Far-Right Surge in East Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 2:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) just about managed to come out on top in regional elections in Saxony and Brandenburg respectively. But both parties, who form the governing coalition at national level, still took an electoral hit. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) came second in both states, a massive gain on results four years ago, but with a similar share of the vote as in the last national election in 2017.

“… political observers thought the result, while certainly not great for Angela Merkel’s grand coalition, was still good enough to ensure that her administration was not about to collapse immediately. The key was the SPD’s very mixed results. While the Social Democrats slumped to just 7.7%, or fifth place, in Saxony, they still won the election in Brandenburg, all but assuring they could continue to govern there…

“The results were a ‘shock … but not the earthquake that everyone feared,’ as Italy’s Corriere della sera put it. La Repubblica expressed deeper worries, ‘The nightmare that the far-right AfD would be the strongest party in two federal states in the former GDR and rattle the Merkel government was averted …But the extreme right is on a worrying advance… Fear, nationalism and xenophobia were the main instruments used in the election campaign.’…

“France’s regional Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace wrote, ‘… The right is getting closer, they’re nibbling away, one election at a time, pushing and shaking the foundations of social democracy.’ The Alsace paper added that as eastern Germany is in ‘economic despair,’ the AfD can ‘surf on the wave of latent and historical racism, which was caused by the massive influx of migrants in 2015.’ French daily Le Monde called the AfD’s rise a ‘strong breakthrough,’ saying that the party has ‘never scored as high,’ while the Dutch De Telegraaf said the results were ‘a double slap in the face for the unstable German coalition.’ Volkskrant, another Dutch daily, said that while the right-wing populists were not the largest party in either state, the AfD can now ‘call itself the “People’s Party” in the [former] East.’… Denmark’s Politiken said that while Merkel’s CDU and the SPD suffered a blow in the east, they managed to ‘bypass the great catastrophe.’”

For now…

No Coalition with AfD?

Axios wrote on September 2:

“The results are being viewed as a victory for AfD, but all parties have sworn not to work with the far right in a coalition government. That could be a difficult promise to keep, however, with vote share dispersed across a number of smaller parties…

“The state elections are being viewed as a crucial test for Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK), the hand-picked successor to Merkel. A series of missteps have Germans — including some in AKK’s own party — questioning her leadership. Her CDU has become especially vulnerable with AfD chipping away at its popularity in recent elections.”

What Could It Mean for Germany?

The Week wrote on September 2:

“Germany’s politics, like most other European countries, is now in turmoil…

“What does this mean for Germany and the rest of Europe?

“Firstly, it will be increasingly difficult to form stable government coalitions… Previously, it was usual for one of the big parties — CDU or SPD — to form a coalition with one of the smaller parties such as the FDP or Greens. However, the decline of CDU and SPD makes it difficult to gain a majority… This means that coalitions need to be formed of more than two or even three parties, and between parties that normally would never have paired up… this development in the most stable country in Europe will send tremors through the entire continent.

“Secondly, if the AfD continues to rise, it is only a question of time until they become part of a government… in countries such as Poland, Hungary or Italy, the far-right parties are already dominant forces. In France, Marine Le Pen was close to becoming president! However, Germany has for eight decades maintained a strong barrier against right-wing politics. It’s a worrying ‘normalization’ when right-wing positions are en vogue again…”

This is how Hitler came to power too.

Austria’s Uncertain Future

AFP wrote on August 29:

“Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) could once again partner with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ)… The ÖVP-FPÖ partnership came crashing down in spectacular fashion in May when hidden camera footage from 2017 showed then FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache appearing to offer public contracts to a fake Russian backer in exchange for campaign help… Strache resigned as vice chancellor and from all his other posts, the coalition fell apart, Kurz was thrown out in a no-confidence vote – the first-ever such successful vote in modern Austrian history – and fresh elections were set for September 29th.

“Despite the unprecedented chaos, both the ÖVP and the FPÖ – founded after World War Two by former Nazis – have sustained their popularity… The ÖVP remains the strongest party on 36 percent, while the FPÖ stands at 20 percent, six percentage points lower than in October 2017 but neck-and-neck with the Social Democrats…

“Strache has continued to defend himself from various corruption allegations on his Facebook page. The page counts almost 800,000 followers – far more than his party colleagues and most other Austrian politicians… Norbert Hofer, who replaced Strache as FPÖ leader, has openly said he wants another coalition with Kurz…

“Kurz, whose party’s popularity now is four percentage points higher than in October 2017 but who cannot form a majority government alone, has so far avoided saying which partner he prefers. He ended a coalition with the Social Democrats – who are scoring their lowest-ever poll numbers – when he took over the ÖVP leadership in 2017, triggering that year’s elections.

“A possible coalition with the Greens has been floated, which would be a first on the national level but similar to those which already govern some Austrian states. The Greens stand at 12 percent in the Unique Research survey, far higher than in 2017, when they failed to make the four percent threshold to enter parliament in a shock result.”

We should definitely watch Sebastian Kurz, who has been nicknamed “holy Sebastian” because of his strong Catholic belief.

Italy’s New Government

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

“Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unveiled his new cabinet on Wednesday, uniting two rival political parties in an unlikely coalition between the anti-establishment [M5S] and the center-left Democratic Party [PD]… Luciana Lamorgese, a former Milan security chief and top civil servant with no political affiliation will serve as the new interior minister, replacing far-right League leader Matteo Salvini.

“However, even after being sworn in, the new government will still need to be approved by votes of confidence in Italy’s two houses of parliament later this week to ensure it has a majority… [These confidence votes will start on Monday.]

“Salvini, who now sits on the opposition sidelines, labelled the new administration ‘a government produced by Paris and Berlin, born out of fear to give up power, without dignity or ideals, with the wrong people in the wrong places.’ The head of the League party also tweeted that the new government ‘can’t escape from the judgment of Italians for long,’ predicting that ‘in the end we will win.’

“Salvini continues to lead in opinion polls. Political scientist Giovanni Orsina from Rome’s Luiss University says that ‘most Italians see the new government as a kind of anti-Salvini coalition… Orsina expects Salvini will hold on to his high polling numbers for some time longer. ‘Salvini won for certain reasons, and these reasons haven’t changed,’ he said…”

It will have to be seen as to how long Italy’s 66^th government since World War II will last…

Brexit News

The Week wrote on September 4:

“U.K. lawmakers voted 327-299 on Wednesday to push a bill that would block Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to withdraw from the European Union on Oct. 31 if no agreement is reached. Wednesday’s vote was the second stage in a two-step process; Johnson was defeated on Tuesday night, as well, when the House Of Commons voted by a count of 328-301 to hold a debate on the proposed law. Following the Tuesday vote, Johnson expelled 21 Conservative lawmakers who voted against him, fracturing an already tenuous party.

The EUObserver wrote on September 5:

“The upper chamber of the UK parliament – the House of Lords – has agreed to pass the rebel bill from MPs blocking any no-deal Brexit by Boris Johnson’s government. In the early hours of Thursday, members were told the bill would return to the House of Commons on Friday, where it is expected to pass…”

Deutsche Welle added on September 5:

“That would give the House of Commons enough time to debate any amendments made by the upper house and send the legislation — if it passes again — to Queen Elizabeth II, who could put the law into effect by as soon as Monday. The bill would force Johnson to delay Britain’s EU exit until January 31, unless Parliament approves a new deal or votes to support a no-deal Brexit by October 19 — which are both unlikely scenarios.

“The UK could still crash out of the EU without a transition agreement — the only question would be when that would take place. The current bill only delays the issue, kicking the can down the road until January. Any extension would also need the unanimous approval of the leaders of the remaining 27 EU member-states — and the British government would have to provide a valid reason for doing so. Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said on Wednesday there isn’t enough widespread support among EU leaders to grant a third extension…

“Despite Johnson’s failed bid to call a snap election, Britain could soon be headed to the polls. Once again, it’s a question of timing. Johnson wanted to hold the election on October 15… Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he supports early elections, but only once the no-deal Brexit blocking bill has been passed. The Labour leader also reportedly said that he wouldn’t want to hold the election before the current Brexit deadline on October 31…”

Axios wrote on September 5:

“It was a week of absolute mayhem in the world of Brexit and U.K. politics…  No one — not even Britain’s best and brightest — knows exactly what’s coming next.”

Boris Johnson might face his biggest defeat or his biggest victory.

Consequences from the War in Syria

The EUObserver wrote on September 2:

“Russian and Syrian forces killed 1,151 civilians between February and August this year in the Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama provinces counted together… They also caused 92,119 people to flee their homes in one week in August in southern Idlib and northern Hama… Russia and Syria have dropped tens of tonnes of explosives on people’s heads and aid camps are overflowing with women and children in need… The suffering is unbearable and this is where people are being forced to go – to break the Turkish border and cross into Europe…

“If we pass a tipping point and there is a mass exodus, it might look like 2015 all over again, when one million refugees fled to Europe. That caused a political shock, prompting the rise of far-right parties, which helped Russia in its strategic goal to break up the EU… And that is why Idlib is at the centre of a crucial moment in post-World War II European history.”

This would surely cause right-wing anti-Immigration parties in Europe to rise.

The 80th Anniversary of World War II

The Huffington Post wrote on September 2:”

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday asked Poland to forgive his country for its role in World War II. ‘In no other square in Europe do I find it more difficult to speak, and to address you in my native language of German,’ Steinmeier said at a ceremony in Pilsudski Square in Warsaw… ‘I ask for forgiveness for Germany’s historical guilt, and I recognize our enduring responsibility.’

“Steinmeier joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders for events marking the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, which began when the Nazis attacked Poland. Nearly 6 million Poles were among the 50 million people who died in World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history…

“Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was difficult to even imagine now that ‘cataclysm of history … which brought the most disastrous consequences in the history of mankind.’ Duda scolded Europe for not standing up to Adolf Hitler sooner, saying, ‘Perhaps the Second World War would not have broken out in the first place if the states in the west had put up a decisive resistance against … the imperial ambitions of Hitler.’

“[He] also criticized Western leaders who have been soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow’s aggression in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014. ‘We are still faced, even in Europe, with the return of imperialist tendencies. … Closing one’s eyes is not a recipe for peace,’ he said. ‘It is a simple way … to give permission for further attacks.’ Putin was not invited to the events.”

Very true.

Coming… War Between Israel and Iran?

BBC News wrote on September 2:

“The most recent clash between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon may or may not be over, but the signs still point to a potentially catastrophic conflict ahead… What is going on here is an undeclared war not just between Israel and Hezbollah, but between Israel and Hezbollah’s sponsor, Iran.

“Outside actors seem unable to alter Tehran’s direction of travel. The US is clearly in no position to do so. And assurances from Moscow that it will persuade the Syrians to contain the advance of Iran and its proxies, have proved illusory…

“It is like one of those old-fashioned movies in which a bomb is discovered with a long-burning fuse, which the hero gets to snuff out with moments to spare. The fuse for this impending conflagration is longer; but nobody knows quite how long. The fuse has been snuffed out now on multiple occasions. But each time when it is re-lit, it gets ever shorter.”

Further turmoil in the Middle East IS prophesied.

USA or Europe to Intervene?

The Times of Israel wrote on September 1:

“Lebanon’s prime minister on Sunday urged the United States and France to intervene after the Hezbollah terror group fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli territory, prompting retaliatory fire by the Israel Defense Forces.”

Previously, Breaking Israel News reported on August 30 that “U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Israel can rely on diplomatic, legal and military assistance in the event of a war with Iran.”

While the USA might very well assist Israel militarily, it is not be expected that the USA will intervene on Lebanon’s behalf against Israel. On the other hand, Europe will do so in due time. The consequences will be disastrous.

Israel to Help Ethiopia

The Times of Israel wrote on September 1:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday calls for strengthened security cooperation with Ethiopia… ‘We believe that we can offer some experience, some shared experience that we have garnered because of our unfortunate need to defend ourselves,’ Netanyahu [said]…

“He hail[ed] the prime minister of the Horn of Africa country as ‘one of the most important and influential leaders in Africa.’”

As we have stated for a long time, Ethiopia will play a significant role in the future in the light of biblical references. Please read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Third Temple Advocate Part of Netanyahu’s New Government?

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 29:

“It has been confirmed that Zehut (Identity) party leader Moshe Feiglin will order his party, Zehut, to step down in the current election to join Netanyahu’s Likud party who will make him a ‘high ranking official’ in the PM’s next government.

“Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut was the only party head in the current elections who openly calls for building the third Temple and has placed it on his party’s platform…”

This is interesting as we know from the Bible that a third Temple will be built prior to Christ’s Return. Note the next article.

More Political Support for the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News wrote on September 5:

“Head of the Otzmah Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Itamar Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party has come out in support of building the third Temple in an exclusive interview with Breaking Israel News on Thursday.

“On the same day that Ben-Gvir expressed support for building the third Temple, polls showed him passing the minimum threshold of four seats and entering the upcoming Knesset following elections on September 17.

“The Otzmah Yehudit party is considered to be the most right wing party in the current elections…Ben-Gvir is also in favor of asserting sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria and Gaza. He also calls for assisted emigration for Arabs from Israel and encouraging them to leave… The party and its members are proud disciples of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane H”yd, a right-wing activist who was known for his plan to expel Arabs from Israel. Kahane was assassinated by a member of Al Qaeda in New York in 1990 making it the first Al Qaeda terror attack on American soil.”

Jews to Pray Soon on the Temple Mount?

Breaking Israel News reported on August 30:

“In the course of an interview last week in Ukraine, Ze’ev Kam, a reporter for Kan News, asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ‘elementary rights of the Jews to pray at the Temple Mount, their holiest site.’ Netanyahu’s answer… was, ‘Don’t worry, it will happen, and before the arrival of the Messiah.’

“On the website for Temple Mount advocacy, Har-Habait, they noted that Netanyahu had already made this promise. Yehuda Etzion, founder of the Chai V’Kayam temple mount advocacy group, sent a letter to then-Likud candidate Netanyahu asking about his views on Jewish rights at the site. ‘The right of the Jewish people to their holy place, the Temple Mount, is unquestionable,’ Netanyahu wrote…”

This, all by itself, would ignite serious repercussions against Israel.

Pope: It’s an Honor to Be Attacked by America

Ynet News wrote on September 4:

“Pope Francis has acknowledged his growing opposition within the conservative right-wing of the U.S. Catholic Church and says it is ‘an honor if the Americans attack me.’

“Francis made off-hand comments about critics of his papacy as he received a copy of a new book titled ‘How America Wants to Change the Pope.’ Author Nicholas Seneze, who covers the Vatican for the French Catholic newspaper La Croix presented it to Francis aboard the papal plane while en route to southern Africa on Wednesday.”

Developments like these could explain why the coming political and religious leaders of a United Europe will not be opposed to a military attack on the USA.

There is NO Gay Gene

PJ Media wrote on August 29:

“A new study… released Thursday proved that there [is] no ‘gay gene’ and that genetic factors are insignificant in determining sexual orientation… This means that non-genetic factors, including environment, upbringing, personality, and nurture ‘are far more significant in influencing a person’s choice of sexual partner…’ according to the researchers.

“… This new study ‘analyzed survey responses and performed analyses known as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on data from more than 470,000 people who had given DNA samples and lifestyle information… the size and comprehensive nature of this new study ought to crush the ‘born that way’ myth…”

According to the Bible, homosexuals are not and could not be born that way, as God demands repentance and change, which can occur due to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hurricane Dorian–Second Strongest Atlantic Storm Ever

The Sun wrote on September 2:

“Hurricane Dorian is now the second strongest Atlantic storm in history as the 225mph killer edges towards Florida. The category 5 monster made landfall in the Bahamas with devastating force on Sunday… Dorian’s maximum sustained winds reached 185 mph, with gusts up to 225mph – tying the record for the most powerful Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall. That equalled the Labour Day hurricane of 1935, before storms were even named.

“The only recorded storm that was more powerful was Hurricane Allen in 1980 – which had sustained 190mph winds but didn’t make landfall at that strength.”

Reuters added that “Winds gusting up to 200 mph (320 km/h) destroyed or damaged more than 13,000 homes” in the Bahamas.

The Guardian wrote on September 4:

“The destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas could cost ‘hundreds of millions, if not billions’ of dollars to repair, according to the deputy prime minister, as aerial images showed whole neighbourhoods destroyed. With the death toll climbing to seven and scores more still missing, helicopters operated by the US Coast Guard among others were delivering emergency supplies to residents on the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, the two worst hit locations in the Caribbean nation’s north.

“‘It’s total devastation. It’s decimated. Apocalyptic,’ said Lia Head-Rigby, who helps run a local hurricane relief group, after flying over the Abaco Islands. ‘It’s not rebuilding something that was there; we have to start again.’”

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.

Stalin Glorified in Modern Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 22:

“As the 80th anniversary of the Hitler-Stalin pact and the beginning of World War II approaches, the Russian state has unleashed a massive media exercise… The campaign aims to convince the Russians and the world that the calamity of 1939 was of Western making, and that the Poles and the Baltic states, who were victims of aggression, were in fact as bad as the occupiers and had made their own deals with the Nazis… [Putin wants to picture Stalin’s actions as] a boisterous celebration of the pact and resulting conquests, especially the USSR invading Poland together with the Nazis in September 1939 and occupying Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the summer of 1940…

“Since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and its invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014, Putin’s actions have been frequently compared to those of Stalin… [Putin] continues to forge ahead with creating and imbuing the Russians with his own version of the country’s history, identity and patriotism. In it, state authority is always right and righteous — whether exercised by the tsar, the general secretary or the president. The noblest civic duty is to unquestionably accept this authority’s judgement and be ready to die when it orders you to. The Second World War, with its immense and heroic sacrifice by the peoples of the Soviet Union, has for the last five years served as the ultimate propaganda justification for Putin’s ‘Fortress Russia’ isolation policy. Glorification of Stalin’s cynicism and aggression as ‘pragmatism’ and ‘defense of national interests’ serves this purpose well…”

Putin views Stalin as his great hero. That should tell us a lot.

Condemning the German-Russian Treaty

The EUobserver wrote on August 23:

“Five EU states have issued a statement condemning a World War 2-era German-Russian treaty which divided Europe, but Russia has defended the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

“The treaty, signed between Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and his Nazi German counterpart, Joachim von Ribbentrop, on 23 August 1939 ‘sparked World War 2 and doomed half of Europe to decades of misery’ the foreign ministries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania said on Friday (23 August), the day of its 80th anniversary.”

Hitler’s and Stalin’s Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement

Politics wrote on August 22:

“Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin signed a Nazi-Soviet non-aggression treaty known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement… From the very beginning of the Second World War until the Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941, the Soviet Union was on the same side of the war as Hitler. Everyone remembers Hitler invading Poland on September 1st 1939. A lot of people conveniently forget that the USSR invaded Poland from the east only a few weeks later. Indeed, Soviet and German troops staged a joint parade at Brest, along their newly defined frontier.

“The Soviet occupation of Eastern Poland meant that 200,000 square kilometres of Poland and over 13 million Polish citizens found themselves under the yoke of Soviet oppression. A quarter of a million Polish prisoners of war found themselves in Soviet camps, not German ones. Many were massacred at Katyn in 1940. The German Gestapo and Soviet NKVD even held a series of conferences on how to cooperate in the oppression of occupied Poland.

“The alliance was economic as much as geopolitical. The amount of trade between the two nations during the 1939-1941 period was staggering. Massive amounts of raw material flowed from the USSR to Nazi Germany, including 1.6 million tons of grain and 900,000 tons of oil. The fascist army that invaded France, Belgium, and the Netherlands was literally fed by communist grain. Bomber planes over London were fuelled by communist oil.

“In return, Stalin received a low interest loan from Germany for the equivalent of billions in modern money and bought technology and manufactured goods…

“Stalin invaded Finland, as it was firmly assigned by the treaty to the Soviet sphere of influence. Finland, greatly outnumbered and outgunned, fought the Red Army to a standstill, but had to eventually concede defeat and give up various border regions to Soviet control. The region of Karelia remains under Russian control to this day, a testimony to the lasting impact of the pact…

“What is now the nation of Moldova was carved off from Romania in 1940. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were ‘given’ to the USSR by this agreement… these three Baltic states were forcibly annexed into the USSR in 1940. Soviet occupation in the three Baltic states was fierce – both in its original 1940 incarnation and when they were re-occupied in 1944. It stayed that way until 1991… The borders of Poland, Romania, Finland, and Belarus are affected by the treaty. Karelia is still in Russia. Many cities that were once Polish are now in Ukraine or Belarus.

“[In 1990], Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania all re-asserted their independence.”

It is entirely possible that for a short time, a similar pact will be entered into between Russia and the unified core nations of the EU, under German leadership.

Unprecedented Amazon Wildfires

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 23:

“With a record number of fires raging in the Amazon rainforest, international leaders are joining forces to call for action to stop them… But such calls for action from outside Brazil, have been met with rebuttal and even mockery from within…

“Colombia, home to part of the northern Amazon, said it was already working to contain the fires as they headed towards its territory… Paraguay and Bolivia are also battling separate wildfires that have devastated large areas of their rainforests.

“In Brazil itself, federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into the massive wildfires in the Amazon region… Nearly 73,000 fires were recorded between January and August, compared with 39,759 in all of 2018… This number is the highest since records began…”

Business Insider wrote on August 22:

“More than 70,000 fires have been recorded this year in the rainforest, which produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen — threatening its future, the billions of plants and animals that call it home, and possibly the entire planet’s health… Earlier this week, the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, 2,000 miles from the rainforest, was plunged into darkness as smoke from the fires obscured the sun.”

AFP wrote on August 24:

“Hundreds of new fires are raging in the Amazon rainforest in northern Brazil… some 1,663 new fires were ignited between Thursday and Friday… The new data came a day after [far-right leader] Bolsonaro authorized the deployment of the military [44,000 troops] to fight the fires and crack down on criminal activities in the region… Environmental specialists say the fires have been accompanied by increasing deforestation in the Amazon region, which in July quadrupled compared to the same month in 2018…”

The EUObserver wrote on August 28:

“A spokesperson for Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has said the country will accept foreign aid to extinguish Amazon fires. Bolsonaro earlier declined €18m from the G7 states [while insisting on an apology from Macron for alleged insults]… The Brazilian spokesman said his country must have full control of foreign grants and that outside help must not impinge on its sovereignty.”

Children playing with fire…

Worldwide Fires

The Sun wrote on August 27:

“SHOCKING new satellite images show there are now MORE wildfires raging across Africa than in the flame-ravaged Amazon. More than one million square miles of forest in the Congo Basin are now ablaze in an area known as the Earth’s ‘second green lung.’… In a period of two days last week Angola had roughly three times more fires than Brazil…

“The stats revealed there were 6,902 fires in Angola and 3,395 fires in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, compared with around 2,200 recorded fires in Brazil. Like the Amazon, the African forests absorb CO2 and are sanctuaries for hundreds of endangered species… The Congo Basin covers an area of 3.3 million square kilometres in several countries, including about a third in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the rest in Gabon, Congo, Cameroon and Central Africa…”

According to the Bible, worldwide catastrophes such as these will increase in unparalleled fashion.

Israel Strikes Iranian Killer Drones in Syria and Lebanon

Reuters wrote on August 24:

“Israeli aircraft on Saturday struck Iranian forces near Damascus that had been planning to launch ‘killer drones’ [armed with explosives] at targets in Israel…

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had thwarted the planned Iranian attack. ‘Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against the Iranian aggression,’ he said on Twitter…

“Iran and Hezbollah are helping President Bashar al-Assad in the eight-year Syria war. Russia, which is also aiding Assad, has largely turned a blind eye to the Israeli air strikes… On Thursday, Netanyahu hinted of possible Israeli involvement in a series of blasts in the past few weeks that have hit weapon depots and bases belonging to paramilitary groups in Iraq, many of them backed by Iran.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 25:

“Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun blasted Israel on Sunday after two drones, one being armed, crashed in the Lebanese capital of Beirut early Sunday morning…

“Israel and Hezbollah fought a deadly 33-day war in 2006, which came to an end under UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war and Beirut regularly accuses Israel of violating its airspace with fighter jets and drones.”

Aoun called the Israeli drone attacks on the capital of Beirut and in the Qusaya a ‘declaration of war… that entitles us to resort to our right to defend our sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity’…”

Palestinians Determined to Wipe Out Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 22:

“In a video… Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said while addressing a terror rally at the Jalazone village near Ramallah that: ‘We shall enter Jerusalem – millions of fighters!’ along with the ‘entire Islamic nation.’ The PA chairman added that: ‘every building built by the Zionist occupation will be destroyed.’ The statements were made while the crowd chanted ‘To Jerusalem, we march, martyrs by the millions!’…

“The proud Holocaust denier also claimed that Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians. He went on saying that ‘the entire Palestinian nation will enter Jerusalem as millions of fighters, along with the Arab, Islamic, and Christian nations.’… The video was uploaded to the PA’s leader’s Facebook page on August 10, 2019.”

This reminds us of the warning in Zechariah 14:2. The situation in the Middle East will deteriorate much more.

War between Israel and Iran?

On August 28, the Drudge Report linked to the following article which was originally published by endoftheamericandream:

“Are we about to see World War 3 erupt in the Middle East?… if a full-blown war erupts between Israel and one of her neighbors, it is likely to become a multi-front war almost immediately.  But at the core, this is a conflict between Israel and Iran…

“Missiles are not flying directly back and forth between Israel and Iran yet, but at this point a state of war essentially exists, and many are deeply concerned about what is going to happen next. In particular, it looks like Hezbollah could launch a large scale attack against Israel at any moment, because their leadership is absolutely furious that the Israelis just hit their headquarters building in Beirut… Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are now at their highest point since the 2006 war…

“This is an extremely serious situation.  Israel is literally on the brink of war with Hezbollah, and many feel that such a war is inevitable… Ultimately, nothing is going to be able to stop the massive war that is coming to the region.  The Iranians and all of their allies have a religiously-fueled hatred for Israel that most people living in the western world will never understand, and they are absolutely obsessed with permanently destroying the nation of Israel as it exists today…

“This can definitely be described as a time of ‘wars and rumors of wars’, and the situation on the ground is extremely fluid right now…”

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on August 28:

“Hezbollah will respond with a ‘surprise’ strike against Israel after drones crashed in Lebanon, but a new war remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement said, amid heightened fears of a full-scale confrontation between the longtime adversaries.”

We read in the Bible that Israel will receive a wound in a coming military confrontation, prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Nearly 900,000 Asylum Seekers Living in Limbo in EU

The Guardian wrote on August 25:

“Close to 900,000 asylum seekers in the EU are waiting to have their claims processed… Women, men and unaccompanied children are living for years in uncertainty, with numbers of pending applications for international protection almost unchanged from two years ago when 1.1 million migrants were ‘stuck’ in the continent. ‘Living in limbo is now the norm for those seeking protection,’ said Karl Kopp of Pro Asyl, Germany’s largest pro-immigration advocacy organisation. ‘Limbo means living in the miserable Greek EU hotspots, or being trapped and pushed back at the borders…’

“Eurostat figures have revealed a backlog of 878,600 requests at the end of 2018, with Germany having the largest share of pending requests (44%), ahead of Italy (12%). The figure comes despite the number of migrant arrivals in Europe practically halving in the last two years. Factors leading to the continuing backlog include new laws from right-leaning governments and an increase in the number of rejections, leading to lengthy appeals processes… The rejection rate for asylum requests in Europe has almost doubled in three years… In Italy, rejections were at 80% at the start of 2019, up from 60% the previous year as the populist government also removed key forms of protection.

“The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has in 2019 rejected three-quarters of family reunification requests from Greece, where migrants live in the overcrowded camps of Athens and Lesbos… Experts point out how some governments in recent years, especially in Italy and Germany, have accelerated evaluation procedures for asylum requests, which appears to have caused an increase in rejections because high-speed procedures are not carried out with as much thoughtful evaluation. ‘The agenda of the rightwing extremists is now the agenda of the mainstream…,’ said Kopp…

“… Those who stay after rejection are at risk of suddenly becoming illegal immigrants…”

Reading this, it is hypocritical for Europeans to condemn the USA for its immigration policy.

US-German Ties at Absolute Low… with Potentially Dangerous Consequences

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 21:

“Never since the founding of postwar Germany have relations between Berlin and the United States been as fragile as they are today. There is virtual radio silence between Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump… ‘There is a crisis in the U.S. German relationship of a type that I would never have expected to occur in our time,’ says Nicholas Burns, the former U.S. ambassador to NATO…

“Germany has become the antithesis to Trump’s America… Trump is openly calling for the European Union to split up. He is publicly encouraging the new British prime minister, Boris Johnson, to embark on a hard Brexit. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, traveled to London last week to communicate that the U.S. would ‘enthusiastically’ support a decision by the UK to leave the EU with no deal.

“Trump has shaken the relationship between the Germans and the Americans in ways that extend far beyond politics. The U.S. is more unpopular with Germans than ever before… 85 percent of Germans view the relationship with the U.S. as negative or very negative… Many now see the U.S. as a bigger problem than China and Russia…

“From a German perspective, conversations with the president are mostly just seen as futile… Trump is being faced with a German chancellor who clearly wants to go down in history as his opponent…

“It has now become normal for Merkel not to ask for a meeting with Trump when she visits the U.S… For Trump, Germany is a ‘flyover country’ when he visits Europe… he has not paid a single visit to Berlin…

“[US ambassador] Grenell has shown that he is primarily interested in garnering headlines… prompting Martin Schulz, who was the head of the Social Democrats at the time, to say that the ambassador was behaving like a ‘right-wing extremist colonial officer.’ Grenell then gave an interview to the right-wing news portal Breitbart in which he made it sound like he was hoping for a Trump-style right-wing revolution in Europe… No U.S. ambassador in recent German history seems to have been so isolated… Merkel made it clear in no uncertain terms how little regard she has for Grenell… German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas hasn’t had a significant conversation with Grenell in almost one year…

“Trump and Grenell are astonishingly similar. Both are happy to dish it out, but they are highly sensitive when they are the subject of attacks. Like Trump, Grenell also has a penchant for right-wing conspiracy theorists… Like Trump, Grenell is also a virtuoso at self-promotion…

“In Berlin, many are still holding out hope that the good old days of trans-Atlantic cooperation can resume once the Trump era has passed. But that could prove illusory. ‘The U.S. won’t remain the way it is under Trump, but it will also never be the same as it was before him again,’ says [Sigmar] Gabriel. The fact is that the Democrats agree with many of the points where Trump is critical, and Washington would remain an uncomfortable partner even if a Democrat is elected into the White House next year. Trump, in all his brutal openness, has made it clear that the U.S. is no longer willing to pay for Europe. The Democrats are also raising the question of military spending…

“Trump has become a convenient excuse for the Germans. Whatever he says is rejected almost reflexively. This is true for both the military mission in the Strait of Hormuz and NATO’s 2-percent target. The Germans need to finally get over the idea that they can remain a kind of giant Switzerland in the middle of Europe forever…

“Robert Kagan, a former adviser to two Republican presidential candidates who now works at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington… wrote that the German question, which led to two world wars and millions of deaths, could return… ‘Trump is actually fanning the flames of nationalism … again and again by supporting basically nationalist parties in Europe,’ Kagan told DER SPIEGEL. ‘He’s clearly destroying the global free trade regime by pursuing protectionist American policies which are directly harming Germany…’”

First of all, we do not believe that there will be an America after Trump. And however Germany will manifest itself on the world scene, it will, together with other core European countries, become as antagonistic towards the USA as it never has been since the end of World War II. It will also be part of a powerful European army in opposition to the USA. Or does the next article reflect a change in the German-US relationship?

Friendship between Trump and Merkel?

The Local wrote on August 26:

“US President Donald Trump showered Chancellor Angela Merkel with praise at the G7 Summit… ‘She is a brilliant woman, and she understands exactly where everything is, she knows it before most people,’ said Trump… The comments came during a relaxed reunion between the pair. It’s a stark contrast to previous meetings when relations have appeared frosty. After Trump was asked about the G7 losing its only female leader, Merkel said in English: ‘I’m still here,’ prompting laughs from reporters. Trump then predicted that the Chancellor, who plans to step down from politics after her term ends in 2021, may surprise everyone and might be around ‘for a long time’.

“When asked by a reporter if the Chancellor had invited Trump to Berlin, Merkel said she had done so ‘on previous occasions.’ Trump then said he is planning to ‘maybe soon’ go to Germany for a state visit… ‘I have German in my blood,’ he added – at which point Merkel laughed. Trump does indeed have ancestors who hail from Kallstadt, a small wine-growing town in the far western state of Rhineland-Palatinate…

“Trump has not yet been on a bilateral visit to Germany since taking office in January 2017. By contrast, he has already visited France and the UK two times. He is also traveling to Poland for the second time next weekend… Compared to Trump’s predecessors, his absence from Germany is unusual. Less than five months after his inauguration, Barack Obama travelled to Dresden to meet Merkel in June 2009, before the two travelled together to the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar.”

Even though Trump and Merkel displayed a unified front before journalists and exchanged some niceties, nothing will change. The relationship between the two powers is bound to deteriorate drastically. And Merkel will not be around “for a long time.”

Queen Approves Suspension of U.K. Parliament

The Week wrote on August 28:

“Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday approved British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament until mid-October, leaving lawmakers little time to try and block Britain from crashing out of the European Union on Oct. 31 without a divorce settlement. Johnson asked the queen to end the current session of Parliament in preparation for a Queen’s Speech, typically a formality to lay out a government’s legislative agenda.

“The queen’s approval was not unexpected, as she has refused to get involved with politics throughout her reign. Unlike dissolving Parliament to hold new elections, MPs don’t get a vote on prorogation. Parliament was scheduled to return from summer recess next week, and opposition lawmakers have reportedly been working on a plan to prevent Johnson’s no-deal Brexit. Opposition leaders bitterly denounced the move.”

The EUObserver added on August 28:

“Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other British opposition leaders have agreed not to call for a confidence vote on prime minister Boris Johnson in early September in order to create a care-taker government. Instead, they will work on legislation to make a no-deal-Brexit illegal. The opposition leaders also agreed to organise an alternative parliament in case Johnson forced a delay in recalling MPs until after Brexit day on 31 October.”

The Sun added that “Today’s move caused the pound to drop against the dollar as markets jittered amongst the uncertainty.”

Boris the Dictator

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 28:

“The British prime minister wants a hard Brexit, no matter the cost. He didn’t even hesitate to suspend Parliament. It’s the kind of move you’d expect from a military dictatorship… Now a weakness in the British political system — rooted in its archaic traditions and heritage — is coming back to haunt the country. It exposes the lack of a modern, written constitution that could block such arbitrary acts.

“‘Take back control’ was one of the main slogans of the Brexit campaign three years ago. Voters at the time probably didn’t imagine that meant handing over absolute power to Johnson… No one argued the goal was to allow an unelected prime minister — who would likely never get a parliamentary majority — to determine the fate of Brexit, and thus the entire country, on his own…

“Parliament is to be due to go on break as early as September 10, then return shortly before the Brexit deadline. This tight timeframe makes it impossible for the majority of MPs to have their say… Johnson is the most dangerous politician to have moved to Downing Street in decades…”

Boris Johnson–From Trump Hater to Trump Lover

Bloomberg wrote on August 24:

“In December 2015, Boris Johnson joked that he wouldn’t go to some parts of New York because of the risk of meeting Donald Trump, a man of ‘stupefying ignorance.’ How times change… Both men came to power with populist messages…

“Trump is toxic in the U.K…. so Johnson also needs to be careful not to appear to be too cozy with the U.S. leader… But there may eventually be a quid pro quo for the ‘fantastic’ trade deal Trump has dangled. Trump’s trade talks rarely prove speedy. He remains locked in a trade war with China and a revised accord with Canada and Mexico dragged on for over a year and is stalled in Congress. An agreement with the U.K. could be years in the making and Trump drives a hard bargain — whether he likes you or not…

“There are also important differences in their world view [even though Johnson’s world views are quite flexible]. Johnson favors immigration, Trump famously doesn’t. The U.K. is signed up to the Paris climate agreement whereas Trump pulled out. And while the U.K. shares Trump’s concerns about access to Chinese markets, Johnson believes they should be addressed by giving the World Trade Organization more teeth. Trump is more concerned at blunting the WTO’s teeth…”

America Is Losing (Again)

The Week wrote on August 23:

“Saudi Arabia and America’s Yemen war is now on the verge of collapse…

“Historically, Americans have shown a remarkable ability to deny outright military failure. We killed millions of civilians in North Korea and North Vietnam in an effort to turn, in the first case, stalemate into victory and, in the second, defeat into stalemate. Both efforts ultimately failed. In our wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, we initially claimed victory, inasmuch as we ousted the Taliban, killed Osama bin Laden, overthrew Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, and precipitated the fall of Moammar Gadhafi. The failure in each case [was] to ‘win the peace’…

“Over the past four decades, we have pursued a variety of different strategies to maintain a dominant position in the Middle East… None of these have delivered anything resembling ‘victory,’ nor even stability. It’s well past time to admit these are goals we simply don’t know how to achieve and conduct a foreign policy in a duly chastened spirit, rather than make further millions pay the price for our inability to acknowledge our limits.”

The Bible says that God will destroy America’s pride of and in its power. America won World War II. It has won NO WAR subsequent to World War II.

Trade War Is Getting Worse–China Retaliates against the “Chosen One”

Daily Mail wrote on August 23:

“China hit back at President Donald Trump in the latest volley in the growing trade war – slapping tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. products and causing an immediate drop in stock futures. The move comes after Trump… has defended the trade war and called himself the ‘chosen one’ to take on China…

“The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday the tariffs of 10% and 5% take effect on two batches of goods Sept. 1 and Dec. 15… Trump previously announced plans to raise tariffs on an additional $300 billion of Chinese imports on Sept. 1 but postponed a portion of that to Dec. 15.”

Even though some niceties were exchanged during the G-7 summit, nothing has changed. New tariffs on Chinese goods become effective on September 1, which means that goods will become more expensive for American consumers, as Fox News correctly pointed out in their telecasts on August 27. They also hinted at the prospects of a recession, due to Trump’s trade war with China.

In regard to his declaration that he is the chosen one, Der Spiegel Online wrote: “The Messiah in the Oval Office,” and then asked: “Has Donald Trump completely lost it? And who is protecting him from himself?” Later, Trump stated, due to the heat he got for his comment of being the “chosen one,” that it was just a joke. The video of the event clearly shows, in context, that it was NOT a joke but that it reflects, sadly, his true state of mind.

Trump ORDERS American Businesses to Close Operations in China; Increases Tariffs on Chinese Goods

Reuters wrote on August 23:

“President Donald Trump said on Friday he was ordering U.S. companies to look at ways to close their operations in China and make more of their products in the United States instead…

“China… holds $1.11 trillion in U.S. Treasury securities. For many products sold in the United States, there are few alternatives to Chinese production, and shifting production for major goods produced there could take years and be expensive. American companies could also sue the U.S. government in response to any order to shutter plants in China.

“… companies like Boeing Co, Apple Inc and General Motors Co… are both big U.S. contractors and have large business interests in China… They would resist any pressure to close their facility there, given the size and importance of the Chinese market…”

The Week wrote on August 23:

“[Trump’s] attacks sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling down 623 points for the day, marking it and the other two major indexes’ fourth straight weeks of declines.”

Does Trump Have the Power to Order Businesses to Move Out of China? Maybe!

Breitbart wrote on August 24:

“While speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump stated that he has ‘the absolute right’ to order American businesses not to do business with China. Trump said, ‘Well, in 1977, we had an act passed, a national emergency act. I have the absolute right to do that. We’ll see how that goes, but I have the absolute right.’”

Vox wrote on August 24:

“The Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allows the president of the United States to regulate commerce during a national emergency… And as there has not yet been a national emergency declared with respect to Chinese trade, Trump’s present abilities to govern economic interactions with China are limited to measures like tariffs…

“IEEPA allows a US president to declare a national emergency… Congress can vote to end the state of emergency, but the president can veto such a vote. Without a veto-proof majority in Congress, this president could use this tool to take a range of economic actions against countries with whom he takes issue… A state of emergency has existed against Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis, for example, and that state of emergency has allowed executive branches over the past decades to levy sanctions against Iran and individual Iranians…

“Trump is the first president to date to use IEEPA to justify the imposition of tariffs… Were he to declare an emergency in order to limit economic interactions with China, Trump still would lack the authority to pull existing investments out of China… However, he would be able to prevent future US funds from being transferred there and could create conditions that would make it so difficult to do business with China that firms would be heavily encouraged to relocate…”

So, from a PRACTICAL standpoint, the potential avenues of the US Presidency are enormous. For example, Trump declared that German cars pose a threat to national security.

Trump’s “Ominous” Announcement—Wanting to Stay Beyond 2025?

The Independent wrote on August 23:

“Donald Trump has issued an ominous warning to his opponents amid mounting speculation a looming recession could cost him the 2020 presidential election, saying ‘I always find a way to win’…

“In a series of outrageous and increasingly erratic outbursts, the 73-year-old attacked any Jews who vote Democrat instead of Republican as ‘disloyal’ to Israel and threatened to rip up part of the constitution in order to rescind birthright citizenship…

“‘Let me tell you. In six years – or maybe 10 or maybe 14, right? – in six years, when I’m not here, the New York Times goes out of business very quickly.’ While the president has joked with increasing frequency about continuing as president beyond 2025 – when he would be required by the constitution to step down – his latest reference displayed no clear indication he was attempting be humorous…

“Previous examples of Mr Trump’s flirtation with unlimited term limits include a June tweet in which he floated the idea American voters could demand he stay at the White House beyond 2025… The following month… he wrote: ‘When I ultimately leave office in six years, or maybe 10 or 14 (just kidding)…’  The president has previously suggested he only jokes about remaining as president beyond two terms in an effort to provoke liberals, while critics have suggested he does so with a view to gradually normalising the concept among voters.”

As we have stated before, we do believe that Trump is the last President of the USA, as unbelievable as that may sound to some. And we have made it clear that we believe that Trump will be re-elected in 2020. Please view our StandingWatch program, titled, “Donald Trump–America’s Savior or Destroyer?”

Living in Berlusconi’s Shadow

Foreign Policy wrote on August 25:

“Italy has always been at the cutting edge of political innovation. The Papal States were trialing Christian theocracy for centuries before others caught on; fascism inspired Nazism. And—most telling of all today—Silvio Berlusconi’s billionaire buffoonery preempted his later imitators… by decades…

“An often overlooked aspect of Berlusconi’s career was his astonishing ability to cast himself as a victim and as a martyr. ‘We’re persecuted by the judges,’ he claimed as he pondered entering politics in July 1993, when a corruption scandal was sweeping away the First Italian Republic. Berlusconi frequently compared himself to Jesus because of what he called ‘political show trials.’ ‘I’m the most persecuted man in all of history,’ he once said. Any criminal accusation (and there were many) was turned to his advantage, making him appear the long-suffering savior of an ungrateful nation: ‘I put up with everything and sacrifice myself for everyone,’ he said in 2006.”

D-Day for Italy

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 28:

“Italy’s populist Five Star Movement (M5S) and the center-left Democratic Party (PD) have put aside their traditional differences to form a new government and prevent new elections. Five Star (M5S) said the coalition would be led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who had resigned following the collapse of the coalition government between M5S and the far-right Lega earlier this month…

“[Current Interior] Minister Matteo Salvini… who triggered the crisis on August 8 when he withdrew his party from the governing coalition with M5S, said the new set-up was fragile and unlikely to last. ‘So we have to wait six months or a year to win? We’re in no hurry,’ he said. Some political pundits have warned a M5S-PD deal could play into Salvini’s hands in the long run, should the new accord come undone in the coming months.”

The Week added on August 28:

“Matteo Salvini, who serves as both Italy’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, will likely be sidelined by the deal, stripping his anti-immigrant League party of its power.”

Salvini’s Supporters Furious

The Telegraph wrote on August 27:

“Matteo Salvini’s allies have called for supporters to take to the streets in protest as Italy inches towards forming a new government that could shut him out of power for years… Mr Salvini’s party, the League, is furious, pointing out that the party won 34 per cent of the national vote in May’s European parliament elections and that it was polling as high as 39 per cent earlier this month. ‘Let’s hope that if a Democratic Party-Five Star government is formed, the people will rise up as soon as possible,’ said Alessandra Locatelli, a League minister.

“‘A government made up of Five Star and the Democrats will not correspond to the sentiment of the people,’ said Mr Salvini, who remains as interior minister and deputy prime minister in the lame duck administration…

“When he withdrew his support and declared the coalition dead this month, Mr Salvini’s hope was that the country would go to new elections, which would likely have crowned him prime minister as the head of a hard-Right coalition with the Brothers of Italy party. Giorgia Meloni, the head of Brothers of Italy, condemned the prospect of a Democratic Party-Five Star government, saying that it was contrary to the votes of millions of Italians.”

Interesting and frightening times for Italy.

Where Is the Catholic Church Going vis-à-vis the Jewish People?

The Algemeiner wrote on August 23:

“First Things is a conservative Catholic magazine with an intellectual influence beyond its small circulation. Its ‘ecumenism’ once meant outreach to evangelical Protestants, but also to Jews open to interfaith dialogue. Yet today, First Things is having an identity crisis not boding well for the future of Catholic-Jewish rapprochement.

“A manifesto published earlier this year, ‘The Dead Consensus,’ announced that the GOP, for the welfare of America, must embrace wholeheartedly the Trump era ‘nationalist’ foreign policy…

“First Things also ran a review that was sympathetic to Pope Pius IX’s 1858 decision to sanction the kidnapping and Catholic upbringing of a Jewish child, Edgardo Mortara, who had been secretly baptized by his teenage Catholic nurse. Authored by Dominican Professor of Theology at Boston’s St. John’s Seminary, Romanus Cessario, the article not only launched a pre-emptive attack on Steven Spielberg’s planned film about the Mortara case, but offered a spiritual encomium to Pius IX for green lighting the Mortara kidnapping…

“Alas, if First Things gives credence to Cessario’s preaching of a return to absolutist Catholicism, it has become the last thing that American Jews should embrace.”

We must watch the direction in which the Roman Catholic Church is heading.

Catholic Church Allowing for Salvation Apart from Christ?

Breitbart wrote on August 26:

“The Vatican has created a special committee to draw out the principles contained in the controversial Abu Dhabi document, signed last February by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar. The text was subsequently criticized by prominent theologians for ‘devaluing the person of Jesus’ and ‘undermining the gospel itself’ since it seemed to propose that God willed the existence of a plurality of religions just as he wills a plurality of sexes, races, and languages, rather than willing that all people find their salvation in Jesus Christ…

“At a later date, the pope seemed to walk back that passage, but he never requested to have it amended and the entire statement reads today just as it did last February. The joint declaration will now be the foundation and reference point for a committee set up for its implementation.”

The Bible teaches that we can ONLY inherit salvation through Jesus Christ. There is NO other way.

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.

Italy in Turmoil… Matteo Salvini the new “Il Duce”?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 20:

“Italy’s government collapsed, plunging the economically fragile country into deeper political turmoil…

“Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced his resignation in a speech to the Senate on Tuesday, blaming far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini for causing a political crisis…

“If Italy holds early elections, Mr. Salvini could become the first leader of a major EU nation who comes from a self-described populist party to the right of Europe’s mainstream conservatives. Mr. Salvini [is] an avowed admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin…

“Mr. Conte, a nonparty premier… attacked Mr. Salvini for undermining the government in which Mr. Salvini has served as interior minister since June 2018. Mr. Salvini said on Aug. 8 that he wanted to ‘ask the Italians if they want to give me full powers.’ Some critics pointed out that Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini used a similar phrase to demand power in 1922…”

This ends Italy’s 65th government since World War II and Italy’s 14-month-old populist government.

AFP wrote on August 20:

“With his ‘Italians first’ rallying cry and his tub-thumping against Islam and illegal migrants, Matteo Salvini’s stint as Italy’s deputy prime minister and interior minister made him the country’s most popular and controversial politician… His blunt language has reminded some Italians of the Mussolini era in the 1920s and 30s, when minority groups were persecuted…

“Salvini has forged alliances with other far-right Europeans like France’s National Rally and Dutch anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders…

“Although happy to talk about his two children — 14-year-old Federico and Mirta, five — Salvini is less happy to discuss his complicated love life. His then girlfriend, model and TV presenter Elisa Isoardi, broke up with him in an announcement on Instagram last November… His children come from previous relationships, one with ex-wife Fabrizia Ieluzzi, a political journalist, and the other with former girlfriend Giulia Martinelli.”

Interestingly, Mussolini was also well known for his licentious lifestyle.

 The Guardian wrote on August 20:

“Conte… criticised the minister’s use of religious symbols in his constant campaigning across Italy, describing it is as ‘offensive to the faithful.’ Salvini kissed a rosary and retaliated in his response to Conte in the Senate, saying ‘I’ll ask the Madonna for protection for as long as I live’.”

Further parallels with Mussolini are striking. In order to appeal to the masses, Mussolini would pretend to be a devout Roman Catholic (which he clearly was not). Pope Francis recently criticized Salvini sharply for his Hitler-like rhetoric, which criticism Salvini dismissed.

In addressing the immediate future of Italy, the Guardian wrote on August 20:

“The president, Sergio Mattarella, is now calling the shots [and] has three options: immediately dissolve parliament and call a snap election; begin consultations with parties to see if a new parliamentary majority can be formed; or install a caretaker government to at least pass Italy’s budget for 2020.”

The Guardian added on August 22:

“Italy’s president has given the country’s main political parties four more days to negotiate the formation of an alternative government after [its] collapse… [He] said… that the crisis must be ‘resolved quickly’ and that without a solid majority the only other option would be new elections. [He] said he will host new consultations on Tuesday in order to ‘make the necessary decisions’.”

No Deal Brexit

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 18:

“A no-deal Brexit would jam British ports, leading to shortages in food, medicine and fuel, the latest United Kingdom government report suggested on Sunday. Leaked to the Sunday Times, the forecast warned that 85% of lorries using the main crossings between England and France ‘may not be ready’ for French customs. The report… said disruption at ports could last for three months, prompting a decrease in the fresh food supply. It says this could potentially lead to panic buying.”

Breitbart wrote on August 16:

“Johnson has insisted Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal, arguing that the ‘backstop’ arrangement to keep goods flowing smoothly between EU member Ireland and Northern Ireland in the U.K. would bind his country to European trade rules and must be dropped from the Brexit agreement.

“Austria’s Brexit negotiator… accused Britain of failing to offer feasible alternative solutions to the Northern Ireland border issue… He noted that any new agreement would still need approval from British lawmakers and this is far from certain.”

Johnson announced that he is sure that Europe and Germany will buckle to avoid a no-deal Brexit. He may be wrong.

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on August 20:

“Johnson’s demand that the European Union reopen the Brexit divorce deal was rebuffed on Tuesday by the bloc, which said the UK had failed to propose any realistic alternative to an agreed insurance policy for the Irish border. After more than three years of Brexit crisis, the United Kingdom is heading towards a showdown with the EU as Johnson has vowed to leave the bloc on Oct. 31 without a deal unless it agrees to renegotiate the divorce terms…

“Britain’s pound, sensitive to the prospects of a no-deal departure, promptly fell to near three-year lows against the euro and the US dollar.”

Deutsche Welle added on August 22:

“French President Emmanuel Macron put the brakes on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s bid to reopen Brexit negotiations, saying on Thursday that there was not enough time to find a new withdrawal agreement by the October 31 divorce deadline.”

Gibraltar Defies the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 18:

“Gibraltar authorities have rejected a US warrant to seize an Iranian tanker that was previously detained by UK troops…

“Gibraltar’s Supreme Court… lifted the detention order on Thursday, citing Iran’s guarantees that the ship ‘was never destined to an EU-sanctioned entity.’”

Gibraltar officials said that US sanctions against Iran did not apply in the EU.

EU to Oppose Trump?

Project Syndicate wrote on August 19:

“With Donald Trump due to visit Europe again for the G7 summit later this month, European leaders have run out of options for dealing with the US president. They have tried to charm him, persuade him, ignore him, or agree to disagree with him… The only alternative, therefore, is to oppose him…

“It is important to call these actions what they are: the personal decisions of an… individual, not the result of legislative action or the outcome of any semblance of public deliberation. Remarkably, 230 years after its constitution was adopted, the United States suffers from one-man rule… He must be opposed, not appeased… his… actions… will increasingly threaten Europe’s economy and security… Any enemy of the Union – such as Johnson, Italy’s Matteo Salvini, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – is therefore a friend of Trump…

“Europe’s leaders… should recognize that a significant majority of Americans also oppose Trump’s… behavior…”

Trump Cancels Trip to Denmark

BBC News wrote on August 21:

“Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says she is ‘annoyed’ at Donald Trump’s decision to cancel his visit after being told Greenland was not for sale. ‘Our preparations were well under way,’ she said, adding she had been looking forward to meeting the US president… Mr Trump was scheduled to visit on 2 September at the invitation of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II.

 “[Fredriksen] said despite this, the US was one of Denmark’s closest allies, and that the president’s two-day visit would have been an ‘opportunity to celebrate Denmark’s close relationship to the US’…

“While praising Denmark as a ‘very special country’, Mr Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday that his planned visit would no longer go ahead because Ms Frederiksen had ‘no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland’.

“The cancellation of what was considered an important state visit in Denmark was described as a ‘farce’ by the leader of the populist Danish People’s Party, Kristian Thulesen Dahl…

“Former foreign minister Kristian Jensen said Mr Trump’s move had resulted in ‘total chaos’. Pia Kjaersgaard, the populist former speaker of the Danish parliament, said it showed a ‘complete lack of respect’, adding: ‘Rude behaviour to the Danish people and the Queen, who invited him.’

“Danish royal expert and historian Lars Hovbakke Sorensen said the whole episode was ‘very strange… This is a violation of all traditions and etiquettes…’”

The Guardian wrote on August 21:

“So what do people in Denmark think about Trump’s decision to call off his trip to the country? Not much, it seems – with one former Danish foreign minister comparing Trump to ‘a clown in a circus’…”

Trump’s behavior disassociates the USA from even most of its closest European allies.

Trump—King of Israel and Second Coming of God?

Sputnik News wrote on August 21:

“US President Donald Trump has once again demonstrated his uncanny knack for riling up social media after he thanked American conservative author and radio host Wayne Allyn Root for declaring him ‘the greatest president for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world.’ In a recent tweet, the US president quoted Root as saying that the ‘Jewish people in Israel’ love Trump ‘like he’s the King of Israel’ and ‘like he’s the second coming of God’, though ‘American Jews don’t know him or like him.’ ‘Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words,’ Trump wrote, describing the praise heaped upon him simply as ‘wow!’”

Trump’s approval of such blasphemous descriptions about him is very dangerous. Note Acts 12:20-23.

Trump had tweeted before that American Jews who vote for Democrats are guilty of “total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty”. Over 70% voted for the Democrats in the last presidential election, and nearly 80% voted for Democrats in the Midterm election.  

JTA reported on August 21:

“Mainstream and left-wing Jewish groups called out President Donald Trump as ‘dangerous’ and displaying ‘textbook anti-Semitism.’… Meanwhile, the Republican Jewish Coalition [representing less than 20% of American Jews] defended Trump’s comments.”

“I am the Chosen One”

“President Trump, when asked about his ongoing trade war with China, deemed himself ‘the chosen one’ when talking with reporters outside the White House on Wednesday. As Trump put it, when it comes to dealing with China’s trade practices, ‘somebody had to do it.’ He then added ‘I am the chosen one’ as he looked up to the sky.”

In fact, he spread his arms and looked up to heaven. There was no mistaking the fact as to what he was indicating. This is QUITE serious!

Rift with Israel?

The Washington Post wrote on August 17, in regard to Netanyahu’s decision to bar entry of two US congresswomen, following the “advice” of Trump:

“For decades, Israel held a special place in American politics, with almost universal support. That has eroded over the past several years but seemed to disintegrate this week in a way that some fear could do irreparable damage… many hawks on Israel have found themselves in a position of having to release statements criticizing a nation they have long defended… Numerous Democrats said they worried about the long-term effects of politicizing the U.S.-Israel relationship…

“Israel is the greatest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, with the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in 2016 outlining $38 billion in military aid for the next 10 years. Typically, Congress approves the funds on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis — but with Democrats such as Sanders [who is Jewish] calling that into question, the future is uncertain… A Pew survey released in April showed that the Israeli government was viewed negatively by 51 percent of Americans…

“Jews overwhelmingly vote Democratic, with 71 percent in 2016 voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and 24 percent voting for Trump, according to exit polls… Many American Jews also have viewed Netanyahu as problematic and oppose some of his policies and his abandonment of a two-state Middle East solution… [One commentator said:] ‘This is a strategic blunder of epic proportions that Netanyahu and his advisers have made, turning Israel into a branch of the Republican Party. This is a tiny little country in a very bad neighborhood that needs all the friends it can get.’”

It was reported that Nancy Pelosi stated that the good relationship between the USA and Israel would continue regardless or in spite of Trump or Netanyahu. On the other hand, “Senior Democratic members of Congress are said to have launched discussions to formally censure the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Jerusalem’s envoy in Washington over Israel’s decision to bar entry to [the two] congresswomen,” according to Breitbart.

Jordan Warns Israel over “Violations”

Fox News wrote on August 18:

“Jordan summoned Israel’s ambassador on Sunday in protest over what it called ‘violations’ at a Jerusalem holy site sacred to Muslim and Jewish people. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that the country delivered a ‘decisive letter’ to Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Amir Weissbrod, a letter that included a call ‘to immediately cease all Israeli violations and all Israeli attempts to change the historical, legal status’ at the site.

“Last week, a day of riots at the Jerusalem holy site, which Muslims have referred to as the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and Jews have referred to as the Temple Mount, left at least four Israeli police officers and several Muslim and Jewish people injured, in the worst bout of fighting there in months…

“The diplomatic protest came days after Israel’s Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan told a radio station that the country should work toward Jews being allowed to pray at the holy site… Jordan’s foreign ministry reportedly expressed ‘the kingdom’s strong condemnation’ over Erdan’s statements. Jordan said the site was a ‘place of worship for Muslims only.’… Jewish people have been allowed to visit the site but are banned from praying there.

“Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tweeted on Sunday, “Met… EU (European Union) ambassadors to stress urgency of effective Int’l (international) steps against Israel’s violations of Holy Sites in occupied… Jerusalem. These violations & others seeking to change status quo in Holy Sites violate Int’l law, deepen tensions.’”

Europe might in fact intervene here. Europe’s anti-Semitism and its antagonism towards Jewish rites are well-known and become more and more manifest. Note the next article.

Europe Moves Forward with Banning Traditional Slaughter of Animals

Politico wrote on August 20:

“From September 1, the French-speaking region of Wallonia will be the second Belgian authority after Flanders to ban halal and kosher slaughter…

“While traditional slaughter without stunning has already been banned in EU countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia, Belgium is turning into a critical test case of where the line lies in European law between animal welfare and religious freedom… This debate, though, has not always been exclusively about animal welfare.

“For some, there is a sense that far-right politicians in Flanders used animal suffering as a Trojan horse to push a populist anti-Muslim agenda… stating that the Muslim community was being targeted, with Jews left as the ‘collateral damage.’… Belgian Muslims and Jews feel like they are in the same boat… The gulf between animal rights activists and religious communities… could hardly be more stark.”

Al Aqsa and the Third Temple

Israel Today wrote on August 13:

“Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been trying to reignite the situation primarily by issuing urgent warnings that Israel plans to divide the sacred plateau in preparation for rebuilding the Jewish Temple… The alleged conspiracy of the Jews against the Al Aqsa Mosque was first utilized a century ago by the Nazi-affiliated Palestinian Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini… the Mufti sought to convince the Arab world that the Jews intended to demolish the Al Aqsa Mosque and replace the Dome of the Rock with the Third Temple…

“By the late 1920s, clashes between Jews and Arabs near the Western Wall had increased greatly. On September 23 and 24, 1928, rioting Arabs attacked Jewish worshippers on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The Mufti took advantage of the riots, claiming that the Jews were trying to seize control of the Temple Mount. He presented the British authorities with what he insisted was conclusive evidence that the Jews were trying to destroy Al Aqsa, which by that time Muslims had deemed their third holiest site.”

On the other hand, many Jews and evangelical Christians feel that the Third Temple would have to be built on exactly the place where Al Aqsa stands today.

The Red Heifer and the Third Temple

Israel Today wrote on August 7:

“… without the Red Heifer, the Temple can’t be rebuilt… Jews and Christians share the belief that when the Messiah will arrive, he will enter the Temple. So, for him to come, there must be a Temple… there are still enough who are doing everything they can to make all the necessary preparations for the building of the Third Temple, and that includes breeding red heifers and practicing the ceremonial burning of the calf.

“The Temple Institute has recently done just that: Experimenting with the meticulous rabbinic rituals surrounding the red heifer. The effort includes burning a dead cow on a kind of a wooden altar. Into the burning fire were also thrown cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet-dyed wool. The experiment was designed to check the amount of ash produced, and whether it would be enough to purify every Israelite living today.

“According to the Jewish Voice news portal, Prof. Zohar Amar of the Department of Land of Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan University took part in the experiment and described it as an historical moment. ‘For 2000 years we have been waiting for this moment,’ said Prof. Amar…”

Even though a red heifer is not a biblical requirement and prerequisite for animal sacrifices and the building of the Third Temple, this is what many (but by far not all) Jews believe.

Christians Celebrate “Jewish” Holidays… Why?

JTA wrote on August 19:

“On Aug. 10 and 11, many Jews worldwide observed the religious holiday of Tisha B’Av by fasting, praying and reading Bible passages related to the destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians. Religious Jews have kept Tisha B’Av for centuries as a day of communal mourning. But this year they were joined by a growing number of evangelical Christians who now observe the holiday to lament the historical persecution of Jews by the church. The new Christian Tisha B’Av calls for penance for past misdeeds — most especially by growing Christian support for the state of Israel…

“Christians have observed Jewish holidays dating to the days of the New Testament, and holidays such as Pentecost, based on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, have remained fixtures on the Christian calendar.

“But today’s evangelicals and Pentecostals have built upon this long-standing practice in a distinctly modern way: by fusing religious observance, general support for Israel and public denunciations of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Christians are not only reviving Jewish holidays and practices in their own faith in recognition of the Jewish roots of Christianity. They also are responding to the seismic events in modern Jewish history, most especially the horrors of anti-Semitism, some of it perpetrated by Christians…

“One early pioneer, educator G. Douglas Young… denounced ‘supersessionism,’ the historical Christian teaching that God’s covenant with the Jewish people had been superseded by a new covenant with the church… Billy Graham also attacked anti-Semitic beliefs… Evangelicals in his orbit encouraged Christians to observe Jewish feast days to get in touch with the Hebrew roots of their faith…

“In 1979, hundreds of Christians — mostly American and European — celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in Jerusalem. The organizers chose Sukkot to gather in Jerusalem alongside Jews as a symbolic fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah that in preparation for the end of time, people from all nations ‘will go up year after year [to Jerusalem] to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.’

“The next year, a much larger group gathered to celebrate this feast… Christian Zionists used the second annual Feast of Tabernacles gathering to inaugurate the International Christian Embassy, the largest Christian Zionist organization operating today. This movement has blossomed since 1980…

“The ramifications for this could be huge, especially in the United States. Conservative evangelicals are the largest and most influential constituency in the Trump era… when it comes to Israel, and their success in deepening and broadening Christian Zionist activism through interreligious cooperation will define the future of U.S. support of Israel. This growing solidarity could have enormous political ramifications…”

These ramifications might include a collaboration between Israel and the USA under Trump to build the prophesied Third Temple on the Temple Mount.

“Our Socialist President?” – The Curse of Trump’s Trade War

The Week wrote on August 19:

“Railing against socialism.. is probably sound campaign strategy for the president. It’s also wildly duplicitous, as his administration’s own attempts to ameliorate the damage of his trade war are themselves the sort of redistribution critics of socialism decry…

“Many American farmers… have opposed the president’s trade war and the bailout Trump has offered to band-aid the damage… Federal funds may enable them to stay afloat in the short term, but the long-term disruption of trade patterns Trump has inflicted will be felt for years to come…

“Trump’s trade war is… making America more socialist, not less. By upending farmers’ trade relations, he is keeping them from the work they’d like to do. The subsidies are ‘substantial, but we cannot overstate the dire consequences that farmers and ranchers are facing in relation to lost export markets,’ Zippy Duvall of the American Farm Bureau Federation said when the redistribution program was announced. Instead of payouts, Duvall insisted, farmers would prefer an ‘end to the trade war’ and ‘restor[ed] markets.’…”

Trying to Wish the Recession Away…

The Independent wrote on August 18:

“Donald Trump’s top economic adviser is scrambling to play down fears of a looming recession – after financial markets dropped sharply last week. Larry Kudlow predicted the economy will perform well in the second half of 2019, and said consumers are seeing higher wages so they can spend and save more… However, he played down fears of a recession in 2007 – just months before the worst financial crash since the Great Depression.

“… consumer confidence has dropped more than six per cent since July… Kudlow also defended the president’s tariffs on goods coming from China – despite his known opposition to them before joining Mr Trump’s administration.”

Obviously, Larry Kudlow is not the financial expert one should be listening to. Trump echoed Kudlow’s assessment, denying that there would be any recession. However, the signs of the times are grim and foreboding.

Many Business Economists Concerned about Coming Recession in 2020 or 2021

The Associated Press wrote on August 19:

“A number of U.S. business economists appear sufficiently concerned about the risks of some of President Donald Trump‘s economic policies that they expect a recession in the U.S. by the end of 2021.

“Thirty-four percent of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics, in a report being released Monday, said they believe a slowing economy will tip into recession in 2021. That’s up from 25% in a survey taken in February. Only 2% of those polled expect a recession to begin this year, while 38% predict that it will occur in 2020. [To be clear, this means that 74% economists expect a recession in the U.S. in 2020 or 2021]…

“The financial markets last week signaled the possibility of a U.S. recession, adding to concerns over the ongoing trade tensions and word from Britain and Germany that their economies are shrinking…

“As a whole, the business economists’ recent responses have represented a rebuke of the Trump administration’s overall approach to the economy…”

“See No Recession, Hear No Recession, Speak No Recession.”

Agora Financial wrote on August 19:

“… this president finds himself in the strange position of praying the Federal Reserve can keep inflating the ‘big, fat, ugly bubble’ he was denouncing on the campaign trail in 2016 — at least long enough to ensure his reelection in 2020… Interest rates might be too low for cuts to make a difference. And the Fed’s balance sheet might be too big now to get blown up fivefold as it was from 2008–2014. That’s the bad news. The worse news is that rate cuts and renewed money printing might reinflate the ‘big, fat, ugly bubble’ — only to set us up for an even bigger collapse down the road.”

Money Week wrote on August 20:

“One of the more reliable recession indicators has signalled that a downturn is on its way. Earlier last week, after years of hovering threateningly on the threshold, the US yield curve finally inverted… when the curve inverts – namely, longer-term yields are below shorter-term ones – it implies that investors are very pessimistic… they expect low inflation, or even deflation, which tends to go hand in hand with recessions.”

cnbc wrote on August 21:

“The spread between the yield on the 10-year Treasury note and that of the 2-year note on Wednesday turned negative for the second time in one week, a recession warning that flashed for the first time since 2005 on Aug. 14.”

The Independent wrote on August 20:

“Donald Trump has said he will continue with his trade war with China even if it means the United States falling into recession. The president stressed that he thought the US was ‘very far’ from a recession but acknowledged that his administration was discussing a payroll tax cut, something that had previously been denied. He also called for further cuts in interest rates, saying: ‘If the Fed would do its job we would have a tremendous spirit of growth .. you would see a burst of growth like you’ve never seen before.’”

Really?

Germany Warns of Worldwide Recession

The Associated Press wrote on August 19:

“Germany, Europe’s industrial powerhouse and biggest economy, with companies like Volkswagen, Siemens and BASF, may be entering a recession, according to a gloomy report from the country’s central bank Monday — a development that could have repercussions for the rest of the eurozone and the United States… Deutsche Bank went further Monday, saying ‘we see Germany in a technical recession’…”

Syrians in Germany May Lose their Asylum Status

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 18:

“German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced a tough response to Syrian refugees who leave Germany for holidays in their home country. ‘If somebody, a Syrian refugee, regularly takes holidays in Syria, he cannot honestly claim to be persecuted in Syria,’ Seehofer told Bild am Sonntag weekly. ‘We would have to strip him of his refugee status,’ he added…

“German officials are currently unable to deport people to Syria as the Middle Eastern country is considered unsafe. The ban is set to expire at the end of 2019, although there is an option to prolong it…

“Some 780,000 Syrians have migrated to Germany in recent years, fleeing the civil war, which started in 2011. The Syrian regime, led by President Bashar Assad, now controls most of Syria. The fighting and airstrikes continue in the nation’s northwest… Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in the conflict.”

Stephen Miller’s Tough Stance on Immigration

The Washington Post wrote on August 18:

“Stephen Miller, Trump’s 33-year-old senior adviser… is writing the central plot of his presidency… In Trump, Miller has found a champion for his ideological goals. He is the singular force behind the Trump administration’s immigration agenda…

“Miller secured tighter immigration rules that can disqualify green-card applicants if they are poor or deemed likely to use public assistance, cutting off a pathway to U.S. citizenship for those immigrants who could become a burden on taxpayers, or ‘public charges.’ …

“He is dismissive of Kushner’s more moderate immigration views and efforts to forge compromise, other senior officials say, and Miller has questioned how much the president’s son-in-law knows about the topic…

“Miller urged the president to… end… the U.S. family-based immigration model, which the White House calls ‘chain migration.’… Miller helped devise the ‘zero tolerance’ prosecution effort with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions… During a span of six weeks, border agents took children away from migrant parents and sent the adults to court for prosecution. At least 2,600 families were separated until public outrage forced the president to back down.

“Miller defended the separations and had encouraged the president to enact them — telling others in the West Wing they would prove to be a migration deterrent. Trump soon realized it was a ‘PR nightmare’… and blamed Miller. The president also grew frustrated with Miller over the botched implementation of the travel ban in the first weeks of the administration. Miller is among the few administration officials who continue to defend zero-tolerance separations today, insisting the approach would have worked if the policy had continued.

“Miller is obsessed… with boosting deportations. Early in the tenure, he tried to persuade Kelly, as DHS chief, to deport anyone here illegally. Kelly wanted to focus on criminal felons, frustrating Miller…”

As long as Miller has a free hand and the ear of the President, we can expect even worse things to happen in the immigration field.

Further Lawsuits Against Trump’s New Public Charge Immigration Rule

The Hill wrote on August 20:

“New York State… on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against proposed new rules expanding the kinds of public aid immigrants can potentially be denied a green card for receiving… Connecticut and Vermont’s respective state attorneys general [also filed]. Thirteen other states [Fox News says, more than 15 states] had already filed a suit against the proposed change last week.

“The rule would add Medicaid and food stamps to the list of programs whose past recipients could be deemed a ‘public charge,’ potentially jeopardizing their ability to become citizens…

“[New York’s attorney general] argues that [the proposed rule] contravenes ‘a century’s worth of case law,’ writing that, historically, immigrants who rely on noncash benefits cannot be considered public charges. ‘Finally, the rule fundamentally misunderstands that these non-cash programs are designed to help immigrants who arrive in this country with limited means move out of poverty and achieve upward mobility.’”

NBC News added on August 20:

“Under the new rule, officials can deem immigrants seeking to change their legal immigration status and who are enrolled in publicly funded programs such as food stamps and public health insurance as a ‘public charge,’ meaning they will likely use public benefits in the future. Once labeled a ‘public charge,’ immigrants would be denied green cards, visas and other forms of legal immigration status…

“Many families eligible to receive public benefits have dropped out of certain government programs or barred themselves from applying for assistance since a draft of the ‘public charge’ rule was leaked last year…

“In the lawsuit [the three attorney generals] say the administration arbitrarily extended the ‘public charge’ bar in a way that violates equal protection rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution…

“Over 60 lawsuits have been filed to block the public charge rule, including by New Mexico, Colorado, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts, said [New York attorney general Letita] James during a press conference Tuesday morning.”

Fox News added:

“The rules would go into effect in October [on October 15], but the legal challengers seek a nationwide injunction blocking enforcement until the cases are fully litigated.”

Inasmuch as these new rules are fundamentally wrong and unbiblical, let us all pray that they will be overturned.

Further Dangerous Trump Immigration Rules and Proposals

The Guardian wrote on August 21:

“The Trump rule change on detaining immigrant families will be published this week in the Federal Register, and would take effect 60 days later, the New York Times reports… Under the new rule, the administration would be free to send families who are caught crossing the border illegally to a family residential center to be held for as long as it takes for their immigration cases to be decided. Officials said families cases could be resolved within three months, though many could drag on much longer. (If past experience is a guide, it could last for YEARS.)

“Trump administration officials… said that many of the families would be detained until they were either released after being awarded asylum or they were deported to their home countries… Currently the government may not detain children for more than 20 days unless they are detained in a state facility. The Wall Street Journal reported that the two largest facilities designed to house families, both in Texas, aren’t licensed to house children beyond 20 days. ‘To circumvent that requirement,’ the Journal wrote: ‘The new set of rules would enable the Department of Homeland Security to create its own licensing system, effectively allowing the government to house families in any of its detention facilities through their court proceedings, until they are either granted asylum, paroled into the US or deported.’… The rule is expected to be challenged in court, but adds to the raft of anti-immigration measures Trump is attempting to enforce.”

The Week reported on August 21:

“President Trump hasn’t given up on his plan to end birthright citizenship. Trump said… last October that he planned to sign an executive order ending the right of citizenship to every child born in the United States, and although he never ended up doing so, 10 months later, he once again said he’s considering it. ‘We’re looking at that very seriously,’ Trump said Wednesday…

“When Trump raised the idea of ending birthright citizenship by way of an executive order last year, he drew plenty of criticism from his fellow Republicans, including then-House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said the president ‘obviously’ can’t do that, considering it’s a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment and the ‘14th Amendment is pretty clear.’ Trump quickly shot back at Ryan, claiming the speaker was commenting on an issue he ‘knows nothing about.’ Trump also insisted that the 14th Amendment doesn’t actually cover birthright citizenship and that it ‘will be ended one way or the other.’”

As we mentioned before, Trump’s dangerous anti-immigration measures are intended to change the very fabric of American ideals and goals… but in no way for the better.

The End of a Love Affair—Trump Trashes Fox News

Mediaite wrote on August 18, 2019:

“President Donald Trump went on a tear against Fox News… Trump said, ‘Fox is a lot different than it used to be…And I’m not happy with it… I think Fox is making a big mistake because, you know, I’m the one that calls the shots on that — on the really big debates. I guess we’re probably planning on three of them…’

“He went on to give shout-outs to Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs and Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro and ‘even Greg Gutfeld.’”

AFP added on August 18:

“[Trump said:] ‘Watching Fake News CNN is better than watching Shepard Smith…”

Shepard Smith has been a constant critic of Donald Trump, and so have been other highly profiled and popular Fox moderators. Smith, who is openly gay, famously said in 2015 when Trump was running for the Presidency: “Somebody needs to come up and remind them [Trump and his supporters] what this nation is and what we’re about and how we dream and the way we were founded and what our Constitution is. He’s not representing any of that. He’s representing the worst, darkest part of all that is America.”

The Daily Beast wrote on August 20:

“Toward the end of his Fox News broadcast on Monday evening, Special Report anchor Bret Baier responded to President Trump’s recent criticism of the network’s polling, which shows him trailing every major Democratic candidate in hypothetical head-to-head matchups… ‘Fox has not changed,’ Baier said…

“‘We have a news side and an opinion side. Opinion folks express their opinions. We do polls.’ After explaining that Fox’s polls reflect the reality of the race at this moment, the anchor said, ‘Mr. President, we’ve invited you on Special Report many times. We’d love to have you back on. You’ve talked to George Stephanopoulos and Chuck Todd. Come on back. Me, Chris Wallace, the news side cover it fair, balanced, and unafraid.’”

Russia’s Nuclear Catastrophe None of Our Business?

The Daily Beast wrote on August 20:

“Russia has told the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization that the nuclear-reactor explosion at a White Sea missile test site in early August is none of their business. The news came as two additional Russian monitoring stations designed to warn about nuclear radiation threats have gone silent after the mysterious Aug. 8 blast at the site this month, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Four monitoring stations are now down, which is alarming experts who suspect Russia is attempting to cover up what really happened and keep details about the weapon being tested under wraps…”

Putin’s remarks reflect the sayings of a true dictator and despot who does not care about the lives of others.

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 Threatens to Withdraw Troops from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9:

“The United States is considering withdrawing some of the US troops stationed in Germany, with Poland mooted as a possible new deployment, the US ambassador to Germany has said. The threat of withdrawal comes amid ongoing differences between Berlin and Washington over Germany’s contribution to NATO and a current spat caused by the German refusal to take part in a US-led naval mission in the Persian Gulf.

“‘It is actually offensive to assume that the US taxpayer must continue to pay to have 50,000-plus Americans in Germany, but the Germans get to spend their surplus on domestic programs,’ US Ambassador Richard Grenell told the DPA news agency, in comments carried widely by German media on Friday. His remarks come after the US ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, tweeted that her country would be happy for the American troops in Germany to move there instead…

“Germany is the European country where most US troops are posted, with 35,000 soldiers deployed there along with 17,000 American civilians employed by the US military. Some 12,000 German civilians also work in jobs connected with the deployment. Rumors that the US might be considering a partial pullout of troops from Germany have long been rife, with the US administration under Donald Trump often voicing anger that Berlin is not contributing enough to NATO. Germany intends to spend 1.36% of GDP on defense this coming year, an amount that, while marking a strong increase, is still well under NATO’s 2% goal for member states. Although the government says it wants to increase the current figure to 1.5% by 2024, the financial planning for 2023 envisages spending only 1.24% of GDP on the military.

“Grenell’s comments come shortly after Germany sparked Washington’s ire by refusing to take part in a US-led operation in the Strait of Hormuz to protect trading vessels from Iranian aggression and rejecting a US request to send ground troops to fight the extremist group ‘Islamic State.’ They also come ahead of Trump’s twin trips to Europe at the end of August — with neither trip including a visit to Germany.

“The first will take Trump to the G7 summit in the French resort of Biarritz, where he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The second, from August 31 to September 3, will see him visiting Denmark and Poland. Among other things, both these countries share Washington’s opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that has been strongly promoted by Germany.”

DPA added on August 9:

“Germany is host to the largest number of US troops in Europe and has the largest contingent of US troops abroad after Japan. US command centres for its troops in Europe and Africa are in Stuttgart and the most important US air base in Europe is at Ramstein in the south-west of the country. The southern state of Bavaria is home to one of the largest US military exercise grounds in Grafenwoehr.”

The German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on August 9 that even though the cost of deployment is now mainly borne by the US Armed Forces, the German government annually allocates about 50 million euros, and Germany has passed more than 100 properties to the American Armed Forces at no charge, which spared the US an estimated sum of almost 600 million euros per year.

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on August 10:

“U.S. complaints about Germany’s defense spending pre-date Trump but relations with the United States have deteriorated since he became president… It is believed the United States also has nuclear warheads in Germany.”

The once more or less friendly relationship between the US and Germany is deteriorating by the week, if not by the day. Core Europe under German leadership will react by building their own powerful united army with nuclear weapons.

Russia’s Nuclear Catastrophe

AFP wrote on August 12:

“Russia’s nuclear agency chief on Monday confirmed that five scientists killed last week were developing ‘new weapons’ and vowed to continue testing despite the explosion… The explosion caused a spike in radiation levels… The missile was being tested on a platform at sea when its fuel caught fire and caused an explosion… Several staff were blown into the sea by the blast… The military did not initially say that the accident involved nuclear equipment… But the nearby city of Severodvinsk recorded elevated levels following the accident and panicked residents rushed to buy iodine to counteract radiation…

“Last month, 14 Russian navy officers were killed in a fire on a top-secret nuclear-powered submersible in circumstances that have not been fully revealed.”

The most recent incident has been compared to the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. Nuclear catastrophes like these, caused by unscrupulous power-hungry war-mongering politicians and corrupt governments, will ultimately contribute to the prophesied destruction of mankind, if it weren’t for the fact that Jesus will return in time to stop man’s Satan-inspired madness and save some from utter annihilation and extinction.

The Dayton Ohio Murderer and Satanism

The Daily Mail wrote on August 9:

“Connor Betts gunned down nine people and injured dozens more in Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday. Now DailyMail.com has obtained chilling notebook scrawls by the 24-year-old who had an appetite for murder, drugs and Satanism…

“Betts’ rambling contributions, written around 2017, include a Satanic pentagram with the words ‘Hail Lucifer’ and numerous references to death and murder. The warped loner declares himself a servant of ‘evil incarnate’ and rants about everything from schizophrenia to satanic rituals and massacres.

“The pages read in part: ‘I am the servant of the serpent evil incarnate, flesh consumer, light destroyer, fueled by hate, rage my strength, distrust my shield’… ‘I am Azrael and this is my human Connor’… ‘Beasts of darkness called upon from fiery pits. Armies massing, soon to shed blood,’ it reads.”

Clearly, we are dealing here with a deranged murderer who gave himself over to and was used by Satan and his demons to carry out his despicable and cowardly acts. Scientists, medical doctors and “experts,” the police, governmental agencies and the media simply do not understand what is going on, and so they try to “interpret” any involvement with Satanism as just a symptom of a “sick” mind. Nothing could be further from the truth. View our StandingWatch program, title, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?”

El Paso Mass Murderer Driven by Hate of Mexicans

The Associated Press reported on August 9:

“The man accused of carrying out last weekend’s deadly mass shooting at a Walmart in the Texas border city of El Paso confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later explained that he had been targeting Mexicans, authorities say… Twenty-two people were killed and about two dozen were injured. Most of the dead had Hispanic last names and eight were Mexican nationals.

“Authorities believe that shortly before the attack, Crusius posted a racist screed online that railed against an influx of Hispanics into the U.S. The document parrots some of President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric about immigration, but the writer said his views predate Trump’s rise and that any attempt to blame the president for his actions was ‘fake news.’ Many El Paso residents, protesters and Democrats have blasted Trump over his incendiary words, blaming Trump for inflaming political and racial tensions throughout the country… Authorities say Crusius drove more than 10 hours from his hometown near Dallas to carry out the shooting in the largely Latino border city of El Paso…”

This murderous attack was apparently carefully planned, and his hatred developed over time. Satan is the murderer from the beginning. It is clear to us that he was behind this attack.

Evangelicals and their God-Given Right to Bear Arms?

The Week wrote on August 11:

“For those who profess to follow the Prince of Peace, the support for sensible gun control regulations might seem like a proper Christian response to the ongoing slaughter of innocent Americans… Yet, in the wake of the deadly attacks in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton that left more than 30 dead, conservative religious leaders instead are doubling down on what they argue is their ‘God-given right’ to bear arms, a message the NRA has been all-too-happy to promote…

“41 percent of white evangelicals own a gun… Influential evangelical leaders have supported gun ownership and advocated for its growth among fellow believers. After a gunman murdered 26 worshippers at a rural Southern Baptist church in Texas in 2017, Jeffress told Fox News he felt particularly safe preaching at First Baptist Dallas knowing that so many of his congregants brought guns with them to church. In 2015, following the massacre in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14 people, Jerry Falwell, Jr., exhorted students during a convocation at Liberty University to get concealed weapons permits and carry guns on campus…

“Around the world, various countries have shown that tough gun laws can diminish and even prevent gun violence. God help the nation that won’t take similar steps for its own citizens.”

Regarding the highly controversial subject of gun violence, please see our recent StandingWatch program, tilted, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?”

The Past Persecution of Jews in Rome and throughout Italy

Times of Israel wrote on August 7:

“[The] Arch of Titus [in Rome is] the first-century structure associated with tragedy in Jewish history. It was built in 81 CE in honor of Titus, the Roman emperor who viciously put down a Jewish rebellion, leading to the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. We felt especially moved to be there on the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the breach of the walls of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, initiating the siege that led to widespread death and destruction among the Jews, and the fall of the holy site three weeks later on Tisha b’Av (the 9th of Av)… Most poignant was witnessing the famous carvings on the arch marking the triumphal procession of the Roman soldiers, carrying off the spoils of war, including sacred items from the Temple. The largest shown is the menorah, carved in deep relief. One shudders to imagine the scene depicted on the arch, showing some of the estimated 200,000 Jews who were captured in Jerusalem and brought to Rome to be sold into slavery, as they were being marched past hostile, taunting crowds.

“… the nearby Colosseum [is] the most dramatic and popular symbol of the Roman Empire, completed in the year 80 by Titus, and ‘financed with the spoils of the Jewish War of 70,’ according to a visitors’ guide at the site. It was there that up to 75,000 people would fill the largest of the empire’s amphitheaters to witness a full day of animal hunts, public executions and fight-to-the-death contests between gladiators.

“Throughout our visit to Italy, we learned of the ghettos where Jews were confined and mistreated, of the centuries of persecution Jews suffered from the Church, and, in the 20th century, from the fascists and Nazis…

“We came away with a deeper appreciation of how, over time, Italian Jews were able to withstand periods of prejudice and persecution from the Church, as well as from fascism and racial laws from the Mussolini government in the 1930s that contributed to Nazi deportations during World War II. About 15 percent of the 44,500 Jews living there at the time were murdered in the Holocaust… the remaining Jewish population, believed to be about 45,000, faces the great challenge of maintaining Judaism and Jewish life in an open society with dramatic levels of assimilation…”

Sadly, we will experience very soon in Italy and throughout continental Europe renewed gruesome persecutions of Jews and especially of those Christians who will be viewed as “Jewish,” due to their observance of God’s commandments such as keeping the weekly Sabbath, God’s annual Holy Days or the abstention from unclean meat, while refusing to keep paganized “Christian” holidays such as Christmas or Easter. This is described in the Book of Revelation as the opening of the fifth seal. Many will compromise and try to “assimilate” to keep alive, thereby accepting the “mark of the beast,” but in doing so, they will incur the seven last plagues of the wrath of God.

Turmoil and Violence on the Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on August 11:

“Clashes broke out between Muslim protesters and Israeli police forces on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount holy site on Sunday, during a period of peak religious tensions over the confluence of Jewish and Muslim holy days… Sunday marks both the start of Eid al-Adha, an Islamic holiday commemorating the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, when Jews mourn the destruction of the temples that once stood on the Temple Mount and other disasters in Jewish history…

“On Friday, the Muslim Waqf trust, which oversees the site, urged Muslim worshipers to crowd the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount to keep Jews from visiting, after police said they would consider allowing non-Muslims to visit the holy site… Likud Knesset Member Yehudah Glick, another Temple Mount activist, called the Waqf’s move a “cheap provocation.”

The Associated Press wrote on August 11:

“Jewish extremists have called for destroying the [Al-Aqsa] mosque and rebuilding the Biblical temple… The compound is in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip…

“Israel views all of Jerusalem as its unified capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have spiked following President Donald Trump’s decision in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy there.”

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on August 11:

“Israeli police fired sound grenades to disperse Palestinians during confrontations on Sunday outside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque where tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers gathered for the Eid al-Adha holiday… Facing off with police in the packed compound outside Islam’s third-holiest site, Palestinians chanted, ‘With our soul and blood we will redeem you, Aqsa.’…

“Revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the site of two biblical Jewish temples, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, the area is one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…”

Changing the Status Quo?

The Algemeiner wrote on August 13:

“Israel’s interior security minister endorsed changing the status quo on the Temple Mount in an interview on Tuesday, calling it an ‘injustice’ that Jews are allowed to enter the holy site but are prohibited from praying…

“Erdan — a key ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — declared that the status quo should be changed ‘in order that Jews in the future can pray on the Temple Mount, which is the holiest place to the Jewish people…’”

This occasional violence on the Temple Mount, which would increase if the status quo is changed, is nothing in comparison to that kind of turmoil which will ensue when the Jews begin to build the Third Temple and offer animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount. Dozens of Scriptures teach the fact that the Jews will begin to build a Temple prior to Christ’s Return. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People” and “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” 

Palestinians the Modern-Day Canaanites?

The Times of Israel wrote on August 13:

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas… contended that Palestinians are the original inhabitants of the region [of the West Bank] according to the Biblical history… ‘We are the Canaanites,’ he added…

“Abbas’s reference to the Canaanites, an ancient people who predated the Israelites’ settling of Canaan, according to the Biblical narrative, came in response to recent comments by Netanyahu that Palestinians only recently arrived in the area… Netanyahu said in early July that the ancestors of the Palestinians came from the Arabian Peninsula… [appearing] to back the theory that the biblical Philistines came from somewhere other than the Middle East… Abbas also said that despite the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the city belongs to the Palestinians.”

Abba’s comments regarding the Canaanites do not give him any favors. Canaan was the son of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. Shem was white, Ham was black, and Japheth was yellow. From the website, “Got Questions?”, under “Who were the Canaanites?”:

“The Canaanites are mentioned over 150 times in the Bible. They were a wicked, idolatrous people… Canaan was cursed because of his… sin against Noah… The land of Canaan was the land God promised to give to Abraham’s descendants… The Canaanites are described in the Bible as a large and fierce people, not easily defeated, so the Israelites would need divine help to come against them, defeat them, and take their land away. God promised Moses and Joshua that help…”

Omar and Tlaib Refused Entry to Israel–Netanyahu Takes Big Loss in Following Trump’s Advice

NBC News wrote on August 15:

“Netanyahu… had to make Israel look bad to make Trump happy. In doing so, he handed his critics around the world pallets full of rhetorical ammunition…

“The move was deemed bad enough for Israel — harmful enough to that country — that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is usually as close to Netanyahu as his suit, softly but publicly disagreed with it.

“… as Omar and Tlaib made plans to visit Israel and Palestinian territory this month, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, said that they should not have a problem gaining entry.

“Trump didn’t agree. ‘It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit,’ Trump tweeted Thursday morning… ‘They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.’”

As far as we know, that is the first time in American history that an American President is asking a foreign country to deny entry of American members of Congress. The many critics of Israel were given ample opportunity now to question Israel’s democracy.

The Plight of Migrants in the Mediterranean Sea

Fox News wrote on August 9:

“Richard Gere on Friday boarded a Spanish humanitarian ship that has been stuck in the Mediterranean Sea for more than a week because no European government will welcome the 121 migrants who are aboard. In a bid to draw attention to the standoff, Gere boarded the Open Arms some 27 nautical miles off Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island. The vessel, which faces a fine of up to 1 million euros if it enters Italian waters, has been idle for eight days…

“Italy’s firebrand Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who is popular for his hardline stance against migrant arrivals and who this week plunged Italy into a political crisis, mocked Gere on Twitter… Such standoffs have persisted over the last 14 months since Italy’s populist government took office and Salvini became interior minister…

“He… raised the stakes this week by winning parliamentary approval for a new security decree that increased fines on ships entering Italian waters without permission to 1 million euros from 50,000 euros. Migrant arrivals in Italy are down dramatically to some 4,042 so far this year, down 78% from last year’s 18,897 and 96% from 96,847 in 2017. Many migrants continue to arrive on their own in Lampedusa, often from Tunisia, despite Salvini’s campaign against humanitarian rescue ships.”

Standoff over Stranded Immigrants Temporarily Resolved–Salvini Strongly Criticized

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 15:

“The latest standoff over immigration in the Mediterranean appeared to be resolved on Thursday after six European Union countries agreed to take in asylum-seekers who are stuck on a rescue vessel off Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the move in an open letter to far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who refused to allow them to disembark. ‘France, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Luxembourg have told me that they are ready to welcome the migrants,’ Conte wrote in the letter.

“Some 150 people were picked up by the Spanish charity ship, Open Arms, off the coast of Libya in early August. They were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa, but have been stuck on the vessel for two weeks after being blocked from docking.

“The Italian premier also strongly criticized Salvini in the letter, saying that the minister is focusing too much on migration and reducing the complex issue to a simple solution of closing ports in order to score political points. ‘If we really want to protect ‘national interests,’ we cannot limit ourselves to representing positions of absolute stubbornness,’ Conte said.”

Salvini becomes more and more popular in Italy, as the next article shows. Will Europe finally intervene and do something about this dangerous development, also in light of Salvini’s inhumane conduct towards migrants? Or will other European countries embrace Salvini by moving themselves to the extreme right?

Salvini Demands New Elections

In reference to Italy’s political crisis, as mentioned in the article above, Fox News elaborated on August 9:

“Italian Deputy Prime minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the country’s largest nationalist party, demanded a snap election Thursday — a move that almost certainly dooms the fragile governing coalition and could see Salvini’s party move from a coalition partner to Italy’s sole governing party… Salvini needs at least 40 percent of seats in an election to form a government. If the League does not achieve that, it could ally up with the right-wing Brothers of Italy or former premier Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia… to get over the line…

“Should that go as Salvini hopes, and the League govern by itself, it would certainly shift the country even more to the right on issues such as immigration, E.U. relations and taxes — and mark a significant win for the right-wing, nationalist-populist movement sweeping through the continent since the 2015 migration crisis.”

Salvini and Berlusconi… what a combination! Deeply concerning parallels to Italy under right-wing nationalist “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini come to mind. Bild Online quoted financial experts as saying that an Italian government under confrontational Salvini would also mean an economic catastrophe for Europe. Italy—the third-greatest economy in Europe—is already the European country with the second-highest debt, after Greece, with virtually no economic growth. Analysts feel that Salvini’s current politics as Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are largely responsible for Italy’s precarious situation.

Pope Warns Against Salvini

The Washington Post wrote on August 9:

“Pope Francis called for a united Europe in an interview published by Italian daily La Stampa on Friday, saying recent political rhetoric has echoed that of Nazi Germany. ‘I am concerned because we hear speeches that resemble those of Hitler in 1934,’ he said… It is not the first time the pontiff has made such remarks, but his comments published Friday came as Italy’s populist government appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

“In January 2017, in response to a question about populism, Francis told Spain’s El Pais that before World War II, there was ‘a people who were immersed in a crisis, who were searching for their identity until this charismatic leader came and promised to give their identity back, and he gave them a distorted identity, and we all know what happened.’… But if he’s now trying to appeal to Salvini, his calls may not find a receptive audience. Salvini has openly criticized the pope…”

It is interesting that the relationship between Mussolini and the Popes was very contentious.

The “Double Talk” of Boris Johnson—the Political Chameleon

The Week wrote on August 10:

“Husky and blond, he’s a larger-than-life character who spouts Shakespeare and Latin but can’t seem to comb his unruly hair or arrive anywhere on time… Twice divorced, with four kids by the wife he left last year, he has another child out of wedlock, and at least one of his mistresses had an abortion. When he moved into 10 Downing Street last week, he brought his current flame, the PR agent Carrie Symonds, 31, and the two became the first unmarried couple ever to live in the prime minister’s residence. A brilliant and wildly entertaining writer and speaker, Johnson has been a columnist, member of Parliament, mayor of London, and foreign minister, yet his policy achievements are thin. The British regard him either as a buffoon or as a refreshing rebel against political correctness… Yet no matter his sins, he always manages to get a pass…

“During the campaign leading up to the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU, Johnson recognized that many Britons felt deep resentment over the erosion of national identity and unimpeded influx of foreign labor. So he abandoned his pro-Europe, pro-immigration mayoral persona and broke with his party leader, then–Prime Minister David Cameron, to become the face of Vote Leave. ‘Johnson’s a political chameleon,’ says his biographer, Sonia Purnell. ‘There are no core beliefs, no values, just instincts.’… But when Leave won and Cameron resigned, Johnson appeared shocked and paralyzed. He withdrew from the running for prime minister, and compromise candidate Theresa May won. May surprised many by appointing him foreign minister, and Johnson made a mess of it.

“… when May presented a deal that would keep the U.K. closely bound to the EU, he resigned in protest. That stance positioned him as the hard-Brexit favorite to succeed May when she resigned without an agreement last month… Johnson insists that he will renegotiate a deal with Brussels that gets rid of the dreaded ‘Irish backstop.’ This is the provision that requires the U.K. to stay in the EU customs union as long as necessary to avoid a hard border between EU-member Ireland and the U.K. region Northern Ireland. The EU says May’s deal can’t be changed…

“If there is no better deal, Johnson says he will crash the U.K. out of the union with no deal by the October 31 deadline — an option many warn would cause economic chaos and a British recession… With his ‘record of double-talk, about-turn, and mendacity,’ says The Guardian‘s Simon Jenkins, Johnson can be relied upon only to deliver something other than what he promised.”

Interesting times for Britain are awaiting us…

Boris Johnson: EU Same Goal as Hitler to Create European Superstate

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 12:

“In an interview with the Telegraph back in 2016, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that ‘the European Union is pursuing a similar goal to Hitler in trying to create a powerful superstate.’ He also warned [that] although politicians in Brussels are implementing ‘different methods’ than those of the Nazi dictator, they both have the same goal of a united Europe under one authority… In the same interview, Johnson explains: ‘The euro has become a means by which superior German productivity is able to gain an absolutely unbeatable advantage over the whole eurozone.’…

“Eitan Meir, of the pro-Israel Im Tirtzu organization, said: ‘EU has an unhealthy obsession with Israel. They are certainly one of the largest funders of propaganda used to undermine the state of Israel. They are behind all of the NGOs waging legal warfare against Israel in Gaza and are behind the NGOs accusing Israel of ethnically cleansing the Negev of Bedouins’…

“Some lesser-known recipients of EU funding include the Ma’an Network, who published a video showing terrorist attacks against Israelis, accompanied by a Hebrew song with the lyrics ‘I will clean my country of every Jew’… The European governing body funds a wide array of Antisemitic and pro-BDS organizations including Miftah,  EIDHR and The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO)…”

The double-talk of the EU and their real anti-Israel politics will become much clearer as time progresses.

Most Brits for No-Deal Brexit

Breitbart wrote on August 11:

“The poll by Opinium published on Saturday revealed that a no-deal Brexit had a 17-point lead over the next most popular option, cancelling Brexit… 46 per cent of respondents said [Boris Johnson]  should ‘go ahead with Brexit on October 31st even if it means leaving with ‘no deal”’.

“Just 12 per cent back Mr Johnson delaying Brexit for a third time ‘until we can negotiate a deal that can pass the House of Commons’, and less than one-third, 29 per cent, said he should ‘cancel Brexit and decide to remain in the European Union after all.’…

“The poll also revealed that Britons are becoming increasingly convinced that the UK will leave the EU on the planned exit date, with 61 per cent believing that Mr Johnson will make good on his promise, up from 53 per cent two weeks ago…

“Johnson is expected to return to the House of Commons in September after the summer recess to face the Remainer-dominated parliament and likely calls for a vote of no-confidence in the government in order to thwart Brexit. Reports that Mr Johnson would ignore calls for him to step down appear to have the backing of the public.

“The Opinion poll also revealed that 40 per cent of respondents would want the prime minister to refuse to resign, and for him then call a snap General Election after October 31st to ensure the UK leaves the EU by that date — even in a clean break. Just 29 per cent said he should step down so another government could be formed to stop a no-deal Brexit.

“Lord Jonathan Sumpton, a former Supreme Court Judge, said last week that Prime Minister Johnson was legally entitled to ignore a vote of no confidence and call an election even after a no-deal Brexit.”

Brexit is prophesied to happen… in God’s due time.

Third Party Countries the Winners in the US-China Trade War

Quartz wrote on August 9:

“The US-China trade war continues to accelerate. America has put 25% tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, and is slated to add an additional 10% tariff on the remaining $300 billion. China currently collects tariffs between 5% and 50% on about $113 billion of US imports…

“Quartz analyzed the trade flows of product categories affected by the Chinese and US tariffs. The data show that the winner of the US-China trade war so far is neither the US or China. It’s third-party countries… who have stepped in to the void and found new buyers in the US and China…

“Australia has been the biggest beneficiary of the trade war… Most of the increase has been from exports of natural resources to China. With China imposing tariffs on imports of petroleum gases and gold from the US, Australia has been filling the gap for China. The Chinese imports of Australian cotton saw strong growth, as US cotton exports to China declined…

“Similar to Australia, Switzerland dramatically increased its gold exports to China. Switzerland also increased its exports to US, though to a smaller extent. It exported an additional $25 million of electronic devices… while Chinese exports to the US in that category dropped by $190 million…

“Mexico has replaced China as the US’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2019. The US now buys more data processing and storage devices as well as electric wire and fiber optic cables from Mexico…

“Brazil has benefitted from the reduced US agricultural exports to China. Now China goes to Brazil for soybeans and cotton…

“Canada has seen its exports to both US and China grow since tariffs kicked in. Canadian computer chips and circuit boards as well as industrial molds are replacing Chinese ones in the US market. Canadians are also selling more soybeans to China than before, though that still pales in comparison to the drop in US purchases.”

US-Chinese Trade War Benefits Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“European Union economies would benefit from the trade diversion… The European Union is expected to see an additional income of €1.5 billion, if the US goes ahead with the 10% tariffs. Italy with €183 million would be the biggest beneficiary followed by France (€129 million) and Germany (€94 million).

“If China retaliates with a further 10% tariff on US goods, the EU would see additional revenue of €1.7 billion. Germany would be the biggest gainer with €323 million in additional income. Italy(€231 million) and France (€168 million) would also significantly benefit from the Chinese retaliation…

“But increased exports from the EU to the US are likely to further strain the bloc’s ties with Washington as they would enlarge its trade surplus with the US. Trump has threatened tariffs on EU goods over the trade surplus…”

The Bible does not indicate that China will become the world’s most powerful economic country, but it clearly shows that American influence and power will decline. The markets reacted positively when the USA announced that new tariffs on certain Chinese consumer items including cell phones, laptop computers, computer monitors, video game consoles, certain toys, and certain items of footwear and clothing would be delayed until December 15, while other products were being removed from the new China tariff list altogether. About $300 billion in Chinese goods will be subject to the tariff on Sept. 1 as planned.

Axios wrote on August 13:

“The threat of a crashing stock market and higher Christmas shopping prices appears to have spooked the Trump administration, despite the president’s false insistence that China pays the cost of tariffs directly into the U.S. Treasury.”

So, Trump may have indeed recognized that his dealing with China was not working and that it was harming US consumers, but then, who knows? Note the next article.

Trump’s Deficit Economy

Project Syndicate wrote on August 9:

“In the new world wrought by US President Donald Trump, where one shock follows another, there is never time to think through fully the implications of the events with which we are bombarded. In late July, the Federal Reserve Board reversed its policy of returning interest rates to more normal levels, after a decade of ultra-low rates in the wake of the Great Recession. Then, the United States had another two mass gun killings in under 24 hours, bringing the total for the year to 255 – more than one a day. And a trade war with China, which Trump had tweeted would be ‘good, and easy to win,’ entered a new, more dangerous phase, rattling markets and posing the threat of a new cold war.

“… the Fed action spoke volumes. The US economy was supposed to be ‘great.’ Its 3.7% unemployment rate and first-quarter growth of 3.1% should have been the envy of the advanced countries. But scratch a little bit beneath the surface, and there was plenty to worry about. Second-quarter growth plummeted to 2.1%. Average hours worked in manufacturing in July sank to the lowest level since 2011. Real wages are only slightly above their level a decade ago, before the Great Recession. Real investment as a percentage of GDP is well below levels in the late 1990s…

“If it takes trillion-dollar annual deficits to keep the US economy going in good times, what will it take when things are not so rosy?

“The US economy has not been working for most Americans, whose incomes have been stagnating – or worse – for decades…The Trump tax bill made matters worse by compounding the problem of decaying infrastructure, weakening the ability of the more progressive states to support education, depriving millions more people of health insurance, and, when fully implemented, leading to an increase in taxes for middle-income Americans, worsening their plight… the enormous Trump fiscal deficits have led to huge trade deficits… as the US has had to import capital to finance the gap between domestic savings and investment.

“Trump promised to get the trade deficit down, but his profound lack of understanding of economics has led to it increasing, just as most economists predicted it would. Despite Trump’s bad economic management and his attempt to talk the dollar down, and the Fed’s lowering of interest rates, his policies have resulted in the US dollar remaining strong, thereby discouraging exports and encouraging imports. Economists have repeatedly tried to explain to him that trade agreements may affect which countries the US buys from and sells to, but not the magnitude of the overall deficit… Trump believes what he wants to believe, leaving those who can least afford it to pay the price.”

The USA is in big trouble. Its economy is in a bubble which will burst soon. So is the inflated housing market. Recession, if not depression, will be the consequence.

Indication of a Coming Recession

The Washington Post wrote on August 14:

“U.S. stocks tumbled at open Wednesday after the inverted yield curve, one of the most reliable indicators of a recession, sparked a new wave of investor fears, erasing the short-lived bump from Tuesday’s trade easing. For the first time since 2007, the yields on short-term U.S. bonds eclipsed those of long-term bonds. This phenomenon, which suggests investors’ faith in the economy is faltering, has preceded every recession in the last 50 years. Recessions typically come within 18 to 24 months after the yield curve inverts…”

npr agreed, stating on August 14:

“Stocks are falling sharply Wednesday on deepening worries over a slowdown in the global economy. The Dow has dropped more than 600 [our note: the market dropped 800] points, or 2.5%… Germany posted negative growth in the latest quarter, and China’s industrial output fell to a 17-year low.

“An even bigger worry: The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell below 2-year Treasuries for the first time since 2007…  Such an inversion in yields has a strong track record of predicting a recession, especially the longer it continues. Each of the last seven recessions, dating back to 1969, were preceded by the 10-year falling below the 2-year.”

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on August 15:

“Oil fell by three points to below $58 a barrel on Thursday, extending the previous session’s 3% drop, pressured by mounting recession concerns…”

The Dow Jones recovered somewhat on Thursday, until the next drop. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled “America’s Fragile Economy–the Calm before the Storm!”  

Government Leads in the Wrong Way…

The Week wrote on August 13:

“The U.S. budget deficit grew to $867 billion for the first 10 months of the fiscal year, an increase of 27 percent compared to this time in 2018, the Treasury Department reported Monday. The deficit for fiscal year 2018 was $779 billion. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget predicts by that point, the deficit will reach $1 trillion for the year.

“Experts say the 2017 Republican tax plan, which included $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, is one reason why the deficit is growing so much. Spending is also up, and while tax revenue increased by 3 percent since October 1, federal spending is up 8 percent. Spending is only going to continue to increase, as a two-year budget deal signed into law by President Trump this month will raise spending by $320 billion.”

When the government spends without discretion, the subjects will follow that bad example. Note the next article.

The USA – a Debtor Nation?

The New York Post wrote on August 11:

“More consumers nationwide are falling behind on their payments and filing for bankruptcy to resolve overwhelming debt loads… And unmanageable debt is also forcing more companies to file for bankruptcy, triggering a wave of job cuts…

“Meanwhile, record American household debt, near $14 trillion including mortgages and student loans, is some $1 trillion higher than during the Great Recession of 2008. Credit card debt of $1 trillion also exceeds the 2008 peak. Americans are spending heavily, again — and often recklessly, say analysts…

“Dick Bove, a financial strategist at Odeon Capital Group in New York [said that] ‘I feel very confident — unfortunately — that there will be increases in bankruptcies.’”

Some may end up in debt due to unforeseen circumstances, through ungodly conduct of others and through no fault of their own. However, the Bible warns against going into debt, due to reckless spending to fulfill one’s greed and desires. Many Americans have never learned how to live within their means. But the Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). This warning is directed at the US government as well. After all, US national debt which is owed by the government is over 22 Trillion dollars.

Further Outrageous Immigration Restrictions for LEGAL Immigrants!

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 12:

“US President Donald Trump’s administration announced a new set of rules on Monday aimed at blocking legal immigrants who need public assistance from receiving permanent residency or citizenship… In order to apply for a green card (a permanent residency permit) or citizenship, applicants must prove that they are not a ‘public charge’ or burden on the state… Under the new regulations, this means that immigrants using the government-run health program Medicaid, housing assistance, food stamps or other public benefits for a certain period of time will be disqualified.

“Immigrants who are seeking to come to the US legally will also be blocked from entering the country if they are deemed likely to need public assistance. The rules will not apply to children receiving public benefits or pregnant women who are on Medicaid. Programs including emergency medical assistance, homeless shelters or disaster relief are also excluded from the rules change.

“The change could impact the 22 million legal residents who are not yet citizens… The rules change has also raised concerns that immigrants will no longer seek help or assistance in order to not jeopardize their green card or citizenship applications. In a statement, the White House said the new rules were aimed at targeting ‘large numbers of non-citizens and their families’ who use benefits. However, an analysis of census data carried out by the Associated Press found that immigrants make up only a small portion of those receiving benefits in the US and access those services at a much lower rate than US citizens.”

The Washington Post wrote on August 12:

“The new policy for ‘Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds’… sets new standards for obtaining permanent residency and U.S. citizenship… The Trump administration will broaden the public charge definition to encompass not just those primarily dependent on public assistance programs, but anyone who uses a public benefit, including publicly funded health care programs including Medicaid, food stamps, other nutrition-related programs, or housing assistance…

“Factors that can count against a green card applicant include having ‘a medical condition’ that will interfere with work or school; not having enough money to cover ‘any reasonably foreseeable medical costs’ related to such a medical condition; having ‘financial liabilities;’ having been approved to receive a public benefit, even if the individual has not actually received the benefit; having a low credit score; the absence of private health insurance; the absence of a college degree; not having the English language skills ‘sufficient to enter the job market;’ or having a sponsor who is ‘unlikely’ to provide financial support…

“Immigration advocates expect the rule to draw an immediate flurry of lawsuits…”

npr wrote on August 12:

“A preliminary draft published last year drew more than 260,000 comments. Many of the comments expressed outrage that the administration would penalize immigrants for using benefits that they are legally entitled to receive… Under the rule, green card and visa applicants can be denied not merely for being ‘primarily dependent on the government for subsistence,’ as in the past, but if they are likely to need public assistance ‘at any time.’…

“The new rule would apply not retroactively but to future applicants for green cards and visas. Past use of most benefits would not be held against the applicant, and neither would the use of such benefits by dependents and other family members…” Adding on August 13, npr quoted acting immigration chief Ken Cuccinelli as saying: “The new rule will go into effect Oct. 15, and only government aid used after that point will be assessed.”

However, this seems to contradict what is expressed in the next article.

Axios added on August 12:

“The new rule will go into effect 60 days after it is published in the register [which will be on August 14]. At the same time, the Trump administration is planning to find ways to force immigrant sponsors to pay the government back for any use of public benefits by the immigrants they’ve sponsored. Trump gave government agencies 90 days to implement such rules in a May memo.”

Words fail! This is INCREDIBLE!!!!!! This is NOT in line with the American dream but resembles policies employed in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia and China. God condemns such inhumane practices and curses a country which engages in them.

Trump’s Betrayal of America

The Week wrote on August 13:

“Under the new policy, federal authorities will use ‘aggressive’ wealth tests to reject residency or citizenship for an immigrant ‘because he or she is likely at any time to become a public charge’ — receiving food stamps or other taxpayer-funded welfare state benefits…

“This is a betrayal of America’s historic promise: The immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island a century ago did not, for the most part, come here on private yachts or in first-class berths. They came here to build new lives for themselves, and in the process, helped build their new country…”

The Los Angeles Times added on August 13:

“Under the new rules, the Department of Homeland Security has redefined a public charge as someone who is ‘more likely than not’ to receive public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now weigh whether applicants have received public assistance along with other factors such as education, income and health to determine whether to grant legal status.”

First Lawsuit Filed

The Hill wrote on August 14:

“Two California counties on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit against the Trump administration’s new ‘public charge’ rule… The National Immigration Law Center said it will sue the administration…New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced Monday that she would sue over the rule, while California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) vowed to fight the rule.”

The 23-page complaint filed by the City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara is an eye-opener regarding the appalling nature of the reinterpretation of the public charge concept. It would include, inter alia, non-emergency Medicaid, Medicare Part D subsidies, credit history and credit scores and the mere application for benefits, even if they were denied.

It would even include all those legal residents who apply for changes or “adjustment” of status (for instance, green card holders applying for citizenship or retuning to the USA after a 180-day absence) or extensions of visas, requiring of them to prove that they have not received enumerated public benefits and are unlikely to receive them in the future. Until now, it had been the universal rule, as understood by the INS and numerous court decisions, based on “the plain statutory meaning, historical usage, and case law, and extensive consultation with benefit-granting agencies,” that the “public charge” requirement does not include non-cash benefits such as Medicaid, housing assistance, food stamps, etc.

The complaint concludes that the new policy is not only harmful, but that it is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and unlawful. Assuming that the matter will end up before the US Supreme Court, it will have to be seen how their politically motivated judges will decide.

As this matter could have great negative consequences for members of all of the Churches of God, as well as their families, it would be advisable to pray to God that He intervenes and prevents the enforcement of this new rule.

Suicide of Epstein Fishy and Suspicious

The Washington Examiner wrote on August 10:

“Many reactions to the Saturday morning suicide death of alleged sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein expressed suspicion around the circumstances of his death. Epstein allegedly killed himself in his cell at the Manhattan Correctional Center early Saturday morning…

“His death follows the unsealing of 2,000 pages of documents on Friday that implicated many other high-profile individuals in Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring.”

The Huffington Post had reported on August 9 that “[a]nother batch of documents [was] expected to be released in the coming weeks…”

The Week added on August 10 about his previous “suicide attempt”: “Epstein… previously found in his cell in July semi-conscious with marks around his neck from what two sources said may have been an attempt to hang himself, while other sources suggested he may have faked, or actually been the victim of, an attack.”

Fox News reported on August 10:

“President Trump added fuel to the conspiracy theories surrounding multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide on Saturday when he retweeted a post that implied former President Bill Clinton was linked to Epstein’s death. The tweet came from self-described comedian Terrence K. Williams who echoed many on social media in suggesting a connection between the Clintons and Epstein… Williams’ video argued that ‘for some odd reason, people with information on the Clintons end up dead and they usually die from suicide.’”

JTA wrote on August 11:

“Jail guards failed to check Jeffrey Epstein in his cell every 30 minutes per procedure… In addition, the jail had transferred his cellmate and allowed Epstein to be housed alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a violation of regular procedure…”

Doubts galore. It reminds us of the alleged suicide by former Nazi Deputy Chancellor or Fuehrer Rudolf Hess in a Russian prison in Spandau, Germany,  in 1987.  He was the only inmate. After his death, the prison was demolished. Very few doubt that the Russians killed him.

Straight Parade Denied

The Washington Times wrote on August 11:

“Modesto city officials [in Northern California] denied an application by the National Straight Pride Coalition for an Aug. 24 event at Graceada Park. Organizer Don Grundmann had estimated 500 people would attend. The group says it supports heterosexuality, Christianity and white contributions to Western civilization.

“Opponents argued the rally would promote hatred of LGBTQ people and minorities. City spokesman Thomas Reeves says the permit request was denied over safety concerns, because the group lost its liability insurance and the parks department determined the event wasn’t consistent with park use. However, Reeves says the city would allow the rally at a downtown plaza if the group proves it has insurance by Tuesday.”

We wonder whether the organizers of gay pride parades always have liability insurance. How biblical values have been turned upside down in this world ruled by Satan.

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.

How Strong Is the US Military?

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US Costliest Warship Cannot Carry Ammunition

Bloomberg wrote on July 30:

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

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

The US President’s War Powers

The Week wrote on July 28:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US Economy Slows

npr wrote on July 26:

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

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

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

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

Fed Cuts Interest Rates – Why?

The Week wrote on July 31:

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

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

The Democratic Debate: Socialists vs. Moderates

AFP wrote on July 31:

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

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

Second Democratic Debate

Fox News reported on August 1:

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

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

US Allies Are Distancing Themselves from America

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

The Algemeiner wrote on July 26:

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

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

Germany Refuses to Assist USA

Breitbart wrote on July 31:

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

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

Trade Deal between US and UK?

The Guardian wrote on July 31:

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

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

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

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

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

Breitbart wrote on July 26:

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

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

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

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

Strange Happenings at the Mexican Border

World News Daily Report wrote on July 24:

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

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

One does wonder…

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

The Week wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

Believing Flip-Flopping Boris Johnson?

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

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

Johnson a Passionate Zionist

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 24:

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

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

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

Pound Could Hit Historic Low

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 30:

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

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

Russia and China Best Friends

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crackdown on Russia’s Opposition

Deutsche Welle reported on July 27:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Guardian added on July 27:

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

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

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

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

The Sun added on July 27:

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

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

Navalny Poisoned? 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

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

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

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

Atheistic China Persecutes Christians

CBN wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

Such as was done in Nazi Germany under Hitler. 

Chinese Forces Gather at Hong Kong Border 

news wrote on July 31:

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

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

UN Anti-Israel Resolution 

JTA wrote on July 26:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 29:

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

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

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

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

A Third Temple will be built soon.

New Dirty Allegations against Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Kleine Zeitung wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

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

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

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

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

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

Cheaters Linked to Professional Misconduct

The Independent wrote on July 31:

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

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

Earthquakes in Europe, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia

The Sun wrote on July 31:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

America’s Recycling Crisis—Robots to the Rescue

CNBC wrote on July 27:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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

AFP wrote on July 20:

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

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

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

The Sun wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

British Tensions with Iran

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on July 22:

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

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

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

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

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

The Sun wrote on July 25:

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

European Tensions with Trump over Iran

The Guardian wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

The Associated Press wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

The Guardian added on July 22:

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

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

Boris Johnson new UK Prime Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 23:

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

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

“Boris Johnson Is How Britain Ends”

The New York Times wrote on July 22:

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

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

EU Congratulates Johnson, but…

The Guardian wrote on July 23:

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

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

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

Newsmax and The Associated Press wrote on July 23:

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

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

Johnson’s Night of the Blond Knives

 The Sun wrote on July 24:

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

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

Johnson’s actions could very well backfire.

UK to Become the Greatest Place on Earth?

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

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

The Daily Mail wrote on July 25:

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

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

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

Tensions with Turkey

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Russians and Ukrainians Are ‘One People'”

Newsmax wrote on July 20:

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

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

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

Trump for Another Four Years

Piers Morgan wrote on July 22 in the Daily Mail:

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

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

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

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

Mueller Hearings – No Favors for Democrats

Fox News wrote on July 24:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bi-Partisan Deal on Increasing Federal Spending

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 22:

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

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

The Telegraph added on July 22:

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

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

Such insanity cannot go on forever.

Americans Mistrust their Government and News Media

AFP wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

Proposed US Refugee Plan Echoes Dark Time in American History

JTA wrote on July 24:

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

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

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

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

Trouble in Puerto Rico

Axios wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

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

NBC News wrote on July 24:

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

Hong Kong Crisis Escalates

ABS News reported on July 22:

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

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

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

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

Hardship in Zimbabwe

The Guardian wrote on July 21:

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

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

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

Merkel on Collision Course with Trump

The Local wrote on July 19:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ursula von der Leyen vs. Donald Trump

Politico wrote on July 17:

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

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

EU-US Trade War Coming?

Politico wrote on July 21:

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

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

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

Merkel Remembers Operation Valkyre and Attacks Right-Wing Extremism

The Huffington Post wrote on July 20:

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

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

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

Germany to Increase Military Spending?

The EUObserver wrote on July 22:

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

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

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

Austria to Become an Authoritarian State under Kurz?

 vaaju wrote on July 21, 2019:

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

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

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

NGO Migrant Ships Continue Despite Strong Opposition

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 21:

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle added on July 21:

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

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

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

The EUObserver added on July 19:

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

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

Europe Needs to Rediscover Christian Heritage

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

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

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

Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Condemns Homosexuality

JTA wrote on July 23:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Germany’s von der Leyen New European Commission President

Deutsche Welle reported on July 16:

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

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

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

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Von der Leyen Another Reason for Brexit?

The Sun wrote on July 17:

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

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

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

Boris Johnson UK’s last PM?

The Guardian wrote on July 18:

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

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

AKK new Germany’s Defense Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

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

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

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

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

Spahn Was Considered Favorite as Defense Minister

Fox News reported on July 17:

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

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

Mandatory Measles Vaccinations in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 17:

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

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

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

US and Turkey… Edging Closer to Crisis?

The Associated Press wrote on July 12:

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

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

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

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

American Nukes in Europe

The Sun wrote on July 17:

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

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

Sanctions against Turkey

Bloomberg wrote on July 14:

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

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

Richard Grenell—America’s Controversial Ambassador to Germany

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 13:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heightened Tensions with Iran

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 18:

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

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

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

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

“Bastille Day Parade Showcases European Military Cooperation”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 14:

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News added on July 14:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russia Prepares for Regional Wars in Europe

Express wrote on July 15:

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

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

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

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

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

Missiles and other Sophisticated Weapons by Far-Right Italian Extremists

The Local wrote on July 15:

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

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

ABC News added:

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

This is frightening indeed.

How Trump Conquered the Republican Party

The Week wrote on July 14:

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

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

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

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

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters reported on July 17:

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

Britain Not Happy With Trump

BBC News wrote on July 15:

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

The Sun added on July 15:

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

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

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

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

In Defense of Israel?

JTA added on July 15:

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

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

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

Trump Attacks Bitcoin and Faces Strong Backlash from his Supporters

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News added on July 15:

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

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

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

Earthquakes in Indonesia and Australia

Fox News wrote on July 14:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister

The Associated Press wrote on July 17:

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

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

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

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

Mint Press News wrote on June 24:

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

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

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

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

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

JTA wrote on July 12:

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Germany Rejects US Call for Syria Troops

AFP wrote on July 7:

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle reported on July 8:

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

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

Iran Announces Second Breach of 2015 Nuclear Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle added on July 8:

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

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

Newsmax added on July 8:

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

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

Gibraltar Detains Syrian Oil Tanker

AFP wrote on July 6:

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

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

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

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

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

Ukraine Wants to Talk to Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

Finally, Ukraine will become part of Russia.

“Pope” Putin Meets with Pope Francis

The New York Times wrote on July 4:

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

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

Church Militant wrote on July 8:

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

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

Potential Nuclear Planetary Catastrophe Averted?

Bloomberg wrote on July 9:

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

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

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

Merkel’s Health Cause for Concern?

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

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

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

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

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

Greece Has a New Leader

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

America’s and Europe’s Outrageous Immigration Policy

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 4:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strains in Special Relationship between USA and UK

The Hill wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

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

Axios wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

The Sun wrote on July 10:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Guardian added on July 10:

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

British Airways Fined

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

US Courts vs. Trump

npr wrote on July 9:

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

The Washington Post wrote on July 9:

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

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

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

npr added on July 11:

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

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

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

The Associated Press wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

JTA wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

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

Biblical City of Ziklag Found

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 8:

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

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

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

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

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

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

More historical proof that the Bible is accurate in everything.

Dumping 1.5 Tons of Rat Poison on the Farallon Islands?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 7:

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

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

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

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

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

It very well seems to be.

“The Asteroid Peril Isn’t Science Fiction”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes California

The Week wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

Why Comparatively Little Damage in Ridgecrest?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 10:

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

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

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

German Catholics Storm out of Sermon Urging Forgiveness for Predator Priests

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 5:

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

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

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

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

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

Ten-Year-Olds Tell the Teacher About LGBT Ideology

Life Site News reported on July 1:

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

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

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

Out of the mouth of “babes”…

Some Potentially Good News from Australia

CNA wrote on July 6:

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

Has America Lost Its Patriotism?

The New York Post wrote on July 3:

“American patriotism has just reached a record low…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iran Breaches Deal with Europe and other Powers

The Associated Press wrote on July 1:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will Israel Strike Iran?

Express wrote on July 1:

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

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

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

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

US Will Sanction Every Country Importing Iranian Oil

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on June 28:

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

The Washington Post wrote on June 28:

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

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

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

No Congressional Approval Needed for War with Iran

The Huffington Post wrote on June 28:

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

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

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

How Iran Could Retaliate

National Interest wrote on June 29:

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

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

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

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

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

A Biblical Book of Trump?

JTA wrote on June 27:

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

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

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

Towards the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News ran the following headline on July 1:

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

The article continued:

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

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

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

The Jordan Times added on July 1:

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

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

Trump and Kim Jong Un Together Again

 nbc News reported on June 30:

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

Deutsche Welle added on June 30:

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

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

The Huffington Post added on June 30:

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

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

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

Donald Trump Tries to Appease Putin

The Huffington Post wrote on June 28:

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

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

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

Europeans Surrender to Russia

The EUobserver wrote on June 27:

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

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

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

Cozying up to Saudi Arabia

The Associated Press wrote on June 29:

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

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

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

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

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

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

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

The Times wrote on June 29:

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

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

France 24 added on June 29:

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

Trump, Xi Revive Trade Talks at G-20 Summit

The Week wrote on June 29:

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

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

Al Jazeera News wrote on June 29:

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

Ongoing Trade War between USA and EU

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

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

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

EU and South American Countries Agree on Historical Free Trade Treaty

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 28:

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

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

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

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

EU and Vietnam Agree on Trade Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

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

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

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

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

Meet Boris Johnson–the Next British Prime Minister?

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEPs Shock EU Parliament

Express wrote on July 2:

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

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

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

Europe’s New Parliament President

The Local wrote on July 3:

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

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

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

The Guardian wrote on July 3:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle added on July 3:

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

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

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

Germany’s New Far-Right Terror

Der Spiegel wrote on June 27:

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

The Guardian wrote on June 28:

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

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

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

Italy Arrests German Captain

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 29:

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

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

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

AFP added on June 29:

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

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

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

Italy’s Far-Right Government under Attack

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 30:

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

The Local added on June 30:

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

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

The Associated Press wrote on June 30:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deutsche Welle reported on July 2:

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

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

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

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

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

Just the Tip of the Iceberg…

The EUObserver wrote on July 3:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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