countries officially refuse to recognize Israel’s existence… ‘We are talking about a dozen Islamic countries, including the Arab countries that understand the potential of relations with Israel…’”

In the end, many Arab nations will join forces to fight Israel, and according to Psalm 83, Ishmael or Saudi Arabia will be one of them.

“UK Woos Israel as Relationship with EU Breaks Down”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 27:

“As Britain proceeds with the dissolution of its marriage to its long-term partner, the European Union, it has started to court new companions, among them Israel.

“Brexit — the process the UK has initiated for withdrawing from the EU, which is estimated to impact economic growth, create financial instability and cut jobs — is a challenge, but it also presents ‘huge’ opportunities for Israel, said Hugo Bieber, chief executive of the chamber of commerce UK Israel Business (UKIB), who led the chamber’s largest business delegation to Israel last week with a similar message to Israeli firms.”

The ongoing friendly relationship between the USA, the UK and Israel—many times in opposition to Europe’s viewpoint—will not continue.

Dealing with North Korea

The New York Times wrote on December 3:

“The news last week from the Korean Peninsula about yet another ballistic missile launch was déjà vu all over again. This one had an estimated range of 8,100 miles — long enough to hit Washington, D.C., or anywhere else in the continental United States. President Trump responded with angry tweets…

“… a military response is highly unlikely… All sides realize that the human and economic costs of another Korean war are simply unfathomable. Several American presidents have tried to persuade the Kim dynasty to abandon its nuclear ambitions, through a combination of sanctions and negotiations. But these efforts have been unsuccessful.

“… the United States and its allies ought to… wage financial warfare against Mr. Kim and his cabal. The United States must take the lead by ramping up a covert campaign against the regime’s criminal enterprises. This effort ought to include a full-court press of dirty tricks, coercion, heavy-handed threats and even direct action, all covert and deniable, against Kim’s financial wizards…

“Such tradecraft must also be applied outside North Korea and Asia against the businesses and banks in Europe, South America and elsewhere that enable Kim’s criminal empire to flourish… And as North Korea is recognized as a state sponsor of terror, helping groups like Hezbollah with arms and expertise, a numbing slew of lawsuits should be filed seeking damages; those damages will result in the forfeiture of North Korean assets — open and hidden — around the world…”

This may sound good, but it is nothing more than a balloon of hot air and wishful thinking. The idea that all countries would participate in such an endeavor is naïve and illusionary. Furthermore, the assertion that war is highly unlikely is very optimistic, to say the least. The sad truth is that nuclear war between the USA and North Korea is a distinct possibility, and the reaction of many countries, including of European nations, might be hostile towards the USA. Note the next articles.

Threat of Nuclear World War III

The Week wrote on December 4:

“My mind is consumed with thoughts of what could happen if my greatest fear comes true: that North Korea makes the tragic mistake of conducting the first atmospheric nuclear weapons test since 1980, spreading radioactive fallout throughout the Pacific Ocean and eventually around the world… Such a test would likely garner a military response from the Trump administration, a response that could very well take us down a path to war. And I have no illusions of what such a war would look like: nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons used; millions of people dead; trillions of dollars in damage… A Third World War is not even out of the question…

“North Korea… could very well consider the Trump administration’s response a full-throated first step towards the destruction of its nuclear program or perhaps the realization of Kim’s worst fear: a move towards regime change. If that is the case, Pyongyang would feel it had nothing to lose, and would likely fire whatever nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons it has at any target in its sites. If America did not destroy all of Kim’s nuclear tipped missiles, and North Korea has indeed perfected all of the technological milestones needed to attack a U.S. city, which is possible, Pyongyang would certainly fire any and all remaining missiles towards America. Even just one nuclear detonation on a major U.S. city like Los Angeles could result in over a million casualties. You could easily assume there would be millions more casualties if North Korea successfully launched nuclear attacks on Seoul or Tokyo, with metro populations totaling 60 million…

“I have been in Washington for too long and know how this could all very well play out – indeed, how it most likely would play out. The optics of an above-ground test, a mushroom cloud spreading radioactivity all over the globe being amplified over and over by social media, would very likely be the straw that broke the nuclear camel’s back. A second Korean War would be almost unavoidable… It seems the choice for war or peace in Northeast Asia is in North Korea’s hands. I just hope they realize it.”

There will be wars and rumors of wars, for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Europe Under Threat of North Korea

The Washington Post wrote on November 29:

“North Korea’s recent tests have also put a range of European capitals on the map of Pyongyang’s possible targets… Cities like Paris, London or Berlin are all located much closer to North Korea than Washington D.C…

“So far, North Korea has focused on its archenemy, the United States, even though European politicians have acknowledged that an escalation of the conflict could easily draw Europe into the dispute…

“Yet… Europe’s role in pressuring it into halting its program remained mostly unchanged — and largely rhetorical. As well as condemning the missile tests, European top officials have also lashed out at Trump for threatening Pyongyang… Europe’s reluctance to fully support the U.S. stance toward handling the North Korea dilemma is likely being welcomed by Russia, which similarly condemned the test on Wednesday and indirectly appeared to warn the United States of overreacting…

“The measured response by the Kremlin, which is ironically known in Europe for its often aggressive military operations, and its striking similarity to Western Europe’s approach, likely has a lot to do with the fact that none of their capitals are currently in the sights of North Korea’s missiles. Yet, at the same time, the diplomatic solution they all favor has made little head way so far…”

Due to its policy of duplicity, Europe might very well find itself sitting between two chairs, not knowing where to turn. When the awakening comes, Europe might react with desperation and furor. In this context, the following article by Reuters, dated December 4, is interesting: “Last week, Norbert Roettgen, a member of Merkel’s conservative party and head of the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, decried a ‘deplorable’ lack of leadership in educating Germans about the need to invest more in their own defense and security.”

A Decisive Role for  Germany?

Bloomberg wrote on December 3:

“The [German] government believes that it can use its experience of reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to give peace [with North Korea] a chance. The reasoning is both humanitarian, to avert the risk of nuclear brinkmanship, and economic self-preservation, to protect regional trade routes that are vital to its continued status as the world’s third-biggest exporter. An armed conflict ‘would be close to a catastrophe for us economically,’ Volker Stanzel, a former German ambassador to China, said in an interview…

“Relations were not always on ice. Back in 1984, when the Berlin Wall still stood as a bulwark between east and west, North Korea’s Kim Il Sung — the grandfather of Kim Jong Un — visited East Germany, touring a collective farm and reportedly receiving treatment at an East Berlin hospital. East German leader Erich Honecker reciprocated two years later with a trip to North Korea, where Kim Il Sung requested East German help in building a synthetic-fiber plant.

“Then in the spring of 2000, as Berlin was still getting to grips with its rediscovered role as the seat of government for a reunified Germany, a delegation from North Korea came knocking at the door of then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s administration… Almost two decades on, the conflict has sharpened exponentially, though Merkel is taking a similar tack. In September, she suggested that the six-power talks that led to a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear activity could be a model for dealing with the U.S.-North Korean conflict. ‘Europe, and Germany in particular, should be ready to take a very active part’ in any such initiative, Merkel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper…

“North Korea offers another chance for German leaders to show they’re serious about a more active global role, said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to the U.S. who heads the annual Munich Security Conference… Diplomacy may have its limits, however. Sweden and Norway also have established ties to Pyongyang without any noticeable outcome. While Germany’s goodwill is appreciated, any attempts at dialogue with Pyongyang are unlikely to be feasible, since North Korea doesn’t want a mediator or broker to talk to the U.S…

“Volmer, the former deputy foreign minister… says, Merkel is right to suggest stronger engagement on the issue. She shouldn’t ‘just leave it to an unpredictable duel between Trump and Kim Jong Un.’”

Even though any attempts by Germany to bring peace with North Korea through talks would be unsuccessful, it is still interesting that Germany sees itself more and more as a powerful influence on the world scene and the leader of Europe.

Germany vs. USA—“Relations Will Never Be the Same”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“German Foreign Minister [and vice chancellor] Sigmar Gabriel… spoke about strained relations with the United States under the administration of President Donald Trump. ‘The US no longer sees the world as a global community, but as a fighting arena where everyone has to seek their own advantage,’ Gabriel said. The Social Democrat argued that German foreign policy must be more daring, and not simply follow the line from Washington. ‘Germany can no longer simply react to US policy but must establish its own position…even after Trump leaves the White House, relations with the US will never be the same’… Gabriel brushed off criticism that after 72 days without a new government, Berlin could hardly be called upon to take a prominent role in shaping global policy.”

The Hill added on December 6:

“German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said… that the Trump administration looks more and more at Europe as a ‘competitor or economic rival’ instead of as an ally… he also said that Germany needs to be able to ‘define our own position and, if necessary, draw red lines, in partnership, but oriented around our own interests.’”

Germany first?

A Radically Different Europe under a German Grand Coalition?

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“The Social Democrats (SPD) had repeatedly insisted they would not join Merkel’s conservatives in another grand coalition… but on Thursday… SPD delegates cleared the way for party leader Martin Schulz to begin negotiationswith Merkel as soon as next week…

“… the talks are not expected to yield agreement any time soon… And the negotiations could still fail… Schulz on Thursday appeared to widen the gap between himself and Merkel in one critical area, Europe, by proposing a far more integrated club that mirrors another union across the Atlantic. ‘I want a new constitutional treaty to establish the United States of Europe,’ Schulz said. The treaty, he said, would go into effect by 2025. European Union members that don’t accept the new agreement would be forced to leave the bloc…

“French President Emmanuel Macron… has detailed a far-reaching plan to more tightly bind users of the euro currency through a common finance minister and budget…

“Schulz was reelected as SPD leader on Thursday with 82 percent of the vote…”

Deutsche Welle added on December 7:

“The SPD motion said the ‘open-ended’ talks could start as early as next week and would lead to three options: a new grand coalition; the acceptance of a Merkel minority government or, if negotiations fail, new elections.”

President Trump’s Military Expansion Only a Mirage?

Politico wrote on December 3:

“President Donald Trump came into office pledging the largest defense spending spree since the administration of Ronald Reagan — assuring the troops that they would see ‘beautiful new planes and beautiful new equipment.’ But that vision remains little more than a mirage, top Pentagon officials, lawmakers and defense industry executives lamented during a gathering this weekend at Reagan’s presidential library…

“During his insurgent presidential campaign, Trump promised to expand the Army from 476,000 active-duty to troops to 540,000. He [stated] that the Navy needs to be much larger, pledging to boost the number of warships from 275 to 350. More missile defense systems, an upgraded nuclear arsenal and hundreds of additional fighter aircraft were also on his wish list…

“But lawmakers and the administration have taken few concrete steps to lock in any sustained increase in defense spending close to the 3 percent to 5 percent a year that Defense Secretary James Mattis says is needed to make the vision a reality…

“Even as the Trump administration requested more military spending for this year, Pentagon officials were managing expectations — telling Congress that the buildup would not kick in until the administration’s upcoming budget for the 2019 fiscal year, which starts next October. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said he hopes Congress will still reach an agreement that lets the administration put at least some of Trump’s pledges into motion… But he acknowledged doubts that Congress can do that, even if it lifts the budget caps.”

This does not look good for the effectiveness of the US military.

The Unpopular Senate Tax Bill

The Associated Press wrote on December 2:

“Republicans muscled the largest tax overhaul in 30 years through the Senate early Saturday, taking a big step toward giving President Donald Trump his first major legislative triumph after months of false starts and frustration on other fronts… Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell… shrugged off polls finding scant public enthusiasm for the measure, saying the legislation would prove its worth…

“The measure focuses its tax reductions on businesses and higher-earning individuals [and] gives more modest breaks to others…  Even an official projection of a $1 trillion, 10-year flood of deeper budget deficits couldn’t dissuade GOP senators from rallying behind the bill… Democrats derided the hastily written, scribbles-in-the-margin crafting of the bill in the final hours Friday night…”

The hastily revised 479-page bill was disseminated shortly before the final vote, without giving the senators a real chance to read, let alone absorb the bill. The Republicans are guilty of the same deplorable maneuvering which the Democrats engaged in when adopting Obamacare. Note the next article.

The New Senate Tax Bill—Blessing or Curse?

The Week wrote on December 2:

“In the dead of night, the Republican tax bill passed the Senate on a party-line 51-49 vote, with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the lone dissenting Republican. It will now either have to be reconciled with the already passed House bill, and passed again by both chambers, or simply passed by the House as is and sent on to President Trump. But regardless of the coming parliamentary procedural hurdles, the lessons of Friday’s vote are clear: Some version of this tax bill is going to become law. And that is very bad for America.

“It’s almost wrong to call this legislative monstrosity a tax bill at all. It is more a top-to-bottom restructuring of American society – one which is a sharp attack on several bedrock American values: education, homeownership, and entrepreneurship…

“The biggest single goal of this bill is a huge tax cut for the top 1 percent. The bill slashes taxes on corporations, increases tax benefits for foreign dividends, and cuts taxes for ‘pass-through’ corporations (which will immediately become the new hotness in tax shelter legal chicanery)…

“At every point Republicans relied on lies… They held no hearings… they did not even release the final text until the last possible moment. House Speaker Paul Ryan lied constantly about its contents. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin repeatedly promised an analysis ‘showing’ that the bill would not increase the deficit by turbo-charging growth. This was such a preposterous lie that he didn’t even bother faking the numbers. The secrecy prevented people from examining how it is stuffed full of quiet corporate handouts, only some of which have been discovered – like a big one to General Electric.

“This bill will explode the deficit. And make no mistake, when it does, Republicans… are going to immediately start demanding cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – indeed, under congressional rules Medicare is due for a $25 billion cut in 2018 alone…”

If this is true, then Republicans have a lot to answer for, when judged by God.

Ending the Obamacare Mandate—Blessing or Curse?

The Hill wrote on December 2:

“Senate Republicans have approved the repeal of ObamaCare’s individual mandate as part of their tax-cut bill, a major step toward ending an unpopular part of the health-care law… The Senate tax bill must still be reconciled with House legislation that does not include the mandate’s repeal. But that is unlikely to be a major issue, given support in the GOP conference for repealing the mandate.

“It’s unclear what repeal of the mandate will mean for ObamaCare. Many experts and health-care groups warn that repeal will destabilize ObamaCare markets, leading to premium increases or insurers simply dropping out of certain areas…

“Moderate Republicans are now pushing for bipartisan ObamaCare fixes to help stabilize insurance markets, setting up a showdown with conservatives… Repealing the mandate also saves $300 billion over ten years in subsidies that otherwise would have been spent on consumers, according to the Congressional Budget Office, providing savings for the tax cuts. The CBO estimates that 13 million fewer people will have health insurance over the next decade without the mandate, and it projects that premiums will rise 10 percent. But it also projects markets will remain stable in ‘almost all areas of the country.’’

It would be devastating for many if premiums would indeed be raised again… given the abominable increase of premiums by greedy insurance companies, which ALREADY have taken place for 2018.

“Slightly Nervous” Outlook for 2018 Economy

Bloomberg wrote on December 4, 2017:

“As 2017 enters its final month… let’s just say what we see makes us slightly nervous about 2018… Pockets of the bond market… look troublesomely bubble-like… the flattening of the yield curve is worrying some bond investors… With government paper offering… meager returns, money has been flowing into corporate bonds…

“Sales of new corporate debt denominated in euros are also setting records this year…”

What this may mean is that the US economy is a bubble which may burst in 2018, and that the dollar is losing its economic strength, which may all be bad news for the US economy.

Most Destructive Wildfire Season in California’s History

The Huffington Post wrote on December 6:

“It’s been the most destructive wildfire season in California history, and it’s getting worse. Conditions in California are especially ripe for devastating fires at the moment, with tinder-dry undergrowth; strong, volatile winds; and terrain that’s difficult for firefighters to traverse. Those natural catalysts are compounded by the proximity of several current fires to large population centers.

“In just the past three days, multiple fires have started in the hills of Los Angeles and surrounding cities, burning more than 83,400 acres. As of Wednesday morning, most of them were barely contained, if at all.”

By Thursday evening, more than 100,000 acres had been burned in the Los Angeles area. In addition, as fire in San Diego broke out (the “Lilac” fire) which had burned more than 2,500 acres by 4:00pm.

AI’s Murderous Weapons

The Daily Star wrote on December 3:

“Chinese and Russian Artificial Intelligence (AI) are set (to) leave US systems in their dust… an earth shattering report… claimed the US has rapidly fallen behind its rivals… Former deputy SDI, Robert Work, said the Pentagon needed to pour billions into researching advanced computing and robotics, or risk Russia developing murderous AI machines. Moscow hardman Vladimir Putin believes the country will develop the best AI and become ‘the ruler of the world’. [The] Russian military [is] building drones, robots and cruise missiles that could make deadly decisions without the need of humans.

“The advancement has panicked US billionaire Eric Schmidt who said China was also gaining on the US and could overtake Washington in five years. [He said:] ‘Let’s talk about immigration. Shockingly, some of the very best people in AI are in countries that we won’t let into America… Iran produces some of the top computer scientists in the world. I want [them] here. I want them working for Alphabet and Google. It’s crazy not to let these people in.’”

These events are indeed ironic and at the same time devastating for the USA. We should also take note of the development of robots, drones and missiles, which could make DECISIONS without human input.

USA Withdraws from UN Global Compact on Immigration

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 3:

“The United States has announced it is withdrawing from the Global Compact on Migration. The non-binding UN migration pact was meant to boost international cooperation on migration issues… In September 2016, all 193 UN member states of the General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The non-binding declaration includes a set of pledges to protect migrants, foster migrant integration, develop guidelines on the treatment of vulnerable migrants and strengthen global governance of migration, among other issues.

“‘The New York Declaration contains numerous provisions that are inconsistent with US immigration and refugee policies and the Trump Administration’s immigration principles. As a result, President Trump determined that the United States would end its participation in the Compact process that aims to reach international consensus at the UN in 2018,’ the US statement said…

“The Trump administration has withdrawn from several international commitments made under the Obama administration, including the Paris climate accord and Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. In October, the United States said it will withdraw from UNESCO, citing what it called the UN culture and education body’s ‘anti-Israel bias.’”

The USA is becoming an exclusive country, and its voice is becoming irrelevant and undesired on the world scene.

US Supreme Court Upholds Muslim Travel Ban

The Washington Post wrote on December 5:

“The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Trump’s request to fully enforce his revised order banning travel to the United States by residents of six mostly Muslim countries while legal challenges to it proceed in lower courts. It was a victory for the White House, which has seen the courts trim back various iterations of the travel ban, and it bodes well for the administration if the Supreme Court is called upon to finally decide the merits of the president’s actions.

“Two lower courts had imposed restrictions on Trump’s new order, exempting travelers from the six countries who had ‘bona fide’ connections with relatives — such as grandparents, aunts or uncles — or institutions in the United States. Those exemptions to the president’s order, issued in the fall, were along the lines of those imposed by the Supreme Court last summer on a previous version of the travel ban.

“But in an unsigned opinion Monday that did not disclose the court’s reasoning, the justices lifted the injunctions, which had been issued by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland… The latest iteration of the travel ban, the third Trump has issued, bars various people from eight countries: Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. Six of the countries have Muslim-majority populations.”

This means, the Supreme Court “overruled” without any explanation its prior ruling and struck exemptions for travelers from the six countries who have “bona fide” connections with relatives — such as grandparents, aunts or uncles — or institutions in the United States.

German Pilots Refuse to Carry Out Deportations; Appeals against Deportations Are Skyrocketing

Deutsche Welle reported on December 4:

“… the [German] government said that 222 planned flights were stopped by pilots who wanted no part in the controversial return of refugees to Afghanistan, which has been deemed a ‘safe country of origin’ in some cases, despite ongoing violence and repression in parts of the country.

“Some 85 of the refusals between January and September 2017 came from Germany’s main airline Lufthansa and its subsidiary Eurowings. About 40 took place at Dusseldorf airport… The majority of the canceled flights, around 140, took place at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest and most important hub…

“Germany remains the main destination for refugees and migrants to the European Union — so much so that in 2017, Germany processed more asylum applications than all 27 other EU countries combined… the number of asylum seekers appealing their decisions has increased significantly… Nearly every second ruling made by the BAMF (the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) in the first half of the year was brought before a judge… the courts side with about one in every four asylum seekers who appeal their status. According to public broadcaster NDR, these suits have cost Berlin about €19 million ($22.5 million) from January to November 2017, an increase of €7.8 million from the previous year.

“In order to reduce the number of appeals and speed up deportations, the government has proposed a program to begin in February 2018 that would see rejected asylum seekers given 3,000 euros as an incentive to accept deportation.”

These highly unpopular developments are bound to give support to right-wing anti-immigration movements and parties in Germany, such as the AfD.

“Gay Marriage in Austria Approved by Constitutional Court”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“Austria’s top court has ruled that current laws are discriminatory and must be lifted by 2019. Same-sex couples have so far only been afforded ‘registered partnerships’… the court ruled that ‘the distinction between marriage and registered partnership … cannot be upheld at this day and age without discriminating against same-sex couples. The resulting discriminatory effect is seen in the fact that through the different title of the family status, people living in same-sex partnerships have to disclose their sexual orientation even in situations in which it is not, and must not be, relevant and … are highly likely to be discriminated against,’ the court said in its ruling…

“The ruling will remove the words ‘two people of different sex’ from the law on marriage… Austria has lagged behind several of its Western European neighbors in approving same-sex marriage. Even Germany surprisingly took the step in the run-up to last year’s general election, although critics said Chancellor Angela Merkel was primarily looking to neutralize a probable opposition talking point.”

Outrageous Decision in France

The Independent wrote on December 5:

“France has ordered a halal supermarket in Paris to close because it does not sell pork or wine. The Good Price mini-market in Colombes did not comply with the conditions of its lease, which stated the shop must act as a ‘general food store,’ the Court of Nanterre ruled.

“The local authority argued members of the local community were not being served properly because the shop did not sell pork or alcohol products. A bailiff’s report said the store almost exclusively stocked halal products.”

Spain vs. Catalonia

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 5:

“A Spanish judge withdrew a European arrest warrant for Catalonia’s exiled pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers on Tuesday. Supreme Court magistrate Pablo Llarena said that the individual warrants were no longer valid as the alleged crimes were committed as a group and that the politicians under investigation had illustrated their ‘intention to return to Spain’ in order to run for upcoming elections in Catalonia. The judge kept a Spanish arrest warrant in place however, which means the Catalan leader would be detained immediately upon arrival in Spain…

“Puigdemont fled to Belgium after declaring his region independent from Spain in a referendum that saw voters in Catalonia vote overwhelmingly to secede from Madrid’s control – although the ballot was not sanctioned by Madrid and less than half of the electorate turned out to vote. The court’s decision came as campaigning began for Catalonia’s regional elections on December 21, called by Madrid after it dissolved Barcelona’s parliament over the ‘rebellion’ of its leaders… Along with Puigdemont and his ministers in Brussels, all eight are under investigation for rebellion, which can carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.”

Jews Wrote Some of the Most Popular Christmas Songs

The Star, republished by JTA, wrote on November 30:

“It’s hard to think of words or music that conjure up the Christmas season more quickly than the opening of ‘The Christmas Song.’ The images evoke a classic, timeless Christmas… And though the song has become a worldwide symbol of Christmas, like nearly all the modern songs that now define this fundamentally Christian holiday it was written by Jews… Those songs include: ‘Do You Hear What I Hear,’ ‘Silver Bells,’ ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Holly Jolly Christmas,’ ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,’ ‘Winter Wonderland,’ ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,’ ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!’…

“… Between 1881 and 1914 more than two million Jews left Russia, with America the prime destination. No single city was affected more by the influx of Jews than New York, where the Jewish population grew from approximately 80,000 in 1870 to 1.4 million in 1915, or almost 28 per cent of the city’s population… Forbidden from nearly all professions and restricted from pursuing higher education, a surprisingly large number found their way into the world of popular music…

“The overwhelming impulse among the children of Jewish immigrants was to assimilate, and the first step in becoming ‘American’ nearly always involved changing their names… Most not only left their names behind, but all traces of their Jewishness as well.

“… as the holiday season approaches, it is important to remember that they came from the children of Jewish immigrants, desperate to leave their pasts behind and join mainstream America. And today, at this polarizing moment in our history, when the place of immigrants in our society is under intense scrutiny, it might be valuable to remember that these songs of immigrants, songs that came out of America’s melting pot, have become the voice of the world’s Christmas.”

It is indeed paradoxical that President Trump’s fight against immigrants is accompanied with his desire to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas.” What is also remarkable is the tendency of many Jewish immigrants (who fled Russian persecution) to ignore their unpleasant past and leave their roots behind; only to have to deal with American persecution, while still being able to assimilate with mainstream views. Sadly, the embrace of the pagan Christmas season was the wrong kind of reaction.

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.

Unprecedented Mass Murder in Egypt

BBC News reported on November 25:

“[More than] 300 people were killed at a North Sinai mosque during Friday prayers…

“After bombs were set off, dozens of gunmen waiting outside the mosque opened fire on those trying to escape. The assailants reportedly set parked vehicles on fire in the vicinity to block off access to the building, and fired on ambulances trying to help victims. Thirty children are among the dead and at least 100 people have been wounded…

“Egyptian security forces have for years been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, and militants affiliated with so-called Islamic State (IS) have been behind scores of deadly attacks in the desert region… Locals say the al-Rawda mosque is used by the local Sawarka tribe, which is known to cooperate with the security services against militants. It is also known to be popular with worshippers of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that is condemned by some jihadist groups. The head of IS’s ‘religious police’ in Sinai said last December that Sufis who did not ‘repent’ would be killed, after the group beheaded two elderly men reported to be Sufi clerics.

“The number of victims is unprecedented for an attack of this type… this is the first time that worshippers inside a mosque have been targeted by militants in North Sinai…  This is a major challenge to the Egyptian state…

“Journalists, including from state-sponsored outlets, have not been allowed to report from North Sinai in the last few years. Correspondents say that the frequency of attacks raises doubts about the effectiveness of military operations against militants…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 25:

“Egypt’s air force on Friday bombed ‘terrorist’ locations in the northern mountainous area around Bir al-Abed in response to the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history.’

Terrorism is a real threat which won’t go away. The fact that journalists have been prohibited from reporting on the threat in Northern Egypt does not give us much confidence. The claim that “we are winning the war against terrorism” is ludicrous. Note the next article.

The Global Threat of Terrorism

The Indian Express wrote on November 24:

“Terrorist networks like the ISIS and Al Qaeda may soon begin instructing recruits on how to create killer viruses just like bomb-making lessons, a senior European Union (EU) security expert has warned… terror networks based in the Middle East like Al Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), could begin using the internet to instruct on the use of biological agents…

“Tracing that the first edition of ‘Inspire’, Al Qaeda’s online propaganda magazine, had an article on ‘how to make a bomb in your mum’s kitchen… What if anyone will have a similar article on how to process a virus in your mum’s kitchen? Unfortunately, it’s probably easier than before for a lone actor to perpetrate an attack with catastrophic consequences’…”

Saudi Arabia vs. Iran

The Telegraph wrote on November 25:

“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has called Iran’s supreme leader ‘the new Hitler of the Middle East’ and warned that as in European history, ‘appeasement doesn’t work’. In his first comments since a widespread anti-corruption purge Mohammad bin Salman fired his strongest criticism yet of Saudi Arabia’s regional arch-rival…”

No “sign” of a “king of the south.” Those who wait for one (because they misunderstand a prophecy in Daniel 11) might wait forever.

Media War Between USA and Russia Continues

NBC News wrote on November 25:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill allowing Russia to register international media outlets as foreign agents — a move largely seen as retaliation against the U.S. for similar crackdowns on Kremlin-funded media outlets… The move is seen as a quid pro quo after U.S. officials demanded that state-media outlet Russia Today, or RT, register as a foreign agent with the U.S. Justice Department…

“Even before Putin signed the bill into law, Russia’s Justice Ministry warned U.S. government-funded outlets like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, along with its regional outlets, that they could be designated as foreign agents under the new law… Twitter has since banned RT, and Russian media outlet Sputnik from advertising on its platform…”

What did the USA expect? Such retaliation was to be certain.

North Korea’s New Threat

The New York Times wrote on November 29:

“North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that flew both higher and longer than previous such launches, a bold act of defiance against President Trump after he put the country back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

“The president reacted cautiously to news of the launch, stating, ‘It is a situation that we will handle.’ But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis expressed greater concern, emphasizing what he said were technical advances on display in the 53-minute flight, which began when the missile was launched northeast of the capital, Pyongyang, and ended nearly 600 miles to the east, when it landed in the Sea of Japan… ‘The bottom line is, it’s a continued effort to build a threat — a ballistic missile threat that endangers world peace, regional peace, and certainly, the United States,’ the defense secretary said…

“David Wright, a scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the missile… exhibited a potential range of more than 8,000 miles, able to reach Washington or any other part of the continental United States…”

The Trump Administration announced Wednesday evening that further sanctions, including financial sanctions, will be imposed against North Korea. Many observers feel that these sanctions will be meaningless and won’t persuade the North Korean regime to cease and desist from its nuclear endeavors.

Express wrote on November 29:

“Speaking to the UN Security Council, [US ambassador Nikki] Haley said that ‘if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed’. She added: ‘We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday.’”

Is a Grand Coalition Coming in Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 25:

“Germany’s chancellor has said that it would be ‘simply wrong’ to hold new elections after coalition talks collapsed. Her statement came as rival Social Democrats reconsidered a second ‘grand coalition’ with her CDU…

“But Germany may still have to wait a while longer for a new government — on Saturday, SPD deputy leader Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel said that no decision on entering a second grand coalition would be made before the party’s national conference on December 7-9…”

Few Good Options?

AFP wrote on November 25:

“Merkel now faces few good options short of new elections: asking the SPD to enter a new ‘grand coalition’, or running a minority government…

“Polls show that, were Germany to stage an election re-run, results would be little different from September. If anything, it could see the AfD score an even more impressive result than it did the first time round.”

Merkel and Schulz under Pressure

The Associated Press wrote on November 26:

“On Sunday, the youth wing of Merkel’s Union bloc published a resolution stating that the conservatives must not enter a [grand] coalition [with the SPD] ‘at any price’…

“The Social Democrats… have made clear they would demand a high price for cooperating again with Merkel’s Union bloc. ‘As things stand, Merkel is not in a position in which she can set conditions,’ prominent Social Democrat Malu Dreyer [said].”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 26:

“Merkel is not the only one facing internal pressure: Schulz also faced growing dissent within his party over his willingness to make a coalition with Merkel’s conservative bloc. The SPD’s youth branch, the Jusos, or ‘Young Socialists in the SPD,’ ended their two-day congress calling for their leaders to move more to the left rather than try out a new grand coalition… Other SPD leaders have also started setting conditions should the party enter into talks with Merkel’s conservatives…”

None of this looks good for Merkel, Schulz or a new German government. No wonder the ghost of Weimar begins to haunt some observers. Note the next article.

Any Successor to Merkel?

Foreign Policy wrote on November 28:

“Merkel is at her most nimble in high-stakes crises — doubly so when underestimated or threatened — and she has already persuaded Christian Democrats to rally behind her as she pursues a renewal of the coalition with Social Democrats that she has lead for the past four years.

“But there’s no guarantee that the Social Democrats’ base is in the mood to accept the necessary compromises — and even if it comes to fruition, another so-called grand coalition is unlikely to prove as stable as the previous iteration. Merkel’s coalition partners are apt to be more ornery, and the parliamentary opposition, which would be headed by the far-right Alternative for Germany party, far more disruptive. Meanwhile, CDU conservatives, long discontented with Merkel’s moderate style, are apt to loudly wonder why they should continue to follow her if she can’t guarantee election victories.

“In short, it’s now easier to imagine Merkel being toppled from power before the end of her coming four-year term. But that raises the principal question: Who would take over Germany’s most successful political party after her fall?…  ‘The simple fact is there’s currently no one in the CDU placed to succeed Merkel,’ explained Alan Posener of the conservative daily Die Welt. ‘Over the years she’s overpowered and driven out a dozen rivals, mostly men who thought they’d make a better chancellor.’

“But the fact that there isn’t anyone right now with the credentials or will to take down Merkel doesn’t mean there aren’t ambitious figures in the CDU who could one day do so — and maybe even sooner rather than later. And, given the ailing state of the Social Democratic Party, whoever does replace Merkel as leader of her party will, more likely than not, also become leader of Europe’s most powerful country.”

That coming German leader does not have to belong to the CDU. In addition, Die Welt (cited above in the article) wrote on November 29 that Angela Merkel and others (including Martin Schulz and Bavaria’s Horst Seehofer) are “yesterday’s people,” and that Germany needs new leaders.

AfD Won because of Merkel?

AFP wrote on November 26:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany party sees Chancellor Angela Merkel’s struggle to form a new government as proof of its growing power to upend the country’s political order… The AfD campaigned on the slogan ‘Merkel must go’, railing against her decision to let in more than one million mainly Muslim asylum seekers since 2015… Its election score was nearly 13 percent, snatching millions of votes from the mainstream parties and entering parliament for the first time with almost 100 seats in the Bundestag lower house.

“Apart from the current political volatility, [Parliamentary group leader Alexander] Gauland sees the wind at the AFD’s back due to an announcement this month by one of Germany’s biggest employers, Siemens, that it was slashing nearly 7,000 jobs globally. The industrial giant plans to close its sites in Goerlitz and Leipzig, both in the eastern state of Saxony which the AfD won outright in September. ‘That will probably help the AfD,’ Gauland said of the layoffs…

“[Gauland said:] ‘I have always been sceptical of solidarity pacts with parties that are supposedly similar… An exception though is the FPOe,’ Gauland added, citing ‘cultural’ ties with the Austrian far-right party now in talks to join a ruling coalition…”

Remember Weimar!

The Guardian wrote on November 25:

“… commentators in Germany have started to evoke the darkest days of the Weimar Republic, when short-lived minority governments ruled by emergency decrees. ‘Like in Weimar, the federal republic is now a multiparty system in which extreme parties have begun to paralyse the working of the parliamentary democracy,’ wrote Stephen Szabo, an expert on US-German relations…

“Born amid the chaos following the first world war, the Weimar Republic lasted, unofficially, from 1919 to 1933 and struggled to cope with extremism, hyperinflation and resentment at Germany’s treatment by the war’s victors. In order to reduce political conflicts, a proportional representation system was adopted, leading to a series of coalitions that struggled to govern… In January 1933 the president, Paul von Hindenburg, appointed Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler chancellor. That year, after the Reichstag fire, Hitler seized absolute power and Germany became a fascist dictatorship.”

EU Army No longer Just a Dream

Breitbart wrote on November 24:

“The European Union’s (EU) foreign minister has said the bloc is working at ‘full speed’ to create a unified ‘defence force’ on a ‘continental scale’…

“Led by France and Germany, 23 member-states agreed to a common defence fund, which will see them develop and deploy armed forces together…

“The EU attempted to hide their plans for the defence force – including a centralised headquarters and ‘permanent structured defence co-operation’ – before the Brexit referendum, but they were leaked just weeks before the vote. This September, after the referendum, Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, was less secretive about his vision, openly calling for the bloc to rapidly push ahead with the creation of the army.

“The EU Foreign Secretary [said] Thursday: ‘Today we are building the European Union of Security and Defence. It is not a plan anymore, it is not a dream anymore, it is reality coming true. The dream of our founding fathers and mothers is finally coming true… All the building blocks of a Security and Defence Union are finally there, today. We can now project and develop our defence capabilities together; we can buy together, to ensure that we have all the capabilities we need, while spending efficiently; and we can act together much better than before, to manage or prevent crises, to strengthen our partners, to make our citizens more secure.’”

In spite of Germany’s current political turmoil, the EU’s plan for an European army is going forward. And no matter who the next German leader will be, that plan will become a speedy reality. In addition, the Austrian press (krone.at) reported on November 28 that the government plans to increase annual expenses for the Austrian military from presently 2 billion euros to over 3 billion euros.

Washington State Ill Prepared for Earthquakes

The website of king5.com reported on November 21:

“Washington State is considered second only to California in earthquake vulnerability, but it appears to be the least prepared state or province on the west coast including British Columbia…

“A key difference between California and Washington is that California experiences serious quakes more often than Washington. However, a much stronger magnitude 9 coastal earthquake along the Washington coast would also come with tsunami waves and be much like the 2011 Tohoku quake and tsunami that killed 16,000 people in northeastern Japan…”

It is mind-boggling to even imagine a huge earthquake and a massive tsunami devastating Washington state, but this is most certainly within the realm of possibility.

Trump Doubts that Obama Was Born in the USA

 CNN reported on November 29:

“President Donald Trump has continued to question the legitimacy of former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate during private conversations in recent months, The New York Times reported… One sitting US senator quoted by the Times, ‘who listened as the President revived his doubts’ about the issue, ‘chuckled’ when speaking about what was said. Trump ‘has had a hard time letting go of his claim that Mr. Obama was not born in the United States,’ the senator… told The New York Times…

“Trump publicly questioned Obama’s citizenship for several years before saying in a news conference during the 2016 election that he believed, ‘President Barack Obama was born in the United States.’”

Hopefully, the reports are true and President Trump does entertain doubts regarding Barack Obama’s birthplace, as there are so many nagging questions as to the accuracy and truth of the “official” narration. Donald Trump should have NEVER declared that Obama WAS born in the United States, without ever giving any proof for that somewhat speculative assertion.

Scandal… Hospital Fires 50 Employees for Refusal to Get Flu Shots

NBC News wrote on November 23:

“About 50 employees of Essentia Health, an upper-Midwest hospital chain, didn’t go to work Wednesday… They were fired for refusing to get flu shots… Several states, including California, require hospitals to make flu vaccines mandatory and to record and publish their vaccination rates…

“Influenza is not the only vaccine that’s required for health care workers. Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, chickenpox and whooping cough vaccines are also required… The Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and other groups all support mandatory immunization of health care workers — and all say there should be no opt-out except for medical reasons…

“Vanderbilt doesn’t fire people who refuse vaccination but makes them undergo counseling and then wear a mask during flu season…”

The ridiculous requirement of mandatory vaccinations is based on a complete denial of the serious real possibility of side-effects which are much worse than a flu. An ill-informed society has been manipulated by a left-liberal mass media and the greedy pharmaceutical industry to accept their demand for vaccinations. Those who refuse get fired. This is not happening in an autocratic country, but the USA. Vanderbilt’s alternative of wearing masks is a workable solution, but having to undergo counseling is of course stupid. Most of those who conscientiously refuse to get vaccinated are much better informed than those who just accept such intrusion without questioning.) Also note the next article, describing further autocratic and appalling measures by US agencies.

Dictatorial Measures of US Governmental Agencies

The New York Times wrote on November 18:

“Few people realize that the loans they take out to pay for their education could eventually derail their careers. But in 19 states, government agencies can seize state-issued professional licenses from residents who default on their educational debts. Another state, South Dakota, suspends driver’s licenses, making it nearly impossible for people to get to work… Firefighters, nurses, teachers, lawyers, massage therapists, barbers, psychologists and real estate brokers have all had their credentials suspended or revoked…

“Shannon Otto, who lives in Nashville, can pinpoint the moment that she realized she wanted to be a nurse… It took years of school and thousands of dollars of loans, but she eventually landed her dream job, in Tennessee, a state facing a shortage of nurses. Then, after working for more than a decade, she started having epileptic seizures. They arrived without warning, in terrifying gusts. She couldn’t care for herself, let alone anyone else. Unable to work, she defaulted on her student loans. Ms. Otto eventually got her seizures under control, and prepared to go back to work and resume payments on her debt. But Tennessee’s Board of Nursing suspended her license after she defaulted. To get the license back, she said, she would have to pay more than $1,500. She couldn’t…”

At the same time, the US system (contrary to many other Western countries) is set up in such a way that you can hardly study without getting some kind of a repayable loan. All of this is just so awful, merciless and barbaric. No wonder God has been withdrawing His blessing from a country which is becoming more and more heartless.

Bitcoin Soars to Record High

Newsmax reported on November 26:

“There might be something even bigger than Black Friday or Cyber Monday for those spending money this holiday weekend, as cryptocurrency mania led Bitcoin prices to soar over $9,400 Sunday afternoon [By Wednesday morning, it had reached about $11,200.00, but dropped again by Wednesday evening under $10,000.00.]

“‘The number of people opening up new accounts and buying bitcoin, even fractionally, is skyrocketing,’ billionaire Mark Cuban [said], a potential 2020 presidential candidate…

“‘Yet the people who have it as a true store of value have no reason to sell it as long as demand continues.’ Cuban added the price will continue to rise… ‘This growth has pushed mainstream institutions to take notice and capitalize,’ Fortune wrote Friday. ‘CME Group, the world’s largest options and futures exchange owner, announced it would offer Bitcoin futures by the end of the year.’”

Business Insider added that “the average bitcoin investor doesn’t plan to give up their bitcoin until the cryptocurrency reaches $196,165, or 21 times its current value.”

In light of the decreasing trust in shaky banks, corrupt governments and the endurable value of paper money in general, the arrival of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is an interesting phenomenon.

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.

NO JAMAICA COALITION IN GERMANY!

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 19:

“Germany’s Free Democrats have called off coalition talks with Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU and the Greens. FDP head Christian Lindner said that, after weeks of negotiations, the parties could not find a ‘basis of trust.’

“Germany will not be ruled by a so-called Jamaica coalition made up of Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU bloc, the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP), after talks collapsed late on Sunday night. FDP head Christian Lindner announced that his party had walked out of the negotiations, saying ‘it is better not to govern than to govern badly.’ He added that the parties had failed to agree on a vision of how to modernize Germany…

“[It] remains unclear where this leaves Angela Merkel and her prospects of forming a new government. Her conservatives could choose to enter talks with just the Greens to form a minority government, or she may try to convince the Social Democrats (SPD) to join her to form a second consecutive grand coalition. Should both options fail, fresh elections would have to take place in the new year.”

Bild commented that Christian Lindner has become the villain of the nation.

Coalition Talks Collapsed… What’s Next?

AFP wrote on November 19:

“Merkel can in theory turn to the Social Democratic Party, which has been her junior coalition partner for the past four years. Mathematically, it would also be the most stable option as together, Merkel’s conservative alliance and the SPD have a crushing majority in parliament…

“Merkel can also remain chancellor but lead a minority government, as a candidate is elected to the post by parliamentarians. The Bundestag can be called to vote up to three times. If she wins a majority of the votes, Merkel could remain in office. But the veteran leader herself is not in favour of this high-risk option, saying that she wants a stable government. Such a minority government has also never been tested in post-war Germany…

“A return to the polls [i.e., new elections] in early 2018 is the most probable option. Before new elections could be called under Germany’s Basic Law, the Bundestag lower house of parliament would have to be dissolved by the president. Normally the chancellor could trigger this by calling a confidence vote in parliament. But because Merkel is only the head of a caretaker government, she does not have this option.

“To move the process forward, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier could nominate Merkel for election by the Bundestag. If she failed to win an absolute majority, a second vote may be held within 14 days. If this too is inconclusive, a third round would be held in which a plurality of the votes could potentially suffice to keep Merkel in office. Steinmeier would then have one week to decide whether to recognise Merkel as chancellor or dissolve the Bundestag. If he chooses the latter, snap elections must be held within 60 days.”

None of the options are satisfactory, nor do they guarantee a stable government in Germany. It appears the time for dramatic change has come.

Fresh Elections Coming?

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 20:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she was ready to take her Christian Democratic (CDU) party into fresh elections… 63 percent of respondents said they want fresh elections if a grand coalition (between CDU and SPD) cannot be achieved…

“The German president is normally a largely ceremonial office, but Steinmeier has been thrust into the spotlight after what he characterized as ‘an unprecedented situation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.’… ‘In view of the results of the September 24 election, we are not available for a grand coalition,’ said SPD chairman and defeated chancellor candidate Martin Schulz in Berlin on Tuesday. Schulz said that the SPD had ‘no fear of fresh elections’ and saw no mandate for another alliance with Merkel’s conservatives…

“In a joint press conference, the leaders of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which took 12.6 percent of the vote on September 24, said that they were happy that Merkel had been unable to forge an alliance… The AfD believes that they will profit if new elections are called… The Left Party also called for a snap election, saying that it was the ‘logical democratic extension’ of the failed coalition talks.”

Pressure on SPD to Enter into Great Coalition with Merkel

AFP wrote on November 22:

“Pressure mounted Wednesday on Germany’s Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz to reconsider an alliance with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and stop Europe’s biggest economy from sinking into months of paralysis…

“President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who holds the power to call snap polls and who is himself a senior Social Democrat, has said that this ‘is the moment when all participants need to reconsider their attitude’. Steinmeier will meet Schulz on Thursday. [They did meet, but nothing was announced as to the outcome of that meeting.]

“The president has already held talks with the leaders of parties in the failed coalition talks – the pro-business FDP – which halted the negotiations – and the ecologist Greens. And he met with the leader of Merkel’s Bavarian allies the CSU on Wednesday.

“As the crisis shows no signs of abating, the Sueddeutsche daily reported that ‘in the SPD, unease is growing over its clear refusal of a grand coalition’. EU Budget Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, also urged the SPD to reexamine its stance… ‘Resistance is growing’ against Schulz, Bild reported, adding that the ‘most prominent secret advocate for a new grand coalition is deputy chancellor Sigmar Gabriel’…

“SPD parliamentary group chief Andrea Nahles said on Monday she would not rule out backing a Merkel-led minority government. The party’s rank and file are also wondering if former European Parliament chief Schulz is the best man to lead them into any new election campaign…”

CDU’s Jens Spahn said it was up to the party (SPD) to decide whether it wanted to govern or “remain maliciously in the corner.” It was reported that Steinmeier will also speak to leaders of the AfD and the Left.

Would New Elections Change Anything?

AFP wrote on November 19:

“Merkel, a veteran leader with experience of countless nights of fraught EU negotiations, knows what is at stake — failure to forge a government essentially puts her chancellorship in peril.

“But fundamental differences between the parties… are unlikely to go away…”

Reuters wrote on November 20:

“Polls suggest a repeat election would return a similarly fragmented parliament [bringing] roughly the same result as the September election…

“The failure of coalition talks… was likened by newsmagazine Der Spiegel to the shock election of U.S. President Donald Trump or Britain’s referendum vote to leave the EU…

“Even if the SPD or the FDP revisit their decisions, the price for either party to change its mind could be the departure of Merkel…”

The media had written in the past that if the Jamaica coalition fails, Merkel would have to step down.

German Newspaper Reactions

The Huffington Post wrote on November 20:

“The breakdown has plunged German politics into a deep political crisis… Here’s how German newspapers analyzed the developments:

“‘No trust, only losers,’ Spiegel Online headlined… ‘None of the parties involved strongly signaled they wanted the coalition to succeed. Merkel’s ”trusty old method” failed to work…’

“As the Taz summarized the situation: ‘The morning after: No power for nobody.’

“Bild… warned that all parties will feel the ‘rightful anger’ of the voters if they would fail to come to an agreement.’

“The Rheinische Post argued neither new elections, nor the creation of a minority government, would help Germany’s global image. The far-right party Alternative for Germany would exploit the situation, the paper said…

“Finally, many newspapers agree that the current political crisis may be catastrophic for Merkel. ‘The failure of the Jamaica coalition could also sound the bell for the end of Merkel’s career,’ Rheinische Post wrote…”

When people are angry, unexpected reactions might be the result.

Out For Merkel?

Express wrote on November 22:

“Merkel’s worries continue as the latest polls reveal the majority of Germans did not want her to run as a candidate for Chancellor again… 54 per cent said she should not run for office, according to the polling institute Civey for t-online.de. Only 38.5 percent of Germans would welcome a renewed candidacy of the chancellor…

“There was also little comfort for the German leader in another poll published yesterday in Der Spiegel (showing) that support for the coalition between Mrs Merkel’s CDU and the CSU fell below 30 per cent to 29.2 per cent. This is believed to be their lowest ever level…

“There was no joy though either for the main opposition party the Social Democrats (SPD) which also suffered a decline in popularity…

“The inability of Mrs Merkel to secure sufficient support has seen Germany plunged into uncertainty… The situation has resulted in the co-founder of the Greens, Hans-Christian Ströbele, saying he could not envisage the chancellor staying in her role for much longer. In an interview with Swiss website Watson, he said: ‘The end of the chancellorship of Angela Merkel has already been announced by the outcome of the general election…”

“EU ‘Cannot Afford’ Lengthy German Deadlock”

The EUobserver wrote on November 21:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel’s failure to form a coalition government has raised concerns in Europe that the EU’s most powerful country will send the block into paralysis… French president Emmanuel Macron said… the situation was creating ‘real risks’. Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra said the delay in forming a new German government was ‘bad news for Europe.’… German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that ‘incomprehension and worry would be big in particular in our European neighbours…’

“‘There is a need of leadership at EU level, and the EU cannot have momentum without Germany,” [Yann-Sven Rittelmeyer, from the European Policy Centre (EPC) in Brussels] told Euobserver… Recent proposals on the EU’s future by Macron and from the European Commission ‘are waiting for an answer from Germany,’ Rittelmeyer noted.

“… if the political deadlock ‘drags on, or even if there is new elections, or even a minority government, it’s a big setback for Europe,’ [Judy Dempsey, from the Carnegie Europe think tank in Berlin] told EUobserver.  She insisted that ‘it would [be] incredibly damaging for Europe if Germany doesn’t come up with a government soon.’…”

Germany knows this too. They will do everything they can to resolve the situation soon. But what will that solution look like?

Sexual Scandals Galore in the USA

The Huffington Post wrote on November 21:

“This is the toxic mentality of Capitol Hill… The byzantine process for making an official complaint shows just who Congress aims to protect:

“To make an official complaint, a sexual harassment victim has to call the Office of Compliance to get a password to fill out an online form. This is an office that, based on a survey by Roll Call in mid-2016, many women working on the Hill didn’t know existed. And victims must register a complaint within a 180 days of when the harassment occurred. Once formal complaints are made, those filing them are forced to get professional counseling for up to 30 days. After counseling, they have 15 days to decide whether they’ll drop the issue or move forward.

“Those moving forward must sign a temporary confidentiality agreement and begin 30 days of mediation. The accused is given a lawyer at taxpayer expense, the accuser has to pay for one. If agreements aren’t reached during mediation, there’s another 30-day ‘cooling-off period’ before complainants can request an administrative hearing or go to federal court. If agreements are reached, the complainants will likely have to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to receive money from a hush fund at taxpayer expense… interns or those working on the Hill through a fellowship are on their own. This process isn’t open to them.

“On Monday night, BuzzFeed News published an explosive report detailing how Congress had come to four separate agreements with staffers over sexual harassment by the longest-serving current House member ― and the top Democrat on the chamber’s Judiciary Committee ― Rep. John Conyers of Michigan.

“Spokesmen for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters that neither of their bosses were aware of the settlements that Conyers paid out with tax dollars. The  congressional hush fund has paid out more than $17 million over the last 20 years for employment abuse like sexual harassment. But Conyers, in at least one case, opted to pay an employee out of his staff budget, meaning the total paid out to keep victims of sexual harassment in Congress quiet could be much higher.”

The allegations against John Conyers are just the tip of the iceberg, even though they brought to light the despicable and absolutely abominable “procedure” adopted by Congress to protect the perpetrator and persecute or silence the victim. Others who have been recently accused by many women and men of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, molestation, indecent exposure and other inappropriate sexual behavior, include, just to name a few, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Roy Moore, Al Franken, Charlie Rose, Bill O’Reilly and three top executives of Disney. Some have admitted guilt, while most have denied any wrongdoing or kept silent.

Further, old allegations against Bill Clinton’s sexual misconduct were brought back to the forefront this week, prompting Sean Hannity of the Fox Network to chastise the liberal mass media for suppressing those allegations and protecting the Clintons for many years.

While one is considered to be innocent until proven guilty, the picture of alleged terrible sexual transgressions is not a pleasant one. While President Trump spoke out against Democrat Al Franken, he answered reporters, when he was asked about Roy Moore, that Moore had denied all allegations, seemingly “endorsing” him as the Republican Senate candidate for Alabama. This was considered odd by many, given the allegations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Trump himself and the condemnation of Moore by many Republicans.

Space War Coming

National Post wrote on November 17:

“The world is at the cusp of a ‘New Space Age.’ Led by dynamic private-sector entrepreneurs pioneering new technologies and pursuing exciting new opportunities, the number of satellites has increased over the past five years by almost 50 per cent…

“While many of the most active ‘New Space’ companies are based in the United States, other countries too are in this amazing race. Space start-ups are booming in India. Singapore and Luxembourg are investing in future space capabilities such as orbital debris removal and space resource extraction. Australia, for the first time, is setting up a national space agency. Canada’s 2017 national budget included $80.9 million in investment over the next five years for space projects, including quantum encryption of communications.

“In the near future, the world is looking at a jump from about 1,500 satellites to tens of thousands, providing services such as low-cost Earth imagery, global Internet connectivity, asteroid mining, and even Moon and Mars exploration.

“… war in space is no longer unthinkable. Indeed, for the past few years, the United States Air Force has been waging a vocal campaign to convince policymakers, Congress, and the public that U.S. satellites are under imminent threat… Thus, the argument goes, the U.S. military must pour resources into preparing to fight in this domain, including building offensive weaponry based on the ground and in space…

“The same advances that are driving commercial and civil interest in new space missions have also enabled improved satellite attack capabilities…  satellites — which have been demonstrated and/or deployed by the United States, Russia, and China — could also be used to disable or destroy an enemy satellite… There may not be ways out of more serious military competition in space… The security of space is now central to human security for providing and improving the welfare of everyone on Earth, and even the planet itself…”

Since man’s creation, there have been wars on earth. Now, it appears that there will soon be wars in space. Wherever man’s influence can be felt, there is war, bloodshed and destruction. Very soon, we will face a man-made global catastrophe unparalleled in history.

Tobacco Company Admits: Our Products KILL People

 Newsmax wrote on November 20:

“Tobacco companies are to begin running TV and newspaper ads proclaiming their products are bad for you — really bad. The new initiative is part of a settlement between big tobacco and the Justice [Department] which found cigarette companies had violated racketeering laws and lied for decades about the dangers of smoking… one of the statements the ads must use is: ‘More people die every year from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and alcohol combined.’

“Other pitches will read: ‘Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults who do not smoke,’ and tobacco companies will admit they ‘intentionally designed cigarettes to make them more addictive.’

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, annually killing 480,000 people and costing $170 billion in healthcare expenses, the Daily News says.”

Knowing this, why do people smoke and selfishly destroy the health of those exposed to second-hand smoke? Are they on a suicide mission? Have they lost all love and decency for the welfare of themselves, and others? Do they not understand that they will have to pay dearly for their ungodly conduct… either in this life or in the next—or, in all likelihood, in both?

Marijuana Overdose Cause for Death of 11-Month-Old Boy?

 9News.com wrote on November 17:

“Two poison control doctors claim to have documented the first known case of death by marijuana overdose, sparking a medical debate over what killed an 11-month-old baby in Colorado two years ago… They claim that damage to the child’s heart muscle, which was listed as the boy’s cause of death, was brought on by ingesting marijuana… The case report makes what amounts to a very bold statement in the scientific world… If correct, the phenomenon… would remain the only time a marijuana overdose is known to have caused a human death. Other doctors are deeply skeptical of the strong language used in the report…

“It’s widely accepted as fact that marijuana overdoses are not fatal. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration fact sheet on pot says simply that ‘no death from overdose of marijuana has been reported’ and the National Institutes of Health says there is ‘insufficient evidence’ to link THC overdose to fatalities…

“Both published accounts of this case clearly state that the autopsy shows that the 11-month-old boy died of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) which caused the heart to fail. The Nappe/Hoyte published case study takes the diagnosis a step further, theorizing that the myocarditis was caused by cannabis overdose, which then caused the baby boy’s heart to fail… Myocarditis is rare in children, and can often be fatal when diagnosed. In children, fatal myocarditis is usually caused by a virus called Coxsackievirus. The authors of the case report say that virus was ruled out in this case. Myocarditis has a long list of other known causes, mostly from infections by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites…

“9NEWS spoke to multiple ER doctors and medical researchers for this story. Many praised the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center as a top-tier institution for researching the issue, but none accepted this case as bulletproof evidence of a marijuana overdose death, though some were more open to the idea than others…Hoyte and Nappe wrote that the boy ate an ‘unknown dose of THC,’ and tell 9NEWS they aren’t sure exactly what product was involved or precisely when he ate it…

“Doctors on both sides of the debate agree on what parents should learn from this case. It’s the same advice they’ve given since marijuana first became legal in Colorado: keep it away from kids… Colorado has taken recent steps aimed at preventing accidental ingestion by children. In the years since legalization, the state has imposed new restrictions on the potency and design of edible marijuana products. New rules that took effect last month ban edibles that resemble existing non-marijuana candies and also bans shaping edibles in the form of people, animals, or fruit.

“Dr. Hoyte was careful to point out that even though he does believe THC led to this death, there are plenty of more harmful substances parents also need to worry about… Even if Hoyte and Nappe’s determination is confirmed, it’s worth noting that we would have more confirmed deaths from swallowed laundry and dish detergent pods than from marijuana…”

These kinds of sensational claims by two doctors help no one. One cannot approach a serious subject by disseminating false and wild speculations. We clearly reject the use of “recreational” marijuana, but it is politically objectionable, indefensible and highly offensive conduct by the Federal Government to continue to declare as a “crime” the use of medically prescribed marijuana for suffering patients in appropriate cases. Reports like the ones quoted herein only play into the hands of those who want to continue to support the pharmaceutical industry and the poisonous and dangerous substances (called “medications”) which they prescribe and market.

The Radical Transgender War

On November 22, the Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan:

“Natasha Devon advised that teachers should no longer refer to female students as ‘girls’ or ‘ladies’, or to male students as ‘boys’… I’ve never heard such utter garbage in my entire life, and given I judged talent shows for six years that is a very high bar of garbage.

“Speaking as a father of four children – three boys and a girl – I’ll tell you what I think might just cause young kids more anxiety than being called ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ – and that is telling them they CAN’T be called ‘boys’ and ‘girls’.

“The simple reason is they were born boys and girls. Yes, they were all handed to their proud parents at birth with the words ‘Congratulations, you have a little boy’ or ‘Congratulations, you have a little girl.’ Not, ‘Congratulations, you have a non-binary, gender fluid creature of indeterminate sexuality.’

“These children will have spent years happily being boys and girls, and for the vast majority of them that’s exactly how they wish to remain. To banish these descriptive terms now is… the first step to banishing gender altogether, thus disrupting and destroying one of society’s strongest and until now, least contentious norms: i.e. that we’re all either male or female.

“I suspect the real reason for Natasha Devon’s speech can be found buried away as almost an afterthought. She said she was also advising the abandonment of the terms ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ to protect the feelings of transgender children…

“This new gender war is being driven by the radical transgender community, which – like radical feminism to non-radical feminism – is a very different, far more aggressive, loud and extreme group to the non-radical transgender community… their campaign has been undeniably successful. That’s why Facebook currently provides over 70 different gender ‘options’, from ‘two-spirit person’ to ‘neutrois’ and ‘transmasculine’. One is simply: ‘neither’…

“I do care when massive pressure is applied on the rest of us to stop using words like ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ because it may offend the gender fluid brigade. I also care that kids as young as five are being encouraged to embark on a journey to change their gender and/or sex before they even really know what either of things even mean. Anyone who’s had children knows they go through all kinds of confusing emotional turmoil before, during and after puberty. Why add to that confusion by making them think that ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ are offensive terms?…

“Some schools have begun eliminating gender distinction in their sports programmes, so any boy who feels he’s a girl can play on the girls’ team… Other schools now allow boys who identify as girls… to use the female bathrooms…

“Companies are being bullied and harangued into converting to non-gender-specific merchandise lest they get branded ‘trans bigots’ on social media. We see it in our high street stores and on our TV commercials. The problem gets even more acute when we consider sexual offenders in prison. Already, we are getting cases of male rapists identifying as female so they can switch to female prisons. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why they may want to do that…

“What does the word ‘gender‘ even mean? Well, check any dictionary and it will provide a simple answer—something like this: ‘The state of being male or female.’ Therefore we are all either boys or girls, men or women…”

Amen to that.

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.

Proposed Jamaica Coalition Not Popular in Germany

Express wrote on November 10:

“ANGELA Merkel is facing a domestic crisis after a poll suggested most Germans do not want the three-party coalition she is desperately trying to form. Following her election disaster, the German Chancellor is attempting to form a partnership with the Greens and pro-business FDP. But a poll published this week showed 52 per cent of Germans think the so-called Jamaica coalition would be bad for the country. Just 45 per cent thought it would be a good thing, a fall in support of 12 per cent from a previous survey last month. Three per cent were unsure. The poll, published yesterday, was commissioned by huge public service broadcaster ARD and surveyed 1,005 people…

“A piece published in the Die Zeit newspaper this week accused Mrs Merkel of ‘fidgeting’, lacking leadership and failing to grapple with policies to shape the nation’s future. The column contrasted the French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent speech on EU reform at the Sorbonne with ‘the almost complete absence of Angela Merkel in public’.”

Even if a Jamaica coalition comes into effect, it won’t last very long.

Showdown in Jamaica Coalition Talks

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 16:

“For over a month, four of Germany’s most unlikely political partners have been trying to decide whether they can form a viable coalition government. Their deadline to end exploratory talks — a precursor to formal negotiations — is early Friday morning.

“Before Thursday’s talks began, Merkel said ‘serious differences’ remain among the parties, but she also said she was confident an agreement could be reached.

“If the talks fail, Chancellor Merkel faces the prospect of wooing the Social Democratic Party (SPD) into another grand coalition government or possibly calling for new elections.”

EU Tightens the Screws Further on Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 9, 2017:

“Britain on Friday was reminded once more that time is running out to advance Brexit negotiations as both London and Brussels remain in dispute over the final cost of the divorce. Chief European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters that the bloc would need UK clarifications in two weeks to prepare for a December 14-15 summit. He said progress in negotiations on how much money Britain will owe the EU when it leaves the bloc in March 2019 was imperative if EU leaders were to allow discussions on future trade ties with Britain in December…

“Barnier’s remarks seem to tighten the screws still further on Britain after The Financial Times earlier cited an unnamed EU diplomat as saying the issue needed to be settled within two to three weeks. The Brexit bill is estimated by the EU at around €60 billion ($70 billion). But the UK has insisted that it should be more like €25 billion… the [British] government [made] clear late on Thursday that the country’s exit from the bloc would occur at exactly 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019… Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority Conservative government remains deeply divided over what kind of deal it is seeking with the EU…”

Britain will leave the EU, as prophesied, and the exit will NOT be advantageous for the country.

EU Signs Defense Pact

The EUreporter wrote on November 14:

“Foreign and defence ministers gathered at a signing ceremony in Brussels to represent 23 EU governments joining the pact, paving the way for EU leaders to sign it in December. Those governments will for the first time legally bind themselves into joint projects as well as pledging to increase defence spending and contribute to rapid deployments. ‘Today we are taking a historic step,’ Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters. ‘… it’s really a milestone in European development,’ he said.

“The pact includes all EU governments except Britain, which is leaving the bloc, Denmark, which has opted out of defence matters, Ireland, Portugal and Malta. Traditionally neutral Austria was a late addition to the pact… The club will be backed by a 5-billion-euro defence fund for buying weapons, a special fund to finance operations and money from the EU’s common budget for defence research…

“Despite an Anglo-French-led EU defence integration effort in 1998, Britain blocked formal collaboration on military matters, wary of the creation of an EU army. Defence integration was revived by France and Germany, with support from Italy and Spain, in a show of unity after Britons voted to leave the EU in June 2016.”

Quartz added on November 13:

“It took 70 years… US president’s Donald Trump’s frequent accusations that EU countries do not pay enough into NATO has been one catalyst for them move forward… The other is that it could legitimately diminish the bloc’s dependence on US military support…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 13:

“With 23 of the EU’s current 28 member states joining the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), there seems to be a great deal of consensus among member states… The new defense union is expected to address immediate threats without having to rely on NATO for all of the EU’s defense needs…  Those who didn’t sign initially can still join at a later date and countries not living up to their expected commitments could be kicked out of the group…

“German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said it was important for Europe to stand on its own feet when it comes to security and defense – ‘especially after the election of the US President’…”

On November 13, Reuters ran an article about PESCO with the following headline: “EU countries agree to create a European mega-army.”

European Banks Might Freeze Customers’ Money

Express wrote on November 14:

“The European Central Bank has outlined plans to freeze cash deposits of customers at failing banks in order to halt collapses… The move could mean people with money in their bank accounts could not withdraw anything while the bank was in crisis talks…

“Most EU member states are behind the ECB’s new proposals…”

Military Coup in Zimbabwe

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 15:

“Longtime Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was arrested along with other senior officials early Wednesday morning in what appeared to be a military seizure of power… Hours earlier, Major General SB Moyo had said on state television that the army’s takeover of state offices, the parliament, the airport and state broadcaster was ‘not a military takeover.’…

“Armored vehicles and soldiers were seen throughout the capital city, Harare, Wednesday morning as many people rushed to withdraw money from banks…

“Grace Mugabe — who reportedly fled to Namibia early Wednesday morning — had been publically positioning herself to succeed her husband as president. That ambition led to a public feud with former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who had been seen as Mugabe’s likely successor before the president fired him in early November. Mnangagwa — nicknamed ‘Crocodile’ — is… popular with the country’s military…

“South African President Zuma urged the Zimbabwean government and army to resolve their differences amicably… The European Union and Britain also expressed concern and called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.”

This seems to be a usual power struggle which is not uncommon in many non-democratic countries.

War Between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon?

The New York Times wrote on November 9:

“Saudi Arabia ordered its citizens to leave Lebanon on Thursday, escalating a bewildering crisis between the two Arab nations and raising fears that it could lead to an economic crisis or even war. The order came after Saudi Arabia had stepped up its condemnations of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia that is the most powerful political and military force in Lebanon, and asserted that Lebanon had effectively declared war on Saudi Arabia.

“The developments plunged Lebanon into a state of national anxiety, with politicians, journalists and even parents picking up their children at school consumed with the question of what could come next. While analysts said a war was unlikely — because Saudi Arabia was not capable of waging one and Israel did not want one now — they worried that with so many active conflicts in the region, any Saudi actions that raised the temperature increased the risk of an accidental conflagration…

“But even before the current crisis, fears were building in Lebanon that Israel… would instigate another war against Hezbollah…”

The Fight Between Iran and Saudi Arabia

The Guardian wrote on November 11:

“The fall of Kurdish-held Kirkuk in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government, backed by Iran’s most prominent general, in October, starvation among the population of war-torn Yemen, a ballistic missile over Riyadh, and the apparently forced exit of the premier in Lebanon are all part of the same machinations – a great strategic power play between two regional heavyweights… Now, more than at any point in modern history, Iran and Saudi Arabia are squared off against each other as a race to consolidate influence nears a climax from Sana’a to Beirut and the tens of thousands of miles in between…

“The foundational split between the two main sects of Islam, over whether followers or descendants should succeed the Prophet Mohammed, has long been a starting point for attempts to explain the contemporary rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh…

“Iran now all but controls a land corridor that runs from Tehran to Tartous in Syria, on the Mediterranean coast, giving it access to a seaport a long way to its west… Among all its proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon has been the most valuable – and potent. Hezbollah is the arrowhead of Iran’s projection against Israel…”

All of this shows that it is extremely unlikely that a king of the South will still arise in the Middle East, leading all Arab nations against Europe. Those who preach such an arrival of an end-time king of the South grossly misinterpret the Bible and seem to lack the spirit of prophecy, as Scripture, correctly understood, does NOT necessitate a future king of the South.

Iran-Iraq Quake

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 14:

“Iranian authorities on Tuesday scrambled to bring relief aid to thousands of people left homeless by an earthquake that killed at least 432 people and injured nearly 5,000 more. The national rescue service called off most searches for bodies trapped under rubble, saying it was unlikely survivors would be found.

“President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday arrived in Kermanshah province, a mostly Kurdish area hit hardest by the 7.3-magnitude tremor that struck the mountainous border region between Iran and Iraq Sunday… Around 15,500 homes were destroyed and another 15,000 damaged in Kermanshah province… Seven towns and nearly 2,000 villages were damaged… and several villages were completely destroyed…

“The earthquake has led to an outpouring of solidarity from Iranians across the country and millions more in the diaspora… Dozens of countries including Arab states, as well as Iran’s enemies the US and Israel, extended their sympathies to the Iranian people. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif thanked the international community for messages of sympathy and offers of assistance…”

Trump Meets Putin… Sort of…

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin assured him that Moscow did not interfere in the 2016 US election during their discussions on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Danang, Vietnam. ‘Every time he sees me, he said: “I didn’t do that.” And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it,’ Trump told reporters… He also noted that Putin is ‘very insulted’ by the accusation…

“Trump and Putin did not have a formal meeting at the APEC summit, but the two leaders met unofficially several times since late Friday and have even posed for a side-by-side photo… US officials may well be anxious to avoid any encounter between the two men that could be seen to reinforce the notion that they are in cahoots in any way…

“Trump and Putin did issue a statement [saying] that the two leaders… confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity…

Deutsche Welle added on November 12:

“Trump tried to distance himself from remarks suggesting he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin… ‘I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election,’ Trump said… ‘As to whether I believe it, I’m with our agencies.’”

It’s always better to think first before speaking.

Putin and Trump Invite Hezbollah and Iran to Stay in Syria

The Jewish Press wrote on November 11:

“According to their joint statement, President Trump and President Putin on Saturday met on the margins of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, to confirm their determination to defeat ISIS in Syria. Meanwhile, the two presidents also agreed to let Iran and its two satellite terrorist groups, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, to roam free in parts of Syria, including up against Israel’s northern border.

“Naturally, ISIS is far from being the only player in the Syrian civil war, nor is it a major player, at this stage… The two presidents also engaged in creative fantasy…

“That bit of newspeak coming from President Trump, after months and months of warnings from Prime Minister Netanyahu, is outright frightening… In the end, President Trump who has been so adamant about the folly of Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, is signing off on allowing the Iranian threat against the Jewish State to come in a thousand miles closer.”

Amazing what ill-advised politicians are able to “accomplish.”

Trump vs. Xi Jinping

The Guardian wrote on November 10:

“Donald Trump has abruptly ended the diplomatic streak he displayed on his 12-day tour of Asia by launching a tirade against ‘violations, cheating or economic aggression’ in the region, just hours after heaping lavish praise on China… The speech was clearly, sometimes explicitly, focused on China and other countries he blamed for predatory economic policies…

“Trump addressed a largely mute and visibly stunned audience that included ministers from countries he accused of not ‘playing by the rules’… ‘The United States will no longer turn a blind eye to violations, cheating or economic aggression. Those days are over,’ he added. Previous US administrations had not done anything about the trade deficit, he said, ‘but I will … I am always going to put America first.’

“… The speech was markedly different from the reserved tone of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who spoke directly after Trump, although to much louder applause and cheers from the audience… Xi did not directly respond to Trump’s challenge on trade but sought to paint himself as a champion of economic openness, globalisation and the fight against climate change, in contrast to the isolationist US president…”

Trump in the Philippines

The Week wrote on November 12:

“President Trump arrived in the Philippines from Vietnam on Sunday, where he was greeted by controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte [The international press refers to Duterte as the “Trump of the East”], who has been accused of human rights abuses including the promotion of extrajudicial killings.

“Trump offered Duterte mediation assistance in his country’s dispute with China over the South China Sea, calling himself ‘a very good mediator and arbitrator.’ Duterte declined the offer, saying the issue ‘is better left untouched’ because ‘nobody can afford to go to war.’”

Newsmax added on November 12:

“The Philippines has for decades been a key U.S. defence ally and although the base was closed in 1992, Subic [once home to one of the biggest U.S. naval facilities in the world] has since received a regular flow of retirees and visits by U.S. warships for repairs, resupply and exercises. About 220,000 Americans, many of them military veterans, live in the Philippines. An additional 650,000 visit each year…”

Trump’s Asia Tour Receives Mixed Reviews

The Week wrote on November 15:

“President Trump spent Wednesday morning tweeting about his ‘successful trip to Asia,’ although many regional experts were reluctant to share his characterization. ‘The principal takeaway from Trump’s big Asia trip: virtually zero progress on any issue that matters to the Americans,’ wrote Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group consultancy… ultimately no new measures were forged regarding North Korea, and Asian countries pressed ahead with the Trans-Pacific Partnership without the U.S.

“‘While Trump announced billions in new business deals, ‘most of those agreements were older, already agreed-upon, or only promises,’ The Associated Press writes. Additionally, Trump broke with his predecessors, avoiding confrontation with leaders on human rights records.”

 It seems to be a common feature in President Trump’s attempts to take credit for something which was already decided before. The highly praised decision by car manufacturing company FORD to keep jobs in the USA was apparently not reached due to President Trump’s negotiations and persuasion powers, but to FORD’s prior decision.

“Polish PM Calls for an EU Where Christianity Is Not Censored’

Reuters wrote on November 9:

“Poland wants to be sure that Christian traditions are not subject to ‘ideological censorship’ in the European Union, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday, emphasizing her party’s opposition to Muslim immigration. Along with Hungary, Poland has refused to take in any of its quota of the wave of refugees from Syria and elsewhere who have come to Europe since 2015, on the grounds that Muslim immigrants are a threat to their national security and stability.

“Szydlo’s eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party appeals directly to the more socially conservative sections of Poland’s overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population… Szydlo said Christians in Europe should not need to feel uncomfortable or ashamed about their faith and traditions…”

60,000 Nationalists March in Poland

The Week wrote on November 12:

“An estimated 60,000 nationalists marched in Warsaw to celebrate Poland’s 99 years of independence on Saturday. While many simply waved Polish flags, some demonstrators threw red smoke bombs and carried signs with slogans like, ‘Europe must be white,’ ‘white Europe of brotherly nations,’ and ‘pray for an Islamic Holocaust.’

“They shouted chants including, ‘glory to our heroes,’ ‘pure Poland, white Poland,’ ‘refugees get out,’ and ‘death to enemies of the homeland.’ Among the marchers were supporters of Poland’s governing party, Law and Justice (PiS). Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak downplayed the racist elements in comments praising the ‘beautiful sight’ of Poles celebrating independence.”

JTA wrote on November 13:

“The sight of far-right activists… shouting anti-Semitic slogans during a nationalist march in the capital of Poland over the weekend shocked many around the world. It was an understandable reaction to witnessing tens of thousands in Warsaw marching near what used to be the largest Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust amid shouts of ‘Jews out’ and ‘Remove Jewry from power.’

“… on Monday, a spokesman for [Israel’s] Foreign Ministry called the Warsaw event ‘a dangerous march of extreme and racist elements,’ and urged Polish authorities to act against the organizers…”

These radical elements in Poland do not necessarily represent just a negligible portion of the population.

Pope Francis and the European Power Bloc

The website of cruxnow.com wrote on October 30:

“From Brexit to Catalonia, as well as the rise of far-right parties in central Europe, the Catholic reaction has been almost uniformly to sound the alarm… On a dramatic weekend in which the Catalan regional government declared independence and the national government moved to restore direct rule, the archbishops of Barcelona and Madrid, as well as the president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, made clear their sadness at the independence bid…

“Pope Francis backed that message on Saturday… warning against building trenches… [and] against ‘particular and nationalist agendas’ that threaten ‘the courageous dreams of the founders of Europe.’”

Uproar in the Catholic Church

The Associated Press wrote on November 11:

“Pope Francis on Saturday reaffirmed the ‘primacy’ of using one’s conscience to navigate tough moral questions in his first comments since he was publicly accused of spreading heresy by emphasizing conscience over hard and fast Catholic rules. Francis issued a video message to a conference organized by Italian bishops on his controversial 2016 document on family life, ‘The Joy of Love.’

“The document has badly divided the Catholic Church, with some commentators warning that it risked creating a schism given its opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics… Conservatives accused the pope of sowing confusion and undermining the church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage…”

The Wall Street Journal added on November 14:

“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops chose a conservative archbishop for a key post Tuesday, signaling resistance to Pope Francis’s vision for the church among the Catholic hierarchy in the U.S… ‘It is clear since 2013 that a majority of them (the bishops) sees the message of Francis’ pontificate, esp. on life and marriage, as not adequate for the Catholic Church in the U.S.A.,’ Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova, said on Twitter after the vote…

“However, Catholic leaders are hardly in lockstep with the Trump administration on immigration, and made a point of echoing the pope on the issue of welcoming migrants…”

Germany’s Supreme Court Accepts Intersex People as Third Gender

AFP wrote on November 8:

“Germany’s top court Wednesday required parliament to legally recognise a ‘third gender’ from birth. Current regulations on civil status are discriminatory against intersex people, the Federal Constitutional Court said. Legislators must by the end of 2018 pass a new regulation to offer a third gender option in birth registers, added the court, ruling in favour of an appeal brought by an intersex person…

“The intersex person was registered as female, but a chromosome analysis found the plaintiff to be neither male nor female. Intersex is a broad term encompassing people who have sex traits, such as genitals or chromosomes, that do not entirely fit with typical binary notion of male and female. Intersex people can have features that are neither wholly female nor wholly male, or a combination or neither. People who identify as intersex are recognised on official documents in some countries including Australia, India, New Zealand and Nepal.”

Bild Online commented on November 8:

“About 160,000 people live in Germany who have male and female characteristics. Until now, the parents determine at the time of birth the designation of the child’s gender. The WHO [World Health Organization] considers Intersex people as suffering from a sickness or a birth defect… In the future, the government will not be allowed to send out letters anymore, addressing the recipients as “Ladies and Gentlemen.” Another designation will have to be found… Intersex people are different from transgender people. While the first category describes people who are not clearly male or female, transgender people clearly belong to one particular gender, but are ‘unsatisfied’ with it…”

Bild Online also wrote that sometimes, young intersex people are being operated on or receive hormones. In quoting an expert, the paper wrote that this is a wrong, harmful and traumatizing procedure.

In a follow-up article, Bild Online wrote on November 11 that the Duden, the standard dictionary of the German language, is unable to use a word (like “he” or “she”) describing intersex people. The designation of “it” has been rejected by the organization for intersex people. A spokesperson for the Duden explained that the publication can only include words which are spoken or written in colloquial usage, and there is no word at this point describing intersex people. It has also been discussed whether or not to omit any reference to gender in birth certificates.

 It seems to us that the WHO is correct in its evaluation of intersex people as suffering from a sickness or a birth defect, and that an official designation as “third gender” is just ridiculous, as would be the omission of gender for everyone in birth certificates.

Transgender Service Members

The Washington Post wrote on November 11:

“Anastasia Biefang… joined the German army as a man more than 23 years ago. Two years ago… she came out to her superiors and eventually to her entire unit… the Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, heralds her as a national role model. She is the first transgender commander in a force headed by a defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, who has made support for transsexual and homosexual personnel a top priority…

“Trump… argued that ‘tremendous medical costs and disruption’ were behind his decision to reinstitute the ban on transgender service members… Trump’s battle to ban transgender servicemen and women is also feeding into a growing perception in Germany that Europe can no longer trust the United States as a reliable partner that shares its values…”

The word “value” is a strange choice in the context of the topic.

Dangers of Transgenderism

Christian Headlines wrote on November 10:

“A 14-year-old girl who began a transition to become a boy is speaking out about the dangers of transgenderism, particularly for young people. Noor Jontry… shares that her exploration of her gender began when she encountered young people online who were transitioning to another gender. She says she realized she wanted to be a boy because she wanted to be ‘masculine.’ ‘[B]eing masculine was about feeling safe,’ she said…

“Noor has come to believe that… most teens and young people who think they are trans are simply confused or going through a time of transition in life.

“When asked what she would say to other girls who think they are boys, she replied, ‘There’s nothing wrong with your body. To be straightforward, you will never be male… Stop hurting yourself. Not wanting to be female doesn’t mean you’re really male…’”

The entire transgender philosophy is not only ridiculous from a medical and biological standpoint; it is also abhorrent in the eyes of God.

Australians for Gay Marriage

The Washington Post wrote on November 14:

“Australians supported gay marriage in a postal survey that ensures Parliament will consider legalizing same-sex weddings this year… 62 percent of registered voters who responded in the unprecedented survey favored reform… A ‘no’ vote in the survey would have put marriage equality off the political agenda, perhaps for years…

“Ireland is the only other country to put same-sex marriage to a popular vote, but that referendum was binding. Irish voters in 2015 changed their constitution to allow marriage equality.

“In Australia, voting in elections and referenda is compulsory…

“Lawmakers opposed to gay marriage are already moving to wind back anti-discrimination laws, with debate in Australia intensifying over the possibility of gay wedding boycotts and refusals to provide a celebrant, venue, flowers or a cake…”

Australia is another Israelite country which continues to turn its back on God and His clear teachings.

Senate Republicans to Include Individual Mandate Repeal in Tax Plan

The Week wrote on November 14:

“Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they will be including a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate in their tax plan.

“‘Repealing the mandate pays for more tax cuts for working families,’ wrote Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in a statement. President Trump has put heavy pressure on Republicans to repeal the ‘very unfair’ individual mandate, which is the portion of ObamaCare that requires individuals to purchase health care or face a fine.

“Its elimination would free up more than $300 billion over a decade, The New York Times reports, ‘because … a decline in the number of people with health coverage’ means ‘the government would spend less money on subsidized health plans.’”

Senate Democrats are of course opposed to this move; but they are opposed to the entire tax plan anyway.

House Passed Trump’s Tax Bill

CNBC wrote on November 16:

“House Republicans on Thursday passed a monumental bill to cut taxes on businesses and individuals, the biggest step yet in the GOP’s once-in-a-generation effort to overhaul the American tax system. The tax reform plan passed the chamber with 227 votes in favor and 205 against.

“To pass the bill, the House GOP had to overcome opposition from several of its members who live in high-tax blue states. Those lawmakers objected to the proposal’s curb on popular state and local tax deductions.

“The House plan would permanently chop the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent… It would reduce individual tax brackets to four from seven and make changes to several tax breaks. Among them, the bill would limit state and local deductions and the mortgage interest deduction, eliminate the personal exemption and nearly double the standard deduction…

“Despite passage of the bill Thursday, pitfalls await the party. Senate Republicans hope to pass their own bill as soon as the week after Thanksgiving… Several other Republicans in the Senate, where the GOP holds a slim two-seat majority, have expressed doubts about the upper chamber’s version…

“Should the Senate GOP pass its bill, the two chambers will have to craft a joint plan before Congress can pass final legislation… The Republican plan is expected to get no Democratic support throughout the process…

“Republicans say their plan will trim the tax burden on the middle class and push businesses to create jobs and boost wages. The message, so far, has not resonated with voters, according to a recent public opinion poll. Most Americans disapprove of the Republican tax plan…”

Missile Renaissance Blooms in the USA

CNBC wrote on November 11:

“Raytheon is building missiles that may feature prominently in the effort to repel a possible attack from North Korea. Tucked into next year’s $700 billion Defense authorization is a request for $4 billion, [still to be approved by both houses of Congress] which will go to missile defense… destined for U.S. and Japanese warships in the Pacific… Soon, the facility will start producing a next-generation version of the SM-3… capable of traveling even farther and higher to better intercept an intermediate-range ballistic missile…

“In addition to more funding at home, the makers of American missile defense systems are racking up big-ticket international orders. This week, Sweden said it wants to buy a $1 billion-plus Raytheon-made Patriot system. Other allies that have missile defense orders moving through negotiations and approvals include Japan, Poland and Saudi Arabia…

“Raytheon… also makes… the exo-atmospheric kill vehicles [which] sit inside interceptors positioned in underground fields in Alaska and California. When an interceptor launches, the kill vehicle uses ‘hit-to-kill’ technology to target a warhead in space — then smashing into it at more than 10,000 miles per hour, pulverizing the threat upon impact.”

The business with weapon production blooms. Where will it end? Note the next article.

Bringing Weapons to Church Services

Newsmax wrote on November 10:

“A church in central New York has made it perfectly clear it allows its parishioners to carry weapons… The Lighthouse Mexico Church of God in Mexico, New York, posted a message on a sign outside the building that reads: ‘We say it again. We are not a gun-free zone.’…

“Pastor Ronald Russell has extended the invitation to those who attend his church that they are welcome to carry while worshipping… ‘People say “well, pastor, you’re talking about killing some,” and I say “well, if I don’t protect my people, I’m being complicit.”’…”

Apart from the unbiblical stance of the pastor, his faulty reasoning, and his obvious lack of trust in God’s protection; what if a potential perpetrator sneaks into his church with a weapon, determined to kill all the parishioners? To allow all in attendance to carry weapons would make the perpetrator’s job so much easier, as her or she would just blend in with the rest of the attendees,

The History of Veterans Day

Fox News wrote on November 10:

“‘While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime,’ the Department of Veterans Affair says…

“The roots of Veterans Day go back nearly 100 years. Fighting during WWI stopped on Nov. 11, 1918 due to an armistice between the Germans and the Allies…  Nov. 11 was commemorated as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919…

“A resolution passed by Congress in 1926, according to the federal agency, called for Nov. 11 to be remembered every year ‘with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.’ In 1938, Armistice Day was officially made a legal public holiday…

“Many American soldiers lost their lives during WWII and the Korean War. In the wake of these wars, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. In 1968, a bill was passed which called for Veterans Day to be observed on the fourth Monday in October starting in 1971… President Gerald Ford signed a bill in 1975  which pushed Veterans Day back to Nov. 11, with the changes taking place in 1978.

“Ford said in a statement that he felt ‘restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 will help preserve in the hearts and lives of all Americans the spirit of patriotism, the love of country, and the willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good symbolized by this very special day.’”

The Washington Post wrote on November 11:

“The original intent, established in the wake of World War I, was to celebrate world peace. Then the wars never ended, so Veterans Day changed…

“Much has changed in the 98 years since Armistice Day was first observed. Now we honor not just servicemen, but servicewomen. Our wars are not fought with cannons, but with drones. The war to end all wars didn’t end war at all. Soldiers have fought and died all over the globe…”

November 11 is still being celebrated as Armistice Day in Europe, including in France. Fox News reported on November 11:

“Emmanuel Macron… commemorated his first Armistice Day as French president — marking the end of combat during World War I. During Saturday’s events, Macron paid homage to the wartime French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau by laying a wreath at his statue on the famed avenue. Clemenceau was a key architect of peace between the great powers… Next year France will host a grand Armistice centenary, marking 100 years since the war’s end in 1918 with envoys from 80 nations.”

The change from Congress’s declared purpose of Armistice Day to President Ford’s stated purpose of Veterans Day is both sad and unbiblical. God does not support the vain and futile attempts of man to bring peace through war and the taking of human lives. Please view Norbert Link’s sermonette, “Did Jesus Resort to Violence?”

The Return of the Black Death

Daily Mail wrote on November 12:

“A strain of plague… could mutate and become untreatable, an expert has warned. There are fears the disease could spread to Europe and America via plane travel as Ebola did in 2014, with ten African nations already put on alert for signs of infection…

“In total 2,000 people have been affected and 143 killed by the pneumonic plague in Madagascar’s worst outbreak in 50 years… The pneumonic plague [is] a more-deadly form of the bubonic plague which devastated Europe’s population in the 1300s. While the bubonic plague is spread through the bites of infected fleas, pneumonic plague is spread through the air, usually by coughing. Symptoms include severe fever, headaches and coughing, with patients often coughing up blood… It can be fatal within 72 hours of infection…

“The current outbreak is unusual as it has affected urban areas increasing the risk of transmission…”

Daily Star wrote on November 14:

“Infection and immunity expert Dr Matthew Avison, of University of Bristol, has revealed the outbreak in east Africa is likely to become more serious before the ‘crisis’ ends… Dr Avison said because the disease is ‘extremely rare’ it has been ‘resilient’ to antibiotics… However, he said if antibiotics are handed out quickly then the disease ‘can still be treated’. Failure to do so could result in the outbreak – the ‘worst in 50 years’ – spreading to other continents, including Europe and the US, he warned.”

We hear more and more about the resurfacing of disease epidemics which our advanced scientific “wonders” thought of having eradicated a long time ago.

Man Playing God

The website of inverse.com wrote on November 8:

“Stem cell technology has advanced so much that scientists can grow miniature versions of human brains… called organoids… in the lab, but medical ethicists are concerned about recent developments in this field involving the growth of these tiny brains in other animals…

“Scientists have debated whether these brains are ‘conscious,’ but the fact that they could be successfully implanted in lab animals raises a whole new set of ethical concerns for the researchers who work with them. One of the major concerns in the mini-brain scenario is that these organoids could grow to more advanced levels within lab animals, making the debate about mini-brain consciousness much more urgent…

“Putting human brain structures into non-human animals creates a thorny ethical area that raises people’s fears about medical research going too far into unfamiliar territory — and too quickly… In January, Salk Institute researchers developed human-pig chimeras, creating the possibility that pigs with human brain cells might also develop human consciousness…”

When is man’s scientific madness ever going to end?

Asteroid Hit the Earth at Precisely the “Right” Location and Time

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 9:

“The asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs should have had a very low chance of triggering mass extinction, scientists say. Had it struck most other spots on the Earth’s surface, the world could have been a different place. Dinosaurs might still be roaming the Earth if the celestial object that smashed into the present-day Gulf of Mexico had hit almost anywhere else on the planet. By hitting the rocky terrain of the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, however, the impact sent the soot into the air that would trigger a chain reaction and lead to mass extinction…

“Impacts on this scale are rare enough, but the object that initiated what scientists call the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event happened to also hit an area rich in hydrocarbon and sulfate. The force of the impact heated the materials, ‘forming stratospheric soot and sulfate aerosols and causing extreme global cooling and drought…”

“In 2014, the Edinburgh University paleontologist Steve Brusatte said dinosaurs might have survived the impact ‘if it had hit a few million years earlier or later… The asteroid hit at a particularly bad time,’ he wrote in the journal Nature… The impact might have been a stroke of bad luck for dinosaurs…”

Our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution” and, “Heavens and Earth…” explain in detail as to what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

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.

Creepy Atheist Commits Mass Murder at Texas Church

The Daily Beast wrote on November 5:

“Devin Patrick Kelley has been identified as the gunman who killed at least 26 people at a church Sunday morning in Texas, a U.S. official told The Daily Beast. A week before he committed the worst massacre at a place of worship in American history, Kelley posted a photo of a semiautomatic rifle to Facebook…

“It’s part of a disturbing picture emerging of the 26-year-old, who was discharged under dishonorable circumstances from the Air Force in 2014, according to Defense Department records. Kelley was court-martialed in November 2012 for assaulting his wife and their child. A judge sentenced him with a bad-conduct discharge, 12 months confinement, and two reductions in rank to basic airman, according to an appeals court decision in 2013 that affirmed the decision against Kelley.

“Kelley entered First Baptist Church at approximately 11:30 a.m. Sunday and opened fire, witnesses reported. Officials said he wore a ballistic vest and was dressed in all black. A law-enforcement source close to the investigation said the rifle Kelley used is similar to the one pictured but could not confirm it is the same rifle. When Kelley exited the church, he dropped his rifle… Kelley was pursued by a civilian with a shotgun and died near the city of New Berlin, Sheriff Joe Tackett said Sunday evening at a press conference. It is unclear if Kelley was killed or died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“Police told reporters that Kelley’s victims range in age from 5 to 72, with approximately 20 wounded being treated at area hospitals. Kelley was a resident of New Braunfels, a suburb of San Antonio, according to public records. Kelley was married and his mother-in-law listed a P.O. box in Sutherland Springs as a mailing address…”

The Daily Mail added on November 5:

“The Texas church shooter who shot dead 26 people and injured 24 others was an ‘outcast’ who ‘preached his atheism’ online. Former classmates say Devin Patrick Kelley… was ‘creepy’, ‘crazy’ and ‘weird’… ‘He was the first atheist I met…”

Other reports suggest that the deranged murderer had a prior dispute with his mother-in-law, who attended the church. In any event, his demonical influence cannot be neglected.

Bringing Guns to Church?

Christian Headlines wrote on November 7:

“In 2007, the unthinkable happened at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. A gunman opened fire outside the church, just as its midday service had dismissed. His bullets hit several members of the same family as they left, wounding David Works and killing his two teenage daughters… ‘I know there’s a great theological debate about what Jesus would do,’ [church pastor Brady Boyd] told RNS. ‘I just know… we could have very well lost 100 people that day.’ Boyd believes that didn’t happen because… Jeanne Assam, a former police officer and member of the church security team who was legally carrying a pistol… returned fire, ending the attack…

“The memories of that day came flooding back for Boyd when he learned of the mass shooting Sunday (Nov. 5) that left 26 people dead and tens more wounded at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, described as the deadliest attack on a church in modern American history…

“Across the country, many churches and other places of worship are considering security measures as mass shootings have become a tragically familiar narrative in the United States… On Sunday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested on Fox News that churchgoers carry concealed weapons.

“He was echoed by Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, also on Fox News, who insisted that if a gunman opened fire at his church, ‘they may get one shot off or two shots off, but that’s it, and that’s the last thing they’ll ever do in this life.’ That’s because as many as half his church members carry concealed weapons into church with them on a given Sunday, Jeffress estimated.

“… few Americans were in favor of guns in churches in a 2012 PRRI survey: More than three-quarters of respondents (76 percent) said concealed weapons should not be allowed in houses of worship…”

Christ drove moneychangers out of the Temple. Would He approve of churchgoers to bring concealed weapons to His spiritual Temple, the Church of God?

Germany’s Constitutional Court Denies Religious Freedom

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 6:

“A newly published decision from March reveals that Germany’s Constitutional Court rejected a lawsuit by Muslim parents who wanted their son to be exempt from the religious teachings at a publicly funded Catholic school in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia… Underlining Germany’s sometimes porous boundary between church and state, the court has effectively affirmed the elementary school’s right to force non-Catholic students to attend religion classes and services…

“NRW is the only state that still maintains publicly funded religious schools. The court’s decision confirmed an NRW administrative court’s ruling that states are free to set up publicly funded schools administered by Germany’s two official Christian denominations: Catholics and Evangelicals… Article 7 of Germany’s constitution, or Basic Law, states: ‘Parents and guardians shall have the right to decide whether children shall receive religious instruction…

“Michael Wrase, a public law professor at the University of Hildesheim… thought the court’s decision was problematic… pointing out the legal paradox: ‘The state is allowed to set up such schools even though it is obligated to maintain religious neutrality.’ ‘It’s absurd to force a Muslim child, or an atheist child, to take Catholic religion lessons,’ he added. ‘For me that’s a major invasion of religious freedom…’

“In 1949, when the Basic Law came into force, nearly everyone in Germany was a declared member of one or other of the two formal Christian churches, and paid their church tax to the state — so it seemed only natural that the state should fund Christian schools… [Hans Michael Heinig, a professor of church law at the University of Göttingen] said political cowardice was in part to blame for the problems associated with public religious education in NRW: The Social Democrats, who governed Germany’s most populous state for many years, ‘didn’t want to have a conflict with the Catholic church in the state, so they didn’t touch this school system.’

“This is in contrast, oddly enough, with Bavaria, which has a much larger Catholic population and is governed by the conservative Christian Social Union, but has a much more secularized school system. In many areas, officials enforce a strict separation of religion and government in schools… ‘It’s really out-of-date,’ Heinig said of the situation in NRW… ‘The lawmaker has to change the system there. It’s quite easy…  There should be a school system for all religions — with religious instruction for those that are religious, but no obligation to join this instruction.’”

This decision poses a problem for members of Sabbath-keeping Churches of God in NRW whose children might attend publicly funded Catholic or Protestant schools, but who would not want them to be exposed to unbiblical religious teachings.

What if the Jamaica Coalition Fails?

Deutsche Welle wrote November 6:

“Talks to return Chancellor Angela Merkel at the head of a new three-way ‘Jamaica’ coalition resumed on Monday, with politicians vowing to start working concretely on possible compromises. But as if to illustrate how much the conservative CDU-CSU, the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens still need to iron out, there is disagreement about whether the coalition negotiations will succeed at all.

“Over the weekend, FDP leader Christian Lindner raised the possibility that talks could fail, which would necessitate new elections. And he reiterated that stance in Berlin on Monday…

“Statements like these are in marked contrast to those from the Greens, who see no alternative but to make the coalition talks work. Conservative leaders also seem to consider a Jamaica deal inevitable… The partner that stands to lose the most if Jamaica talks fail is undoubtedly the conservatives. Merkel’s image took a hit after the CDU only polled 32.9 percent, and the previously unassailable chancellor feels compelled to re-assert her leadership abilities. Meanwhile, the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, the CSU, is reeling from its own electoral losses and is in the midst of a leadership struggle.”

Looking for German and French Positions in Europe

Express wrote on November 4:

“New chiefs of the EU Commission, Council, Parliament, Foreign Office and European Central Bank are set to be assigned by 2019. And reports in the German media suggest Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for current Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann [to] become the next head of the central Bank. Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, wants a Frenchman to take over the European Commission.

“According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the two nations are closely aligned in their aims, with both wanting a ‘strong personality’ to take the reins.”

Resurrecting the Habsburg Rule?

EU Times wrote on October 29:

“Hungary has signaled its readiness to develop closer ties with the new Austrian government… Norbert Freiherr van Handel, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, called for full-fledged cooperation between Vienna and the member states of what was once known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ‘I see, of course, not only Austria, but also the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia, countries which managed to preserve friendly ties,’ Norbert Freiherr van Handel of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty said.

“He added that it is impossible to repeat history and that it was impossible to return to 1918, when the defeat of the Central Powers spelled an end to centuries of Habsburg rule. ‘But you can look at an economic space where people get along with each other — both culturally, and in terms of traditions, religions and their common history’…

“He noted that Austria’s neighbors Croatia, Slovenia and Northern Italy as well as… Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, are especially close to Vienna. These countries, which have been tied to each other for centuries, could form a community under the common keyword ‘Central Europe’ and act within the EU as one state, according to Van Handel…

“Van Handel was echoed by German political analyst Herbert Auinger, who [said] that the new positioning of Central European states is likely… Meanwhile, Austria’s Chancellor-Elect Sebastian Kurz [called] Austria the European Union’s foothold. Kurtz emphasized that he wants close cooperation with Germany, France and other states as well as ‘good contacts with Eastern Europe.’”

Austria, Hungary and other countries of the former Habsburg Empire are destined to play a significant role in the final configuration of the European revival.

Coming—a Two-Speed Europe

Politico wrote on November 7:

“There’s a feeling among European leaders that the bloc has weathered the worst of its recent crises — euro, refugee, Brexit — and should now turn its focus to the future… The only real option is to get behind Macron’s vision: Leave reluctant countries behind and allow others to move ahead on key policies.

“It won’t be easy, of course… But… current political trends make it likely the EU will move toward Macron’s model. The French president has found a powerful partner in German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he is preparing new initiatives on Eurozone governance.  These are likely to help further integrate the monetary union and create new eurozone institutions, including its own budget and system of parliamentary scrutiny… A more supple EU would be harder to break apart and more viable in the long run…”

“EU ‘Regime’ Is DOOMED ‘like the Holy Roman Empire’”

Express wrote on November 4:

“The European Union (EU) will end by 2027 like the Holy Roman empire (HRE) did, argues the Brexit campaigner and author Dr Niall McCrae. The HRE was a group of Papal territories in Central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages… Writing in an article for the think tank, the Bruges Group, Dr McCrae said: ‘Just as the European Union is becoming less united, the HRE was not really holy.’…

“He wrote that in 2027 the chief Brexit negotiation, Michel Barnier, and his fellow commissioners will be behaving like the ‘enlightened despots’ of the European past… He argues… that the HRE ‘ended as an embarrassment of corrupted ideals and the EU may be going the same way’.

“He said: ‘For now, the EU seems to have strength and resilience: the combined might of France and Germany… The European Council has similarities to the Empire’s old Reichstag, where the representatives of the German cities would meet…

“Earlier this year, Boris Johnson, the former Mayor of London said that history teaches us that attempts to create a unified body have always been doomed to failure. He said: ‘Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods. But fundamentally what is lacking is [that there] is no single authority that anybody respects or understands…’”

Although the conclusions in the article are basically wrong, some statements are quite remarkable. First, the modern EU is indeed related to the “Holy Roman Empire” (HRE)… it is becoming the last or tenth revival of the ancient Roman Empire and the seventh revival of the HRE. If we apply biblical definitions to the word “holy,” then there was indeed nothing holy about it. Furthermore, Napoleon and Hitler revived the “Holy Roman Empire” for a short time, constituting the eighth and ninth revivals. The missing “single authority” will exist in a few years from now. Finally, the last European revival of the ancient Roman Empire will not slowly disintegrate within the next ten years, but it will be suddenly and forcefully destroyed in a world war, which will be fought with nuclear weapons.

“Christians Concerned over “Attempts” to Threaten Right to Worship in Old Jerusalem

Christian Today wrote on November 2:

“The peace of Jerusalem is being undermined along with open access to the holy Christian sites by the prospect of legislation which, if left unchecked, would be ‘catastrophic,’ the head of the Church in the Holy City has warned.

“The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III, widely seen as the most senior Church figure in the Holy Land, issued the stark warning about the ability of religions to worship in peace side by side. He said ‘enough is enough’ at a press briefing in London today as part of an international tour to gain support for the position of the Church inside the Old City of Jerusalem…

“In July, 40 members of the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, signed a proposed bill that would restrict the rights of the Churches to deal freely and independently with their lands and would threaten their confiscation. The bill proposes to allow the state to confiscate lands of the Churches that have been leased to third parties. The Patriarch, who also visited king Abdulla II of Jordan, last month met at the Vatican with pope Francis, who said: ‘The Holy City, whose Status Quo must be defended and preserved, ought to be a place where all can live together peaceably; otherwise, the endless spiral of suffering will continue for all.’

“[The Petrarch] told journalists today: ‘Recently we have seen the emergence of a trend that threatens to undermine the Christian presence and destabilise the peace of the Holy City of Jerusalem. The ‘Status Quo’ rule that has guaranteed the rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims to live, flourish and thrive together in Jerusalem for centuries is in grave danger… If we do not act soon it will be too late…’”

According to clear Bible prophecy, the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire, in collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church, WILL intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy Jerusalem to safeguard their Christian interests.

Pope Francis: Mankind Is Risking Nuclear Suicide

 National Post wrote on November 3:

“Like the recent pontiffs before him, Pope Francis traveled to Nettuno, Italy, on Thursday to visit the burial ground of the 7,860 American soldiers who died liberating southern Italy and Rome during World War II. There, he told several thousand people at Mass that he believed the world was heading into what could be its biggest war yet… Commemorating the young soldiers who died in World War II was of particular significance today, he said, because ‘the world once more is at war and is preparing to go even more forcefully into war.’

“Francis did not elaborate on what he meant in saying the world is heading ‘more forcefully into war.’ But the ominous statement comes as antagonism between leaders in the United States and North Korea raises fears of a nuclear confrontation, and as violence and instability around the world have led to more profound human suffering and loss of innocent lives… ‘Please Lord, stop. No more wars. No more of these useless massacres,’ he said in an improvised homily… Before visiting the U.S. military cemetery Thursday, Francis on Monday warned that ‘humanity risks suicide’ with the increased danger of nuclear war…”

The Curse of North Korea’s Nuclear Tests

The Telegraph wrote on November 7:

“North Korea’s underground nuclear test site has turned the surrounding area to wasteland and caused defects among newborn babies, defectors have reported. About 80 per cent of trees that are planted die at Punggye-ri and underground wells have also run dry, according to 21 defectors who used to live in Kilju county, the location of the site… Defectors… testified that local people were not warned in advance…

“According to another source… residents have been banned from making hospital appointments in the capital, Pyongyang. Officials also appear to be intent on keeping a lid on accounts from Kilju county, with anyone caught boarding trains with samples of soil, water or leaves reportedly being arrested and sent to prison camps.”

Donald Trump Speaks to Kim Jong Un… But Is Kim Listening?

The Washington Post wrote on November 8:

“The U.S. president directly addressed his 33-year-old nemesis [Kim Jong Un] in a speech to South Korea’s National Assembly. This time, Trump did not call Kim “Little Rocket Man” or use the kinds of rhetorical flourishes that play so well on Twitter. But the words that Trump did use cut deeper, because they struck at the very heart of the Kim regime.  If there is one thing that Kim has shown he cannot tolerate, it is personal criticism.

“‘North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned,’ Trump said to Kim, who, if he was in Pyongyang, was just 120 miles away. ‘It is a hell that no person deserves.’ Kim Il Sung, who is revered like a god in North Korean propaganda, established the country in 1948 as a ‘socialist paradise’ of free housing, health care and education where people would want for nothing. Grandson Kim Jong Un claims his legitimacy as North Korea’s supreme leader by virtue of being a direct descendant of this quasi-deity.

“Trump devoted a large part of his address to detailing the human rights abuses that the Kims have committed in North Korea, filling his speech with words such as ‘twisted,’ ‘sinister,’ ‘tyrant,’ ‘fascism’ and ‘cult.’ ‘I wanted to stand up from my seat and shout “Yahoo!” ‘said Lee Hyeon-seo, an escapee from North Korea who was sitting in the assembly hall during Trump’s address. ‘We just don’t hear people talking about North Korea in this way in South Korea, so I was very emotional during the speech. I was very impressed.’

“Trump noted the slave-like conditions North Korean workers face, the malnutrition among children, the suppression of religion and the forced-labor prison camps where he said North Koreans endure ‘torture, starvation, rape and murder on a constant basis’…

“‘President Trump spoke about human rights in North Korea more than any other previous U.S. president,’ said Jeong Kwang-il, who was held as a political prisoner in North Korea and now runs the No Chain for North Korea human rights group in Seoul…

“It is hard to exaggerate the reverence with which North Koreans are forced to treat the Kim family. Every home and all public buildings must display portraits of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il that must be cleaned only with a special cloth. North Koreans must bow at monuments to the leaders and sing songs celebrating their supposedly legendary feats… So to suggest that the regime is founded on a ‘fantasy’ and that the country is something other than a socialist paradise amounts to heresy in North Korea…

“‘North Korea tends to react sensitively to criticism in human rights,’ said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the unification strategy program at the Sejong Institute, a private think tank in South Korea… ‘North Korea is highly likely to take Trump’s address as a declaration of war and call for a holy war of its own against the U.S.,’ Cheong said.”

President Trump expressed what had to be said about North Korea. The brutal dictatorship of that regime is similar to the barbaric Nazi rule under Hitler and the oppressive tyranny under Stalin. Trump also challenged those countries (especially China and Russia) which still have trade relationships with North Korea, saying that they would be at least partially responsible if North Korea’s conduct was to lead to a nuclear war.

Saudi Arabia Shake-Up

The Washington Post wrote on November 6:

“The Saudi leadership shake-up and wave of arrests over the weekend have rattled potential investors… Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made the modernization drive, dubbed Vision 2030, the centerpiece of his plan for the kingdom, combining economic reforms and modest steps toward social liberalization. But the kingdom has pared back important but painful domestic economic reforms… Now the abrupt internal purge… has left experts wondering whether it is truly aimed at corruption or at Mohammed’s political rivals…

“‘The kingdom is at a crossroads,’ Bruce Riedel, director of the intelligence project at the Brookings Institution… said in an email. ‘Its economy has flatlined with low oil prices; the war in Yemen is a quagmire; the blockade of Qatar is a failure; Iranian influence is rampant in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq; and the succession is a question mark. It is the most volatile period in Saudi history in over a half-century.’

“… as part of the weekend shake-up, Adel Fakeih, the minister of economy and planning and a member of Saudi Arabia’s oversight council, was dismissed… Ibrahim Al-Assaf, a former finance minister and current director of Saudi Aramco, was among at least 17 princes, current and former government ministers and business executives taken into custody… Assaf was arrested on charges of corruption linked to an urban expansion project in the city of Mecca…”

The future of Saudi Arabia might be very important for America’s reliance on Saudi oil.

Bombshells in the Middle East

CNN added on November 6:

“A 24-hour sequence of political bombshells began on Saturday afternoon, when Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, blindsiding his country’s political establishment. Hours later, Saudi Arabia’s official news agency reported that the country’s military had intercepted a Yemen-borne ballistic missile over Riyadh. Even as images of the blast were flashing on TV sets around the region, similarly dramatic news began to trickle in: Some of Saudi Arabia’s most high-profile princes and businessmen were being sacked and detained in an anti-corruption drive…

“The events serve as an opening salvo for a new period in the region’s crisis-ridden history, analysts say. They represent an escalation in a years-long proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, threatening to activate new fronts in the region, with the Saudi show of force beginning with a sweeping consolidation of power from within.

“On Friday, ISIS’ last strongholds in Iraq and Syria fell. It marked a major milestone in a fight that saw archrivals converge on the extremist group until its so-called caliphate was on its last legs… the dismantling of the so-called caliphate will basically intensify the geostrategic struggles between the pro-Iranian camp led by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and its allies in the region, including the United States…”

The Algemeiner added on November 5:

“Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his sudden resignation on Saturday, citing fear of an assassination plot backed by Iran. Hariri made the announcement from Saudi Arabia, comparing the current situation in Lebanon to the time leading up to the assassination of his father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, in 2005… In his address, Hariri sternly criticized Iran and its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah of fueling conflict throughout the Middle East…”

Clinton’s Dubious Dealings with the Democratic Party

 JTA wrote on November 2:

“Donna Brazile, who became interim Democratic National Committee head after Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced out, says in a book that her predecessor ceded control of the indebted party to the Hillary Clinton campaign.

“Brazile said the arrangement with the Clinton campaign was unfair to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who lost to Clinton in the primaries. Brazile… said she had called Sanders to inform him of Clinton’s assuming the DNC debt… ‘I explained that the cancer was that she had exerted this control of the party long before she became its nominee…’

“Brazile said the DNC had been $24 million in debt, in part because of Obama’s years of neglect…”

Politics is SUCH a dirty business…

Bad News for Wall Street Stock Analysts Due to Europe’s Regulatory Changes

Flipboard wrote on November 1:

“Wall Street stock analysts are about to find themselves on the chopping block, and only the best will survive. That was the hard truth Mary Erdoes had for a room full of analysts Thursday…

“Erdoes, the head of JPMorgan Chase’s $1.9 trillion asset and wealth management business, was asked about impacts from MiFID II — Europe’s sweeping financial regulatory changes that will be implemented in 2018 — and painted a future in which asset managers chop their budgets and only pay for research from top-tier analysts… This is bad news for stock analysts, as it could result in a 50% ‘compression’ in research budgets…  That means less money to go around.’”

The Paris Climate Accord Did Nothing…

Investor’s Business Daily wrote on November 3:

“Here’s a United Nations climate report that environmentalists probably don’t want anybody to read. It says that even if every country abides by the grand promises they made last year in Paris to reduce greenhouse gases, the planet would still be ‘doomed.’ But it turns out that the Paris accord was little more than a sham that will do nothing to ‘save the planet.’

“According to the latest annual UN report on the ‘emissions gap,’ the Paris agreement will provide only a third of the cuts in greenhouse gas that environmentalists claim is needed to prevent catastrophic warming…

“What the report does make clear… is that all the posturing by government leaders in Paris was just that. Posturing. None of these countries intended to take the drastic and economically catastrophic steps environmentalist claim are needed to prevent a climate change doomsday…

“Whether you believe in climate change or not, the Paris climate accord amounted to nothing, or pretty close to it. Even the UN admits that now.”

More Turmoil in the Catholic Church?

The Independent wrote on November 2:

“Pope Francis has reportedly requested that married men in Brazil be allowed to become priests – a controversial move likely to prompt a backlash from conservatives in the Catholic Church… The President of the Episcopal Commission for the Amazon, Cardinal Cludio Hummes, reportedly asked the pontiff to consider the move because there is a shortage of ordained ministers in the Amazon’s remote communities…

“The Pope has also said that the principle of celibacy for priests is a discipline, rather than a dogma. The church already allows some exceptions to priestly celibacy. Those in the eastern rite Catholic Church are allowed to be married, as are married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism…

“However, the move is likely to anger conservatives in the church, who are already furious about the pontiff’s decision to allow divorced people who re-marry to receive communion if their priests or local bishop approve.”

More Prophetic “Expectations”… Israel-Related Anniversaries Just Coincidence?

JTA wrote on November 2:

“It has been 50 years since the Six-Day War, 100 years since the Balfour Declaration and 150 years since Mark Twain first visited Palestine. These are just a few of the big Israel-related anniversaries of 2017. To the Jewish state’s most diehard Christian supporters, the barrage of milestones is… prophecy being fulfilled… According to this pattern, something momentous should happen to Israel before the end of the year…

“When Israel captured eastern Jerusalem and its holy sites from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, some Christians saw proof that the messianic era was nigh. They began scouring history for signs they may have missed. Many such harbingers were identified, from ‘blood moons’ to stock market crashes… In 1917, the British defeated the Ottoman Empire and took control of Palestine… Christian Zionists singled out 1517, the year the Ottomans conquered Jerusalem…

“Christian Zionists have had decades to speculate about what historic change would happen in 2017, a half century after the Six-Day War… a popular guess among the 100 or so evangelical and Jewish participants was that President Donald Trump would fulfill his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. But with only two months left in the year, time is running out…”

These human speculations (some of them rather ridiculous) help no one. In fact, they only belittle God and the Bible and give unbelievers reasons to scoff.

Russian Claims to Have Lived on Mars before Reborn on Earth

The Daily Mail wrote on November 6:

“Boriska Kipriyanovich has confounded experts with his knowledge of outer space for nearly 20 years. His parents claim that he was able to speak months after he was born and would often discuss subjects they had never taught him, such as alien civilisations…

“Boriska, from Volgograd, claims to have lived on a ‘war-ravaged’ Mars, which suffered from a nuclear catastrophe in the distant past. He says that Martians measuring about seven-feet tall still live undergound on the Red Planet and breathe in carbon dioxide. According to Boriska, they are immortal and stop aging at an age of 35 years. They are also technologically advanced and capable of interstellar travel.

“As a schoolboy, Boriska explained how the Martians had a strong connection to the ancient Egyptians on Earth and how he had once visited the planet as a pilot. He said that life on Earth will change dramatically when the Great Sphinx monument in Giza is ‘unlocked’, adding that the opening mechanism is hidden behind an ear.’”

The reason why we report this fantasy is to show how gullible people can be to entertain such nonsense, willing to believe just about everything BUT the Truth. If the facts about Boriska are accurately reported, then it is clear to us that demons are using him in an attempt to deceive mankind.

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 To Be Wiped Out in a Nuclear War?

Sunday Express wrote on October 29:

“American Pastor Greg Laurie, of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, believes the US could be obliterated in a nuclear war before the end of the world begins. Pastor Laurie says the prophecy was revealed to him after he read the Bible and discovered there was no mention of a ‘reigning superpower’ in the end days, which he has interpreted as the US being destroyed imminently…

“As things stand, it would seem the nation most likely to attack the US with nuclear weapons would be North Korea. But as Pastor Laurie points out, there is no mention of Kim Jong-Un’s nation either – but it does talk about Iran which could assist North Korea by the Pastor’s reckoning…”

The Pastor is right that the USA will be destroyed in a nuclear war, according to the Bible, but he does not understand that it will not happen through either North Korea or Iran. Even though a nuclear war between the USA and North Korea is not unthinkable, America’s total destruction will occur through the United States of Europe which will launch a successful nuclear attack against the USA and the UK.

Catastrophe in North Korea

The Sun wrote on October 31:

“A TUNNEL at an underground North Korea nuclear site has collapsed with up to 200 people killed… The collapse happened at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the north-east of the country on October 10… The Punggye-ri test site in North Korea is carved deep into Mount Mantap… The disaster has prompted fears of a massive radioactive leak which could spark a Chernobyl- or Fukushima-style disaster…

“The accident is believed to have been caused by Kim Joing-un’s sixth nuclear test which weakened the mountain… It was reported earlier this year that the mountain under which the base is believed to be hidden was at risk of collapsing and leaking radiation into the region. Experts said if the peak crumbles, clouds of radioactive dust and gas would blanket the region…

“Geophysicist Wen Lianxing and his team at the University of Science and Technology of China… said they were ‘confident’ underground detonations were occurring underneath the mountain… Seismic data showed the underground test triggered an earthquake of magnitude 6.3, around ten times more powerful than the fifth test a year ago…

“News of the tunnel collapse comes after it emerged Russia and the US have both flown nuclear bombers near the country as tensions grow over Kim’s nuke threats.”

Obamacare, Trump and the Looming Disaster

Flipboard wrote on October 29:

“Peter Lee, Covered California’s executive director, told Business Insider in an interview that the Trump administration has thrown a wrench into insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act… Already, a study by healthcare consulting firm Avalere Health projected that premiums for the lowest cost silver-level plans on the Obamacare exchanges would increase by 34% in 2018. Benchmark silver plans, which are the second most expensive, went up by only 26% in 2017.

“Avalere said the increase was, in part, due to Trump’s elimination of so-called cost-sharing reduction payments… Lee cited several examples of how the Department of Health and Human Services helped to undermine the market… ‘This is now on President Trump, the healthcare market is not about President Obama anymore,’ Lee said. ‘They are the responsibility of this president, and they have to be owned by this president.’”

President Trump immediately tweeted that the Democrats are to be blamed for the horrendous increase in premiums. But no matter who is to be blamed, the American citizens are the ones who will suffer from the incompetency of the past and present leadership.

It is no coincidence that President Trump’s approval rate hit an all-time low of only 33%, which could also be in part due to the ongoing investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller who indicted two former Trump campaign officials and got a guilty plea from a lower campaign aide for lying to the FBI about his ongoing contacts with the Russians. Deutsche Welle commented on October 30: “But assuming, as the scholars tend to, that this is likely just the first major step in Mueller’s widening probe into Russian election meddling and possible ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow, then President Trump has reason to be worried.”

All of this is just another example as to how the country is heading towards a complete downfall. The next article adds more information about the disastrous prospects of a country beyond repair.

US Government Bankrupt… while Adding $200 Billion Dollars to the Debt in October Alone

Zerohedge wrote on October 30:

“There’s been something happening this month that very few people have noticed. It’s been lost beneath all the other headline-dominating news, from the Las Vegas shooting to Harvey Weinstein to the Mueller investigation. But very quietly behind the scenes there’s been an extremely rapid uptick in the US national debt. In the month of October alone, the US national debt has soared by nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars. This is pretty astonishing given that October is supposed to be a ‘good’ month for the US Treasury Department. Yet despite being flush with tax revenue, the US government still managed to pile almost a quarter of a trillion dollars more on top of its already enormous mountain of debt…

“The only realistic way out is for the US government to eventually capitulate… and default. This could mean selectively defaulting on holders of US debt (for example–the Chinese, Japanese, Federal Reserve, Social Security Trust Funds, etc.); one day Uncle Sam simply stops paying. Or it could mean defaulting on promises made to citizens, like providing a strong national defense, maintaining a stable currency, or paying out Social Security benefits as advertised. Each of these scenarios has its own particular consequences, ranging from steep inflation to a full-blown global financial crisis…”

It seems we are traveling on the Titanic without wanting to see the destructive iceberg.

Coming… European Superstate with an EU Army and One Chancellor for ALL of Europe

Express wrote on October 29:

“BRITAIN’S exit from the European Union has accelerated plans within Brussels to form a giant superstate with its own army, currency and shared rules, as well as a EU Chancellor of the Exchequer, it has been revealed.

“Hardcore Europhiles have plotted to create the new post of Chancellor for the 27 member states, despite all nations having dramatically different financial situations. The Chancellor would have the power to go into member states and make ‘structural reforms’ to their domestic budgets. The plans are revealed in a paper called The Future Of Europe which calls for EU expansion to include Serbia and Montenegro, an EU army by 2025 and an EU-wide work permit…

“Pro-Brexit Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘This is what many of us thought was the plan all along. Now we have the evidence.’

“Ukip MEP Nathan Gill told the Daily Mail: ‘These sweeping new developments, including the EU creating its own Chancellor as well as pushing ahead with plans for a continent-wide army, prove Brussels is hurtling at breakneck speed towards becoming a full superstate. We got out in the nick of time.’

“Pro-Remain Tory MP Anna Soubry told the paper: ‘Brussels can do these things more easily now we aren’t there to make the sensible case and work with those countries who also don’t want the EU to move in this direction.’

“Jo Leinen, a German MEP revealed this month the EU will form its army by offering to save country’s money, if they hand over part control of their military affairs. The MEP said the policy of national armies ‘cannot continue’ for much longer.”

There are more and more talks about creating an EU superstate; a European army; and now a Chancellor for all of Europe. They are truly blind who cannot see that all of this is in line with biblical end-time prophecy which reveals the final and last European revival of the ancient Roman Empire. It is THAT power which will ultimately destroy the USA and the UK… but both nations are totally ignorant about this prophesied future development. This is because God has given them the spirit of slumber.

Coalition Talks in Germany Are Dragging on… and on….

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 30:

“Four German political parties — the Christian Democrats, Christian Social Union, Free Democrats and Greens — are now in their third week of talks to form a government… Germany is now outside its political comfort zone.

“Although a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), the Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Greens has been run more or less successfully at the state level once before, the Jamaica coalition — so named because of the parties’ respective colors: black, yellow and green — has never been tried at the national level… As things stand, the list of agreements is significantly shorter than the list of disagreements…”

Even if there will be a Jamaica coalition, it won’t last long. Martin Schulz (SPD) already asked for new elections.

Trouble Ahead for Spain

AFP wrote on October 27:

“Spain was plunged into crisis Friday as Madrid seized power from independence-seeking Catalonia, the first curtailment of regional autonomy since the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco. After regional lawmakers voted to declare a Catalan ‘republic’, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy moved swiftly to dissolve the rebel government and parliament, and called December 21 elections to replace them.

“In an escalating standoff closely watched by secession-wary Europe, Rajoy fired pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont and all his ministers as well as the director of the regional police, and Catalan envoys to Madrid and Brussels, to halt what he termed an ‘escalation of disobedience.’ Secessionist lawmakers voted 70 to 10 in the 135-member parliament Friday to declare Catalonia ‘a republic in the form of an independent and sovereign state’. They take their mandate from the ‘Yes’ result in a banned and unregulated October 1 independence referendum spurned by many more than half of Catalan electors…

“The region of some 7.5 million people accounts for about 16 percent of Spain’s population, a fifth of its economic output, and attracts more tourists than anywhere else in the country. Catalonia´s inhabitants are fiercely protective of their language, culture and autonomy — restored after a long period of oppression during nationalist Franco´s 1936-1979 rule…

“The sweeping measures [by Spain] were approved by the Senate Friday under a constitutional article designed to rein in rebels among Spain’s 17 regions. Madrid’s allies in the European Union and the United States rallied behind Madrid as they voiced alarm over developments in Spain´s worst political crisis in decades… Polls show Catalans themselves are split, pretty much down the middle, on the issue of independence from Spain…

“The UN urged both sides Friday to ‘seek solutions within the framework of the Spanish constitution, and through established political and legal channels.’ But far-left groups have already threatened ‘massive civil disobedience’ if Madrid usurps Catalan autonomy…

“There are deep concerns over the economic impact of the showdown, with nearly 1,700 companies already having moved their legal headquarters out of Catalonia, which has an economic output equivalent to that of Portugal.”

Deutsche Welle reported on October 30:

“Former Catalonian regional leader Carles Puigdemont and five aides went to Brussels on Monday to meet with his lawyers… The revelation came as prosecutors in Madrid charged the 54-year-old and several associates with rebellion, sedition and embezzlement. Rebellion alone carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison… Spain is in the throes of its worst political crisis since the dictatorship of Francisco Franco…”

Deutsche Welle added on November 2:

“Spain’s public prosecutor has requested that an arrest warrant be issued for deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont. [Eight] Catalan ministers have been jailed for their role in the independence push.”

The powerful measures used by Spain which are endorsed by most of Europe is just a foretaste of the undemocratic and dictatorial way in which the United States of Europe will conduct their affairs in the future. Russia was rightly condemned for annexing the Crimea peninsula and getting involved in Ukrainian affairs, but why is Spain’s conduct any different? Note the next article.

Why Do Catalonians Want Independence from Spain?

The Telegraph wrote on October 10:

“Catalonia was an independent region of the Iberian Peninsula – modern day Spain and Portugal – with its own language, laws and customs. In 1150, the marriage of Petronilia, Queen of Aragon and Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona formed a dynasty leaving their son to inherit all territories concerning the region of Aragon and Catalonia. This lasted until the reign of King Philip V. The War of the Spanish Succession ended with the defeat of Valencia in 1707, of Catalonia in 1714, and finally with the last of the islands in 1715 – resulting in the birth of modern-day Spain.

“Subsequent kings tried to impose the Spanish language and laws on the region, but they abandoned their attempts in 1931 and restored the Generalitat (the national Catalan government). General Francisco Franco, however, set out to destroy Catalan separatism and with his victory at the Battle of Ebro in 1938 he took control of the region, killing 3,500 people and forcing many more into exile.

“The region was granted a degree of autonomy once more in 1977, when democracy returned to the country…

“The Catalan region… is one of the wealthiest regions of Spain… Secession would therefore cost Spain almost 20 [percent] of its economic output, and trigger a row about how Catalonia would return 52.5 billion euros of debt it owes to the country’s central administration.

“It would have a gross domestic product of $314 billion (£195bn)… which would make it the 34th largest economy in the world. That would make it bigger than Portugal or Hong Kong. Its GDP per capita would be $35,000, which would make it wealthier than South Korea, Israel or Italy. And Catalonia’s contribution to the Spanish economy is twice that of Scotland’s to the UK.”

So, it appears, it’s all about money and power.

No Apology for Balfour Declaration

Times of Israel wrote on November 2:

“British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said she would ‘absolutely not’ apologize for the 1917 Balfour Declaration which paved the way for the establishment of the ‘most extraordinary’ State of Israel, while noting that the document’s vision of Jewish-Arab coexistence remained ‘unfinished business.’

“In a speech marking the centenary of the declaration, May was glowing in her praise of the Jewish state, describing it as a ‘true start-up nation’ and ‘a symbol of openness, as a thriving democracy; and a beacon to the world in upholding the rights of women and members of the LGBT community’…

“Signed on November 2, 1917 by the UK’s then foreign secretary, Arthur James Balfour, the declaration announced his government’s intention to establish ‘a national home for the Jewish people’ in the Land of Israel… In recent weeks, the Palestinians have vehemently protested the British government’s decision to mark the Balfour Declaration with pride, calling on London to apologize for the document and recognize a Palestinian state…

“In her address, the British prime minister… voiced support for a two-state solution, underlining that the Israelis and Palestinians would need to make compromises, on settlements and incitement, respectively…”

May also said that Israeli settlements were a “barrier” to peace.

Donald Trump and the Evangelicals at the Crossroad?

NPR wrote on October 29:

“When Donald Trump announced he would be running for president, he didn’t seem like the obvious candidate for evangelical voters, given his multiple divorces, use of crass language and one-time admission that he had never asked God for forgiveness. Nonetheless, he did manage to coalesce 81 percent of white evangelical voters behind him in November.

“Almost a year since Election Day, President Trump’s unlikely marriage with the religious right seems to have only strengthened, as seen at the Values Voter Summit earlier this month. Trump administration officials peppered the speaker list, and attendees praised the president as having been chosen by God to lead the country at this time…  many prominent faith leaders — including Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Jr. and First Baptist Dallas’ Robert Jeffress — didn’t just endorse Trump, they gave him their most full-throated blessing and defense.

“But that fervent support from evangelicals may have come at a cost… There have been growing racial and generational divisions within the church… and Trump’s election seems to have brought some of those simmering tensions to the surface, putting evangelicalism at a potential crossroads.”

The mixture of religion and politics has always been a lethal potion.

Most Brits Reject Four of the Ten Commandments

Christian Post wrote on October 26:

“Most Britons believe that only six of the Ten Commandments are relevant today, and Christians are split over whether some, like the Commandment to not worship other gods, are essential to their faith… A YouGov research poll released on Wednesday found that 93 percent of Britons still find the Commandments against murder and stealing to be fundamental.

“Another 87 percent agreed that ‘you shall not bear false witness against other people’ is still relevant, along with 73 percent who agreed with the Commandment against adultery. Sixty-nine percent said that honoring one’s father and mother is important, along with 61 percent who said the same for not coveting other people’s possessions.

“But only 31 percent said that not worshiping idols is still essential, and 23 percent agreed with not using God’s name in vain. Only 20 percent agreed with not worshiping other gods, and only 19 percent said that keeping the Sabbath day holy is paramount.”

On top of that, we are certain that most of those who still believe in the sanctity of the Sabbath are confused about the identity of the day and may erroneously believe that they ought to observe Sunday, instead of the biblical seventh-day Sabbath.

Court Decision in the UK: You Must Not Post your Christian Views on Facebook

Christian Concern wrote on October 27:

“Felix Ngole was studying for an MA in Social Work at Sheffield university. In 2015 he made comments using his personal Facebook account on the story of the American registrar Kim Davis who was imprisoned after conscientiously refusing to register same-sex marriages. Felix expressed his Christian beliefs on the issue and argued that: ‘same sex marriage is a sin whether we like it or not. It is God’s words and man’s sentiments would not change His words’. He was asked where in the Bible it says that same-sex marriage is wrong, and he quoted various passages to demonstrate this.

“… Felix [was] subsequently removed from his course by a panel chaired by Professor Marsh, an LGBT rights campaigner. Felix, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, sought to challenge the university’s decision in a judicial review which was heard in the High Court over two days. The court ruled that the university acted lawfully in removing Felix from his course…

“The university held that it was not Felix’s views that were at issue, but his public posting of these views. They held that this expression of his views ‘may have caused offence to some individuals’…”

When will this ungodly nonsense of liberal and Bible-defying universities and judges stop?

Pope Francis—a Dilemma for the Catholic Church

The Guardian wrote on October 26:

“Pope Francis is one of the most hated men in the world today. Those who hate him most are not atheists, or protestants, or Muslims, but some of his own followers. Outside the church he is hugely popular as a figure of almost ostentatious modesty and humility.

“From the moment that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became pope in 2013, his gestures caught the world’s imagination: the new pope drove a Fiat, carried his own bags and settled his own bills in hotels; he asked, of gay people, ‘Who am I to judge?’ and washed the feet of Muslim women refugees. But within the church, Francis has provoked a ferocious backlash from conservatives who fear that this spirit will divide the church, and could even shatter it. This summer, one prominent English priest said to me: “We can’t wait for him to die. It’s unprintable what we say in private. Whenever two priests meet, they talk about how awful Bergoglio is…’

“This mixture of hatred and fear is common among the pope’s adversaries. Francis, the first non-European pope in modern times, and the first ever Jesuit pope, was elected as an outsider to the Vatican establishment, and expected to make enemies. But no one foresaw just how many he would make… To judge by the voting figures at the last worldwide meeting of bishops, almost a quarter of the college of Cardinals – the most senior clergy in the church – believe that the pope is flirting with heresy…

“The crunch point has come in a fight over his views on divorce. Breaking with centuries, if not millennia, of Catholic theory, Pope Francis has tried to encourage Catholic priests to give communion to some divorced and remarried couples, or to families where unmarried parents are cohabiting. His enemies are trying to force him to abandon and renounce this effort. Since he won’t, and has quietly persevered in the face of mounting discontent, they are now preparing for battle.

“Last year, one cardinal, backed by a few retired colleagues, raised the possibility of a formal declaration of heresy – the wilful rejection of an established doctrine of the church, a sin punishable by excommunication. Last month, 62 disaffected Catholics, including one retired bishop and a former head of the Vatican bank, published an open letter that accused Francis of seven specific counts of heretical teaching. To accuse a sitting pope of heresy is the nuclear option in Catholic arguments. Doctrine holds that the pope cannot be wrong when he speaks on the central questions of the faith; so if he is wrong, he can’t be pope. On the other hand, if this pope is right, all his predecessors must have been wrong…”

Prophecy reveals that the conservative branch within the Catholic Church will prevail. At the same time, Pope Francis might not be as liberal as he pretends to be.

More and More Students Turn to Paganism, Astrology and Wiccanism

The College Fix wrote on October 31:

“As millennials continue to leave traditional Christian religions, interest in Wiccan and pagan practices have seen increased interest in recent years, a trend also spotted among young people and on college campuses…

“25 percent of Americans now identify with no religion… Underscoring that, a 2014 National Science Foundation poll found nearly half of all Americans say astrology is either ‘very scientific’ or ‘sort of scientific’… Today a number of universities around the country have officially recognized Pagan or Wicca student groups…

“In 2010, Syracuse University appointed its first ‘Pagan Chaplain’ of Hendricks Chapel, its interdenominational place of worship. Others, like [the] Air Force, have followed suit, including designating specific areas on campus for pagan or spiritual worship. In 2014, Loyola University Chicago — a Catholic institution — christened a new pagan student club. Also that year, the University of Washington’s student newspaper launched a column dedicated to delving into Wiccanism…”

Human Craziness Might Spread the Black Death

The Sun wrote on November 1:

“Madagascans have been told to call a halt to the ceremony as it is feared to have contributed to the outbreak that has left 120 dead from pneumonic plague – an even deadlier strain of the lethal disease than bubonic plague. Madagascans have been told to stop the traditional practice of Famadihana – which sees locals dig up deceased relatives and dance with them before they are re-buried…

“The medieval disease notoriously wiped out one third of Europe’s population in the 13th and 14th centuries in one of the most devastating pandemics in human history known as the Black Death. Dr Ashok Chopra, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas, told The Sun Online the crisis in Madagascar had yet to peak.”

The stupidity of man knows no bounds.

The Curse of Halloween

ABC News wrote on October 30:

“Halloween dates back to the Celtic farming festival Samhain [pronounced “sah-win”]. The holiday marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. As the crops died, farmers believed there was a day when spirits could rise from their graves. During Samhain, Celtic people would dress in disguise to fool and ward off the spirits, hoping to protect their land through the upcoming winter.

“In the eighth century, Christians sought to transform the pagan holiday. Pope Gregory III declared Nov. 1 to be the feast of All Saints’ Day. The night before became known as All Hollow’s Eve…

“Modern Halloween traditions and folklore first came to America in the 19th century with the influx of Irish immigrants. The practice of carving and decorating jack-o-lanterns [pronounce: “jahck-o-lantern] is an Irish custom that honored the souls stuck in purgatory. Legend has it that Stingy Jack roamed the Earth, unable to enter heaven or hell, with only a piece of burning coal in a carved out turnip to light his way. Since pumpkins are easier to carve than turnips, this ritual adapted into jack-o’-lanterns as All Hollow’s Eve celebrations took shape in America.

“Today, Halloween has grown into a nationally recognized festival. Over 179 million Americans plan to partake in festivities in 2017… The top children’s costume is an action hero or superhero while adults are most likely to choose a witch…”

The Telegraph wrote on October 30:

“Gaels believed that it was a time when the walls between our world and the next became thin…, allowing spirits to pass through, come back to life on the day and damage their crops. Places were set at the dinner table to appease and welcome the spirits. Gaels would also offer food and drink, and light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits… Many dressed up as souls of the dead and were understood to be protecting themselves from the spirits by impersonating them…

“Celts dressed up in white with blackened faces during the festival of Samhain to trick the evil spirits that they believed would be roaming the earth before All Saints’ Day on November 1st.

“By the 11th century, this had been adapted by the Church into a tradition called ‘souling’, which is seen as being the origin of trick-or-treating. Children go door-to-door, asking for soul cakes in exchange for praying for the souls of friends and relatives. They went dressed up as angels, demons or saints. The soul cakes were sweet, with a cross marked on top and when eaten they represented a soul being freed from purgatory…

“In Czech culture, chairs for deceased family members are placed by the fire on Halloween night alongside chairs for each living one. In Austria some people leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table before going to bed. It is believed that this will welcome dead souls back to Earth. Meanwhile in Germany, people hide their knives to make sure none of the returning spirits are harmed – or seek to harm them!…”

There is absolutely nothing “Christian” about this Satanic festival. Even the attempts by the Catholic Church to make it “Christian” are all based on unbiblical superstition (“souls stuck in purgatory”) and pagan beliefs (“wearing terrible costumes to ward off evil spirits”; “spirits of the dead come back to life”). A true Christian must have NOTHING to do with Halloween, as in His due time, God will severely punish those who do.

Halloween and Islamic Terrorism in New York

JTA wrote on November 1:

“At least eight people were killed and about a dozen injured when a truck rammed into a crowd on a bike path in downtown Manhattan in what Mayor Bill de Blasio called ‘an act of terror.’…

“The suspect, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, an Uber and commercial truck driver from New Jersey, was identified as a Uzbek national who is a permanent U.S. resident. He arrived in the United States in 2010 and has a green card, according to reports. Police shot Saipov after he exited the rented truck he was driving and ran through the street waving pellet guns… Saipov reportedly left a note in the truck saying he committed the attack for the terrorist group ISIS… Witnesses said the suspect had yelled ‘Allahu Akbar,’ which means ‘God is great’ in Arabic, law enforcement sources told CNN…”

NBC San Diego wrote on November 1:

“Roused by the first major ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil since he took office, President Donald Trump… insisted Wednesday that Congress must end the visa lottery program under which Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov entered the country, and he ordered still tighter scrutiny of immigrants already subject to what he calls ‘extreme vetting.’ But the White House offered no indication of what new steps the president might be planning…

“Trump’s swift political response to the New York attacks contrasts with his wait-and-see approach after the October massacre of 59 people by a Las Vegas gunman… The two responses offer the latest suggestions of how the culture wars that defined Trump’s campaign may be coloring his actions…”

Those who receive green cards through the lottery program are extremely vetted before entering the country. It seems clear that the idiotic and deranged “lone-wolf”-terrorist was radicalized by ISIS after coming to the USA. He stated that he became radicalized after watching an ISIS video. He obviously became demon-influenced, if not possessed. No prior vetting could have prevented his demonical deed.

Fox Business wrote on November 1:

“Halloween has lived up to its reputation in New York… No one could have foreseen Tuesday’s sinister mission to turn a vehicle into a deadly weapon. We stroll our streets without paying attention to what’s around us, intent on reading or sending text messages, or watching videos on our phones…

“The problem is that terrorists – those whose perverted view equates God’s greatness with acts of bloodshed – know how clueless we are, and exploit our assumption that nothing bad can happen to us. And it is that careless confidence that makes us easy prey, soft victims for determined evildoers.”

It is very true and a biblical command that we must pay attention to our surroundings.

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.

Austrian Conservative/Far Right Pro-European Government Forming

Politico wrote on October 24:

“Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache [successor to the late Joerg Haider] accepted Sebastian Kurz’s invitation to start coalition talks…

“Kurz is on course to become chancellor after his party came first in a national election earlier this month. His party previously made up a grand coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPÖ)… Kurz said that all talks with the parties had been ‘constructive,’ but when he spoke to Strache, he said he had the feeling that the FPÖ had a ‘strong will of shaping’ the country’s future…

“Strache’s Freedom Party came in third place in the October 15 election, close behind the Social Democrats. The party shares a similar stance with Kurz’s ÖVP on migration, including plans to reduce illegal immigration as well as to cut taxes… Kurz said there will be three important areas of coalition negotiations: establishing a ‘new style’ of politics, creating a coalition that has the will to make changes and maintaining a ‘clear pro-European stance.'”

A coalition between the ÖVP and the FPÖ would catapult Austria into the country’s right-wing corners of the political spectrum.

Hitler Comparison with Kurz Sparks Uproar

Deutsche Welle reported on October 16:

“In the run-up to Sunday’s Austrian elections, German media had accused frontrunner Sebastian Kurz of ‘fishing for far-right votes… Following his victory, German satirical magazine Titanic sparked an uproar in Austria after it published an image of Kurz with a target over his chest and the caption: ‘Finally possible: Killing baby Hitler!’

“Austrian newspapers and Twitter users criticized the magazine within hours of Titanic posting the image on its official Twitter page.

“The Austrian news website os24.de published an article on the incident with the headline, ‘Scandal: Satire magazine calls for the murder of Kurz,’ while the daily tabloid newpaper Kronen Zeitung said the tweet was ‘unbelievable’ and ‘tasteless.’

“Adolf Hitler, who was born in Austria, ruled Nazi Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945…

“DW asked Christian Solmecke, an expert in media law in Cologne, Germany, about the case: ‘…it’s very clear that there is no incitement to murder that should be taken seriously… Satire is, at least in Germany, completely protected… Even if you think it is outlandish and you don’t understand the joke or you think it’s a bad joke, it’s still within the scope of free expression… Titanic’s opinion is clear: the wrong politician is about to become chancellor and that politician is too right-wing…’”

Making Austria Great Again

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 15:

“Kurz rose to prominence in 2013, when at 27 he became the world’s youngest serving foreign minister… When a new wave of refugees seeking to relocate to Europe became a continent-wide concern in 2015, Kurz recognized Austrian voters’ anxiety over unchecked immigration. He called for tougher external border controls, better integration and stringent control of ‘political Islam’ funded from abroad. He also organized the shutdown of the popular overland route through the West Balkans…

“His hard-line positions have prompted observers to call him ‘hard hearted’ as Gemany’s Die Welt newspaper did…

“According to professor Peter Filzmaier… what Kurz has accomplished is ‘unprecedented in Austrian politics…’”

Strongman Needed

Bloomberg wrote on October 14:

“Compared with 10 years ago, more Austrians say they feel like they’re not being heard and are in search of law-and-order leadership, a SORA institute study showed.

“More than two-fifths of voters declared their desire for a ‘strongman’ leader, according to the research, periodically commissioned by the federal government to gauge public attitudes and consciousness about the country’s Nazi history.”

Someone like Kurz ”Needed” in Germany?

Politico wrote on October 23:

“A member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own party said their conservative CDU needs ‘new party leadership’…

“Alexander Mitsch, who leads a right-leaning group within the CDU… criticized the party’s immigration policies in recent years as well as the loss of voters’ support in September’s national election… Mitsch also suggested that his party could learn from the example of Austria’s conservative leader, 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz…  ‘Of course that is a very good model for Germany … We wish we had someone in Germany like Mr. Kurz,’ Mitsch said of Kurz’s election success… adding that a young new leader would bring ‘new momentum’ to the party.”

Mitsch echoed a statement by the mass tabloid Bild Online, asking the question on October 16: “Why don’t we (in Germany) have someone like Sebastian Kurz?”

Bild’s hysteria with Sebastian Kurz knows no bounds. In an editorial on October 17, Kurz was compared with Mozart (as both were very young when they accomplished great things) and the question was asked as to what “supernatural” abilities Kurz possesses. He was described as a man without sins, as he is “too young to have committed a sin” (even though he has been living together with his girlfriend for 13 years, without being married), concluding that the young have now to replace the old. It is interesting that the Bible warns that children will rule over the old and over entire nations.

The German coalition discussions between CDU, CSU, FDP and the Greens (the so-called Jamaica coalition) are ongoing, but due to the recent surprise victory of the SPD over the CDU in a German state election, Chancellor Merkel’s task of trying to form such a coalition has not become any easier. The continuation of the present grand coalition between CDU and SPD should not be ruled out. In any event, “compromise” is the word of the day. Everybody urges the other side to show a willingness to compromise, which only manifests again the absolute necessity for Christians to stay away from the political stage.

German Parties in Disarray

The following two articles, even though somewhat dated, show the growing concern in Germany and around the world about the success of the AfD and the overall defeat of Germany’s “main” parties, and asking uncomfortable questions about the relationship between Israel and Germany.

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 26:

“Among the many earthquakes in Germany’s political landscape triggered by the German election was the destruction of a decades-old dictum once uttered by the… CSU’s most famed leader Franz Josef Strauss: ‘There must be no democratically legitimate party right of the CSU.’ Sunday’s devastating results for Germany’s conservative parties seemed to show that the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a populist far-right force across Germany has forever buried that notion. The CSU, Bavarian allies to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU)… scored its lowest ever result on Sunday, with just under 39 percent of the vote in its home state — over 10 percentage points down on 2013.

“Media commentators were quick to draw… [the conclusion that] the CSU will have to shift to the right to win back its lost voters — particularly ahead of the Bavarian state election next fall… this [is] going to make it even more difficult for Merkel to bring the CSU into a coalition with the nominally more left-wing Green party — even though the ‘Jamaica coalition,’ a four-way combination of the CDU/CSU, Greens, and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), appears to be the chancellor’s only option…

“Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble will be the Bundestag’s likely new president [he was inaugurated on October 24]… clearing the path for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) to offer his job to a member of a potential coalition partner. The… FDP… are said to covet the post…

“In addition to the AfD, which formed in 2013 and which will enter the Bundestag after winning the votes of 12.6 percent of Germany’s electorate, Schäuble will have to contend with the Social Democrats (SPD). The party will likely lead the opposition to whatever coalition Merkel cobbles together… The SPD reached a postwar low in support on Sunday, winning just 20.5 percent of the vote…

“[CSU’s] Seehofer has also proved a consistent thorn in the chancellor’s side on topics such as migration, which is shaping up to be a point of contention in coalition talks, with the Greens favoring a more humanitarian approach and the FDP advocating more restrictive policies… parties have not even begun to make their most major maneuvers in earnest yet: There is a contested state election in Lower Saxony scheduled for October 15, and nobody wants a national-level misstep to ruin things for their regional division.”

Seehofer’s CSU only ran in the “free state” of Bavaria. Merkel’s CDU, which ran in the entirety of Germany outside Bavaria, suffered its worst election result since 1949, with only 33% of the votes.

In the first session of the newly formed Bundestag, on October 24, the AfD made their voice heard by comparing the maneuvering of the Bundestag with that of the Nazis… and the SPD attacked Angela Merkel by stating that it was her fault that the AfD entered the German parliament.  The uproar was forthcoming.. and signaled a rough and stormy future of Germany’s political mine field.

Will Germany Defend Israel?

Israel Hayom wrote on September 26:

“AfD leader Alexander Gauland… said Jews had nothing to fear… the AfD aims to outlaw kosher slaughter and halal food, which adheres to Islamic law, along with circumcision for minors… ‘If Israel’s right to exist is one of Germany’s top interests, then that says we need to deploy German soldiers to defend the Jewish state, and the politicians don’t provide a clear answer on this,’ Gauland said…

“Gauland continued to defend his controversial assertion that Germans can be proud of the German army’s achievements in both world wars… The AfD leader also stressed that his party would give Germans their country back: ‘A million people, who came in unsupervised, are taking a part of Germany. I don’t want to lose Germany because of an invasion of people from foreign cultures.”

Bild Online wrote on September 27 that the spokesman of the German government, Steffen Seibert, refused to answer the media’s question as to whether Merkel agreed with the AfD, or whether Germany would be willing to send soldiers to Israel to defend it if it was threatened.

Prospect of Compulsory Military Service in Israel Causes Strong Protests by Influential Ultra-Orthodox Jews

AFP wrote on October 23:

“Several thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked the main entrance to Jerusalem on Monday and protested in other areas as part of a series of demonstrations against serving in the Israeli military… A series of such protests in recent weeks has been spurred by occasional arrests of ultra-Orthodox young men accused of dodging military service…

“Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two. Ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption. Those who are not exempt must enlist with the military and can be arrested if they refuse.

“In September, a decision by Israel’s supreme court struck down the law exempting them. However, the court suspended its ruling for one year to allow for preparations for a new arrangement, also giving the government time to pass a new law. The ruling raises the possibility that the ultra-Orthodox could be forced into service, a highly contentious proposition with political implications. Ultra-Orthodox parties are a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition and have often acted as kingmakers in Israeli politics.”

Arrests Over Intermarriage Dispute in Israel

 AFP wrote on October 23:

“Israeli police detained 15 suspected Jewish extremists following an undercover investigation into a group accused of tracking down and threatening Arab men dating Jewish women, authorities said Sunday. Among those arrested was Benzi Gopstein, a prominent leader of the Israeli extreme-right group Lehava…

“Speaking to reporters at his hearing at Jerusalem magistrates’ court, Gopstein said he was arrested for telling a Jewish woman that she should not date an Arab man, insisting he did no wrong… Lehava opposes intermarriage. In August 2014, its activists staged a rally where racist slogans, including “Death to Arabs!”, were shouted at the wedding near Tel Aviv of a Muslim man and Jewish woman.

“Arabs account for some 17.5 per cent of Israel’s eight million population… In April, six Israelis, including two soldiers, were arrested for alleged racist attacks against Arabs with knives and other weapons and charged with ‘terrorist’ offences. Police said they were influenced by a Lehava video.

“Gopstein was also questioned by police in 2015 after he condoned setting fire to Christian churches in Israel, in accordance with a medieval Jewish commandment to destroy places of idol-worship.

“The police statement said that the latest arrests were the result of an undercover investigation. ‘It uncovered organised and premeditated activity believed to have been carried out by the suspects, known members of Lehava,’ it said.”

Violence in Israel will be breaking out in different corners and based on different philosophies, and it will be the European army which will attempt to bring peace to the region.

New Excavations in Jerusalem

Christian Headlines wrote on October 23:

“Israeli archaeologists recently uncovered eight previously unearthed sections of the Temple Mount’s retaining wall in Jerusalem and part of a Roman-era theater in an area abutting the wall…

“The archaeologists hope they will uncover artifacts from the First Temple, built by King Solomon of the Old Testament and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem and built the Second Temple, which was dedicated around 515 B.C. Roman soldiers burned the temple and razed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Jews still consider the Temple Mount the holiest site on earth. Today the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic Dome of the Rock sit on the site.

“‘We have a great deal of archaeological work ahead, and I am certain that the deeper we dig, the earlier the periods we will reach, further anchoring the profound connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and to Jerusalem,’ Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel told the Times of Israel.”

According to SWR2, the excavations occur in the eastern part of Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel. It is hoped to prove the presence of Jews in Jerusalem for thousands of years, thereby establishing Israel’s claim to an undivided Jewish city and the Temple Mount.

European Army Soon?

Express wrote on October 25:

“DONALD Tusk is pushing to set up an EU army by the end of the year to protect the bloc’s borders and fight back against [the] ‘destabilisation around Europe’.

“The European Council President called for the 27-nation superstate to introduce Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence (PESCO) to protect the bloc from the effects of the migrant crisis, hostile bordering states and forces that risk tearing the bloc apart.

“He added the EU should be prepared to spend huge amounts on the project, which will come with its own centralised headquarters and ambitious plans for EU military missions abroad.

“Critics have repeatedly warned that the new system is a gateway to the creation of an EU army, although Brussels itself denies this and says it is just facilitating better military cooperation.”

Japan Ready to Change Its Pacifist Constitution

The Los Angeles Times wrote on October 23:

“Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scored a landslide victory on Sunday as his conservative ruling party and a coalition partner secured a two-thirds majority in parliament that will allow him to push ahead unimpeded in his quest to change [Article 9 of] Japan’s pacifist constitution…

“A constitutional reform bill requires approval by two-thirds of both houses, and then a simple majority in a national referendum. The vote in the latter is all but guaranteed to be far tighter than Sunday’s election.”

Reuters wrote on October 22:

“The U.S.-drafted constitution’s Article 9, if taken literally, bans the maintenance of armed forces. But Japanese governments have interpreted it to allow a military exclusively for self-defence…

“Abe has backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s tough stance towards North Korea, which has test-fired missiles over Japan, that all options, including military action, are on the table. Trump is to visit Japan Nov. 5-7 to reaffirm the leaders’ tight ties.”

Japan’s  future role is not clearly revealed. In World War I, Japan was an ally and “foe” against Germany and China, while in World War II, it was an ally or “friend” of Germany, but it was still a “foe” against China. We will need to see whose ally a militaristic Japan will be in World War III.

Crazy Gender “Confusion”

International Business Times wrote on October 23:

“As many as 50 children a week are being referred to gender reassignment doctors in the UK, including children as young as four… Figures show that a record number of children now believe [they] were born in the wrong body, according to the Mirror. Some experts attribute the rise in the number of children being referred to is the growing acceptance of gender issues.

“Children ages 11 and over can be treated with powerful hormones to prevent puberty. The children are allowed to decide whether they want to go ahead with gender realignment when they are older.”

These pitiful assertions and “beliefs” of children have been made possible by an irresponsible political liberal agenda of medical “experts,” a confused mass media and unsuspecting, gullible and deluded parents.

Ridiculous “Political Correctness”

Express reported on October 1:

“In some educational institutions, BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) have been replaced with terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era). The new terms still indicate the periods before and after the birth of Christ, but have been put into use as local authority committees say the old terms may upset minorities and atheists. But critics blasted the move as a ‘capitulation to political correctness’, while non-Christian religious leaders said the move was unnecessary… Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said the ruling by the religious education committees was a ‘great shame’. He said he has ‘never met a Muslim or Jewish leader who is offended by the Gregorian calendar’…

“Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs) from Brighton and Essex are among an increasing number of local authority committees urging education heads to drop BC and AD.  The syllabus for schools in East Sussex reads: ‘BCE and CE are now used in order to show sensitivity to those who are not Christians.’”

The insanity of “political correctness” seems to know no limits.

New “Security” Measures Enforced by USA

CNBC wrote on October 25:

“New security measures take effect on Thursday on all U.S.-bound flights to comply with government requirements designed to avoid an in-cabin ban on laptops.

“Airlines contacted by Reuters said the new measures, which could include short security interviews with passengers, would be in place by Thursday.

“The new measures will affect 325,000 airline passengers on about 2,000 commercial flights arriving daily in the United States, on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries.”

As if these “security” measures would accomplish anything… They will, however, contribute to further flight delays and unpleasant experiences of travelers.

The Return of the Plague or the Black Death

The Sun wrote on October 25:

“PLAGUE warnings have been issued for NINE countries surrounding Madagascar amid fears the disease could spread via sea trade and flight routes. The outbreak is considered a much bigger threat to the region than in previous years because it has taken on its pneumonic form – meaning it is airborne and spread by sneezing and coughing.

“WHO has issued alerts for nine countries surrounding Madagascar where the outbreak has occurred…

“The medieval disease famously wiped out ONE THIRD of Europe’s population in the 13th and 14th centuries…”

The Bible predicts that in these end times, huge disease epidemics will severely plague mankind.

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.

Austria Elects Hardliner Sebastian Kurz

The Washington Post reported on October 16:

“Austria became the latest European country to take a sharp turn right on Sunday, with the conservative People’s Party riding a hard-line position on immigration to victory in national elections and likely to form a government with a nationalist party that has long advocated for an even tougher stance.

“The result puts the 31-year-old foreign minister and People’s Party leader, Sebastian Kurz, in line to become Austria’s next chancellor after a campaign in which he emphasized the need to strengthen border controls, reduce caps on refugees and slash benefits for newcomers.

“Much of Kurz’s rhetoric echoed positions long held by the Freedom Party, which for decades has anchored the far right of politics in this nation of 8.7 million…

“Freedom Party backers were in a jubilant mood Sunday night, eating schnitzel, dancing to Austrian folk music and waving flags at the party’s election-night celebration. Heinz-Christian Strache, the party leader, said the results proved that ‘our message has reached the mainstream…’

“The elevation of Kurz to chancellor would put another young and charismatic leader at the helm of a European government, after the election of 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron in France.

“Kurz, though ideologically to the right of Macron, modeled much of his campaign after the Frenchman’s. The Austrian politician styled his run for the nation’s highest office as a movement, not a conventional election, and personalized his party, informally renaming it ‘the Sebastian Kurz List.’

“Kritzinger said Kurz’s opponents were flummoxed by how to counteract the charismatic People’s Party leader, who took the reins in the party this year and promptly remade it as his own.

“’From a rhetoric perspective, he’s an absolute talent,’ Kritzinger said. ‘The other parties didn’t know how to deal with him.’”

The Times of Israel commented on October 16:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called to congratulate Sebastian Kurz on his victory in Austria’s elections, according to a statement from his office that made no mention of the success of the far-right Freedom Party.

“On Sunday, the 31-year-old Kurz’s  People’s Party (OeVP) swept to victory with a projected 31.7 percent of the vote, ahead of the Social Democrats (SPOe) at 26.9% and the anti-migrant Freedom Party (FPOe) at 26%, leading to the expectation that Kurz would turn to the far right party as a coalition partner…

“Kurz, for his part, told the prime minister of his interest in boosting Austria’s ties with Israel, the PMO said.

“The statement did not make any mention of the Freedom Party’s expected role as the junior partner in Kurz-led coalition. In 1999, Israel recalled its ambassador after the party, then under Jörg Haider, joined the government.

“The success of the FPOe, which was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s, has created a dilemma for Israel, whose government refuses to meet with members of the party. If senior party member Norbert Hofer were to become foreign minister, as is common for runners-up in Austrian coalition governments, Jerusalem would have to choose between ending its longstanding policy of not interacting with ultra-nationalist parties and boycotting a top diplomat of a friendly country.

Politico wrote on October 18:

“Regardless of whether it joins the next Austrian government, the far-right Freedom Party was the victor in the country’s election last Sunday. Like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, the anti-immigration party has built the theater in which the mainstream parties are now performing.

“Sebastian Kurz — the 31-year-old leader of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) — is set to lead a right-leaning coalition that includes the far-right Freedom Party. The last time Austria’s populists won more than a quarter of the vote and played kingmaker, in 1999, the other EU members isolated Vienna through bilateral sanctions. But what shocked EU leaders then is barely causing a stir now.

“In part, this is simply because the inclusion of the far right is not as shocking as it was 20 years ago. Since then, governments across Europe — from Hungary to Italy — have turned rightward and a host of mainstream political leaders have adopted anti-immigrant rhetoric in an effort to keep the political fringes at bay.

“Exclusion is no longer an option. The EU is too busy trying to figure out how to respond to the most blatant challenges to its rule of law and other key values — from self-proclaimed “illiberal” governments in Budapest and Warsaw.

“When it comes to Austria, the other European countries will be watching whether campaign slogans turn into action, particularly when it comes to migration policy.”

Kurz’s rise to power reflects the growing revolt across Europe over a seeming lack in answering the concern for Europe’s traditional values. Europe is turning to younger, charismatic leaders, and that opens the door for the emergence of a very powerful personality who is destined to emerge to lead a totally new kind of European nationalism!

Macron Calls for New Political Heroes

The Independent reported on October 15:

“Emmanuel Macron has said modern democracies need new political heroes and called for an end to the ‘European civil war’.

“The French President said he wanted to ‘renew the European dream and reawaken ambitions for it’ during an interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel.

“His comments come days after the fifth round of Brexit talks closed with the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, claiming the EU and UK were in a ‘deadlock’ over Britain’s financial contribution.

“Giving his thoughts on modern democracy, Macron said: ‘I am a strong believer that modern political life must rediscover a sense for symbolism.

“‘We need to develop a kind of political heroism. I don’t mean that I want to play the hero. But we need to be amenable once again to creating grand narratives.’

“He went on to call on leaders to work together to achieve ‘sovereignty, unity and democracy’ in Europe.

“‘Let’s put an end to this European civil war, the existence of which we don’t want to admit, and stop constantly looking at whether we are better than our neighbouring country at this or the other thing.’”

Vatican Prepares Forum to Support European Union

Vatican Radio reported on October 14:

“‘Rethinking Europe’ is the title of a high-level Forum of Dialogue which aims to discuss the main challenges of the European Union and the ways the Church can support the European project in a moment in which Europe itself seems to be at a crossroads.

“Organized by COMECE (the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community), in collaboration with the Holy See, the event will take place in the Vatican from 27 to 29 October.

“Presenting the Forum earlier this year, COMECE President Cardinal Reinhard Marx said: ‘Rethinking Europe will be the start of a process of dialogue between the Churches representatives (both bishops and seculars) and the politicians who have political responsibility and take decisions.’

“Participants will include hundreds of high-level Church and EU political representatives, together with other grassroots actors who will meet in a series of workshops and debates ‘in order to facilitate a frank and open discussion between stakeholders of different geographic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds, putting in practice the motto of the EU: Unity in Diversity’.

“The date for the Forum has been chosen to fall on the 60th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome.

“Pope Francis, who has repeatedly reminded the EU of its role and responsibility towards the world and n citizens and encouraged EU representatives of their commitment to safeguard peace and the dignity of all women and men, will address the participants on Saturday, 28 October.

“Presenting the project for the Forum, COMECE stressed that ‘The main message of the Church is to put the human person back at the heart of the European public policy and the Dialogue of Rome will be a milestone of this process’.”

China Tightens Communism

The Washington Post wrote on October 18:

“For 3½ hours, China’s President Xi Jinping commanded the stage and the nation’s television screens as he set out a far-reaching agenda for the Communist Party, outlining a vision of total control, not only of the nation’s economy and the Internet but also of culture, religion and morals.

“The Communist Party already has a hand in just about every aspect of life here. But Xi’s speech Wednesday — opening a five-yearly congress of the party’s top leadership — cast the net even wider.

“His was a vision of a reinvigorated Communist Party, backed by a strong economy and a powerful, modern military taking an even more central role in the affairs of the nation and a more confident role on the world stage.

“‘Achieving national rejuvenation will be no walk in the park,’” Xi told more than 2,200 members of the party’s elite, speaking beneath gigantic red drapes and a huge hammer and sickle in the mammoth Great Hall of the People, a monument to Communist authoritarianism, on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square…

“The theme of the congress: that the party should remain true to its original aspiration, hold high the banner of socialism and secure a decisive victory in the battle to build a moderately prosperous society.”

Powerful Hurricane Pummels Ireland

CNBC reported on October 16:

“The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are experiencing some of the most extreme weather the island has seen in decades as the aftermath of Hurricane Ophelia strikes.

“Schools and hospitals are closed, many public transport and aviation services have ceased operations and the army has been sent to shore-up flood defenses in what has been called an “unprecedented storm” by Ireland’s meteorological office.

“Two people were killed in separate incidents when trees fell on their cars — a woman in her fifties in the southeast and a man on the east coast. Another man in his thirties died while trying to clear a fallen tree in an incident involving a chainsaw.

“Over 360,000 homes and businesses were without electricity with another 100,000 outages expected by nightfall, Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board said, describing it as an unprecedented event that would [a]ffect every part of the country for days.”

California Wildfires Prove Historic!

AP reported on October 17:

“The fires that swept through parts of seven counties were the deadliest and most destructive series of blazes in California history. At least 42 people died and 6,000 homes were lost.

“The flames were especially devastating in Sonoma and Napa counties on the northern edge of the Bay Area — a region that has seen housing prices skyrocket in recent years amid a technology industry boom. In San Francisco, an average one-bedroom apartment rents for more than $3,000 a month, and the median home price is about $1.5 million.

“Cities such as Santa Rosa, about 50 miles north of San Francisco, have offered more affordable housing for people willing to endure a longer commute. But that may not be the case anymore…

“An estimated 100,000 people were evacuated at the height of the fires, and about 22,000 remain under evacuation.”

As this report shows, the repercussions will last far past the time when these fires are quenched. Like so many disasters which have occurred in recent weeks, the challenge to survive and rebuild is simply overwhelming.