Turmoil in Germany

MSNBC wrote on February 8 about the AfD’s role as kingmaker by supporting a FDP candidate in Thuringia:

“‘A pact with fascism,’ one headline screamed. Another gasped about ‘a coup.’ Protesters gathered spontaneously in major cities across the country, chanting anti-fascist slogans. Even the chancellor weighed in from afar during a visit to South Africa: ‘It was a bad day for democracy,’ she said darkly.

“Three years after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the first far-right party to enter Germany’s national parliament since World War II, the events underscored how the country’s beleaguered traditional parties are still struggling to deal with the new disruptive force… For many Germans, allowing the far right to be kingmakers conjures up dark memories… It did not help that Thuringia is precisely where, in the dying days of the Weimar Republic more than 90 years ago, the Nazis first won power locally, before going on to win nationally — with the help of conservative parties. This history echoed loudly across the country…

“The taboo of not collaborating with the AfD, while sacred, is at risk of crumbling in an increasingly fragmented political landscape. So far, no German state governor has been elected with support from the Alternative for Germany. But the Alternative for Germany has steadily broadened its presence in state legislatures. Especially in eastern states, it has in recent elections been among the top finishers.

“The events in Thuringia were all the more symbolic — and significant — because it is the fief of the AfD’s most notorious far-right leader, Björn Höcke… The photo of Mr. Höcke shaking hands with the victorious center-right candidate, Thomas Kemmerich, prompted particular outrage. ‘Handshake of shame’ the front page headline of the tabloid Bild read. The new governor ‘gets elected by neo-Nazi Höcke.’

“But even beyond Thuringia, enforcing a ban on cooperating with the AfD is proving to be tricky… Some fear it is only a question of time before it arrives on the federal level, where the AfD is the leading opposition party in the national parliament…

“The AfD, meanwhile, has enjoyed accusing mainstream parties of distorting democracy by ignoring the will of voters. For it, the week’s events served as a case in point.”

And that is very true. The more the mainstream and the social media and the mainstream, as well as left-wing, politicians rail against the AfD—even sabotaging and trying to circumvent and silence the declared will of the voters–the more the popularity of the party will increase, as voters are very dissatisfied with the perceived lack of accomplishment by their “established” parties.

As Bloomberg reported on February 8, “Merkel in an unusual step fired a government official from her party who had congratulated Kemmerich for his election. The official, Christian Hirte, is the federal government’s top liaison for the eastern German states and the CDU’s deputy leader in Thuringia.”

Merkel’s overreaction will harm her. Kemmerich announced on Saturday that he was quitting immediately after he had previously announced his immediate resignation, only to subsequently revoke it. Still, as premier, he is obligated to continue in a caretaker capacity until a successor takes up office.

This might require new state elections.

In fact, it might even require new federal elections very soon. Note the next articles.

Another Big Blow in Germany—AKK to Resign

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 10:

“Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer surprised fellow members of the Christian Democrats (CDU) on Monday by announcing that she would step down from her position as the head of the party and would not run for chancellor. She said the candidate for chancellor should also lead the party. Kramp-Karrenbauer intends to stay on as defense minister… She spoke of the need to create a strong CDU, saying that recent events in the eastern state of Thuringia had weakened the party…

“AKK, as she is commonly known, has struggled through a series of scandals that have sowed doubt about her ability to lead the country effectively…

“In 2018, Kramp-Karrenbauer had emerged victorious in the first grassroots contest for CDU leadership… winning against [Friedrich] Merz, who is currently vice president of the business council of the CDU, and Health Minister Jens Spahn… Members of an ultraconservative wing of the CDU came out in favor of Merz as party head. The parliamentary group leader of the Greens… responded to the news by warning the CDU against shifting to the right… AfD parliamentary group head Alexander Gauland… said the decision created an opportunity for the two parties to improve their relations. Kramp-Karrenbauer had ‘plunged the CDU into chaos with her policy of exclusion,’ Gauland said.”

Who Will Succeed Merkel?

The Local wrote on February 10:

“The race to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany’s chancellor became more unpredictable than ever Monday after her protegee Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer threw in the towel as leader of the centre-right party. Here’s a look at four possible candidates for the chancellery from Merkel’s CDU/CSU conservative bloc…

“Friedrich Merz, 64, has never forgiven Merkel for driving him out as head of the party’s group of MPs in the Bundestag in 2002… He was narrowly beaten in the vote for party leader by Merkel’s preferred successor Kramp-Karrenbauer in December 2018, and has been waiting in the wings ever since…

“State premier of Germany’s most populous region North Rhine-Westphalia, 58-year-old Armin Laschet could emerge as the compromise candidate… He has won plaudits for his tough stance against criminal gangs in his state, while his liberal leanings make him acceptable to Merkel’s centre-left coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD)…

“At just 39 years old the youngest potential candidate, the ambitious [and openly gay] Health Minister Jens Spahn is seen by many as the ‘anti-Merkel’. Highly critical of Merkel’s decision to open the door to an influx of asylum seekers in 2015, he is liked by the CDU’s more right-wing faction. ‘Spahn would represent a new start,’ the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine daily said, seeing in him ‘a brave party leader’ and ‘potent’ possible chancellor…

“The 53-year-old leader of Merkel’s Bavarian CSU sister party [Markus Söder] is seen as having a more distant shot at the chancellery — and may not even want to throw his hat in the ring…”

The choice of AKK’s successor could be decisive for the survival of the CDU and the grand coalition. It could also open the door for closer cooperation between the CDU and the AfD. In addition, calls for Merkel’s resignation—even within her own party—are getting louder.

Bild Online asked the pointed question about Jens Spahn: “Would Germany be ready for a gay chancellor?“ Spahn already announced that he has always said that he is ready to accept “responsibility.” AKK stated that a new chancellor candidate would be recommended by her party (CDU) in the summer and confirmed in December. Whether the CDU has time to wait that long is questionable.

Is Merkel Destroying Her Party?

The conservative mass tabloid, Bild Online, wrote on February 10:

“The life-threatening crisis of the CDU is primarily due to one person who has just now clearly shown that she still sees herself as the party chairperson: Chancellor Angela Merkel (65). From South Africa, she told her party to ‘reverse’ the Thuringia election results.

“Angela Merkel created a pseudo-successor to herself – who was not supposed to shine brighter than her and who never had the power and influence to fix the damage that Chancellor Merkel has done within the CDU. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (57), on the other hand, lacked the power instinct necessary for quickly bringing problem cases… back under control. Under AKK, everybody could do what they want.

“Now the CDU is swinging suicidally between the Greens and the AfD, because Merkel as the party leader slept through, ignored, and gave away the two big issues of migration and climate. Instead of shaping the future, the major party CDU is trying to keep up with the Greens and the AfD – without winning back any of the voters it has lost.

“In the big cities, the Greens are about to become a major party. In Germany’s east, it’s the AfD. At the same time, the CDU is tumbling through the country without leadership. Chancellor Merkel is restricting herself to working on her own personal popularity. She is concerned with shaping her own image for the history books and leaves the party to fend for itself. She doesn’t even show up in the election campaigns, because she knows she is no longer wanted there.

“The AKK debacle has shown: With Angela Merkel in the chancellery, a new beginning for the CDU is not possible – even less so with candidates that are popular in the country, but despised by Merkel. As long as Merkel is governing, the CDU will not win over new voters. If this comes to pass, the political centre would – following the near-demise of the SPD – finally collapse.

“If the Chancellor does not realize this, her legacy could be that she ruined her own party and that, with the AfD and Greens, she created two new major parties. One will then look at the CDU as pitifully and nostalgically as one does today at the SPD.”

And this is exactly what might happen.

Waiting for German Leadership

The New York Times wrote on February 11:

“The resignation of the chancellor’s preferred replacement threatens to extend a lack of German leadership… ‘Germany is the elephant in the room,’ said Jan Techau, director of the German Marshall Fund’s office in Berlin. ‘Today Germany and its leadership in the security realm are once again foremost on everyone’s mind,’ he said. ‘Everyone is waiting for Germany.’…

“The uncertainty over who will succeed Ms. Merkel means that Germany will be… extending the sense of paralysis that is frustrating Germany’s allies in the European Union and Washington… even as China, Russia and President Trump’s America seem to circle Europe like predators on issues ranging from trade and competition to Ukraine and Huawei, the political leadership to translate this into policies that German voters support has been missing…

“Who will lead Germany next is by no means clear, with general disappointment in the visible alternatives… ‘Germany is sleepwalking,’ Professor Enderlein said… ‘When Trump took office, we talked of Merkel as the leader of the West, but who would say that now?’ asked Anna Wieslander, a Swede and director for Northern Europe of the Atlantic Council… ‘We want Germany to lead, because it tries to unite Europeans while France is more disruptive, but Germany is not there.’”

Not yet, but a mighty powerful leader will arise, and then things will change dramatically. The comment about France is interesting. See the next article.

France to Lead Europe?

The Associated Press wrote on February 7:

“French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday advocated a more coordinated European Union defense strategy in which France, the bloc’s only post-Brexit nuclear power, and its arsenal would occupy a central role. Macron outlined France’s nuclear strategy… one week after Britain, Europe’s only other nuclear-armed state, officially exited the EU.

“The French leader said… he refused to sign any treaties at this time to further reduce the size of France’s nuclear arsenal and announced an increase in military spending. Macron also positioned himself as the driving force for a united EU, using France’s military clout to make his point… The central idea in the speech, however, was that of a boosted Europe-wide role for the French nuclear arsenal in a more coordinated European defense policy.

“Macron said… the strategy would prevent Europe ‘confining itself to a spectator role’ in an environment dominated by Russia, the United States and China… His remarks come at a time when NATO allies, who would ordinarily look to the United States for help in a nuclear standoff, worry about Washington’s retreat from the multilateral stage. This could create new tensions within NATO, where Macron ruffled feathers last year by saying the lack of U.S. leadership is causing the ‘brain death’ of the military alliance…

“Friday’s speech was part of Macron’s long-running push for a stronger European defense, as U.S. President Donald Trump has pulled away from European allies and admonished them to pay more for their own protection…”

France would love to play the leading role but ultimately, it will be Germany which will lead Europe.

Brexit Transition… the Fight Goes On

Bloomberg wrote on February 5:

“European authorities are hatching an offensive to weaken the Brexit-addled City of London. Officials in Berlin, Brussels and Paris are looking to amend the post-crisis financial rulebook known as MiFID II by walking away from concessions they made to the U.K. in the six years it took to complete the regulations.

“Policies governing research spending, record keeping and trading in stocks, derivatives and commodities are likely to be revised and could make Brexit tougher to negotiate for international banks such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Changes would also be aimed at bolstering Deutsche Boerse AG’s dominance against the London Stock Exchange Group Plc in futures and other listed derivatives…

“London financial services firms’ access to the EU will depend on a process known as equivalence — under which Britain would have to prove to Brussels that its rules are at least as stringent as the bloc’s. The equivalence system that will govern finance gives the EU unilateral power to decide if British rules are tough enough to create a level playing field…

“Germany and France are already talking about reversing key parts of the finance law that were backed by the U.K. when it was a member of the EU…”

It will be an eventful transition period, with bad headlines topping each other.

Ireland on New Course?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 8:

“Millions headed to vote in Ireland on Saturday, with an initial exit poll showing a virtual three-way tie for the major parties. The poll show a huge resurgence for the left-wing Sinn Fein party… Frustration with economic austerity and an ongoing housing crisis have fueled the rise of Sinn Fein, which is committed to the reunification of Ireland and is still sidelined by the political establishment for its links to the IRA…

“[Before the election,] both major parties [had refused] to work with them…”

But this may change. Note the next article.

The Guardian wrote on February 10:

“Sinn Féin has declared victory in Ireland’s general election and called for talks with other main parties to form a coalition government… Sinn Féin won 24.5% of the first-preference vote in Saturday’s election, almost doubling its share from 2016… Fine Gael slid to 20.9% and the main opposition party, Fianna Fáil, slipped to 22.2%… The Greens, independents and small leftwing parties accounted for the rest…

“The fragmented results will produce a hung parliament with no party close to 80 seats – the number for a majority and stable government in the 160-seat chamber, which includes a speaker…

“Sinn Féin said it wished to promote its defining issue – a united Ireland – in any future government. An exit poll found that 57% of people supported Sinn Féin’s desire to hold referendums on unity on both sides of the border in the next five years.”

Express wrote on February 9:

“A UNITED IRELAND would automatically rejoin the EU, unlike an Independent Scotland, whose ministers would have to go through a long ‘accession process’, one of Britain’s foremost constitutional experts told Express…”

It is entirely possible that the UK will fall apart, and that a united Ireland will rejoin Europe.

Lessons from Leprosy

NPR wrote on February 7:

“… past efforts to isolate disease show that such moves — as well-intentioned as they might be — don’t always go as planned…

“When the federal government sought to identify all the leprosy cases in the country in the early 1900s, it found only 278. But public health investigators told Congress there likely were many more in hiding out of fear… the assistant surgeon general announced that there were ‘1,200 lepers at large’ in the country… When Americans feared a potential leprosy pandemic in the late 1800s, people of Asian descent were also unjustly stigmatized…

“Throughout history, those believed to have leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease, were among the most reviled members of society, outcasts sometimes believed to be sinners who brought the illness upon themselves. Even today, the threat of leprosy is used to demonize immigrants and people living in homeless encampments as potential carriers of the disease — although there’s no evidence that’s true.

“About 200,000 people around the world are diagnosed each year with Hansen’s disease. Many of them still prefer not to make their diagnosis public for fear of how they’ll be treated by the rest of society…”

The Bible clearly advocates isolation and even quarantine for those who are suffering from a serious contagious disease—not because those who suffer from it are cursed and guilty of sin, but because of love for our fellow man. But in this world ruled by Satan, most don’t care about God’s laws. They may not reveal their sickness because of selfish reasons and lack of love for others, or because of fear of the abominable condemnations from their ignorant and self-righteous fellow men. And so, contagious diseases will spread.

Africa Unprepared for the Coronavirus

The Associated Press wrote on February 8:

“At a Chinese-run hospital in Zambia, some employees watched as people who recently returned from China showed up with coughs but were not placed in isolation. A doctor tending to those patients has stopped coming to work, and health workers have been ordered not to speak publicly about the new virus that has killed hundreds around the world.

“The virus that has spread through much of China has yet to be confirmed in Africa, but global health authorities are increasingly worried about the threat to the continent where an estimated 1 million Chinese now live, as some health workers on the ground warn they are not ready to handle an outbreak.

“Countries are racing to take precautions as hundreds of travelers arrive from China every day. Safeguards include stronger surveillance at ports of entry and improved quarantine and testing measures across Africa, home to 1.2 billion people and some of the world’s weakest systems for detecting and treating disease. But the effort has been complicated by a critical shortage of testing kits and numerous illnesses that display symptoms similar to the flu-like virus…

“Those growing worried include employees at the Sino-Zambia Friendship Hospital in the mining city of Kitwe in northern Zambia, near the Congo border. Chinese companies operate mines on the outskirts of the city of more than half a million people. One company is headquartered in Wuhan, the city at the center of the virus outbreak. Hundreds of workers traveled between Zambia and China in recent weeks…

“Several African nations such as Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia have announced their precautions, including updates on negative test results for suspected cases and demonstrations of surveillance and quarantine capabilities. Ethiopian Airlines, however, faces questions by some in Africa about why it continues to operate more than 30 China flights a week while other African airlines have suspended theirs…”

The virus is spreading much faster than scientists had originally contemplated. It has been reported that even IF a vaccine was to be found NOW, it would ALREADY be too late. But we are told it might take up to eighteen months to find a vaccine. 

Newsmax wrote on February 13:

 “The total deaths in mainland China since the outbreak began in December stood at 1,367 (1,491 worldwide, according to Axios) with the total number of confirmed cases mounting to 52,526.” This brings the total to more than 60,000 worldwide. 

Axios wrote on February 13: “There are more than 500 cases in 27 other countries and territories.”

How China “Deals” with the Virus

The Washington Post wrote on February 6:

“The Chinese Communist Party has once again proved that authoritarianism is dangerous — not just for human rights but also for public health.

“Confronted with the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, the CCP has instinctively reverted to its familiar tool kit: It immediately staged a large-scale lockdown of people and information at the expense of the public good…

“All you need to do is look at the images and words of brave citizens in Wuhan who have responded by passing on firsthand information about the epidemic to their compatriots and the outside world. They are doing this at great risk to themselves. They know they potentially face reprisal for the heroic act of simply sharing the truth…”

China is an absolutely totalitarian country. It has been reported that those who are suspected of being infected are being violently dragged out of their homes, arrested, and transported into “isolation.”

Massive Death Toll Possible

The Guardian wrote on February 11:

“The coronavirus epidemic could spread to about two-thirds of the world’s population if it cannot be controlled, according to Hong Kong’s leading public health epidemiologist. His warning came after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said recent cases of coronavirus patients who had never visited China could be the ‘tip of the iceberg.’…

“‘Sixty per cent of the world’s population is an awfully big number,’ Leung told the Guardian in London… the death toll would be massive…”

Man’s Unwillingness to Learn!

AFP wrote on February 12:

“Bats, rats and snakes are still being sold at an Indonesian market known for its wildlife offerings, despite a government request to take them off the menu over fears of a link to the deadly coronavirus.

“Vendors at the Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island say business is booming and curious tourists keep arriving to check out exotic fare that enrages animal rights activists…

“A wildlife market in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, is thought to be ground zero and there is suspicion it could have originated in bats… [Indonesia’s] grubby stalls feature a dizzying array of animals including giant snakes, rats impaled on sticks and charred dogs with their hair seared off by blowtorches — a gory scene described by some critics as ‘like walking through hell’.”

This is SICK and DISGUSTING. God calls it a terrible abomination!

The Unforeseen Consequences of the Coronavirus Outbreak

CCN wrote on February 10:

“… the coronavirus epidemic is one big threat that could cause the U.S. housing market bubble to burst at last…

“The Chinese have already been pulling back their investments in the U.S. housing market as regulations have tightened in China to control the outflow of cash from the country. The trade war between the U.S. and China is another reason why their housing market investments have declined. But now, the coronavirus epidemic could deal yet another blow to Chinese investments in the U.S. housing market…

“The travel ban by President Trump on foreign nationals who have been to China in light of the coronavirus outbreak is going to further complicate things for anyone from that country looking to invest in the U.S. housing market. So, don’t be surprised to see a drop in home sales as the Chinese reportedly account for 20 percent of the foreign buyers who buy homes in the U.S.

“… the housing market inventory in the U.S. was down 13.6 percent in January. This was the largest annual decline seen in four years. What’s more, the report states that the listing volume of new properties was also down 10.6 percent year over year…

“As it turns out, homes in the U.S. are getting more and more expensive with each passing month. The median price of a home listed for sale went up by 3.4 percent in January to $299,995…

“At the same time, the pull-out by Chinese buyers on account of the coronavirus outbreak will be another headwind for the market… These two factors could… spark a potential crisis in the market.”

A collapse of the housing market in the USA is certain.

“US Navy Wants More Ships but Can’t Afford Them”

Defense News wrote on February 10:

“The US Navy’s fiscal year 2021 budget slashes 10 planned ships over the next five years…

“That would leave the Navy scrambling to add 50 ships to the battle force over five years starting in 2026, just as the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine enters serial production and is expected to eat as much as 40 percent of the Navy’s shipbuilding account.”

Crazy–Californians Compelled to Vote?

The Los Angeles Times reported on February 6:

“… a [Democratic] California lawmaker is pushing to require voters to cast a ballot in future elections. The proposal, introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday, would be unprecedented and probably challenged in court should it ultimately become law. It would place the burden for determining the civil penalty and the ultimate punishment on the secretary of state, California’s chief elections officer…

“As many as 30 countries have compulsory voting laws on the books, including Australia, Belgium and Brazil… Assembly Bill 2070… would require every Californian who registers to vote to ‘cast a ballot, marked or unmarked in whole or in part, at every election held within the territory within which the person resides.’ AB 2070 has yet to be referred to a policy committee and is unlikely to be considered until the spring…

“Opponents… have said that mandatory voting could be in conflict with the right to free speech guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.”

What absolute utter nonsense… but it is dangerous as, again, the state wants to control the people and limit, if not abolish, their individual rights. Compelling people to serve on a jury would fall into this same category, and so would be the institution of a draft.

Pope Removes German Archbishop Georg Gänswein

LifeSiteNews wrote on February 5:

“Pope Benedict’s secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has been put on administrative leave indefinitely by Pope Francis… Gänswein has been the private secretary of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger since 2003. He remained at his side after Ratzinger’s election to the papacy. Only a few months before Benedict resigned in 2013, he made Gänswein the Prefect of the Papal Household, as well as an archbishop.

“Since then, the German prelate has spent part of his day with the Pope emeritus, while fulfilling his duties as Prefect of the Papal Household during the remainder of his day. Die Tagespost speculates that the administrative leave is related to the rollout of the book From the Depths of Our Hearts on clerical celibacy by Cardinal Robert Sarah, to which Benedict XVI contributed… Vatican-based journalist Antonio Socci had claimed that Pope Francis was ‘furious’ over Benedict’s contribution to the book on celibacy, demanding he retract his name from the work.”

The liberal and conservative factions within the Catholic Church and the Vatican become more and more embittered adversaries. But it seems that for now, Francis who is sometimes very difficult to read, has bowed to conservative pressure. Note the next article.  

Francis: No Ordination of Married Men as Priests… for Now!

The Australian Associated Press wrote on February 12:

“Pope Francis, in one of the most significant decisions of his papacy, has dismissed a proposal to allow some married men to be ordained in the Amazon region to ease an acute scarcity of priests. The recommendation, put forward by Latin American bishops last year, alarmed conservatives in the deeply polarised 1.3 billion-member Roman Catholic Church, who feared it could lead to a change in the centuries-old commitment to celibacy among priests.

“Francis delivered his response in an Apostolic Exhortation on Wednesday, three months after the proposal passed by 128 votes to 41 at a contentious Vatican assembly, or synod, of Roman Catholic bishops. Apostolic Exhortations are used to instruct and encourage the Catholic faithful but do not define Church doctrine.

“Wednesday’s 32-page document did not even mention the proposal, which was for older married deacons who are proven leaders of remote Catholic communities and have stable families to be ordained as priests. Conservatives balked, fearing that even a circumscribed change would be a slippery slope leading to a married priesthood throughout the Church. They branded a pre-synod working document as heretical.

“In what some viewed as a strategically timed appeal to Francis not to approve the Amazon proposal, a book published last month by Church conservatives defended the tradition of priestly celibacy… Vatican officials said the pope completed the document on December 27, before the book controversy, and handed it in for translations. They said no changes were made after that.”

While conservatives may be pleased, liberals will not be.

Pope Pushes One-World Religion

Breaking Israel News wrote on February 11:

“Historically, the Vatican was no friend to the Jews but its new initiative aligns the Catholic Church with Islam in a one-world religion that may be the biggest threat ever to the Jewish People. A major event to advance the project will take place on the anniversary of the birth of the State of Israel…

“The date of the global educational summit is May 14, precisely 72 years after Israel proclaimed its independence. Rabbi Winston suggested that this could have a deeper meaning, indicating the inherent conflict between the Jewish People and universal religion… ‘Are they trying to get rid of the Jews and the Torah by creating one world religion? Anyone who wants a one-world order has to get rid of the Jews because all of human history has proven that the core of Torah Judaism doesn’t change, even, when necessary, and the cost of death…’”

The Bible prophesies an end-time worldwide persecution of the Jewish people.

The Brutal Origin of Valentine’s Day

The Sun wrote on February 12:

 “Valentine’s Day hasn’t always meant a cosy, candlelit dinner… The Roman festival of Lupercalia – one of the earliest instances the date became synonymous with ‘love’ – was launched to promote fertility in women, but its barbaric acts were distinctly un-romantic. … Here are the bloody beginnings of Valentine’s Day…

 “The ancient pagan festival Lupercalia began in a dark, sacred cave as far back as the 6th century BC. A group of Roman priests would gather and strip naked before slaughtering a goat, as a representation of sexuality, and then a dog – for purification. Two of the priests would then have the animals’ blood smeared on their foreheads with the same knife used for the slaughters, before wiping it off with a piece of milk-soaked wool. Once the sacrifices were complete, things took an even darker turn.

“The priests, known as the Luperci – meaning ‘brothers of the wolf’ – would cut the animals’ skins into strips and dip them in the sacred blood. They’d then take to the streets, where women would be voluntarily lining up to get whipped by the pieces of hide… If you were struck by a Lupercus, one of the priests, it was considered that you would give birth to more children…

“Once the beatings were complete, a Love Island-style matchmaking ceremony would take place… All of the unmarried women would reportedly add their names to a large urn, before it was passed around any single Roman men – who would each pick out a name.

“The couples who were matched up would remain together throughout the festival… Some retellings suggest the new couples would be forced to have sex throughout the remainder of the festival and perhaps even beyond, as the man tried to give his woman a baby.

“Pope Gelasius made it a Christian holiday in the fifth century, historian Noel Lenski told NPR. ‘It was a little more of a drunken revel... That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.’

“The Roman festival has long been linked to February 14… as the day that birds mate, signifying love.”

For further information on Valentine’s Day, see our free booklet, “Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”

Lesbians and Gays in Leadership Positions of the Episcopal Church

The Associated Press wrote on February 8:

“The Michigan diocese of the Episcopal Church has its first female and openly lesbian bishop. [She] was ordained Saturday during a ceremony in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn… [Another woman] was the church’s first lesbian bishop in 2010 in Los Angeles…

“[Another woman] became its first female bishop when she was ordained in 1989 in Massachusetts. [A man] became the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop in 2004… ‘If you look at scripture, Jesus said absolutely nothing about homosexuality,’ [the lesbian bishop from Michigan] said…”

It seems one can try to justify everything, even though the Truth should be blatantly obvious.

Israel Prepared to Annex Parts of the West Bank

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 8:

“Israel has begun preparing a precise map of the parts of the West Bank it will annex in accordance with the new US peace plan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday… ‘It won’t take much time… Within a few weeks, it will happen.’…

“Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump presented his peace plan, by which the US will approve of Israel annexing some 30% of the West Bank, including all settlements and the Jordan Valley…

“Netanyahu remarked on the historic change of the Trump administration recognizing Israel’s right to Jerusalem and the West Bank – as opposed to the world, including previous administrations, which did not. ‘I’m happy that American policy changed under [Trump’s] courageous leadership, starting with [canceling] the Iran Deal, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the US embassy, recognizing our sovereignty in the Golan and recognizing the legality of settlements in Judea and Samaria,’ he stated.”

Such action would result in an uproar in the Middle East.

Only Israel Approves of Trump’s Foreign Policies

Breaking Israel News wrote on February 9:

“Israel was the only one of 33 non-U.S. countries included in a new Pew Research Center survey where a majority of respondents expressed approval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policies.

“Some 55 percent of Israelis in the spring 2019 poll, released on Monday, expressed net approval of Trump’s international policies—meaning they approved of more policies than they disapproved of. The second non-U.S. country with the highest net approval was Poland at 34 percent, and Germany had the lowest net approval at 6 percent.”

America and Israel become more and more isolated from and rejected by the rest of the world.

No Freedom of Speech for the Truth in England

Daily Mail wrote on February 8:

“The preacher son of US evangelist Billy Graham is threatening to sue eight British arenas that cancelled his shows after protests from the LGBT community. Franklin Graham, 67, a vocal supporter of US President, Donald Trump, describes homosexuality as a ‘sin’ and is in favour of ‘gay conversion therapy’.

“The ACC Liverpool conference centre was the first to cancel one of his planned events saying last month that his views were ‘incompatible’ with their values and the Sheffield Arena followed soon after. Since then venues in Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and London have all followed suit. But Graham… remains unrepentant on his ‘homophobic’ views and even claimed that the Queen would agree with him…

“He told Premier Christian News: ‘I believe the Bible teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s the Church of England’s position… This is what the Bible teaches and that’s what I believe.’… Graham… has previously described gay marriage as a ‘sin‘… Graham claimed the LGBT community were threatening free speech… ‘If a small group of people can force a cancellation of an event where thousands of Christians are participating, I think there is no question about the danger in the future to others.’”

Shameful.

No Freedom of Speech for the Truth in Switzerland

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 9:

“Switzerland has voted strongly in favor of banning discrimination against gay people… Sunday’s referendum decided on legislation that specifically outlawed hate speech and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation with jail terms of up to three years… However, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) — the strongest party in parliament — opposed the law… The change was first passed by Swiss parliament in 2018, but it was forced to a referendum after critics said it would stifle free speech…

“SVP lawmaker Eric Bertinat told the Agence France-Presse news agency that he believed the law was ‘part of an LGBT plan to slowly move towards same-sex marriage and medically assisted reproduction’ for gay couples. Marc Frueh, head of the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU), a small Christian party called it a ‘censorship law.’… Green, left-leaning and centrist parties support the law.”

The Associated Press wrote on February 9:

“Supporters said the addition is needed but that it would not stifle legitimate public debate as long as the views expressed don’t stray into fomenting hate or discrimination… Opponents argued that protections against denigration were already enshrined in Swiss law. The nationalist Swiss People’s Party, the biggest single party in parliament, opposed the change and said the backers must now show it was ‘not a pretext for handing down politically motivated verdicts and silencing unwelcome opinions and voices.’

“[Justice Minister Karin] Keller-Sutter said ‘freedom of expression remains guaranteed.’ She added that courts have been ‘restrained’ in their application of the existing law and ‘anyone who remains respectful need have no fear of being convicted.’”

However, the accuracy of the concerns of the SVP is only too clear.

Major Winter Storm Hits Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 10:

“A major winter storm — named both Ciara and Sabine — has passed through large swaths of Europe, resulting in a number of deaths across the continent…

“Hurricane-force winds and heavy rains grounded flights, canceled trains and shut down operations at major ports across western Europe from Sunday… Gusts measuring over 170 kilometers (106 miles) per hour were reported in the Black Forest in southern Germany Monday morning… Germany issued its second-highest storm warning level for the entire southern half of the country. In parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the highest-level warning, No. 4, has been issued.”

The Associated Press reported on February 11:

“Ferocious winds, with gusts over 200 kph (125 mph), lashed Corsica and whipped up a forest fire that flared overnight on the French Mediterranean island on Tuesday, after a storm with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains battered northern Europe for days, killing at least eight people and causing severe travel disruptions…

“Deaths due to the fierce storm were reported in Poland, Sweden, Britain, Slovenia, Germany and the Czech Republic… In northern Bavaria, where a gust of over 160 kph (100 mph) was recorded, the storm produced a record amount of electricity being fed into the German grid from wind turbines, equivalent to almost 44 nuclear power plants.

“The German Weather Service said strong winds would keep blasting much of the country on Tuesday but the brunt of the storm had moved to the southeast. In northeastern Germany, a new storm was expected to reach the Baltic coast… In England and Scotland, the Met Office national weather agency still had 85 flood warnings in force as torrential rains caused numerous rivers to overflow their banks.

“In the Czech Republic, more than 40,000 households remained without electricity Tuesday morning, down from some 300,000 on Monday afternoon. Around 20 train routes were still blocked because of fallen trees on the track…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 12:

“A swell caused by storm Sabine flooded Hamburg’s iconic fish market. Fish could now be swimming through the stalls where they are usually sold.”

This winter storm might also be viewed as a preview of the major political storm which will be hitting Europe very soon.

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.

Britain’s Look Towards a Glorious Future?

The Sun wrote on January 31:

“ON THE stroke of 11pm our nation’s course changes for ever — and for the better. We will finally be out of the EU. Forty-seven years and 30 days after we joined. Three decades since the rot set in with the drive towards a United States of Europe… It is hard to exaggerate the magnitude of this moment… at 11pm Brexit becomes irreversible. We will be the first country to leave the EU. And… we will never rejoin, never again surrender our independence.

“Instead we will be firing the… birth of a new Britain, setting our own laws, controlling our borders and trading independently with the entire world…”

This is one view. Here is the other view.

Little Britain Drifts into Insignificance

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 31:

“The divorce proceedings with the EU have been tortuous, but they’re likely to pale in comparison with what lies ahead for the UK…

“It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out why leading carmakers are shutting plants and moving to mainland Europe, or why key financial operators are moving to Paris and Amsterdam [and] when EU nationals who have been working in science and education pack their bags and leave…

“Brexit will leave Britain broken, a disunited kingdom. Geographically it has always been removed from continental Europe. That distance will become increasingly palpable politically, economically and socially.”

In any event, for most observers, the future is far from certain.

Future Far From Certain?

The Associated Press wrote on January 31:

“The two sides have agreed to strike an ‘ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership,’ including a free trade deal, by Dec. 31…

“Britain says it wants a ‘Canada-style’ free trade agreement with the EU covering both goods and services. But it is adamant it won’t agree to follow the EU’s rule book… The bloc insists there can be no trade deal unless Britain agrees to a ‘level playing field’ and does not undercut EU regulations…

“The EU is willing to extend Britain’s transition period for up to two years if a trade agreement hasn’t been reached, but Conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he won’t agree to that… The EU-Canada deal that the British government cites as a model took seven years to negotiate.

“If there is no deal by the end of 2020, and the U.K. refuses to extend the negotiating period, Britain faces… severe economic disruptions, the pound would plunge and Britain could tip into recession…”

An Epic Opportunity or a Grave Mistake?

Newsmax wrote on February 1:

“The United Kingdom finally cast off from the European Union on Friday for an uncertain Brexit future… in its biggest geopolitical shift since losing its global empire…

“U.S. President Donald Trump has long supported Brexit. His Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Britons wanted to escape the ‘tyranny of Brussels.’…

“Cast either as an epic opportunity or a grave mistake, Brexit… also diminishes the EU… the bloc lost 15% of its economy, its biggest military spender and the world’s international financial capital, London…

“For proponents, Brexit is ‘independence day’ — an escape from what they cast as a German-dominated project… Opponents say Brexit is a folly…

“Johnson has promised to strike a broad free trade agreement with the EU, the world’s biggest trading bloc, though Merkel and Macron have warned that leaving will be harder than staying…

“Brexit… has tested the very fabric of what now looks a disunited kingdom: England and Wales voted to leave but Scotland and Northern Ireland wanted to stay. The strains could hasten another referendum on Scottish independence and even a push for a united Ireland.”

BBC News wrote on February 2:

“Britain will ‘not be aligning with EU rules’ in any post-Brexit trade deal, the foreign secretary has said. Dominic Raab argued agreeing to stick strongly with EU regulations would ‘defeat the point of Brexit’. But Irish PM Leo Varadkar said the UK needed to commit to a level playing field to get a free trade deal.”

Further disagreements between Britain and Ireland emerge.

The Guardian wrote on February 3:

“The pound fell on Monday after Boris Johnson warned that Britain would not accept alignment with the EU rules in any Brexit trade deal, while Brussels threatened to put tariffs on UK goods unless he complies…

“The currency dropped by more than 1.3% to trade at $1.30 against the dollar and by about 0.9% to just below €1.18 versus the euro… The EU is the largest source of UK food imports and largest destination for UK food exports in the world…”

Britain’s Productivity Decline the Worst in 250 Years

Bloomberg wrote on February 3:

“The U.K.’s worst productivity slump in a quarter of a millennium may be caused by a ‘perfect storm’ of three factors… Productivity was almost 20% below its pre-2008 path in 2018 — the worst slowdown since 1760-1800, as the Industrial Revolution took hold.

“The present-day malaise may have been caused by the end of the information and communications technology boom, the financial crisis, and Brexit.”

Brexit was foreordained. Britain never fit into the EU. Some other EU members don’t either. It is also interesting that Britain had been described as the “sick man of Europe.” Maybe the entire UK will split apart, while in time soon, a core Europe, consisting of ten nations or groups of nations, will arise.

The Battle Begins—Over Gibraltar

The Guardian wrote on February 1:

“The EU will back Spain over its territorial claims to Gibraltar in the next phase of Brexit negotiations by giving Madrid the power to exclude the British overseas territory from any trade deal struck with Brussels…

“Boris Johnson will be presented with the choice of reaching agreement with the Spaniards about Gibraltar’s future or exposing its citizens to economic peril by pushing it outside any EU-UK trade deal…

“The development highlights the pitfalls Downing Street faces as it moves into negotiations on the future relationship with Brussels. The UK is now a ‘third country’ to the EU…

“British sovereignty over Gibraltar was formalised by the treaty of Utrecht in 1713 but Spain has always bristled at the idea of UK ownership. As an EU member state, the UK had been able to resist Spanish claims over the territory but Madrid will now have the full support of the other 26 countries in the bloc.”

As we have stated for a long time, the UK will ultimately lose Gibraltar as one important sea gate.

Huge Political Scandal in East Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 5:

“A huge political upset in Germany’s eastern state of Thuringia on Wednesday sparked a widespread outcry across the country as the ruling coalition saw its candidate for state premier lose by a single vote to the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), who had barely cleared the 5% support hurdle to join the regional parliament. What was even more cause for concern, however, was the role of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the victory of FDP candidate Thomas Kemmerich.

“Thuringia held its state election all the way back in October, with the ruling Left party winning the highest share of the votes at 31%. At the same time, however, the AfD more than doubled its own support to come in second at 23.4% of the vote.

“… the AfD decided not to support the independent candidate it had previously supported, and throw all of its weight behind Kemmerich… The outrage on social media over the AfD’s role as kingmakers was swift and resounding. Ordinary Germans, public figures, and politicians all expressed their consternation, saying the FDP and CDU had gotten into bed with ‘fascists.’…

ABC News wrote on February 5:

“[In order] to contain the damage… the national leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union… suggested that new elections be held in Thuringia. Its general secretary, Paul Ziemiak, said Wednesday’s decision ‘divides our whole country’ and was made all the worse by the fact that CDU lawmakers made it possible for a governor to be elected ‘with the votes of Nazis as well.’…”

Deutsche Welle added the following opinion:

“This notable day should be one that shakes Germans to the core… [It] has shown just how much of their history Germans have forgotten… It also reminds us that no one in Germany should kid themselves into thinking history cannot repeat itself.”

Mannheimer Morgen spoke of a “fiasco for the democracy.”

Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung wrote: “Germany is in a deep, extremely dangerous crisis. Our society is divided. It becomes radicalized.”

Bild described Kemmerich’s conduct as “pitiful” and said that he brings shame on his own party by accepting his appointment under such conditions.

Bowing to pressure, Kemmerich subsequently resigned. It is interesting that Angela Merkel and others wanted to reverse a democratic vote and a democratic coalition. Even if you don’t like the result of a vote and even if you think that it is a heinous political crime to vote in such a way, in democracy, the vote is supposed to be the will of the people.  

 We saw the same developments in the UK with the Brexit referendum.  Those who espoused democracy were the first to cry aloud when the vote did not go their way and they wanted another vote to achieve the result which THEY wanted.

Of course, the entire circus of the impeachment procedure against Trump was initiated by Democrats who did not like and wanted to overturn the result of the last Presidential election.

The more the mass media is speaking against the AfD, the more the party will rise in popularity.

Germany’s Schäuble Calls for Expansion of Military Operations

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 31:

“Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble said on Friday that Germany needed to take more responsibility in military affairs with its allies. ‘We can’t hide. If Europe is to play a stronger role, then we must play our part,’ Schäuble said. ‘We cannot leave everything to… the Americans.’

“The veteran lawmaker and long-time minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinets said he supported German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer’s plans to streamline the Bundeswehr and boost defense spending to reach NATO’s target of 2% of GDP…

“Germany has come under growing pressure from within the NATO military alliance as well as fellow EU member states to take a more active role in defense matters.”

As Germany is being pushed, it will become more and more involved in military endeavors, and a EU Army under German leadership is prophesied.

Europe Destined to Obtain Great Power Status

Project Syndicate published on January 30 an article by Joschka Fischer who was German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day in 1991, the US became the world’s only superpower – and quickly overextended itself. The unipolar moment ended with the senseless US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 – a country from which the US has been trying to extricate itself for more than a decade.

“But the global order cannot exist in a vacuum, because other powers will always step in to fill the void… The election of US President Donald Trump marked the beginning of America’s active renunciation of the global order that it helped build…  America’s retreat is forcing Europe to become a power in its own right… Europeans [are left] with no choice but to pursue great-power status…”

And Europe will, as the Bible clearly prophesies.

Going Way Overboard–US Restricts or Bars Entry of Travelers from China

The Associated Press reported on January 31:

“The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and took drastic steps to significantly restrict entry into the country because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations.

“President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled in China within the last 14 days. The new restrictions…  take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday…

“Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don’t pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine…

“At the same time, federal health authorities were recognizing that the test they’re using to detect the virus isn’t always dependable. [They]  said when it was used on some of the people currently in isolation, they’d test positive one day and negative another… putting a large number of people under quarantine ‘is virtually unprecedented in modern American history.’…

“Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, provincial capital of Hubei province. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about the potential spread of smallpox…

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded more than 600 points Friday as the outbreak continued to widen, stoking fears that the travel restrictions and other uncertainties caused by the health emergency in the world’s second-largest economy could dent global growth…

These developments are deeply distressing, as they show how even democratic countries resort to autocratic and dictatorial methods “in the pursuit and defense of public safety and national security.” German President Steinmeier was right when he recently spoke of the poison of nationalism. God’s Church has always understood that nationalism (our country against everybody else)—as distinguished from the right kind of patriotism (the love for our country)—is ungodly and unbiblical.

Dangers for Global Economy

The Associated Press wrote on February 2:

“Travel restrictions and business closures aimed at stopping the spread of a new virus… could end up causing ripple effects that harm the global economy… ‘When you stop planes and ships, trains and motor vehicles from moving, it starts to shut down the economy — and that can have a cascading effect throughout society,’ Dr. Eric Toner, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said Saturday, after multiple airlines announced that they would suspend or cut back on flights to and from China…

“It’s not just airlines that have cut back on business in China. Apple Inc. announced Saturday that it was temporarily clos[ing] all of its offices and its 42 stores in mainland China. Google, Amazon and Microsoft previously announced plans to temporarily shutter offices, and Starbucks and McDonald’s have closed some chains… ‘Travel restrictions can cause more harm than good by hindering info-sharing, medical supply chains and harming economies,’ World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

“Toner said governments are ultimately ‘trying to do something that has very little benefit but [causes] very real harm.’ ‘It’s been shown over and over again that putting up barriers to travel doesn’t stop contagious infectious diseases,’ he said, pointing to past outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and even influenza.”

This shows how quickly, in part caused by a panic-stricken overreaction, our entire world system can become eroded and how our economic system can crash. Either one is too slow in acting or one is going far overboard. Sadly, the human mind has a hard time striking a proper balance.

How China Suppressed Knowledge of the Coronavirus

MSNBC wrote on February 2:

“Chinese officials were beginning to grasp the threat of a new contagious disease in Wuhan [in early December] but did little to inform the public…

“Medical professionals who tried to sound an alarm were seized by police. Key state media omitted mention of the outbreak for weeks… as the crisis worsened…”

The New York Times added on February 2:

“A doctor tried to warn his medical school classmates… In the middle of the night, officials from the health authority in the central city of Wuhan summoned [him]… Three days later, the police compelled him to sign a statement that his warning constituted ‘illegal behavior.’

“… At critical moments, officials chose to put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis to avoid public alarm and political embarrassment.

“A reconstruction of the crucial seven weeks between the appearance of the first symptoms in early December and the government’s decision to lock down the city… points to decisions that delayed a concerted public health offensive.

“In those weeks, the authorities silenced doctors and others for raising red flags. They played down the dangers to the public, leaving the city’s 11 million residents unaware they should protect themselves…”

It was subsequently reported by Newsmax, dated February 4, that the “Chinese doctor who was targeted by the police after warning about the coronavirus in the first days of the outbreak before it had been made public has been quarantined in his hospital with a SARS-like illness.” He has since died.

This reveals typical behavior of human governments. First, many countries suppress, and when exposed, they move into the opposite direction.

No Vaccine against AIDS

CNN wrote on February 3:

“A clinical trial for an HIV vaccine has been discontinued since the vaccine was not found to prevent infections of human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS…

“The vaccine trial… began in 2016 and enrolled 5,407 HIV-negative volunteers at 14 sites across South Africa… Those volunteers were sexually active men and women ages 18 to 35 who were randomly assigned to receive either the vaccine or placebo injections.

“An analysis of the study showed no significant difference in subsequent HIV infections among the volunteers in the vaccine group versus placebo group… 129 HIV infections occurred among the vaccine recipients and 123 HIV infections occurred among the placebo recipients.”

This entire trial strikes us to be just sick.

Trump’s Peace Deal is Akin to Decree of King Cyrus Paving Path for Third Temple

Breaking Israel News reported on January 29:

“While people on both the Arab and the Israeli side are still considering the possible implications of President Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ revealed on Tuesday, one insightful Israeli declared it to be ‘the declaration of Cyrus [for the Jews to build the Second Temple] in our time.’… [Dr. Rafael Minnes worked for the internal security service and is a professor of physics.]

“‘The first thing that is similar between Trump’s Deal of the Century and King Cyrus’ proclamation is that both of them are non-Jewish political figures who are coming in the name of the God of Israel in order to advance the divine plan incumbent upon the Jewish nation,’ Dr. Minnes [wrote]…”

“This isn’t the first time Trump has been compared to King Cyrus. This expectation regarding Trump was first expressed by the Sanhedrin after his election…

“Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion explains: ‘Like Cyrus… [Trump] will pave the way for building the Third Temple…”

Trump will stay in office and be re-elected. He will play an important role regarding the building of the Third Temple. On February 3, Germany’s mass tabloid Bild Online published an article with the headline:

“That is why Trump will become President again,” adding, “None of his challengers has a chance.”

The Week reported on February 4 that “President Trump’s job approval rating reached an all-time high… Forty-nine percent of Americans said they approve of the job Trump is doing as president… Trump’s approval rating rose six points among Republicans to 94 percent, as well as five points among independents to 42 percent… a majority of Americans — 52 percent — said they support acquitting Trump…”

The Hill wrote on February 4 that “Trump’s acquittal… was largely preordained. A GOP-majority Senate was never likely to convict a Republican president… Everyone understood that acquittal was inevitable…”

Why then did the Democrats start the impeachment circus, knowing that they would thereby commit political suicide? The answer is clear—they had to do this so that Trump will be reelected.

Regarding the Third Temple, much misinformation is being disseminated, including the false idea that the First and Second Temples did not stand on the Temple Mount. Some claim that famous Israeli Archaeologist Eli Shukron has claimed that “the Temple stood not atop Mount Moriah, but rather along the southern slopes in the City of David,” as reported by Israel Today on December 13, 2019. However, the paper explained that this claim was a hoax, quoting Shukron as follows:

“‘There is no evidence that the Temple was in the City of David,’ Shukron told us adamantly. ‘The Temple known as Solomon’s Temple was absolutely on the Temple Mount… on top of Mount Moriah. I have no doubt about that,’ he told me.”

Palestinians Cut Ties with USA and Israel

Reuters wrote on February 1:

“The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the United States and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting a Middle East peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday. Abbas was in Cairo to address the Arab League, which backed the Palestinians in their opposition to Trump’s plan…

“Israel and the Palestinian Authority’s security forces have long cooperated in policing areas of the occupied West Bank that are under Palestinian control. The PA also has intelligence cooperation agreements with the CIA, which continued even after the Palestinians began boycotting the Trump administration’s peace efforts in 2017.

“Abbas also said he had refused to discuss the plan with Trump by phone, or to receive even a copy of it to study it… Abbas said he did not want Trump to be able to say that he, Abbas, had been consulted… The Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo said [it] would not cooperate with the United States in implementing it…

“Foreign ministers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and others said there could be no peace without recognizing Palestinian rights and a comprehensive solution…”

It is interesting how the front between most Arabs and the USA and Israel is hardening… So is the relationship between the EU and the USA, as well as Israel, as the next articles show.

EU vs. USA and Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 4:

“The European Union slammed US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan on Tuesday, arguing that it ‘departs from’ international agreements on the Israel-Palestine conflict… The response, however, triggered an angry response from Israel, which backs the plan…”

The Jerusalem Post added on February 4:

“The European Union on Tuesday warned Israel against annexing West Bank settlements. ‘We are especially concerned by statements on the prospect of annexation of the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank,’ EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement issued by his office.

“‘In line with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967,’ Borrell said. ‘Steps towards annexation, if implemented, could not pass unchallenged,’ he added. He spoke after holding meetings in Iran and Jordan.

“Israel’s Foreign Ministry tweeted: ‘The fact that the High [Representative] of the EU, Josep Borrell, chose to use threatening language towards Israel, so shortly after he assumed office [and] only hours after his meetings in Iran, is regrettable [and], to say the least, odd. ‘Pursuing such policies [and] conduct is the best way to ensure that the EU’s role in any process will be minimized,’ the Foreign Ministry continued.”

A Worldwide Wind of Madness

The Associated Press wrote on February 4:

“U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday that ‘a wind of madness is sweeping the globe,’ pointing to escalating conflicts from Libya and Yemen to Syria and beyond. At a wide-ranging news conference, he said, ‘All situations are different but there is a feeling of growing instability and hair-trigger tensions, which makes everything far more unpredictable and uncontrollable, with a heightened risk of miscalculation.’

“The U.N. chief also expressed great frustration that legally binding U.N. Security Council resolutions ‘are being disrespected before the ink is even dry.’

“Guterres singled out Libya where he called the current offensives by the warring parties ‘a scandal’ — coming soon after world powers and other key countries adopted a road map to peace in Berlin on Jan. 19 that called for respect for a U.N. arms embargo, an end to foreign interference in the fighting by rival governments and steps toward a cease-fire. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi who was later killed…

“On the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the secretary-general said the U.S. peace plan… doesn’t comply with U.N. General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and international law. The resolutions support a two-state solution based on 1967 borders and call all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal.”

The whole world is opposed to Israel and the USA.

“Pope Francis and the Germans”

Catholic Herald wrote on February 3:

“The German bishops’ conference has been on a collision course with Rome… Pope Francis himself wrote a letter to the whole Church in Germany, warning against a false synodality, one rooted in making the Church conform to modern secular morals and thought… Undeterred, the German bishops began the first session of their synodal process in Frankfurt yesterday… the German agenda touches every major issue on the papal desk this year.

“The issue of clerical celibacy has been a contested topic in Rome… An end to mandatory celibacy is widely touted as one of the expected outputs of the German synodal process… Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, vice-chairman of the German bishops’ conference, said in a 2018 interview that if the ordination of married men is authorized for the Amazon, the Germans will insist on the same authorization…

“At the heart of the dispute over clerical celibacy, and the other changes being mooted in the German synodal process, is a mounting power struggle between Rome and the Church in Germany. While Pope Francis and his curia have been clear that the Vatican alone can treat issues of universal Church teaching and discipline, the Germans have been equally clear that they see a very different future for the Church.

“On Jan. 27, the secretary of the German bishops’ conference gave a pointed interview insisting that it is ‘unacceptable’ that Rome continue to have full discretion over universal teaching and discipline… Francis may find that all roads lead through Berlin in 2020.”

An interesting dilemma. And while the German bishops are more left-wing and liberal than Pope Francis, former Pope Benedict and his followers are more right-wing and conservative. So, Francis is confronted with two incompatible battles.

Ancient Carnival Procession in Spain

The Associated Press wrote on February 2:

“In one of the most ancient carnival celebrations in Europe, dozens of people don sheepskins, lace petticoats and conical caps, sling cowbells across their backs and parade through two Spanish towns…

“The annual procession stems from ceremonies held to ward off evil spirits and bless the harvests to come. The celebration, traditionally held at the end of January, is believed to date from before Roman times.”

This is a prime example to show the real pagan, dangerous and demonic origins of Carnival.

Locust Plague Widens

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 1:

“Pakistan‘s government declared a national emergency on Saturday in response to swarms of desert locusts in the eastern part of the country… facing the worst locust infestation in more than two decades… The desert locusts… arrived in Pakistan from Iran in June and have already ravaged cotton, wheat, maize and other crops.

“… Currently, locust swarms are affecting neighboring India and countries in East Africa.

“On Sunday, Somalia declared its locust infestation a national emergency. The locust invasion has swept over the Horn of Africa, devastating crops in one of the most vulnerable regions in the world…”

Vatican News added on January 31:

“The worst locust outbreak that parts of East Africa have seen in 70 years… now threatens to spread to South Sudan and Uganda and new rains in the weeks to come will fuel fresh vegetation and a new wave of breeding. The outbreak might not be under control until June when drier weather arrives… But by then the number of locusts, if left unchecked, could grow 500 times…

“An Ethiopian representative [said] that some farmers in Africa’s second most populous nation have lost 90% of their production. The locusts have been moving steadily toward Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, the country’s breadbasket…

“A single swarm can contain up to 150 million locusts per square kilometer of farmland, an area the size of almost 250 football fields… One especially large swarm in northeastern Kenya measured 60 kilometers long by 40 kilometers wide (37 miles long by 25 miles wide)… [Capable of eating their own weight each day, a swarm as large as between 40 and 80 million locusts could devour more than 190 million kilos of plants on a daily basis, according to Deutsche Welle].

“Even before this outbreak, nearly 20 million people faced high levels of food insecurity across the East African region long challenged by periodic droughts and floods.”

RT wrote on February 3:

“Residents in Saudi Arabia and Yemen have been faced with the bewildering sight of a truly gargantuan swarm of roughly 360 billion locusts, which can block out the sun at times… Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment has warned residents not to eat any of the locusts as they are likely contaminated with toxic pesticides… To make matters even worse, another, even larger swarm is expected in April, which could grow up to 500 times in size by June.”

One can’t help but wonder about the four horsemen of the apocalypse riding… false religion, war, famine and disease epidemics.

Donald Trump Jr’s Trophy Hunt

The Guardian wrote on February 4:

“A week-long ‘dream hunt’ with the US president’s son Donald Trump Jr is being auctioned at an annual trophy hunting convention in Reno, Nevada alongside expeditions to shoot elephants, bears and giraffes.

“The four-day event… advertised as a ‘hunters’ heaven’, will culminate on Saturday with an auction for a week-long Sitka black-tailed deer hunt in Alaska with Trump Jr, his son and a guide… Other prizes include the chance to shoot an elephant on a 14-day trip in Namibia, an all-inclusive hunt package to Zimbabwe to kill buffalo, giraffe and wildebeest, and a 10-day crocodile hunting expedition in South Africa…

“Thousands of hunters from around the world are expected to attend the convention which begins on Wednesday, where Trump Jr, an avid trophy hunter, is set to give a keynote address…

“The regulations around importing hunting trophies has been loosened under Donald Trump, though he has previously described the practice as a ‘horror show’ despite his sons’ affection for big-game hunting. In 2018 the administration moved to make it easier to import trophies from exotic big-game animals such as elephants and lions.”

Only two words can describe this “horror show”: ABSOLUTELY SICK!

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.

The New Coronavirus

The Sun wrote on January 25:

“[Surgeon] Dr Liang Wudong, 62, passed away today after becoming struck down with the deadly virus on January 16… Dr Wudong [was]  the 41st person to die from the disease with [almost 6,000] cases reported in China alone [and with 56 million people now on lockdown]. [Internationally, almost 10,000 cases have been reported.] [It was also reported a second doctor, Jiang Jijun died from a heart attack while treating the afflicted. It is not yet known if the infectious disease specialist died as a result of the coronavirus or from exhaustion. Reportedly, a doctor in France died of the disease as well.]

“Vietnam, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong all now have confirmed cases — alongside the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. France yesterday confirmed three cases and Australia one – with all patients returning from Wuhan… experts have now warned Britain is on the brink of an epidemic… [In the meantime, at least four cases have surfaced in Germany. The disease has been identified in at least 18 countries. Over 200 people have died so far.]

“And the bleak prediction reveals [that] by February 4, the number of infected people in Wuhan [which has a population of 11 million] could hit [in excess of 350,000]. Preliminary research suggested the coronavirus [originated] at Wuhan’s seafood market… which sold live koalas, snakes, rats and wolf pups to locals to eat. [It]has since been shut down while an investigation is carried out.”

The Daily Mail added on January 25:

“Disturbing footage shows [a] diner calmly dipping a baby MOUSE in a bowl of sauce before eating it alive as part of [a] banned Chinese delicacy known as ‘Three Squeaks’.”

Absolutely disgusting!

In another article, the Sun wrote on January 25:

“The killer coronavirus was spread from bats to snakes to humans, experts have claimed.

“A new study published in the China Science Bulletin this week claimed that the new coronavirus shared a strain of virus found in bats. Previous deadly outbreaks of SARS and Ebola were also believed to have originated in the flying mammal…

“Meanwhile, scientists at Peking University also claim that the deadly virus was passed to humans from bats – but say it was through a mutation in snakes… It meant that they likely provided a ‘reservoir’ for the viral strain to grow stronger and replicate. Snakes are sold at the Huanan Seafood Market in central Wuhan and may have jumped to other animals before passing to humans, they claim… The expert believes that the new strain was an RNA virus, meaning that its mutation speed was 100 times faster than that of a DNA virus such as smallpox.”

Some irresponsible articles in the mass media try to minimize the dangers of the new virus, suggesting that it only affects older and weak people. This is demonstrably not the case, and such denial is not only unhelpful and ignorant, but very dangerous.

Will 65 Million People Die of Coronavirus Pandemic?

Business Insider wrote January 23:

“Health experts issued an ominous warning about a coronavirus pandemic 3 months ago…

“Eric Toner, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, wasn’t shocked when news of a mysterious coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, surfaced in early January. Less than three months earlier, Toner had staged a simulation of a global pandemic involving a coronavirus…

“Toner’s simulation imagined a fictional virus called CAPS. The analysis… looked at what would happen if a pandemic originated in Brazil’s pig farms… The virus in Toner’s simulation… would be deadlier than SARS, but about as easy to catch as the flu.

“The pretend outbreak started small: Farmers began coming down with symptoms that resembled the flu or pneumonia. From there, the virus spread to crowded and impoverished urban neighborhoods in South America. Flights were canceled, and travel bookings dipped by 45%… A year later, it had killed 65 million people. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, by contrast, claimed as many as 50 million lives.

“Toner’s simulated pandemic also triggered a global financial crisis: Stock markets fell by 20% to 40%, and global gross domestic product plunged by 11%… [Toner said] that the Wuhan coronavirus could also have significant economic effects if the total number of cases hits the thousands…

“In the CAPS simulation, scientists were unable to develop a vaccine in time to stop a pandemic. That’s a realistic assumption: Even real coronaviruses like SARS or MERS… still don’t have vaccines… ‘It’s part of the world we live in now,’ Toner said. ‘We’re in an age of epidemics.’”

The Bible predicts that in the end time, millions upon millions will die of pandemics. See our new Q&A in this issue.

Allowing the Alteration of Germs

In light of the recent developments, the following older article by the New York Times, dated December 19, 2017, gains horrible morbid importance:

“Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal… Some scientists are eager to pursue these studies because they may show, for example, how a bird flu could mutate to more easily infect humans, or could yield clues to making a better vaccine [that is always the excuse for such horrible conduct]. Critics say these researchers risk creating a monster germ that could escape the lab and seed a pandemic…

“In October 2014, all federal funding was halted on efforts to make three viruses more dangerous: the flu virus, and those causing Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). But the new regulations apply to any pathogen that could potentially cause a pandemic. For example, they would apply to a request to create an Ebola virus transmissible through the air…

“There has been a long, fierce debate about projects — known as ‘gain of function’ research — intended to make pathogens more deadly or more transmissible… In 2011, an outcry arose when laboratories in Wisconsin and the Netherlands revealed that they were trying to mutate the lethal H5N1 bird flu in ways that would let it jump easily between ferrets, which are used to model human flu susceptibility. Tensions rose in 2014 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accidentally exposed lab workers to anthrax and shipped a deadly flu virus to a laboratory that had asked for a benign strain. That year, the N.I.H. also found vials of smallpox in a freezer that had been forgotten for 50 years.

“When the moratorium was imposed, it effectively halted 21 projects… In the three years since, the N.I.H. created exceptions that funded ten of those projects. Five were flu-related, and five concerned the MERS virus. That virus is a coronavirus carried by camels that has infected about 2,100 people since it was discovered in 2012, and has killed about a third of them, according to the World Health Organization.”

It has been speculated and suggested that the Chinese new coronavirus had been manufactured in Chinese laboratories and then “escaped” by first infecting animals, such as bats or snakes. Sadly, this is a real possibility.

Powerful Earthquakes Strike

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“A powerful 6.8 [or 6.7] magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Friday, killing at least [41] people and injuring over [1,600] others… Some [390] aftershocks were recorded in the wake of the earthquake, with one clocking in at 5.4 magnitude…

“Turkey has a history of being rocked by powerful earthquakes. Thousands of people were killed and many more displaced when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the western city of Izmit in 1999. In 2011, more than 500 people were killed by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the eastern city of Van.”

The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers search for survivors under the rubble in freezing winter conditions, as the temperature dropped to -8C (17.6F).

The Associated Press reported on January 27:

“An undersea earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.2 occurred Tuesday off the Aegean Sea island of Karpathos… in an area close to the Greek resort islands of Rhodes and Crete.”

The Associated Press reported on January 28:

“A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond… the epicenter was… 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the surface.”

American Troops WERE Injured by Iran’s Attack

Reuters wrote on January 24:

“The Pentagon said on Friday that 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month, a number higher than the military had previously announced. President Donald Trump and other top officials initially said Iran’s attack had not killed or injured any U.S. service members…

“[Pentagon’s] …handling of the injuries… has renewed questions over the U.S. military’s policy regarding how it deals with suspected brain injuries. While the U.S. military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose… According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.”

Several articles pointed out that the Pentagon has a “credibility problem,” in that they were very slow to admit these serious injuries. This could also pose a potential problem for Trump as he had said that the USA would retaliate militarily if American troops were to be injured or killed in Iran’s attack.

Newsmax added on January 28:

“The Pentagon on Tuesday raised to 50 the number of U.S. service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran’s missile strike earlier this month on an Iraqi air base, the third time the number of injuries has been increased.

“The new casualty total belies President Donald Trump’s initial claim that no Americans were harmed.”

Veterans Demand Apology from Trump

Newsmax wrote on January 24:

“Trump referred to the injuries as ‘headaches’ and ‘not very serious.’

“‘In light of today’s announcement from the defense department that 34 U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of Iran’s retaliatory strike and President Trump’s remarks which minimized these troops’ injuries, the Veterans of Foreign Wars cannot stand idle on this matter,’ group national commander William ‘Doc’ Schmitz said in a statement. [Schmitz represents the largest Veterans organization in the USA.]

“‘TBI is a serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly. TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue — all injuries that come with both short- and long-term effects. The VFW expects an apology from the president to our servicemen and women for his misguided remarks.’”

Trump needs the support and the votes of the Veterans.

Iraq Wants US Troops Out

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“Waving national flags and banners denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump, tens of thousands of Iraqis marched peacefully through Baghdad on Friday to demand the ouster of U.S. troops from their country in a protest organized by [Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most revered Shiite cleric]…

“Al-Sadr, whose party won the most seats in the May 2018 parliamentary elections, had called the rally to demand the withdrawal of American troops following the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike near Baghdad’s airport that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The killing drew the ire of Iraqi officials from across the political spectrum.”

 It is only a matter of time until America will withdraw its troops from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.

Standing Up to Iran

Times of Israel wrote on January 24:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday vowed to maintain pressure on Tehran and announced fresh sanctions against firms based in China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates that conduct business with Iran… [by] operating in Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors…

“US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday in Jerusalem called for the world to stand up to Iran, drawing a parallel between the Islamic Republic and Nazi Germany… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged action against ‘the tyrants of Tehran,’ comparing what he considers the Iranian threat to the one that was posed by the Nazis.”

JTA added on January 23:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the Allied war to defeat Nazi Germany, even as he claimed the world had ‘largely’ abandoned the Jews during the Holocaust… ‘I am concerned that we have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet – a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state,’ Netanyahu said, referencing Iran.”

The “world” will abandon the Jews once again.

Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan… Dead on Arrival

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 28:

“Three years in the making, the ‘Deal of the Century,’ US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, has finally been revealed…

“The Palestinians will have a capital in east Jerusalem based on northern and eastern neighborhoods that are outside the Israeli security barrier… Otherwise, Trump said Jerusalem will remain undivided as Israel’s capital…

“Israel will retain the Jordan Valley and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the broadest definition possible…

“Israel will be in control of security from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea…

“The plan does not include immediate recognition of a Palestinian state; rather, it expects a willingness on Israel’s part to create a pathway toward Palestinian statehood based on specific territory, which is about 70% of Judea and Samaria… The state will only come into existence in four years if the Palestinians accept the plan, if the Palestinian Authority stops paying terrorists and inciting terrorism and if Hamas and Islamic Jihad put down their weapons…”

This “plan” has not the slightest chance of success.

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 28:

“Massive criticism is expected from Arab and Muslim leaders, even though not all of it will be genuine. Extremist elements, meanwhile, will happily instrumentalize this plan to carry out terrorist attacks and perpetrate violence. None of this will do anything to bring peace to the Middle East.”

Those who worked on this peace plan for three years have been wasting their time. The Bible prophesies that they will say “Peace, peace,” but that there will be no peace.

Russia’s Persecution of Religious Minorities

The Associated Press wrote on January 23:

“A court in northern Russia on Friday fined two Jehovah’s Witnesses convicted of extremism related to their membership of the religious group… [They] were fined the equivalent of $4,850 and $5,600 for ‘carrying out activities of the religious organization by calling and holding meetings’ and ‘collecting money under the guise of fundraising.’

“Russia officially banned Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2017 and declared the group an extremist organization. The Kremlin has actively used vaguely worded extremism laws to crack down on opposition activists and religious minorities… Since 2017, Russian law enforcement have targeted hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses across the country, raiding their homes and arresting them on extremism charges. Thirty-four members of the group have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms so far, with almost 300 people currently being investigated…”

And again, the world stands idly by in silence in the face of Russia’s unconscionable atrocities, as it did when witnessing the horrors of Nazi Germany.

Britain to Leave

The Associated Press wrote on January 24:

“Britain’s delayed and disputed Brexit bill became law on Thursday, removing the last UK obstacle to the country leaving the European Union in just over a week… the Withdrawal Agreement Act… received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II, the final formality in its legislative journey…

“The EU Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee voted by a large margin Thursday to approve the Brexit withdrawal deal, preparing the way for a vote of all European lawmakers in Brussels next Wednesday… [See next article below.]

“After the royal assent was announced, Scottish National Party lawmaker Ian Blackford said the UK was in a ‘constitutional crisis’ because the legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland did not back the Brexit bill… Guy Verhofstadt, the leading EU lawmaker on Brexit, said the bloc’s parliament would continue to scrutinize the way Britain implemented the divorce agreement — especially to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected after Brexit.”

All of this will clearly create more trouble for the UK’s unity and its already fragile relationship with Europe.

Brexit Done—“History Made”

 Express wrote on January 30:

 “THE European Parliament last night brought the curtain down on Brexit, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc on Friday.

“Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage celebrated the UK’s divorce… Of the deal, Mr Farage said: ‘… The most significant point is what happens at 11pm this Friday marks the point of no return. Once we’ve left we are never coming back and the rest frankly is detail. We’re going, we will be gone.’”

How Europe Threatens the UK

The Independent wrote on January 22:

“The UK’s access to the single market will be weakened if it does not continue to sign up to EU rules after Brexit, Ursula von der Leyen has said… the European Commission’s president warned of ‘more distance’ between the UK and EU if such a state of affairs came about… Her comments came as the chancellor, Sajid Javid, said there was ‘no point’ in leaving the EU unless the UK was going to ditch the Brussels rule book…

“The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has set himself a deadline of reaching a trade deal by the end of the transition period in December. If one is not secured by that point, UK firms will face tariffs and quotas that could wreck their businesses…”

The relationship between the UK and the EU will become much more hostile.

A Look Back at the Rocky Relationship between Europe and Britain

The Guardian wrote on January 26:

“Last week, with the end of the UK’s 47-year membership of the club of European nations just days away, I looked back at some newspaper cuttings from my time as a Brussels correspondent… ‘British beef banned in Europe. Cattle prices fall. School meals hit. EU “rules” broken.’ Among the many crises in British relations with the EU down the years – from Margaret Thatcher’s bust-up over the European budget in the early 1980s to the UK’s exit from the ERM in 1992 – the beef war between London and Brussels ranks among the biggest.

“It was 29 March, 1996, and the European commission had just announced a worldwide ban on the export of British beef. The EU’s executive opted for decisive action after the Tory government admitted there could be a link between ‘mad cow’ disease and the mutant strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which could kill humans…

“When the European commission dropped its bombshell, France and Germany had already imposed their own unilateral bans on British beef. UK ministers had announced that millions of cattle across the UK would have to be slaughtered. Thousands of schools took meat off their lunch menus. Beef prices tumbled. Inevitably, in those testy post-Maastricht days of Tory rows over Europe, Eurosceptic MPs blamed the Europeans. The late Sir Teddy Taylor, a hardline anti-EU campaigner on the Conservative backbenches, urged retaliation in the form of a ban on French wine and French beef, while Bill Cash, still a Tory MP to this day, wanted to take the European commission to court.

“Throughout that spring and summer, the crisis widened. This was a time when the ambitions of the EU’s true believers in Brussels, Bonn and Paris were at their height. Helmut Kohl and Jacques Chirac were planning the launch of the euro… leaders were preparing also to admit several countries of former communist eastern Europe. The enlargement project was one of which the UK thoroughly approved…

“But John Major, who had launched his premiership in 1990 with a promise to put Britain ‘at the heart of Europe’, found himself trapped politically as the BSE disaster worsened. The rightwing tabloids were in full anti-EU cry, demanding he fight the beef ban… In an editorial at the end of March, the Sun warned that the survival of an independent UK, no less, was at stake: ‘If Brussels has the power to stop Britain from selling a product anywhere in the world, then we are no longer an independent sovereign nation with control over our own affairs,’ the paper said…

“On 21 May, Major… announced that the UK would refuse to co-operate in EU meetings until further notice. British non-co-operation with Europe – and its policies – had become official policy… In areas where British ministers had a veto in council meetings, non-co-operation meant they would effectively be blocking EU decisions, thwarting European plans for deeper integration…

“Non co-operation quickly took relations between London and Brussels to a historic low. For the first time in more than two decades serious questions were being asked about Britain’s membership, publicly, by senior British and European politicians. The beef crisis in itself was an isolated, very specific issue. But the way it had spiralled had highlighted deep faultlines in a relationship between a member state determined not to cede powers, and much of whose media was virulently anti-Brussels, and the proponents of a postwar European project that had as its entire purpose the unification of Europe, and the necessary surrender by participants of ever more sovereignty to the centre.

“EU leaders were beginning to wonder if the UK could continue as a full member if it was prepared to put spanners in the works of integration whenever it had a grievance…

“This coming Friday, 31 January, at midnight in Brussels, and 11pm UK time, it will all be over. The worst fears of the pro-Europeans here and on the continent will have been realised… The UK will be out… Could it have worked? If so, was the EU or the UK, or were both, to blame? Which British and EU leaders fell short? Or was it always doomed to failure?…

“As we prepare to leave, I asked diplomats, politicians, journalists on both sides of the channel why they thought Brexit had come to pass and they cited a multitude of reasons. The deep differences in postwar attitudes between the UK and its European partners; poor leadership in the EU and UK; a constantly hostile British media, and sheer bad luck and timing… The German MP Norbert Röttgen, who chairs the foreign affairs committee in the Bundestag, suggested the idea of the UK leaving was always so alien and nightmarish for EU leaders that they blinded themselves to the warning signals. By the time of the 2016 referendum the chance to find compromise had been lost… Röttgen knows, as does everyone, that it was the entire European political class that failed to stop the ‘unimaginable’ happening… These are perilous times…”

Brexit was inevitable. It had nothing to do with “sheer bad luck” or “bad timing,” but it was preordained to happen. The EU-UK cooperation was “doomed to failure.” The Bible says so, and we have been proclaiming this for decades.

For much more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “BREXIT DONE! The UK GONE! Was It Inevitable?”  

Billions of Locusts Devastate Parts of Africa

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 24:

“A locust invasion in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has left crops devastated. It is the biggest swarm in decades, with [200] billions of the ravenous insects nibbling their way through the already climate-ravaged region…

“For Ethiopia and Somalia, the infestation is the biggest in 25 years, and for Kenya it is the greatest swarm in 70 years… A locust consumes their own weight in food every day… The insects could ‘reproduce rapidly and, if left unchecked, their current numbers could grow 500 times by June,’ spreading to Uganda and South Uganda…

“In an already vulnerable region with high levels of poverty, the locusts can further devastate crops, resulting in ‘a major food security problem’… The locusts… were the latest symptom of extreme weather conditions that also saw a 2019 drought end in one of the wettest rainy seasons in four decades in parts of East Africa, with mass floods killing hundreds. The year 2019 witnessed eight cyclones, the most in a single year since 1976.”

This most recent event has been described as an “unprecedented plague.”

No Carnival for Children in Germany’s Protestant Church

Bild Online reported on January 24 that Bishop Otfried July who is responsible for 1,200 congregations of the Protestant Church in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, cancelled carnival celebrations for their Kindertagesstätten (day-care centers), questioning the “compatibility between carnival and Christian values.”

Many parents were upset, and the Catholic Church voiced opposition to the prohibition, stating that they will continue celebrating carnival. Carnival is of course a Catholic invention based on pagan beliefs and practices.

Pope Francis vs. Pope Benedict

Express wrote on January 24:

“POPE FRANCIS has once again faced significant opposition after Benedict XVI slammed a new Vatican policy in a co-authored book before trying to remove his name from the text. Now, the current head of the Catholic Church is aiming to diminish his predecessor’s influence as he replaces a high-profile Benedict ally with one of his own backers… The New York Times reported yesterday that Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, has stepped down from his role.

“Archbishop Chaput has long been known as a traditionalist in the Catholic Church, and represented one of the many critics of Pope Francis in the US. The Argentine Pope announced this week that he had accepted the resignation and would take the opportunity to promote one of his backers in Philadelphia.

“Archbishop Chaput became a key figure in the traditionalist half of the Church, supporting the denial of communion to Catholic politicians who back abortion rights and opposing legalisation in support of gay marriage.

“Anti-Francis figures have launched numerous offensives on both his policy and his character, with one group of traditionalists even penning a book titled ‘The Dictator Pope’. Pope Francis also came under fire from Catholic Church critics when he welcomed Amazonian bishops to the Vatican last year. Following the visit, a letter was published by conservative rivals who scathingly referred to the Pope’s actions as ‘sacrilegious’. His critics took opposition to his proposed policy of allowing married men to become bishops in the Amazon.

“It read: ‘We respectfully ask Pope Francis to repent publicly and unambiguously of these objectively grave sins and of all the public offences that he has committed against God and the true religion, and to make reparation for these offences.’”

The Associated Press wrote on January 25:

“A Vatican cardinal [Cardinal Robert Sarah who heads the Vatican’s liturgical office] at the center of a storm over a book about celibacy and the Catholic priesthood is denouncing the ‘brutality’ of criticism directed at him and his collaborator, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI…

“Sarah, a Guinean prelate who is a hero to the church’s conservative and traditionalist wing, has insisted he remains obedient to Francis. But the two have clashed repeatedly, and the Vatican under the progressive Francis has found itself in the unusual position of issuing public corrections of Sarah’s positions. The Holy See, for example, intervened in 2016 after Sarah told a London liturgical conference that it was ‘very important’ for the church to return ‘as soon as possible’ to its old practice of the priest celebrating Mass facing east, with his back to the faithful… A year later, Francis publicly reprimanded Sarah for misinterpreting a new instruction giving bishops’ conferences the right to translate Mass missals…

“Sarah is due to offer his resignation to Francis in June when he turns 75, the mandatory retirement age for Catholic bishops.”

The controversy in the Catholic Church will not end any time soon, and it might contribute to explosive events mirroring occurrences which happened in the past.

Corrupt Italy

The Local wrote on January 24:

“Italy is still seen as one of Europe’s most corrupt countries… Italy ranked alongside Saudi Arabia and Rwanda… when it comes to perceived corruption in an annual index by Transparency International… the study ranks perceptions of official corruption levels around the world… [Italy improved slightly since 2018, but] analysts say they’ll be watching Italy closely as they say the trend could easily go into reverse… the list does not make any claims as to the actual level of corruption in a given country, but rather how much corruption people believe there is…

“According to the report, Italians believe the two most corrupt institutions in the country are political parties and parliament itself. Italy once again comes in far behind its northern European neighbours in the corruption stakes. Scandinavia dominated the top spots, with Denmark once again considered the world’s least corrupt country. Together with New Zealand, Denmark received 87 points, making the two countries the best placed on the list. Finland is 3rd on this year’s list, with Nordic neighbours Sweden and Norway in joint 4th and 7th respectively. The United Kingdom came 12th and the United States 23rd. Neighbouring Spain also outdid Italy with a score of 62, as did Portugal (64), and Malta (54). At the bottom of the European table, Hungary scored 46, Greece 45, and Bulgaria came in last with 42…

“The index… does not relate to corruption in the private sector, including money laundering and tax fraud.”

The perception of Italy’s corruption might lead to the rise of a strong political figure who will falsely claim to bring back honesty and reliability to the people.

Right-Wing Extremism in the German Army

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 26:

 “The head of Germany’s military intelligence service has confirmed hundreds of new investigations into soldiers with extremist right-wing leanings. Germany’s elite special forces unit appears to be a particular hotbed. Numerous cases of extremism in the German military and among other security forces have been brought to light in recent years…

“An additional 360 cases of suspected right-wing extremism were registered in 2019… Cases of suspected extremism were particularly concentrated among an elite unit known as Special Forces Command or KSK… The number of cases in the KSK also doubled in comparison with the start of 2019, he added.”

These are alarming developments which should wake everybody up.

Learning from History?

Times of Israel wrote on January 23:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday that his nation had not fully learned the lessons of the Holocaust, as Jew-hatred was still growing… Steinmeier expressed concern over continued anti-Semitism, noting a pattern of attacks on Jews in Germany, highlighting a shooting in October on a synagogue in the German city of Halle.

“‘I wish I could say that we Germans have learnt from history once and for all. But I cannot say that when hatred is spreading,’ he said. ‘I cannot say that when Jewish children are spat on in the schoolyard. I cannot say that when crude anti-Semitism is cloaked in supposed criticism of Israeli policy. I cannot say that when only a thick wooden door prevents a right-wing terrorist from causing a bloodbath in a synagogue in the city of Halle on Yom Kippur.’…

“Steinmeier vowed to combat anti-Semitism, as well as ‘the poison that is nationalism.’…

“Speaking before Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron praised world leaders for coming together to remember the Holocaust… The French leader said: ‘After all that has passed, anti-Semitism and the scourge of anti-Semitism has returned, and with it, xenophobia and intolerance have also raised their ugly heads.’”

The German conservative mass tabloid Bild Online published a biting editorial stating that Germans have not learned anything at all from history, and that the silent reaction to Steinmeier’s words proves that.

Further, that it is a shame and manifestation of total disinterest that after all these years, we still do not know the names of most of the preparators who were responsible for the horrible Holocaust.

Doomsday Clock Moves within 100 Seconds of Midnight

npr wrote on January 23:

“Two years after moving the metaphorical minute hand of its Doomsday Clock to within two minutes of midnight — a figurative two-minute warning for all humanity — the science and security board…  revealed Thursday that it has moved that minute hand another 20 seconds closer to the midnight hour. ‘It is 100 seconds to midnight,’ declared the [board’s] president and CEO… Never since the clock’s 1947 Cold War debut has it come so close to the putative doomsday annihilation represented by the 12 a.m. hour.

“[There are] 13 Nobel laureates on its board. [It was] founded by scientists who worked on the atomic bomb-building Manhattan Project during World War II…”

We are much closer to the end of this present evil age than most people think.

March of Life

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 26:

“On Friday, President Trump stood before a crowd of an estimated 100,000 people and became the first U.S. president to address the 47th annual March of Life in Washington D.C., invoking ‘God’ eight times in his speech. His address was emphatically faith-based as he opened his speech by declaring that he and all those attending the March were there ‘for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential.’

“‘Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God… When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation. When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family.  When we watch a child grow, we see the splendor that radiates from each human soul… Every person is worth protecting… And above all, we know that every human soul… is made in the holy image of Almighty God.’

“The address marks a personal turning point for the president as he used to support abortion in his pre-presidential days…

“The annual March of Life began in 1974 on the first anniversary of the controversial Supreme Court Case of Roe v. Wade which is cited as protecting a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Based on questionable jurisprudence that is still debated today, the decision infringed upon the rights of the states to set their own legislation as well as the humanitarian rights of the unborn. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush addressed marchers remotely and Mike Pence became the first sitting vice-president to attend the rally in 2017.”

It is hoped that Donald Trump stated his honest opinion and that he did not adopt his revised position on abortion just to gain votes. However, even now, he is clearly not defending the right of EVERY child, as he still allows abortion in certain circumstances, and we must also point out that his immigration policy (see article below) belies his statements regarding the protection of every human soul.

Let us say very clearly that abortion is always wrong. It is always murder in the eyes of God. This means, a Christian must not support or engage in abortion of an unborn child for ANY reason.

Trump’s New Public Charge Rule Confirmed by US Supreme Court

Politico wrote on January 27:

“A narrowly divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to begin enforcing a rule making it harder for poor immigrants to gain green cards. The justices in a 5-4 vote along ideological lines said they would let the controversial immigration rules go forward even as lower courts wrestle with multiple legal challenges against them.

“The policy in question would expand the government’s ability to refuse green cards or visas for legal immigrants determined to be a ‘public charge,’ or dependent on public assistance. Those using or likely to use Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs would face greater scrutiny from immigration officials.

“The rules… represent one of Trump’s strongest efforts to restrict legal immigration. Multiple federal judges blocked the rules before they were slated to take effect last October, after states and immigrant rights groups filed challenges. Federal judges in California, Maryland, and New York blocked implementation, but appeals courts later lifted all but New York’s freeze. That was removed by the Supreme Court on Monday, allowing the policy to take effect almost everywhere.

“Justice Neil Gorsuch… criticized federal judges who issue nationwide blocks on administration rules… Lower courts are expected to hear lawsuits on the public charge rules in the coming months. It’s possible the Supreme Court, which did not rule on the merits of those lawsuits Monday, will review the issue again…

“An analysis from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found applications for about 42 percent of legal immigrants could see their green card applications ‘weighed negatively’ as a result, while 94 percent could face extra scrutiny after using at least one of the public programs targeted by the Trump policy. Public charge denials of poor immigrants have spiked under the Trump administration even without this sweeping policy in place. The State Department disqualified more than 12,000 visa applicants on public charge grounds last year…”

ABC wrote on January 27:

“The rule is expected to have a broad impact on those applying for permanent legal status in the U.S. An analysis from the Migration Policy Institute last year found 70% of recent green card applicants would have been impacted had the rule been implemented earlier.”

It was to be expected that the Republican judges who are in the majority would rule in favor of the public charge rule. This is an entirely political decision with serious consequences for many immigrants and legal residents.

America’s Local Economy Keeps Shrinking

Axios wrote on January 24:

“Growth slowed for local economies virtually everywhere in the U.S. last year, and is declining again at the start of this year as consumers pare back spending and business growth stalls… So says business directory service Yelp, which used data from its more than 100 million users to track the number of businesses opening or closing and consumer demand…

“‘Yelp has information not only on millions of U.S. brick-and-mortar businesses but on the consumer demand expressed by the millions of consumers who view, review, and post photos of businesses on Yelp every day,’ the company said in a release accompanying the analysis…

“If Yelp’s data is correct, it shows economic prospects are deteriorating for brick-and-mortar businesses of all kinds. Even among the strongest major metro areas in Yelp’s report, eight of the top 10 show declining growth year over year. Retail, food and automotive businesses almost across the board fared poorly, with stores selling mobile phones, shoes and appliances seeing the worst losses. Food and nightlife businesses had declining business in every state except Wyoming, Nevada, the Dakotas and Vermont. Large states and metropolitan areas like California, Texas, Florida, New York City, Chicago and Seattle saw some of the worst scores.”

The US economy is BY FAR not as good as many are told to believe.

Unstable Worldwide Economy

Project Syndicate wrote on January 27:

“With the benefit of full-year data, only now are we becoming aware of the danger the global economy narrowly avoided in 2019… world GDP grew by just 2.9% last year – the weakest performance since the outright contraction in the depths of the global financial crisis in 2009 and far short of the 3.8% pace of post-crisis recovery over the 2010-18 period.

“On the surface, 2.9% global growth doesn’t appear too shabby. But 40 years of perspective says otherwise. Since 1980, trend world GDP growth has averaged 3.5%… For global business-cycle analysts, the 2.5-3.5% growth band is considered the danger zone. When world output growth slips to the lower half of that range – as it did in 2019 – the risks of global recession need to be taken seriously…”

Additional articles have pointed out that the situation in China pertaining to the coronavirus is threatening the already fragile world economy. Make no mistake—a worldwide economic crash IS coming. The question is, are you prepared for it?

Surprising Revelations about Muslims and the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News reported on January 27:

“On Sunday night, the Sanhedrin hosted a conference to discuss the role of the Arabs and Muslims in the Third Temple. The conference featured a lecture by Dr. Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. Dr. Kedar has frequently referred to the claim that Jerusalem is holy to the Muslims as ‘fake news.’ ‘Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran and there is not a basis to believe that Jerusalem had any significance for Muhammad,’ Dr. Kedar explained to Breaking Israel News. ‘In early Islam, we see that assigning holiness to the Temple Mount was criticized as an attempt to introduce Jewish concepts into Islam.’

“‘Jerusalem only took on any significance in Islam in the late 8th century when the Bedouin Muslims prevented the Damascus Muslims from making Haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. As an alternative destination for Haj, the Damascus Muslims decided on Jerusalem, adding a Hadith (oral commentary) shifting the scene of Muhammad’s Night Journey to Jerusalem in order to justify their decision.’

“The source of the Muslim holiday of ‘Isra’ (journey) and ‘Mi’raj’ (ascension, literally ‘ladder’) and the entire Muslim claim to Jerusalem as a holy site is based on a story in the Quran. According to the Quran, Muhammad traveled from Saudi Arabia to ‘Al-Aqsa’ (the far mosque).  From there, he ascended to Heaven, returning to Earth the next day. Some Muslims claim Al-Aqsa is the silver domed mosque on the southern end of the Temple Mount compound…

“‘The entire area of the Temple Mount is known as al-Haram al-Sharif – “the holy and noble site”- but a change came about after the Six-Day War, when some Jewish leaders began calling for the establishment of a synagogue on the Mount. It was felt that the Muslims would not object, since al Aqsa was on the southern edge of the compound and the synagogue would not be nearby. The Muslims decided to announce that the al Aqsa mentioned in the Koran refers not only to the mosque on the southern end of the compound, but is the name for the entire Temple Mount area, abandoning the original name, al-Haram al-Sharif.’…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin [said:] ‘There are those from the Sons of Ishmael who recognize that the gold Dome of the Rock was built upon the once and future site of the Jewish Temple. It is part of the Muslim tradition…’”

And so, the Third Temple will be built on the Temple Mount at the exact place where the First and the Second Temples once stood.

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 UK Alignment with EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 18:

“British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid dismissed calls from British businesses to align with European Union rules once the UK has left the bloc… ‘we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union — and we will do this by the end of the year,’ Javid told the Financial Times…

“Javid fired back that businesses should ‘adjust’ to the reality of Brexit and that they’ve had three years to prepare for new trade arrangements… The sectors that are most likely to be impacted are the pharmaceutical, automobile, aerospace and food and drink industries….”

 The relationship between the UK and the EU is bound to deteriorate.

Growing Rift between US and Europe

Business Insider wrote on January 18:

“President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani has exposed a growing rift between the US and its historically closest allies in Europe. The attack was met with a remarkable level of criticism by European leaders.

“The UK threatened to cut back on its long-standing defense alliance with Trump, and Germany suggested openly that the importance of its relationship with the US was declining. Trump responded by threatening European leaders with a new trade war if they remained committed to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

“Yet rather than bring US allies into line, Trump’s threats merely highlighted the declining importance that many European leaders now place in the transatlantic alliance…

“The attack, which damaged Germany’s policy of engagement with Tehran, has triggered open debate about the value of Europe’s alliance with the US. In recent days German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke openly about the declining importance of Europe’s alliance with the US… In response, she said, ‘We in Europe, and especially in Germany, need to take on more responsibility.’… the French government quickly called on the Trump administration to step back from any further conflict.”

The relationship between the USA and the EU is bound to deteriorate even more. Note the next article.

“EU Doesn’t Take Orders from US on Iran”

Politico wrote on January 17:

“European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan on Thursday defended the EU’s handling of relations with Iran, following a report that the Trump administration threatened to hit EU autos with a 25 percent tariff…

“‘We’re not an extension of the United States of America in the European Union,’ Hogan said… ‘We actually are the European Union and we will make our own decisions in member states about what our policies are going to be, whether that’s in trade or security or what other areas.’”

The leader of German Green Party, Robert Habeck, condemned Trump on January 21 for Trump’s speech in Davos, saying that Trump is the enemy.

European Naval Mission in Strait of Hormuz

Euractiv wrote on January 20:

“The creation of a future European Maritime Surveillance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) has now gained the ‘political support’ of Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France…The Strait of Hormuz is one of the key routes for global oil transit.

“… the eight European countries aim to contribute to the protection of oil tankers and cargo ships…[In 2018:] Tehran… threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping… [In 2019:] Two oil tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz while they transited the Gulf of Oman, followed by Iran shooting down an American surveillance drone in the Gulf of Oman.”

Europe is determined to play a much more active role in military matters.

Many Kings Appear in Jerusalem

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 20:

“On Thursday, Jerusalem’s role as a gathering place for kings will appear… The event marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day…. At least 47 world leaders, including 26 presidents, four kings (from Spain, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), and four prime ministers will represent their countries that include the U.S., Russia, England, Romania, Italy, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Bosnia, Iceland, Armenia, Australia, Canada, and several others…

“The U.S. will be represented by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The gathering will be addressed by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince of Wales HRH Prince Charles, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior leader from the US, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier… Spain’s King Felipe VI will deliver an address on behalf of the world leaders. The Foreign Ministry called the event the third-largest gathering of international leaders in Israel’s history, after the funerals of Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres…

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted:… ‘Many of the nations that will be here in Jerusalem are the very nations that took part in the Holocaust. They are also the nations that want to take Jerusalem out of the world, take it away from the Jewish people. Many of these nations support the enemies of Israel who openly proclaim their intention to continue what the Nazis began.’”

Everyone wants to play a role in or pertaining to Jerusalem. The Bible says that ultimately, all nations will fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2).

The Coming Fight for the Al Aqsa Mosque

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 20:

“Jerusalem will soon become the capital of a global caliphate, a Palestinian preacher has told a crowd of Muslim worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, before calling on them to seek martyrdom. Speaking at an event held by Hizb ut-Tahrir to mark the anniversary of the 1453 AD capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire, Nidhal ‘Abu Ibrahim’ Siam said the date brought tidings that Rome will soon be conquered in the name of Islam.

“In a video recording of the event uploaded to the Internet on January 17… Siam can be seen telling the enthusiastic crowd that three prophecies would soon be fulfilled: that a rightly-guided caliphate will be established, that Jerusalem will be liberated and established as its capital, and that Islam ‘will throw its neighbors to the ground’ and achieve world domination.

“The real task of the Muslim faithful is to wage Jihad for the sake of Allah and make the word of the infidels inferior to the word of Allah, he said, before calling upon them to become martyrs for Allah. ‘Do not obey the followers of Satan [and] those who collaborate with America, Russia, and the West,’ he urged. In response, the crowd chanted: ‘This Al-Aqsa [Mosque] will be liberated… The caliphate was promised by Allah…”

The Al-Aqsa Mosque will become more and more the object of attention and controversy. The Bible shows that Arab nations will collaborate with Germany against Israel.

Italy’s Salvini to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

The Times of Israel wrote on January 19:

“Italian prime ministerial frontrunner Matteo Salvini has told an Israeli newspaper [the right-wing Israeli daily Israel Hayom] he would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital if he were elected… [The next general election in Italy is scheduled for May 28, 2023.]

“Salvini’s interview was published Saturday, a day after Honduras’s President Juan Orlando Hernandez said his government would transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once Israel opens an embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa. So far, only the United States and Guatemala have moved their embassies to the capital…”

Breaking Israel News reported on January 21:

“On Monday, an Italian senate committee voted to remove Salvini’s immunity in a case in which he stands accused of allegedly illegally detaining migrants at sea last year. The committee decision follows a Sicilian court recommendation to try Salvini for blocking migrants on a coast guard boat last July. Salvini refused to allow 131 rescued migrants off the Gregoretti coast guard boat until a deal was reached with other European states to host them. The immigrants remained on board for almost a week. This was the second time Salvini detained illegal immigrants in this manner. If convicted, Salvini could be sentenced to up to 15 years in jail.”

It is very unlikely that he will be convicted. His party, Lega Nord, is currently polling in the lead with over 30% of the electorate. On the other hand, Hitler was sentenced to jail too, only to emerge much more powerful after his release.

World War II Caused by Anti-Semitism

Times of Israel wrote on January 20:

“World War II and the enormous catastrophe it brought upon mankind occurred ‘probably mainly’ because of anti-Semitism, according to Israel’s preeminent Holocaust scholar. Indeed, Adolf Hitler launched the war to a large extent to prevent ‘world Jewry’ from physically annihilating the German nation, Yehuda Bauer said. ‘Anti-Semitism is a cancer that eats the world, and World War II is proof of that,’ he told The Times of Israel during an hour-long interview in Jerusalem last week.

“Bauer, 93…. [mentioned] a secret memorandum Hitler wrote to Hermann Goering in August 1936, in which he spoke about the need for Germany to be ready for war within four years. Otherwise, Hitler argued, Jewish Bolshevism will ‘replace’ the German nation…”

One must not forget that both Hitler and Stalin were anti-Semitic. They both were preparing for war against each other.

Deutsche Welle added on January 21:

“Naftali Fürst (88) survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald… ‘I think it can happen again,’ he said… He says the situation is currently deteriorating again, and that’s why he speaks as a witness. ‘I have a duty to tell […my story].’ Because people shouldn’t believe ‘that it didn’t happen.’”

The Holocaust DID happen, and as horrible as it was, something similar, but much more devastating, will happen again… and this time, it will be directed against physical and spiritual Jews, as well as the modern descendants of the ancient House of Israel in the USA, the UK, and other English-speaking nations.

Turkey’s Plans for Libya and Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 21:

“A new military incursion into Libya is part of a long-awaited dream by Turkish President Erdogan to return the Ottoman Caliphate, a global Islamic rule that subjugated Jews and Christians for six centuries… Turkish-backed Syrian mercenaries have begun arriving in Libya. Approximately 2,400 troops are already in Tripoli while another 1,700 are currently undergoing training in Turkey… Turkey intends to send a total of 6,000 troops to Libya… The Turkish government will pay each soldier a monthly stipend of $2,000, far more than the $50 they earned to fight back home in Syria. The Syrian troops are also fighting against the Kurds in Libya.

“Turkish intervention is a manifestation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s aspiration to establish himself as the leader of a global Islamic nation… Erdogan’s Caliphate aspirations extend beyond the borders of Turkey and target Israel and, most specifically, Jerusalem. At a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul last year, Erdogan called on all of the 57 Muslim member nations to join together against Israel to avenge the deaths of Palestinians killed while charging the southern border with Gaza.

“In 2015, Erdogan gave a speech commemorating 562 years since the Turks captured Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) from European Christians in which he called for the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem… Erdogan has also been suspected of aiding Hamas, allowing the terrorist organization to operate out of Turkey. The terrorist group is also reportedly in contact with the Turkish intelligence agency.

“The key to the Turkish incursion into Libya and the hidden motivation is actually quite straightforward. Two months ago, Turkey signed a maritime borders deal that gave Turkey a claim to parts of the eastern Mediterranean. In addition to its strategic military importance, the eastern Mediterranean has huge natural gas deposits. Turkey’s entrance into the eastern Mediterranean puts it into close proximity with Israel and its offshore natural gas facilities.”

A gathering of world leaders and their representatives in Germany to determine the fate of Libya was only of limited success, as nobody knows how to implement their peace “proposals.” While uncertainty remains, Turkey is stepping in. Ultimately, Turkey will be collaborating with Europe against Israel.

Human-to-Human Transmission of New Deadly Virus

The Associated Press wrote on January 20:

“The head of a Chinese government expert team said Monday that human-to-human transmission has been confirmed in an outbreak of a new coronavirus, a development that raises the possibility that it could spread more quickly and widely… The spread of the viral pneumonia comes as the country enters its busiest travel period, when millions board trains and planes for the Lunar New Year holidays. The outbreak is believed to have started late last month among people connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, a city in central China… The outbreak has put other countries on alert as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year. Authorities in Thailand and in Japan have identified three cases, all involving recent travel from China [One case has now been identified in the USA as well.]

“Coronaviruses cause diseases ranging from the common cold to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. SARS first infected people in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries, killing nearly 800. The Chinese government initially tried to conceal the severity of the SARS epidemic, but its cover-up was exposed by a high-ranking physician… Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath, and those seriously ill developed pneumonia.”

The Telegraph added on January 22:

“As many as 4,000 people in the city at the epicentre of an outbreak of a mystery new coronavirus could be infected with the disease, experts have warned. So far, Chinese authorities and state media say close to 500 people have fallen ill and 17 people have died from the disease, which was first identified in China at the end of last year and has now spread to five other countries…

“Experts say it is also ‘possible’ that a case could reach the UK. But disease modelling experts from Imperial College, London say the true figure in the city of Wuhan alone – the source of the outbreak – could be… as high as 9,700…”

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 23:

 “The deadly coronavirus disease… appears to have been caused by the consumption of a Chinese delicacy – bat soup… The Bible forbids the consumption of birds of prey and specifically mentions bats as one of those species as stated in Leviticus 11.”

Another source claims that the disease has been spread by the consumption of snakes purchased at a wholesale market. Snakes are of course unclean animals too.

The problem is that the symptoms are at first very similar to an ordinary flu, and don’t even show up until five or six days after infection. So, many can pass on the virus to others without even knowing that they are sick.

Hundreds of Thousands of Fish Dead in Australia

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“Hundreds of thousands of fish are dead in northern New South Wales as bushfire ash washed into in the Macleay River…

“Rains have washed ‘tonnes and tonnes’ of debris into the Macleay River…  Species seen dead and reported… were Australian bass, eels, bullhead mullet, yellow-eye mullet, herring, gudgeons and catfish.”

Also, rain and dust have made a bad situation even worse.

The Guardian added on January 22:

“Temperatures have soared in New South Wales bringing renewed emergency bushfire warnings, while Melbourne has brown rain from dust in the air, causing pools to close and the Yarra River to turn brown. Despite heavy rain in parts of NSW over the past week, residents were warned the ‘bad old days’ of bushfires could return… The fire danger was classified as extreme in the southern ranges on Thursday, and severe in much of the rest of the state, including the fire-ravaged far south coast…

“Temperatures in parts of the south coast, Hunter, mid-north coast and Sydney were expected to pass 40C on Thursday, with 65 fires burning and 19 uncontained… There were still 12 fires burning in Victoria on Thursday morning…  The rain brought little relief to bushfire-affected regions; there was barely any east of Bairnsdale. The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has said that the rains could bring new dangers for firefighters, including landslides.”

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 22:

“In the midst of raging wildfires, hailstones the size of baseballs pounded Australia in a mix of elemental opposites echoing the Egyptian plague. As if that reminder of the Exodus were not enough, a massive dust storm turned day into night… This year, a stark drought brought on devastating wildfires that have, so far, burned an estimated 46 million acres of land. The fires destroyed over 5,900 buildings including approximately 2,683 homes, and killed at least 30 people. An estimated one billion animals were also killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction.”

Humans Responsible for US Wildfires

The Daily Mail wrote on January 22:

“The number of human-caused wildfires has increased in recent decades… The new study of wildfires in America between 1984 and 2016 has found that the leading cause is ‘shifting away from lightning and towards human activity’. In the past, the strongest fires were caused by natural ignition types, like lightning strikes or El Niño winds, which also tended to be seasonal and easier to predict. Human-caused, or anthropogenic, fires can be caused intentionally, by arson, or accidentally, for example by dropped cigarettes, fireworks or other negligence…

“Looking to the future, researchers say that regular fires caused by humans are likely to become even more frequent. Some of the most high-profile fires in recent years have been caused by humans. Last year, the Kincade Fire that swept across 78,000 acres of Sonoma County in California started when a faulty PG&E power line ignited the unusually dry landscape surrounding it and quickly spread. A report from the Wall Street Journal found that faulty PG&E equipment was responsible for starting more than 1.500 wildfires between 2014 and 2017 alone. In Oregon, a teenager started a wildfire in the forest around Eagle Creek when he set off some fireworks. The resulting fire burned over 48,000 acres and was actively smoldering for nine months, between September 2017 and May 2018.

“85% of wildfires in the US are caused by humans. Lightning is the next most common cause of wildfires… California has more than 2 million homes exposed to wildfire risk, almost three times more than any other state. Texas has the highest number of wildfires per year, with 10,541 in 2018…”

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx: Don’t Spread Fear of Hell

Life Site News wrote on January 10:

“Cardinal Reinhard Marx – the archbishop of Munich-Freising and the head of the German Bishops’ Conference – just made a statement, in which he argued against spreading fear, saying: ‘wherever someone spreads fear – of hell or whatever else – the Gospel cannot have an effect.’… His Protestant counterpart, the head of the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD), Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm,… added that, while in former times, the church had blessed weapons, but she is now, instead, known for her work for the protection of the environment. ‘I prefer the latter,’ he added…”

It is unclear whether Marx denies the existence of hell, or whether he is just saying that no fear should be spread… The German magazine Focus reported on January 21 about allegations that Bishop Marx and Bishop Ackermann prevented a meaningful investigation of thousands of cases where the clergy sexually abused children, in order to protect Marx and Pope Benedict. The fact is that several years after the revelation of the abuse cases in Germany, still no charges have been filed against any accused priest, according to the magazine.

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.

USA and Iraq at a Crossroads, while Iran Keeps Threatening USA and Israel

Reuters wrote on January 11:

“Washington on Friday rebuffed an Iraqi request to prepare to pull out its troops, amid heightened US-Iranian tensions after the US killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad. Seeking to tighten pressure on its arch foe, the US meanwhile imposed more sanctions on Iran, responding to an attack on American troops in Iraq launched by Tehran in retaliation for the death of General Qassem Soleimani… Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi made his request in a phone call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late on Thursday in line with a vote by the Iraqi Parliament last week…

“Abdul Mahdi asked Pompeo to ‘send delegates to put in place the tools to carry out the Parliament’s decision’… The US State Department said any US delegation would not discuss the withdrawal of American troops as their presence in Iraq was ‘appropriate.’ ‘There does, however, need to be a conversation between the US and Iraqi governments not just regarding security, but about our financial, economic, and diplomatic partnership’…

“Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric [Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani] said… no foreign powers should be allowed to decide Iraq’s fate… Sistani… wields huge influence over Iraqi public opinion. ‘Iraq must govern itself and there must be no role for outsiders in its decision-making,’ Sistani said…”

The Times of Israel added on January 12:

“Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terror organization, on Sunday threatened violence against the United States if it did not withdraw its troops from the Middle East, and said any future American attack on Iran would draw a retaliation against Israel.

“‘If in the coming days or weeks the US doesn’t withdraw its forces from the Middle East, the American soldiers will return to the US in coffins,’ Nasrallah declared… Nasrallah called last week for Shiite militias to attack US military assets throughout the Middle East — including with suicide bombings…”

Threats were also made against European troops in the Middle East. President Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he would be fine with withdrawing US troops from Iraq, but Iraq would have to pay them a lot of money for US services so far.

Iran “Admits” Downing the Ukrainian Airliner after Days of Continuing Lies

The Associated Press wrote on January 11:

“Iran’s acknowledgement that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people, raises new challenges for the Islamic Republic both externally amid tensions with the U.S. and internally as it deals with growing discontent from its people. The country did itself no favors by having its air-crash investigators, government officials and diplomats deny for days that a missile downed the flight…

“‘There has been no missile launched in that area at that time,’ said Hamid Baeidinejad, Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom, in an interview Friday with Sky News, calling further questions on the allegation ‘absolutely unacceptable.’

“Then the story changed early Saturday morning… Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei… acknowledged the missile strike, citing the report by Iran’s conventional armed forces. Yet even the army statement itself raises questions, as it said the flight moved ‘very close to a sensitive military spot… The altitude and the direction of the flight’s movement were like an enemy target, so the aircraft was targeted unintentionally due to human error,’ the statement read.

“That’s despite flight data for every Ukrainian International Airlines flight out of Tehran since early November show Wednesday’s flight followed a similar altitude and flight path, according to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. Planes leaving Imam Khomeini airport routinely take off going west as the Ukrainian flight did. Nine other flights flew out of the airport early Wednesday morning before the Ukrainian airliner as well without encountering trouble…

“Analysts have questioned the decision not to close Tehran’s airspace in the days after the shootdown… Iranian officials… sought to try to blame ‘U.S. adventurism’ for Iran shooting down the airplane. That may not fly with the Iranian public, already battered by economic sanctions and openly protesting in recent protests. Saturday night, hundreds gathered at universities in Tehran to… [demand] officials involved in the missile attack be removed from their positions and tried. Police broke up the demonstrations…”

If fact, it has been confirmed now what had already been reported earlier—that Iran shot down the Ukrainian airline with TWO missiles, not just one.

Just ONE German Government Politician Calls for Sanctions against Iran

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 11:

“German politician Paul Ziemiak calls Iran’s leadership a ‘terrorist regime’… The No. 2 member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party on Friday urged sanctions targeting Iran’s regime for launching at least one missile at an Ukrainian passenger jet, resulting in the death of all 176 people aboard… Three German citizens were aboard the downed plane…

“Ziemiak’s call to sanction Iran’s clerical regime stands in sharp contrast to Merkel and her coalition government with the Social Democratic Party. Both Merkel and the Social Democrats have worked to circumvent US sanctions targeting Iran. A German official oversees INSTEX (the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges) to promote trade among European countries with Iran.

“In 2018, the chairman of Germany’s Jewish community, Dr. Josef Schuster, called for ‘an immediate halt to any economic relations with Iran… Schuster added that ‘It seems paradoxical that Germany – as a country that is said to have learned from its horrendous past and which has a strong commitment to fight antisemitism – is one of the strongest economic partners of a regime [Tehran] that is blatantly denying the Holocaust and abusing human rights on a daily basis.

“‘Besides, Germany has included Israel’s security as a part of its raison d’être,’ he said. ‘As a matter of course, this should exclude doing business with a fanatic dictatorship that is calling for Israel’s destruction, pursuing nuclear weapons and financing terror organizations around the world.’ Merkel ignored Schuster’s appeal at the time.”

Bild Online wrote on January 10: “No, it was not a mistake, but a murderous deed. CDU-General Secretary Paul Ziemiak is the only German politician who speaks clearly in connection with Iran. He is right when he demands new EU sanctions against Iran.”

Iran’s Leadership in Big Trouble

Reuters wrote on January 14:

“Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested people accused of a role in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner and had also detained 30 people involved in protests that have swept the nation for four days since the military belatedly admitted its error. Wednesday’s shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 people aboard, has led to one of the biggest public challenges to the Islamic Republic’s clerical rulers since they took power four decades ago.

“In a step that will increase diplomatic pressure, Britain, France and Germany launched a dispute mechanism [to bring Tehran back to compliance, allegedly not to impose sanctions] for breaching limits on its nuclear programme under an agreement which Washington abandoned in 2018. Since the United States killed Iran’s most powerful military commander in a drone strike on Jan. 3, Tehran has faced escalating confrontation with the West and unrest at home, both reaching levels with little precedent in its modern history…

“Protesters, many of them students, have held daily demonstrations since then, chanting ‘Clerics get lost!’ and calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power for more than 30 years. Police have responded to some protests with a violent crackdown, video posts on social media showed. Footage showed police beating protesters with batons, wounded people being carried, pools of blood on the streets and the sound of gunfire…

“The extent of the unrest is difficult to assess because of limits on independent reporting…

“Most of those on board the flight were Iranians or dual nationals… The disaster and subsequent unrest comes amid one of the biggest escalations between Tehran and Washington since 1979…

“Iran’s leaders have been facing a powerful combination of pressure both at home and abroad. Just two months ago, Iran’s authorities put down anti-government protests, killing hundreds of demonstrators in what is believed to be the most violent crackdown on unrest since the 1979 revolution. Elsewhere in the Middle East, where Iran has wielded influence through a network of allied movements and proxies, governments that include powerful Iran-sponsored armed factions have faced months of hostile demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq.”

Regarding the future of Iran, please read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Merkel Far Too Cozy with Putin

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 11:

“Germany and Russia have traditionally had deep economic ties and, among NATO and European leaders, Merkel has been a welcome guest in Moscow…

“The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned US actions against Soleimani as ‘reckless,’ while German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rainer Breul said Berlin has not been privy to ‘information that would allow us to see that the US attack was based on international law.’…

“… the Kremlin has been consistently trying to coax Germany, and Europe, towards closer ties by portraying the US as an unreliable partner…”

In addition to the pitiful comments by the German Foreign Ministry, Merkel’s visit with Putin and the subsequent press conference in Moscow on January 12, the German conservative paper, Die Welt, wrote that Merkel’s positions were surprisingly similar to Putin’s and they were in opposition to America’s. The paper stated that what Merkel said about the support of the Russian-German pipeline could not have been stated better by Putin. And the paper warned that her charm offensive is very risky, especially in the energy sector, and that Germany is becoming more and more dependent on Russia and subject to Russia’s blackmail.

Conservative mass tabloid Bild Online published additional strong words of criticism for Merkel. They stated that Putin only received praise from Merkel… including for his visit with Syria’s mass murderer al-Assad. The paper said: “A corpse in Berlin’s Tiergarten would have only been disruptive: Not one word was uttered regarding the murder of a Gregorian former agent in Berlin last August, for which Moscow is being blamed by the USA, Great Britain and Merkel’s own security services.”

In another editorial, Bild Online wrote about the “weak Chancellor”: “Where is the Chancellor whom we once knew?… She… accepts every cynical provocation [from Putin]… Europe is in desperate need of an adversary equal to Putin. Angela Merkel has not been that for a long time.”

Please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?”

After Putin’s Power Grab — Russia’s PM and Entire Government Resign

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 15:

“Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Wednesday that he and the rest of the Russian government were resigning… The announcement came on the heels of President Vladimir Putin’s annual speech to lawmakers where he proposed a series of constitutional reforms that would grant more powers to parliament — including the ability to select the prime minister…

“Putin has asked the outgoing government to continue to carry out their duties until a new government is formed… Russian political analyst Alexey Kurtov interpreted the prime minister’s resignation as a show of ‘disagreement’ with sweeping changes suggested by Putin…

“The maneuver could prove crucial for Putin’s future. [He] took power in 2000 and since served as both president and prime minister. He is currently in his consecutive term as president and is prohibited by law to stay on as president. ‘I wouldn’t exclude that Putin sees himself taking on the speaker’s chair in the parliament in the future,’ political analyst Abbas Gallyamov told DW. ‘Since Putin’s main task now is to secure his own political future, we can assume he is paving the way for himself there.’”

The Guardian wrote on January 15:

“… observers saw an attempt by Putin to lay the groundwork for a transition of power in 2024, when he should, under the constitution, step down from the presidency after serving two terms back-to-back as Russia’s head of state. ‘The main result of Putin’s speech: what idiots (and/or crooks) are all those who said that Putin would leave in 2024,’ wrote Alexei Navalny, a vocal leader of Russia’s opposition.

“Putin, 67, has in effect ruled Russia since 2000, making him the longest-serving leader since Stalin, and the question of what he plans to do in 2024 remains the most important political question in the country… Few expect Putin will want to retire from public life…”

Putin will try everything he possibly can to stay in power—“by hook or by crook.”

CNN wrote on January 15:

 “By taking steps to tighten his grip on power, Putin is also sending a message to the wider world. More Putin in Russia means more Putin on the international stage. And if the last few years have taught us anything, that means a Russia willing to go to extraordinary lengths to act as a direct rival for influence to the US-led world order — and create more headaches for America and its allies.”

Putin, the “Humble” Dictator

 The Week wrote on January 16:

 “Nothing suggests that Putin’s already more or less unilateral authority is about to diminish. In fact, that’s exactly what the proposed constitutional changes are meant to shore up. By investing more power in the legislature, of which the prime minister is the head, and the council, which Putin controls, he is simply preparing himself for the end of what may be his last term as the president of the Russian Federation… this time he may not bother returning to the presidency. Instead he will be able to rule effectively as a head of government rather than a head of state, not directly subject to term limits and immune from impeachment, backed by a newly empowered legislature and a council of state capable of sweeping actions that are inconceivable at present…

 “It should be clear to all observers that Putin intends to remain in power for as long as possible — perhaps even for the remainder of his life — and that he is willing to do so by any means necessary… In the words of an old protest classic, ‘This is what democracy looks like,’ at least in Russia.”

 Sadly, this is true all over this evil world. Daily Mail wrote that “like Stalin, [Putin will] rule to death” and described his move as “an audaciously disguised power grab.” As a former KGB spy, Putin knows how to get ahead in this corrupt world.

Russia’s New Prime Minister

 The Guardian wrote on January 16:

“…the Russian president’s allies have rushed to support Mikhail Mishustin, the former head of Russia’s tax service… after Putin named him as the replacement for… Medvedev… Mishustin was confirmed in the post by Russia’s parliament on Thursday and is the country’s first new prime minister since 2012… Analysts said Mishustin may play a role as a ‘caretaker’ figure but was unlikely to be Putin’s long-term successor… “

Bild Online referred to Mishustin as Putin’s new puppet. 

Where Was Ursula von der Leyen?

Politico wrote on January 6:

“With the Middle East in meltdown and fears of ‘World War III’ trending on social media, the leader of the EU’s new ‘geopolitical Commission’ was nowhere to be geo-located. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who aims to make the bloc a bigger player on the world stage, made her first public comments about the escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States on Monday evening — more than three days after an airstrike ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani…

“But for some observers, it was far too late. ‘Stop your holidays and start saying something!’ one EU diplomat said earlier in the day, expressing bewilderment at the absence of any comments from the Commission president on Iran, as well as an announcement a week earlier by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that he would send military forces to Libya…

“‘We don’t really know what to do,’ said the diplomat who had wondered why von der Leyen did not speak out over the holidays… The diplomat complained that von der Leyen is talking about tackling climate change while the EU lets its neighborhood fall ‘into the hands of Turkey and Russia and we risk an escalation in the Middle East.’”

Von der Leyen is, and always has been, weak and highly controversial.

“Europe Hates Trump More Than Iran”

Politico wrote on January 8:

“When it comes to finding adjectives to describe U.S. President Donald Trump’s assassination of Iranian military guru Qassem Soleimani… European officials have displayed rare unity. At least in private… While Trump has been reviled by Europe’s establishment from the day he took office… Europe’s shock over the Iranian general’s killing morphed into anger at Trump…

“Just how bad is it? Even as Iran’s supreme leader promised ‘severe’ retaliation for the killing over the weekend, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for a sitdown in Brussels. The U.S., which recently placed sanctions on Zarif, won’t even grant him a visa to visit the United Nations. Angela Merkel… responded to the crisis by arranging a ‘working meeting’ later this week — in Moscow. Berlin appears to have concluded that sitting down with Vladimir Putin (who met with Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad this week to celebrate their success in crushing Syria’s civil war) would be more productive than a trip to Washington, on paper still Germany’s most important ally.

“Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel described the Soleimani attack as a ‘1914 moment.’ The new leadership of Germany’s Social Democrats, Merkel’s coalition partner, called on the U.S. to remove its nuclear arsenal from the country. Though other senior SPD officials, including former European Parliament President Martin Schulz, have endorsed such a move in the past, the timing of the latest demand underscored the degree of German unease over Trump’s course…

“This is how Borrell, who was Spain’s foreign minister before taking on the EU’s foreign policy portfolio, described Europe’s relationship with the U.S. in an interview with POLITICO last year: ‘Wherever you look there’s complete disagreement between the States and Europe,’ he said… the European response has focused on trying to placate Iran instead of displaying solidarity with the U.S…. Europe’s refusal to stand by America’s side on Iran hasn’t gone unnoticed in Washington.”

 Europe will turn totally against Trump… with catastrophic consequences.

What Could Europe Do?

Politico wrote on January 8:

“Since the assassination by the United States of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Europeans have been busy talking… But Europeans have a bad habit of talking too much and acting too little — only to cry over spilled milk when events tip beyond the point of no return. As the Middle East descends into chaos, the consequences of which would be devastating not just for the region but for Europeans too, what, if anything, can Europe do?

“… [one] opportunity for action concerns Iraq… Europeans are currently present in Iraq through a civilian mission advising Iraqi security sector reform. Given Baghdad’s dire need for support to prevent the rebirth of the Islamic State, this could open a space for a European military mission as well… given its commitment… to the fight against the Islamic State, it would be in a privileged position to fill what otherwise risks becoming a dangerous void.”

That is exactly what Europe, in due time, will do.

Germany to Deliver US Nuclear Bombs

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 10:

“In the case of a nuclear strike, German Tornado fighter jets and their crews would deliver the American bombs… Their location is a state secret. The German government has never officially confirmed the existence of the nuclear bombs in Büchel. The precise number of bombs stored in the underground vaults in the air base is thus unclear; estimates range between 10 to 20.

“On the record, the German government only admits to being part of the sharing agreement, which dates back to the Cold War and NATO’s nuclear deterrence strategy aimed at keeping Soviet influence at bay. In essence, it provides for member states of the military alliance without nuclear weapons to partake in planning and training for the use of nuclear weapons… Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are all part of the sharing agreement…

“But as Germany’s Tornado fleet is swiftly nearing the end of its shelf life, the cost of maintaining a fleet for the nuclear mission is skyrocketing… Many within the German Air Force prefer the American F-35 fighter jet produced by Lockheed Martin [to replace the Tornados], the most modern airplane available on the market. American planes would come with established logistics chains and programs to quickly train pilots, compared to training in Germany which can drag on for years. The other European nuclear-sharing countries — Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy — have all opted for the F-35…

“But here this option seems to have been quietly dropped, in part due to French pressure: For Germany and France are in the early stages of developing a joint fighter plane — the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which combines manned fighter jets with swarms of cloud-connected drones… The French threatened to go FCAS alone, should Germany buy the modern American F-35 jets… And, there is another reason some politicians are wary of the F-35: It is, they concede, basically a black box. ‘You don’t know which information or data may be transmitted to America,’ one parliamentarian told DW.

“In theory, Germany could add to its 138-strong fleet of Eurofighter jets, built by a European consortium owned by Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. In Germany, the plane’s final assembly is also done in Manching, where the Tornados undergo their maintenance, and it is an important regional employer… It is a tricky issue, as the US reportedly told the German government that it would take much longer to certify the Eurofighter for its nuclear role than any American aircraft — possibly up to ten years. That would push it close to the Tornados’ end date. Airbus maintains that Germany shouldn’t have given the Americans an option, but simply told them to certify the Eurofighter, rather than let them favor the American-produced plane…

“SPD politician Fritz Felgentreu… prefers to uphold the nuclear sharing agreement. In theory, Germany could pull out, as Greece and the United Kingdom have done, in the latter case following popular protests against the nukes. But ‘it wouldn’t be prudent for Germany (to do so),’ Felgentreu told DW… In early 2020, the two left-leaning leaders of the Social Democrats — Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken — called for a withdrawal of all nuclear weapons in Europe and Russia, adding that the presence of American nukes in Germany was ‘problematic.’ For now, it is unclear who might gain the upper hand within the party… Should the SPD pivot away from the nuclear sharing agreement, it could potentially upend Merkel’s increasingly fractious coalition.

“Meanwhile, frustration is mounting among the German Air Force. ‘We just want a plane that does its job,’ one Tornado pilot told DW wryly. ‘Time is running out.’”

Please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Does Germany Have Nuclear Weapons?”

Germany in the Middle

Stars and Stripes wrote on January 6:

“The burgeoning crisis in the Middle East may complicate the Army’s plans to hold the largest military exercise in a generation in Europe this year. Defender-Europe 20, which is set for this spring, is expected to send 20,000 U.S. soldiers to Europe in the largest Army deployment to the Continent in 25 years. The units include an immediate response force from the 82nd Airborne Division that would conduct air and parachute assaults in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

“However, about 4,000 crisis response soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were dispatched to the Middle East… The Pentagon last year sent 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid concerns about Iranian aggression in the region.”

t-online wrote on January 11 that the central place for the planned operation will be Germany, with thousands of tanks and soldiers being transported eastward, using German streets and the autobahn, German airports and German waterways. The transport via Germany’s streets is supposed to happen mainly at night, in April and May. The transport of all the equipment and manpower back from the east will begin by the end of May and is supposed to be accomplished by July. 18 countries are participating in the exercise. In some parts of Germany, proposed military fights will be conducted. All in all, 35,000 soldiers will participate. According to the article, the reason for the exercise is the fear of further aggressive conduct by Russia, to be able to move quickly in case of an emergency.  

What Lies Ahead for Austria

The Local wrote on January 7:

“The 33-year-old chancellor Sebastian Kurz says the unlikely coalition offers ‘the best of both worlds.’ Here are some of the main points of the government’s 300-page programme.

“The government is aiming to be carbon neutral — meaning greenhouse gas emissions are balanced with measures that absorb or eliminate carbon — by 2040, a decade ahead of the European Union’s 2050 ambition… While the Greens campaigned — along with environmentalists — for higher eco taxes to be introduced… the government programme makes no direct promise of that… The plan does, however, stipulate a tax of 12 euros ($13.40) on every plane ticket for both short and medium-distance flights, up from 3.50 euros and 7.50 euros respectively. On the other hand, the government wants to introduce a yearly pass, costing three euros a day, to be used on public transport throughout the country…”

Kurz Old/New Immigration Policy—Nothing Has Changed

Politico wrote on January 13:

“Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said it is the government’s duty to ‘protect young girls’ from the harmful side-effects of immigration, defending his pledge to ban headscarves in schools for girls under the age of 14… Kurz also said controlling illegal immigration is… pivotal… ‘… it is… important to decide who will live in our country,’ he said, adding that better control of immigration is an integral part of protecting cultural identity. He also announced more drastic measures to guarantee national security, such as preventive detention of immigrants suspected of religious extremism…

“Kurz has long championed tougher immigration rules on the national and European level, earning him both support and criticism. One German NGO earlier this month caused considerable outrage across German and Austrian media when it denounced Kurz, 33, as ‘Baby Hitler,’ after the leader said sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean only encourage more refugees to make the dangerous crossing to Europe and lead to more deaths.”

It has been observed that all important government posts are in Kurz’s hands. Some of his radical measures regarding immigration are clearly cause for concern. However, some of the Green-inspired programs are ludicrous.

The Senate’s Impeachment Trial – another chapter in the Ongoing Hoax

npr wrote on January 10:

“When the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump opens, the man in the center chair will be Chief Justice John Roberts… the Constitution… says that the chief justice ‘shall preside’ over the Senate trial of a president… Yet under Senate rules, it is the senators themselves who have the first and last word. They establish the procedures for the trial and can, by majority vote, overturn any of the chief justice’s rulings.

“The extent of the chief’s powerlessness was driven home to Chief Justice William Rehnquist at the beginning of President Bill Clinton’s Senate impeachment trial in 1999. When Rehnquist asked Senate Sergeant at Arms James Ziglar how to turn on his microphone, Ziglar replied, ‘You don’t. We control that.’… Rehnquist… really had absolutely no control of his courtroom…

“Trump’s relationship with Roberts has been rocky at best. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump called Roberts a ‘disgrace,’ a ‘disaster’ and a ‘nightmare’ and castigated him repeatedly for casting the deciding vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act… Roberts… tried mightily to convey an image of the court as apolitical.

“Even as Roberts will be presiding over the Senate trial, he and fellow justices are hearing a series of blockbuster cases this term on issues as diverse as abortion, LGBTQ employment rights, a major immigration case involving the potential deportation of 700,000 ‘DREAMers,’ and even a series of cases in which Trump is seeking to block subpoenas of his financial records. With that menu dominating his day job, it is unlikely that Roberts will want to insert himself as a major player in the impeachment trial…

“Borrowing a line from Gilbert and Sullivan’s play Iolanthe, Rehnquist opined, ‘I did nothing in particular and did it very well.’”

House impeachment prosecutors presented the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate chamber on Thursday, reading the charges aloud. Then, John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was sworn in to preside over the trial that will determine whether Trump should be removed from office. After Roberts was sworn in, he administered an oath to deliver “impartial justice” to all 100 senators.

The historic trial marks only the third such proceeding in US history. The trial is anticipated to begin next Tuesday. The outcome is predetermined. Trump will remain President of the USA.

The End of the UK?

The New York Times wrote on January 10:

“The United Kingdom may be finally coming to an end… The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on Jan. 31. For decades, membership in the European Union helped glue together a fragmenting United Kingdom; now Brexit is tearing it apart…

“Mr. Johnson’s plan is likely to lead to a border between Northern Ireland and Britain for the first time in modern history… A once-more united Ireland is firmly in view…

“A large majority of Scots voted to remain in the European Union during the 2016 referendum; to allow Northern Ireland but not Scotland to remain aligned with the European Union’s market will only add to the sting. Nicola Sturgeon, the S.N.P.’s leader, has already formally requested that the Scottish parliament be given powers to hold an independence referendum. Mr. Johnson, for his part, has made clear that he intends to stand in the way of such a vote, but he may not be able to block it forever.

“So maybe this is the end… First Scotland, then Northern Ireland, leaving just England and Wales, a mini-union, which itself could break up under pressure from Welsh nationalists…

“England… would probably have to give up its nuclear weapons — the United Kingdom’s nuclear submarine base is in Scotland…”

In due time, a break-up of the UK appears likely, if not inevitable.

Israeli Education Minister Condemned for his Biblical Views

The Times of Israel wrote on January 10:

“Education Minister Rafi Peretz came under fire Friday for an interview where he appeared to call same-sex marriage unnatural… ‘In the religious public that lives according to the Torah, a normal family is a man and a woman,’ he said in an interview with the Yedioth Ahronoth daily. ‘[We] don’t need to ashamed that we live in this natural way.’ Peretz was also asked how he would respond if one of his children was gay. ‘Thank God my kids grew up naturally and healthy. They’re building their families from Jewish values,’ he said.

“The comments were met with heavy criticism, including from a number of gay Knesset members. ‘Look, Rabbi Rafi [Peretz], this is what a “natural and healthy” family looks like,’ Labor MK Itzik Shmuli wrote in tweet that included a photo of him with his partner and their son. Meretz party leader Nitzan Horowitz called Peretz a ‘contemptible person’… The LGBT umbrella organization Aguda called Peretz’s comments ‘irresponsible’ and said they were providing an opening for homophobia and anti-gay violence…”

Woe unto you when you say what GOD thinks. But woe unto you if you don’t!

No Trust in Israel’s Political System

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 12:

“With Israel’s third parliamentary elections in less than a year due to be held on March 2, 2020–at a cost to the economy of many billions of shekels – it’s not surprising that the public’s confidence in the Knesset and the political parties is at the lowest ebb… The current political impasse, which, unbelievably, threatens to trigger a fourth bout of elections, caused 63% of the Israeli public to distrust the political system in 2019. Compare this to 56% of the public who expressed very little confidence in politics, politicians and political institutions in 2018…

“An even sharper decline was recorded in the confidence level of the parties. Fully 67% of the public expressed little or no confidence in them, compared with four percent who expressed great or very much confidence. Last year, 57% expressed little or no confidence and six percent expressed great or very much confidence…”

There is not much trust and confidence in any of the governments of this world, nor should there be. And those who worship their political leaders—for instance in North Korea—are hopelessly delusional and brainwashed.

“The World Is Drowning in Debt”

CNN wrote on January 13:

“The world’s already huge debt load smashed the record for the highest debt-to-GDP ratio before 2019 was even over. In fact, it broke that record in the first nine months of last year. Global debt, which comprises borrowings from households, governments and companies, grew by $9 trillion, to nearly $253 trillion, in the first nine months of last year… That puts the global debt-to-GDP ratio at 322%, narrowly surpassing 2016 as the highest level on record.

“More than half of this enormous number was accumulated in developed markets, such as the United States and Europe, bringing their debt-to-GDP ratio to 383% overall. There are plenty of culprits. Countries like New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway all have rising household debt levels, while the government debt-to-GDP ratios in the United States and Australia are at all-time highs.

“In emerging markets, debt levels are lower, for a total of $72 trillion, but they have risen faster in recent years… China’s ratio of debt to GDP, for example, is approaching 310%, the highest level in the developing world. Investors have long kept a skeptical eye on the highly-leveraged country. Following a push for Chinese companies to deliver in 2017 and 2018, debt levels rose again last year…

“Such massive worldwide debt is a real risk for the global economy, especially because the IIF expects levels to rise even further in 2020. ‘Spurred by low interest rates and loose financial conditions, we estimate that total global debt will exceed $257 trillion’ in the first quarter of 2020, the IIF said…

“Despite favorable borrowing conditions, the refinancing risk is massive. A total of more than $19 trillion of syndicated loans and bonds will mature in 2020. It’s unlikely that all of these will be refinanced or repaid.”

How long can the world carry these horrendous debts before breaking down under the load?

Pope Benedict Warns Pope Francis Against Relaxing Celibacy Rules

BBC News reported on January 13:

“Retired Pope Benedict XVI has issued a defence of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church as his successor considers easing a ban on married men serving as priests. Pope Benedict made the appeal in a book co-authored with Cardinal Robert Sarah. It comes in response to a proposal to allow married men to be ordained as priests in the Amazon region.

“Pope Benedict, who retired in 2013, said he could not remain silent on the issue. In the book, Pope Benedict says celibacy, a centuries-old tradition within the Church, has ‘great significance’ because it allows priests to focus on their duties. The 92-year-old says ‘it doesn’t seem possible to realise both vocations [priesthood and marriage] simultaneously’.

“It is rare for Pope Benedict, who was the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years, to intervene in clerical matters… Vatican commentators have reacted with surprise to Francis’s intervention, suggesting it breaks with convention…

“A theological conservative with traditional views on Catholic values, Pope Benedict pledged to remain ‘hidden from the world’ when he retired, citing poor health. But since then, he has made his views known in articles, books and interviews, advocating a different approach to Pope Francis, who is seen as more progressive. Pope Benedict still lives within the walls of the Vatican in a former monastery…”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on January 13:

“Benedict’s intervention was extraordinary, given he had promised to remain ‘hidden from the world’ when he retired in 2013 and pledged his obedience to the new pope…

“The implications for such an intervention are grave, given that conservative and traditionalist Catholics nostalgic for Benedict’s orthodoxy are already deeply opposed to Francis, with some even considering Benedict’s resignation illegitimate…

“The book is being published at a moment of renewed interest in — and confusion about — the nature of the relationship between Francis and Benedict, thanks to the Netflix drama ‘The Two Popes.’ The film stars Anthony Hopkins as Benedict and Jonathan Pryce as Francis… It imagines a days-long conversation between the two men before Benedict announces his historic resignation Feb. 11, 2013 — conversations in which their different views of the state of the church become apparent.

“Those meetings never happened, and the two men didn’t know one another well before Francis was elected pope. But although the film takes artistic liberties for the sake of narrative, it gets the point across that Francis and Benedict indeed have some very different ideas…”

The Guardian wrote on January 13:

“‘It’s a first for Benedict but also for the church,’ said Joshua McElwee, the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. ‘There’s a real worry that the figure of the former pope, who has a big following among those from more conservative circles, could prevent Francis from making a decision that he felt was right for the church.’…

“In a controversial essay published last year, Benedict blamed the Catholic church’s paedophile priest scandals on the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ‘homosexual cliques’ among priests. His comments were in sharp conflict with Francis’s efforts to steer the church out of a crisis that has blighted it for decades.”

Vatican’s “Damage Control”

AFP wrote on January 14:

“On Tuesday, the ex-pontiff’s private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, clarified that although Benedict had given Sarah passages he had written to use as the cardinal saw fit, ‘he hadn’t approved any plans for a double signature book nor had he seen and authorised the cover.’ ‘It was a misunderstanding, without questioning the good faith of Cardinal Sarah,’ Gaenswein told Italian newswire ANSA… ‘Benedict XVI… never saw, nor authorised the cover, nor did he authorise the publication of a co-authored book,’ a Vatican source ‘very close’ to the former pope told Elisabetta Pique, Vatican correspondent for Argentina’s La Nacion.

“Cardinal Sarah took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend himself, saying Benedict knew their collaboration would be a book, and that they had sent proofs back and forth for corrections. He later issued a statement affirming his ‘affection’ for Benedict and ‘obedience’ to Pope Francis, and appeared to have been forced to row back on the issue. ‘Considering the polemics caused… it has been decided that the author of the book will be for future publications: Card Sarah, with the contribution of Benedict XVI,’ he said in a tweet. ‘However, the complete text remains absolutely unchanged,’ he insisted…

“Vatican expert Christopher Lamb said the controversy was not about the book’s content, but rather over ‘the use of a retired pope’s authority to make the point.’ ‘No-one is doubting that Benedict agrees with the premise of the book,’ Lamb said on Twitter.

“Nicolas Seneze of the French Catholic daily La Croix reported a flurry of exchanges Monday between Benedict’s abode and Francis’s, ‘where the danger of a book that erects the pope emeritus as a parallel magisterium (Catholic authority) was clearly understood’.”

The Associated Press added on January 14:

“… the book’s English-language publisher, Ignatius Press, refused to back down, saying the book would carry Benedict’s name as co-author. In a statement, the San Francisco-based Ignatius said it had worked from the text provided by French publisher Fayard, which listed two authors contributing a chapter apiece and a jointly written introduction and conclusion. ‘Ignatius Press considers this a coauthored publication,’ it said. Ignatius, Fayard and all other publishers clearly have more to gain selling a book authored by a former pope than one written by a Vatican cardinal…

“But the controversy made clear once again that the unprecedented reality of a retired and reigning pope still has some wrinkles to be ironed out… [Some] noted that the lines in Benedict’s case were particularly blurred… because of Gaenswein’s dual role: He is both Benedict’s private secretary and the prefect of Francis’ papal household.”

The Vatican’s and Gaenswein’s attempts of damage control make matters worse, as very few are willing to believe their “explanations.”

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

EndoftheAmericanDream wrote on January 12:

“Last Tuesday, one of the most important volcanoes in Alaska [Shishaldin Volcano] shot hot ash 25,000 feet into the air… Then on Thursday, Mt. Popocatepetl in Mexico shot hot ash nearly 4 miles into the sky… Mt. Popocatepetl… has the potential to create the worst natural disaster in the modern history of North America, because it is quite close to Mexico City… Approximately 26 million people live within 60 miles of Popocatepetl’s crater, and so we are talking about the potential for death and destruction on a scale that is difficult to imagine. In ancient times, Mt. Popocatepetl buried entire Aztec cities [in] super-heated mud, but then it went to sleep for about 1,000 years. Unfortunately for us, it started waking up again in the 1990s…

“… down in South America the Sabancaya volcano in Peru just shot a plume of volcanic ash approximately 24,000 feet into the air…  On Sunday, Taal volcano [in the Philippines] roared to life, and it is being reported that the eruption sent ‘steam, ash and pebbles up to 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) into the sky…  ash has already reached Manila, and… Manila’s international airport, offices and schools [were shut down].

“Meanwhile, we continue to see unusual earthquake activity all over the globe. After already experiencing more than 1,000 earthquakes since the beginning of 2020, Puerto Rico was hit by a magnitude 5.9 quake on Saturday… causing further damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools.”

The Bible warns of the increase of natural disasters in the last days.

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.

A More Dangerous World: US Killing Triggers Global Alarm

The Associated Press wrote on January 3:

“Global powers warned Friday that the American airstrike responsible for killing Iran’s top general [“the single most powerful operative in the Middle East” who was regarded as a “national hero” in Iran] made the world more dangerous and that escalation could set the entire Mideast aflame… The deaths of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several associates drew immediate cries for revenge from Tehran…

“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a ‘harsh retaliation is waiting’ for the U.S. He moved quickly to appoint Soleimani’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, as the new commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, which undertakes the country’s foreign campaigns, including in Syria and Yemen…

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [said], ‘A further escalation that sets the whole region on fire needs to be prevented.’ Maas also noted that the assault ‘followed a series of dangerous Iranian provocations.’…

“The White House sought to justify the killings with a tweet alleging that Soleimani ‘was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.’…

“Italy… warned that increased tensions ‘risk being fertile terrain for terrorism and violent extremism.’ But right-wing Italian opposition leader Matteo Salvini praised Trump for eliminating ‘one of the most dangerous and pitiless men in the world, an Islamic terrorist, an enemy of the West, of Israel, of rights and of freedoms.’

“Trump also won the support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively.’…”

Especially Germany’s rather weak and indecisive position of so-called “de-escalation” has been described as satisfying nobody, while France has been reported as being apparently willing to team up with Russia and China against the USA.

“Trump Has Freed the World of a Monster!”

Bild Online published the following commentary on January 3:

“The Iranian terror sponsor Qassem Soleimani stood for a world that no peaceful human being could want – a world in which one could be blown up by a bomb at any time if one is at the wrong place at the wrong time. A world in which entire cities are wiped out – like Aleppo. In which bloodthirsty militia go from door to door and execute civilians. In which the kindergartens in Germany could burn up in fireballs at any time because its children are Jewish. In which Israel is under threat of extinction every day.

“Soleimani, the world’s most repelling and bloodthirsty terrorist, who brought suffering and harm over humanity on the mullahs’ behalf, was an enemy of our civilization. He represented the unbearable thought that murderers will live more safely and be more untouchable the more people they kill (with the support of the state).

“His violent and overdue end will not stop global terrorism, but the image of his burnt-out car still sends out a powerful message. US President Donald Trump has made it clear that the worst figures in the world, however big-mouthed and ruthless they may be, cannot hide from America’s strength.

“They may torment, torture, harass, and terrorize those who are weaker and in despair, but they cannot do anything against the most powerful democracy in the world. At most, they can hide in holes and hope that they won’t be found.

“And when they claim that they are not afraid of death, these butchers are lying – they are cowards who love the sweet, corrupt life.

“President Trump has freed the world of a monster whose aim in life was an atomic cloud over Tel Aviv. Trump has acted in self-defense – the self-defense of the US and all peace-loving people.”

The views in this hard-hitting editorial are not shared by many German politicians and the overwhelmingly left-liberal mass media.

The Unpredictable President

Bloomberg wrote on January 4:

“Three years into Donald Trump’s presidency, U.S. allies and adversaries thought they had him figured out as a leader prone to bellicose talk who rarely delivered on his boldest military threats. That all changed Thursday with Trump’s decision to kill a key Iranian commander in the biggest foreign policy gamble of his time in office… Trump caught Tehran — and the rest of the world — by surprise, restoring a sense of unpredictability that could play to his advantage as world leaders are left wondering what his endgame is in the Middle East and beyond…

“The drone strike shatters an assumption… that Trump would do his utmost to avoid war during an election year… That’s gone now, probably permanently…

“Trump’s willingness to risk an escalation in an already volatile region gives him some leverage against U.S. foes even as it raises the risk of miscalculation… Leaders like North Korea’s Kim and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad will have to proceed cautiously before crossing a U.S. ‘red line,’ and Iran will struggle to come up with a suitable response that won’t further destabilize its already embattled regime…”

Trump has proven that he is willing to go to war. This will be important to remember when the relationship between the USA and Europe will continue to deteriorate.

Situation Is Escalating

NBC wrote on January 5:

“President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that if it retaliates… it will face U.S. attacks on 52 targets, a number he said was symbolic. The president tweeted that the number of targets matched the number of hostages held by Iran in 1979, when 52 American diplomats and citizens were held for 444 days…

“Trump’s tweet was vaguely worded, but… appears to suggest the targeting of cultural heritage sites [which the UN states is prohibited by international law and which some declare as being a war crime. Trump had tweeted: “We have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD”]…

“Trump added in further tweets that… ‘The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment. We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World! If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way…and without hesitation!…’

“Huge crowds had gathered in Baghdad Saturday [to mourn the death of Soleimani] as well as the Iraqi militants killed in the strike on the Baghdad airport…

“Iran’s state television announced that the country was ending its commitment to limit enrichment of uranium…”

Trump responded to a threat by one of Iran’s high-ranking officials who had stated: “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there… vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran… Some 35 US targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv [another source adds Haifa], are within our reach.”

The Associated Press reported on January 5: “President Donald Trump insisted Sunday that Iranian cultural sites were fair game for the U.S. military… ‘They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,’ Trump said.”

Trump later said that he would abide by the law, implying that he would not want to attack Iran’s cultural sites, but he made these comments “regrettably.” Trump’s original comments on that issue of “cultural” or, by extension, “religious” sites can also have prophetic ramifications when considering that the demolition or transfer of the al Aqsa mosque and/or the Dome of the Rock seem to be a necessity for the building of the prophesied Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, prior to Christ’s return.

The Daily Mail reported on January 5 that “Iran has since placed an $80million bounty on Trump’s head and threatened to attack the White House in response to the president’s warning that any strike on American interests in the region will bring massive retaliation.”

Meanwhile, the US announced that they will deploy 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East.

Not surprisingly, most US Democrats with their eyes on the elections in 2020, and maybe because of other reasons (see article below), were unified in their disagreement with Trump’s actions, thereby arguably playing right into the hands of Iran and Iraq and other nations hostile towards the USA. The argument by Democrats that Congress would have had to authorize the strike sounds good to the anti-Trump mass media, but would be false if, as the Trump administration claims, the strike was launched in self-defense.

NPR added on January 9:

“The House of Representatives approved a resolution that would force President Trump to seek consent from Congress [ruled by Democrats] before taking new military action against Iran…

“The nonbinding war powers resolution was approved in a mostly party-line vote… The Senate could consider a similar measure — but one that has the force of law — as early as next week, but it is unclear if it has enough votes to clear the chamber. 

“Trump administration officials maintain the president already has the authority to take action against Iran under a 2002 war authorization passed by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.”

Iran’s Connection with America’s Democrats

Breaking Israel News reported on January 7:

“Donald Trump’s elimination of [Soleimani], the most powerful military leader in Iran, generated a surprising level of opposition among the Democrats who feared an escalation of the confrontation with Iran. But it could be that another reason lies behind the Democrats’ support of Iran.

“The partisan support for Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, is so incongruous that former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley commented on it in a recent Fox News interview. ‘You don’t see anyone standing up for Iran,’ Haley said. ‘You’re not hearing any of the Gulf members, you’re not hearing China, you’re not hearing Russia. The only ones mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership and Democrat Presidential candidates.’…

“… the Obama administration was connected to Iran through a network of personal relationships. John Kerry, former President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State and the chief U.S. negotiator for the [Iran deal], seemed especially dedicated to the deal. Soon after Trump withdrew from the agreement, Kerry conducted secret meetings with Iranian officials, advising them on how to save the agreement. The meetings were unprecedented for a former White House official and some questioned whether Kerry was in violation of the Logan Act.

“Kerry’s Iranian connection took on a personal angle when his daughter, Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry, married Dr. Brian Vala Nahed in 2009. Nahed, a physician, is of Iranian descent but was born and raised in the U.S… Valerie Jarrett, [Obama’s] senior adviser, was born in Iran to U.S parents and was fluent in Persian… Lisa Page… has an Iranian mother… Hassan Ghashghavi, the deputy foreign minister of Iran, had threatened to expose Western diplomats who had accepted bribes to push through… the Iran nuclear deal. Ghasghavi was the senior adviser to Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Ansari Zarif during the [deal] negotiations.”

Mere coincidence… such as Hunter Biden receiving huge amounts of money for a high position in an Ukrainian company for which he was clearly not qualified?

Could the Strike on an Iranian General Trigger a Draft?

Stamford Advocate and the Washington Post wrote on January 4:

“The impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to order a strike against Soleimani has yet to be seen… Google searches for terms such as ‘conscription’, ‘Selective Service’ and ‘Iran’ spiked… as youthful social media users… dealt with this collective political anxiety the best way they knew how: by spinning out endless memes about getting drafted in a hypothetical, but seemingly imminent, World War III.

“On Friday, the website for the Selective Service, a federal agency tasked with maintaining a database of adult men who could be called upon should a crisis require a draft, experienced technical difficulties as people flooded the site.

“The draft was suspended in 1973 because of intense public and political opposition to the Vietnam War, and Congress and the president would have to pass legislation to bring it back, should an emergency call for it. [The United States instituted the draft during the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War].

“But America still keeps a database of all young men who could be called upon should the draft ever return. Every year, millions of young, adult men [residing in the USA, between ages 18 and 25] are required by law to register with the Selective Service… The mandate applies whether you’re a U.S. citizen, immigrant, or undocumented immigrant. Women are not currently required to register, and signing up for the Selective Service does not enlist a person in the military. Failure to register for the Selective Service could lead to criminal penalties, and an inability to qualify for federal student loans and federal jobs.”

It is absolutely certain that the draft will be instituted in the future.

Britain Must Support the USA

The Daily Star wrote on January 5:

“Admiral Lord West – formerly the most senior officer in the Royal Navy – said it would be ‘very difficult’ for Britain to stay out of a fresh conflict in the Middle East. The Royal Navy hero said Britain and the US are ‘joined at the hip’ militarily [in] the region – and are also perceived as being absolutely interlinked by Iran. He explained Iran views the US as the ‘Great Satan’ and the UK as the ‘Little Satan’… He added: ‘It is highly dangerous…’”

The Sun wrote on January 5:

“A CRISIS bigger than Brexit. It seems hard to imagine. But that is exactly how one Cabinet minister characterised the rapidly-escalating emergency in the Middle East. Iran’s violent reaction to the assassination of its murderous military chief ­General Qasem Soleimani could easily present the West with its most dangerous threat since the last Gulf War.

“So as the first rockets are fired in revenge after President Trump’s drone strike, it is vital that Britain gets its response right. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already criticised European countries for not being helpful — that includes the UK. [In a Fox interview, he stated that European allies were not as helpful as he wished them to be, and then he singled out the Brits, the French and the Germans.]

“We must not lose sight of the fact that, as well as having 900 troops in Iraq and Syria, we have regularly been the target of Iranian aggression.

“In July, British oil tanker the Stena Impero was seized by the Revolutionary Guards. There was the 2017 cyber attack when Iran hacked MPs’ emails, and human rights abuses such as the jailing of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on trumped-up spy charges…

“It was bad enough that Trump told his oldest ally nothing of the US strike in advance. But since then the Government has shown signs of struggling to catch up. This is a major early test for Boris Johnson. He must step in quickly and make a strong stand against an Iranian regime which has regularly threatened Britain.”

As it was expected, Johnson pledged his full support to Trump, against the opposition of Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, who had allegedly received 10.000 pounds from an Iranian TV channel.

Washington vs. Europe

Politico wrote on January 4:

“The assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani is a turning point for relations between the United States and Iran. It also pulls U.S. allies in Europe deeper into uncharted waters, and threatens to leave European forces on the ground caught in the crossfire of escalation between Tehran and Washington… For European capitals, this means their worst predictions… are becoming reality…

“Ironically, despite the rivalry with Iran, Arab Gulf countries can be useful partners for Europe in finding an off-ramp through diplomacy. Iran’s Arab neighbours have become increasingly worried that they are exposed to heavy costs for any military escalation between the U.S. and Iran. Europe should step up cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq to jointly prevent escalation.”

Some of that “collaboration” will take place… but not for peaceful purposes.

Iraqi Parliament wants US and other foreign Troops Out of the Country

Deutsche Welle reported on January 5:

“The Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to remove US troops from Iraq. In an extraordinary session, lawmakers voted for a resolution to ask the government to end an agreement with Washington to station 5,200 troops in Iraq…

“Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi… said that if US troops remain then they will be considered an occupying force. The resolution will also apply to other countries’ armies. The German government said later on Sunday that their military presence in Iran would ‘only remain if the Iraqi government want that.’

“The resolution is nonbinding, but it is likely to be heeded by the government as Abdul-Mahdi supports the measures.”

Trump warned that he would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops.

CNBC quoted President Trump on January 5 as saying the following:

“‘If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever… It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame. We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,’ Trump said.”

As we pointed out in our prior Update, the USA will ultimately leave Iraq. Prophetically, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, such as Turkey and Jordan, as well as Saudi-Arabia, will then align with Europe against the USA and Israel.

New Chaos and Fiasco in Iraq… USA Withdrawing from Iraq… just an Honest Mistake???

Axios wrote on January 6:

“With multiple media outlets reporting on a letter appearing to reveal U.S. plans to withdraw from Iraq, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters Monday afternoon that no such decision has been made…

“AFP and Reuters set off a frenzy by publishing a letter from Marine Corps Brig. Gen. William Seely informing the Iraqi military that the coalition to fight ISIS would be ‘repositioning forces’ and preparing to move ‘out of Iraq’ in the coming days and weeks out of respect for Iraqi sovereignty. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters that the letter was simply a draft and was not meant to be released… ‘[It was] poorly worded, implies withdrawal, that is not what’s happening,’ Milley said.”

Drafting such a letter does not simply occur without any underlying discussion. It’s not being concocted out of the blue by one over-zealous soldier. Israel fears that if the USA withdraws from Iraq, then there WILL BE war between Israel and Iran.

US Must Remove Forces from Entire Middle East

The Times of Israel wrote on January 6:

“A top commander of Iran’s missile array said Monday that even killing US President Donald Trump would not be satisfactory retribution…

“Rather, only the complete removal of US forces from the entire Middle East would suffice, said… [the] commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, who is in charge of missiles that can hit US bases across the region…

“[He] said that revenge required more than ‘just four missiles, targeting a US base, or even killing Trump.’”

These statements can be viewed as typical Iranian hyperbole, but they reflect nevertheless the desire of most countries in the Middle East to see America leaving. See the next articles.

Iran’s Retaliation and further Threats

Newsmax wrote on January 8:

“Iran said it launched more than [a] dozen missiles against U.S. targets on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike last week. ‘Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region,’ Khamenei said in a televised speech, describing the missile strikes as a ‘slap on the face’ for Washington.

“‘This region will not accept the presence of America,’ he said, renewing Tehran’s long-standing demand for Washington to withdraw its forces.”

 JTA wrote on January 7:

“Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. military targets in Iraq in retaliation for the killing last week of a top general and warned that if the United States escalates, Iran’s next targets would be U.S. allies, including Israel.

“‘Iran is warning that if there is retaliation for the two waves of attacks they launched, their third wave will destroy Dubai and Haifa,’ Ali Arouzi, NBC’s Tehran correspondent, reported on Twitter, where he was relaying official comments from Iran’s state media. The U.S. Sixth Fleet often docks in Haifa.

“The warning came after Iranian missiles hit two U.S. bases in Iraq on Tuesday… Tensions have escalated over the last year between the United States and Iran… Late last year, an Iranian proxy killed an American contractor, leading President Donald Trump to approve the assassination last week of Qassem Soleimani…

“Arouzi and others on Twitter quoted Iranian media as saying that Iran would not continue its attacks if there were no further U.S. retaliation.”

Trump’s Response to Iran

Newsmax reported on January 8:

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran appears to be ‘standing down’ and said no Americans or Iraqis were harmed in Iran’s Tuesday ballistic missile strike on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops…

“Trump announced that the U.S. will immediately place new sanctions on Iran ‘until Iran changes its behavior.’ Trump reiterated his position that ‘Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon’…”

Iran’s assertion that many American troops died in the missile strikes seems to be without foundation. The implication that the USA would not retaliate militarily at this point was the reaction European allies and many Democrats hoped for, but the announcement of further economic sanctions, instead of lifting existing ones, caused more concerns for a further escalation.

Deadly Crash of Airplane in Iran—Shot Down?

The Sun wrote on January 8:

“IRAN has refused to hand over the black box of a plane that crashed killing 176 people to international investigators. The Kiev-bound Ukraine International Airlines jet came down shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport this morning, killing everyone on board. The tragedy came just hours after Tehran fired at least 15 ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq, sparking fears it could have been shot down by mistake by jittery Iranian air defences. And chilling images show pieces of the aircraft’s fuselage peppered with shrapnel holes – which some experts say points to a ‘shootdown’ event…

“Iranian media said the Boeing 737 came down after ‘technical problems’ and quoted an aviation chief who said no emergency had been declared. Qassem Biniaz, a spokesman for Iran’s Road and Transportation authority, claimed one of its engines caught fire, causing the pilot to lose control. But the aircraft was new in 2016 and was last checked just two days ago, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

“… Ukraine’s Tehran embassy… abruptly removed a line from its statement excluding a terrorist attack or missile strike… Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sun Online: ‘This is catastrophic and not the type of crash that comes from an engine failing…’

“The plane crash comes just days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appeared to hint he was threatening another Lockerbie bombing. And it bears chilling similarities to the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane by Russian-backed separatists over Ukraine, after it was mistaken for an incoming missile. The US Navy also killed 290 people in a similar incident after mistakenly shooting down an Iranian passenger jet in 1988.

“A number of airlines have now suspended flights over Iranian and Iraqi airspace.”

This would indeed be a strange coincidence if the two events were unrelated. Iran’s refusal to turn over the black box is further cause for concern.

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference later Thursday that his government had intelligence from ‘multiple’ sources that showed an Iranian missile shot down the jet… Trudeau’s comments were echoed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said that there is ‘a body of information’ that the plane was brought down by an Iranian missile.”

 Both added that they believed it was unintentional. Donald Trump also stated that he believed that Iran was responsible for the crash, which Iran, of course, denied.

The Russian-Iranian Connection

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 6:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin’s festive season is spoiled beyond repair. First, US Congress imposed sanctions on companies building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Kremlin’s key European energy project. Then Israel, Cyprus and Greece — all of which enjoy cordial relations with Moscow — dealt it another blow by announcing the construction of a gas pipeline to Europe that could undermine Nord Stream’s profitability. And only three days before Russian Orthodox Christmas, the Americans hit Moscow’s Iranian ally hard by killing General… Soleimani…

“Putin knew Soleimani very well: He played a key role in creating the Russian-Iranian alliance that saved Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria from what seemed in 2015 an imminent demise… despite the harsh statements by the Russian foreign ministry and the anti-American and pro-Iranian hysteria in state-controlled media, behind the scenes the Kremlin must hope that Tehran will limit its response to the Baghdad killing.

“If the Iranians choose confrontation, President Putin will have two choices — either to stand by his Iranian allies through thick and thin or quietly exit the stage leaving Tehran to fend for itself.

“The first option means risking direct military confrontation with the United States, almost certainly more (and more severe) sanctions from US Congress, devastating painfully built relations with the Saudis and the Israelis. Moreover, all this will be in vain — Iran stands no chance of winning in such a conflagration.

“The second option for Putin is looking from the sidelines as his Iranian allies get smashed militarily and economically. But what’s worse is that it may also mean regime change in Tehran — governments that lose wars usually do not win any popularity. The late General Soleimani’s security service and police colleagues already killed dozens if not hundreds of anti-regime demonstrators in recent months…

“In such a case Russia will not only lose a key ally in propping up Assad in Syria, but also become much less important to Israel… and the Saudis… It will also embolden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who already seems to be falling out with Russia over Libya…”

These are interesting potential developments. Especially Turkey and Saudi Arabia will ultimately be on Europe’s side.

Brexit on January 31

Axios wrote on January 9:

“The U.K.’s House of Commons voted 330-231 in favor of the European Union withdrawal agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson… The bill must still be passed by the House of Lords, but the Commons’ approval essentially ensures that Brexit will happen on Jan. 31. The passage of the bill after three years of deadlock is a result of the landslide victory Johnson’s Conservative Party won in last month’s snap election…

“Following its official Jan. 31 exit, the U.K. will remain aligned with EU rules and regulations for an 11-month transition period, during which the two sides will seek to negotiate a full free trade agreement. Those types of international treaties typically take years to negotiate, but Johnson has ruled out extending the transition period past the end of 2020 — prompting fears of a ‘clean break’ that could cause significant damage to the British economy…”

Stock Market Slides

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 3:

“European shares slipped from near record highs on Friday… with a surge in oil prices hammering airline stocks…

“‘We are only into the third day of the new year, and a big fat dollop of geopolitical uncertainty has landed on investors’ desks already this morning,’ said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA…”

The Times of Israel wrote on January 6:

“World shares fell Monday as financial markets were rattled by escalating tensions in the Middle East… After a brief respite thanks to a preliminary agreement between Washington and Beijing that staved off a further escalation of trade tensions, world markets have been hit by a fresh onslaught of worries.”

This is just the beginning in the first week of 2020. The world economy is at the brink of a major global crash.

Terror Attack against USA in Kenya

ABC News wrote on January 5:

“One U.S. service member and two American Department of Defense contractors were killed in a terror attack on a military base in Kenya that houses some U.S. military personnel. The Somali terror group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack…

“Last week, al-Shabab carried out a car bomb attack in the heart of Mogadishu that killed at least 80 civilians. ‘Al-Shabab is a brutal terrorist organization,’ U.S Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler [said] in a statement. ‘It is an Al-Qaeda affiliate seeking to establish a self-governed Islamic territory in East Africa, to remove Western influence and ideals from the region, and to further its jihadist agenda. U.S. presence in Africa is critically important to counter-terrorism efforts.’

“About 500 U.S. troops are stationed inside Somalia assisting and advising that country’s military in its fight against the terror group.”

No connection has been pointed out between the terror attack in Somalia and the most recent events pertaining to Iran, but it shows that the USA is being surrounded by enemies.

Split in Methodist Church over Same-Sex Marriage

MSN wrote on January 3:

“Leaders of the church announced Friday they had agreed to spin off a ‘traditionalist Methodist’ denomination, which would continue to oppose same-sex marriage and to refuse ordination to LGBT clergy, while allowing the remaining portion of the United Methodist Church to permit same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy for the first time in its history…

“Many mainline denominations, including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Church of Christ and others, already perform same-sex marriages and appoint gay clergy. But the United Methodist Church, the nation’s largest mainline denomination and the third-largest denomination of any faith in America, has fought bitterly over the issue, to the point that leaders have feared a schism over the issue for years.”

God and His values don’t change, but humans seem to always do. This is especially tragic when these humans claim to speak on behalf of God.

Government-Ordered Euthanasia in Canada

Life Site News wrote on January 6:

“The British Columbia government is ordering a palliative care hospice to allow its patients to be killed onsite through ‘medically-assisted death,’ or euthanasia, by February 3…

“It’s the latest development in the society’s long-running battle to prevent the lethal injection of patients onsite at the 10-bed Irene Thomas Hospice it runs in a suburb of Delta, a city south of Vancouver… New Democratic Party (NDP) Health Minister Adrian Dix has already broadly hinted that the government will pull the non-profit society’s public funding…

“The FHA [Frazer Health Authority]  issued its euthanasia policy in September 2016, three months after Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government legalized the practice in Canada at the bidding of the Supreme Court, which in February 2015 struck down the law prohibiting euthanasia as unconstitutional.”

Euthanasia was one of the practices for which Nazi Germany was strongly condemned.

Deadly Earthquakes in Puerto Rico

CNN wrote on January 8:

“A 6.4 magnitude earthquake that killed one person in Puerto Rico on Tuesday is one of hundreds of tremors that have rattled the island for more than a week. And experts say the shaking is not over yet. The latest earthquake struck during the predawn hours, flattening homes, knocking out power in some areas and jolting awake terrified residents. Just a day earlier, a magnitude 5.8 quake hit off the island’s southwestern coast…

“Puerto Rico sits on an unusual spot, which makes it vulnerable to earthquakes…”

Australia’s Wildfires Might Have Killed a Billion Animals… so far…

The Sun wrote on January 5:

“HEARTBREAKING footage shows the charred remains of dead koalas and kangaroos – as experts fear the devastating Australian wildfires have killed a BILLION animals [some estimate the number as 500 Million] [including mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects]… It comes as 24 people were killed and 200,000 homes were destroyed in the horrifying bushfires.

“Sydney was declared the hottest place on earth yesterday with temperatures rocketing to nearly 50C as fires continued to rip through the area…

“The destructive wildfires are thought to have killed off a third of Australia’s Koala population whose numbers are already dangerously low. Around 8,000 of the furry creatures are believed to have perished [The Guardian estimates the number with 25,000 Koalas] whilst there are also huge fears over the western ground parrot, the eastern bristlebird and the Kangaroo Island dunnart.

“The blazes are creating their own storms because of the heat they are generating – with fire tornadoes causing some of the biggest fires to merge…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 9:

“Snipers in helicopters took to the skies as part of a bid to curb [kill] ‘extremely large’ herds of camels [up to 10,000] in South Australia. An ongoing drought has driven the animals closer to towns, threatening the water supplies of locals… Camels are not native to Australia and have no natural predators. They were first brought to the continent in the mid-1800s to aid in exploration. Australia is now believed to have the largest wild camel population in the world, with officials estimating that up to 1 million camels are currently roaming the country’s inland deserts.”

It is feared that the fires will continue to burn for months. God has prophesied that the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel, which include Australia, will have to experience much suffering, including from natural disasters. At the same time, God has promised protection for His people. But it has also been reported that many of the blazes in Australia were ignited by arsonists. In fact, authorities in Australia have arrested close to 200 people for deliberately starting the bushfires. In that light, blaming the fires on global warming or climate change sounds rather silly.

Don’t Forget the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News reported on January 8:

“During a speech at the Kohelet Policy Forum on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among other things, discussed the importance of Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria. Warning about the dangers of Israel’s withdrawal from the region it liberated in the Six-Day-War, Netanyahu stated: ‘If Israel is not present on the hills of Judea and Samaria, Islamists will take over instead.’

“Without skipping a beat, Rabbi Yehuda Glick interrupted him yelling: ‘same with the Temple Mount!’ At that point, the Prime Minister gave Glick an uncomfortable glare and continued with his speech.

“However, Glick’s intention was not to embarrass the Prime Minister but rather to keep the idea of the third Temple alive and in the psyche of the Jewish people as he told Breaking Israel News: ‘You have to keep saying it. If you don’t say it, you’ll forget it.’

“The following speaker was Defense Minister Naftali Bennett who during his speech, began to list important locations throughout Israel which didn’t include the Temple Mount. At a certain point, Glick interrupted him too adding ‘and the Temple Mount!’ This time, Bennett responded to Glick’s comment saying: ‘You’re absolutely right Yehuda, also the Temple Mount.’”

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.

Putin’s Lies about Poland

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 30:

“Germany and Russia colluded to invade Poland, US envoy to Warsaw Georgette Mosbacher said in a tweet. Her comments follow claims by Russia’s Vladimir Putin that Poland was on board with Hitler’s plans [and] that Poland was responsible for the start of the war. ‘Dear President Putin, Hitler and Stalin colluded to start WWII. That is a fact. Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict,’ Mosbacher wrote.

“German ambassador echoed Mosbacher’s statement… ‘The Molotov-Robbentrop Pact served to prepare Nazi Germany’s criminal military attack against Poland,’ Ambassador Rolf Nikel said in a Polish-language post. ‘The Soviet Union, together with Germany, took part in the brutal partitioning of Poland.‘…

“Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday condemned Putin’s comments as well… World War II began in 1939 when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany, followed by Soviet Russia two weeks later. Around 6 million Polish citizens were killed during the war.”

Putin’s attempts to whitewash Russia of its horrible crimes—past and present—are pathetic… and show a very dangerous mindset.

Putin’s Frightening Hypersonic Weapons

The Associated Press wrote on December 27:

“A new intercontinental weapon [the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle] that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Russia’s defense minister reported to President Vladimir Putin, bolstering the country’s nuclear strike capability… The Avangard is launched atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, but unlike a regular missile warhead that follows a predictable path after separation it can make sharp maneuvers in the atmosphere en route to target, making it much harder to intercept… It carries a nuclear weapon of up to 2 megatons…

“China has tested its own hypersonic glide vehicle, believed to be capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound…

“The Pentagon also has been working on the development of hypersonic weapons in recent years, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that he believes ‘it’s probably a matter of a couple of years’ before the U.S. has one…”

Putin, not unlike Stalin, is preparing for an outright war… but this time with highly sophisticated nuclear weapons. While no such war is going to take place between Russia and the USA, a nuclear war will break out between Europe, which will be alarmed by rumors from the Far East, and Russia and its allies, including China.

Russia and UN to Restrict Internet

AFP wrote on December 28:

“The United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom… The United States, European powers and rights groups fear that the language is code for legitimizing crackdowns on expression, with numerous countries defining criticism of the government as ‘criminal.’ China heavily restricts internet searches to avoid topics sensitive to its communist leadership, as well as news sites with critical coverage.

“A number of countries have increasingly tried to turn off the internet, with India cutting off access in Kashmir in August after it stripped autonomy to the Muslim-majority region and Iran taking much of the country offline as it cracked down on protests in November… Human Rights Watch called the UN resolution’s list of sponsors ‘a rogue’s gallery of some of the earth’s most repressive governments.’”

While Russia is again involved in trying to suppress the freedom of the press, the hypocritical UN has proven to be an organization that supports and sponsors totalitarian governments.

Religious Persecution in China

 MSN wrote on January 2:

 “On Monday, [Christian Pastor] Wang was sentenced to nine years in prison for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ and ‘illegal business activities’ following closed-door proceedings. The pastor… will also be ‘stripped of political rights’ for three years and have approximately $7,200 of his assets seized, according to a government statement.

“Wang is a well-known Christian leader and was invited to the White House in 2006 by George W. Bush to discuss religious freedom in China. The U.S. was quick to denounce the prison sentence this week… Another leader at the church [Qin Defu] was sentenced to four years in prison for ‘illegal business operations’ in November…

“It’s not just Christians facing persecution in China… In far northwestern Xinjiang, more than a million Muslim-majority Uighurs and other ethnic minorities have been detained… and evidence of large-scale destruction mosques has been reported. In Tibet… some citizens… have been ordered to replace altars to religious figures like the exiled Dalai Lama with shrines to Xi.

“[One scholar said:] ‘Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party regard the Christian church as the number one enemy.’”

Iraq… “America’s Worst Mistake” Back in the News

Axios wrote on December 31:

“The storming of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has launched one of the biggest foreign policy crises of the Trump presidency. Trump tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, ‘Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!’

“Outside the embassy, ‘thousands of protesters and militia fighters [were] chanting “Death to America,” throwing rocks, covering the walls with graffiti and demanding that the United States withdraw’ from Iraq, the N.Y. Times reports. ‘[M]any were members of Kataib Hezbollah,’ which is backed by Iran.

“120 Marines were rushed to Baghdad today, the most since ISIS was at its peak… President Trump may feel compelled to do something… On the other hand, Trump has, until his recent retaliatory air strikes, been reluctant to fight a proxy war against Iran inside Iraq. When Iran shot down a U.S. drone earlier this year, Trump was prepared to strike several Iranian targets, but at the last minute his more dovish instincts kicked in. It was only when Iranian proxies killed a U.S. contractor recently that Trump felt he had no choice but to strike back…

“Iranian militias are well positioned to attack the roughly 5,000 U.S. military personnel still inside Iraq. The Iraqi security forces have shown themselves to be incompetent and cannot be relied upon to protect American troops in Iraq…

“If Trump strikes back hard against Iran, he may get a new Middle East war he never wanted. If he does nothing, he may show… weakness he has long derided… But there’s another possibility that cannot be entirely dismissed… what if Trump made a flip decision and totally withdrew American forces from Iraq?… Trump has long wanted out of Iraq and believes the American presence in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster that was the worst mistake in U.S. history…”

The Daily Mail wrote on January 2:

 “Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence… It ended a two-day crisis marked by the breach of the largest and one of the most heavily fortified U.S. diplomatic missions in the world. The attack prompted President Donald Trump and the Pentagon to send hundreds of Marines to the Middle East… The attack on the embassy also prompted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip…”

The further development of this dangerous crisis will be interesting to watch. Ultimately, the USA will withdraw completely, and the ensuing power vacuum will be filled. Players who are not suspected by many, will finally step in to do just that.

Record Number of Mass Killings in USA in 2019

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 29:

“This year witnessed the highest number of mass killings in the United States in recent history. The lives of 211 people were lost in 41 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed, excluding the perpetrator. Of those, 33 involved firearms.

“The findings reveal that there were more mass killings in 2019 than any year going back to at least the 1970s. The second-highest number of mass slayings in a year was 38 in 2006. But the total of 211 people killed this year is surpassed by the 224 victims in 2017, when the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place in Las Vegas, where 58 people were killed.”

The Bible talks again and again about our violent, murderous and bloody cities in these end times.

Crash in 2020?

CNN wrote about December 29:

“Analysts at Vanguard say there’s a good chance the crash could come as early as 2020. It’s been a bumper year for financial markets. But as a new decade moves swiftly into view, analysts are becoming understandably nervous about a potential stock market crash…

“According to Guggenheim Partners’ Chief Investment Officer Scott Minerd, the end of this glorious bull market is getting dangerously close…  Minerd isn’t the only one sounding alarm bells. Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller also warned that there were ‘bubbles everywhere’… Joe Davis, head of investment strategy at Vanguard, says he sees a 50% chance of a market crash in 2020.”

Reuters wrote on December 27:

“The current economic cycle is already the longest in U.S. history and a recession looks inevitable in the new decade — which also will mark 100 years since the Wall Street crash of 1929… ‘Central banks have effectively invited governments to experiment with more unconventional policies,’ Deutsche Bank said. However, those policies may pile up even more global debt, already at record highs…”

Newsmax wrote on December 27:

“Banks around the world are [revealing] the biggest round of job cuts in four years as they slash costs to weather a slowing economy…This year, more than 50 lenders have announced plans to cut a combined 77,780 jobs, the most since 91,448 in 2015… Banks in Europe, which face the added burden of negative interest rates for years to come, account for almost 82% of the total.

“The 2019 cuts bring the total for the last six years to more than 425,000. In fact, the actual amount is probably higher because many banks eliminate staff without disclosing their plans… This year’s figures also underscore the weakness of European banks…

“Deutsche Bank [Germany’s biggest lender] is planning to get rid of 18,000 employees through 2022… [Germany] is the most fragmented major banking market in Europe and among the most exposed to negative interest rates…”

“Seeking Alpha” wrote on December 27, 2019, that the USA has already been in a recession for 6 months. The EU has been since July, Germany for 18 months and the UK for two years. Please watch our newest program on Comments on News and Prophecy, titled, “Economic Crash in 2020?”

Not a Real Whistleblower?

Breitbart wrote on December 27:

“President Trump on Thursday retweeted a Trump campaign tweet that contained a link to an article that named the alleged Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ‘whistleblower,’ whose complaint catalyzed House Democrats’ drive towards impeachment… The Trump campaign [wrote:] ‘The CIA “whistleblower” is not a real whistleblower!’ and posted a link to a Washington Examiner article, which named the alleged whistleblower Eric Ciaramella…

“Ciaramella is a 33-year-old CIA analyst who works on Ukraine and Russia. He previously served at the National Security Council during the Obama administration, when former Vice President Joe Biden was the point person for Ukraine… The New York Times and Washington Post first reported that the ‘whistleblower’ is a relatively junior CIA analyst. CNN reported that he was a Democrat.”

The entire “impeachment” circus, initiated by Democrats and an alleged “whistleblower,” was clearly a total hoax and witch-hunt from the outset.

Young and Old Evangelicals Divided on Trump?

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“After evangelical publication Christianity Today published a blistering editorial on what it called Donald Trump’s ‘grossly immoral character’, some church leaders and the U.S. president himself denounced the criticism as elitist and out-of-touch… However, the coziness with the Republican president… is being abandoned by younger generations…

“Trump’s presidency may make the age gap worse… many younger evangelicals opposed Trump’s immigration and asylum policies and were concerned about alleviating poverty, in contrast to older members of the faith… Evangelicalism, like all forms of Christianity in the United States, is struggling to attract younger members, amid an unprecedented surge in recent years of the number of people identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

“White evangelical protestants declined as a proportion of the U.S. population between 2006 and 2018, falling to 15% from 23%… Higher-than-average voter turnout among evangelicals means the group still represents more than a quarter of the U.S. electorate, but a failure to draw young worshippers means their electoral heft is set to diminish…

“The perhaps unlikely alliance between conservative Christians and the twice-divorced New York real estate developer has been important for Trump… Many U.S. evangelicals also strongly support conservatives in Israel, and hailed Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there…

“A group of nearly 200 leaders from the conservative wing of evangelicalism defended him in a letter to the magazine, praising the president for seeking the advice of ‘Bible-believing Christians and patriotic Americans’… Meanwhile, other religious scholars and leaders have signed a petition in support of Christianity Today, stating that the ‘United States evangelical and Christian community is at a moral crossroads.’ Younger evangelicals are put off by church leaders’ seemingly unconditional support for Trump…”

The division between younger and older Evangelicals is interesting in the light of biblical prophecy that ultimately, the Roman Catholic Church will capitalize on such disagreements and emerge worldwide as THE religious power.

Left-Wing Democrats Accuse Trump of Anti-Semitism

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 31:

“In the wake of a machete-attack carried out by a black man in Monsey on Saturday night [on the 7th night of Hanukkah], many Democrats are blaming President Trump for the rising tide of anti-Semitism but at least one Jewish Democratic politician is pointing at the stark reality that is the real culprit in New York: unrepentant left-wing anti-Semitism.

“President Trump responded strongly to the attack, calling for a united fight to ‘eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism.’…

“Congressman Rashida Tlaib… predictably blamed the president for the attack… Tlaid’s criticism of President Trump is ironic since her short time in Congress has been characterized by her anti-Semitic remarks…

“Rather than take responsibility for the wave of anti-Semitism that has plagued the state he serves, Mayor Bill Deblasio doubled down on blaming the right-wing [and] President Trump… Deblasio’s claim was harshly criticized by Dov Hikind, a former Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn who is a religious Jew… Hikind highlighted the rise in a uniquely left-wing anti-Semitism… and its Democratic supporters in Congress like Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez… ‘All the hate in New York is coming from the left,’ Hikind insisted…

“These claims [against Trump] are, even on a superficial level, perplexing. Trump’s presidency has been highlighted by unprecedented support for Israel as illustrated by recognition of Jerusalem as the capital, Jewish sovereignty in the Golan, and removing the State Department’s description of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria as ‘illegal’. Also, earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order that would cut federal funding to colleges and universities that don’t curb anti-Semitism against Jewish students.”

This very perceptive article reminds us of phenomena outside the USA as well, for instance in the UK (Labour Party) and in Europe, including Germany (SPD and the Greens). It is actually the left-wing radicals within those parties who are much more anti-Semitic than many others.

How Germans View World Leaders

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 26:

“When asked who posed the greatest threat to world peace, Germans in a recent poll overwhelmingly pointed to one person – Donald Trump. The US president beat out the leaders of North Korea, Russia, China and Iran. Although Washington is one of Germany’s closest allies, public trust in the US has significantly eroded under President Donald Trump…

“Germans were asked who was more dangerous: North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin or US President Donald Trump. Some 41% of Germans said they thought Trump was the most dangerous out of the five world leaders. In second place was Kim with 17%, followed by Putin and Khamenei with 8%. Coming in last was China’s Xi with 7%…

“A separate year-end poll showed that public trust in German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also diminished at home, particularly when compared to other European leaders… 57% of Germans surveyed said they had a ‘rather high’ level of trust in French President Emmanuel Macron. Merkel, on the other hand, came in several points behind the French leader at 53%. The differences were even more pronounced on the other end of the scale, with 44% of Germans surveyed saying they had ‘very little’ trust in Merkel, compared to 32% for Macron.

“In that poll, Trump came in last as the least trustworthy leader (89% very little trust), behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (86%) and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (71%).”

For so many Germans to draw such kind of conclusions, they seem to be blind and uninformed, but their perspective might be mirrored by their current and future political leaders, which can result in catastrophic consequences.

Germany’s Arms Exports

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“German arms exports rose 65% from January to mid-December 2019 compared to 2018 and hit a record of €7.95 billion ($8.8 billion)… two of Germany’s top 10 arms export customers, Egypt at number two and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at number nine, were active participants in the war in Yemen, in spite of government assurances that Germany would no longer arm those countries. The figures show government-approved exports of weapons, vehicles, and warships beat the previous record in 2015…

“Germany’s total export licenses had already exceeded last year’s total of €5.3 billion by the middle of the year, the figures revealed… The largest number of German weapons deliveries in 2019 went to Hungary, where exports reached €1.77 billion, followed by Egypt at €802 million and the United States at €483 million…

“The Berlin government agreed to halt arms exports to the countries involved in the Yemen conflict as part of the coalition deal reached in 2018. It later said it would ban all exports to Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though subsequent reports showed that the government still approved some exports to Riyadh this year.”

So, the German government has lied to the German people and the world.

Europe’s Defense Policy for 2020

Euractiv wrote on December 26:

“… the EU aims to deal with the bloc’s fragmented defence industry [to create an] EU headquarters for military operations under the European Commission’s helm… the EU is already eyeing new money sources for its various military projects, with currently 47 such initiatives under the EU’s permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), and 25 member states participating…

“Although several countries, including Germany, have in recent months rejected the possibility of acquiring armed drones, Greece recently announced its intention to buy a fleet of American and Israeli armed drones which could be used against similar Turkish assets already deployed in the eastern Mediterranean as Ankara prepares to exploit offshore oil and gas fields…”

The EU will emerge as a powerful military entity with its own unified Army.

Comeback of Italy’s Matteo Salvini?

Politico wrote on December 30:

“Matteo Salvini… the leader of the far-right League party and former Italian interior minister believes he’ll be prime minister in 2020… Salvini believes his comeback is close as the new coalition struggles to agree on crucial policy issues and reboot the country’s stagnating economy…

“Salvini said he plans to focus on improving relations with Germany and France once back in government, and believes he can drive change in Brussels… ‘But it’s not just about Paris and Berlin … I want to be part of an international front that includes Donald Trump, who will be re-elected, Boris Johnson, [Brazil’s] Jair Bolsonaro and [Israel’s] Benjamin Netanyahu … These are all leaders that the left criminalizes but have all been overwhelmingly supported by the people,’ he said…

“The Italian government has been plagued by infighting of late. Last week, Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti, from the 5Stars, resigned after failing to receive the €3 billion in school funding he had demanded for 2020. Several 5Stars lawmakers have left in the past couple of months and in October former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi left the PD to form a new party. Salvini hopes that will play in his favor in two crucial regional elections next month…”

That would be an interesting development, as the parallels between Salvini and Mussolini are striking.

Sebastian Kurz’s Risky Endeavor

Bloomberg wrote on January 1:

“Kurz, the 33-year-old former chancellor, announced he struck a deal to return to power with Austria’s environmentalist party late on New Year’s Day. Pending approval by a Green party conference on Saturday, the new administration could be sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen (himself a former Green leader) on Jan. 7…

“It’s a risky project… From 2015, Kurz used the European refugee crisis to take over his party. He dressed the conservatives in the clothes of populism and steered them out of an awkward coalition with the Social Democrats to join forces with a xenophobic party founded by former Nazis. After winning two straight elections, a third of his voters are now former supporters of the Freedom Party and other rightist groups.

“By teaming up with the Greens, Kurz finds himself on the opposite side of the debate from the populists and vulnerable to their attacks for the first time. Concessions to his partner could also estrange his new voters as well as People’s Party mainstays like farmers, industry, commuters and traditionalists panicking about meat prices or fuel taxes.

“Kurz will have to show to his supporters that his tough line on migration and integration remains intact, that there are neither more taxes nor more debt and that legislation will remain business-friendly. [Green party leader Werner] Kogler will need some wins on climate policy, including tangible investments in infrastructure and some form of carbon taxes, at least a toning down of the anti-immigration rhetoric of Kurz’s former government, and measures on transparency and anti-corruption.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 1:

“The ‘experiment,’ as the daily Kurier put it, will mark the first time the left-wing Green party has been in government. The new coalition of widely disparate parties is likely to be significantly different from the previous government…

“The coalition in Austria will be closely watched in Germany, where the current coalition between the Social Democrats and Angela Merkel’s conservatives is under strain. In Germany, the Greens are polling at roughly 21% compared to the 8.9% the party scored in the last federal elections in 2017. A collapse of the current coalition government, early elections or the scheduled 2021 election could bring the Greens into government with Merkel’s conservatives.”

A risky endeavor indeed, but Kurz has been described as “very adaptable” to “compromise.” In other words, as the proverbial politician. The Green party in Germany recently came under strong attack due its perceived anti-Semitic stance.

What Will Be Left of the UK?

The Corner wrote on December 29:

“What kind of relationship will Britain have with a European Union it has formally left?… There is still an 11-month transition period in which a trade deal has to be finalized… But from the end of January 2020, the UK will no longer have a seat at the high European table…

“If it marries itself to the US, will there be a bride price that will seriously weaken the independence of British institutions?… Will Britain… be a pawn in US hands…

“Throughout the Brexit negotiations to leave the EU, there were serious Irish and Northern Irish concerns. Yet the first major schismatic fault-line would seem to lie with the Scots… seeking another referendum for independence. A legal vote on Scottish independence can only be sanctioned in Westminster, not in Edinburgh. The Scots will be mulling, nevertheless, a Catalonian-style unilateral referendum and using it as moral leverage in difficult and likely protracted discussions and confrontations with Westminster. The one thing Prime Minister Johnson is unlikely to have is any guaranteed unity in the British project.

“As food prices rise, European common agricultural policy subsidies are withdrawn, and new food suppliers cannot be found — or found only with great transport costs — the UK agricultural sector looks set to be decimated. New tariff barriers, unless successfully negotiated downward over the next 11 months, would raise the prices on almost all imported commodities in a land with declining manufacturing capacities, alongside agriculture that cannot survive without subsidies…”

Even though many Brits might have longed for Brexit (which might be humanly understandable) in order to depart from the clutches of an overpowering EU, the prophesied future of the UK is doomed.

Jordan’s Lies about Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 30:

“In a Dec. 28, 2019 article in the Jordanian daily Al-Ghad, ‘Abdallah Kan’an, secretary-general of Jordan’s Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, wrote that the festival of Hanukkah is based on traditions relating to the ‘false’ Jewish Temple, and therefore constitutes a direct threat to the Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem.

“… the article claims that Israel and right-wing organizations in it use Hanukkah to further their plans of Judaizing Jerusalem and to carry out mass raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque ‘in the guise of Talmudic religious rituals.'”

The First and the Second Temple stood on the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand today.

The Pagan Origin of New Year’s Day

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 1:

“The Julian calendar was enacted by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE to reform… the Roman calendar. The Gregorian calendar was decreed in 1582 by papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII, replacing the Julian calendar. The decree was not recognized outside of the Catholic Church so the days on which Easter and related holidays were celebrated by different Christian churches diverged. Currently the world’s most widely used civil calendar, the Gregorian calendar, was adopted in stages with some countries incorporating the system in the late 16th Century while others joined in as late as the 20th century.

“Despite the papal decree, many Catholics were quite aware of the pagan roots of their calendar… Many of the names of the months and days of the week have their roots in paganism:

“January –named for the god Janus… February –named for the pagan Roman festival of purification… March – named for the god Mars, the Roman god of war… April – named for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite… May – this month is named for the Roman goddess Maia, a deity of growth and increase. June – named for the goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter, also known as the Queen of Heaven.

“Sunday – this day is in honor of the sun god. Monday – this day is in honor of the moon goddess. Tuesday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of war, Tiu, or Tyr, the son of Odin, or Woden. Wednesday – this day is in honor of the chief Norse god Odin, or Woden. Thursday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of thunder, Thor, who is the oldest son of Odin. Friday – this day is in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg. She is the goddess of darkness, goddess of the sky, and goddess of love. She is the wife of Odin. Saturday – this day is in honor of the Roman god Saturn.

“The Gregorian calendar is based on the solar cycle, putting it at odds with the Hebrew calendar which is lunisolar… It is important to note that the Roman calendar that preceded the Julian calendar observed an eight-day week called the nundinal cycle. This put it directly at odds with the seven day week described in the Bible as embedded in the creation of the world. And the Sabbath was moved from the seventh day to the first day, Sunday, named for the pagan sun god…

“The tradition of beginning the new year on January 1 was based on the Roman calendar and remained so in the Julian Calendar, though by the Middle Ages, some countries began the new year on December 25. It is believed this mid-winter new year was based on its proximity to the solstice, a pagan celebration of the sun god’s rebirth. Naming the first month after the pagan god Janus was appropriate since he was depicted as having two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back. Scholars have suggested that the drunken parties that characterize New Year’s celebrations have their roots in orgies meant as a form of service to the pagan gods…

“Pope Sylvester, whose sainthood day and the day he was buried is commemorated on December 31, convinced Roman Emperor Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem. At the Council of Nicaea… Sylvester promulgated a host of new anti-Semitic legislation. It is for this reason that January first was frequently marked throughout history by the burning of synagogues, Jewish books, and other acts of Jew-hatred…

“One such anti-Semitic New Year’s Day event took place in 1577 when Pope Gregory XIII, who established the Gregorian calendar, decreed that all Roman Jews had to attend a Catholic conversion sermon given in Roman synagogues after Friday night services. The penalty for not doing so was death. Then, on New Year’s Day of the next year, the Pope signed a law forcing Jews to pay for a ‘House of Conversion’ whose purpose was to convert Jews to Christianity. Three years later on New Year’s Day, he ordered the confiscation of all the Roman Jewish community’s Hebrew scrolls and books.”

In addition, the origins for the names of the following months (not mentioned above) are:

July–the month in which Julius Caesar was born, and named Julius in his honor in 44 BCE, the year of his assassination. August–in honor of the first of the Roman emperors, Augustus. September–the name comes from septem, “seven.” October–the name comes from octo, “eight.” November–the name comes from novem, “nine.” December–the name comes from decem, “ten.”

Today, it is not wrong to use the names of days and months to which we are accustomed. Otherwise, we could not even communicate with others.  But we should realize that the weekly Sabbath is the seventh day of the week (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and that God’s annual Holy Days are determined by the Hebrew calendar… not the calendars of this world.  

Thousands of Koalas Might Have Died in Australia’s Wild Fires

The Associated Press wrote on December 28:

“Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia’s iconic marsupial, while the fire danger increased in the country’s east… as temperatures soared. The mid-northern coast of New South Wales was home to up to 28,000 koalas, but wildfires have significantly reduced their population in recent months.

“Koalas are native to Australia and are one of the country’s most beloved animals, but they’ve been under threat due to a loss of habitat. ‘Up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed,’ Australia’s environment minister, Sussan Ley, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation…”

The Huffington Post wrote on December 27:

“Fires have been burning out of control since October amid a record drought and heatwave, claiming the lives of nine people and destroying hundreds of homes. Last week, average temperatures hit 107.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

“All animals are at risk in the bush fires, and experts believe a staggering number have already been killed. But Australia’s native koalas were already at risk before the destructive new threat. The Australian government lists the koala population as ‘vulnerable.’ Community volunteers and firefighters have been struggling to save the animals they can.

“In one heartbreaking scene in Adelaide, a koala stopped in the middle of a roadway and approached passing cyclists. It clambered onto one rider and drank eagerly from an offered water bottle…”

We received the following in-house report from Australia:

“Earlier this week we again had temperatures over 40 degrees, with catastrophic fire risk in some areas. The highest level of risk has been extended from extreme to catastrophic recently. In East Gippsland, (eastern part of Victoria), 30,000 tourists were asked to leave the area on Sunday due to the risk, and locals were asked to either leave or be prepared to defend their properties. On Monday, the only highway in the area was closed due to the danger of smoke and fire. Those who had not left were trapped on the coast. At Mallacoota, residents took refuge on the beach and in boats. The sky was black in daytime and it has been called apocalyptic. There were many explosions caused by gas bottles igniting in the town.

“The fires in East Gippsland are expected to continue burning for the next two months if there is no significant rain. The fire plume was said to reach 14 kilometres in altitude and was creating its own weather conditions, including lightning. Somewhat over 200,000 hectares have been burnt so far in Victoria. And this is just the start of the fire season.  In Southern New South Wales, a 10 ton fire truck was lifted off the ground and inverted by a tornado caused by the fire, which resulted in the death of a fire fighter trapped in the vehicle.

“A few days ago, the total number of homes destroyed in Australia was over 950 according to insurance companies. More have been destroyed since with some towns burnt out.”

Further Info on Australia’s Wildfires

The Independent wrote on January 2:

 “The wildfire crisis ravaging Australia has wreaked environmental havoc since it began in September… Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate around 480 million animals have been killed in the wildfires, including 8,000 koalas…

 “Across the Tasman Sea, smoke from the wildfires are posting a new threat to New Zealand’s iconic white glaciers, turning them black and staining snow brown… Ash from the smoke could accelerate melting snow on the glaciers, which already face a climate disaster of their own...”

 The Sun added on January 2:

 “TENS of thousands of people in the path of raging bush fires in Australia have been ordered to leave the danger zones – as the death toll rose to 18. As temperatures soar to 46C this weekend, New South Wales fire chiefs warned tourists and locals on the coast south of Sydney [not to stay in the area].

“Huge areas between Bateman’s Bridge and the border with Victoria state have been ruled ‘unsafe’, sparking monster traffic jams as thousands flee for their lives through choking smoke. Transport minister Andrew Constance described the situation as the ‘largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we’ve ever seen’…

“Already supermarket shelves are empty and petrol pumps have run dry. Downed trees and power lines cut off supply routes. Military ships and helicopters are being deployed to the worst-hit areas… Tens of thousands of homes are without electricity in the state and telephone and internet connections are down…

“In neighbouring Victoria, 4,000 people are still stranded at Mallacoota in East Gippsland after their escape route was cut off by fire. Naval ship HMAS Choules arrived yesterday and can carry 700 people. Others may be flown to safety by helicopter… [In fact, the navy ship can evacuate 500 – 1000 people, provided they can climb a rope ladder. There will be aerial evacuations for the elderly and infirm if they desire since the roads are closed.]

“Meanwhile today Aussie PM Scott Morrison… was heavily criticised for jetting on holiday to Hawaii despite the fires…”

Across Australia, 17 people have died and more than 1400 homes have been destroyed, according to the Guardian Australian Edition, since the fire season began in October.

Canada to Criminalize Conversions of Homosexuals

Life Site News reported on December 17:

“A bill that will criminalize ‘conversion therapy’ in Canada is a ‘despicable’ attack on religious liberty that could lead to Christians going to jail for proclaiming that homosexual individuals can change, warns Canada’s pro-life, pro-family organization Campaign Life Coalition.

“Introduced last week by Independent Senator Serge Joyal, Bill S-202 will make it an indictable offense punishable by up to five years in jail to benefit materially or financially indirectly or directly from the provision of’ ‘conversion therapy’ to anyone under 18 years of age. The bill further amends the Criminal Code to make advertising ‘conversion therapy’ a crime punishable by up to five years in jail.

“Not only that, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government plans to introduce a similar bill in the House of Commons when Parliament reconvenes in January… Trudeau instructed justice minister David Lametti to ‘amend the Criminal Code to ban the practice of conversion therapy and take other steps required with the provinces and territories to end conversion therapy in Canada.’…

“Bill S-202 defines ‘conversion therapy’ as ‘any practice, treatment or service designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or to eliminate or reduce sexual attraction or sexual behaviour between persons of the same sex…’ This sweeping definition includes ‘Christian counselling, prayer, and evangelism directed at the LGBT community’ as well as ‘medical or psychological practices,’ Cooke said.

“‘In other words, if you publicly proclaim (‘advertise’) the message that homosexuals can be saved and changed, you will go to prison,’ he added. ‘And if a young homosexual (under age 18) is converted at your church and starts contributing to the offering (providing a financial ‘benefit’), your church leadership will go to prison.’ ‘Christians could actually become criminalized for just being Christian…’”

Canada is part of modern-day Ephraim, as are of course the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and God is extremely angry with all of them for their godless conduct. You might want to view our recent StandingWatch program on the topic of conversion of homosexuals, titled, “How Our Wrong Values Destroy Our Children!” 

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 Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

On December 22, Bild Online published the following article:

“US President Donald Trump (73) signed the US sanctions against the company Allseas, which is currently laying the last kilometers of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Minutes later, Allseas announced that it wanted to temporarily stop its construction work…

“In an interview with BILD and the US news agency Associated Press, Ambassador Richard Grenell (53) explained the motives behind the sanctioning of the Nord Stream 2 construction company.

“Richard Grenell: ‘You see, this is a longstanding US policy that goes back to the Obama administration. The goal has always been for diversification of Europe’s energy sources and to ensure that not one country or source can build up too much influence on Europe through energy…

“‘15 European countries, the European Commission and the European Parliament have all expressed their concerns about the project… That is why the sanctions are a very pro-European decision… I’ve been hearing all day from European diplomats thanking me for taking this action… As far as the US government is concerned, this is about energy security in Europe.“

These more or less meaningless sanctions and some negative vocal reactions in Europe will not substantially hinder the German-Russian project. Contrary to Grenell’s statements, other reports claim that Brussels stated that the USA has no business in interfering in these “European” matters. All of this will contribute to the prophesied deterioration of the US-EU relationship.

The Bridge of Shame

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 23:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a commuter rail bridge between the Crimea and Russian mainland with a ceremonious train journey on Monday, as Russia continues to cement its influence in Crimea since its annexation in 2014… The bridge consists of parallel automobile and railway sections…

“With the opening of the bridge to commuter traffic it is now possible to travel between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol, with the journey lasting a total of 43 hours and 25 minutes…”

In its reporting, Bild Online spoke of the “bridge of shame,” stating that Ukraine to which Crimea belongs legally, the EU and the USA protested against the bridge. As if Putin cared… Crimea will remain in Russian hands, and the same will be true very soon for Ukraine.

No Justice and Truth in Saudi Arabia’s Murder Case

The Associated Press wrote on December 23:

“A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Three other people were found guilty by Riyadh’s criminal court of covering up the crime and were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison… independent media were barred…

“Agnes Callamard, who investigated the killing for the United Nations, reacted by tweeting that the verdicts are a ‘mockery’ and that the masterminds behind the crime ‘have barely been touched by the investigation and the trial.’ Amnesty International called the outcome ‘a whitewash which brings neither justice nor truth.’…

“In Washington, Congress has said it believes Prince Mohammed is ‘responsible for the murder.’ President Donald Trump has condemned the killing but has stood by the 34-year-old crown prince and defended U.S.-Saudi ties. Washington has sanctioned 17 Saudis suspected of being involved. Among those sanctioned is Saud al-Qahtani, a hawkish former adviser to the crown prince. The Saudi attorney general’s office said Monday that al-Qahtani was investigated and had no proven involvement in the killing. Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Asiri, also a former adviser to the crown prince who was deputy head of intelligence, was tried and released because of insufficient evidence, the attorney general’s office said. The court also ordered the release of Saudi Arabia’s consul-general in Istanbul at the time, Mohammed al-Otaibi. He is among those sanctioned by the U.S. over his ‘involvement in gross violations of human rights.’ The U.S. State Department has also issued travel bans against his immediate family…

“Although Khashoggi’s killing tarnished Prince Mohammed’s reputation in the West, he is hugely popular at home, especially among young Saudis…”

Sadly, in this world of Satan, guilty powerful perpetrators are protected and go unpunished and will be able—for a while—to continue with their rotten conduct. But ultimately, the time of reckoning will come.

Further Aggravation between Germany and Britain over Brexit

Express wrote on December 24:

“German drug importers have warned they expect Brexit to further exacerbate drug shortages in Berlin, which are already scarce… Jörg Geller, board member of the Association of Pharmaceutical Importers in Germany (VAD) and President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Importers (EAEPC), said:… ‘We fear that after Brexit we will no longer be able to buy medicines in the UK. At the same time, the UK can continue to buy medicines in the EU. Therefore the market will quickly be imbalanced.’

“The current situation with drugs in Germany is dire, and has been since 2018. This is because there are currently 274 delivery bottlenecks that have been reported to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. In 2018, 12.9 percent of all prescription drugs in Germany came from imports as a result.

“Mr Geller… said he cannot comprehend how a nation as powerful and rich as Germany could possibly be struggling with a shortage of medicines.

“He said: ‘The pharmaceutical manufacturers are causing the shortages because they do not produce enough medication and put it on the market. Many manufacturers also seal off the markets through quotations and discount contracts for patent-protected preparations. Some producers even exclude entire countries from delivery because the sales prices there are too low for them. This creates an artificial shortage.’”

Sadly, this rings very true, and shame on those greedy pharmaceutical manufacturers. This kind of conduct won’t help in creating a smooth Brexit “divorce.”

Shocking anti-Semitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 22:

“The chairman of the Jewish community in Halle, Germany – where a neo-Nazi attempted to shoot up a synagogue on Yom Kippur – said that all German political parties are infected with Jew-hatred according to a Sunday interview in the Bild paper…, adding ‘I would not recommend to anyone to walk through Halle wearing a kippa.’… He said… ‘Just yesterday there was an email in the mailbox of the Jewish Community in Halle, which said: “Unfortunately, our grandparents did not completely solve the problem from 1933 to 1945.” The sender signed it with his full name. I forwarded the email directly to the public prosecutor’s office,’ said Privorozki.

“The Jewish community leader said ‘Antisemitism is not just a problem of the AfD [Alternative for Germany]. All parties are affected by the antisemitism virus…’ Some telling examples of antisemitism scandals over the last year, according to German media reports and critics, unfolded within the German Green Party and the Social Democratic Party…

“A 2017 federal government study said 40% of Germans hold a modern antisemitic attitude, namely the intense loathing of the Jewish state. The study revealed that nearly 33 million Germans of 82 million are contaminated with contemporary antisemitism.”

There is no further denying the fact that Germany’s anti-Semitism, which actually has always been in existence, has reached extremely dangerous proportions.

Germany’s Confidence in anti-Israel ICC’s Proposal

The Times of Israel wrote on December 25:

“Australia rejected the effort by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor to launch an investigation into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that the matter must be resolved by the two parties at the negotiating table… ‘Australia’s position is clear — we do not recognize a so-called “State of Palestine” and we do not recognize that there is such a State Party to the ICC’s Rome Statute,’ the spokesperson went on… Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised Australia for the statement…

“Germany, in a more nuanced stance, said it had full trust in the court, was confident the ICC’s judges would ‘address issues of admissibility,’ and cautioned against politicization… reiterating Berlin’s support for the court… Germany is generally known as a staunch supporter of the court…

“Israel vociferously rejects her statement, arguing that the court clearly does not have jurisdiction over the case, as there is no Palestinian state that has the mandate to transfer criminal jurisdiction over its territory to The Hague… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday issued a statement saying the administration remains ‘firmly’ opposed to the ICC’s supposed investigation into the matter, slamming it as an unfair attack on Israel.”

122 countries are Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Norway, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Countries that are not members include the United States, China, India, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Qatar and Israel. The U.S. signed the treaty during the Clinton administration, but Congress did not ratify it.

China, Russia and Iran

Breaking Israel News reported on December 26:

“As [Israel] announced that [it] is fighting Iran alone, China, Iran and Russia have scheduled joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman starting on Friday and ending on Monday…

“China’s Xining guided missile destroyer will participate in the drills, which are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries’ navies…

“The Sea of Oman is a critical waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes… This comes as tensions between Iran and the United States and Israel have risen throughout the year…”

According to the Bible, a Far Eastern military bloc will be forming, which will apparently support Iran.

“Democrat Legal Expert: Trump Isn’t Impeached Until Articles Go to Senate”

Breitbart wrote on December 20:

“Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman, who testified as a Democrat witness in the House Judiciary Committee’s public hearings on impeachment [which he strongly supported, albeit with unconvincing arguments], argues President Donald Trump is technically not impeached until the House submits the articles to the Senate.

“In a Bloomberg News opinion-editorial published Thursday, Feldman writes the definition of impeachment, according to the framers, ‘assumed that impeachment was a process, not just a House vote,’ and impeachment is official only when the articles are transmitted to the Senate, where lawmakers are ‘obliged by the Constitution to hold a trial.’

“Feldman writes: ‘If the House does not communicate its impeachment to the Senate, it hasn’t actually impeached the president… As for the headlines we saw after the House vote saying, ‘TRUMP IMPEACHED,’ those are a media shorthand, not a technically correct legal statement. So far, the House has voted to impeach (future tense) Trump. He isn’t impeached (past tense) until the articles go to the Senate and the House members deliver the message.’”

Other legal scholars have voiced similar opinions. In any event, the impeachment process and the impeachment trial will NOT lead to a conviction and will NOT prevent Trump from becoming re-elected. In a somewhat strange and bizarre move, Nancy Pelosi has invited President Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on February 4, 2020, in the House of Representatives, and Trump agreed to do so.

Evangelicals Support Trump, Reject “Christianity Today” Article

Breitbart wrote on December 22:

“More than [two] hundred influential evangelical Christian leaders sent a letter to the president of the far left magazine Christianity Today, chastising him for publishing a commentary on Thursday calling for the removal of President Trump.

“The letter, addressed to Christianity Today president Timothy Dalrymple on Sunday, was signed by well-known evangelical Christians, including Dr. James Dobson, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former head of the Family Research Council Gary Bauer, author Eric Metaxas, and pastors Robert Morris, Tommy Barnett, and Jentezen Franklin [as well as Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell, Jr.].

“‘We write collectively to express our dissatisfaction with the  editorial Christianity Today published on Thursday, December 19, 2019 calling for the removal of our duly elected President, who was put into office at the behest of over sixty million voters,’ the letter began. ‘The editorial you published… not only supported the entirely-partisan, legally-dubious, and politically-motivated impeachment but went even further, calling for Donald Trump not to be elected again in 2020 when he certainly survives impeachment,’ the signatories wrote in the letter. ‘Your editorial offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations…”

“Early Friday, Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, who founded Christianity Today in 1956, criticized the organization’s current leadership for their pro-impeachment commentary. Celebrated evangelical pastor Franklin Graham revealed Friday his father, Billy Graham, voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016 because he believed he was the best man for the job.”

Christianity Today’s editorial was certainly ill-advised and flawed as it used the biased “impeachment” procedure as the basis for demanding Trump’s removal. At the same time, one has to wonder why so many Evangelicals support Trump unquestionably, even though his comments and life style do not at all correspond to Christian “moral obligations” and godly values allegedly upheld by these same Evangelicals. Of course, liberal permissive Democrats have no corner on the market either. All of this shows why TRUE Christians must not be involved in politics and voting in governmental elections.

Homelessness on the Rise due to California

CNN wrote on December 21:

“The homeless population in the US increased 2.7% this year largely because of a surge in unsheltered and chronically homeless individuals in California, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said in a news release Friday.

“The study found that 567,715 people across the nation experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019, an increase of 14,885 people compared with 2018. Meanwhile, homelessness among veterans and families with children declined in the year, dropping 2.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

“The number of people experiencing homelessness dropped in 29 states and Washington, DC in 2019, the news release said. But the rise in homelessness in California and elsewhere on the West Coast ‘offset’ the nationwide decreases, the office said… An additional 21,306 people were homeless in California in 2019, up 16.4% from the previous year, HUD said.

“The data comes after the Trump administration sent a team of officials on a ‘fact finding’ trip to California in September to learn more about homelessness in Los Angeles.

“The homeless population in Los Angeles County increased to almost 60,000 people in 2019… Thousands of people became homeless, the authority said, as a result of the economy, foster care, mental health, criminal justice and the housing market.”

This is a terrible report. That there should be so much homelessness in the world’s wealthiest country does not speak well for its politicians and those in charge. And even though we are hearing in the mainstream media about a booming economy, there are other voices warning of a complete and total crash in 2020.

For instance, former Congressman “Ron Paul warned about ‘the mother of all bubbles’ in a recent piece arguing that the U.S. may be on the verge of experiencing a catastrophic economic crisis” (Advocates, December 6, 2019).

The Birch Gold Group wrote on November 5, 2019, “that a broken economy can be technically held together for a decade, but under the surface, the structure continues to rot… We saw this during the crash of 2008, and now we’re seeing it again… All of these factors and more show an economy in recession or depression… More stimulus will not stall the crash that is already happening… The can has been kicked for the last time.”

In spite of this or because of utter ignorance of the American people, crazy and irresponsible Christmas spending reached an all-time high. “Holiday shopping set records over the weekend, with Super Saturday sales reaching $34.4 billion, the biggest single day in U.S. retail history… [while]  online spending so far this season has accounted for 58% of sales growth from a year earlier,” according to MSN, dated December 23.

“Merry Christmas” from Netanyahu

The Algemeiner wrote on December 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a Christmas greeting on Monday, ahead of the start of the holiday. ‘Merry Christmas to all our Christian friends in Israel and around the world,’ Netanyahu said, standing alongside his wife Sara. ‘The State of Israel is the culmination of so many prophecies and our deepest held values,’ the prime minister stated. ‘We share the common civilization, the Judeo-Christian civilization, that has given the world the values of freedom, individual liberty, the sanctity of life and the belief in one God.’

“‘We are proud of our traditions,’ he added. ‘We are proud of our Christian friends. The State of Israel would not have come into being if it weren’t for the avid support of Christians in the 19th century, in the 20th century as well and in the 21st century.’ Netanyahu concluded, ‘We know that we have no better friends around the world than our Christian friends. So thank you. Thank you all for standing up with Israel, standing up for the truth. Merry Christmas.’”

The Bible prophecies that many Jews will become more and more engaged in “Christian” observances. After all, what do Christmas celebrations have to do with standing up for the Truth?

How Christmas Is Forced Upon Us

The Week wrote on December 24:

“Christmas is (finally) upon us. After months of red-and-green evergreen decorations in every store, and an increasingly unbroken stream of Santa-centric pop songs in every public place, the annual American onslaught reaches its peak this week. Every year, those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas find ourselves having the same debates over and over again, starting well before Thanksgiving and continuing into the New Year. Well-meaning friends, neighbors, and colleagues insist to us that we should not be bothered by the giant Christmas trees in every building lobby, or the Christmas music supplanting our usual radio fare. Christmas, the argument goes, is secular; therefore, everyone should be comfortable participating in it, whether or not they identify as Christian…

“… the pushback to secular Christmas tends to be dominated by Jewish voices… As an assimilated American Jew, I’m intrigued by this… For those who grew up celebrating Christmas, it can be hard to conceive of decorated evergreen trees [as] neutral symbols of the ‘magic; of the season…

“Christmas is neither neutral nor secular. It is firmly associated with a religious tradition that erases our existence at best, and oppresses us at worst…”

To call Christmas “secular” is total nonsense, even though many non-religious people might celebrate it as well, while they are oblivious to Christmas origins. Christmas has always been a religious festival with pagan roots.

Changing Saturday to Sunday

Express wrote on December 21:

“On September 12 this year, Pope Francis announced his plan to launch a global education pack to ‘unite efforts’ to combat climate change. The leader of the Vatican called on world leaders to come together on May 14, 2020, to discuss his ‘Laudato Si’ proposal to reduce global warming… Francis also suggests Sundays with keeping a better environment.

“Page 237 reads ‘On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance, Sunday is meant to be a day which heals our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world’.

“[Biblical Seventh-Day Adventist preacher Greg Sereda claimed:] ‘The implication here is that we need to have a law mandating rest on Sunday, so it appears that his agenda on climate change includes giving Sunday rest and worship mandated by law to improve the environment’. Mr Sereda went on to claim that Saturday should actually be the day of rest and not Sunday, therefore those that follow the Pope’s order will be ignoring God’s wishes… ‘the Catholic Church changed the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday and no man has the right to change God’s commandment. So in convincing people to honour Sunday as the sabbath, which is a part of Pope Francis’ agenda for climate change, people will be submitting themselves to the authority of the church’…”

The article went on to “explain” that the warnings in the Book of Revelation are to be understood metaphorically and that they cannot be applied to a literal abolition of the Sabbath and its replacement with Sunday. There can be no doubt that God’s weekly Holy Day is the Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and that the Catholic Church “changed” God’s Law by substituting the Sabbath with Sunday. And so, the world is being kept in darkness until it will be too late.

Celebrating Winter Solstice or Christmas?

The Sun wrote on December 22:

“HUNDREDS gathered at Stonehenge this morning to welcome the winter solstice, as the sun rose for the shortest day in the year. Crowds, donning colourful clothing, congregated at the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, hugging the stones… The winter solstice is most notably associated with the druids who mark the start of the solar year with a celebration of light and the rebirth of the sun. But the celebrations were not just confined to Stonehenge, with other cultures regularly observing the shortest day of the year.

“Across Europe the winter solstice is known as Yule, from the Norse word Jul (or juul), meaning wheel. The day has been celebrated by various cultures around the world for thousands of years and is generally a recognition of rebirth.

“Fires would be lit to symbolise the heat and light of the returning sun and a Yule log was gathered and burnt in the hearth as a tribute to the Norse god Thor. There are many songs and poems used to celebrate this special day. Pagan homes are often decorated with supposedly sacred herbs and red, green and white colours. Holly, ivy, evergreen boughs and pine cones are usually put around the home, especially in places where socialising takes place.

“A sprig of mistletoe is put up above a threshold and is meant to be left there until the next Yule. Pagans see it as a charm for good luck throughout the year but [it] has now taken on a symbolic meaning for kissing beneath it and the opportunity for romance.”

The similarities with Christmas are striking and obvious. It should be clear that modern Christmas customs were adopted from pagan rites and observances. God calls this an abomination.

Church of England Accused of Betraying Christian Faith

Daily Mail wrote on December 21:

“A former chaplain to the Queen has converted to Catholicism after becoming exasperated at the ‘astonishing’ failure of the Church of England to defend Christian values and the faith itself. Dr Gavin Ashenden was chaplain to the monarch for a decade, resigning from the post in 2017 after objecting to the Koran being read during an Anglican service. Now, he has quit altogether to join the Catholic church, launching a stinging attack on the Anglican church in the process.

“He said the Church had ‘swallowed wholesale’ trendy politically correct causes such as transgender rights rather than offering a ‘Christian critique’. He also accused it of failing to stand up for those accused of ‘thought crimes’ for stating their Christian beliefs…

“Today’s children are bombarded with social media messages sowing doubts about what was a cast-iron certainty of childhood: you are a boy or a girl. And, as The Mail on Sunday reported last week, up to a quarter of children ‘presenting’ as transgender could simply be autistic.”

His criticism of the Church of England is clearly justified. His conversion to Catholicism, which could be accused of the same frailties, is difficult to comprehend.

Occultism on the Rise especially for Young People

Crux wrote on December 22:

“… references to the demonic are increasingly prevalent in videogames and school games such as the ‘Charlie Charlie challenge,’ in which players cross two pencils on a grid with sectors marking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and ask a supernatural being, ‘Charlie,’ to answer the questions they ask…

“One example of the normalization of Satanism… is the recent book, A Children’s Book of Demons, which was published in May and is directed to children aged 5-10 years of age. Penned by Aaron Leighton, an award-winning illustrator and known fan of occult practices, the book contains colorful images of some 20 different demons and teaches kids the sigil, or magical symbol, for the demons and how to summon them…

“As Satanism and occult practices become increasingly normal among young people, they also face pressure not to feel out of the loop if friends and peers are involved…”

Young people must be properly taught by their parents about the danger of Satanism and occult practices. Of course, in many cases, parents are confused themselves, not really knowing what constitutes occultism, and they might even participate in superstitious practices thinking they are harmless fun. This would include believing in horoscopes and astrology, and participating in Halloween and Christmas celebrations (which are pagan to the core). Far Eastern meditation practices, consulting mediums or participating in séances also include a fertile ground for demonic activities.

Pope Francis Challenges “Traditional Catholic Values”

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“Pope Francis’ Christmas address shocked many as he rejected tradition, Western culture and compared Jesus in Bethlehem to a refugee… This anti-West approach should be expected as Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere…

“There is no doubt that traditional Catholic values are being challenged under Pope Francis. In November, the pope announced that he would consider a request to allow married men to be priests. He is also considering the addition of ‘ecological sins’ to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Among the sins that Catholics would confess to a priest are whether their clothes are fairly traded, how many animal products they consume, and whether they overuse their mobile phones.

“His policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church is so revolutionary that the American LGBT magazine The Advocate named Pope Francis their Person of the Year for 2013… He has frequently met with openly homosexual and transgender people.

“Some Catholic Churches are taking this agenda even further. Catholic dioceses in the United Kingdom are reportedly hosting homosexual Masses designed to welcome homosexuals into the church and combine ‘gay pride’ with the Eucharist and other Romish sacraments… these events welcome homosexuals into the Catholic Church while not advocating celibacy.

“The Pope has also been advancing his Declaration on Human Brotherhood… [He] has been criticized for advancing the concept of one world religion…”

Many of the Pope’s new ideas are clearly in opposition to traditional Catholic dogma. Some of his ideas are worthwhile considering in the light of biblical prophecy, while others are downright silly. IF these ideas represent what Francis REALLY believes, then a dramatic clash with the Vatican is inevitable.

Sudden Call to Start the Temple Services

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“As Shabbat ends, the Sanhedrin will be hosting a Menorah lighting on Mount Zion for all nations, bringing together representatives of all of humanity, in what is the battle call for the war of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness…

“The focus of the ceremony on Mount Zion will be the lighting of the seventh flame on a large nine-branched menorah… Specially prepared to be used should a sudden call go out to jump-start the Temple service on the Temple Mount, the menorah can be carried by one man. The oil used in the lighting ceremony was prepared according to the strictest laws of purity that apply to olive oil prepared for use in the Temple. “

The rest of the article includes a lot of utter nonsense, but it is noteworthy that the desire for the building of the Third Temple is mentioned, which is very much alive today in the state of Israel.

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.

EU Concerned after Brexit

AFP wrote on December 13:

“European leaders warned Friday that Britain could become a formidable rival, just hours after a big victory by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s conservatives all but sealed the UK’s Brexit divorce.

“Led by France and Germany, EU member states said they would pursue a swift trade deal with a tight deadline of end [of] 2020, but insisted that any new arrangement must uphold European values and norms… Angela Merkel warned that Britain would be an economic ‘competitor at our door’ after it leaves the EU and French President Emmanuel Macron saw a threat that London would become an ‘unfair competitor’…

“Brussels is also worried about the breakneck speed with which Johnson would like to strike a trade deal with Europe, as well as any British effort to undermine the unity among the remaining 27 members.”

Express wrote on December 13 that Macron was threatening Johnson, stating: “The French President said his country will now be the only nuclear power and the remaining member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) left in the EU.”

The relationship between the EU and Britain will deteriorate drastically.

No Further Brexit Transition Period Extension beyond End of December 2020

The Sun wrote on December 16:

“BORIS Johnson will make it illegal to extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of next year as he fired the opening salvo to the crucial trade talks with the EU. The PM will include the provision in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) when he brings it back to the Commons for the crucial vote on Friday. The PM will use his new 80-seat majority to enshrine in law that any extension will be outlawed…

“The WAB will finally implement Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal so Britain leaves the EU on January 31, triggering an 11-month ‘implementation period’ whereby EU rules will still apply here but the UK will have no role in making decisions…”

The EU has sharply criticized this move. The implementation period will prove to be thorny and difficult. If no agreement is reached, a “hard Brexit” will still occur.

Johnson’s Connection to Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 16:

“Boris Johnson’s connection to Israel may have been the secret weapon that helped him win a landslide victory in last week’s British election and his first official act reflects that: a powerful anti-Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement law… the new law would ban public agencies from working with those who boycott Israel in any way…

“Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… He has openly criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council for their obsession with Israel’s so-called human rights violations.”

Both the USA under Trump and Great Britain under Johnson are the only real allies of Israel under Netanyahu. Some in the media have described Johnson’s victory as “divinely inspired.” The friendship between Trump, Johnson and Netanyahu is remarkable. Please watch the following new StandingWatch program: “Johnson’s Brexit; Trump’s Impeachment; Netanyahu’s New Elections.” 

The Fall (and Rise?) of Austria’s Heinz-Christian Strache

Der Spiegel wrote on December 13:

“[Austria’s former Vice Chancellor] Heinz-Christian Strache… is alleged to have accepted bags full of cash from Eastern Europe in exchange for political favors… For instance, fearing that the European Union would abolish paper money, the FPÖ boss invested heavily in gold, preferring bullion coins minted with the design of the Vienna Philharmonic…

“Strache is also said to have put in place an emergency fallback plan in case, for example, NATO were to invade Austria. The FPÖ leader would then have been whisked away with party officials and their families to the Defereggental valley in East Tyrol, to ‘their fortress.’ There, in August, investigators had uncovered stockpiles of gold at the Pension Enzian guesthouse. Beyond that, confidants affirm that Strache had hoarded canisters of gasoline in his office and had occasionally carried around ‘pieces of metal in his underwear’ that were ‘supposed to have healing powers.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“The far-right Freedom Party has removed former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache from its ranks…

“In recent weeks, 50-year-old Strache… said he will not withdraw from political life. ‘The enormous encouragement I’ve received from the public in the last weeks and months has allowed me to reconsider a political comeback in 2020,’ he said in a video message… This week, three Strache allies broke away from the party to found a new political group called the Alliance for Austria (DAÖ). Their goal is to run in Austria’s 2020 elections with Strache as their main candidate.”

As we stated in the past, we have not heard yet the last word of Strache.

The Battle of the Bulge and a United Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday urged Europe to stand up against nationalism at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. ‘A united and peaceful Europe — that is the lesson we Europeans have learned from unbridled nationalism and racism, from the war of annihilation,’ said Steinmeier…

“The commemoration event took place in the small Belgian town of Bastogne, where Allied soldiers managed to repel the last major German offensive of World War II. More than 19,000 US troops were killed in what is considered one of the bloodiest battles in US history…

“The Battle of the Bulge is considered a turning point in the war, effectively paving the way for Allied forces to break through German defenses in western Europe. Less than six months after the battle, Nazi Germany surrendered…”

Unfortunately, the prophesied united Europe will be anything else but peaceful.

Pelosi Too Afraid!

The Associated Press wrote on December 19:

 “The top Senate Republican is denouncing the ‘unfair’ House impeachment of President Donald Trump and reassuring Trump and his supporters that ‘moments like this are why the United States Senate exists.’ Sen. Mitch McConnell, in remarks prepared for a Thursday floor speech, accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being afraid to send ‘their shoddy work product to the Senate’ after she threw uncertainty into the impeachment process by refusing to say when she would send two impeachment articles to the Senate for a trial...

“Until the articles [abuse of power and obstruction of Congress] are submitted, the Senate cannot hold the trial [that is nearly certain to acquit the president, according to Newsmax and Bloomberg]… there is no Constitutional requirement on Pelosi to send them swiftly — or at all.”

The New York Times wrote on December 19:

“… the third-ranking House Democrat [James E. Clyburn of South Carolina], raised the possibility that the chamber could permanently withhold the articles from the Senate if it did not get assurances of a fair trial.”

Mitch McConnell even “threatened to cancel Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate if ‘scared’ Nancy Pelosi refuses to send him the formal articles of impeachment” (Daily Mail, December 19). On the other hand, President Trump demanded a trial in the Senate.

The Democrats have signed their death warrant. They might not only have guaranteed that Trump will be re-elected but they might also have managed to lose the House in the next election. Republicans are now unified as never before, while the Nation is deeply and incurably divided. Now, the House Democrats under Pelosi are trying to find a way out of their self-inflicted mortal wound, and delaying a Senate trial indefinitely might be their rationale for mitigating some damage. 

That new “tactic” won’t work. To suggest that the trial in the Senate might be unfair is the epitome of hypocrisy given the fact that the Democratic procedure under Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler in the House was completely dictatorial, biased and utterly unfair.

Not Yet “Impeached”?

Newsmax and Bloomberg News wrote on December 19:

“Lawyers… are exploring whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to temporarily withhold articles of impeachment from the Senate could mean that the president hasn’t actually been impeached. The legal argument… is that if Trump has been officially impeached, the U.S. Senate should already have jurisdiction. Backers of the theory would argue that the clause of the U.S. Constitution that gives the Senate ‘the sole Power to try all Impeachments’ indicates that the impeachment is not formalized until the House reported the charges to the upper chamber.”

US Senate Sanctions Russian-German Pipeline

Deutsche Welle reported on December 17:

“US lawmakers on Tuesday approved sanctions on companies and governments working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will link Germany with Russian gas.

Companies providing services such as pipe laying are being targeted, as Washington tries [to] halt the completion of the $10.5 billion (€9.6 billion) pipeline, which would transport gas under the Baltic Sea. The sanctions, which overwhelmingly passed in the House last week, are expected to be signed into force as part of a defense spending bill by US President Donald Trump later this week.

“The Trump administration would then have 60 days to identify companies and individuals providing services on the pipeline. The sanctions would revoke US visas and block property of these individuals. Those targeted by the sanctions would then have 30 days to wind down their operations. Switzerland-based Allseas, which has been hired by Russia’s Gazprom to build the offshore section, is one company that could be targeted by the sanctions.

“US officials believe the pipeline will increase Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, put billions of dollars in Moscow’s coffers, and increase Russian President Putin’s influence.

However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has urged the US not to meddle in European energy policy. Speaking on German television last week, Maas criticized the House decision to move ahead on Nord Stream 2 sanctions. ‘We think this is unacceptable, because it is ultimately a move to influence autonomous decisions that are made in Europe.’ ‘European energy policy is decided in Europe, not in the US,’ Maas later tweeted.

“The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce said last week that the pipeline is essential for European energy security and called for retaliatory sanctions on the US. German Bundestag member Andreas Nick told DW that sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 would unite Germany behind the project. ‘It’s an issue of national sovereignty, and it is potentially a liability for trans-Atlantic relations,’ said Nick.”

CNBC added on December 18 that the defense bill approved by the Senate includes US sanctions regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but that “the sanctions might not have much effect given that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is almost complete.”

US House Approves $1.4 Trillion Spending Package

The Week wrote on December 18:

“The House approved a $1.4 trillion spending package Tuesday that would fund the federal government through Oct. 1, 2020. The Senate needs to pass [after some further compromise, the Senate passed the bill on Thursday] and President Trump sign the legislation before midnight Friday to prevent a government shutdown…”

The Associated Press added on December 17:

“The Democratic-controlled House [handed] President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence… The hard-fought legislation also funds a record Pentagon budget… A tax on medical devices and health insurance plans would also be repealed permanently. Tuesday’s tax breaks [would] repeal the three so-called ‘Obamacare’ taxes…

“The increase in the tobacco purchasing age to 21 also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping devices… but anti-smoking activists said the provision didn’t go far enough because it failed to ban flavored vaping products popular with teenagers…

“The outcome in the latest chapter in the longstanding battle over Trump’s border wall awards Trump with $1.4 billion for new barriers — equal to last year’s appropriation — while preserving Trump’s ability to use his budget powers to tap other accounts for several times that amount. That’s a blow for liberal opponents of the wall…”

Trump emerges successfully… but the unprecedented amount of the spending package is astronomical.

Animal Sacrifices and the Third Temple

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 12:

“‘Our ascent to the Temple Mount makes known God’s name in the World,’ said [Rabbi Eliyahu] Weber, who is styled the dean of the Temple Mount Yeshiva. Weber goes up to the Mount practically every day to recite the morning service with a minyan, and says he has done so for many months. ‘The essence of our presence on the Temple Mount shows that this place belongs to the Jewish people,’ said Weber… The final goal, however, is to rebuild the Temple. ‘The ultimate goal is to be able to offer sacrifices in the Temple,’ Weber says simply…

“There is religious controversy regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, let alone when it comes to work aimed at rebuilding the Temple. The influential Torah scholar Maimonides taught that the Temple would be built by Messiah. Other scholars believe that the Temple will descend from the heavens in the messianic era while the modern right-wing flank has called for Jews to build the Temple now and usher in the Messiah…”

There is no biblical evidence that the temple would descend from heaven. After the third resurrection, the heavenly Jerusalem will descend from the third heaven, but there will be no temple in it. The Bible teaches that the Jews will build the third temple prior to the return of Christ, and that this will apparently become the millennial temple as described in the book of Ezekiel.

Trump’s Plan for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 17:

“Jerusalem will remain united under mostly Israeli control with some responsibilities shared with a Palestinian state including the West Bank and Gaza, according to a purported draft copy of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ peace plan for the Middle East published by the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV channel on Monday. The unconfirmed reported draft details the timetable and methods of the plan.

“The parts that were released by the TV channel, which is based in Lebanon and affiliated with Hezbollah, discuss a trilateral peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel in which a ‘new Palestinian state’ would be established in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, excluding the settlement blocs which would remain as a part of Israel… Jerusalem will not be split up in the agreement, but instead will be ‘shared’ between Israel and the Palestinian state, with the Arab population of the city becoming residents of the Palestinian state…

“The United States will provide 20% of the funds in the agreement, while the EU will provide 10% and the Gulf nations will provide 70%. The contribution provided by the Gulf nations will be split between them according to their oil producing capabilities. According to the draft, an agreement will be signed between Israel and the new Palestinian state, with Israel providing protection to the state from ‘external aggression,’ while the Palestinians pay for it…

“Upon the signing of the agreement, Hamas will hand over its weapons and armaments to Egypt, and members of Hamas will receive monthly salaries from Arab nations… The Jordan Valley would remain under Israeli control…

“If Hamas and the PLO reject the deal, the United States will end all financial support they provide to the Palestinians and will try to prevent other countries from providing support to the Palestinians… In any military confrontation between Israel and Hamas, the US will support Israel in order to harm the leaders of Hamas and [PLO] as the US won’t accept a situation in which dozens of people control the fate of millions. If Israel rejects the deal, the US will end economic support to the state…

“A letter published in The Guardian by former EU officials, including six prime ministers and 25 foreign ministers, called for postponing the ‘Deal of the Century’ because it is unfair to the Palestinians. In the letter, which was sent to the European Union and EU governments, the former leaders argue that Europe must stand by the two-state solution and condemn the Trump administration’s policy, which they claim is unilaterally in favor of Israel.”

If the report on the contemplated “Deal of the Century” is accurate, then there is no chance that that deal would be accepted by the involved parties. It would constitute another total waste of time and energy.

What Trump Did for Israel

JTA wrote on December 12:

“He has been willing to take action on issues pertaining to Israel and the broader Jewish community that past presidents had shied away from, creating a fervent right-wing Jewish fan base… Trump has forcefully condemned anti-Semitism…

“Here’s a list of his most momentous moves in relation to the Jewish state: Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Sent a fierce Israel defender, Nikki Haley, to the United Nations, where she used her office to bash the institution for anti-Israel bias. Slashed U.S. funding for the Palestinians. Pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despises.

 “Those all add up to arguably… the most pro-Israel and most controversial Middle East policy agenda ever.

 “There’s one area of disagreement between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu:… In September 2019, Trump abandoned the U.S.’ Kurdish allies [in Syria], leaving room for Turkey and the Assad regime to cement their influence on the region. Other Israeli politicians… said that the United States abandoning a trusted Middle Eastern ally was not a good precedent for the U.S.-Israel relationship…   in September of 2019 [Trump also said] he was considering a U.S.-Israel defense pact.”

The now very friendly relationship between the USA and Israel is remarkable, in that prophetic events can and will take place soon, which would otherwise be impossible to occur.

Turkey and Israel on Brink

Express wrote on December 18:

“According to an investigation by The Daily Telegraph the Palestinian group [Hamas] is using Turkey as a safe harbour to plot suicide bombings and assassinations in Israel. The report also claims that Hamas maintains close ties to Turkey’s intelligence agencies, while its top leaders and activists travel freely to the country, with some now living in Istanbul. Hamas is a militant group who are opposed to Israel’s existence within any borders…

“The organisation is considered a terrorist group by the EU and US, while its armed wing has been designated a terror group by the UK… in a sign of the close relations between the Turkish state and Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh last weekend. After the meeting, Mr Erdogan re-iterated his support for Hamas, telling reporters: ‘We will keep on supporting our brothers in Palestine.’”

The report by the Daily Telegraph rings true. Turkey will continue to behave antagonistically towards Israel.

Dangers of an “Accidental” War

Daily Star wrote on December 18:

“Gerasimov, the chief [of] Vladimir Putin’s general staff, has said he believes the West are preparing for a ‘large-scale military conflict’… saying that the West has assigned ‘adversary status’ to Russia… NATO and Russia both have shipped tonnes of military hardware to the frontier in eastern Europe… General Gerasimov warned this could accidentally spiral into conflict between Russia and NATO – World War 3…

“General Gerasimov said both Moscow and the West must reduce the risk of clashes. It comes after a string of military incidents between the two sides, with warships and warplanes often ‘buzzing’ each other in eastern Europe…

“Meanwhile, US Major General Barre Seguin… confirmed the US is to send 20,000 troops to Europe next April and May in its biggest military exercises on European soil since the Cold War… to mass around 37,000 troops along the eastern flank…”

According to the Bible, a nuclear war will ensue between a united Europe and a Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership.

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“One man became the second Jehovah’s Witness to receive a six year prison sentence in Russia in the last two months. Moscow has outlawed the fringe Christian group [in 2017], saying they are dangerous extremists… The government has been trying to crack down on the US-based Christian sect, which has been completely outlawed in Russia… ‘The current state of religious freedom in Russia is reminiscent of Soviet times,’ said Jehovah’s Witness spokesman Jarrod Lopes in New York…

“Both the government and the Russian Orthodox Church have said that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe in predestination as well as several other fringe Christian doctrines, are a threat to the country’s institutions. However… even President Vladimir Putin has called into question the need to target the group. Still, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said there were no immediate plans to change the law.”

When being confronted, Putin, the proverbial chameleon, will say whatever may be convenient at the time. The persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is appalling and signals further coming persecution of any religious minority group which is not part of the Russian Orthodox Church.

End of Religious Exemptions for Vaccines even in isolated Private Schools

WKSG news reported on November 7, 2019:

“A state appeals court in Seneca County has upheld New York’s elimination of religious exemptions to vaccine requirements… This is the first school year in which a medical exemption form signed by a doctor is the only way around vaccination requirements for students enrolled in public, private or parochial schools in New York.

“The case in Seneca County focused on an Amish family represented by Long Island attorney Jason Mermigis… All 24 of the students at the private school are unvaccinated, the complaint said. Forcing the children to be vaccinated would be a ‘betrayal of faith in God’ for their father, Jonas Stoltzfus, Mermigis wrote…

“Under the rules barring religious exemptions to vaccines, schools can be fined up to $2,000 per day for each student who is out of compliance… Mermigis said the family lives in a secluded community, and they would not put anyone else at risk by being unvaccinated…”

The Associated Press added on December 16:

“New Jersey’s Assembly on Monday passed a measure to eliminate religious exemptions for vaccines for [public and private school children as well as for child care centers].… but the Democrat-controlled state Senate postponed a vote because there weren’t enough yes votes…

“If approved, the bill would go to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. His office declined to say what he would do with the bill. New Jersey would join a handful of states, including New York and California, in doing away with the religious exemption, if the bill becomes law… Forty-five states and the District of Columbia allow for religious exemptions to immunizations…”

It is no surprise that left-wing liberal states like California and New York would eradicate religious exemptions. The paranoia regarding this whole matter is breathtaking.  

Changing “Values”

Axios wrote on December 16:

“The industry is changing fast. PBS is planning to increase its LGBTQ programming on broadcast and digital next year… NPR was recently applauded for embracing a plurality of diverse voices on its air. Disney hosted its first ‘Magical Pride’ celebration at one of its theme parks in Paris earlier this year. Highlights, a children’s magazine, made headlines two years ago when it featured an illustration of a same-sex couple in an issue for the first time.

“The bottom line: 61% of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 31% in 2004…”

The sign of the times and the beginning of sorrows… Walt Disney would turn in his grave if he could and if he knew…

Criminalizing Conversion Therapy for Minors in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“Germany moved one step closer to banning ‘conversion therapy’ targeting transgender and gay people after its Cabinet approved a draft bill…  The bill will next be presented to Germany’s lower house, Health Minister Jens Spahn told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland news group (RND). If the bill passes both houses of parliament, advertising or offering conversion therapy will be banned and infringements will carry fines of up to €30,000 ($33,000). After the proposed ban, only adults who freely seek out the… ‘therapy’ will be legally permitted to undergo it… The bill passed by the Cabinet was amended to include banning the practice for 16- to 18-year-olds…

“A previous draft of the bill would have allowed the practice on 16- to 18-year-olds if the practitioner could prove the patient understood its implications and risks. Under the bill, parents or caregivers would also be punished for making a 16- to 18-year-old undergo the therapy…”

It should come as no surprise that Jens Spahn is openly gay. Germany, as usual, finds itself in the forefront of promoting highly controversial matters. As we reported in the last Update, Germany is also largely to be blamed for the abominable sex education classes in Europe, including the directive to familiarize children with homosexuality. Note the next article as an opposite example.

EU Attacks Poland over Stance on Family

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“The European Parliament adopted a resolution… condemning so-called ‘LGBTI-free’ zones in Poland…

“Neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are allowed in Poland…”

The resolution reads, in part, as follows:

“In a resolution adopted by 463 votes in favour, 107 against and 105 abstentions on Wednesday, MEPs express their deep concern at the growing number of attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the EU by states, state officials, national and local governments as well as politicians. Recent examples include homophobic statements during a referendum campaign in Romania and hate speech targeting LGBTI people in the context of elections in Estonia, Spain, the UK, Hungary and Poland…

“MEPs notably condemn the areas ‘free from LGBTI ideology’’ established since the beginning of 2019, by dozens of municipalities, counties and regions in the southeast of Poland. These local governments have issued non-binding resolutions pledging to refrain from taking any action to encourage tolerance of LGBTI people and saying they would not provide financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights. The European Parliament urges Polish authorities to condemn these acts and to revoke all resolutions attacking LGBTI rights…”

“Parliament also deplores the attacks carried out against LGBTI people by some member states’ public authorities, targeted at educational institutions and schools. MEPs recall that schools should be places that reinforce and protect the fundamental rights of all children…”

Instead, children are being encouraged in school to engage in homosexual conduct, labeling it as normal. It is troublesome to see how it is tried to enforce the gay agenda on others. In addition, Deutsche Welle reported on December 17 that in the British Parliament, “the number of out gay, lesbian and bisexual MPs [is] more than [in] any other parliament in the world.”

Blaspheming Jesus Christ

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 12:

“… get ready for what’s become a new vulgar Christmas tradition; propagating the delusional denial that Jesus was a Jew. The denial of Jesus’ Jewishness gets ‘better’ by making up the claim not only that Jesus was a Palestinian Arab, but that he was the first Palestinian…

“It’s well documented that Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, and that he was born in Bethlehem, the land designated for Judah’s decedents. That’s why the area around Bethlehem is known as the Judean Mountains today, as it was called Judea then. Why, if Jesus was born in Judea, were his parents visiting from Nazareth in the Galilee where Jesus spent most of his life. This is documented in the New Testament (Luke 2:1-7) that Joseph and Mary returned from Nazareth to Judea during Sukkot (Tabernacles) to participate in a Roman census…

“At a news conference at the United Nations in 1983, (PLO leader Yasser) Arafat called Jesus ‘the first Palestinian fedayeen [militiaman] who carried his sword.’ When Arafat triumphantly took control of Bethlehem in December 1995, he told a throng gathered in Manger Square that he was there to liberate ‘the birthplace of our Lord the Messiah… the city of the Palestinian Jesus!’ During a visit to the Vatican a few years later, Arafat even greeted Pope John Paul II as ‘the successor of Peter, the first Palestinian pope.’…

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, describes Jesus as ‘a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace.’ Palestinian Authority leader Saeb Erekat has referred to Jesus as the ‘first Palestinian shahid (martyr)’… What’s next, that the last supper was not a Passover Seder but a Ramadan break-fast?

“Claiming Jesus was a Palestinian goes hand in hand with what I term Temple Denial Syndrome: the Palestinian Arab absurdity that there was never a Temple on the temple Mount. Despite historical and biblical reality, and despite that in 1925 the Islamic Wakf documented that their mosques do in fact sit in the site of Solomon’s Temple, that’s what they want you to believe.

“Only after the Bar Kochba rebellion, in the year 132, did Rome rename Israel as Palestina in order to underscore that Judea had been sacked, purging Jewish connection to the Land… Further documenting this, ancient Roman coins have been found with the phrase ‘Judea Capta,’ Judea is Captured. Not ‘Palestine is captured.’ There was no Palestine, ergo Jesus is not, was not and could not have been a Palestinian. ‘Palestine’ didn’t even exist when he lived… [it is] certain is that he was a Jew, something the Romans underscored when they crucified him, mockingly calling him King of the Jews.”

Jesus was clearly a Jew (Hebrews 7:14; John 4:22). Making matters worse, a new Brazilian “comedy” on Netflix portrays Jesus as gay. Also, the first and the second temples clearly stood on the Temple Mount. Ideas to the contrary are unbiblical and without any shred of evidence whatsoever.

Liberal Jews and Christmas Trees

Brandeis Now wrote on December 16:

“Louis Brandeis was well known for becoming the first Jewish person appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. So it may seem surprising that he celebrated the winter holidays with a Christmas tree in his home… Christmas trees were common in the homes of secular American Jews at the time. What’s happened since then is more complex. ‘In the late 19th century, there were quite a few liberal Jews – especially those from central European backgrounds – who had Christmas trees in their homes and saw them as secular symbols of the season,’ University Professor Jonathan Sarna told BrandeisNOW… ‘Christmas isn’t even mentioned in the New Testament – trees were not necessarily ubiquitous at Christmas – so some Jews felt the trees were a symbol that could be shared by people of all faiths,’ said Sarna…

“‘The rise of the state of Israel, which saw itself as the heir to the Maccabees, led to a strengthening of Hanukkah as a holiday versus Christmas,’ Sarna said… Hanukkah, whose origin dates back to the Maccabean Wars of 160-167 CE, isn’t considered a Jewish high holiday and [barely] appears in the Talmud. But its celebration became more widespread thanks to its proximity on the calendar to Christmas.

“Jews gave gifts of money when they celebrated Hanukkah in the 19th century – a tradition that continues today with gelt. But receiving presents became more mainstream at Hanukkah after Christmas became a national holiday in 1870… ‘When Christmas became a national holiday, Jewish children felt discriminated against,’ Sarna said. ‘Christian children received gifts and Jewish children felt left out. Parents took note, and there is no doubt the tradition of Hanukkah gifts, apart from gelt, was influenced by the surrounding culture of gift-giving at Christmas.’

“In the last 40 years, Sarna says two specific groups have brought back the tradition of bringing Christmas trees into the home: Russian-speaking Jews and inter-married couples. Christmas was banned as a religious holiday in the Soviet Union, but the tree remained a symbol of the new year. As such, Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants continue to see the tree as a secular symbol of winter. Sarna said intermarried couples, where one partner is Christian, might have a Christmas tree as a matter of compromise… ‘Lots of intermarried Jews find their non-Jewish spouses miss the Christmas tree and feel they can have a menorah and a tree as multiple symbols of the season,’ Sarna said…”

Liberal “secular” Jews engage in all kinds of additional “observances” which are clearly connected to pagan-filled “Christianity.”

Pontifical Secret Abolished

The Associated Press reported on December 17:

“Pope Francis abolished the ‘pontifical secret’ used in clergy sexual abuse cases Tuesday, responding to mounting criticism that the high degree of confidentiality has been used to protect pedophiles, silence victims and prevent police from investigating crimes… In a new law, Francis decreed that information in abuse cases must be protected by church leaders to ensure its ‘security, integrity and confidentiality.’ But he said ‘pontifical secret,’ the highest form of confidentiality in the church, no longer applies to abuse-related accusations, trials and decisions under the Catholic Church’s canon law.

“The Vatican’s leading sex crimes investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, said the reform was an ‘epochal decision’ that will facilitate coordination with civil law enforcement and open up lines of communication with victims…

“Francis also raised from 14 to 18 the cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography – a response to the Vatican’s increasing awareness of the prolific spread of online child porn that has frequently implicated even high-ranking churchmen…

“Pope Benedict XVI, when he was a cardinal, had persuaded the pope to decree in 2001 that these cases must be dealt with under ‘pontifical secret.’…  The Vatican had long insisted that such confidentiality was necessary to protect the privacy of the victim, the reputation of the accused and the integrity of the canonical process…

“According to the new instruction… the Vatican still doesn’t mandate reporting the crimes to police, saying religious superiors are obliged to do so where civil reporting laws require it…”

The practical application of the change is still pretty much unclear and undefined.

The Length of a Sermon

The Associated Press wrote on December 15:

“According to Pew… Catholic sermons [are] the shortest, at a median of just 14 minutes, compared with 25 minutes for sermons in mainline Protestant congregations and 39 minutes in evangelical Protestant congregations. Historically black Protestant churches had by far the longest sermons, at a median of 54 minutes.

“Pew said sermons at the black churches lasted longer than mainline Protestant sermons even though, on average, they had roughly the same number of words. A possible explanation, Pew said, is that the preachers at black churches allow more time during their sermons for musical interludes, responses from worshippers in the pews and dramatic pauses in their oratory.”

Following the well-considered example of the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong, sermons in the Church of the Eternal God last, on an average, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (A sermon is not being interrupted by responses from worshippers.) In addition, sermonettes of approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length are given in a Church service. A “sermon” in the Catholic Church would qualify, just based on length, as a sermonette in the Church of the Eternal God.

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.

The Most History-Shaping Election since WW II

The Associated Press wrote on December 9:

“Britain is facing the most testing and significant period in its modern history since World War II. The polarized electorate now has a critical choice to make — but it seems unlikely the result… will heal deep and toxic divisions…

“This election [on December 12] will shape the country’s future.”

Axios wrote on December 9:

“This has been a brutal campaign fought by two leaders who are disliked and distrusted by broad swaths of the public. Johnson has been accused of repeatedly misleading voters, while opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has been charged with allowing anti-Semitism to fester within his Labour Party…”

Johnson Wins Big

 JTA wrote on December 12:

 “Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has defeated Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party by a large margin in Britain’s general elections on Thursday, exit polls indicate. The Conservatives received 368 seats out of 650 according to the polls by BBC, ITV and Sky News, with Labour lagging far behind with 191…

“Many British Jews have said the elections are particularly fateful for them because they believe that the Labour Party has become institutionally anti-Semitic under its left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected to lead the party in 2015… If the exit polls are accurate, it would be the worst performance by Labour in any general election since the World War II…”

 It would also be the biggest victory for the Conservatives since 1987.

Brexit Almost Certainly a Given!

 The Sun added on December 12:

 “The expected results mean Britain’s political chaos could finally be over, leaving Boris with the numbers to push his Brexit deal through Parliament in weeks… Exit polls… almost always correctly predict the outcome of general elections and are known to be accurate…”

BBC News wrote on December 12:

“If the exit polls pans out – it means one big constitutional question will be ‘solved’. The UK will leave the European Union under Boris Johnson. There will be bumps along the road and negotiating a new trade deal might not be easy. But a Tory majority government will take the UK out of the EU. If the numbers in Scotland play out, though, another constitutional clash is coming… So while Brexit might become easier to deliver – there will still be big debates over the future of the UK…”

Scotland is vehemently opposed to Brexit.

The Huffington Post wrote on December 12:

“… a newly empowered Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to claim a mandate to ‘get Brexit done’ on his terms, likely killing off any chance of a second referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union… [The results give] the Conservatives an unexpectedly large majority of 86 seats, if the poll is accurate… Brexit was central to the campaign run by Johnson, who is pushing to leave the European Union by the end of January…”

ABC News wrote on December 12:

“If early exit polls are any indication, Conservatives have won a huge victory in U.K.’s closely watched general election… The victory would mean a clear vindication for Brexit-champion Boris Johnson, who would remain as prime minister.”

The anti-Brexit tabloid Bild Online stated: “By the end of January, it will apparently be said: ‘Bye-Bye EU!’” But the tabloids also pointed out that difficult negotiations between the EU and Great Britain will continue until the end of 2020, to determine the future relationship between the two power blocs.

Die German paper Die Welt commented: “Brexit will now almost certainly happen by the end of January.”

Ukraine between EU and Russia

The Associated Press wrote on December 8:

“Germany’s longer-term economic interests are a continual challenge for Ukraine. Berlin is seen as having harmed Ukraine’s interests by moving forward with the completion of a Russian-German gas pipeline called Nord Stream 2 that will bring Russian natural gas to Western Europe. Its route bypasses Ukraine, cutting off its leverage as a transit country and an income source…

“Vadim Karasev, head of the Institute of Global Strategies, an independent Kyiv-based think tank, said the Europeans ‘have grown tired of Kyiv’s endless problems… European powers, he said, ‘can’t endlessly deal with Kyiv’s problems when they have their own issues to solve.’”

Russia the Clear Winner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 9:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to implement a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine by year-end, following their first meeting on Monday at a summit in Paris mediated by France and Germany… The four-way summit with the leaders of Germany and France also led to all sides agreeing to implement an ‘all for all’ prisoner exchange by the end of the year.”

Bild Online commented: “For years, Putin plays dumb, deceiving the world. And Macron and Merkel are ‘extras.’”

Newsmax added on December 9:

“The presidents of Ukraine and Russia… failed to resolve crucial issues such as a timeline on local elections and control of the borders in the rebel-held region… the two leaders failed to find a compromise to bring an end to the 5-year-old war that has killed 14,000 people, emboldened the Kremlin and reshaped European geopolitics…

“A major breakthrough at the Paris talks had been seen as unlikely… With U.S. influence waning around the world, many in Kyiv see one clear winner: Russia.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 10:

“The Ukrainian president may consider the Paris summit to be a draw with Russia, but he couldn’t be more wrong… The West and Ukraine are willing to compromise to woo [Putin], the undisputed ruler of Russia…

“The annexation of the peninsula by Russia was not even on the agenda in Paris. But… [it] helps prevent Ukraine’s ambitions to move closer towards the EU and NATO, as countries with ongoing conflicts cannot be admitted as members…”

The Bible reveals very clearly that ultimately, Ukraine and Russia will be working together AGAINST Europe.

House Democrats Push for Impeachment of President Trump

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his contacts with Ukraine: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress… The charges… stem from second-hand allegations brought forth in a whistleblower complaint by a partisan CIA officer, who alleged President Trump attempted to pressure the leader of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for U.S. military aid. Both President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both vehemently denied any pressure was applied during their July 25 telephone conversation at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

“Notably absent from the articles were any mention of bribery, which House Democrats accused the president of committing in his dealings with Ukraine. Also absent was an article regarding past claims that the president obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into now-debunked criminal conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia…”

Democrats decided against introducing additional articles of impeachment [such as, obstruction of justice and bribery], fearing that such additions might not even be accepted by the House controlled by the Democrats and that they would clearly guarantee their defeat in upcoming elections. Regardless, Democrats have already signed their death warrant for political suicide, as the impeachment circus will fall flat in the Senate. Trump will once again emerge as the winner and be re-elected in 2020.

No Grounds for Impeachment

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“Democrats’ articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump allege… the two weakest possible charges among the many the House had been considering.

“The term ‘abuse of power’ does not appear in the Constitution’s Impeachment Clause, which specifies that Congress’s power of impeachment covers ‘Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.’…

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz… argues… that ‘abuse of power’ is never impeachable — at least not without an underlying crime. In this case, there is none…

“Legal scholar Cass Sunstein, a former Obama administration official and an intellectual leader on the left, published a crucial book…  in 2017… Of ‘obstruction of Congress,’ Sunstein said that a president cannot be impeached simply for resisting subpoenas. A mere ‘conflict between the branches’ of government, he declared, is ‘no legitimate basis for impeachment’…”

Even scholars from the left state clearly that the Democrats have no case against Trump. But it had to develop in this way so as to guarantee that Trump will stay in office after the next election.

NAFTA Revised

The Independent wrote on December 10:

“House speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Democrats have reached a deal on Donald Trump’s revised version of Nafta, just after her caucus introduced two articles of impeachment against the president. The deal would revise the 1990s free trade agreement between the countries [USA, Mexico and Canada], with slight tweaks that would especially impact the autos sector, copyright and the US dairy industry.

“But the timing of the deal shows that Ms Pelosi is also playing a shrewd political game, knowing that some of her most vulnerable members may be sticking their necks out by backing impeachment against Mr Trump. At the same time, Democrats are risking handing Mr Trump a major trade victory with just under a year before the 2020 election.”

Again, the “politics” of the Democrats portray an attitude of willful self-infliction and harm.

Escalation of Chinese-American Trade War

Express wrote on December 11:

“China has ordered all its government offices and public institutions to remove American computers amid trade negotiations between the two countries failing to progress… this is likely to hit US companies such as HP, Dell and Microsoft hard. Analysts at Jefferies say that US technology companies generate as much as $150bn a year in revenues from China…

 “This comes after US President Donald Trump’s administration banned US companies from doing business with Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei earlier this year… Washington was said to be concerned about Chinese technology companies helping the government to conduct cyber espionage. Huawei was a particular concern as it helped build ultra-high-speed 5G networks around the world.”

This trade war, and others which are pending or which will arise, WOULD be very harmful to the American people. However, it was just announced by Newsmax, dated December 12, that  “The White House reached a ‘deal in principle’ with Beijing on trade… In the current deal, the United States would suspend tariffs expected to go into effect on $160 billion in Chinese goods, and Beijing has promised to buy more U.S. agricultural goods…”

NATO’s Uncertain Future and Europe’s Destiny

On December 4, Project Syndicate published the following article by Joschka Fischer who was German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“A profound change in US strategic priorities under President Donald Trump demands that Europeans revisit long-held assumptions about their collective defense. The result is that Europe must fend for itself for the first time since the end of World War II. Yet after so many years of strategic dependence [on] the US, Europe is unprepared – not just materially but psychologically – for today’s harsh geopolitical realities. Nowhere is this truer than in Germany.

“NATO’s future is more uncertain now than at any time in its history… NATO’s survival can no longer be taken for granted, and Europeans cannot wait 20 years to figure out what should come after it…  Europe has no choice but to become a power in its own right… But Europeans should not harbor any illusions about what defense autonomy will require.

“… NATO still exists, and there are still US troops deployed in Europe. But the operative word is ‘still.’… the alliance’s unraveling has become less a matter of ‘if’ than ‘when.’… Macron understands this, whereas Germany, in typical fashion, is paying mere lip service to its old commitments, promising to increase its defense spending but making little real headway. Macron understands that the rupture in Europe’s defense following a withdrawal of US troops… would unfold… as a sudden break… Europe… must make substantial investments in its military and expand its own capabilities on a massive scale. In other words, it must act as if the break has already happened…

“Trump’s nationalist shift under the slogan of ‘America first’ has suddenly forced Europe to confront the question of its own sovereignty, which means becoming an independent technological power with the ability to act decisively as a united front. The EU never would have done so of its own volition. Trump, whatever his intent, is forcing Europe to reinvent itself… the EU must act as if the alliance was already gone.”

Angela Merkel has been described in the German press as someone who is sound asleep. But others are not, and sooner than later, European core nations, under a new German leadership, will unite to create a powerful military unity.

Annexation of the Jordan Valley?

The Times of Israel News wrote on December 5:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possible annexation of the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during their talks here… Netanyahu stressed, however, that ‘These things are much easier when you have a government…’

“Netanyahu also said he and Pompeo agreed to move forward with plans for a joint defense treaty… Asked about the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s statement, issued earlier on Thursday, that she was ‘concerned’ about Netanyahu’s vow to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, he replied tersely: ‘It’s our full right to do it, if we decide to do it.’”

Israel will go forward with plans such as the ones described in this article.

Praying on the Temple Mount

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 5:

“Until recently, police have prevented Jews and other non-Muslims from praying conspicuously on the Temple Mount out of a concern that such activity would stoke tensions and lead to violence from Muslim worshipers. In the past, the police would routinely eject or detain any non-Muslim seen to be praying at the holy site, and this stance was mostly backed by the courts, which ruled that although in theory Jewish prayer was legal on the Temple Mount the police were entitled to prevent it due to security considerations. But all this has changed in recent months.

“According to Elishama Sandman, a spokesman for the Yeraeh Temple Mount visitation advocacy group, the prayer services have been taking place at least since Passover this year… He said however that the various Temple Mount activist groups are ‘not satisfied’ with the new situation, and hope eventually that the prayer services can be more organized, and that prayer will be possible with prayer shawls, tefillin, prayer books and a Torah scroll. ‘The ultimate vision is of course that the Temple be rebuilt on the Temple Mount,’ he said.”

Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount are another step towards bringing animal sacrifices and building the prophesied third temple on the Temple Mount.

New Israeli Elections in March

 The Week wrote on December 11:

 “Israel in March will vote in a third election within a year, after a final deadline for forming a government passed Wednesday and parliament moved to disband itself.

 “In the country’s last election in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger Benny Gantz were essentially deadlocked. That meant Netanyahu was given the first opportunity to form a coalition, and when he failed to do so, Gantz took the reigns. But he also couldn’t execute an agreement, which — in an unprecedented move — meant the mandate was passed to parliament, which got one last opportunity before the clock ran down and elections became the only option.”

 The Algemeiner added on December 11:

 “What had once seemed nearly impossible to many Israelis — a third visit to polling stations after the inconclusive ballots of April and September — carries a heavy economic price: it will be well into 2020 before a new budget is passed, which will mean months of cutbacks that will weigh on growth…

 “But this time, Israel‘s longest-serving leader [Benjamin Netanyahu, 70,] is running under the cloud of a criminal indictment announced last month… As prime minister, Netanyahu is under no legal obligation to resign as a result of the indictment, and while in office he can ask the legislature to grant him immunity from prosecution.

 “As caretaker premier, Netanyahu would remain in the post until a new government is formed — a process that could stretch months past a March [2] ballot if what is likely to be tortuous coalition-building is taken into account.”

Pope Compares Trump with King Herod!

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 6:

“In a report published on Thursday, it was reported that while on a recent visit to Buddhists in Thailand, Pope Francis addressed the issue of refugees, comparing the policy of building walls and detention centers to the acts of King Herod who killed Jesus… ‘there are walls that even separate children from parents,’ Pope Francis said in an oblique reference to President Trump’s policies on the southern border, suggesting that the policies will ultimately fail. ‘Herod comes to mind. Yet for drugs, there’s no wall to keep them out.’

“King Herod, also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman client king of Judea. Herod’s family were converts to Judaism and his religious commitment was questioned by some elements of Jewish society. While Herod publicly identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by some, this religious identification was undermined by the decadent lifestyle of the Herodians… Herod later executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne.

“In the account of the Massacre of the Innocents in the New Testament, in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, Herod gave orders to kill all boys of the age of two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity.”

A very unfortunate comparison by the Pope, whether it was made intentionally or not.

Merkel Visits Auschwitz

Deutsche Welle reported on December 6:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel viewed what may be the most devastating testimonial to the industrial murder perpetrated by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau: The building that houses the personal belongings of those people who were sent to their deaths at the camp. She saw enormous mounds of human hair, thousands of pairs of glasses and a mountain of suitcases…

“Merkel [addressed] the alarming increase in racism, hate crimes, intolerance, xenophobia and anti-Semitism…

“Following Helmut Schmidt (1977), and Helmut Kohl (1989 and 1995), Merkel became just the third German chancellor to visit Auschwitz… As the early afternoon sun begins to set in the west, Merkel’s journey through the darkest chapter of German history also came to a close. She saw the ruins of the gas chambers and the remnants of Birkenau’s crematorium. She stood in front of a rail car parked at the camp’s train platform, where more than 1 million people stepped off of trains and to their deaths.”

Sadly, as many fear, another Holocaust WILL happen. It is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Germany’s Young Socialites Condemn Government for Anti-Israel Stance

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 9:

“The youth organization of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) condemned in late November its leadership’s anti-Israel voting record at the UN. The Young Socialists (Jusos) organization wrote that the ‘disproportionate condemnation of Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East’ is a problem affecting UN bodies ‘that is carried out not only by states of the Middle East, but also European states who pass, or abstain from, anti-Israel resolutions.’ Jusos urged Germany to ‘dissociate from the initiatives and alliances of antisemitic member states in the bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations.’…

“There are over 70,000 members of the Jusos who fall into the age group 14 to 35 years-old.

“Germany’s Social Democratic Foreign Minister [Heiko] Maas has greenlighted nearly 30 condemnations of the Jewish state at the UN since 2018. Christoph Heusgen, Germany’s ambassador to the UN, compared Israel in March with the jihadi terrorist organization Hamas. Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel[‘s] administration have rejected efforts to change Germany’s anti-Israel voting pattern at the UN. The Free Democratic Party pushed an initiative in the Bundestag in the Spring to reverse the alleged anti-Israel bias of the Merkel administration. Merkel’s party, the Christian Democratic Union, and the SPD rejected the initiative.”

The track record of politicians such as Maas and Heusgen is clearly appalling in this regard; and so is the at least passive approval of Angela Merkel, which stands in deep contrast to her visit at Auschwitz.

“Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunctions Blocking Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Rule for Immigrants”

Politico wrote on December 5:

“A divided federal appeals court has lifted several injunctions blocking the Trump administration from implementing a rule aimed at limiting immigration benefits for individuals who participate in government programs such as food stamps or Medicaid.

“In an order Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 2-1, to stay preliminary injunctions issued by federal judges in Oakland, Calif., and Spokane, Wash., against the newly issued ‘public charge’ policy just before it was to take effect in October.

“However, the policy remains on hold because judges in Maryland and New York City also blocked the new rules nationwide and their decisions are unaffected by the ruling from the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over nine Western states. The Justice Department is also appealing the other injunctions.

“The majority on the 9th Circuit panel said the Trump administration was likely to prevail in its arguments that it had legal authority to issue regulations to broaden the definition of what constituted someone likely to become dependent on public assistance. ‘We find that the history of the use of “public charge” in federal immigration law demonstrates that “public charge” does not have a fixed, unambiguous meaning,’ Judge Jay Bybee wrote, joined by Judge Sandra Ikuta. ‘Rather, the phrase is subject to multiple interpretations, it in fact has been interpreted differently, and the Executive Branch has been afforded the discretion to interpret it… the wisdom of the policy is not a question we can review,’ added Bybee, who, like Ikuta, was appointed by President George W. Bush.

“The third judge on the panel, John Owens, [who was appointed by Obama] dissented, saying he would have denied the stay and allowed the injunctions to remain in place pending more thorough review by the appeals court…”

These are alarming developments for millions upon millions of (potential) immigrants, and when the case ends up with the US Supreme Court, the opinion of the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals might very well prevail.

Prosecuting the Innocent and Supporting the Guilty

Breitbart wrote on December 6:

“The criminal case against the undercover video journalists who exposed the fetal tissue trafficking activity of Planned Parenthood and its allies in the biomedical procurement industry is headed to trial. Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, now a U.S. senator and former 2020 presidential candidate, initiated the case against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of Center for Medical Progress. When Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, her successor, current Attorney General Xavier Becerra, continued the case.

“The undercover citizen journalists were charged with 15 felony counts, 14 counts of illegal recording of confidential conversations and one count of conspiracy. The case makes them the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in the history of the state of California. On Friday, Judge Christopher Hite of San Francisco Superior Court announced nine of the felony charges had sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Hite dropped the remaining six charges.

“Daleiden said in a statement: ‘Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris concocted this bogus, biased prosecution with her Planned Parenthood backers against undercover video reporting… The real criminals are the Planned Parenthood leadership who sold fetal body parts from late-term abortions and weaponized the justice system to try to cover it up.’…

“Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Peter Breen, said that Daleiden used the same practices other undercover journalists have used to expose corruption. ‘David Daleiden is being charged as a criminal for openly delivering information that the public has a right to know, information that the abortion lobby and its financially supported elected officials would rather keep hidden,’ he said. ‘This prosecution by the State of California is an abuse of the justice system…’”

This is indeed a scandalous example of political persecution in California’s courtrooms, and we will continue to report on the further developments of this unjust procedure.

How Robocalls Became America’s Most Prevalent Crime

The Week wrote on December 7:

“Today, half of all phone calls are automated scams… Automated telephone calls might be America’s most prevalent form of lawbreaking, with more than 180 million such calls every day. A 2009 law that banned unsolicited, prerecorded telemarketing has failed to stem the explosion of calls seeking to steal information or scare people into scams… Just the time wasted dealing with robocalls costs Americans $3 billion per year… 70 percent of Americans don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers anymore… October was the worst month on record, with an estimated 5.7 billion robocalls…

“By one estimate, 90 percent of scam calls from abroad now show up as U.S. numbers. Robocalls home in on targets by asking consumers to press a button if they’d like to stop receiving calls, which actually lets callers identify ‘live’ numbers…

“Many Americans have been called by a fake Social Security Administration representative, who claims that the recipient’s Social Security number is compromised, asks for the number, and then uses it to commit identity theft. (In reality, the IRS and SSA don’t make unrequested telephone calls.)… Robocalls are often menacing, threatening prison or deportation; these tactics intimidate some vulnerable seniors and immigrants into cooperating…”

 Those who engage in robocalls or in hacking computers of others should be regarded as mean and despicable criminals and, if caught, they should be treated accordingly.

Volcanic Eruption on White Island

The Independent wrote on December 9:

“There are no more survivors of the volcanic eruption on New Zealand‘s White Island that killed at least [six] and left more than 30 wounded, police have said. The death toll is expected to rise [Eight missing people are believed dead]… among those currently listed as missing or injured are [five] New Zealanders who were part of the tour operation, and [24] tourists from Australia, [nine from the US, four from Germany, two each from China and Britain, one from Malaysia]…

“Many day tours visit the island regularly, and one from the Ovation of the Seas cruise liner was there at the time… Experts said they believed the island, which is New Zealand’s most continuously active volcano, had been dangerous for some time. It last erupted three years ago. ‘White Island has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years,’ said Ray Cas, a professor emeritus at Monash University…

“Monday’s was the first deadly eruption on White Island, also known as Whakaari, since 1914. The volcanic island is uninhabited and privately owned.”

The questions have been raised as to why tourists were allowed on the island when it was known that its volcano was potentially dangerous. However, there are many active or potentially active volcanoes and people do not care about the dangers. Mount Vesuvius in Italy is just one example.

Creating Animal-Human Embryos

The Daily Star wrote on December 7:

“Chinese scientists have created pig monkey hybrids… ‘This is the first report of full-term monkey-pig chimeras’, Tang Hai at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing told New Scientist.

“The animals had only a small amount of monkey DNA – concentrated in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and skin cells. The team is now trying to create healthy animals with a higher proportion of monkey cells, says Hai. While the long-term goal is to incubate human-compatible organs in pig hosts, the team chose to develop the technique using monkey cells first.

“This is at the result of criticism around work done by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte’s team at California’s Salk Institute in 2017. In that case pig-human hybrids were created but concerns were raised that the animals could have partly human brains. Belmonte’s team is now working in China, and according to an unconfirmed report have already created human-monkey chimeras…

“In other experiments, researchers have created monkeys with brains that are partially human, mice with human cells in their eyes and sheep with partially human organs. A rival team is working on a project to create a mouse with a brain made entirely of human cells.”

This is SICK and despicable! It seems that scientists will justify anything to satisfy their morbid desire for experimentation.

Samoa Incarcerates Anti-Immunization Campaigner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“Samoan authorities on Friday warned that propaganda opposing a mass vaccination drive would not be tolerated after an anti-immunization campaigner was arrested. Police arrested Edwin Tamasese and charged him with incitement against a government order late on Thursday. The country is struggling to control a measles epidemic that has killed at least 63 people, most of them children…

“Details of the arrest were published by an online edition of [the] national newspaper  the Samoa Observer. The paper said Tamasese — who could potentially face up to two years in jail — was arrested after he breached a written warning demanding that he end his anti-vaccination activities…

“Samoa on Friday entered the second day of a lockdown as it administers compulsory vaccinations. Businesses and non-essential government services have been shut down and residents have been told to obey a dawn-to-dusk curfew and to display a red flag outside their home if they are unvaccinated to alert mobile immunization teams.”

With the hysteria pertaining to those who caution against vaccinations due to side-effects, such drastic authoritarian governmental measures can be expected to occur in many other countries as well.

Deadly Deer Disease Could Infect Humans

The Sun wrote on December 5:

“A DEADLY infection similar to mad cow disease is spreading in deer – and could infect humans, experts have warned.

“Officials are monitoring cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which attacks the brain, spinal cord and other tissue, in North America. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the disease – sometimes referred to as ‘zombie deer’ – has now spread to at least 26 states.

“Around 12 months after an animal is infected with CWD, it suffers progressive weight loss, listlessness, drooling, lack of awareness, lack of fear and aggression before the infected animal dies. The disease is caused by proteins (called prions) that attack the brain and spinal tissue.

“Symptoms are similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, and its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is incurable…

“CWD, which was discovered in 1967, is spread through bodily fluids, either directly or through contamination of soil, food, or water. There’s no treatment or cure for CWD, and it’s fatal to animals who become infected. Experts fear the disease could easily make the leap to humans through infected meat….

“Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the Independent: ‘We could be having human transmission occurring today and we wouldn’t even know it. The key issue here is that unlike the mad cow disease, here we see (chronic wasting disease) in the muscle as well, so it’s actually much more present in the meat that you’re eating. Cooking doesn’t do anything to destroy it.’”

Sadly, we can expect more and more reports like these. The Bible predicts massive deadly disease epidemics to occur soon around the world.

German Bishops: Homosexuality Is Normal

Breitbart wrote on December 11:

“The German Catholic bishops’ conference has issued a statement declaring homosexuality to be just as ‘normal’ as heterosexuality…

“Both the homosexual and heterosexual orientation ‘belong to the normal forms of a sexual predisposition that cannot and should not be changed by any specific socialization,’ the Dec. 5 communiqué stated… Since one’s sexual orientation is unchangeable, ‘in church thinking, this means that any form of discrimination against homosexuals must be rejected…’ the bishops note…”

Catholic Church thinking and God’s mind, as revealed in the Bible, are two different things.  

We also received the following report from Australia:

In a legal case here, Israel Folau, one of the top Rugby players in the world, came to a confidential settlement with Rugby Australia. He was suing for 14 million dollars for being wrongly terminated for his Instagram post that homosexuals will go to hell. Since he has hundreds of thousands of followers, Rugby Australia claimed that it was against his employment contract to make such statements publicly and it affected their income because of the loss of sponsors.

Australia currently is determining a freedom of religion bill which is causing great controversy. The religious community say it does not go far enough in allowing them to hire and fire based on religious ideals. The non-religious community say it will allow for discrimination and hate speech. Interestingly, the religious community including Catholics, Anglicans, Jews, Muslims and others are all in agreement.

EU vs. Poland on Sexual Education

LifeSite News reported on November 20, 2019:

“Over 400 members of the European Parliament have voted to pass a resolution criticizing a Polish bill called ‘Stop Pedofilii’ that seeks to protect minors from sexual abuse by adults. The… bill seeks to make the incitement of minor children to sexual activity illegal in Poland… The age of consent in Poland is currently 15… anyone who has sex with a child under 15, including another child under 15, in Poland can be charged with statutory rape.

“An explanatory note attached to the ‘Stop Pedofilii’ bill gives some historical context for the proposal. It says some sex education teachers have been promoting sexual activity, including homosexual acts and masturbation, to Polish children, thanks to sexual education standards for Europe composed by the World Health Organization and the German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). These standards were introduced to Poland for the first time in 2013.

“‘According to the Standards, children of the age of 0–4 should learn information regarding masturbation and enjoying pleasure by touching their bodies,’ the note states… the Standards also stipulate that children from the age of 4–6 are supposed to know how to express their own sexuality and sexual feelings as well as ‘take pleasure and joy in’ masturbating. Children aged 6–9  must learn about sexual consent and different methods of intercourse and contraception. Children between 9 and 12 are supposed to learn how to use condoms, learn about their first sexual experiences, and receive information about orgasms. Children between 12 and 15 should be able to communicate about their own and their partners’ desires ‘in order to have safe and pleasant sex.’ ‘According to the Standards, at every step of development there is also intensive familiarizing of children with homosexuality,’ the note adds.”

Shame on Germany and the WHO for promoting these terrible ungodly and clearly harmful sexual education standards, and shame on the 400 members of the European Parliament for criticizing the Polish government which is trying to stop sexual abuse of children by sex education teachers and others.

Scorpions on the Planes

USA Today wrote on December 7:

“A passenger on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta had a nasty surprise: A scorpion sting… [The passenger] was stung multiple times… This isn’t the first time that a scorpion has made its way onto a flight without a ticket. This is at least the third occurrence of the animal causing a disturbance on a plane in 2019 alone.

“Earlier this year, in February, [a] passenger caught a scorpion on video as it crawled out of an overhead bin after the Lion Air flight landed in Indonesia… Just a month later, a student flying from Toronto to Calgary was stung by a scorpion in the middle of the flight…”

St. Nicholas and the Devil

The Associated Press wrote on December 7:

“Dozens of people in grim reaper and devil costumes accompany St. Nicholas on his journey through the village of Valasska Polanka in this eastern corner of the Czech Republic. It’s an old pre-Christmas tradition that has been surviving for centuries in a few villages in the Wallachia region.

“The whole group parades together from door to door for the weekend. St. Nicholas presents the children with sweets to soothe them after they see the scary costumes. The devils wear homemade masks of sheepskin and travel with white creatures representing death who carry scythes. The custom reportedly dates from the pagan era before Christianity, when the masks helped the people of mountainous region defend themselves against the demons of winter.”

Paganism is still very much alive in “Christian” cultures.  Note the next article.

Austria’s Demons

The Guardian wrote on December 8:

“Goat-horned half-demons with scraggy coats of fur, lolling tongues and threatening bundles of birch branches are no one’s idea of a welcome guest on a winter’s night. In Austria, however, the figure of the Krampus has been part of pre-Christmas folklore for centuries, with men in costumes roaming the streets to scare children and grownups from the end of November to the middle of December. Yet in recent years the Krampus has developed to become an altogether very modern bogeyman, with a rising number of complaints about the demons acting in a drunkenly and disorderly fashion once they have donned their fearsome masks.

“In Carinthia, police recorded a number of violent incidents this year in the run-up to the official ‘Krampus day’ on 5 December, with one person being hit in the face with a birch and an 11-year-old child being left with bloody cut on their thigh. In Klagenfurt, in Carinthia, the fire brigade complained that two of firefighters were set upon and beaten by a group of Krampuses, while in Salzburg last Sunday police were called out to deal with a number of drunken devils in the city centre. A video of Thursday’s Krampus run in Sterzing in South Tyrol, on the Italian side of the border, shows spectators fleeing in panic as a group of devils start to beat and kick a person lying on the ground.

“In the town of Neumarkt in Lower Austria, a man dressed as a Percht, an Alpine pagan goddess, sustained severe neck injuries when a spectator yanked his mask by the horns. In Schwoich in the Tyrol region, three Krampuses set their costumes on fire and suffered burns after accidentally setting off a box of fireworks…

“In the 19th century, evil Krampus spirits began to accompany Sankt Nikolaus impersonators on home visits and would sometimes cross the threshold to scare children… in recent years the appetite for large-scale ‘Krampus runs’ has grown across Austria: at an event Salzburg on 23 November this year, about 1,000 goat-demons roamed the streets of the city…”

Christmas celebrations and accompanying pagan activities such as Krampus and other demon figures really belong together. That is why some who are professing Christianity are re-thinking their approach towards Christmas, as the next article shows.

Dropping Christmas Celebrations

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 10:

“Particularly for Christians who are reconnecting to the Hebraic roots of their faith, traditional celebrations of Christmas have begun to raise knotty questions about the lack of a scriptural basis for the holiday, as well as its seemingly pagan origins. Ever-increasing numbers of Christians are dropping the traditional celebrations associated with Christmas…

“Just how widespread is the trend away from Christmas among Christians today? [Jon] Sherman told Breaking Israel News, “Although celebrating Christmas is still all but assumed in most evangelical circles today, the occurrence of people in the faith beginning to question Christmas is global, and the magnitude is growing exponentially.”

Re-Building the Temple of Baal

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 9:

“The Russian government recently announced that it will partner with the Syrian government in reconstructing the ancient temple to the pagan god Ba’al in Palmyra… Mentioned more than 90 times in the Bible, most notably when Elijah defeated the priests of Ba’al, also known as Moloch, in a contest to bring down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice, Ba’al became the archetypical form of idol worship…

“Followers of Ba’al engaged in bisexual orgies and sacrificed human infants, burning them alive. Anthropologists conjecture that the child sacrifice was to cull the population after the inevitable outcome of wanton sexuality…”

Why would anyone professing Christianity or Islam want to rebuild such an ancient temple to a demonic pagan god?

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.