COVID Restrictions… Here We Go Again!!!

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 30:

“The United Kingdom and France are set to require negative COVID-19 tests for travelers arriving from China… Travelers on airplanes arriving from France will have to wear masks… Spain, South Korea and Israel announced earlier Friday they would introduce COVID test requirements for Chinese travelers too. Malaysia on Friday [said] it would screen all international arrivals from China for fever as well.

“China is easing travel restrictions that it had since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic despite a surge in cases. Beijing’s move prompted the US, Italy, Japan and other countries to impose checks on arrivals from China…

“Italy has called for EU-wide checks, but the bloc’s health agency said it saw such measures as unjustified arguing that the situation in China was unlikely to affect Europe with its high levels of immunization.

“China had said it would no longer release an official daily COVID death toll. The country also stopped mass testing and reporting asymptomatic cases, sparking concerns that the official data is likely not an accurate representation of the situation…

“Chinese state media… have criticized the growing number of countries requiring negative COVID tests from travelers from China… Global Times called the restrictions ‘unfounded’ and ‘discriminatory.’

“Until now, China has required all passengers arriving from abroad, including Chinese nationals, to quarantine for five days at a hotel, followed by three days at home. The country of 1.4 billion people reported on Thursday one death linked to the coronavirus. But a UK-based health data firm, Airfinity, estimated around 9,000 people in China were likely dying each day of COVID.”

Express added on December 30:

“UK arrivals from China will have to provide a negative Covid test before they can enter the country from next week… the policy change will come into effect from January 5… In addition to the negative test requirement, the UK Health Security Agency… will also launch surveillance from January 8. This will see a sample of passengers arriving from China tested for the virus in a bid to monitor the development of any new variants.”

It is feared that these developments, true or not, may cause governments around the world to reinstitute sweeping coronavirus restrictions.

“What Went Well in Germany in 2022”—Really?

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 30:

“Among the steady stream of bleak news of war, crisis and recession, news of positive developments almost got sidetracked this year. Here’s what Germany can look back at.

“Since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, millions of people have fled Ukraine, many of them to Germany. The Central Register of Foreigners listed about 1 million Ukrainian refugees by the end of October. People in Germany were immensely willing to help…  The willingness to help has dropped off somewhat since the war started in February, but it was still at a high level months later…

“Germany’s major DAX companies are looking at a pretty good year… Mercedes, Volkswagen and Siemens were listed as the companies with the biggest profits. Anyone who might have expected a slump in business was wrong, said Henrik Ahlers of EY. ‘Sales and profits are rising, and business is booming for the majority of DAX companies,’ he added…

“Christian Drosten, Germany’s preeminent virologist, said we have reached the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Immunity in the population will be so widespread and resilient after this winter that the virus will hardly be able to spread in the summer, the head of virology at Berlin’s Charite hospital said…”

Realistically, there are not too many positive developments, and even those which are quoted in this article are subject to interpretation. The arrival of many Ukrainian refugees has also been described as a problem for Germany; the success of German companies does not match the misery of the average German customer; and the “end of the coronavirus pandemic” has now been questioned due to the latest resurgence of restrictions due to alleged developments in China. Regarding refugees and immigration, note the next article.

Violence in Germany

Breitbart wrote on January 4:

“Young migrants were allegedly involved in much of the violence across the country [of Germany] on New Year’s Eve, according to local witnesses, police and firefighters, with one incident seeing a man with an Albanian flag fire a flare gun at a police vehicle.

“Although it has taken until now for more solid information about the nature of the violence to emerge, even at the time Germany’s Bild hinted at the circumstances when it reported on New Year’s Day that the violence in Berlin had been concentrated in migrant ‘hot spot’ neighbourhoods. Now Die Welt reports 18 nationalities were arrested on the night, with just 45 of 145 arrested holding German citizenship. The largest groups otherwise of those arrested include Afghans and Syrians, the report said.

“German journalist Frank Schneider lamented the trend for delaying or suppressing the reporting of the influence of immigration in crime in an opinion article for the tabloid Bild, stating that ‘Politicians prefer to call for a general ban on firecrackers than to clearly name the perpetrators. No outcry from the upright in defence of the rule of law. People are afraid of being considered racist.’

“According to Schneider, police and government officials are afraid to acknowledge the links between migration and the violence on New Year’s Eve due to such rhetoric being used by populist politicians and political parties. ‘Citizens are noticing that more and more is slipping. In times of growing economic problems, it is extremely dangerous if there is also the feeling that certain problems are deliberately concealed. Or played down,’ he wrote.”

The Debacle of German Minister of Defense Lambrecht

bobrtimes wrote on January 2:

“Already weakened by blunders, the German Minister of Defense, Christine Lambrecht, was again criticized on Monday after the broadcast of her wishes [in a video].

“The video is only a minute long, but was deemed so unsuccessful that the social-democratic minister is again targeted by calls for [her] resignation… ‘A war is raging in the middle of Europe. I was able to draw many particular impressions from it’, … the minister [said] about the Russian invasion, evoking ‘many, many meetings with interesting and formidable people’. ‘For that, I say a big thank you.’

“‘Doubts about her suitability for this position have been around for a long time. It is now time for the Chancellor to draw the consequences’, lambasted the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel on Monday. ‘The New Year’s speech recorded by mobile phone and barely comprehensible due to firework flares and the absence of a microphone on a Berlin sidewalk would already have been embarrassing for a volunteer village mayor – for a Minister of Defense and a member of NATO, it is simply shameful,’ complains Bild, the country’s most read daily…

“The minister accumulated disappointments in 2022, regularly attracting ridicule and criticism, such as when she announced the sending of thousands of helmets to Ukrainians who were instead expecting deliveries of heavy weapons from Germany. Ms. Lambrecht also embodied, in the eyes of the Ukrainian regime, but also of the Germans, the shortcomings of an army whose equipment is obsolete. In mid-December, Berlin thus had to suspend new orders for Puma armored vehicles after a series of breakdowns affecting armored vehicles already in use by the army…

“For the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, the minister’s repeated errors ‘constitute a huge [liability]’ for an army that is supposed to modernize and regain strategic importance in times of war.”

Germany is plagued by one debacle after the other.

Do COVID Vaccinations Cause Sickness?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on January 1:

“Public-health experts are sounding the alarm about a new Omicron variant dubbed XBB that is rapidly spreading across the Northeast U.S. Some studies suggest it is as different from the original Covid strain from Wuhan as the 2003 SARS virus. Should Americans be worried?

“It isn’t clear that XBB is any more lethal than other variants, but its mutations enable it to evade antibodies from prior infection and vaccines as well as existing monoclonal antibody treatments. Growing evidence also suggests that repeated vaccinations may make people more susceptible to XBB and could be fueling the virus’s rapid evolution.”

California’s New Crazy (and Dangerous) Laws

Breitbart wrote on January 1:

“California will see several radical laws go into effect on Sunday, January 1…The  ‘COVID Misinformation’ law… requires California’s medical licensing boards to take disciplinary action against doctors who are involved with the dissemination of misinformation or disinformation related to…  ‘COVID-19’. The law does not take into account the fact that authorities like Dr. Anthony Fauci changed their recommendations over time…

“The ‘Freedom to Walk Act’ presumes that jaywalking is a racist crime because it is supposedly enforced unevenly — by the nation’s most left-wing state — in ‘communities of color’ where people supposedly cannot afford to pay the fines…

“[Another] law attempts to expand access to abortion by allowing qualified nurses to perform certain abortion procedures in the first trimester of pregnancy without the supervision of a doctor. This new law will take effect alongside a new provision in the California constitution, passed by a referendum in 2022, guaranteeing the right to abortion and contraception…

“Newsom has signed several other radical laws that go into effect in future years. He is currently thought to be mulling a run for president, and is establishing a national reputation as a left-wing leader on cultural issues.”

In regard to the “COVID Misinformation” law, Twitter and many other outlets determined what was “misinformation” and as a consequence, censored and banned articles and statements which turned out to be absolutely correct. California is now going much further by REQUIRING medical licensing boards to take disciplinary action regarding statements which THEY determine to be misinformation… even though, as the past has shown, those doctors making such statements might be absolutely correct. This is indeed a terrible development, endangering once again freedom of speech and potentially suppressing the TRUTH, while catering to Big Pharma and doctors acting on their behest, including for fear that they otherwise might be disciplined.

A Simulation of the Next Plandemic?

Rumble published the following article by Clayton Morris, a former Fox News anchor, on December 26:

“Bill Gates and the WHO have ran a simulation of the next plandemic, coming soon to a government near you in 2025.

“Coincidentally, a video of Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), back in January 2017, warned members of the incoming Trump administration about the inevitability of a ‘surprise outbreak’ of a new disease. He said at the time that the United States needed to do more to prepare… According to Forbes magazine: ‘In 2014, President Barack Obama’s Administration enacted a federal funding pause for what was termed “gain-of-function” research.’

“It turns out, through waivers and pause exemptions, Anthony Fauci’s institute was funding many of the very scientists doing the potentially risky virus, bio-weapons research. Anthony Fauci’s NIAID quietly restarted funding, with guidance, for what was then termed ‘enhanced potential pandemic pathogens.’ News of the funding restart surprised many in the scientific community.

“The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation conducted another plandemic tabletop exercise in Brussels, Belgium, on October 23, 2022. The phenomenon is dubbed SEERS, Severe Epidemic Enterovirus Respiratory Syndrome 2025.”

Any connection?

“Trump Just Won the ’24 Election”

On December 29, Newsmax published the following article by Dick Morris, former presidential adviser to Bill Clinton for 20 years, and political strategist:

“Two serendipitous things happened and just dumped into Trump’s lap issues that will make him president again.

“First, the Twitter Files exposé is one of the most shocking examples of government censorship and collusion with the FBI and Big Media ever.

“Second, there’s the big spending, budget-busting omnibus bill Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., backed, effectively castrating the new Republican House majority… So Donald Trump has two great issues to ride: free speech and fighting McConnell…

“The Twitter-FBI censorship issue gives Trump the unique status of victim-in-chief… When the FBI and Twitter suppressed and discredited evidence from Hunter’s laptop — in a direct effort to sway the 2020 election — this was one of the most dangerous governmental efforts to interfere in an election ever… Had this information been shared widely by the media just weeks before the 2020 election, there is no way Biden could have won…

“While many admire DeSantis, I believe he has no role to play in this war against Big Tech/Big Media and the Swamp. This is Donald Trump’s fight — one he’ll win, and with it, the White House in 2024.”

Please read this week’s Editorial in regard to this article.

Trump’s Tax Returns Made Public

Breitbart wrote on December 30:

“Democrats in control of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee released six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, an unprecedented intrusion that revealed nothing in particular. The release marked the first time Congress had ever obtained and published the tax returns of any individual.

“… Trump resisted the committee’s efforts in the courts, until finally losing at the Supreme Court, which allowed the Committee to compel the IRS to turn over the tax returns of Trump, now a private citizen.

“The House Ways and Means Committee released the returns just days before Democrats formally lose their majority in the House of Representatives — and, with it, majority control of the various House committees. The six years of newly-released returns, covering the years 2015 through 2020, show that Trump paid a total of $4.4 million in federal income taxes over that period, with an adjusted gross income of -$53.2 million…

“… there appeared to be few bombshells. In a statement on Truth Social, his social media platform, the former president said the returns showed ‘how proudly successful I have been’ and warned that ‘the Democrats should never have done it.’ Republicans echoed the latter sentiment, saying the release of the tax returns seemed to have a purely political motive, and opened the door for Republicans to do the same in future.”

There can be no doubt that Democrats acted because of a purely political motive.

CNN published the following opinion piece on December 30:

 “… we have long known the basic story. Trump is a bad businessman who seems to lose money on everything from casinos to golf clubs, with steaks and vodka and even a so-called university in between. So the main reason he often pays so little, if any, in taxes, is that he often reports a loss. He also lost other people’s money and got big tax breaks for that.

“Trump has benefitted from the huge head start given to him by his father Fred Trump, which continued to pay dividends with large capital gains from the sale of inherited property in 2018 (leading to Trump paying some taxes that year – just under $1 million)… Friday’s release has already shown, for example, that Trump did not donate his presidential salary to charities in 2020, as he had promised – he made no charitable gifts at all in 2020, when he paid no taxes…

“Given his massive and mysterious income tax refund of nearly $73 million in 2010, Trump may not have paid net positive income taxes in his life. And he is not alone. Many billionaires pay no income tax, and many do so perfectly legally.”

Obviously, something is terribly wrong with our tax system, and the employment of hundreds of IRS agents will only acerbate the problem by going mainly after the average hard-working tax-paying American citizen.

Trump Blames Pro-Life Republicans for Midterm Loss

Fox News wrote on January 2, 2023:

“Trump faced heavy criticism following midterm elections after Trump-endorsed candidates lost key close races across the country. Many commentators argued Trump had forced the party to put up bad candidates, but Trump now argues it was the fault of staunchly pro-life Republicans… ‘It was the “abortion issue,” poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of rape, incest or life of the mother, that lost large numbers of voters.’…

“Trump’s attack on pro-life voters comes as support for his 2024 presidential run has plummeted in the polls. Prior to the midterms, Trump was the overwhelming favorite to be the Republican nominee, regularly winning primary polls with upward of 50% of the vote. Support has surged for Trump’s perceived rivals since the midterm losses of his handpicked candidates like Herschel Walker in Georgia, Kari Lake in Arizona and Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.

“A Wall Street Journal poll of Republican primary voters found last month that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads Trump by double digits for the GOP nomination.”

Abortion for any reason is murder in the eyes of God. To allow for “exceptions” in order to gain more votes is shameful and appalling. One should not forget that Trump was a pro-choice supporter at one time. His remarks now bring back sad memories and pose the question as to what Trump is really convinced of.

AG Garland’s Unique Challenge

The Hill published the following opinion piece on January 2:

“[Attorney General] Merrick Garland will face two unprecedented scenarios: He could become the first attorney general in American history to indict a former president, as well as the first attorney general to be impeached by Congress.

“For months, Garland has faced the unenviable prospect of having to eventually decide whether or not to prosecute Donald Trump. There are two ongoing federal investigations into the former president: One involving his possible mishandling of classified documents and presidential records, and the other concerning his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol…

“Seeking political insulation, the attorney general appointed an independent special counsel, Jack Smith, to handle the DOJ’s active investigations into Trump after he announced his intention to seek the presidency again in 2024. But regardless of what Smith recommends, Garland will have the ultimate say in bringing an indictment, as the attorney general has the full power to override a special counsel’s recommendation.

“Appointing a special counsel does not offer Garland any real degree of political absolution, and he will personally bear the consequences of the department’s eventual decision…

“That being said, we cannot ignore this reality: An opposing party bringing criminal charges against a former president — who is again running for office — would set a dangerous and divisive precedent in the United States, and could turn the justice department into a perpetual political weapon… an indictment could embolden far more nefarious actors in the future to prosecute their political opponents with much less evidence of criminality.

“It is not an exaggeration to suggest that this could trigger a constitutional crisis, a civil war — or both…

“As damaging as an indictment would be to the country, an even greater threat to the republic would be if Garland makes the decision not to prosecute Trump if there is clear and unequivocal evidence that he committed a serious federal crime or multiple. That could jeopardize America’s endurance, stability and place in the world…

“But there is no denying that Merrick Garland, as the chief law enforcement officer in the United States, will face an unprecedented set of challenges in ultimately determining where that line is.”

It will be interesting to see what Garland is going to do.

Jordan Ready for Conflict With Israel

Israel 365 News wrote on December 29:

“Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday said he was ready for a conflict should Israel’s incoming government violate ‘red lines’ by changing the status quo governing relations at Jerusalem’s holy sites… Jordan has since 1967 been the custodian of holy sites in the Israeli capital’s Old City, including the Al Aqsa Mosque that sits atop the Temple Mount, Judaism’s most sacred place.

“While Muslims are allowed to freely visit and worship at the mosque, Jews are severely restricted from accessing the site where two biblical temples stood and are banned from praying there, although the latter stringency has been relaxed in recent years.

“Abdullah also warned that the Palestinians could launch another terror war. ‘We have to be concerned about a next intifada,’ he said, adding: ‘If that happens, that’s a complete breakdown of law and order and one that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will benefit from…’

“A spokesman for Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said the incoming Israeli government’s policy agenda constituted a ‘dangerous escalation.’ Nabil Abu Rudeineh issued a veiled warning that there would be ongoing violence unless a Palestinian state was created…”

The Middle East will never experience peace prior to Christ’s return.

Ben Gvir’s Visit to the Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on January 2:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday about the latter’s stated intention to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which has drawn condemnations from the opposition and threats from the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group.

“The content of the conversation was not made public, but Hebrew media reports indicated that the two agreed that Ben Gvir would hold off on visiting the flashpoint site. A statement issued by Ben Gvir’s office said he would visit the Temple Mount as a minister ‘in the upcoming weeks,’ and not this week as reportedly planned.

“Unnamed associates of Ben Gvir who were cited by the Walla news site said the prime minister did not ask him to nix the visit altogether. According to the Ynet news site, Ben Gvir told Netanyahu, ‘We mustn’t cave to Hamas,’ after the terror group warned against the visit [stating it] would ‘blow up the situation.’”

Ben Gvir had announced that he intended to visit the Temple Mount on Tuesday, January 3, which is the tenth day of Tevet, a fast day commemorating the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar that led to the destruction of the Temple. However, Ben Gvir went ahead with his original plan. Note the next article.

Ben Gvir Did Go Ahead With His Visit on Tuesday!

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 3:

“Israel’s new national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Tuesday visited a Jerusalem flashpoint holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. ‘The Temple Mount is open to all,’ the ultranationalist politician said afterward on Twitter…

“Ben-Gvir previously stated his intent to visit the site. This drew threats from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The group runs Gaza and is recognized as a terrorist organization by the German government, the EU, the US and some Arab states… ‘Itamar Ben-Gvir must not go up to Temple Mount,’ opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid was quoted as saying… ‘It is a deliberate provocation that will put lives in danger and cost lives.’

“The paper reported earlier that Ben-Gvir had agreed to hold off on the visit after speaking with Netanyahu later that day. However, on Tuesday, Ben-Gvir went ahead with the visit, saying that the Israeli government ‘will not surrender to the threats of Hamas.’

“The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry said it ‘strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and views it as unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict.’… Jordan, which acts as custodian of the contested shrine, condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit ‘in the strongest terms.’’

“Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt also condemned what they described as the ‘storming’ of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.”

Storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound? Ridiculous, but it shows the unified hate by Arabs towards Israel.

BBC News reported on January 3:

“Jordan… summoned Israel’s ambassador in protest… Mr Ben-Gvir sent a message of defiance to Hamas, declaring: ‘No Israeli government that I’m a member of is going to bow to a despicable and murderous terror organisation… and if Hamas thinks that I’ll be deterred by its threats, it needs to accept that times have changed and that there’s a government in Jerusalem.’”

It is somewhat unclear whether Netanyahu ultimately gave his approval for the visit.

UN and EU vs. Israel

Israel 365 News reported on January 1, 2023:

“Israel’s prime minister on Saturday described as ‘disgraceful’ a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to render an opinion on the legal status of Judea and Samaria. ‘Just like the hundreds of distorted U.N. General Assembly resolutions against Israel over the years, today’s disgraceful resolution will not obligate the government of Israel,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. ‘The Jewish people is not occupying its land and is not occupying its eternal capital Jerusalem. No U.N. resolution can distort this historical truth,’ he added…

“Prof. Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor, told JNS that the UNGA resolution ‘represents another stage in the political war against Israel, based on the cynical use of U.N. and international legal bodies.’ Behind the scenes, he said, ‘There is a network of European-funded NGOs who are driving the absurd campaign to isolate Israel as South Africa was under apartheid, and eventually seek the prosecution of Israeli officials at the International Criminal Court.’”

Israel Strikes Syrian Airport

The New York Post wrote on January 2, 2023:

“Israel’s military fired missiles toward the international airport of Syria’s capital [Damascus] early Monday, putting it out of service and killing two soldiers and wounding two others, the Syrian army said…

“Israel has targeted airports and ports in government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah…

“Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. Israel has acknowledged, however, that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces…

“Israel says an Iranian presence on its northern frontier is a red line that justifies its strikes on facilities and weapons inside Syria.”

For further information on the future of Syria and the city of Damascus, read our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy” 

Worldwide Losses

The Financial Times wrote on December 30:

“Global stocks and bonds lost more than $30tn for 2022 after inflation, interest rate rises and the war in Ukraine triggered the heaviest losses in asset markets since the global financial crisis [in 2008]… with shares from Wall Street to Shanghai and Frankfurt all notching up significant falls… The market value of companies traded across all global stock exchanges tumbled by $25tn…”

CNBC added on December 30:

“Friday marked the final day of trading in what has been a painful year for stocks. All three of the major averages suffered their worst year since 2008… As the calendar turns to a new year, some investors think the pain is far from over. They expect the bear market to persist until a recession hits or the Fed pivots [that is, until the Fed completely changes its way which, sadly, cannot be expected]. Some also project stocks will hit new lows…”

The Bible speaks of perilous or “expensive” times which will confront us in the last days.

Brazil’s Current Economic Outlook

Aljazeera wrote on January 1:

“Compared with [Brazil’s new President] Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s [known as Lula’s] first two terms in office, from 2003-2010, the current economic outlook is gloomy. Inflation is hovering at 6 percent despite the central bank’s decision to raise interest rates to 13.75 percent in August, extending an 18-month tightening cycle.

“High borrowing costs look set to constrain investment and consumption, just as concerns over an impending global recession have started to undercut commodity markets…

“Today, the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio is almost 90 percent…

“The upshot is that Lula will not be able to ride on the coattails of a 2000s-era growth spurt. He is also facing growing pressure to de-carbonise Brazil’s growth model and to reassert greater government control over Petrobras, the state-backed energy company. In short, he faces enormous challenges.”

It was suggested that left-wing “socialist” Lula may be forced to move more towards center, which would anger left-wing supporters.

Death of Former Pope Benedict XVI

BBC News wrote on December 31:

“He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415… Joe Biden – only the second Catholic to serve as US president – said Pope Benedict ‘will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith’…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Pope Benedict as a ‘defender of traditional Christian values,’ in his New Year address to the nation…

“In recent years… the Pope Emeritus became something of a lightning rod for some opposed to the new Pope. There had been speculation that Pope Francis, who himself has been suffering ill health, had been contemplating stepping down, but was reluctant to do so if it meant there would be three popes in Rome…

“Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany, Benedict was 78 when in 2005 he became one of the oldest popes ever elected. For much of his papacy, the Catholic Church faced allegations, legal claims and official reports into decades of child abuse by priests….”

The Daily Mail added on December 31:

“He was elected pope on April 19, 2005 to succeed the widely popular Pope John Paul II, who reigned for 27 years… The first German pope in 1,000 years, Benedict himself acknowledged that he was a weak administrator…”

Now, After Benedict’s Death…

The Wall Street Journal wrote on January 4:

“Pope Francis has been the leader of the Catholic Church for almost 10 years, but he has been the only pope in the Vatican just since Saturday.

“The death of Pope Benedict XVI after a decade in retirement has ended an extraordinary arrangement that helped define the current pontificate. While Francis has already taken a markedly different tack than his predecessor, he may feel even freer to do so now…

“According to Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong… Pope Benedict was a restraining influence on Pope Francis on more than one occasion. In particular, he cites the decision by Pope Francis in 2020 not to make it easier to ordain married men as priests… ‘a Pope Emeritus, like every bishop and cardinal as long as he has breath and is of sound mind, must fulfill his duty as Successor of the Apostles to defend the sound tradition of the Church,’ Cardinal Zen wrote on his personal website on Tuesday…

“Already, one of the late pope’s closest confidants [Archbishop Georg Gänswein] has confirmed that Benedict privately disapproved of Francis’ 2021 decision to impose restrictions on the use of the traditional Latin Mass, which largely undid Benedict’s lifting of restrictions in 2007.”

Benedict—a Highly Controversial Figure

AFP wrote on December 31:

“He had previously served as the Church’s chief doctrinal enforcer, earning the nickname ‘God’s Rottweiler’ [“Panzerkardinal”] and a reputation as a generally conservative thinker on theological issues…

“He made waves during a 2009 trip to the Holy Land, where he called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“He… staunchly defended traditional Catholic teaching [against] abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage. Benedict rejected the ordination of women and marriage for priests and described same-sex relationships as destroying the essence of the human creature, drawing criticism for making the Church look out of touch.

“He angered the Muslim world with a speech in 2006 in which he appeared to endorse the view that Islam is inherently violent, sparking deadly protests in several countries as well as attacks on Christians. In 2009, he offended Jews by lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop…

“AIDS activists were angered when, on a trip to Africa, Benedict said condom use could be aggravating the crisis. However, he later became the first pope to sanction their use under certain circumstances to prevent HIV infection.

“…  he failed to stamp his authority on the Curia, the Church’s governing body, and also appeared to have lost control of his household. In 2012, his butler Paolo Gabriele leaked secret papers to the media, an act of betrayal which profoundly saddened the pontiff. His papacy was also marred by a money-laundering scandal at the Vatican bank, which exposed infighting among Benedict’s closest allies.”

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.

Worst Winter Storm in Decades in the USA

The Associated Press wrote on December 25:

“Millions of people hunkered down in a deep freeze overnight and early morning to ride out the frigid storm that has killed at least 24 people across the United States, trapping some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to several hundred thousand homes and businesses.

“The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians…

“Some 1,346 domestic and international flights were canceled as of early Sunday… Forecasters said a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.

“The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, with hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions, paralyzing emergency response efforts… and shutting down the airport through Monday…

“The storm knocked out power in communities from Maine to Seattle… Across the six New England states, about 121,300 customers remained without power on Sunday, with Maine still the hardest hit…

“In South Florida, temperatures dropped to as low as 43 degrees (6.1 degrees Celsius) in West Palm Beach. The temperature drop was conducive to iguanas falling out of trees since the cold-blooded reptiles typically become immobilized in unusually cold weather.”

So much for man-made global warming.

Southwest Airlines Chaos

OpentheBooks Substack wrote on December 27:

“Southwest Airlines received $7.2 billion in federal subsidies for payroll and operations since 2020. However, the airline stranded tens of thousands of passengers around the country on the Christmas holiday when it canceled 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours…

“Southwest is blaming the failure on a crash of its internal systems that schedule flight crews and pilots. A union for Southwest Airlines flight attendants attributed the meltdown to outdated scheduling systems that should have been upgraded years ago.

“Late yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it opened a federal investigation into the airline… [CITING] concern about an ‘unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays and reports of lack of prompt customer service.’

“Indeed. The Southwest mobile app, phone lines, and website were offline for much of yesterday afternoon and evening. In major hubs like Chicago Midway, some in-person customer service personnel walked off the job with hundreds of stranded passengers waiting to reschedule cancelled flights.

“Once bags were checked, the bags flew to final destinations even though no flights were available for canceled passengers. Stranded passengers found this baggage policy completely unacceptable – passengers were not able to reclaim checked luggage after flights were cancelled.

“It was absolute chaos for thousands and a logistical nightmare for the airline that won’t be solved for weeks…

“In September 2020, as part of massive COVID relief packages, Southwest received a $3.3 billion from the federal government. Its stock price also received a boost, with the US Treasury agreeing to purchase 1,054,907 shares of Southwest stock as part of the deal. In April 2021, as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act and other subsidies, Southwest received another $3.8 billion…

“In total, federal aid to the entire airline industry amounted to $64 billion in cash and loans during the Covid-period… While some of the aid was technically a loan, for example, Southwest only has to pay back 30% of the first $3.3 billion ($976 million) at a low interest rate over a ten year period.

“Southwest received so much federal aid, they turned a profit of $116 million in 2021… Other airlines were also received their cut of pandemic aid, of course, with the Treasury awarding over $37 billion of the first $54 billion in payroll support to the top ten airlines alone.

“During the 2022 Christmas holiday period, those airlines were able to keep their planes flying, by and large.”

Southwest Airline Chaos Continues

Newsmax wrote on December 28:

“Families hoping to catch a Southwest Airlines flight after days of cancellations, missing luggage and missed family connections suffered through another wave of scrubbed flights, with more than 2,500 pulled from arrival and departure boards Wednesday… In all, Southwest has canceled more than 15,700 flights since winter weather began disrupting air travel Thursday… And the chaos seemed certain to continue. Southwest already has scrubbed nearly 1,400 for Thursday…

“Southwest’s problems began over the weekend and snowballed Monday, when Southwest called off more than 70% of its flights. That was after the worst of the storm had passed…  Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said the airline failed to fix problems that caused a similar meltdown in October 2021. ‘There is a lot of frustration because this is so preventable,’ Murray said. ‘The airline cannot connect crews to airplanes. The airline didn’t even know where pilots were at.’…

“The size and severity of the storm created havoc for many airlines, although the largest number of canceled flights Tuesday were at airports where Southwest is a major carrier… Spirit Airlines and Alaska Airlines both canceled about 10% of their flights, with much smaller cancellation percentages at American, Delta, United and JetBlue…”

Obviously, the storm cannot be blamed for Southwest Airlines’ incredible incompetence.

Shameful Omnibus Bill Approved

Breitbart wrote on December 23:

“The House passed the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill Friday by a vote of 225-201-1. Nine Republicans voted for the bill… Many of the GOP ‘yes’ votes came from outgoing members who lost their reelection bids in the 2022 cycle or are retiring [Of course, “RINOs” Adam Kinzinger  and Liz Cheney were among those “Republicans” voting for the scandalous bill. They might have figured, “I might as well vote for it, because my political career is over anyhow.”]…. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was the only Democrat ‘no’ vote. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) voted present…

“The House rushed to vote on the bill before the looming government shutdown Friday night. The omnibus passed the Senate by a vote of 68-29 on Thursday afternoon. Eighteen Republican Senators voted for the 4,155-page bill [Shame on them]…

“Critics of the bill opposed the $45 billion aid to Ukraine. That $45 billion is in addition to the $66 billion of taxpayers’ money lawmakers have already approved for Ukraine… America’s debt stands at over $31 trillion.”

Republican Opposition

Fox News wrote on December 23:

“House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy blasted the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill after it passed on Friday, calling it a ‘stain’ on this Congress… ‘For the first time in history, a bill in the House was passed without a physical quorum present—more people voted by proxy than in person,’ McCarthy tweeted… adding that proxy voting will be repealed…

“In total, the omnibus contains 7,200 earmarks that add up to over $15 billion. The bill drew complaints from Republicans and some Democrats, with Sen. Rand Paul R-Ky., saying that ‘The process stinks. It’s an abomination. It’s a no good, rotten way to run your government. $6 trillion entity. And they want 24 hours to process this and then they want to go forward,’ Paul said.”

McCarthy also criticized the bill for forwarding various “left-wing pet projects.” He said: “This is a monstrosity. That is one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in this body,” continuing, “The appropriations process has failed the American public, and there’s no greater example of the nail in the coffin of the greatest failure of a one-party rule of the House, the Senate, and the presidency.”

Washington is doomed. America is doomed. Competent leadership is missing. This is a fiasco with a circus of leaders who should never be responsible for running the country. But Satan is the god, prince and ruler of this world, and those not being called by God (and very few are in this day and age) are following the Devil’s evil desires and devices.

This is even more appalling when considering the incredibly high amount of taxes which hard-working Americans have to pay to the government which is just misusing, pilfering and wasting taxpayers’ money. But an accounting will come when Jesus Christ returns to this earth, replacing all these incompetent leaders and demanding a reckoning for their evil deeds.

Just to name a few “pork” examples, the ludicrous omnibus bill includes, according to Breitbart, $11 million for LGBT-related projects; $410 million for border security for other countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman; $1.5 million for the “COVID–19 American History Project”; $3.6 million for the establishment of a Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia; and $2 million in taxpayer dollars for the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; and $2.3 million for the Allotment (going to the Secretary of Education) to “conduct outreach to borrowers” who could qualify for the Biden administration’s stalled plan to cancel the debt of student loan borrowers.

We doubt that tax-payers, IF they were asked, would approve of any of this wasteful spending, while they are suffering to bring food on the table and make ends meet. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “The Omnibus Bill—An Insane Way to Run the Country.” 

The entirely POLITICAL nature of this bill can also be seen, when considering the following two examples.

It’s Just Political

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 23:

“The sweeping package includes $45 billion for Ukraine aid… The legislation was passed just days after… Zelenskyy visited the White House to argue for the $45 billion aid. Failure to place the bill on Biden’s desk would have been a foreign policy embarrassment.

“One of the key provisions of the bill includes an overhaul of the 1887 Electoral Count Act… The new revision makes it clear that vice presidents do not have the power to overturn elections… Trump had exploited the loosely worded text of the 19th century law to argue that his deputy—Mike Pence—could halt the transfer of power.

“In response, Pence issued a statement rejecting the then-president’s claims that he could subvert the outcome of the election.”

Under the old law, Pence’s conclusion was highly debatable.

America’s Absolutely Corrupt and Incompetent Congress

Fox News wrote on December 25:

“Believe it or not, despite weeks of machinations, a 4,100-page bill and a House roll call vote on Dec. 23, Congress still missed its deadline to fund the government… Lawmakers dithered for weeks – dragging out the final vote on the omnibus spending bill until nearly the last moment…

“A big, complicated bill like the omnibus must be ‘engrossed’ and ‘enrolled.’ Engrossment refers to the final version of legislation when passed by one body or other – but before it’s sent to the other chamber. In other words, the Senate passed the omnibus and then altered the legislation on the fly, adopting a host of amendments. So, upon passage, the Senate sent the tweaked version to the House to pass.

“Once the House approved the bill [better, rubber-stamped, without even reading it], both bodies were in sync. But, it would take time for congressional enrollment clerks to finalize the bill for President Biden’s signature. This is not an easy process. In fact, it was likely the enrollment clerks would need a couple of days to get the bill into proper parliamentary form as it was…

“Federal law requires Congress to print the legislation on parchment. That’s a practice which dates back to the beginning of the republic. Printing the bills on parchment was a method to protect Congress against forgeries. Plus, the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate need to sign the bill. So, the technical process of getting the omnibus to the president to sign before the Friday night deadline was out of the question. This was going to take until a few days after Christmas at the earliest…

“Very quietly… both the House and Senate approved yet another interim spending bill. This would just keep the lights on for a few days, giving the enrollment clerks time to prepare the bill. It would only run through Dec. 30…”

This is SO incompetent and appalling. America’s governmental system is becoming a mockery.

Kamala Harris Strong Leader?

The New York Post wrote on December 23:

“Vice President Kamala Harris complained this week about poor media coverage — during a friendly interview with a Washington Post columnist — moaning that the press doesn’t focus on what she called ‘the strength of my leadership.’…

“[Interviewer] Capehart argued that contrary to conventional wisdom, Harris, 58, has ‘had a most excellent year’… Capehart [cited] Harris’ appearance at the Munich Security Conference in February just prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What he did not mention was that Harris was roundly mocked for telling reporters at that conference that Europe had enjoyed ‘peace and security’ since the end of World War II.

“That remark, as many critics pointed out, ignored the 40-year Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and annexation of Crimea in 2014.”

We would be hard-pressed naming a vice president as incompetent as Kamala Harris. Her proud self-adoration of strong leadership would be laughable, if it were not that serious.

The Shameful Action of the FBI

The Ron Paul Institute published on December 23 the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“It is not clear what is more chilling: the menacing role played by the … FBI in Twitter’s censorship program or its mendacious response to the disclosure of that role. This week saw another FBI ‘nothing-to-see-here’ statement to the release of files detailing how it actively sought to suppress the Hunter Biden story before the 2020 election, gave millions to Twitter, and targeted even satire or tiny posts that did not conform with its guidelines… The FBI has largely shrugged and said that there is nothing concerning about over 80 agents working on the censoring of posters, including many American citizens.

“… the FBI is now adopting the language of pundits on the left that any objections to its role in censorship is a ‘conspiracy theory’… it is attacking free speech advocates who are raising the concern that Twitter had become an agent of the government in censorship. Notably, Twitter itself now believes that such an agency relationship existed.

“[The FBI] is still engaged in framing public opinion and echoing the narrative being advanced by the White House…”

As is so often the case, the villain becomes a denier or even the accuser.

How Twitter Suppressed COVID Information

Newsmax wrote on December 26:

“Twitter helped manipulate the COVID-19 debate by relenting to government pressure and censoring content related to the virus, according to the latest ‘Twitter Files’ release.

“Reporter David Zweig on Monday morning took to Twitter to post about COVID-19-related actions by the social media platform before billionaire Elon Musk assumed control… The reporter cited numerous examples, including how Twitter suspended journalist Alex Berenson hours after President Joe Biden, in the summer of 2021, said social media companies were ‘killing people’ for allowing vaccine misinformation. ‘Berenson sued (and then settled with) Twitter. In the legal process Twitter was compelled to release certain internal communications, which showed direct White House pressure on the company to take action on Berenson,’ Zweig tweeted.

“A recent summary of meetings with the White House by Lauren Culbertson, Twitter’s head of U.S. public policy, said the Biden team ‘was “very angry” that Twitter had not been more aggressive in deplatforming multiple accounts. They wanted Twitter to do more,’ Zweig tweeted… Twitter ‘did suppress views — many from doctors and scientific experts — that conflicted with the official positions of the White House. As a result, legitimate findings and questions that would have expanded the public debate went missing.’

“That included some experts’ opinions, despite being in line with vaccine policies in numerous other countries, being labeled ‘false information’ because they differed from the CDC guidelines. Zweig said that internal files he viewed showed that both the Trump and Biden administrations pressed Twitter executives and other social media platforms to moderate pandemic content.

“Zweig’s 40 posts on Monday morning concluded with an obvious question. ‘What might this pandemic and its aftermath have looked like if there had been a more open debate on Twitter and other social media platforms — not to mention the mainstream press — about the origins of Covid, about lockdowns, about the true risks of Covid in kids, and much more?’…”

A good question, but this was not in the government’s interest, showing how WRONG the government [with the “guidance” of Dr. Fauci and others] has been in dealing with COVID 19. And the government CONTINUES to be wrong with its ridiculous vaccine “recommendations” and mandates.  

How the Mass Media and the US Government Colluded on the Corona Narrative

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 28:

“From the beginning of the Covid panic, it felt that something was very wrong. Never had a pandemic, much less a seasonal pathogenic wave, been treated as a quasi-military emergency requiring the upending of all freedoms and rights… And what applies at Twitter pertains equally to Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and all platforms associated with those companies (YouTube, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp)… These platforms colluded with the federal government’s administrative arm to craft a particular Covid narrative, throttling and censoring dissidents and boosting any credentialed expert who was willing to toe the line.

“At this point, it is wise to trust no one and nothing but those who fought against this nonsense… I watched the population gradually fall into a medieval-style disease panic that tore families apart, kept loved ones from traveling, wrecked businesses and churches, and even violated the sanctity of the homes… The closing down of opinion and debate resulted in unspeakable human carnage. And even as I write, the largest sources of the mainstream media are still refusing to report on this...”

The Corrupt Conduct of the January 6 Sham-and-Farce Committee

On December 213, Life Site News reprinted the following article by WND News Center:

“A partisan congressional committee this week blamed former President Donald Trump for the January 6 riot at the Capitol that left an unarmed protester dead at the hands of police, asking the Department of Justice to investigate and charge him with four crimes. However, a new report from the House GOP suggested that outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her staff were more culpable than they’ve ever admitted…

“Jim Jordan (R–OH) who soon will be the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and heading up various investigations, said, ‘The reason there wasn’t a proper security presence on that day goes right to the speaker’s staff and the speaker’s office.’ It’s been reported before that Trump had offered additional National Guard troops to be present at the Capitol that day, but those responsible for security of the building, including Pelosi, refused.

“That day hundreds of protesters amassed outside the Capitol to protest the expected congressional confirmation of President Joe Biden’s move into the White House, on the belief the election was stolen from President Trump… what has been documented are at least two significant influences on the election, either of which could have taken the win away from Trump.

“One was the $400 million-plus Mark Zuckerberg handed out, through foundations, to various local election officials who often used it for get-out-the-vote schemes in Democrat strongholds. The other was the decision by the FBI to interfere in the election and tell social media to beware of ‘disinformation’ about Hunter Biden’s scandal-ridden laptop computer, which he abandoned at a repair shop. However, the reporting on the Biden family schemes revealed that was all accurate…

“Just the News said while Pelosi denied any power over Capitol police or influence on security, ‘Two years later, that claim is directly challenged by contemporaneous text and email messages made public by five House Republicans showing her staff had direct contact with the officials who planned the security and even edited some of the plans and notifications in the fateful days before tragedy struck.’ And the details ‘are prompting serious questions about whether the January 6 Capitol breach could have been prevented while creating a new push for Republicans to summon Pelosi for testimony after they take over the House next month.’…

“Just the News reported police whistleblowers confirmed there were enough warnings that violence would occur, but ‘the leadership of the Capitol Police failed to adjust the security plan to address the threat while the political leadership in Congress repeatedly refused to provide resources to secure the building.’ Whistleblowers confirmed ‘congressional security leaders turned down resources like armed officers or National Guard troops ahead of the tragedy because of concerns about the political optics.’

“The document reveals House security planners slammed Pelosi for failing to provide the resources necessary for Capitol security. It was House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving who had to resign after the riot, but Just the News reported staff members believed he, and Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund, were made the ‘fall guys.’…”

All of this, and much more, has been reported before, but the sham-and-farce Committee, in its desire to blame Trump and protect Pelosi and other Democrats, chose to ignore these reports. In regard to Trump’s asking for National Guards, the Committee just said there was no “evidence” for that claim. And even though admitting that Trump did tweet twice right after the riot had begun, stating that violence should cease, the Committee said the tweets had no impact, apparently concluding that it could therefore ignore them.

American Rabbis Oppose Israel’s New Government

The Algemeiner wrote on December 23:

“Over 330 senior American rabbis are vowing to ban members of the far-right Religious Zionism bloc in Benjamin Netanyahu’s incoming government from appearing at their synagogues… Following a convincing victory to the right-wing bloc in November’s general election, Netanyahu brought in members of a far-right faction and promised an expanded national security ministry to firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir… The incoming government, which Netanyahu announced he formed late Wednesday, is expected to be the most right-wing in Israel’s history…

“An open letter from rabbis and other Jewish community leaders in the U.S. charges that the policies of Ben-Gvir and his associates ‘will cause irreparable harm to the Israel-Jewish Diaspora relationship.’ The signatories say they will not invite members of the bloc ‘to speak at our congregations and organizations. We will speak out against their participation in other forums across our communities. We will encourage the boards of our congregations and organizations to join us in this protest as a demonstration of our commitment to our Jewish and democratic values.’

“… However, not a single Orthodox rabbi signed the document.”

The anti-Israel stance by many left-wing American Jews is well-known. The rabbis’ “open letter” is another interesting development as the Bible says in the Book of Zechariah that Judah will fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:14; Revised Standard Version).

Russia’s Plan on the World Scene

Fox News wrote on December 27:

“Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said there will be no more joint projects with the European Union and said Moscow will instead turn to ‘like-minded’ allies for future diplomatic partnerships… The minister’s comments come as Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly looked to bolster ties with China and Iran in recent months, turning to the latter for arms as its looks to shore up economic ties with Beijing…

“The Russian foreign minister accused the EU of following in the footsteps of the U.S. and NATO… Lavrov has repeatedly accused the U.S. and its Western allies of waging war against Russia by providing Ukraine with defensive and humanitarian aid – including financial support to help Kyiv restore its energy infrastructure which Russia began targeting ahead of winter…”

Preparations are being made for the prophesied emergence of the kings of the East.

Putin Calls Netanyahu

Israel Today wrote on December 23:

“Just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was feted in the White House and US Congress, Wednesday, and hours after incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had formed a government, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Israeli to congratulate him on winning the General Election seven weeks before…  The two leaders reportedly spoke about Ukraine, with Netanyahu expressing his hope that a way would be found to bring the conflict to an end… Some journalists speculated that, going forward, Netanyahu might make an effort to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow…

“Other observers pointed to another ‘coincidental’ state visit taking place as Zelenskyy jetted across the Atlantic – that of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Xi Xinping in Beijing to discuss ‘advancing the bilateral relations in a new era and jointly promot[ing] global governance in a more just and reasonable direction’. These commentators suggested that Putin might have thoughts about trying to manoeuvre Israel into Russia’s orbit by driving a wedge between allies.”

No doubt, and Europe in particular will turn against Israel even more forcefully. And that with the help of Turkey, Jordan and other Arab nations, as Psalm 83 explains. We even read that America will be against Great Britain, and vice versa, and both will be against Israel (Isaiah 9:21).

Knesset Members Strongly Condemn the EU

Israel 365 News reported on December 23:

“Forty Knesset members sent an open letter to European Union leaders on Tuesday, protesting the recently exposed E.U. document outlining a strategy to expand the Palestinian presence in Israeli-controlled territory in Judea and Samaria. ‘[W]e learned of an official policy document of the European Union, a document the gravity of which cannot be overstated, one that leaves no room for doubt as to the one-sidedness and animosity of the E.U. towards the State of Israel and the Jewish people,’ the Knesset members wrote.

“Their letter was addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission; Charles Michel, president of the European Council; and Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament.

“‘The document completely ignores our people’s historical affinity to our homeland, completely ignores the political agreements and the status of the State of Israel in Area C and seeks to establish the 1949 borders as Israel’s final-status permanent borders—in complete disregard of the Jewish communities in the area,’ the letter continued… ‘Your efforts to expedite the Palestinian Authority’s seizure of Area C… constitute an extremely grave breach of the relationship between Israel and the European Union, causing irreplaceable damage to natural and archaeological treasures throughout Judea and Samaria,’ the lawmakers said.

“‘We were apparently mistaken in thinking that racist, religious hatred of Jews and Israel was a thing of the past. It saddens us to discover time and time again that under the thin veneer of the E.U.’s civility and manners and the seeming concern for human rights, the same old blood libels can be found, along with the same flames of primitive hatred that seek this time to persecute—not the individual Jew, but the tiny Jewish state,’ the Knesset members wrote.

“The letter concludes by calling on the E.U. to halt all illegal construction in sovereign Israeli territory, especially Area C; halt the damage done by E.U.-funded illegal activity to heritage sites and nature in Judea and Samaria; desist from funding delegitimization groups that promote antisemitism against the State of Israel; and cease funding Israeli organizations that promote E.U. foreign policy interests.”

Strong words. Will Europe listen? The answer should be obvious, and all lip-services aside, the Bible is very clear that there is a deep-seated European hatred for the state of Israel.

The EU’s Subversion of Israel

 Jewish News Syndicate wrote on December 22:

“Earlier this week, Israel’s Channel 13 revealed that a document drafted by the European Commission in eastern Jerusalem proposed helping the Palestinian Authority secretly take control of land in Area C—which is supposed to be under full Israeli control according to the Oslo Accords—and suggested using left-wing NGOs in Israel for this purpose.

“The document… said the E.U. should map the land to ‘prove’ Palestinian Arab rights in the disputed territories, as well as violate local land-planning law, without leaving any trace of its activities. The document also called for ‘following and monitoring Israeli archaeological activity in the area,’ claiming that this was being used as a pretext for settlement building in Judea and Samaria.

“What this really means is that the E.U. wants to stop these excavations because they are consistently uncovering indisputable archaeological proof that the Jews are the indigenous people of the land. By saying it wants to ‘prove’ Palestinian rights to the land, the E.U. revealed its true intention: to fabricate an entitlement that doesn’t exist. The only people with a legal, historical and moral claim to the land are the Jews… the E.U. and the Palestinian Arabs who are stealing land to which the Arabs have no entitlement… the Palestinian Authority and the E.U. are rapidly annexing areas surrounding Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria…

“The E.U. is in effect helping the Palestinians build a state in Judea and Samaria. It is also helping the Bedouin illegally carve up the Negev in a further dire threat to Israel’s security…

“Now the E.U. has been engulfed by revelations of a corrupt relationship with Qatar—the sponsor of Hamas and mortal foe of Israel. While details are still unfolding, this axis isn’t surprising. There’s a nexus between the universalism embodied by the E.U. and the desire to bring down Israel…”

Ultimately, the EU, under German leadership, WILL become a mortal enemy of the state of Israel. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe Against Ukraine and Israel – YouTube”

Discussions in a Knesset Committee about the Third Temple

Israel 365 News wrote on December 22:

“During a discussion in a Knesset committee concerning a new law, a question was raised about its application after the construction of the Third Temple. Though the suggestion was in jest and generated light-hearted banter, most of the opposition to the law came from the religious MKs while many of the non-religious lawmakers said they supported the law and did not oppose the Temple…

“The question was raised by MK Michal Shir (Yesh Atid), a non-religious MK, if the government would be able, or even required to appoint an additional minister if the Third Temple is constructed. It should be noted that Shir opposed the bill and clearly intended the question to be a critical note of sarcasm to illustrate the shortcomings of the intended law.

“The suggestion caused a bit of consternation as questions were raised if voting in favor of the amendment implied support for the construction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Several MKs noted that they favored the law but not the Temple. Others noted that they opposed the law but not the Temple.

“This caused a moment of confusion when a vote was called with one MK asking if they were voting for the Temple or the amendment. Several of the religious MKs voted ‘Nay’, presumably opposing the amendment but not necessarily opposing the Third Temple. ‘You see, the Reform Jews will make the Temple for us,’ one religious MK noted. ‘I have no problem that there will be a Temple,’ MK Shir said. ‘It may as well come tomorrow, as far as I am concerned.’”

One must ask the question why “schizophrenic” RELIGIOUS MKs opposed the concept of building the Third Temple. Is it because of fear of political repercussions and reactions?

Croatia Adopts the Euro

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 22:

“More than nine years after Croatia became the European Union’s newest member, the country is on a roll to make the most of its status as the EU member in the Western Balkans. [Croatia joined the EU in 2013, the last time the bloc admitted a new member]…

“Croatia is adopting the EU’s common currency, the euro, and joining the Schengen Area, Europe’s visa-free travel zone, on Jan. 1. Officials in the small nation of 4 million people say the developments will be remembered as one of the country’s biggest achievements since it gained independence during the breakup of Yugoslavia 31 years ago.

“Adopting the euro offers economic benefits stemming from deeper financial ties with the currency’s 19 other users and with the European Central Bank. It also means that the 340 million people who live in the current Eurozone will no longer need to exchange their euros for Croatian kuna. Schengen Area membership allows travelers to enter the country… from other Schengen nations without stopping at border controls.

“‘After 10 years of membership [in the EU], we intentionally and deservedly reached the stage where we would become the only country in history to join the Schengen and euro zones on the same day,’ Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a recent business conference on the upcoming integration milestones. ‘Some countries achieved the two goals one after another over a relatively short period of time, but none achieved both on the same day,’ he said…

“But not all Croats are so excited by the upcoming changes, especially the phasing out of their national currency. Some are sentimental about the kuna, which was introduced to secure monetary autonomy after Croatia’s split from the former Yugoslavia and after a devastating 1991-95 war…

“The Croatian kuna and the euro will be in dual use for cash payments for only 14 days, but as people enjoy post-holiday sales in January, they will receive only euros in change.”

More and more nations are joining the euro and the Schengen community, but this alone will not help Europe become a great economic powerhouse. Note the next article.

Europe—and Especially Germany—Is a Mess!

The Hill wrote on December 20:

“Europe is a mess. The three basic pillars of power have remained the same since the time of the ancient Greeks. What is the state of a country’s army? What is the state of a country’s economy? How politically unified is a country to act both within and beyond its borders? By these exacting and unchanging political risk standards, Europe remains a busted flush as a great power, a political entity promising much and perpetually underdelivering.

“First, the continent punches way below its weight in terms of its military. Germany, both Europe’s greatest power and the source of many of its ills, is a case in point. Berlin long has outsourced its military policy to America, its energy policy to Russia (ruinously), and its trade policy to China. Rather than serving as the engine of the European Union as a rising power, instead Germany has been an intellectual black hole over the past generation where every good idea for Europe’s revival goes to die.

“Whereas the U.S. will spend 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense, only France comes close to NATO’s required 2 percent of spending at 1.9 percent. In contrast, Italy will spend only 1.5 percent, Germany a laughable 1.4 percent, and Spain a risible 1 percent. This isn’t remotely intellectually serious even as the problem has festered for a generation…

“Economically, Europe is also so much less than meets the eye… Germany — the continent’s undoubted economic powerhouse — best explains the problem. Here the Ukraine war has done more than point out Germany’s military follies; it also underlines the fact that its vaunted economic model is now irretrievably broken.

“The German model was based on buying cheap Russian energy to make high-end products (machine tools, petrochemicals, luxury cars)… Now, in our dawning age of insecurity, the Russian cheap energy inputs that the German model requires are definitively at an end… The German model is definitively broken, and nothing has yet emerged to take its place…

“Finally, Europe is a Tower of Babel. How could it be otherwise? There are 27 countries in the European Union… As such, the EU’s policy outputs, even when generally on the money, will always amount to half-measures, compromises that do not genuinely ‘solve’ any of its problems.

“The common position on Ukraine is a case in point. Beneath a surface agreement about the war, deep fissures exist on the continent… As the war drags on into 2023, look for these hairline cracks to become canyons.

“Militarily anemic, economically sclerotic, and politically divided — this is the reality of a Europe that has been mastered by history over the past generation. It must face up to these festering problems… And there is simply no more time to waste.”

That is why ten European core nations or groups of nations will emerge, and they will in turn give their power to a European dictator of German or Austrian descent (compare Revelation 17:12-13).

Europe’s Humiliation

The Telegraph wrote on December 22:

 “Naturally, President Zelensky’s appearance before Congress as a war-time leader appealing for American support, has been likened to Winston Churchill’s address on almost exactly the same date in 1941. Yet by then the US had declared war on Germany and victory was arguably assured. Today in Ukraine, victory is far from assured. Putin could still win.

“A more appropriate comparison would be with Churchill’s conference with Franklin D Roosevelt on board the USS Augusta and HMS Prince of Wales in August 1941. As with Ukraine, the US had been supplying arms to the UK. Churchill’s purpose, like Zelensky’s, was to consolidate US support for a long war ahead.

“Though even this is not like-for-like. In 1941, with all of Europe occupied, Churchill had nowhere else to turn. That is, of course, not the situation today – Europe is free and prosperous. So why did Zelensky not make his address to the European Parliament in Brussels instead? Indeed, how extraordinary that after decades of peace on the Continent, with European nations claiming to have learnt the lessons of the Second World War, a fellow European nation battling tyranny still has to rely on the United States above its neighbours.

“Despite a comparable GDP to the US… EU countries are supplying less than half that of the US… Some of the wealthiest nations on the Continent have inadequate supplies to maintain their own sovereignty, let alone that of Ukraine or the West.

“But this is no excuse. The weakness of European will since February has been disgraceful. Remember when, as Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders, several Western European countries were so terrified of antagonising Putin that they balked at the idea of providing even small, defensive-only equipment? For a time, Germany refused all arms exports, limiting military aid to 5,000 combat helmets and doing its best to hold up weapons supplies from Eastern European Nato members…

“France, with the second largest economy in the EU, is still only the 11th largest donor in the world. Germany, meanwhile, has repeatedly failed to follow through on the commitments it eventually made. Its ‘tank swap’, a scheme to replace Soviet-era tanks with German models, still remains largely unfulfilled. Thus, with the notable exception of brave Eastern European governments like those of Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, the Continent’s leaders have failed Ukraine.

“No wonder Zelensky had far more praise for Boris Johnson than either Macron or Scholz. And who can blame him for travelling across the Atlantic first? For without British and American strategy and leadership, EU nations would almost certainly have defaulted to their habitual compromise and capitulation, pressuring Zelensky into negotiations on Putin’s terms. Indeed, Macron pretty much confirmed that on his recent visit to Washington when he ridiculously spoke of Nato making security guarantees to Russia if negotiations began, when his talk should only have been of Russian guarantees to Ukraine… In 2022, the EU showed the world that, when push comes to shove, it is nowhere to be found. Now Britain, like Zelensky, is better off staying closer to Washington than Brussels.”

Ultimately, Ukraine and Russia will unite AGAINST Europe. And Europe will become a deadly enemy of the USA and Britain.

The Pope’s Cryptic Message

Life Site News wrote on December 22:

“In his annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis claimed that ‘true heresy’ involved not only ‘preaching another Gospel’ but in neglecting to ‘translate it into today’s languages and ways of thinking.’…

“Reiterating his argument for some kind of development of doctrine in ‘form,’ Francis employed the words of Scripture and placed his own interpretation on them, stating: ‘True heresy consists not only in preaching another gospel… as… Paul told us, but also in ceasing to translate its message into today’s languages and ways of thinking, which is precisely what the Apostle of the Gentiles did. To preserve means to keep alive and not to imprison the message of Christ.’

“The Pontiff did not expand on what imprisoning the message of Christ might look like, or how the Roman Curia was to change the ‘form’ of the Gospel while somehow keeping the ‘substance’ the same…

“Pope Francis has used such language… with increasing regularity over the past years. In his recent address to the International Theological Commission, Francis urged them to avoid ‘going backward’ in ‘Tradition’ instead asking them to promote the Gospel by consulting non-Catholic ‘experts.’… Pope Francis’ promotion of such themes is being evidenced through the agenda of his Synod on Synodality – which is pushing for female deacons and wider ‘inclusion’…”

Core Europe will unite with and under the tutelage of the Catholic Church. A new “Holy Roman Empire” will emerge—the last European revival of ancient Rome.

Pope Ignorant of the True Jesus

The Associated Press wrote on December 24:

“Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those ‘ravenous’ for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism. In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims… ‘Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor,’ Francis said…

“When the Mass ended, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an aide, moved down the basilica with a life-sized statue of Baby Jesus on his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue then was placed in a manger in a creche scene in the basilica.”

The contrast between the Catholic Church’s incredible riches and the Pope’s plea to help the poor should be noted, as well as the irony of making that plea “in the splendor” of St. Peter’s Basilica. But it is absolutely false to say that Jesus lived and died poor. Also, to carry a statute of Jesus is in violation of God’s Ten Commandments. Please read our booklets, “Do You Know the Jesus of the Bible?” and “The Ten Commandments.”

Christmas Customs in Germany

The Local wrote on December 24:

“As is the case across most of Western Europe, Germany’s main day of celebration for Christmas is the 24th, the so-called ‘Heiligabend’. In the morning of the 24th, the Christmas tree is put up and decorated, and in the evening, children get to open their presents. Shops usually close earlier on this day, and businesses shut for the whole day or a half day.

“However, while Christmas Eve is the main event of the German Christmas calendar, the 25th and 26th are still designated ‘Feiertage’ (celebration days/holidays) with their own festive traditions…

“Christmas tree praising is a fabulous tradition in southern Germany, specifically southern Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where visitors come to your home to admire and compliment your tree, usually with a reward of one (but probably a few more) glasses of schnapps. Because Christmas trees are traditionally put up on Christmas Eve in Germany (at least traditionally), the praising of the Christmas tree occurs during the period “zwischen den Jahren”, or between the years, meaning the period between Christmas and New Year.

“While this tradition can happen between neighbours – and can be a great way to get to know your community – it is often a feature of a group; for example, the staff of a small business or members of a football team will go to each individual’s house to praise their Christmas trees one by one. The praising can sometimes take an entire day and can end up quite merry. It can also get pretty competitive, with the most lavish, over the top tree being hailed the winner and given a special prize (most likely also in the form of a festive beverage).”

This adoration and worship of the Christmas tree is aptly described and condemned in the Bible. Compare Jeremiah 10.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The FBI’s Inappropriate Conduct in the Twitter Scandal

The New York Post wrote on December 19:

“The FBI reimbursed Twitter to the tune of more than $3 million as it pushed the social media company to ban accounts and target so-called ‘foreign influence’ operations, the latest installment of the ‘Twitter Files’ revealed on Monday.

“In an email dated Feb. 10, 2021, an unidentified Twitter employee told then-deputy general counsel Jim Baker and then-general counsel Sean Edgett that ‘we have collected $3,415,323 since October 2019! The email, published by independent journalist Michael Shellenberger, explained that Twitter’s Safety, Content & Law Enforcement (SCALE) division had instituted a ‘reimbursement program’ in exchange for devoting staff hours to ‘processing requests from the FBI.’

“The message added that Twitter had opted not to exercise its right of reimbursement prior to October 2019, though it did not say why… The reports by Shellenberger and fellow independent journalists Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss, have revealed extensive collaboration and employee overlap between Twitter and the FBI, who Taibbi reported last week treated the social media company as a ‘subsidiary’ and repeatedly reported supposed ‘misinformation.’

“In the sixth installment of the Twitter Files, published Friday, Taibbi revealed that the bureau was so aggressive in sending Twitter ‘possible violative content’ to review that an employee described one set of materials as a ‘monumental undertaking’ that required several colleagues to pitch in and help.

“On Monday, Shellenberger reported that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies repeatedly primed Twitter’s former head of trust and safety Yoel Roth to dismiss The Post’s bombshell October 2020 report on Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop as a Russian ‘hack and leak’ operation. The files reveal the FBI could communicate with top Twitter executives through multiple channels, including email accounts and specially built encrypted portals. The bureau would often send the company lists of users they wanted investigated for terms of use violations.

“In some cases, Shellenberger noted, Twitter would probe cases presented by the bureau but come up empty, not finding evidence of a foreign influence campaign… ‘Time and again, FBI asks Twitter for evidence of foreign influence & Twitter responds that they aren’t finding anything worth reporting,’ Shellenberger writes. The FBI also made repeated requests for internal data from Twitter that the social media company refused to send over, citing privacy concerns.

“As recently as August 2022, Twitter continued to work with the FBI, which pressured the company to disclose more sensitive information. Baker and Edgett were fired after billionaire Elon Musk bought the social network in October.”

Has the USA become an autocratic dictatorship?

How the FBI and Twitter Suppressed the Hunter Biden Laptop Story

The Daily Mail wrote on December 20:

“Jim Baker, Twitter’s top lawyer and ex-FBI general counsel, personally intervened to say it [the Hunter Biden laptop story] should be banned. Baker told Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security, that the laptop story should be blocked – a day after getting a top secret briefing from his former FBI colleagues… Baker’s shameless attempts to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story – which has since been proven to be accurate – where also shared by Shellenberger.

“Monday’s Twitter Files release also showed that so many ex-FBI staffers had joined the social media network, there was now a private Slack channel set up just for them… the latest batch of Twitter files have sparked concerns about what else those former government operatives may have been up to.

“The most recent ‘Twitter Files’ also revealed how an FBI official-turned Twitter lawyer sent a letter thanking the Bureau for its help suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story…

“Baker became involved… because he had previously held top secret security clearance during his work for the FBI – during which he had been involved in one of the Bureau’s investigations into Donald Trump… Once Baker was given clearance [by the FBI]… the FBI fed him information intended to influence… Twitter executives into believing that the [Hunter Biden] laptop story was hacked… Hours after The Post published their laptop story the next day, it was almost immediately censored by Twitter and thus undermined in the public eye. The files showed that… Hunter Biden was earning millions in foreign business dealings…”

The conduct of the FBI has been appalling. It might also have been illegal. Notice the next article.

Dismantle the FBI

Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column, which was published by the Ron Paul Institute, on December 19:

“As we learn more and more from the ‘Twitter Files,’ it is becoming all too obvious that Federal agencies such as the FBI viewed the First Amendment of our Constitution as an annoyance and an impediment. In Friday’s release from the pre-Musk era, journalist Matt Taibbi makes an astute observation: Twitter was essentially an FBI subsidiary.

“The FBI, we now know, was obsessed with Twitter. We learned that agents sent Twitter Trust and Safety chief Yoel Roth some 150 emails between 2020 and 2022. Those emails regularly featured demands from US government officials for the ‘private’ social media company to censor comments and ban commenters they did not like.

“The Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), a US government entity that included the FBI as well as other US intelligence agencies expressly forbidden from domestic activities, numbered 80 agents engaged regularly in telling Twitter which Tweets to censor and which accounts to ban. The Department of Homeland Security brought in outside government contractors and (government-funded) non-governmental organizations to separately pressure Twitter to suppress speech the US government did not like.

“US Federal government agencies literally handed Twitter lists of Americans it wanted to see silenced, and Twitter complied. Let that sink in.

“This should be a massive scandal… As Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley wrote over the weekend, a new Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll found that even though the mainstream media has ignored the ‘Twitter files,’ Americans have not. Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe that Twitter was involved in politically-motivated censorship in advance of the 2020 election. Some 70 percent of those polled believe Congress must take action against this corporate/state censorship.

“As Professor Turley points out, although the First Amendment only applies to the US government, ‘it does apply to agents or surrogates of the government. Twitter now admits that such a relationship existed between its former officials and the government.’ So now we have proof that the FBI (along with US intelligence agencies and the Department of Homeland Security) have been acting through ‘private’ social media companies to manipulate what Americans are allowed to say when they communicate with each other. Is there anything more un-American than that? Personally, I find it sickening.

“We do not need the FBI and CIA and other federal agencies viewing us as the enemy and attacking our Constitution… End the Federal Bureau of Investigation!”

A demand which should be considered. But it won’t happen. Apart from the Democratic opposition to such a move, even too many House and Senate Republicans are unwilling to entertain that possibility.

The FBI “Responds”

Newsmax wrote on December 21:

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation defended itself following a slew of accusations levied against it by journalists releasing Elon Musk’s Twitter files… In a Wednesday statement, the agency suggested reporters Matt Taibbi, Lee Fang, and Bari Weiss, as well as author Michael Shellenberger, were ‘conspiracy theorists’ in their threads exposing internal Twitter documents. ‘The correspondence between the FBI and Twitter show nothing more than examples of our traditional, longstanding, and ongoing federal government and private sector engagements, which involve numerous companies over multiple sectors and industries,’ the statement read.

“The FBI further argued its tips from agents to Twitter employees provided ‘critical information’ to the social media platform to protect themselves and their customers… It is unfortunate that conspiracy theorists and others are feeding the American public misinformation with the sole purpose of attempting to discredit the agency,’ it added.”

The FBI’s “defense” is even more troublesome, as the underlined sentences prove.

Europe Threatens Musk

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Professor Turley on December 17:

“I was struck by the European Union (EU) rushing into the controversy to threaten, again, sanctions against Musk.. We have been discussing efforts by figures like Hillary Clinton to enlist European countries to force Twitter to restore censorship rules… Clinton and others are resorting to good old-fashioned state censorship, even asking other countries to censor the speech of American citizens. It is an easy case to make given the long criminalization of speech in countries like France, Germany, and England.

“The EU responded immediately by threatening Musk that restoring free speech could result in immediate sanctions or an entire ban. Now, EU commissioner Vera Jourova warned that the EU’s Digital Services Act was preparing to act to defend press freedom…

“Jourova’s self-righteous tirade was almost comical given the EU’s long-standing attacks on free speech and silence of prior media suspensions… Where was Jourova and the EU when Twitter was aggressively suspending media like the New York Post for publishing the true story of Hunter Biden’s laptop? How about the slew of conservative writers and experts barred for questioning official accounts on issues ranging from Covid to climate change?

“Not surprisingly, the EU is threatening to use the unprecedented anti-free speech law recently passed by the body… [This is] a roadmap for state censorship on the Internet. It is the Western embrace of Chinese style speech controls on the Internet…”

And it will only get much worse in Europe.

Title 42 Stays, Pending Further Order

Fox News wrote on December 19:

“The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked an order that would lift Title 42, the pandemic-era health policy that has been used to deter migrants more than 2.5 million times. The order Monday by Chief Justice John Roberts comes as cities along the U.S. Mexico border have been scrambling to prepare for an expected influx of migrants in anticipation of Title 42’s end. Earlier Monday, 19 states had asked the high court for an emergency stay that would keep Title 42 in place. In the one-page order, Chief Justice Roberts granted a stay pending further order…

“El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico on Sunday were preparing for a surge of as many as 5,000 new migrants a day in anticipation of Title 42’s expiration… Immigration advocates sued to stop the use of Title 42 to limit who can apply for asylum, saying that the policy goes against American and international obligations to people fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution…”

This controversy won’t end any time soon.

No More Vaccine Mandates for Members of U.S. Military

Breitbart wrote on December 16:

“Members of the U.S. military deserve ‘healthcare freedom,’ Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said on Thursday following the Senate approving the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which repeals the military vaccine mandate enforced under the Biden administration. The Senate on Thursday passed the NDAA — it saw overwhelming bipartisan support with a 83-11 vote — which repeals the military vaccine mandate…

“Lawmakers on the House side, while celebrating the end of the vaccine mandate on members of the military, are also warning that it does not go far enough... Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has… called for further action, demanding the end of ‘all COVID vax mandates’ remaining across the board:… ‘The military COVID vaccine mandate will end! Page 407 & 408 of NDAA text just released. Next steps: end all COVID vax mandates (healthcare workers and foreign visitors), and reinstate all members of military wrongfully terminated due to vax.’

“After passing both the House and Senate, the NDAA now heads to President Biden’s desk.”

The TSA will announce on or before January 8 whether to uphold or abolish the current vaccination mandate for tourists entering the USA.

The House Committee Urges DOJ to Charge Trump Criminally

The Associated Press wrote on December 19:

“The House Jan. 6 committee urged the Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against Donald Trump for the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection, calling for accountability for the former president… the committee alleged violations of four criminal statutes by Trump, in both the run-up to the riot and during the insurrection itself…

“The panel… will dissolve on Jan. 3 with the new Republican-led House…

“House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California… decided not to participate after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected some of his appointments. That left an opening for two anti-Trump Republicans in the House — Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — to join seven Democrats... The committee members said that full accountability can only be found in the criminal justice system. ‘No one should get a pass,’ said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.”

Schiff is one to talk. Note that the Wall Street Journal had published the following article on May 22, 2020:

“In the good old days if a member of Congress was caught in a major lie, knowingly misleading Congress and the American public, there were consequences. His own party would denounce him, the electorate would surely vote him out of office but perhaps he would resign in disgrace beforehand. But not today.

“Rep. Adam Schiff was playing to the base with a calculated lie, cheered on by fellow party members and supported by most of the media. He is a hero—to some. There are not, nor will there be, consequences for him. How times have changed. Any wonder the approval rating of Congress is at such an abysmally low rating?”

No Legal Relevance of a “Political Stunt”

Fox News wrote on December 19:

“The committee’s unprecedented criminal referral holds no official legal weight, and a final determination in whether to pursue the charges will be up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department.

“The committee also referred several GOP House lawmakers Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Scott Perry, R-Pa., to the House Ethics Committee for not complying with subpoenas.

“A spokesperson for Jordan responded to the committee’s referral in statement to Fox News: ‘This is just another partisan and political stunt made by a Select Committee that knowingly altered evidence, blocked minority representation on a Committee for the first time in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives, and failed to respond to Mr. Jordan’s numerous letters and concerns surrounding the politicization and legitimacy of the Committee’s work.’”

Of course, this entire Committee consisting of Trump-haters has been a sham and a farce all along.

Newsmax wrote on December 19:

“… it’s unconstitutional for members of Congress to recommend prosecution for anyone, making the committee’s determination a ‘worthless piece of paper,’ Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz said… not only should the DOJ reject the committee’s recommendation, but it should reprimand the committee for referring the former president to face charges, said Dershowitz.

“However, Dershowitz said he hopes for a reprimand, but he does not think that will happen, even if he does expect that the DOJ won’t take the recommendation seriously. ‘The Justice Department will say [to] Congress, Look we process, we investigate,’ said Dershowitz. ‘Don’t tell us who to investigate and who to prosecute. You had a kangaroo hearing. One-sided. You didn’t allow a cross-examination. You didn’t allow any adverse witnesses, so don’t expect us to take seriously any recommendations. You made a bad prosecution, so the American public should make no conclusions based on this one-sided recommendation and it should ignore it as well.’”

That is what the DOJ should say. We doubt that it will say that.

Pelosi’s Kangaroo Court

Newsmax wrote in a related article, on December 19:

“Former President Donald Trump’s campaign blasted the House Jan. 6 select committee on Monday for being a ‘Kangaroo court’ that ‘makes a mockery of democracy.’… When creating the committee in 2021, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flouted House rules by not allowing the House Republican leadership to select their members. ‘Nancy Pelosi refused to accept two Republican members (Jim Banks and Jim Jordan) for the January 6^th select committee,’ Trump’s statement read.

“Instead, Pelosi and her committee itself selected the Republicans, picking Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., both among Trump’s biggest GOP detractors… Cheney was so zealous in her efforts to ‘get Trump,’ the Washington Post reported, that at least 15 former and current committee staff members suppressed other key findings in the final report…

“In revelations made by the House Committee…, no evidence has been provided to the public that indicated Trump or his top aides orchestrated or encouraged the protests at the Capitol. But significant evidence, including text messages from top White House officials, Trump family members, and other close supporters, showed that the protests caught the president and his inner circle completely by surprise.”

All of this is truly shameful and unworthy of the USA—or any supposedly free democratic nation.

Democrats and Republicans in Opposition to the Law of God

Life Site News published on December 20 the following editorial by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America:

“A large scandal has been created, as well as discouragement, upon learning the news of the gala event hosted by President Donald J. Trump for openly homosexual supporters of the Republican Party. This endorsement of LGBT ideology is even more serious if one considers that, only two days previously, Joe Biden signed the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ which recognizes the legal validity of so-called homosexual marriages in the United States, in violation of the Natural Law and also the Law of God.

“The Democratic Party is totally anti-Christian and obstinately determined to implement the globalist agenda of the New World Order. On the other hand, the Republican Party is recklessly pursuing a minority of voters who are indulging in lifestyles that are contrary to the Commandments and to the common good. American Catholics find themselves today in the impossible situation of being represented by a political class that is revealing itself to be completely incapable of representing and expressing Catholic convictions in moral and religious matters. This causes voters to become disaffected, which is added to electoral fraud and scandals that are emerging about media censorship and the manipulation of electoral consensus.

“Up until now, certain aspects of the political platform of the Republican Party were able to be overlooked to some extent due to the much more serious threat embodied by the Democratic Party. But it is now evident that the action of the deep state has contaminated the entire political elite without distinction, even involving Donald Trump, who up until now seemed to be a source of hope for the future of the United States.

“A nation that offends the Law of God cannot hope to be blessed by the Lord, and those who support sinful lifestyles ought to think of the Judgment that awaits them rather than pleasing those who are corrupt in a calculated effort to win votes. This nonchalance in political action by Republicans is no less harmful than the open opposition to the perennial Magisterium of the Church on the part of Democrats.”

This world is thoroughly in the hands of Satan the Devil.

Germany’s Disastrous Military

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 19:

“The German military faced yet another PR disaster on Monday after reports emerged over the weekend that a training exercise involving one of its key weapons, the Puma tank, left not a single one operational. The conservative opposition was quick to jump on the news as supposed evidence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s mismanagement of the Bundeswehr, particularly under the control of Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht. ‘It’s a nightmare,’ Christian Democrat (CDU) parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul told German  public broadcaster ARD. ‘The Puma is supposed to be a main weapon system of the German army. And if the Puma is not operational, then the army is not operational.’…

“The new debacle comes on top of several alarming headlines in the German media recently about the state of the country’s military. These suggested the Bundeswehr only has enough ammunition for two days of intense fighting — a figure apparently leaked by unnamed sources in defense circles. If this is true (and such information cannot be confirmed, as it is a state secret), German ammunition supplies are well below the standards expected by NATO, which requires each member to have 30 days’ worth of ammunition. To make up that shortfall alone, defense experts say Germany needs to invest another €20 to €30 billion.

“The state of the Bundeswehr’s hardware has long been a topic of concern: There have been several stories in recent years about tanks and helicopters that needed repairing, rifles that fail in hot weather and soldiers having to train in the cold without thermal underwear.

“Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a ‘Zeitenwende’ (turning of the times) which was hailed as a sea-change in the country’s approach to foreign policy and military strategy.

“To prove he meant it, Scholz announced an increase in the annual defense budget, making it the largest in all of Europe, as well as a €100 billion ($112.7 billion) one-off ‘special fund’ to modernize the military. Nine months later, some are wondering where that mountain of money is… Rafael Loss, a defense analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)… says Germany lacks a sense of urgency in reacting to the geopolitical implications of Russia’s attack on Ukraine…

“NATO partners in northeastern Europe have already expressed concern that Germany is not a military partner to rely on in a crisis. At a conference in Berlin in late October, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks asked his European colleagues, ‘We’re prepared to die, are you?’ Addressing the Germans specifically, he said, ‘A lot will depend on the military power of your country, and, I’m sorry, your military power is currently not there.’…

“Germany has signed a deal to buy 35 American-made F-35 fighter jets to replace its aging fleet of Tornados, at a cost of €200 million each. But it will take until 2027 before these are ready for use… Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended everything. The stories about Germany’s ammunition shortages emerged partly because questions were raised about maintaining supplies for the weapons Germany is sending to Ukraine. ‘We need roughly 15 times more ammunition to ensure a sustained supply of ammunition for the weapons provided to Ukraine, while rebuilding the German armed forces at the scope required,’ said [defense analyst] Loss.

“But there are also underlying long-term issues. In the past few decades, the Bundeswehr has sold off many of its Cold War-era storage bunkers — meaning that even if it did have the NATO-stipulated 30 days’ worth of ammunition, the military would be struggling to find anywhere to keep it.

“For that reason, defense analyst Loss thinks the criticism from the opposition conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) sounds hollow. ‘Things weren’t different for the last 16 years when the CDU was in power,’ he said. ‘It’s funny seeing the SPD and the CDU blaming each other for the sad state of the German armed forces, but I think both share roughly equal blame.’”

That is why the current political system in Germany with all its incompetent leaders will be replaced soon with a charismatic dictator—the “beast” of the Bible—with horrible consequences for the entire world.

Hungary for Dissolution of EU Parliament

Radio Free Europe wrote on December 21:

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose right-wing nationalist government has been targeted by corruption accusations and criticized for backsliding on the rule of law, on December 21 accused the European Union of ‘Hungarophobia’ and pointed the finger at the scandal-ridden European Parliament, calling for its dissolution…

“One of the European Parliament’s vice presidents earlier this month was charged in connection with allegations of bribery by soccer World Cup host Qatar. ‘The swamp should be drained,’ Orban said, using a phrase first coined by former U.S. President Donald Trump, a close Orban ally… ‘What the EU is doing today is a few rule-of-law people trying to impose their will on a few countries,’ Orban said.

“Orban is widely considered Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest EU ally and has repeatedly claimed that sanctions prompted by Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine have caused more damage to European economies than to Russia.”

The irony is, Europe WILL change in that ten nations or groups of nations will emerge, leading to a total autocracy and dictatorship.

Russia To Increase Military By More Than 30 %

France 24 wrote on December 21:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin supported a proposal by [the] Defence Minister to boost the Russian military by more than 30% on Wednesday… ‘It is necessary to increase the number of armed troops to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract soldiers,’ Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin…

“Shoigu also proposed raising the age range for mandatory Russian military service to 21-30, compared to 18-27 at the moment.”

The military buildup by Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations will lead to a powerful collaboration between those nations, called in the Bible the “kings of the East.”

Russia Fumes After Zelenskyy’s Visit

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 22:

“Moscow on Thursday denounced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington claiming that it showed Kyiv was ‘not ready for peace.’ Zelenskyy met with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday and addressed Congress in his first official trip outside of Ukraine since Russia launched the war in February.  

“Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow regretted that neither Biden nor Zelenskyy said ‘even a few words that could be perceived as potential readiness to listen to Russia’s concerns.’    

“Biden announced on Wednesday that the US would provide Kyiv with an additional security aid of $1.85 billion (€1.737 billion), including the Patriot air defense system. Peskov said that this signaled that the US was ‘continuing its line of de facto fighting an indirect war with Russia to the last Ukrainian,’ adding that the Patriot missile would not deter Russia from achieving its goals in Ukraine.

“In a statement issued by the Russian Embassy in the US on Thursday, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov’s [said]: ‘What was essentially announced […] was the need to continue the ‘proxy war’ against our country’…

“The Russian envoy said the US supplying weapons to Ukraine was ‘deeply disturbing.’ He added that Moscow stressed that ‘the provocative actions by the US are steadily leading to an escalation, the consequences of which cannot even be imagined.’”

Tucker Carlson Bashes Biden Over Zelensky’s Visit

Express wrote on December 22:

“Tucker Carlson (Fox News) … bashed Biden for refusing to ‘specify’ the details of what winning conditions would look like for the administration… [He asked:]  ‘Push the Russian Army back to pre-invasion borders? That sounds reasonable, that’s what most Americans likely assume, those still paying attention…

“‘But that is not what Zelensky means, it is not what he is asking for, Zelensky is demanding regime change in Russia… What happens if he wins? What does the ensuing chaos look like? Who secures the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons? Strangely those questions didn’t come up today… The point was to fawn over the Ukrainian [leader] and hand him billions more dollars from our own crumbling economy.’”

Riots Break Out in Jordan

Israel Today wrote on December 21:

“In recent days, violent demonstrations in the Kingdom of Jordan have been expanding, leading to, among other things, fatalities in the security forces. Escalating fuel prices have triggered the current spate of violence… truck and taxi drivers went on strike and demonstrated in the streets of the kingdom. Many Jordanians joined them. They burned tires and blocked roads. The Jordanian government opened an emergency command center to monitor and deal with the crisis, and a decision was taken to expand the Jordanian army’s forces in the south of the kingdom to prevent further demonstrations…

“The riots climaxed Friday, when one of the patrols sent to suppress the protesters came under fire. Jordanian TV officially reported the death of Ma’an’s deputy police chief, Lt. Col. Dr. Abdel-Razzaq Al-Dalba… In response to violent incidents, the Jordanian government announced that it had taken steps to block some social media countrywide.”

At the same time, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has been able to form a right-wing and extremely conservative government, which is bound to clash with Jordan and other Middle Eastern nations. JTA wrote on December 21:

“Netanyahu hasn’t officially signed any coalition deals yet with other parties (he has until 48 hours before the new government is seated Jan. 2 to do so), and some of his expected new partners are first demanding new legislation that has been delayed until after coalition talks.”

Vatican Defrocks Pro-Life Priest

Newsmax wrote on December 18:

“The Vatican has defrocked Father Frank Pavone — who has been described as ‘the most vocal Catholic priest in America for the pro-life movement’ — in a move that has shocked Church conservatives… [The] priest [was stripped] of his religious title and powers, returning him to the laity with no official status in the Church.

“The letter [of the Vatican] alleges that Pavone was guilty of ‘persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop’ and ‘blasphemous communications on social media.’ The letter doesn’t spell out what the disobedient acts Pavone had engaged in, or identify the ‘blasphemous communications,’ but supporters of Pavone were quick to come to his defense.

“‘The blasphemy is that this holy priest is canceled while an evil president promotes the denial of truth & the murder of the unborn at every turn,’ Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas wrote on his Twitter account Saturday. ‘Vatican officials promote immorality & denial of the deposit of faith & priests promote gender confusion devastating lives…,’ Bishop Strickland continued…

“Pavone has come under fire in the past over his statements in support of former President Donald Trump and actions he has taken as a leader in the pro-life movement…

“Pope [Francis’s] decision to laicize Pavone appears to be part of a wider effort to undermine the Church’s traditional stand to protect the unborn…”

Reuters wrote on December 18:

“The [Vatican’s] letter… says Pavone will not be allowed to appeal… After Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Pavone was among Trump supporters who questioned the validity of the elections…

“In a one hour, 40 minute video on Sunday… he said: ‘I’m never going to leave the priesthood.’”

The ongoing conflict between liberals and conservatives within the Catholic Church may ultimately lead to an “explosion.”

The Elegant Demon in the Vatican

The Daily Mail wrote on December 22:

“The Pope told Vatican staff to beware the ‘elegant demon’ that lurks in self-righteous Catholics in his traditional Christmas speech. Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia to again put the cardinals, bishops and priests who work in the Holy See on notice that they are particularly vulnerable to evil. Pope Francis has long used the annual speech as a chance to rebuke bureaucrats in an examination of conscience to help them repent before Christmas.

“Francis told attendees that by living in the heart of the Catholic Church, ‘we could easily fall into the temptation of thinking we are safe, better than others, no longer in need of conversion.’ ‘Yet we are in greater danger than all others, because we are beset by the ‘elegant demon’, who does not make a loud entrance, but comes with flowers in his hand,’ Francis told the churchmen…

“Francis appeared to also want to take broader aim in this year’s speech at arch-conservatives and traditionalists who have become his biggest critics. Francis blasted their way of living the faith, insisting that being Catholic doesn’t mean following a never-changing set of strict rules… Some have even gone so far as to accuse him of heresy for some of his gestures and preaching, including allowing ‘pagan’ statues in the Vatican.

“Francis dedicated the bulk of his speech this year to the need to be vigilant about the work of the devil… He told the Vatican bureaucrats it’s not enough to merely condemn evil or root it out, since it often comes back in different guises, stronger than before. Francis used the term ‘we’ repeatedly, suggesting he includes himself among those in the Vatican who must remain mindful of the devil in their midst… ‘That is how these elegant demons are: they enter smoothly, without our even being conscious of them.’…”

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.

Ten Days Extension for Netanyahu

The Times of Israel wrote on December 9:

“President Isaac Herzog on Friday granted Likud leader and Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu 10 additional days to finish forming a government, while indicating concern that the coalition Netanyahu is assembling — set to be the most right-wing in Israeli history — could potentially damage Israel’s democratic checks and balances, breach the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and alienate Jews overseas.

“The presumed incoming prime minister formally asked Herzog for the maximal extension of two weeks on Thursday, saying that the complexity of cobbling together his coalition required extra time, but Herzog gave him only 10 days. Netanyahu’s 28-day mandate to assemble a government was set to expire at midnight on Sunday night, and he will now have until December 21 to form a government. Herzog did not specify why he chose not to grant Netanyahu the maximum 14-day extension…

“Herzog told Netanyahu to form a government that ‘must work for the entire public in Israel.’ With the incoming coalition determined to constrain or even neuter the power of the High Court of Justice to block legislation and government decisions it deems contradict Israel’s quasi-constitutional basic laws, via a so-called ‘override clause,’ Herzog added that ‘the coalition being formed must maintain a respectful and responsible dialogue between the authorities—executive, legislature, and judiciary.’…

“Nonetheless, Netanyahu is widely expected to ultimately resolve remaining differences with his allies, secure Knesset approval for his new coalition, and take office in the coming weeks…”

Trump Attacks American Jewish Leaders

JTA wrote on December 9:

“Donald Trump said Jewish leaders ‘lack loyalty’ and ‘should be ashamed of themselves,’ his latest broadside against the American Jewish community, this time because of criticism of his dinner with two prominent antisemitic figures.

“‘How quickly Jewish Leaders forgot that I was the best, by far, President for Israel,’ Trump said Friday on his social media platform Truth Social… ‘They should be ashamed of themselves. This lack of loyalty to their greatest friends and allies is why large numbers in Congress, and so many others, have stopped giving support to Israel.’

“This is not the first time Trump has accused American Jews of being disloyal, but in the past he has said they were not loyal enough to Israel, not other ‘greatest friends.’ Calling out ‘Jewish leaders’ instead of Jewish Democratic voters also is a new point of rhetoric.”

Poland Afraid of German Dominance in the EU

The Associated Press wrote on December 9:

“Poland’s ruling party leader claims Germany seeks to dominate Europe. He warns that Poles could end up under the ‘German heel.’… Many Poles, like others in central Europe, have been critical of Germany’s stance toward Russia in the years leading up to Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, particularly for gas deals that created dependence on Russian energy and helped Russia build up its war chest…

“Kaczynski also said that ‘Germany’s attitude so far gives no reason to believe that they will decide to intercept Russian missiles.’… It remains unclear how successful anti-German rhetoric will be in the elections next year, coming 77 years after the end of WWII and with many Poles highly anxious about the current war in Ukraine. Many voters also see the economy as their top concern…

“Kaczynski last year accused Germany, which is the largest country in the 27-member EU, of using its role in the bloc to try to rebuild the ‘Fourth German Reich.’”

Twitter Blacklisted Conservative Voices

Breitbart wrote on December 8:

“Released by former New York Times reporter Bari Weiss in yet another lengthy Twitter thread, the revelations on Thursday showed that several mainstream conservative voices, from Charlie Kirk to Dan Bongino, were shadowbanned by the social media company…

“At one point, Twitter even placed Stanford professor, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, under the label ‘Trends Blacklist’ [which prevented his tweets from trending] for arguing that coronavirus lockdowns would harm children…”

Newsmax wrote on December 9:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday morning assailed the FBI and Justice Department for conspiring with Big Tech to carry out ‘their most sinister act in history.’ Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to comment following revelations that Twitter colluded with the Biden 2020 presidential campaign, and also censored conservative voices and posts… ‘What everyone is REALLY waiting to see, however, is the Twitter information and thought process leading up to the time of the so-called “Election,” and ultimately the “Deplatforming” of the President of the United States…’

“Musk on Thursday, via journalist Bari Weiss, revealed ‘that teams of Twitter employees build blacklists, prevent disfavored tweets from trending, and actively limit the visibility of entire accounts or even trending topics — all in secret, without informing users.’

“Following Taibbi’s report, Musk said ‘more smoking guns’ would be revealed. He also noted the anger directed at him by progressives and Democrats for exposing Twitter’s political bias. ‘I do not have any suicidal thoughts,’ Musk said Saturday night on the Twitter Spaces audio platform. ‘If I committed suicide, it’s not real,’ he added, a reference to the theorists that repeat the mantra that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself.”

In an obvious attempt to detract from the revelation of Twitter’s political bias and their censoring conservative voices with the help of the Democrats,  Adam Schiff sent a threatening letter to Elon Musk. But his action has already backfired. Note the next article.

Schiff “Demands” Action?

Fox News reported on December 9:

“Twitter users roasted Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for his tweet Thursday ‘demanding action’ from Elon Musk on his claims of rising hate speech, which the CEO denied. Schiff spoke on behalf of Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., after they wrote a formal letter to Musk and condemned his leadership, tweeting: ‘On Elon Musk’s Twitter:- Slurs against Black people have tripled – Slurs against women are up 33% – Slurs against Jewish people are up 61% – And slurs against gay men are up 58%,’ Schiff tweeted. ‘These numbers are abysmal – and unacceptable. Today, @RepMarkTakano and I are demanding action.’ Musk replied, ‘False, hate speech impressions are actually down by 1/3 for Twitter now vs prior to acquisition.’

“Musk was far from the only user to torch Schiff’s tweet. Many on Twitter slammed Schiff’s credibility, while also debating about the nature of what does or does not count as hate speech. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton offered his assessment of the situation: ‘Corrupt congressman abuses office to call for mass censorship using fake stats. Threatens @ElonMusk.’ Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald used Schiff’s tweet as an educational moment for his audience: ‘Aside from these made-up numbers: do you see how — to Democratic Party politicians — dictating to social media companies what they can and can’t platform, how they must censor, the role Democratic politicians play in all this, is just assumed as normal?’

“Lawyer Will Chamberlain offered a similar critique of the cozy relationship between government officials and big tech companies: ‘Read the First Amendment again, Adam. You don’t get to bully private companies into censoring lawful speech.’ ‘The Rubin Report’ host Dave Rubin targeted Schiff’s credibility itself: ‘Got any evidence of this? Or is it like Russia collusion? Resign in shame.’

“Former Biden Senate aide Tara Reade, who accused the president of sexual assault in 2020, called out Schiff as well. ‘Yet @RepAdamSchiff you will not investigate Biden though I filed complaint w[ith] Senate at the time and there is a police report,’ she tweeted. ‘I was a Senate staffer sexually harassed and assaulted by Biden. Where is my justice? You have the nerve to call out @elonmusk while Dems abused power?’

“Other commentators claimed Twitter has changed for the better since Musk took over…

“Conservative news personality Rob Schmitt tweeted, ‘Child exploitation on twitter has been gutted, not sure why you don’t care about that…’

“Yet more Twitter personalities balked at the suggestion that the government should be policing offensive phrases at all. ‘Musk denies this is accurate. But even if it’s true, what exactly does “demanding action” mean?’ Substacker Damon Linker asked… Author Michael Malice asked Schiff…, ‘Have you ever considered the possibility that you are one of the bad guys?’”

Schiff’s demand for action against Musk is incredible and laughable. At the same time, the EU threatened Musk that if he does not abide by European laws regarding hate speech and sexual discrimination, Twitter may be taken down.

More Revelations of Twitter Suppression with Help of FBI

The New York Post wrote on December 9:

“Twitter executives decided to ban then-President Donald Trump from their social media platform after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, while maintaining regular check-ins with the FBI and other federal authorities as they decided what postings should be targeted for censorship, the latest report from new company CEO Elon Musk reveals.

“In one of a series of tweets Friday evening, independent journalist Matt Taibbi said internal company messages showed how Twitter’s internal standards eroded during the months leading up to Jan. 6, with high-ranking executives violating their own policies while interacting with various federal agencies.

“Taibbi posted messages that he said ‘show Twitter executives getting a kick out of intensified relationships with federal agencies.’ In one, Yoel Roth, then Twitter’s head of trust and safety, appears to describe how he struggled to disguise the purpose of weekly meetings with FBI and other government officials that helped guide the company’s decisions on policing posts on its platform.”

Breitbart wrote on December 9:

“Elon Musk’s Twitter released another batch of internal discussions on Friday night, which revealed that executives at the social media company had established the ‘framework’ for banning Donald Trump’s account before the events of January 6, and used the Capitol riots as their excuse to finally blacklist the President. The goal of the left-wing executives is clear in statements such as, ‘the narrative that Trump and his friends have pursued over the course of this election and frankly the last 4+ years must be taken into account.’…

“[The documents also]  revealed that executives at the social media company had met with federal agencies amid the Hunter Biden laptop story, and that the FBI reported tweets it didn’t like to workers at the company.”

Jack Dorsey Gave Up Fighting Twitter’s Powerful Activists

The New York Post wrote on December 14:

“Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has taken full responsibility for the social media platform’s many failings — admitting he ‘completely gave up’ pushing back against powerful activists in the company… He said his ‘biggest mistake’ was helping to build tools for Twitter to ‘manage the public conversation’ rather than ‘tools for the people using Twitter to easily manage it for themselves.’ ‘This burdened the company with too much power, and opened us to significant outside pressure,’ he conceded.

“‘I generally think companies have become far too powerful, and that became completely clear to me with our suspension of… Trump’s account in January last year,’ he said. That suspension — only recently overturned by new owner Elon Musk — was ‘the wrong thing for the internet and society.’ Now, Dorsey is a ‘strong believer that any content produced by someone for the internet should be permanent until the original author chooses to delete it.’ ‘Content takedowns and suspensions should not be possible,’ he wrote.”

It’s called “free speech.”

Twitter, Democrats and FBI Guilty of a Form of Treason?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 12:

“The biggest story of the past decade is not the covid pandemic, the January 6th protests, the war in Ukraine, the BLM riots, or even the stagflationary crisis in the US. Behind these major events is another story, one that connects them all together in a disturbing way. Even more important than the effects of geopolitical and economic chaos is the effect of mass censorship; without the free exchange of information and debate the public remains ignorant.

“…governments and elitists from around the world often seek to manipulate the ways in which people digest information. The idea is rather simple – They believe that ‘we the people’ cannot be allowed to come to our own conclusions. They think we cannot be trusted to develop the ‘proper’ viewpoints and we are not smart enough to understand the implications of governmental decisions.

“… The establishment will give numerous reasons why they need to censor, suppress, spin and misrepresent the facts of any given situation… This is pure authoritarianism. It’s the stuff of nightmares and revolutions. But for many years now a large subsection of the world has denied such a dynamic exists. It’s ‘conspiracy theory’… to claim that a small number of elites work together in secret to control public perception and govern our society from the shadows. After all, where is the proof?

“… Proof of such secretive governance and control is everywhere these days, but some people prefer willful denial. Take for example the ongoing data drops for what is now being called ‘The Twitter Files.’

“The mainstream media is barely responding to the information dump initiated by Elon Musk. They seem to be far more interested in Donald Trump’s tax records. When they are forced to acknowledge the story, they are hostile… It’s a classic psychological tactic of typical narcissists and criminals – When they get caught, they act indifferent, as if neither the evidence nor their crimes really matter…

“The content of these files is astonishing, but at the same time it is true that the conclusions are not surprising. The files simply confirm almost everything conservative and libertarian commentators have been saying for years; all those ‘conspiracy theories’ about Big Tech censorship of conservatives turned out to be true. Not only that, but the theory that government agencies and officials from the DNC worked with Big Tech to silence and undermine their political opponents was also true.

“Twitter has long denied that they ‘shadow ban’ users, but this was a lie. The data shows that small groups within Twitter… suppressed up to 200 accounts per day. Usually these were accounts of larger and more influential conservative politicians and celebrities. And, these teams operated in coordination with Democrat officials and agencies like the FBI. In some cases the goal was to mute a particular individual. In other cases the goal was to steer national elections…

“The exposure of Twitter is the biggest story of the decade because it provides proof of a hidden cabal. It shows the ugly mechanics behind the scenes and exposes a network of elites and their errand boys who were involved in direct operations to destroy the 1st Amendment for the sake of ideological supremacy.

“It’s the classic definition of fascism, a definition that Benito Mussolini reiterated when he argued: ‘Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.’ And, if this brand of Fascism was happening within the halls of Twitter, then there is little doubt it is also happening at companies like Google/YouTube, Apple, Facebook, etc. Before we had evidence, now we have confirmation…

“The bottom line is this: According to the Bill of Rights, it is illegal for agents of the US government to obstruct the free speech of law abiding American citizens. It does not matter if the action is done by using ‘private businesses’ as middlemen. And, if a private business is colluding with government to implement political policy then it is no longer a private business. Twitter was participating in a form of treason, along with the agencies that they cooperated with. It’s a huge story, and one that should lead to punishment for those involved.”

America’s decline into dictatorship, authoritarianism and – it appears – a form of fascism, allegedly committing treason, is stunning.

Another Win for Putin against Biden

The New York Post wrote on December 8:

“It is good news that Brittney Griner, a political pawn of Vladimir Putin, is free. Too bad it is because of a terrible deal by Team Biden. It’s an outrage that Washington sprang notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange, without even also winning the release of as-unjustly ‘convicted’ Paul Whelan, who’s been languishing in Russia since 2018 with a decade-plus left to serve.

“This is fresh ugly proof of how weak the United States has become on the world stage, thanks significantly to the doddering foreign policy emanating from the White House. Griner’s arrest, sham trial and subsequent outrageous sentence to nine years’ hard labor earlier this year (for accidentally packing pot oil-filled vape cartridges in her suitcase) were nothing less than Putin making a big bet against the US with a naked act of political targeting.

“Well, with the Bout exchange, he’s won. We folded. And we couldn’t even get this bad deal done ourselves. We had to outsource it to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Yes, getting Griner back was 100% the right thing to do morally — but at what cost? Bout is a true war criminal responsible for endless death and chaos, who at one point was the second-most-wanted man in the world after Osama bin Laden…”

Biden Signs Key Gay Marriage Regulation

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“US President Joe Biden signed key gay marriage legislation into law in front of thousands, in a symbolic ceremony for the growing acceptance of same-sex unions. ‘This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms,’ Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House. ‘And that’s why this law matters to every single American.’’

“The ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ is supposed to safeguard gay marriages if the US Supreme Court were to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, its 2015 decision to legalize same-sex unions. The new law also protects interracial marriages. ‘Congress has restored a measure of security to millions of marriages and families,’ Biden said in a statement when the legislation passed last week. ‘They have also provided hope and dignity to millions of young people across this country who can grow up knowing that their government will recognize and respect the families they build.’

‘‘Together, we showed that it’s possible for Democrats and Republicans to come together to safeguard our most fundamental rights,’’ Biden said.”

Biden is a professing and practicing “good Catholic,” according to the Pope. The Catholic Church declares same-sex marriages as sinful.

Soros Willing to Buy 2024 Presidential Election

Life News wrote on December 9:

“Liberal billionaire George Soros is upping his accolade as the ‘largest donor’ for the 2022 midterm elections to the next level by reportedly signaling that he’s ready to buy the 2024 presidential election. Politico revealed Dec. 7 that Soros pumped a whopping $50 million into his leftist super PAC — Democracy PAC — ‘building on an already large investment in Democratic groups and candidates for the 2024 election cycle and beyond.’ This is on top of the $128 million he spent during the 2022 midterm elections…

“The talking heads at the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news shows predictably ignored the report during their Dec. 7 broadcasts…

“The news of Soros’ new political spending also comes on the heels of MRC Business’s latest report documenting Soros’ financial ties to 253 journalism and activist media groups across the world. These groups wield massive power over the flow of information in national and international politics. So not only is Soros spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect his radical candidates, he’s also ensuring that the global media amplify his radical leftist messaging on issues including abortion, Marxist economics, anti-Americanism, defunding the police, environmental extremism and LGBT fanaticism to help secure the political outcomes he desires.”

Democrat Senator Sinema Becomes Independent

Axios wrote on December 9:

“Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said… that she’s leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent… It’s a political earthquake that will shake up the Senate — and a gut punch for Democrats just three days after they secured a 51-49 majority…

“Arizonans — including many registered as Democrats or Republicans — are eager for leaders who focus on common-sense solutions rather than party doctrine,’ Sinema says… in The Arizona Republic, her state’s largest paper. ‘That’s why I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.’’”

Even without Sinema, Democrats still have the majority in the Senate, with a 50 to 49 lead.

The Coup That Never Would Have Happened

On December 8, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung criticized that several media outlets were informed about the operation in advance and were present during the raids:

“Obviously, the investigating authorities as well as the accompanying media were focused on strong images and their popular education effect. Anyone who is led away in public is expelled from society for the time being. In a liberal constitutional state which is based not least on the presumption of innocence, such an advance conviction is no trifling matter. … It leaves an unpleasant aftertaste, the conflicted impression that the security authorities wanted to flex their muscles for all the world to see, muscles that are used far less energetically when it comes to other threats.”

The Neue Zuercher Zeitung wrote on December 8:

“The raid on the ‘Reichsbürger’ was also staged for the media. It is good that the rule of law is taking tough action against violent extremists. However, it weakens itself if it announces its measures to numerous media in advance and thus turns arrests and searches into a public spectacle. Of course, not even the investigating authorities claim that a coup by the so-called Reichsbürger was imminent…

“Did Germany’s security authorities really thwart the great Reichsbürger conspiracy, or did they shoot sparrows with cannons? The historic large-scale operation and the accompanying media coverage raise questions.”

Deutschlandfunk wrote on December 7 that the raid had been an open secret with the media for at least a week and that the addresses of the raids had been known to the press for at least a week.

Cicero wrote on December 7:

“According to the excited media coverage and the statements by politicians and security authorities, an imminent coup d’état was just prevented. Viewed in the light of day, however, the hype surrounding the environment of two crazy Reichsbürger revolutionaries and their plans to overthrow [the government] seem rather grotesque… Even at the risk of being considered ‘trivial’: I have now read through all the available news about the allegedly imminent coup d’etat – and find the downright hysterical reporting somewhat grotesque.”

Of course it is… but the reaction of the “establishment” is the dangerous consequence.

The following is an example of the typical reaction by the mainstream media:

The Tagesschau wrote on December 7:

“It was not a quarter to twelve: the attempted coup was not imminent. But anyone who tries to laugh this off is making a mistake. … The remarkable thing about this group is its composition: the Reichsbürger (the self-annointed ‘Citizens of the Reich’) joined forces with people from what is considered the centre of society – lawyers, doctors, plus quirky esoterics and former soldiers with access to weapons. Some of the people in this group were already present as agitators at Covid-related protest events. … The constitutional state must answer such people with all its might. That is what it has done today.”

They must be bad people and a danger to democracy when they demonstrated against the unconstitutional governmental corona restrictions.

Proving Your Innocence?

Die Welt wrote on December 9:

“After soldiers and a judge were also arrested during the ‘Reichsbürger’ raid, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) wants to change the disciplinary law: officials with ‘subversion fantasies’ should in the future have to prove their innocence. An idea that gives a deep insight.”

This was so predictable. Rather than being concerned about the alleged planned “Reichsbuerger” putsch, we should be concerned about the resection by the German government, the opposition parties, and the mass media.  One has to ask whether the entire raid was instigated by the police and the government to bring about their secret goals of suppressing dissenting and unpleasant voices, thereby attempting to abrogate constitutional rights and freedoms… as was done before by enacting unnecessary and illegal coronavirus restrictions.

Controversial Plan

Bild Online wrote on December 9:

“Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) said in the Bundestag and on TV that she wanted to reverse the burden of proof for officials on the subject of loyalty to the constitution! Lawyers are appalled. Professor Ulrich Battis from the Humboldt University: ‘Demanding a reversal of the burden of proof is legal nonsense…’

“Constitutional lawyer Josef Franz Lindner (University of Augsburg): ‘What the interior and constitutional minister explains here is frightening from the point of view of the rule of law. It is correct that the BVerfG accepts the dismissal of civil servants by administrative act. However, the civil servant can bring an action before the administrative court. In a constitutional state, the burden of proof or determination of the existence of the grounds for dismissal naturally lies with the employer and not with the civil servant who was dismissed…’”

Report 24 wrote on December 11:

“So-called Reichsbürger are perceived by politicians as the greatest threat. Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach allegedly almost fell victim to a kidnapping by such a group. After the raid on the scene, the politicians, who were already plagued by fear, find themselves exposed to another danger: this is said to come from the AfD. Demands for increased protection of the Bundestag are becoming louder.

“Germany is a safe country and there is danger – if at all – only from the right, that’s what politicians want the citizens to believe. This is not surprising given that quite a few members of the government have veered so far to the left that anyone who thinks otherwise must simply be a rightist, Home Secretary and Antifa sympathizer Nancy Faeser being a good example…

“3,000 officers were involved in the large-scale operation, who risked their lives and arrested a total of 25 people (there are probably 54 suspects in total) and an interesting arsenal of weapons, consisting of, believe it or not, two long guns, a handgun, as well as swords and crossbows, blank and signal guns. Cash was also found…

“Faeser recognizes an ‘abyss of terrorist threat’ in the group’s foiled ‘plans for overthrow.’ The media at home and abroad are literally falling over themselves with reports; according to the ‘Washington Post’ even a ‘Fourth Reich’ was prevented…

“The fact that the judge and former AfD member of parliament Birgit Malsack-Winkemann was among those arrested in the raid seems to trigger further fears in politics, as the entire AfD is now identified as a threat – how could it be otherwise? For this reason, SPD and Greens politicians are now not only calling for increased security measures for the Bundestag, but also for measures such as monitoring the party by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The AfD is once again under general suspicion.

“So, in a major operation, a few poorly armed pensioners are arrested who supposedly wanted to overthrow the government. Whether there were actually realistic plans and what they looked like is not known. The mainstream cheers the supposed blow against the right in the usual way. For the citizens, the whole thing seems staged and is reminiscent of a farce...

“The government seems to have no interest in a discussion about the violence they imported from migrants, to which the population is exposed on a daily basis. As is well known, migrants are not to be placed under general suspicion, but politicians of the AfD obviously can be. Incidentally, there are actual fantasies of a coup among left-wing groups, but that doesn’t seem to matter: Left-wing crackpots don’t pose a threat, they’re the good guys…”

As expected, the AFD is now being accused by the Greens of playing down the danger from Reichsbürger members. And that makes headlines again in the German mass media.

“Germany to Weigh Stricter Gun Laws After Suspected Coup Plot”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 11:

“Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the German government needed to ‘exert maximum pressure’ to remove weapons from far-right extremists of the Reichsbürger movement.

“Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German newspaper Bild am Sontag on Sunday that the government had plans to tighten its gun laws… ‘We need all authorities to exert maximum pressure’ to remove their weapons, Faeser was quoted as saying…

“Although citizens in Germany can own guns, the country has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe. Private possession of firearms is rare…

“German domestic intelligence agencies estimate the number of members at around 23,000, which Faeser said represented an increase of 9.5% compared with last year. ‘These are not harmless crazy people but suspected terrorists who are now sitting in pre-trial detention,’ Faeser was quoted as saying.”

Is Faeser saying that 23,000 members of the Reichsbürger “movement” are suspected terrorists? Only 25 suspects are in detention at this point.  

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser No Stranger to Controversy

News 64 had written on January 20, 2022:

“Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, of all people, is questioning the constitutional right of assembly for critics of corona measures.

“According to media reports, Faeser is said to have published a very confusing tweet in which she asked demonstrators to stop taking their protest to the streets.

“The interior minister wrote verbatim on the social network Twitter: ‘I repeat my appeal: you can express your opinion without meeting in many places at the same time.’

“But what does the minister mean exactly, and whom is she addressing? Here are the attempts of explanation by the spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Interior: ‘The statement by the minister should be seen in the context of the corona protests and against the background of the dramatically high number of corona infections,’ she explained to the media.

“Demonstrating against Corona measures: No. Demonstrating for climate protection: Yes. The minister seems to use double standards. As late as September 2019, Faeser wrote on her Facebook page: ‘I am absolutely amazed at how many people took to the streets yesterday for climate protection… schoolchildren in particular have changed the consciousness of many people. I think this is great and it’s time for action,’ she wrote. Even during the pandemic, the minister advocated demonstrations for other causes.

“Article 8 of the Basic Law states: ‘All Germans have the right to assemble peacefully and without weapons without prior registration or permission.’

“Constitutional expert and constitutional lawyer Prof. Josef Franz Lindner from the University of Augsburg made the following statement to the media: ‘The basic right of freedom of assembly means that people get together and do not make their opinion known in the living room. That is a problematic statement for a constitutional minister.’”

Of course, Article 8 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) has been flagrantly violated consistently by the German government in connection with the coronavirus restrictions.

The Limited Times had written on February 2, 2022, crediting “Merkur” as the source:

“A right-wing newspaper criticizes Nancy Faeser, Bild joins in and CDU/CSU politicians also agree… The reason for the debate is a guest contribution by Faeser to the Association of People Persecuted by the Nazi Regime…

“The first criticism from a new-right newspaper, Junge Freiheit… With her contribution to the VNN-BdA, Faeser showed her affiliation with left-wing radicals. A few days later, the Bild newspaper followed suit. Faeser wrote… for an ‘anti-constitutional newspaper’.

“Further criticism of her guest contribution follows – including from Matthias Hauer (CDU). He commented on Twitter as follows: ‘A federal interior minister who wrote a guest article for a left-wing extremist newspaper six months ago has completely disqualified herself for her position. As a minister, Nancy Faeser is supposed to fight enemies of the constitution instead of supporting them.’ CDU politician Christoph de Vries also spoke of a ‘highly explosive process’ in the matter…

“De Vries criticized that the SPD was ‘largely blind in the left eye’… the former State Secretary at the Federal Minister of the Interior, for Construction and Homeland, Stephan Mayer (CSU) also commented. He said that Faeser’s guest post was a ‘big mistake’ and that he expected a ‘rapid apology and the withdrawal of the post’.”

To our knowledge, none of that ever happened, and naturally, the political party “Die Linke” (the Left”) supported Faeser. But Faeser did not seem to have a problem with any of this, as these were not alleged “right-wing extremists”, but alleged “left-wing extremists.” And what about Sharia Law in Germany? Note the next article.

Sharia Law in Germany

Bild Online wrote on December 13:

“In the name of the people was yesterday, now the capital [Berlin] is apparently supposed to be trained in the name of the Islamic Sharia…

‘In November, an advanced course on solving social problems in ‘immigrant communities’ took place in the Berlin Senate Department for Justice. According to the Senate paper, ‘conflict solvers’ would work there to ‘resolve disputes out of court and restore legal peace in accordance with the traditions accepted in the communities.’

“In plain language: so-called ‘peace judges”’ who ensure law and order bypassing the German judiciary.”

War Between Russia and Ukraine to Escalate?

Life Site News wrote on December 12:

“The United States has given the green light to long range strikes inside Russia. This was a measure which was effectively off limits to the Ukrainians before last week, which saw drone strikes take place deep inside Russian territory.

“Another strike came last week, on a civilian hotel in Russian-held Melitopol. This betokens a change in policy by the United States, whose former refusal to supply long range HIMARS missile capability has now been effectively rescinded…

“The Russian leadership has warned that attacks on Russian territory will be met with an overwhelming response… Contrary to the blanket reportage in the West, which presents an image of Russian failure and suggests victory is inevitable for Ukraine, there are serious problems in Ukraine…

“Generations of Western leaders worked successfully to avoid direct military conflict with the Soviet Union. They recognized that, unlike Moscow, the West has very little strategic interest in who controls Donetsk…”

Russia’s Powerful Nuclear Weapons

The U.S. Sun wrote on December 14:

“VLADIMIR Putin has renewed his nuke threat against the West by appearing to ready a nuclear missile for launch.

“Footage shows a huge Russian Yars rocket able to hit the UK and the US being loaded into a silo at a base near Moscow. The intercontinental ballistic missile has a 7,500 mile range and when nuclear-armed is reportedly 12 times more destructive than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

“It was seen in Russian propaganda being installed in a launch-pad using a special transport and loading unit – but there is no indication of any order for an imminent launch… Russia is building up to more nuclear showboating as it marks the annual Strategic Missile Forces Day on 17 December.”

Turkey’s Dictatorship

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to two years and seven months in prison for allegedly insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council. Imamoglu is a key opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan…

“The court also imposed a political ban on Imamoglu that could lead to his removal from office and would be even more likely to rule him out from standing in next year’s presidential election. The sentencing and the political ban must be confirmed by an appeals court… Imamoglu narrowly won local elections in 2019. His victory, which was confirmed after a rerun, ended a 25-year domination by Erdogan’s conservative allies in Istanbul.

“He was tried over a 2019 speech in which he said the annulment of the first round of the election was ‘foolishness.’ Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu publicly accused Imamoglu of ‘defaming’ the election officials. Imamoglu denies insulting the officials, and says that the comment was a response to Soylu for using the same language against him.

“The Turkish regime has used defamation and ‘insulting’ charges to crack down on dissent. Those convicted of particularly insulting the president face a jail sentence of between one and four years. Since Erdogan became president in 2014, thousands in Turkey have been convicted of insulting the president…”

Turkey is clearly a dictatorship under autocrat Erdogan.

Unchristian Brits

IFN wrote on December 10:

“Great Britain, where King Charles III is the head of the Church of England, is facing a dramatic change in religious identity–for the first time, less than half of the inhabitants of England and Wales declared themselves Christians.

“The results of the 2021 census have just been released, showing that the British society, which has had its own national church since the 16^th century, is increasingly secularized and demographically diverse. In terms of religion, statistics show a new trend among the English and the Welsh: abandoning the Christian faith and turning to new cults, such as shamanism, paganism and Wiccanism.

“The government’s Office for National Statistics announced that 46.2 percent of the population in England and Wales (27.5 million people) declared themselves as Christian, down from 59 percent (33.3 million people) in the 2011 census. The data for Scotland has not yet been fully processed… the Church of England can be worried because its spiritual flock is gradually falling away. According to the Telegraph, between 2010 and 2019, a total of 423 Anglican churches closed.

“The new British monarch, who will be crowned by the Bishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on 6 May 2023, is aware of the changes related to the religious status of his subjects, which is why he recently said: ‘I am obliged to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who want to live in accordance with secular ideals.’”

We wonder how God looks at comments like these.

Unbelieving Americans

Israel 365 News wrote on December 11:

“A recent survey showed that in the wake of the global pandemic, the belief that we are currently at the end of days is rising. This contrasts sharply with Jewish tradition…

“A recent Pew Research survey found that 39% of Americans surveyed believed that they were currently living at the end of times as compared to 59% who did not.

“47% of Christians believed we are at the end of time. For Christians, the end of days marks the imminent return of Jesus… 49% of Christians say we are not living in the end times, including 70% of Catholics and 65% of mainline Protestants…

“When asked if Jesus ‘will return to Earth someday,’ more than half of all U.S. adults (55%), including three-quarters of Christians, say this will happen. Protestants in the evangelical (92%) and historically Black (86%) traditions are more likely than other Christians to say there will eventually be a second coming of Jesus. Roughly four-in-ten Americans either do not believe Jesus will return to Earth (25%) or say they do not believe in Jesus (16%).”

Public Outcry Forces San Francisco to Reverse Its Decision on Robots

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 8:

“On Tuesday of last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to authorize police to use drones or robots to kill via remote control in the California city. Then, a week later — on Tuesday of this week, the board reversed course, voting to prohibit this siccing of killer robots or drones on people. The board voted 8-3 for the reversal — the same vote total by which the board the week before had approved the police using robots or drones to kill… the reversal by the Board of Supervisors followed a ‘wave of public outcry from community members’ and outvoted board members threatening they would push for the matter to be decided by a public vote if the board did not reverse its decision.

“The remote killing authorization, though, is still not itself fully killed… Concerned individuals in San Francisco will need to remain vigilant in their effort to ensure that a remote-control killing authorization does not creep back into the city’s police policy over the next week or in the longer term. And concerned individuals across America would do well to keep close watch over the police policies of their local, state, and national governments.”

Volcanic Eruptions on the Rise

Israel 365 News reported on December 9:

“27 different volcanoes are erupting at this moment and many others are showing signs of waking up. Several of these eruptions have experts concerned.

“The two biggest volcanoes in Hawaii erupted simultaneously two weeks ago. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupted for the first time since 1984 while the smaller but more active Kilauea also erupted. Both are located on the archipelago’s Big Island. Dual eruptions haven’t taken place since 1984.

“On Sunday, the Stromboli volcano off the coast of Sicily erupted, spewing dark ash and generating volcanic lightning. Stromboli is considered one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and has continuously erupted since 1932. Meanwhile, Mount Semeru in Indonesia just erupted as well. Authorities raised the volcano’s warning status to the highest level and called for the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people. People have been urged to keep at least 5 miles away, as ‘hot avalanches’ of lava poured from Semeru… The eruption also follows a series of earthquakes, one of which hit last month, killing 300 people. Indonesia sits on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes…

“The Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile-long horseshoe-shaped region encompassing the Pacific Ocean, is the most seismically active area on the planet. It includes most of California, Washington State, and Alaska. The Ring of Fire includes a total of 452 volcanoes, more than 75 percent of active volcanoes existing in the world today. About 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes and 81 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. All but three of the world’s 25 largest volcanic eruptions of the last 11,700 years occurred at volcanoes in the Ring of Fire.

“There is no doubt that volcanic activity is on the rise. There were about 25 significant volcano eruptions globally in the first 18 years of this century compared with approximately 65 in the entire 20th century…”

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 Twitter Suppressed the Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Newsmax reported on December 2:

“Elon Musk rolled out his internal probe into how Twitter handled the Hunter Biden laptop story on Friday, showing extreme lengths the company went through to protect President Joe Biden. In a thread from journalist Matt Taibbi, endorsed by Musk, leaked documents suggest the company disproportionately favored Democrats on content moderation before the billionaire took control.

“The Rolling Stone contributing editor laid out a series of redacted files alleged to originate from Twitter employees’ communications, appearing to show collusion between Twitter’s top brass and the Biden campaign, as well as the Democratic National Committee.

“In one of the documents dated Oct. 24, 2020, an employee is seen linking to a set of tweets from accounts flagged by a group referred to as ‘the Biden team.’ Three hours later, another employee replies that he ‘handled these,’ implying what appears to be removal…

“But the greatest attention was focused on accusations surrounding Twitter’s suppression of evidence obtained from Hunter Biden’s laptop, initially published by the New York Post. ‘Twitter took extraordinary steps to suppress the story, removing links and posting warnings that it may be “unsafe.” They even blocked its transmission via direct message, a tool hitherto reserved for extreme cases, e.g. child pornography,’ Taibbi wrote.

“Taibbi then described how the story was removed on the basis of violating Twitter’s ‘hacked materials policy’ and was made ‘at the highest levels of the company but without the knowledge of CEO Jack Dorsey.’… According to several anonymous employees, flagging a post for hacked materials normally ‘required an official/law enforcement finding of a hack.’ However, that never appeared…”

Almost 80% of voters said they believe that if Americans would have known about the Hunter Biden scandal and the possible involvement of Joe Biden, which was suppressed by Twitter and the left-wing mass media, just prior to the presidential election in 2020, they would have voted differently. In response, Trump said the Constitution should be suspended and new elections held. He was strongly condemned by Democrats and some Republicans for this statement, daring to question the “sanctity” of the Constitution,

“Twitter Invented a Reason to Help Joe Biden Win in 2020”

The New York Post published the following opinion piece by the Post Editorial Board on December 2:

“The Post’s reporting wasn’t just blocked, it was suppressed…

“Twitter was directly involved in tilting an election. Everyone could see it, but because they were desperate for Donald Trump to lose and Joe Biden to win, that the media barely made a peep. Even after Hunter Biden’s former business partner gave a public press conference backing up exactly what The Post had reported.

“After it became untenable to say the laptop wasn’t real, Twitter told us we could have our account back — we just had to delete the original Tweet. We could even put up a new Tweet linking to the Hunter Biden story, one that wouldn’t be censored, but we had to delete the original one.

“The logic behind this blackmail escaped us. The Post refused. It would be 17 days before Twitter finally backed down and unfroze our account.

“The bias was clear… And, by the way, nothing really changed afterward. Twitter went right back to censoring those who didn’t toe the line on COVID and any other number of topics… The Democratic National Committee and the Biden administration were in direct email contact with the Twitter content team, pointing them exactly to the Tweets they wanted destroyed.

“It took a very expensive change of ownership for these details to come to light, and for the promise of less censorship in the future. That’s why the left is losing their minds.”

How Much Was the FBI Involved?

In a related article, the New York Post wrote on December 3:

“Elon Musk half-delivered on his promise to tell all about Twitter’s censorship of the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election. What was missing were details of specific warnings we know the FBI made to Twitter about a Russian ‘hack and leak operation’ involving Hunter during their weekly meetings with top executives of the social media giant in the days and weeks before The Post published its exclusive bombshell.

“We know that FBI Supervisory Special Agent Elvis Chan testified Tuesday in a lawsuit against the Biden administration brought by Republican attorneys that he organized those weekly meetings with Twitter and Facebook in San Francisco for as many as seven Washington-based FBI agents in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election…

“Musk reveals that a crucial player in Twitter’s censorship of The Post was former FBI general counsel James Baker, a central player in the Russia collusion hoax, who had become Twitter’s Deputy General Counsel…

“It is not known whether Musk has withheld material in Twitter’s records after an intense pressure campaign from President Biden, the White House, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and threats that Big Tech compatriots Apple and Google would banish Twitter from their app store.”

Let us sure hope that he did not, and that the entire ugly truth comes to light soon.

Baker Fired

Newsmax reported on Tuesday, December 6, that “Musk fired deputy general counsel James Baker, a former counsel to FBI director James Comey,  on Tuesday, following revelations that he was slow-walking the release of files regarding government collusion with the social media company to journalists Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss…

“Over the weekend… it was [Weiss] who discovered that the person in charge of releasing the files was someone named Jim. When she called to ask ‘Jim’s’ last name, the answer came back: ‘Jim Baker.’… Taibbi adds that ‘news that Baker was reviewing the ‘Twitter files” surprised everyone involved, to say the least.’ On Tuesday, Musk tweeted, that ‘in light of concerns about Baker’s possible role in suppression of information important to the public dialogue, he was exited from Twitter today.’”

Good for Musk.

According to the Liberty Report, dated December 7, “The ‘former’ FBI Agent [Jim Baker] at the center of the bogus ‘Russiagate’ operation was brought on by Twitter’s previous management, where he played a key role in suppressing the Hunter Biden bombshell. Musk decided to release the internal communications of ‘old’ Twitter around the censorship and that same ‘former’ FBI agent [Jim Baker] was caught red-handed [allegedly] removing the evidence before it could be released.”

Culprits Remain Silent

Breitbart wrote on December 3:

“Former top intelligence officials who signed an open letter suggesting the Hunter Biden laptop story was part of a Russian operation just weeks before the 2020 election were silent after internal Twitter emails acknowledged there was no evidence the story involved material that was illicitly obtained…

“Leon Panetta, a former CIA director and defense secretary, John Brennan, a former CIA director, Mike Hayden, a former CIA director, and Jim Clapper, a former director of national intelligence — who all once said The Post’s reporting had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,’ — declined or did not respond to request for comment about whether the latest disclosures had changed their opinion…

“Five days after questions were raised at Twitter about relying on a hacking justification to suppress the story, more than 50 former intelligence officials published an open letter on October 19, 2020, that argued that, based on their experience and expertise, the story came from the Russian government… The letter was also signed by former acting CIA Directors John McLaughlin and Michael Morell…”

At a very minimum, no confidence can be placed in their “experience and expertise.” That’s how politics are made and how “facts” are being fabricated. And when the truth is revealed, the culprits remain silent and go into hiding.  

A Massive Corruption Scandal by the US Government

On December 5, Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute:

“The release, in coordination with truly independent journalist Matt Taibbi, demonstrated indisputably how politicians and representatives of ‘official Washington’ pressed the teams that were then in charge of censorship at Twitter to remove Tweets and even ban accounts that were guilty of nothing beyond posting something the power-brokers did not want the general public to read. Let’s not forget that many of those demanding Twitter censorship were US government officials who had taken an oath to the US Constitution and its First Amendment.

“It is important to understand that both US political parties were involved in pushing Twitter to censor information they didn’t like. There is plenty of corruption to go around. However, as the Twitter Papers demonstrated, vastly more Tweets were censored at the demand of Democratic Party politicians simply because Twitter employees on the censorship team were overwhelmingly Democratic Party supporters…

“Elon Musk himself openly stated before the release that, prior to his taking control of the company and engaging in mass firing, Twitter had been manipulating elections. So all those years we heard lies from the Washington elites that Russia was interfering in our elections when after all it was Twitter. Of course that raises the question about other large social media companies like Facebook. Will Mark Zuckerberg come clean about his own company’s election interference? Will anyone have the courage to demand that he do so?

“How did they get away with all of this? As another truly independent journalist, Glenn Greenwald, pointed out on the Tucker Carlson show the night the ‘Twitter Papers’ were released, while it was once controversial for the CIA to attempt to manipulate what Americans consume in the mainstream media, nowadays these outlets openly hire ‘former’ US intelligence leaders and officers as news analysts. CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and the rest of them all bring on ‘former’ members of the intelligence services to tell Americans what to think. ‘Big tech censorship is a critical tool of the national security state,’ Greenwald told Tucker. ‘Whenever anyone tries to do anything about it these former people from the CIA and the Pentagon and the rest jump up and say “we cannot allow you to restore free speech.”’

“This is a corruption scandal so massive that it is almost guaranteed to never be properly investigated. Government itself is among the most guilty and we know ‘government commissions’ are really about covering up rather than uncovering the crimes committed. But the truth is powerful. Some 58 years after the Warren Report whitewashed the assassination of President Kennedy, polls show that few Americans believe the ‘official’ narrative… No amount of lies can withstand the disinfectant of truth. Thanks to Elon Musk for his courage and we encourage him to continue.”

A massive corruption scandal indeed! But it is by no means the only one. For example, note our articles below regarding the alleged cover-up of the Chinese and US governments regarding COVID origins, as well as the Biden Administration’s granting immunity to a despot accused of murdering an American journalist.

“Trump Organization Convicted of Tax Fraud; Hunter Biden Still Walks Free”

Breitbart wrote on December 6:

“Former President Donald Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, was convicted of tax fraud and other financial crimes on Tuesday in the case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden continues to walk free, despite admitting in December 2020 — after the presidential election — that he was under federal investigation for possible tax violations linked to his foreign business activities.

“Trump’s real estate organization was convicted on all 17 counts on the second day of deliberation following the trial, where the Trump Organization was accused of being complicit in a scheme by top executives to avoid paying personal income taxes on job perks ‘such as rent-free apartments and luxury cars,’ the Associated Press reported.

“The organization could face up to a maximum of $1.62 million, which is a comparably small amount for the company’s size, but the AP noted that ‘the conviction might make some of its future deals more complicated.’ Overall, the conviction comes after New York prosecutors have spent the last three years investigating the former president and his businesses.

“Trump himself was not a target of the investigation or prosecution. The case against the company was based on the testimony from the Trump Organization’s former finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg testified in exchange for only having a five-month jail sentence after previously pleading guilty to charges that he manipulated the Trump Organization’s books as well as his own compensation package to reduce his taxes. Weisselberg refused pressure to testify against Trump as part of the plea deal.”

One could read between the lines…

“Biden Signs Law Making Railroad Strike Illegal”

Fox Business wrote on December 2:

“Biden signs [a] bill forcing rail unions to accept [an] agreement, averting [a] crippling strike… The agreement passed by Congress was approved by eight of 12 transportation unions involved in negotiations. The four dissenting unions, representing about 100,000 rail workers, said the deal was unfair because it included insufficient paid-sick leave time.

“They had asked for seven paid sick days, but Congress did not include their demand in the bill, despite an effort from progressive lawmakers and even some conservatives like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to amend the legislation.”

Senator Rand Paul did not vote for the bill, saying on Fox Business to Larry Kudlow: “Congress should not get involved in contracts.. Congress should not [be]dictating our will.. This is determined in the market place. The whole thing was wrong… The more Congress gets involved, the more the other side expects that to happen… Republican voters across the country are upset with the old establishment up here [in Washington].”

Kudlow totally agreed with Paul. Ronald Reagan had famously said about human governments:

“Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem… Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them… Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one… Politics I supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”

The term “political prostitutes” would aptly apply.

Democrats Win Georgia

NBC News reported on December 7:

“Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican football star Herschel Walker on Tuesday in Georgia’s Senate runoff election, handing President Joe Biden and his party a key win.

“Warnock’s victory will give Democrats an outright majority in the Senate [of 51 to 49 votes] after two years under a 50-50 divide, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes.”

With the House in the hands of Republicans and the Senate in the hands of Democrats, this now looks more and more like a stalemate in US politics.

Americans Are Losing Trust in Their Military

Modern Diplomacy wrote on December 6:

“The current era is marked by fading trust in U.S. institutions, but confidence in one pillar has held up: the military. But now even that is eroding, and the question is whether the brass will get the message… The Reagan Institute releases an annual survey of public attitudes on national defense, and this year only 48% reported having ‘a great deal of confidence’ in the U.S. military… That’s down from 70% in 2018, and within the margin error of last year’s 45%. Some 52% also had reduced confidence in uniformed officers.

“General Mark Milley’s speech to Congress last year that he wanted to understand ‘white rage,’ in response to reasonable inquiries about whether cadets at West Point should be learning critical race theory, was a lapse in judgment. Many Americans think the military is no longer an institution that runs on excellence, merit and individual submission to a larger cause. The Pentagon denies this is a problem, but it surely is if half the public believes it.

“Americans on the left have their own reasons for declining confidence in the military: 46% cited right-wing extremism, even though this scourge has been wildly overstated… Some 75% in the Reagan survey viewed China as an enemy, up from 55% in 2018, and the percentage of those worried about Russia has doubled. Some 70% are concerned China might invade Taiwan within five years, and 61% support increasing the U.S. military’s Pacific footprint.”

The Bible says in Ezekiel 7:14 that when the trumpet sounds, no one in America will be willing to fight.

Lawsuit Against Bin Salman Dismissed… Another Blatant Example of Miscarriage of Justice

The Guardian wrote on December 6:

“A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman that claimed he conspired to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince was entitled to sovereign immunity despite ‘credible allegations’ that he was involved in the murder. Judge John Bates, a US district court judge with a long history of presiding over cases involving national security, acknowledged ‘uneasiness’ in making the decision, but said that his hands were in effect tied by the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that Prince Mohammed be given immunity…

“The dismissal of the civil claim against Prince Mohammed and two of his close associates – Saud al-Qahtani and Ahmed al-Asiri – means the Saudi heir can now travel to the US and other jurisdictions freely. Although the case was not brought by US prosecutors with the power to arrest him, if it had been allowed to proceed, the case would have created a legal minefield for the crown prince and if he had been found guilty, could have put his financial interests in the US in jeopardy…

“Khashoggi’s brutal murder in 2018 created an international outcry. An investigation by Agnes Callamard, then the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, found that Khashoggi had been the victim of a ‘deliberate, premeditated execution’ for which the state of Saudi Arabia was responsible under human rights law… In an angry statement to the Guardian, Callamard, who is now director general of Amnesty International, listed multiple parties who she claimed had ‘contributed to the impunity for the state murder of Jamal Khashoggi’, from Saudi Arabia itself, to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, to Joe Biden…

“Judge Bates’s ruling comes years after then-candidate Biden promised that he would hold the Saudi crown prince accountable for the murder if he was elected president and suggested that Prince Mohammed ought to be treated as a ‘global pariah’ for his alleged role in the killing.

Shortly after entering the White House, it appeared that Biden would follow through on the campaign promise. His administration released an unclassified intelligence report that concluded that ‘MBS’, as he is known, had likely approved the killing. But no further sanctions against the crown prince or his vast business interests in the US followed… ‘The Executive Branch remains responsible for foreign affairs, including with Saudi Arabia, and a contrary decision on bin Salman’s immunity by this court would unduly interfere with those responsibilities all the same,’ the judge wrote.”

The New York Post added on December 6:

“Judge John Bates wrote in an opinion filed Tuesday that the suit… ‘must be dismissed at this time,’ despite a request by the plaintiffs’ attorneys that the judge challenge the Biden decision [to grant immunity to the Prince]. ‘As the branch of government primarily responsible for international affairs and diplomacy, the Executive Branch may be hindered or embarrassed should the judiciary second-guess its foreign immunity decisions,’ Bates wrote.

“‘Despite the Court’s uneasiness, then, with both the circumstances of bin Salman’s appointment and the credible allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the United States has informed the Court that he is immune, and bin Salman is therefore “entitled to head of state immunity . . . while he remains in office”’, Bates continued. ‘Accordingly, the claims against bin Salman will be dismissed based on head-of-state immunity,’ he added.”

Incredible! Politics galore!!! What kind of a “justice system” do we have where a potential murderer cannot even be held accountable? And so, as we have seen so often, Biden’s declarations and promises mean absolutely nothing.

Griner Exchanged for the Merchant of Death

The U.S. Sun wrote on December 8:

“BRITTNEY Griner has been released from prison in Russia. The WNBA star was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer [and “merchant of death”] Viktor Bout…  Griner was held for months in a Russian prison after being convicted of drug charges. The one-for-one prisoner exchange was approved by president Joe Biden within the last week… 

“The deal between the US and [Russia] leaves American corporate security executive and former Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia in what American officials have called fraudulent charges. Russian courts sentenced Griner to nine years in prison on August 4 on drug smuggling charges for bringing hashish oil into the country…

“Bout was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the states after being convicted by a federal court in 2011 for conspiracy to kill US citizens and officials.

“Biden addressed the nation on Thursday from the White House alongside Harris and Griner’s wife Cherelle, saying ‘this was a day we’d worked for for a long time.’… The president also spoke of Whelan, saying ‘we have not forgotten about’ him and pledged to not stop fighting for his release…

“[Viktor] Bout exploited the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and ran a fleet of planes, shipping ammunition to war-torn countries in Africa. He’s also accused of supplying ammunition to brutal regimes and warlords. In 2011, Bout was convicted on charges of conspiring to kill American citizens and officers. He was also found guilty of providing resources in the form of weapons to a foreign terrorist organization.”

America’s New Trade War With Europe

German Foreign Policy wrote on November 23:

“The trade war is expanding between the EU and the USA over investment programs worth hundreds of billions. According to reports, these programs threaten not only the production of electric cars and their batteries, but also the wind and hydrogen energy sectors – all the industrial sectors crucial to Berlin’s and the EU’s futuristic plans. This is caused by these US measures, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which promise hundreds of billions of US dollars in subsidies, however, granted only for products manufactured in the USA. To take advantage of this boost in subsidies, Washington is coaxing companies from Europe, but also from Japan and South Korea to relocate to the United States. Whereas France is calling for resolute countermeasures, Berlin is playing it down, restricting the EU to negotiations with the USA. According to economists, ‘a great number of industries of the future’ are ultimately at stake. Former Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser even warns of an ‘industrial and capital exodus from Europe’ to the USA…

“The purchase of electric cars is being subsidized with US $7,500 each. However, only cars produced in the USA are subsidized. This also applies to components, such as batteries. Even their raw materials must initially be mined and processed to 40 and – in the long term – to 80 percent in the United States, or alternatively in a country linked to the USA by a free trade agreement. This excludes China, but also Germany and the EU – not only in regards to individual products but also to complete supply chains…

“South Korea is… seriously affected. Hyundai, for example, has a few successful electric car models, with which the company is competing with the US’ Tesla. However, these are not being produced in the USA and therefore, are totally excluded from the subsidy programs. This has proven an embarrassment for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-Yeol. Since he assumed office last May, he has supported Washington’s measures…, for example favoring US chip production, and thereby running the risk of tensions with China. Now he realizes that cooperation with the USA is economically costly for his country. There is enormous anger in Seoul…

“An amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act is considered out of the question, also because the US Congress must be in favor, which is even less conceivable now, given the results of the latest mid-terms, wherein the Republicans have won a majority in the House of Representatives. Theoretically, changes of the implementation regulations would be possible – but there is nothing to indicate that Washington would agree to anything beyond mere cosmetic adjustments..”

Biden could make changes via executive orders, but will he? After the debacle with the railroad strike [see above], how much more is he willing to do to risk his political survival within the Democratic Party?

Brewing Trade War Between USA and Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 3:

“German Finance Minister Christian Lindner warned Saturday over a brewing trade war between Europe and the United States… Smoother transatlantic ties since President Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump have hit a stumbling block… ‘The USA is our partner of shared values, but at the same time there is an enormously protectionist economic policy,’ he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper…

“Lindner said that the German economy, unlike France’s, is closely linked to the US market. He was referring to the US being a huge market for German automobiles, while French carmakers do not export there… Lindner’s remarks follow a call earlier this week by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck for a ‘robust’ response by Brussels to the new US subsidies.

“The EU is not Washington’s only ally frustrated at the new [IRA] subsidies. South Korea has also raised concerns that its carmakers will not be eligible for the US tax breaks. During a visit to the United States this week, French President Emmanuel Macron described Washington’s new tax breaks as ‘super aggressive’ and warned that the package would ‘divide the West.’

“Biden acknowledged that there were ‘glitches’ in the IRA which favors American-made climate technology, adding ‘there are tweaks we can make’ to satisfy allies, he said. Despite the conciliatory words, several Democratic lawmakers said they have no plans to revisit the legislation, which passed after more than a year of negotiations without any Republican support.”

EU to Buy Weapons as a Bloc

The Telegraph wrote on November 15:

“European Union countries must buy weapons as a bloc in the same way they negotiated for coronavirus vaccines, the EU’s foreign policy chief [Josep Borrell] said on Tuesday… Mr Borrell told EU defence ministers that the EU was now the world leader in the production of vaccines and that the plan could hand a similar boost to European arms companies… Joint purchasing will increase the interoperability of European armies because they would have similar technology, and the proposal could be seen as a step towards the… future prospect of an EU army…

“‘Member states need to immediately restore the readiness of their forces, address critical capability gaps and replenish depleted stocks,’ [Mr Borrell and Thierry Breton, the French commissioner for the internal market] said in a letter obtained by The Telegraph… The fully-fledged joint purchasing scheme is… called the European Defence Investment Programme. Once backed by the 27 EU member states, it will coincide with moves to accelerate ‘EU defence manufacturing capacity’.”

After Europe has become the world leader in the manufacture and sale of vaccines, Europe might soon become the world leader in the manufacture, purchase and sale of weapons, followed by the long-awaited establishment of an all-powerful European army.

Conspiracy to Overthrow the German Government?

DNYUZ reported on December 7:

“Special Forces in Germany have arrested 25 people suspected of supporting a domestic terrorism organization that planned to overthrow the government and form its own state, the federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.

“In early-morning raids carried out across the country, Special Forces officers detained people believed to be members and supporters of the group, which prosecutors said had been formed in the past year and was operating on the conviction that ‘Germany is currently ruled by members of a so-called deep state’ that needed to be overthrown. Prosecutors said two other people had been arrested outside Germany, one in Austria and another in Italy.

“The prosecutors described the group, which they did not identify, as being influenced by the ideologies of the conspiracy group QAnon and a right-wing German conspiracy group called the Reichsbürger, or Citizens of the Reich, which believes that Germany’s post-World War II republic is not a sovereign country but a corporation set up by the Allies who won the war.

“Many of those arrested had military training and included former German soldiers, including from the army of the former East Germany, and were known to have been heavily armed with weapons acquired illegally. The group was most likely formed in late 2021, the prosecutors said. Among those arrested was a man who tried to make contact with representatives of the Russian government over the plans, according to a statement from the federal prosecutor, but there were no indications that they had received a positive response from the Russian sources they had contacted…

“Its aim was ‘to overcome the existing state order in Germany and to establish its own by its own form of state, the outlines of which have already been worked out,’ using military means and violence against state representatives, the prosecutors said in the statement. The group’s plans included an armed attack on the German Parliament building, the Reichstag, the prosecutors said. The members had also formed a sort of shadow government that they intended to install if their plans were successful. ‘The members of the organization were aware that this goal can only be achieved through the use of military means and violence against state representatives,’ the prosecutor’s statement said. ‘This also included commissioning killings.’

“According to the members of the group, liberation is promised by the imminent intervention of the ‘Alliance,’ a technically superior secret alliance of governments, intelligence services and militaries of various states, including Russia and the United States, according to the prosecutors.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 7:

“The trigger for the raids was an investigation into another Reichsbürger group that had planned to kidnap German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach…

“Speaking at a press conference,  German Attorney General Peter Frank said… the group had established a council that was intended to act as the government of the new state with some individuals already designated for ministerial roles. Among them, said the attorney general, was a former member of the Bundestag who was to take over the justice portfolio…”

“The movement argues that the German constitution prior to World War II was never properly nullified and that the formation of the former West Germany in 1949, and now reunified Germany, was therefore never valid.”

The Guardian added on December 7:

“… the [arrested] group’s alleged ringleader [is] Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuß von Greiz, who claims descent from a royal line that ruled for 800 years in Thuringia until the breakup of the German monarchy…

“The group, under the leadership of Heinrich XIII and a former commander of a paratrooper battalion, had been preparing for so-called ‘Day X’, on which about two dozen people were to storm the Reichstag building, home to the German parliament, and to handcuff and arrest MPs and parliamentary staff in an operation taking as its example the 2021 attack on the US Capitol.”

ntv wrote on December 7:

“The idea that he [Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuß von Greiz] and his comrades-in-arms actually took power in the country seems absurd. That ‘the people’ would have joined them, that the police and the Bundeswehr would have thrown off 70 years of democracy and happily offered themselves to a new monarchy – that was pipe dreams. But it would have shaken the republic to the core if crazy Reich citizens had broken into the Reichstag and shot people there…

“It is unknown how Reuss convinced his fellow campaigners. It’s also not clear if he was the driving force at all. It is not to be expected that he would have won over the masses. Not only because hardly anyone knew him to this day…”

At this point, we have only heard the allegations and accusations by the prosecution. Whether there was really a plot to overthrow the German government will have to be seen when more facts come to light.

Failed Overthrow of the System?

Report 24 wrote on December 8:

“A brutal overthrow of the system was thwarted at the last second – so read the lurid reports of the mainstream press. Responsible are not radical climate activists, whose fantasies of overthrow are offered a worldwide stage, but so-called Reichsbürger: 3,000 police officers were allegedly needed to make 25 arrests in the pensioner milieu, oh no, in the ‘right swamp’. The narrative of the media has reached such a level of absurdity that it shakes up believing citizens and encourages them to ask critical questions…

“Then last night my mother called me, completely upset and deeply concerned. In her perception… Germany narrowly escaped an attempted coup by a heavily armed right-wing extremist army of Reichsbürgern controlled by Russia and Putin yesterday, which could only be stopped with great difficulty with almost 3,000 heavily armed special police forces…

“In my opinion, radicalism in whatever form is never good. But the totalitarian climate stickers that block ambulances and rescue vehicles and prevent people from getting to work, or the electricity and gas prices as well as the skyrocketing food prices or the children harmed by the government’s corona measures really worry me more than 25 or 50 people entertaining bizarre subversive fantasies in Telegram chat groups.”

Child Sacrifice Did Not Help the Azteks, and Won’t Help Us

Life Site News wrote on December 1:

“Dr. Roger Hodkinson said on a recent podcast that leaders in Canada and the rest of the world have perpetrated the ‘biggest kill ever in medicine’s history’ as a result of COVID lockdowns and vaccine coercion… As much as he said politicians are to blame, he said that ‘physicians are principally culpably because they have allowed [the] government to influence how they manage their patients, which has never, ever happened before.’

“Hodkinson was particularly harsh on physicians who looked ‘into the eyes of a pregnant woman and [told] her that this experimental product [vaccine] is safe.’ He added that any physicians ‘that has done that should be in jail.’… After becoming emotional relaying the horror of sick people dying without loved ones present due to COVID restrictions, he said, ‘What about our children? Now being vaccinated against something they don’t need, and being killed by it.’

“He called the push to jab kids ‘child sacrifice to appease these new gods’… ‘Child sacrifice didn’t work for the Aztecs, it didn’t make the rain fall, and it won’t save granny in the nursing home.’”

COVID—the Greatest Cover-Up in History

Just the News wrote on December 4:

“Former vice president of EcoHealth Alliance Dr. Andrew Huff says that he worked closely with the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab in China and he knows that COVID was genetically engineered and leaked. Huff says that COVID was ‘one of the greatest cover-ups in history’ and the ‘biggest US intelligence failure since 9/11.’

“Whistleblower Dr. Huff wrote a book titled The Truth About Wuhan in which he claims that the COVID-19 pandemic happened because of the U.S. government’s funding of genetic engineering of coronaviruses in China [and] that China knew from day one that this was a ‘genetically engineered agent.’

“Huff, an epidemiologist and army veteran who worked for EcoHealth Alliance from 2014 to 2016, said it was China’s gain-of-function experiments — and shoddy biosecurity — that led to the lab leak at the U.S.-funded lab. ‘The US government is to blame for the transfer of dangerous biotechnology to the Chinese,’ he told The Sun Online. Dr. Huff wrote in his book that ‘greedy scientists killed millions of people globally’ and the U.S. government helped cover it up.”

If proven true, they all should be punished.

Dictator Justin Trudeau Denounces Dictatorial China

On December 2, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left many of us gob smacked this week when he denounced China for its crackdown on protesters. Many of us denounced Trudeau for his authoritarian crackdown on truckers protesting Canada’s Covid policies.

“Trudeau used terrorist laws to freeze bank accounts, treat truckers as terrorists and treat truckers as effective weapons. This is a continuation of Trudeau’s utter lack of self-awareness (and the media continuing lack of objectivity). He previously was praised for his stance against Cuba’s crackdown on protestors…

“Justin Trudeau, like his father, has never been a strong supporter of free speech. Indeed, he has more often championed its limitations…”

What a dangerous hypocrite! And what a despicable political press.

Terminator Comes Alive

On December 1, the Rutherford Institute  published the following alarming and disturbing article:

“… in an 8-3 vote on Nov. 29, 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a proposal to allow police to arm robots with deadly weapons for use in emergency situations. This is how the slippery slope begins…. police now have the power to kill with immunity using remote-controlled robots…. It’s only a matter of time before these killer robots intended for use as a last resort become as common as SWAT teams.

“Frequently justified as vital tools necessary to combat terrorism and deal with rare but extremely dangerous criminal situations, such as those involving hostages, SWAT teams—which first appeared on the scene in California in the 1960s—have now become intrinsic parts of local law enforcement operations, thanks in large part to substantial federal assistance and the Pentagon’s military surplus recycling program, which allows the transfer of military equipment, weapons and training to local police for free or at sharp discounts…

“How long before these armed, militarized robots, authorized to use lethal force against American citizens, become as commonplace as SWAT teams and just as deadly?… how long before mistakes are made, technology gets hacked or goes haywire, robots are deployed based on false or erroneous information, and innocent individuals get killed in the line of fire?

“…We’re gaining ground fast on the kind of autonomous, robotic assassins that Terminator envisioned would be deployed by 2029…  It’s the boiling frog analogy all over again, and yet there’s more at play than just militarization or suppressing dissent.

“There’s a philosophical underpinning to this debate over killer robots that we can’t afford to overlook, and that is the government’s expansion of its power to kill the citizenry. Although the government was established to protect the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of the American people, the Deep State has been working hard to strip us of any claims to life and liberty…

“Having claimed the power to kill through the use of militarized police who shoot first and ask questions later, SWAT team raids, no-knock raids, capital punishment, targeted drone attacks, grisly secret experiments on prisoners and unsuspecting communities, weapons of mass destruction, endless wars, etc., the government has come to view ‘we the people’ as collateral damage in its pursuit of absolute power… we are at a dangerous crossroads. Not only are our lives in danger. Our very humanity is at stake.”

Human governments with uncontrolled and unchecked powers are very dangerous.  

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.

Railroad Strike Inevitable?

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“A national freight rail strike is viewed as increasingly inevitable as four rail worker labor unions have rejected a tentative agreement with rail companies… a strike [could] take effect early next month [by December 5 or December 9]… American consumers could be plagued with far-reaching economic turmoil, and Congressional intervention would become increasingly likely…

“Biden and his fellow pro-union Democrats in Congress face a tough political predicament…

“Rail companies have estimated that some $2 billion daily would bleed from the American economy during a strike… Railroads haul about 40% of the nation’s freight each year… if a strike drags on for a month some 700,000 jobs would be lost as manufacturers who rely on railroads shut down, prices of nearly everything would increase even more and the economy could be thrust into a recession.

“And although some businesses would try to shift shipments over to trucks, there aren’t nearly enough of them available… 467,000 additional trucks a day would be needed to handle everything railroads deliver. The ability to transport crucial chemicals, packaged food for humans, food for livestock, and retail goods would be greatly undermined as families get ready for Christmas and Hanukkah.”

What Would a Prolonged Railroad Strike Do to Consumers?

PBS and AP wrote on November 22:

“It wouldn’t take long for the effects of a rail strike to trickle through the economy. Many businesses only have a few days’ worth of raw materials and space for finished goods. Makers of food, fuel, cars and chemicals would all feel the squeeze, as would their customers. That’s not to mention the commuters who would be left stranded because many passenger railroads use tracks owned by the freight railroads…

“Chemical manufacturers and refineries will be some of the first businesses affected, because railroads will stop shipping hazardous chemicals about a week before the strike deadline to ensure that no tank cars filled with dangerous liquids wind up stranded… the chlorine that water treatment plants rely on to purify water, which they might only have about a week’s supply of on hand, would become hard to get. It would be hard for manufacturers to make anything out of plastic without the chemicals that are part of the formula.

“Consumers will also pay more for gasoline if refineries shut down either because they can’t get the ingredients they need to make fuel or because railroads aren’t available to haul away byproducts like sulfur…

“About 30 percent of all packaged food in the U.S. is moved by rail… That percentage is much higher for denser, heavier items like cans of soup.

“Some products, like cereal, cooking oils and beer, have entire operations built around rail deliveries of raw ingredients like grain, barley and peanuts, along with shipments of finished products. Those companies typically keep only two to four days’ worth of raw ingredients on hand because it’s expensive to store them… and grocers also keep a limited supply of products on hand… big food companies don’t like to discuss the threat of a rail strike because of worries about product shortages can lead to panic buying…

“Any disruption in rail service could threaten the health of chickens and pigs, which depend on trains to deliver their feed, and contribute to higher meat prices… a rail strike now would hit pork and chicken producers in the southern U.S. hardest, because their local supply of corn and soybeans from this year’s harvest is likely exhausted and they’d have to ship feed by truck, dramatically increasing costs…

“Retailers are also concerned about online orders. Shippers like FedEx and UPS use rail cars that hold roughly 2,000 packages in each car…

“Drivers are already paying record prices and often waiting months for new vehicles because of the production problems in the auto industry related to the shortage of computer chips in recent years. That would only get worse if there is a rail strike, because roughly 75 percent of all new vehicles begin their journey from factories to dealerships on the railroad. Trains deliver some 2,000 carloads a day filled with vehicles.

“And automakers may have a hard time keeping their plants running during a strike because some larger parts and raw materials are transported by rail.”

Should/Will Congress Intervene?

The Prospect wrote on November 23:

“Congress could end talk about strikes and worker lockouts by passing a joint resolution, under the Railway Labor Act of 1926, which is then sent to President Biden’s desk. If he signs, the resolution could force workers to accept the contract approved by the Presidential Emergency Board, the board set up by the president to mediate the dispute. If that happens, it would run counter to Biden’s repeated commitment to being the ‘most pro-union administration in American history.’…

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 led to John Carroll’s order to the National Guard to put down the strike, and Baltimoreans attacked the troops. Street battles between the striking workers and the Maryland militia left 10 dead and 25 wounded. By the end of August 1877, the strike had ended primarily due to federal government intervention, the use of state militias, and the employment of strikebreakers by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company.

Launched on July 1, 1922, by seven of the sixteen railroad labor organizations in existence at the time, the strike continued into the month of August before collapsing. A sweeping judicial injunction by Judge James Herbert Wilkerson effectively brought the strike to an end on September 1, 1922.

The last time US railroads went on strike was in 1992. That strike lasted two days before Congress intervened. The Los Angeles Times reported at that time, on June 26, 1992:

“Congress and the White House moved with rare speed Thursday night to end a crippling two-day nationwide rail shutdown that already had begun to threaten the economy by forcing layoffs at coal mines and auto assembly plants. The House and Senate passed emergency legislation barring strikes and lockouts by large margins…

“Bush signed the legislation early today. Many lawmakers objected strongly that the action was anti-labor, but anxiety about the impact of a prolonged stoppage on the still-fragile economy overrode those concerns.”

All of this poses a no-win situation for the Biden Administration. Please view our new program, “War and the Railroad Strike–Comments on News and Prophecy, November 26, 2022.” 

“Democrats Prepare To Impose A Rail Union Contract That Many Workers Rejected”

The Huffington Post wrote on November 29:

“The party of paid family leave finds itself in a very awkward position.

“Congressional Democrats are moving toward a vote that would override the wishes of unionized rail workers by imposing a new contract with the nation’s major rail carriers. The memberships of four out of twelve rail unions — including the largest — have voted against the proposal sending their leaders back to the bargaining table for a better deal. But top Democrats are planning to force the contract on them through legislation in order to head off a massive rail strike in early December that could hurt the economy.

“President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass a bill enforcing the tentative contract… House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) endorsed Biden’s plan… [So did Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)].

“To make things even more awkward for the party, workers have been holding out largely for paid sick days and better quality-of-life provisions in their contracts — issues for which Democrats fashion themselves as champions… Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called the omission of paid sick days ‘outrageous’ and suggested he will push for an amendment to the bill providing more leave…”

The New York Post added on November 29:

“Rail workers unions blasted President Biden on Monday after he pressed Congress to force the organized labor groups to accept a tentative agreement in order to avert a strike. ‘Joe Biden blew it,’ Railroad Workers Union treasurer Hugh Sawyer said in a press release… ‘He had the opportunity to prove his labor-friendly pedigree to millions of workers by simply asking Congress for legislation to end the threat of a national strike on terms more favorable to workers. Sadly, he could not bring himself to advocate for a lousy handful of sick days. The Democrats and Republicans are both pawns of big business and the corporations,’ Sawyer added…

“The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, the third-largest rail union in the US, said in a statement Tuesday that it was  ‘deeply disappointed’ with Biden’s decision to appeal to Congress to force an agreement…

“Organized labor is one of the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituencies…”

That may not continue for long.

Newsmax added on November 29:

“The National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) apparently have no plans of relenting from its respective bargaining positions… the NRLC and BMWED didn’t share the Biden administration’s optimism for concocting a labor resolution within the next 10 days.

“Congressional legislation regarding a railway strike ‘denies railroad workers their right to strike while also denying them of the benefit they would likely otherwise obtain if they were not denied their right to strike,’ the statement reads. ‘Additionally, passing legislation to adopt tentative agreements that exclude paid sick leave for railroad workers will not address rail service issues. Rather, it will worsen supply chain issues and further sicken, infuriate, and disenfranchise railroad workers as they continue shouldering the burdens of the railroads’ mismanagement.’”

Republicans Against Congressional Intervention

 Breitbart wrote on November 30:

“Rubio ripped Biden… stating his belief that the parties should negotiate new terms of the contract without congressional involvement and pledged he would only vote for a deal that union members support. ‘Just because Congress has the authority to impose a heavy-handed solution does not mean we should. It is wrong for the Biden Administration, which has failed to fight for workers, to ask Congress to impose a deal the workers themselves have rejected,’ said the senior senator from Florida…

“Sen. John Thune (R-SD) [the No. 2 Senate Republican] shared the same sentiment that Congress should not intervene, stating the matter is the Biden administration’s ‘responsibility.’ In calling on Congress to impose a contract, Biden, a pro-union Democrat, has effectively disregarded the lingering sick time concerns of union members in fear of substantial economic consequences, which would have further negative impacts on Americans who have already been grappling with inflation not seen for decades.

“Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called the idea of congressional intervention insane and said he ‘won’t support it.’”

On Thursday, Congress DID intervene, totally ignoring some of the dissenting voices… See the next article.

House and Senate Adopt Bill Coercing Dissenting Railroad Unions

Newsmax reported on December 1:

“The Senate passed a bill to bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail companies and union leaders in September. That settlement had been rejected by some of the 12 unions involved, creating the possibility of a strike beginning Dec. 9.

“The Senate vote was 80-15. It came one day after the House voted to impose the agreement. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature…

“The House passed the legislation enacting September’s labor agreement with broad bipartisan support. A second measure adding seven paid sick days for rail workers passed on a mostly party-line vote in the House, but it fell eight votes short of a 60-vote threshold needed for passage in the Senate.”

This move might very well backfire.

Europe Accuses US of Profiting From Ukraine War

Express wrote on November 26:

“Putin’s strategy of using Russia’s gas supplies against the West is starting to sow dissent among NATO as top European officials take aim at Joe Biden, accusing him of ‘profiting from this war’. Multiple high-ranking officials from the bloc have accused the US president of capitalising on the opportunity represented by the invasion and jacking up the price of weapons and gas…

“Speaking to Politico, a senior EU official said: ‘The fact is, if you look at it soberly, the country that is most profiting from this war is the US because they are selling more gas and at higher prices, and because they are selling more weapons.’ Another said: ‘We are really at a historic juncture.’ The official added that the combination of trade disruption and high energy prices jeopardises the US’s reputation with countries on the other side of the Atlantic.

“They said: ‘America needs to realise that public opinion is shifting in many EU countries.’ Emmanuel Macron has also accused the US of not being ‘friendly’ in its approach to the EU. The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, meanwhile, called on the US to acknowledge the impact they were having on the European economy…

“However, the US has refused to concede that they are impacting the price of gas in the EU… The EU has turned to the US as an alternative to Russian gas, in order to avoid indirectly funding Putin’s war and giving him leverage over them for the crucial resource. However, Europeans say the price they are facing in the US is nearly four times as high as the same fuel costs in America.

“This row is compounded by a surge in orders for US-made military gear, as the EU’s supply of weapons to Ukraine leaves them running low themselves… [According to the Daily Mail, “… the Americans continue to send more, with the cost of supplying Ukraine to the US now at over $19billion as another $400million was added earlier this week.”]

“Germany’s economy minister called on Washington to show more ‘solidarity’ by reducing their energy costs… An EU diplomat added: ‘It’s not good, in terms of optics, to give the impression that your best ally is actually making huge profits out of your troubles.’

“The high gas prices add to existing tensions over Mr Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a huge tax, climate, and healthcare package for the US – but which caused one EU official to question whether Washington was ‘still our ally’. Fears are rising of a transatlantic trade war as a result of the package, which EU officials say put European industries at risk of collapse.

“Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said the IRA is ‘very worrying’, adding: ‘The potential impact on the European economy is very big.’ An official from France’s foreign affairs ministry described the IRA as ‘discriminatory subsidies that will distort competition.’ Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s lead person on the transatlantic relationship added: ‘The US is following a domestic agenda, which is regrettably protectionist and discriminates against US allies.’”

The Daily Mail added on November 26:

“European nations, now dependent upon the U.S. and its gas supply, say they are fretting over the impacts of the $369 billion green subsidies [mainly for products made in the USA] and what it will look like for them after already being squeezed on gas prices.’…

“The nearly $400 billion subsidy ‘scheme’ introduced in the Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes Americans into buying products that are both U.S. made and energy efficient. The IRA provides tax credits for businesses and individuals who purchase ‘green’ products, including wind turbines and elective vehicles. The credits are mostly available, however, for products made in the United States.”

Europeans are getting increasingly upset with America.

Coming Trade War Between USA and EU?

 In regard to a potential trade war, caused by the IRA, The Associated Press wrote on November 25:

“The European Union and the United States are treading precariously close to a major trans-Atlantic trade dispute at a time when the two Western giants want to show unity in the face of challenges from Russia and China. EU trade ministers on Friday insisted they would be forced to respond if Washington stuck to all the terms of its Inflation Reduction Act, which is favorable to local companies through subsidies and, according to the EU, will unfairly discriminate against its firms that want to compete for contracts.

“‘Nobody wants to get into a tit-for-tat or subsidy race. But what the U.S. has done really isn’t consistent with the principles of free trade and fair competition,’ Irish Trade Minister Leo Varadkar said. ‘What we are asking for is fairness. We want and expect European companies and exports to be treated in the same way in the U.S. as American companies and exports are treated in Europe,’ EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said.

“And beyond the European Commission, which negotiates on behalf of the 27 member nations on trade issues, the concerns are largely shared in EU national capitals, too. ‘All the member states are concerned,’ said Czech Trade Minister Jozef Sikela…

“Trade disputes have been a red line for decades in trans-Atlantic relations, highlighted by fights over aircraft subsidies and steel exports and affecting everything from hormone-treated beef to liquor exports…”

When Biden began to occupy the White House, many Europeans thought that the relationship between Europe and America would improve. The opposite has been occurring.

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 30:

“French President Emmanuel Macron is on a state visit to Washington. This week’s visit should mark the end of a quarrel between the two countries…”

Dream on, Deutsche Welle.

Blame America

Politico wrote on November 30:

“It’s gotten cold in Europe, the economy is tanking and the natives are getting restless. There’s only one answer: Blame America. Pointing across the Atlantic has long been a favorite diversionary tactic for Europe’s political elites when things start to get dicey on the Continent. Whether it’s the war in Ukraine (Washington shouldn’t have expanded NATO), natural disasters (too many American SUVs fueling climate change) or the demise of French as a lingua franca (cultureless Hollywood), America is inevitably the culprit.

“… While Europeans are understandably upset that their gas prices are four times what they are in the U.S., no one told them to make themselves dependent on Russian gas or to switch off perfectly functioning nuclear power plants (in fact, Washington told them for years not to)… While American defense contractors stand to benefit from replacing stocks and from stronger demand for arms among NATO allies, so too should their European counterparts. Yet therein lies the rub: European firms should benefit as much as Americans, but don’t. The main reason is that Europe has underinvested in its defense industry...

“The Europeans fear the generous ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ subsidies will undermine their industry and are threatening a trade war. The inconvenient truth, however, is that Europeans are having difficulty getting their own companies to invest at home because governments have placed more emphasis on subsidizing household gas bills than helping the region’s industry weather the crisis… it’s difficult not to conclude that Europe’s blame game is really about something else — envy…

“In Germany,  a book titled ‘Ami, It’s Time to Go!’ (Ami is German slang for Americans) has become a bestseller. The author is Oskar Lafontaine, a former finance minister who once led the Social Democrats before breaking with the party. ‘We have to free ourselves from the tutelage of the U.S.A.,’ Lafontaine writes, describing America as the root of most evil and arguing that Europe needs to blaze its own path….”

For more information, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Europe and USA on Collision Course” 

Europe’s Goal in the Ukraine Debacle?

Indian Punchline wrote on November 30:

“The meet-up location of NATO foreign ministers on November 29-30— Bucharest — was where ten years ago, former US President George W. Bush persuaded America’s transatlantic partners that Ukraine and Georgia should one day join their military alliance. The foreign ministers duly ‘reaffirmed’ that decision yesterday and left it at that.

“However, their statement on the conflict in Ukraine emphatically stated that the NATO ‘will never recognise’ Russia’s incorporation of four Ukrainian regions… [But] there are…  growing signs of disunity on [the] Ukraine issue among the US’ European allies and between the latter and the Biden Administration… Macron still hopes to be the western leader to accept President Putin’s surrender terms and go down in history books, but in reality his credibility is in shatters in Europe and Atlanticist circles in particular, and even within France.

“Europe’s number one priority at this juncture… ought to be its strategic autonomy to act in its own interests. But that requires deep thinking as to what is it that Europe wants to be autonomous about…  Europe… is struggling with its demons…

“Russian forces are outnumbering Ukraine’s and Russian fortifications have been significantly strengthened… the narrative of victory in Kiev — that Ukraine is winning the war and is about to capture Crimea, etc. — is becoming unsustainable for much longer… The regime-change-in-Russia propaganda is not going to wither away even under the emerging stark realities of the… ground situation in Ukraine…”

It is difficult to decide whom to believe these days regarding the reports on the war situation in Ukraine.

Western Apathy Is Ukraine’s Deadliest Foe

The Guardian wrote on November 27:

“As blacked-out Moldova warned last week, another huge humanitarian and migrant crisis looms, akin to that of last spring. It will challenge every EU country. Yet as the strain of multiple Ukraine-related problems begins to tell, European support may be faltering at this critical juncture. The war and its atrocities are being normalised and, increasingly, discounted… Nine months in, western public opinion is dulled, deadened and desensitized… People are no longer shocked, nor even greatly surprised. They feel powerless. The majority still wants Ukraine to prevail. But victory is not expected soon… war fatigue teeters towards apathy…

“As the war becomes a familiar fact of daily life, and negative fallout spreads, will public support soften further?… The Ukrainian people are a formidable force. They have shown they can beat their enemies. But should they fear their friends? A weakening of US and European support, leaving Ukraine out in the cold, is perhaps the most dismaying hazard they face. Putin is counting on it.

“Might the peoples of the west, for the sake of a quiet life, really get ‘fed up’ with the war to the point where they are ready to ignore or even tolerate mass murder, war crimes and the evisceration of a sovereign nation as the new normal? It’s democracy’s biggest test. Every day, it gets harder in Ukraine. One thing is certain: it’s going to be a long winter.”

Ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite.

US Military Aid in Ukraine Missing

Fox News wrote on November 27:

“President Biden’s administration is scrambling to track the nearly $20 billion in military aid it has sent to Ukraine as Republicans warn of impending audits when they take control of the House in January.

“Kevin McCarthy has said his party will not be giving Ukraine a ‘blank check’ to fend off Russia’s invasion. A potential audit would determine how much, if any, of the U.S. aid is ending up in the wrong hands…

“The Republican push to ramp up oversight enjoys some bipartisan support in Congress… The lawmakers agree that current monitoring efforts appear woefully inadequate, with the Biden administration inspecting just 10% of the 22,000 weapons the U.S. has provided to Ukraine between February and November 1… U.S. allies in Europe have expressed hope that Republican skepticism of Ukraine aid will not lead to a widespread cutting of funding, however…

“‘No one in Republican leadership has called for an end to aid for Ukraine,’  Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, said Monday. ‘People on the Republican side are saying, “Why do we have to pass a $40 billion package to send $8 billion to Ukraine?”’”

There have been many concerns that the weapons and the money being sent to Ukraine are ending up in Russian hands.

“Slick Use of Loophole Keeps Russian Oil Flowing Into Britain”

The Times wrote on November 20:

“As Vladimir Putin’s army bombarded Ukrainian soldiers trapped in the Azovstal steelworks in May, the tanker Mariner III pulled out of the south Russian port of Tuapse carrying nearly 200,000 barrels of oil. After five days at sea, the 170m (558ft) ship stopped alongside a bigger tanker, the Greek-owned Marinoula, in the waters off Kalamata, Greece. Over the next 36 hours, the two vessels were connected by large rubber pipes while the Marinoula siphoned off some of the Mariner’s cargo. After the ship-to-ship transfer, the Marinoula sailed to the UK, where it docked at Immingham in Lincolnshire and, on June 6, offloaded about 250,000 barrels of oil.

“Official records, however, declare that the UK received no oil from Russia in June or in July. The shipment was classified and reported correctly under British reporting protocols and there was no breach of maritime rules. The fuel was one of at least 39 cargos of Russian oil, worth more than £200 million, to have arrived at British ports since the invasion of Ukraine but to have been classified as imports from elsewhere. Almost £80 million of this was in June and July. In total, £778 million of Russian oil has arrived at ten UK ports since March…

“One arrived last week. On Wednesday, the 244m Delta Pioneer docked at Immingham, carrying oil directly from Russia. According to Refinitiv data analysed by Global Witness, a research group, the vessel brought half a million barrels of fuel to the port. It is not yet known how the fuel will be classified. Official records show that Russian oil worth about £23 million that has arrived at Immingham since March has been recorded as imports from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

“The Sunday Times has tracked four vessels that have carried more than a million barrels of Russian oil to Immingham. Two of the cargos involved ship-to-ship transfers, while a third brought Russian oil from Rotterdam. At least 13 shipments, including the Marinoula’s, arrived in June and July. The east London port of Thamesport has received £130 million of oil from Russia since March. These were classified as imports from Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands…

“The import of Russian oil to the UK is legal until December 5, when all imports will be barred…  However, maritime experts say the way the UK registers imports, as well as the increased use of ship-to-ship transfers, will make it difficult for the UK to sanction Russian oil… it is the country of dispatch that is used to measure the nationality of an import, not the country where it was produced. This means a cargo of Chinese-made goods could be registered as being from Germany if it were imported to the UK by a German firm…

“British ports accepted more than £78 million of Russian oil in June. These were reported as imports from the Netherlands, Estonia, Poland or Belgium. A further £1.5 million of Russian oil arrived at UK ports in July and was logged as imports from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Latvia…”

Whenever greed and money are involved, “loopholes” are found.

Unchristian England and Wales?

AFP wrote on November 29:

“For the first time, less than half of the population in England and Wales identifies as Christian, according to census data released Tuesday. The 10-yearly census carried out in 2021 showed rapid growth for the Muslim population, but ‘no religion’ was the second most common response after Christian, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

“In an increasingly secular age, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said it was no ‘great surprise’ that the Christian proportion was declining over time…

“Some 27.5 million people or 46.2 percent in England and Wales described themselves as Christian, down 13.1 percentage points from 2011. ‘No religion’ rose by 12 points to 37.2 percent or 22.2 million, while Muslims stood at 3.9 million or 6.5 percent of the population, up from 4.9 percent before.

“The next most common responses were Hindu (1.0 million) and Sikh 524,000), while Buddhists overtook Jewish people (273,000 to 271,000)…”

Christianity Today had written on December 23, 2016:

“The last 18 months may have significantly dented the UK’s faith in God, a poll for The Times indicates. The proportion of people who say they believe in God has dropped four points from 32 per [cent] in February last year to 28 per cent now… Meanwhile those saying they actively do not believe in any form of God or higher power has gone up five points…

Express had written on October 16, 2012:

“Nearly 60 per cent of people believe we are not alone in the universe and that alien life-forms exist, a new poll has found. While a report carried out by the University of Chicago claims that just 37 per cent of us believe in God.”

There could be, of course, a link between denying the existence of God and believing in the ungodly theory of evolution and the existence of aliens.

UK’s Army “Overstretched”

Express wrote on November 30:

“[Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak has been accused of ‘completely’ underestimating the global threats facing the UK, as Britain embarks on ‘swathing’ cuts to the army. Chair of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood told Express.co.uk that the world has ‘moved into a dangerous era’, warning that the British army is ‘overstretched’.

“Mr Ellwood has urged Mr Sunak to commit to spending three percent of GDP on defence, one percent more than the UK currently spends… ‘We need to see those swathing cuts which were outlined in the last defence review reversed. Cuts to our tanks, ships and planes, as well as our troop numbers… “

Merkel in Defiance

The Guardian wrote on November 25:

“Angela Merkel has insisted that her position as a lame duck in the last months of her time in office made it more or less impossible for her to influence the behaviour of Vladimir Putin. The former German chancellor appeared both defensive and quietly defiant about her inability to change the course of the Russian president’s decision-making in the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine in February…

“‘I no longer had the power to push my ideas through because everyone knew “she’ll be gone by autumn”’ she said [during an interview with Der Spiegel], describing how she had tried to establish a round of European talks after a meeting in the summer of 2021 between the US president, Joe Biden, and Putin. ‘Had I been standing again in the September I’d have kept drilling down, but … at my final meeting in Moscow [with Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov], the feeling was clear: from a political power point of view, you’re finished. For Putin it is only power that counts.’

“In her interviews with Alexander Osang, which took place over a period of a year and in various locations, Merkel insisted that her stance on the Minsk agreement – which brought a ceasefire after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula – had been right. Key points of the Minsk peace talks, including disarmament and supervision by an international body, were never followed through. But Merkel said the agreement had nevertheless helped buy Kyiv time to arm itself better against the Russian military.

“According to Osang, she repeatedly implied that she felt misunderstood over what she had tried to achieve as German leader, facing as she now does a barrage of accusations over some of her choices, such as her decision to block Ukraine’s admission to Nato in Bucharest in 2008, seen by many as having harmed its ability to defend itself. Her refusal to acknowledge her mistakes in allowing Germany to become ever more dependent on Russian gas supplies is another major criticism.

“Merkel also appeared to be loosely comparing her behaviour to that of Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister associated with the flawed policy of appeasement towards Adolf Hitler by allowing him to expand the territory of Nazi Germany in the 1930s…

“Merkel added it was unfair to suggest she had not paid Ukraine enough attention in 2013 and 2014…

“Among the anecdotes she relays in a wide-ranging interview in which she is reflective and sometimes gloomy about her time in office, are encounters with the Queen – though Merkel said she was never able to establish what the British monarch thought about Brexit – and a G7 meeting with Boris Johnson, who she said had been attempting to undermine the Northern Ireland protocol…

“She had also watched the Queen’s funeral on television, and taken an interest in many of the guests she had recognised, including Tony Blair, whom Osang said she referred to as a ‘great political talent who had lost his reputation’ over the Iraq war…

“Merkel said she had no regrets about not standing for office again, after 16 years at the helm. ‘Somebody new was needed. Domestically it was high time and from a foreign policy perspective… (there were) so many things we tried again and again, but were not moving a millimetre on. Not just over Ukraine, but also Transnistria, Moldova, Georgia, Abkhazia, Syria and Libya. It was time for a new approach.’

“She said she sometimes woke in the night and worried about many of the dramatic events taking place in the world. ‘I think about… how the horror disappears as the eye witnesses die. And the spirit of reconciliation also disappears.’”

Germany’s “new approach” can be seen in its current government—arguably the most incompetent government Germany has ever had since World War II. And Merkel’s wrong appeasement policies over many years towards Russia and Germany’s dependency on Russian oil can by no means be ignored.

Ben-Gvir to Be Head of Police

JTA wrote on November 25:

“Itamar Ben-Gvir… will head Israel’s police forces, under the terms of a deal inked with Benjamin Netanyahu early Friday.

“The deal would expand the ministry of internal security… into the ministry of national security and would also give Ben-Gvir authority over border police in Palestinian territories...

“In the role, Ben-Gvir will have the power to carry out some of his long-held wishes, including loosening rules so that officers can open fire on Palestinians who throw stones and expanding the ability of Jews to pray on the Temple Mount, the Jerusalem site that is home to the Al-Aqsa mosque.

“Ben-Gvir… has ignited conflict by accompanying Jews to pray on the Temple Mount, where Jewish prayer has been strictly limited… Twice convicted of incitement in Israeli courts, Ben-Gvir has also called for annexing large parts of the West Bank and for deporting Arabs who are not loyal to Israel… The Biden administration is considering refusing to meet with Ben-Gvir…

“Netanyahu is still working to finalize an agreement with Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist party. Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to give Smotrich authority over Israel’s administration of the West Bank…”

This will undoubtedly lead to more friction between Israel and the USA and most other countries, especially Europe.  

Ethiopia in the News

USA Today wrote on November 25:

“Tigray, Eritrea and Ethiopia’s 2-year-long civil war has killed more people than the war in Ukraine, yet nobody’s talking about it… An estimated 383,000 civilians died in Tigray between November 2020 and August 2022…

“Ethiopia is the oldest state in sub-Saharan Africa and the only state in Africa that has never been colonized. It has more than 2,000 years of history. It is where the oldest biblical texts have been found. Various forms of Pentecostal Christianity are widely followed in Ethiopia, including by [Prime Minister Abiy] Ahmed, who uses religious terminology in his speeches to explain his own power. He claims he has a divine mandate…”

FP wrote on June 18, 2022 about Ahmed:

“An ancient Christian imperialism is resurging in Ethiopia today under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This archaic vision promises to unify Ethiopia and restore its divine glory. But it appears to be shattering Ethiopia and fueling catastrophic suffering.

“Its core belief is that Ethiopia is a Christian nation created and destined by God for greatness under Christian leadership. Today it is supercharging enmity and silencing critical voices calling for the end of war, genuine dialogue, and an inclusive Ethiopia where diverse people can belong together…

“Abiy became Ethiopia’s first Evangelical prime minister. His father was Muslim, his mother Orthodox, and Abiy himself converted to Pentecostalism in his 20s. (In Ethiopia, Protestantism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism are overlapping Christianities.) Abiy was ecstatically hailed by many Ethiopians—especially Evangelicals—as a messiah, as a new ‘Moses’ or ‘King David’ who would save Ethiopia from disintegration.

“In an early speech, Abiy announced himself as Ethiopia’s ‘seventh king,’ a reference to his Orthodox mother’s prophecy over him as a child. This self-presentation powerfully evoked the ancient history of Ethiopia’s Christian imperialism and the promise of Ethiopia’s restored greatness…”

Ethiopia should be watched.

Xi and Kim and Miguel to Work Together?

Thomson/Reuters wrote on November 25:

“Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that China would be willing to work together with North Korea for regional and global peace, stability and prosperity, North Korea’s state media KCNA reported on Saturday, citing Xi’s letter to Kim.

“KCNA did not mention North Korea’s recent missile launches that have heightened tensions around the Korean peninsula following joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.”

The Associated Press reported on November 25:

“Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Cuban counterpart [Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez] pledged mutual support over their fellow communist states’ ‘core interests’…  China generally defines core interests as the defense of its economic and political development aims, along with control over territory it claims, especially self-governing Taiwan.”

Newsmax wrote on November 27:

“China has agreed to restructure Cuban debt and provide new trade and investment credits to the beleaguered Caribbean Island nation after a meeting in Peking between the two Communist countries’ leaders…

“Chinese trade and investment has slowed in recent years due to Cuba’s failure to meet restructured debt payments… Analysts estimate the debt in the billions of dollars, although no official figures are available. Cuba last reported its foreign debt in 2019 at $19.6 billion.

“China is Cuba’s most important commercial partner after Venezuela, though trade has declined from over $2 billion in 2017 to $1.3 billion last year, according to the Cuban government.”

Unprecedented Protests in China

The Daily Mail wrote on November 27:

“Chinese police have clashed with thousands protesting the country’s draconian COVID lockdowns – as unprecedented civil unrest gripped the nation. Demonstrations erupted in at least seven cities – including Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou – with violence breaking out between local cops and furious protesters. The largest demonstration appeared in Shanghai – home to 26million residents – with many boldly demanding President Xi Jinping resign. Officers used pepper spray against about 300 protesters, according to a witness, but western journalists reported the numbers to be in the thousands.

“Meanwhile last night hundreds gathered to mourn the deaths of at least 10 people in an apartment fire last week in Urumqi in the Xinjiang region, where residents were sealed in their buildings to try to stop the spread of COVID. It comes amid China launching another mass crackdown on the virus with crippling lockdowns put in place across the country, nearly three years after the pandemic started there…

“Public fury forced authorities in the far western Xinjiang region to open up parts of the capital Urumqi, which has been subject to a punishing ‘zero-Covid’ lockdown for more than three months…

“President Xi Jinping´s government faces mounting anger at its ‘zero-COVID’ policy that has shut down access to areas throughout China in an attempt to isolate every case… the ruling Communist Party faces growing complaints about the economic and human cost as businesses close and families are isolated for weeks with limited access to food and medicine…

“Internet users posted videos and accounts on Chinese and foreign social media showing protests in Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu and Chongqing in the southwest and Urumqi and Korla in Xinjiang… Posts on Chinese social media were quickly deleted, which Beijing often does to suppress criticism it worries might serve as a rallying point for opposition to one-party rule…

“The unprecedented protests, and anger online, are the latest signs of frustration at China’s approach to tackling Covid. It is the only major country still fighting the pandemic with mass testing and lockdowns…”

But other countries are still imposing massive restrictions in their alleged “fight” against Covid, and it may be only a matter of time until similar protests (and worse) will break out in those countries.

Demonstrations in Iran

Express wrote on November 27:

“… demonstrations have challenged Iran’s government following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 having been detained by the country’s morality police.

“The protests have seen at least 450 people killed since they started, as well as over 18,000 arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran…”

Iran’s powerful dictatorial government could find itself in hot water, as demonstrations and disagreement grow in the country.

Ties Between Russia and India Deepen

Express wrote on November 26:

“Russia has unveiled a new plan to boost the energy efficiency of Russian-built nuclear reactors in India… Despite Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February this year, New Delhi and Moscow have been deepening their energy ties, much to the West’s chagrin…. According to Hindustan Times, despite the war in Ukraine, Moscow has continued supplying vital components to build the 1000-MW nuclear reactors…

“India and Russia’s partnership on nuclear energy has a long history, with the Soviet Union first supplying New Delhi with nuclear reactors and fuel after it was hit with sanctions from the West for its refusal to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”

Far Eastern countries like Russia, China, India and others will ultimately be part of the biblical “kings of the East.”

Belarus Foreign Minister Dies Suddenly

The Daily Mail wrote on November 26:

“The foreign minister of Russian ally Belarus died suddenly today at the age of 64, it was announced in Minsk. Vladimir Makei was seen as the only main channel of communication to the West in dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s hardline pro-Moscow regime. His sudden death came the day after he met with the Pope’s envoy Ante Jozić amid speculation they were discussing a secret peace plan over the war in Ukraine.

“Career spy Makei had been foreign minister for a decade and was due tomorrow and Monday to host Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Minsk.  Lavrov’s spokeswoman said Russia was ‘shocked’ at his passing. No cause of death was given – but several sources speculated that his demise could be suspicious…The pro-war Russian Telegram channel Mardan posted: ‘Strange death. Just in time. Just yesterday he discussed a peace plan with the envoy of the Pope.’ Narrative channel said: ‘Makei was Lukashenko’s main channel of communication with the West. ‘A career intelligence officer, Makei was closely associated with Austrian intelligence and the Austrian elites…’

“HVS channel said Makei was a politician ‘in whose natural death one can never believe’… While Lukashenko is Putin’s closest international ally, the Kremlin has remained concerned that Belarus has failed to fully sign up to his war in Ukraine – even though Moscow has troops stationed in Belarus. There were also concerns that Lukashenko – despite being a pariah – was seeking to do a secret deal with the West…

“The Belarus Foreign Ministry did not recognise the Donetsk and Luhansk ‘people’s republics’ – sparking anger in Moscow…”

Suspicious indeed.

Turkey Threatens US Security in Syria

Newsmax wrote on November 25:

“Turkey earlier this week launched drone, air and artillery strikes on Syria and has vowed revenge on U.S.-allied Kurds for a Nov. 13 terror attack in Istanbul, a move that could lead to the release of thousands of imprisoned Islamic State terrorists…

“The United States has allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against Islamic State group in Syria, causing a deep rift with Turkey. SDF is led by the Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG). Thousands of Islamic State terrorists from more than 50 countries have been incarcerated by Syrian Kurdish Forces…

“The White House told Axios the escalation in Syria ‘and along the Turkish-Syrian border in recent days is dangerous and a threat to the safety of civilians and U.S. personnel in Syria.’ ‘We strongly oppose military action that further destabilizes the lives of communities in Syria and risks the Global Coalition’s hard-earned progress against ISIS,’ the White House National Security Council spokesperson added. The U.S. still has around 900 troops in Syria.”

The rift between Turkey and the USA will deepen.

US Government Still Hides Information Regarding JFK’s Assassination

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 25:

“Fifty-nine years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. These many years later, the United States government continues to hold in secret piles of information related to the assassination.

“After the popular theatrical run of director Oliver Stone’s movie JFK that dramatically challenged the Lee Harvey Oswald as ‘lone gunman’ explanation for Kennedy’s assassination, the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 became law. It created the Assassination Records Review Board tasked with reviewing and releasing records held by the US government related to the assassination. While some US government records have since been released, others remain hidden away.

“On December 15, the remaining Kennedy assassination records are scheduled for release. But, don’t get your hopes up. Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) President and Kennedy assassination researcher Jacob G. Hornberger predicts in an October 21 FFF article that President Joe Biden will, like President Donald Trump did in 2017 when the deadline for release of the final materials first occurred, refuse to let the public see all the information. Indeed, Biden already did so once in 2021 when the secrecy extension period Trump had set for the remaining records passed…

“Legal scholar Andrew Napolitano, who has known Trump since before Trump’s 2016 presidential run, provides some insight on Trump’s change of mind regarding the release of the still secret Kennedy assassination records in a Tuesday video conversation with Gerald Celente of the Trends Journal. Napolitano, who is an Advisory Board member for the Ron Paul Institute and was a state trial judge in New Jersey, discusses a late December of 2000 phone conversation he had with Trump in which Trump not releasing the records during his presidential term was discussed. Napolitano relates that Trump, who was then finishing up his presidential term, told Napolitano, ‘Judge, if you saw what I saw, you would know why I can’t release them.’ Queried then by Napolitano concerning what Trump was talking about, Napolitano relates Trump said he could not tell Napolitano over the phone but could tell Napolitano next time they meet in person — something that is yet to happen.

“Napolitano, in the video conversation, speculates regarding why Trump changed his mind regarding releasing the Kennedy assassination records, stating, ‘… Whatever it was it was proof of more people involved than Lee Harvey Oswald — people in the government, and he didn’t want to reveal it even though many of those people are themselves now dead… I think they scared him or threatened him,’ further states Napolitano…”

If those documents are not released on December 15, then we know that something really troublesome has been going on all these years.

Dropping Charges Against Assange?

The New York Times wrote on November 28:

“The New York Times and four European news organizations called on the United States government on Monday to drop its charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, for obtaining and publishing classified diplomatic and military secrets.

“In a joint open letter,  The Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El País said the prosecution of Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act ‘sets a dangerous precedent’ that threatened to undermine the First Amendment and the freedom of the press. ‘Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists,’ the letter said. ‘If that work is criminalized, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.’

“Mr. Assange, who has been fighting extradition from Britain since his arrest there in 2019, is also accused of participating in a hacking-related conspiracy. The letter notably did not urge the Justice Department to drop that aspect of the case, though it said that ‘some of us are concerned’ about it, too…”

Fauci’s Memory “Vanished”

The New York Post wrote on November 25:

“A federal judge compelled Fauci to answer questions from lawyers suing to reveal the role of ‘dozens of federal officials across at least 11 federal agencies’ to suppress ‘disfavored speakers, viewpoints and content on social-media platforms.’ That lawsuit is exposing how Biden’s war on disinformation is demolishing Americans’ freedom of speech.

“Fauci was deposed on Wednesday by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Landry labeled Fauci the ‘man who single-handedly wrecked the US economy based upon “the science, follow the science.’” But ‘over the course of seven hours, we discovered that he can’t recall practically anything dealing with his COVID response,’ Landry said…”

Telling. Fauci should be held accountable for all the harm he has caused. But will that ever happen in man’s political “justice” system?

Trudeau Defends His Controversial Dictatorship

Fox News wrote on November 26:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said he is convinced he ‘made the right choice’ in invoking historic emergency powers earlier this year to shut down the Freedom Convoy protests against Canada’s COVID-19 mandates. Trudeau defended his actions in testimony before a commission tasked with investigating his use of the Emergencies Act to end the trucker protest…

“Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canada’s history during February’s Freedom Convoy protest in the capital city of Ottawa. In doing so, he granted the federal government temporary powers to quell truckers and others protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions and freeze the bank accounts of those suspected of supporting the convoy. The emergency powers were lifted on Feb. 23.

“Trudeau’s actions were highly controversial, and civil liberties advocates questioned whether the circumstances of the protest necessitated his extreme response. Lawyers for the convoy and others said that Trudeau had ignored a plan prepared by Ottawa police and argued that the emergency powers were unnecessary to end the protest…

“Additional testimony and documents obtained by the inquiry revealed that U.S. officials had pressured the Canadian government to shut down the protests and remove blockades at border crossings between the U.S. and Canada… White House aides had reportedly contacted Trudeau’s staff as well, ahead of a Feb. 11 phone call that took place between the prime minister and President Biden.  On that call, Trudeau reportedly informed the president that his government had a plan to end the protests and blockades.”

Shameful… but not surprisingly, Biden and his aides were apparently instrumental in Trudeau’s dictatorial action to suppress liberties and freedoms.

Deadly Walmart Shooting

Fox News wrote on November 25:

“… a Walmart employee killed six people inside a Chesapeake, Virginia store, wounded several others and taking his own life… In a manifesto, Bing allegedly claimed he ‘was harassed by idiots with low intelligence and a lack of wisdom.’… He legally purchased the 9mm handgun used in the shooting from a local store that morning and had no criminal history, police said Friday.”

It appears that demons become increasingly influential in the lives of people.

Earthquake in Indonesia

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 27:

“The death toll from the earthquake that struck Indonesia’s main island of Java this week has risen to 321 as rescuers found more bodies… The 5.6-magnitude quake struck the highly populated Cianjur region of West Java province on Monday. It damaged more than 62,000 houses and displaced more than 73,000 residents…

“While the magnitude of the earthquake itself would typically be expected to cause light damage, experts say proximity to fault lines, the shallowness of the quake, and inadequate infrastructure that cannot withstand earthquakes all contributed to extensive damage.

“Experts monitoring seismic activity said that 284 aftershocks with gradually lessening intensity have occurred since the main quake struck on Monday.”

Christ warned that in these end times, we will be hearing more and more about earthquakes “in various places” (Matthew 24:7).

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The “Scandal of the Ages”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 18:

“The lords of lockdown barely escaped their worst possible fate, namely that the topic would become the national and international source of scandal that it should be. And let’s add the vaccine mandates here too: even if such had been morally justified, which they were not, there is absolutely no practical reason for them at all. To have imposed both of these within the course of one year – with zero evidence that they achieved anything for public health and vast amounts of unfolding evidence that they ruined life quality for countless millions – qualifies as a scandal for the ages. It was in the US but also in nearly every country in the world but a few.

“Might that have huge political implications? One would suppose so. And yet today it appears that truth and justice are further off than ever. The most passionate of the anti-lockdown governors – those who never locked down or opened earlier than the rest of the country – won on their record. Most of the rest joined the entire political establishment in pretending that all of this is a non-issue. Tragically, this tactic seems to have worked better than it should have….

“The US government, through the Transportation Safety Administration, has signed yet another order extending the ban on unvaccinated international visitors until January 8, 2023. This means that no person who has managed to refuse the shot is allowed to come to the US for any reason. This is 30% of the world’s population, banned even to enter the US on their own dime. Something like this would have been inconceivably illiberal three years ago, and been a source of enormous controversy and outrage. Today, the extension hardly made the news.

“The Biden administration has once again extended the Covid emergency declaration another 90 days, which continues to grant government vast powers without Congressional approval. Under a state of emergency, the Constitutional structure of the US is effectively suspended and the country remains on a wartime footing. This announcement was not controversial, and, like the above, it barely made the news.

“Many colleges and universities, and also other schools and public agencies, continue to enforce the vaccine mandate even without any solid science… given that most people have long ago been exposed and acquired natural immunity, and, moreover, it is very well established that the shots do not protect anyone from infection nor stop transmission. They just keep doing this anyway.

“Masking is not in disrepute because we never really obtained anything like an honest admission of their failure to control the spread. Even today, there is a percentage of people out there permanently traumatized. On travels, I’m seeing perhaps 10-20% but in some Northeastern cities, regular wearing of masks is also very common. Once they became a symbol of political compliance and virtue, that sealed the deal and the culture was changed. Now we face the threat of mask mandates whenever government deems it necessary because the Transportation Safety Authority has been given the go-ahead by the courts…”

And as the midterm elections have shown, a vast portion of American voters behave like indifferent and willfully ignorant sleepwalkers.

Fauci’s Farwell Debacle

The Daily Mail wrote on November 22:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci made his final appearance in the White House briefing room on Tuesday, triggering chaotic scenes as reporters bombarded him with questions about the origins of COVID-19…  He used the occasion to hammer home a public health message, urging viewers to get the latest booster… And he suggested it was a good idea to get tested before sitting down with relatives for Thanksgiving...

“But when the briefing was turned over to questions, he faced a barrage of queries about some of the hot button… issues raised by the pandemic.

“What he had done to investigate the origins of the pandemic? Did he think gain-of-function experiments – making viruses more dangerous to test the impact of variations – were safe? And was it appropriate to fund EcoHealth Alliance, which used its money for coronavirus research in China, putting it at the heart of conspiracy theories about the emergence of COVID-19….”

So White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stepped in to shut down the questions which she was obviously unwilling to have answered, reflecting the policy of the White House to simply ignore or block questions which could become uncomfortable for the Biden Administration. (Biden refused to discuss the matter with Chinese President Xi during their last meeting). But this renewed attempt to attack the free press backfired, as the next article points out.

The White House’s Attack on Free Press  

Fox News wrote on November 23:

“White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced renewed backlash from reporters and Twitter users alike after yelling at the press pool during Tuesday’s conference. After outgoing White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke about the administration’s vaccine efforts, Daily Caller White House correspondent Diana Glebova attempted to ask a question regarding investigations into the origin of the coronavirus. Instead of answering, Jean-Pierre rebuked Glebova for being ‘disrespectful.’… Other reporters defended Glebova’s questions which led to Jean-Pierre continuing to yell that she was ‘done’ answering their questions…

“Social media users quickly condemned Jean-Pierre’s behavior as ‘unprofessional’ and an attack on the press. Political commentator Dave Rubin remarked, ‘What a condescending, smug, absolute embarrassment KJP is…’ The Spectator contributing editor Stephen Miller joked, ‘An incredible display of threatening anti-journalism. This is dangerous. This is a vile threat to the very foundations of which our free press democracy is based upon. A free press that is allowed to question our government is a sacred virtue for which our Republic must safe guard.’…

“‘[Questions] about Covid origins are legitimate and every reporter [should] be asking them. This reaction from the [White House] is really weird,’ Hudson Institute senior fellow Rebecca Heinrichs wrote. Barstool Sports blogger Jack McGuire tweeted, ‘Why [does] she think she’s a 3rd grade teacher?’ ‘She’s utterly losing control of the press corps because the WH consistently spends an inordinate amount of time taking questions from the same 12 corporate reporters, day in and day out. It’s shameful…’

“Glebova herself commented on the exchange from her Twitter account. ‘I attempted to ask Fauci several times on what he personally did to demand answers into the origins of COVID-19. I always come with honest answers that Americans want to know. That’s why the White House refuses to call on me, and then calls ME ‘disrespectful,’ Glebova tweeted….”

Further willful suppression of the Truth is pointed out in the next article.

USA Willing Again to Suppress the Truth About Saudi Arabia

The Associated Press reported on November 18:

“The Biden administration says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high office should shield him from a lawsuit over his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, making a turnaround from Joe Biden’s passionate campaign trail denunciations of the prince over the brutal slaying.

“The administration spoke out in support of a claim of legal immunity from Prince Mohammed — Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, who also recently took the title of prime minister — against a suit brought by the fiancée of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and by the rights group Khashoggi founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now. ‘Jamal died again today,’ Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, tweeted after the U.S. filing late Thursday in her lawsuit.

“The U.S. government’s finding of immunity for the Prince Mohammed, sometimes known as MBS, is non-binding, and a judge will ultimately decide whether to grant immunity. But it angered rights activists and risked blowback from Democratic lawmakers. The U.S move came as Saudi Arabia has stepped up imprisonment and other retaliation against peaceful critics at home and abroad and has cut oil production, a move seen as undercutting efforts by the U.S. and its allies to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine…

“Saudi officials killed Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. They are believed to have dismembered him, although his remains have never been found. The U.S. intelligence community concluded Saudi Arabia’s crown prince had approved the killing of the widely known and respected journalist, who had written critically of Prince Mohammed’s harsh ways of silencing of those he considered rivals or critics…

“Biden as a Democratic presidential candidate vowed to make a ‘pariah’ out of Saudi rulers over the 2018 killing of Khashoggi… The U.S. military long has safeguarded Saudi Arabia from external enemies, in exchange for Saudi Arabia keeping global oil markets afloat.”

Despicable political actions, broken promises and lies galore! This will only end with the righteous government on Christ here on earth.

Boris Johnson Accuses Germany, France and Italy over Ukraine Debacle

Novinite wrote on November 23:

“France was ‘in denial’ about the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine [‘until the last moment’], former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told CNN. He also accused the German government of initially preferring a quick Ukrainian military defeat to a protracted conflict… ‘This thing was a huge shock … we could see the Russian battalion tactical groups coming together, but different countries had very different points of view,’ Johnson said.

“The German view at one stage was that if this happened, which would be a disaster, then it would be better if the whole thing were over quickly and Ukraine collapsed,’ Johnson said. He said that behind the German position were ‘all kinds of reasonable economic justifications’. ‘I couldn’t support that, I thought it was a catastrophic way to look at things…’

“Johnson also criticized Italy’s initial response to the threat of invasion. At the time, the government led by Mario Draghi ‘at one stage simply said that they would not be able to support the position that we are taking’ given their ‘enormous’ dependence on Russian hydrocarbons,’ Johnson said….”

The Ukrainian Disaster

The Washington Post wrote on November 23:

“After just six weeks of intense bombing of energy infrastructure, Russia has battered Ukraine to the brink of a humanitarian disaster this winter as millions of people potentially face life-threatening conditions without electricity, heat or running water. As the scope of damage to Ukraine’s energy systems has come into focus in recent days, Ukrainian and Western officials have begun sounding the alarm but are also realizing they have limited recourse. Ukraine’s Soviet-era power system cannot be fixed quickly or easily. In some of the worst-hit cities, there is little officials can do other than to urge residents to flee — raising the risk of economic collapse in Ukraine and a spillover refugee crisis in neighboring European countries… Already, snow has fallen across much of Ukraine and temperatures are dipping below freezing in many parts of the country…

“On Wednesday, Russia pounded Ukraine with another barrage of missiles, striking energy infrastructure and residential areas across the country… and setting off blackouts in much of the country… Ukraine’s Energy Ministry, in a statement, said the bombing left the ‘great majority of consumers without power.’… Even before Wednesday’s attacks, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that about half of the country’s energy infrastructure was ‘out of order’ following the bombardment…”

The war is far from over, and the “defeat” of Russia is highly exaggerated.

North Korea Launches Missile Which Could Strike the USA

ABC News wrote on November 18:

“North Korea has fired one of the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles it has ever launched with the latest having the potential… to strike the mainland of the United States. North Korea, which has launched at least 88 ballistic and other missiles this year, fired an ICBM that could travel 9,300 miles or longer, putting the U.S. mainland within its range…

“Both the militaries of the United States and South Korea militaries are analyzing the data, but North Korea’s latest launch — and its second this month — involved a missile that covered a distance of 620 miles…”

North Korea remains to be a powerful dangerous adversary of the USA.

Israel to Legalize Towns in Judea and Samaria

Israel 365 wrote on November 18:

“As part of their coalition negotiations, Likud head Benjamin Netanyahu and Otzma Yehudit head Itamar Ben Gvir agreed on Wednesday to initiate several legal initiatives that would legalize dozens of Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. The towns included in the agreement are those classified as ‘young settlements’ and were established without government authorization…

“Nearby Arab towns threatened violence targeting Jews who attempted to reestablish the communities. ‘We don’t care what was agreed, the people of our town will resist the settlers’ presence,’ Dr. Hutifa Badir from Beita, a village near Shechem and Evyatar, told the BBC. ‘We arm ourselves with the blood of martyrs and the wounded. We’re committed to our land, and we will not give up on it whatever the cost.’”

This could indeed result in further bloodshed and continuing alienation between the USA and Israel.

Incredible—Mitch McConnell Reelected as Republican Senate Speaker!

Breitbart wrote on November 18:

“Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should have resigned after his party failed to win the Senate last week… McConnell offered no reason to maintain his grip on his caucus, no agenda other than working together with Democrats… Democrats want radical changes to the American way of life, and the only thing stopping them is that they are still at least one vote short of the margin needed to eliminate the filibuster in the Senate.

“McConnell was also strangely passive during the 2022 campaign. He offered no vision to inspire Republican voters, nor did he warn voters about Biden’s judicial appointees. He cast scorn on candidates backed by Donald Trump and spent millions to help Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) against GOP nominee Kelly Tshibaka in Alaska, despite the certainty that the state would be represented by a Republican, and the need for cash in other races.

“He took pride in his margin of victory, winning an internal caucus election 37 to 10, with one abstention. But to the Republican base, the fact that McConnell will keep his post despite a disappointing election is a reminder that the party establishment views its voters with contempt. In a caucus rich with young, interesting, diverse leaders, McConnell’s continued dominance makes no sense…

“McConnell will be remembered by history for his role in saving the Supreme Court from falling under left-wing control, which would have resulted in the erasure of our Constitution by judicial fiat. Beyond that, he has little to offer. Those who worry that Trump alienates moderate voters should also consider that McConnell and the establishment he represents alienate the core Republican constituency. It is long past time for him to go.”

It is mindboggling and beyond comprehension that McConnell would have been reelected as the Republican Senate Speaker, given his terrible track record. At least Pelosi is stepping down as Speaker of House Democrats, but whether her successor will be so much better will have to be seen. Little, if anything should be expected from the Republicans or Democrats in the House and the Senate—except perhaps some “compromise” in areas which will erode and do away with America’s liberties and freedoms even more.

McCarthy to Block Certain Democrats from Committees

Fox News reported on November 21:

“McCarthy, the Republican designee for the next House speaker, told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that when his party takes control of the House in January, it will make good on a long-held promise to bar Omar, Schiff and Swalwell from committees. The GOP leader said that Swalwell’s prior association with a Chinese spy, Schiff’s promotion of Russia collusion theories and Omar’s criticism of Israel were disqualifying.

“‘One thing I said from the very beginning, Eric Swalwell cannot get a security clearance in the public sector,’ said McCarthy. ‘Why would we ever give him a security clearance and the secrets to America? So, I will not allow him to be on’ the House Intelligence Committee. ‘You have Adam Schiff, who lied to the American public time and again – we will not allow him to be on the [Intelligence] Committee either,’ McCarthy added. ‘Look at Congresswoman Omar, her antisemitic comments that have gone forward. We’re not going to allow her to be on Foreign Affairs.’”

It would be more than overdue.

Special Counsel Named to “Investigate” Trump

The Associated Press reported on November 18:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland [a Democrat who was appointed by Biden] named a special counsel on Friday to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into the presence of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the Jan. 6 insurrection and efforts to undo the 2020 election. The move, which is being announced just three days after Trump announced his 2024 candidacy, is a recognition of the unmistakable political implications of two investigations that involve not only a former president but also a current White House hopeful.

“… the special counsel will still report to Garland, who has ultimate say of whether to bring charges.”

Breitbart wrote on November 18:

“Garland named John L. Smith as special counsel Friday afternoon in a televised press statement…  Smith is the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division at U.S. Department of Justice — one of the most highly politicized, left-wing departments within the agency.”

Fox News wrote on November 18:

“Senator Ted Cruz called the timing of the special counsel’s appointment problematic given that Trump had just announced his third run for the White House… ‘This is Trump derangement syndrome but this time with a gun and badge…’

“Andy Biggs… similarly said that the DOJ appeared to be more ‘politicized and weaponized’ than at any point in American history. Some, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene... even said that Republicans should use their newly won control of the U.S. House of Representatives to cut off funding for the investigation next Congress… [A demand later echoed by Fox News moderator Laura Ingraham on her TV program.]

“Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, seen as a potential 2024 contender, said the special counsel appointment is ‘not good news’ for the country. The House Judiciary Committee Republicans tweeted from their account Friday, casting doubt on Smith’s ability to remain impartial in his conduct of the investigation. ‘Jack Smith and his buddies have been politicizing Washington for AGES. And he’s who AG Garland picked to be the special counsel to “investigate” President Trump? Come on,’ the tweet states…

“[Trump said] he ‘won’t partake in it’ and calling it ‘the worst politicization of justice in our country,’ while urging the Republican Party to take action… ‘They found nothing, and now they take some guy who hates Trump. This is a disgrace…’

“Trump, like many congressional Republicans, slammed the Justice Department for bias and politicization, pointing to the federal investigation into President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden [Garland has so far refused to appoint a special counsel in the Hunter Biden case.] ‘Hunter Biden is a criminal many times over and nothing happens to him,’ Trump said. ‘Joe Biden is a criminal many times over — and nothing happens to them.’…

“A Trump spokesperson said Friday that ‘this is a totally expected political stunt by a feckless, politicized, weaponized Biden Department of Justice.’’

Newsmax wrote on November 18:

“Legal experts rallied to Donald Trump’s defense Friday in criticizing Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of former federal attorney Jack Smith as special counsel to head the Department of Justice’s investigations of the former president… ‘

“‘Jack Smith is well-known and liked in leftist circles because of his role in the IRS scandal, working with Lois Lerner to illicitly target conservative groups,’ tweeted Mike Howell, head of The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project and former attorney for the House Oversight Committee…

“Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project, which advocates for constitutionalist judges, and a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, tweeted, ‘By appointing a special counsel to investigate his boss’s political enemy, Attorney General Merrick Garland continues to politicize and weaponize the Biden Justice Department — all while Garland ignores smoking-gun evidence of Biden’s foreign corruption.’

“Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, tweeted: ‘There is no good-faith basis for the any of the DOJ “investigations” of Trump, let alone a special counsel.’ And Will Chamberlain, a lawyer and member of the Article III project, called the move ‘insane and stupid.’…

“Former Vice President Mike Pence called the Justice Department’s appointment of a special counsel to investigate former President Trump ‘very troubling’… Pence pointed to ‘years of politicization at the Justice Department,’ referencing the Trump-Russia investigation. ‘There have been disclosed FBI agents falsifying documents, the FBI using a Clinton campaign-funded opposition research document to support two and a half years of the Russia hoax.’..

“Pence said he was ‘deeply troubled’ when ‘senior leadership at the Justice Department made the decision to execute a search warrant against the personal residence of the former president of the United States,’ referring to the FBI’s unprecedented raid of Mar-a-Lago in August. ‘It had never been done in history,’ he said, adding that the raid ‘sent a divisive message across the country,’ and warned that it ‘sent a wrong message about America around the world.’”

Garland authorized the highly controversial and possibly illegal raid on Trump’s property Mar-o-Lago in Florida. Republicans have said that they might investigate Garland and his Justice Department for their conduct in this regard, saying that Garland “weaponized” the Justice Department in approving the search warrant. This search warrant was obtained from a biased judge who had previously recused himself from a matter involving Trump, due to his recognized bias and conflict of interest. And so, with the appointment of a “special counsel,” who is NOT independent from the Justice Department, another additional farce and “political” witch hunt against Trump will continue.

Laura Ingraham also interviewed on her show on November 18 Mike Davis, Article III Project President, former Chief Counsel for Nominations to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley,  former clerk for US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, and former civil litigator for about 15 years, stating that Trump, as former President, had the absolute right under the President Record Act to take personal copies of the presidential record, and that therefore the entire investigation in this regard revolves around a “non-crime.” The other aspect of the “investigation,” Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, and his “invitation” to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically,” obviously does not constitute a crime either.

Outraged Republicans have a point, when they complain about Garland’s highly problematic actions, but what will they do? When will the American people finally have enough of this political theater? Or will they ever? Or do they even care?

Trump: Biden Corrupt, Elections Rigged

Newsmax wrote on November 20:

“Former President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to share his opinion on midterm elections and President Joe Biden. ‘Our Country has never seen a Weaponized “Justice” Department, and FBI, like they are witnessing right now,’ Trump wrote…

“They are doing everything they can, much of it unlawful, to protect an incompetent and corrupt President, and his drug addicted criminal son. The system is Tainted and Rigged, just like our Elections are Tainted and Rigged, and just like our Border is for sale to the highest bidder, OPEN, and a disgrace to humanity. In the meantime, our Country is failing at a level never seen before!!!’…

“Trump has seemingly rejected returning to Twitter… Trump said he… was a fan of Musk, but appeared to reject any return to the platform. ‘I don’t see it, because I don’t see any reason for it,’ he said.”

The mass media is even repeating continuously the big lie that no evidence exists that Joe Biden had any knowledge of or was in any way involved with his son’s business dealings. Professor Jonathan Turley wrote on November 21:

“Some of us have written for two years that Biden’s denial of knowledge is patently false…  reporters are invested in the illusion… [They] have to insist that there was nothing to see or they have to admit to being part of the original deception. The media cannot see… without the public seeing something about the media in its past efforts to conceal it. The media is now so heavily invested in the trick that they are sticking with the illusion…”

To Investigate Joe Biden?

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on November 17:

“House Republicans on Thursday laid out plans to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, calling the probe ‘a top priority’ for the GOP in the new Congress.

“Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), who will chair the House Oversight Committee next year, said Republicans will explore ‘all avenues’ of the Biden family’s business activity in China and Ukraine. Comer alleged that President Biden has ‘lied’ by claiming he never discussed business with his son. ‘This is an investigation of Joe Biden, the president of the United States, and why he lied to the American people about his participation in his family’s international business schemes,’ said Comer, who claimed the committee has uncovered evidence that Hunter Biden committed wire fraud and violated foreign agent laws…”

Mass Murder in Colorado

The Associated Press wrote on November 21:

“A year and a half before he was arrested in the Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooting that left five people dead, Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly threatened his mother with a homemade bomb, forcing neighbors in surrounding homes to evacuate while the bomb squad and crisis negotiators talked him into surrendering. Yet despite that scare, there’s no public record that prosecutors moved forward with felony kidnapping and menacing charges against Aldrich, or that police or relatives tried to trigger Colorado’s ‘red flag’ law that would have allowed authorities to seize the weapons and ammo the man’s mother says he had with him.

“Gun control advocates say Aldrich’s June 2021 threat is an example of a red flag law ignored, with potentially deadly consequences. While it’s not clear the law could have prevented Saturday night’s attack — such gun seizures can be in effect for as little as 14 days and be extended by a judge in six-month increments — they say it could have at least slowed Aldrich and raised his profile with law enforcement…

“But the law that allows guns to be removed from people deemed dangerous to themselves or others has seldom been used in the state, particularly in El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, where the 22-year-old Aldrich allegedly went into Club Q with a long gun at just before midnight and opened fire before he was subdued by patrons. An Associated Press analysis found Colorado has one of the lowest rates of red flag usage despite widespread gun ownership and several high-profile mass shootings… El Paso County appears especially hostile to the law…”

The following articles give further information about the alleged shooter.

The Washington Post wrote on November 21:

“Years before he allegedly walked into a Colorado LGBTQ bar with an assault-style rifle, the man now known as Anderson Lee Aldrich had a different name, and a tumultuous past. Until age 15, he was known as Nicholas Brink, living in San Antonio, public records show. His parents separated when he was a toddler, and when he was 12, his mother, Laura Voepel, was arrested for suspected arson, according to court documents. She was later found guilty of a lesser offense in connection with the same incident.

“At age 15, he became the target of a particularly vicious bout of online bullying in which insulting accusations were posted to a website, along with his name, photos and online aliases… At some point, a YouTube account was created under his name, featuring a crude, profanity-laden animation under the title, ‘Asian homosexual gets molested.’…

“Whether the events of Aldrich’s childhood had any bearing on Saturday’s horrific violence is unknown…

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed in a statement to The Post that the alleged shooter was on the membership rolls of the church but had not been active in the Colorado Springs locations to the best of their knowledge. The church, which until 2019 described people in same-sex marriages as ‘apostates,’ condemned the shooting in a statement: ‘The senseless act of violence in Colorado Springs is of great sadness and concern to us. We are greatly troubled by any violence in our communities and condemn most especially violent acts that are the result of intolerance against any of God’s children.’…”

cbc news reported on November 22:

“The suspect in the shooting at Club Q, a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub, is now identifying as non-binary, according to court filings filed Tuesday. ‘Anderson Aldrich is non-binary. They use they/them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx. Aldrich,’ a footnote in a court filing reads… The shooting occurred Saturday night into early Sunday morning, on the start of Transgender Remembrance Day, which honors transgender people who have been murdered.”

For an in-depth analysis, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Mass Murder in Colorado’s Gay Nightclub?” 

No More Conversion Therapies in Belgium

The Brussels Times wrote on November 17:

“Belgium is banning conversion practices – a… practice of trying to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms – for members of the LGBTQ community, announced State Secretary… Schlitz… From now on, carrying out conversion practices will be punishable by imprisonment of one month to two years and/or a fine of €100 to €300.

“The court will also take into account whether the offence was committed by a person in a recognised position of trust, authority or influence over the victim and whether the offence was committed against a minor or a person in a vulnerable situation.

“Suggesting or inciting conversion practices, directly or indirectly, will also be penalised. The court will be able to prohibit people convicted of conversion practices from carrying out a professional or social activity related to the commission of these offences for a maximum period of five years.”

Reading between the lines, many will be afraid to even suggest the biblical Truth that the practice of homosexuality is wrong.

Catholic Clergy’s Sexual Abuse

The Associated Press wrote on November 18:

“Italy’s Catholic bishops provided their first accounting of clergy sexual abuse and revealed Thursday that more than 600 cases from Italy were on file at the Vatican since 2000…

“The Vatican in 2001 required dioceses around the world to send all their credible reports of abuse to the dicastery for processing. The Vatican had felt compelled to act after decades in which bishops and religious superiors moved predator priests around from diocese to diocese rather than punishing them or reporting them to police… reports in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and France identified systematic problems that allowed thousands of children to be abused by Catholic priests.

“In France, a panel of independent experts estimated that 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by some 3,000 priests and church personnel, and that the crimes were covered up ‘systematically’ by the church hierarchy…”

Trade Negotiations Between USA and Europe Likely to Fail

Euractiv wrote on November 17:

“As part of an agreement on the future trade policy agenda reached last Friday (11 November), Germany’s centre-left ‘traffic light’ coalition agreed to attempt to restart trade negotiations for a free-trade area encompassing the EU and the US.

“The last attempt at such an agreement, the negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), failed after Donald Trump took office as US president in 2017. Yet the German push to revitalise the talks is likely to fail, with even business representatives being sceptical about the success chances… This view was echoed by the European Commission, saying that negotiations for a new, TTIP-style trade agreement were ‘not on the agenda’.”

Corrupt FIFA

Axios wrote on November 21:

“The 2022 World Cup has been marred by controversy from the very start, and the stench of FIFA’s corruption and Qatar’s human rights abuses still lingers as the event gets underway.

“100 years ago, Qatar was a sparsely populated British protectorate. Then, after discovering oil (1939) and one of Earth’s largest natural gas reserves (1960), it transformed into an incredibly wealthy nation. By the turn of the century, Qatar was a major player in global politics. But a desire for more prestige and clout led the country, much like its Gulf neighbors, to a potent source: soccer.

“Qataris acquired French club Paris Saint-Germain and launched beIN Sports, big moves that shook up Europe. But the crown jewel was the World Cup. Qatar was named host in 2010, a stunning development that triggered bribery accusations [There is little doubt that bribery took place, and even famous soccer stars like Franz Beckenbauer were allegedly involved.] 18 members of FIFA’s 24-person executive committee have since been implicated in or investigated for illicit activity, and the global governing body’s reputation has been irrevocably damaged…

“85% of Qatar’s population of 3 million are foreign workers, and rights groups have been documenting abusers and harsh conditions.   Last year, The Guardian revealed that about 6,500 workers from South Asia had died since Qatar was awarded the World Cup.

“There are concerns about LGBTQ fans descending on Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal… Other controversies include beer bans on stadiums [and] press freedom… Seven European teams announced this morning that their captains will no longer wear rainbow OneLove armbands after FIFA said players would be sanctioned… [FIFA also prohibited displaying the word “love” on players’ shirts.] 54% of Americans say that FIFA shouldn’t have awarded the World Cup to Qatar…”

Sadly, the world’s most popular sport—soccer—has become a political arena run by corrupt FIFA officials and their supporters. Such as politics in general.

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.

Not Much Will Change in Washington

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 11:

“… very little will change in Washington after this election… After all, so much of federal policy is now determined by the executive branch that moderate changes in party leadership in Congress will do very little to change the course of the nation’s administrative agencies such as the EPA, the IRS, and the FBI. These agencies have immense power over the daily lives of countless Americans, yet even sizable majorities of so-called conservatives have shown little stomach to rein in this power. Certainly, the small GOP majority now headed for the House will do little.

“...we can expect to keep hearing plenty about the evil of fossil fuels. The administration will continue to press for less drilling for oil and gas, and the war on coal will continue. The administration will continue to issue new edicts for ‘fighting global warming.’ This, of course, will continue to drive up the cost of living.

“On foreign policy, it was clear nothing much would change short of an overwhelming victory by ‘America First’ types in Congress. That hasn’t happened, so we can expect more of the same foreign interventionism we’re seeing now. The US regime will add to the $65 billion it has already sent to Ukraine and will continually ratchet up its involvement in the region as it recently did with a deployment of US troops near the Ukraine border. Even worse, the US will likely continue to flirt with nuclear war, as the regime’s new National Defense Strategy document has given the Pentagon more leeway in using nuclear arms. The US will not any time soon remove the approximately nine hundred American troops that are currently conducting a regional occupation in Syria.

“Naturally, as far as social spending goes, we can expect zero change. Under Donald Trump, Republicans signed off on massive new spending increases and were headed toward approving trillion-dollar deficits even before 2020. With covid, of course, spending exploded even more, and only a small handful of Republicans expressed doubts… The only disagreements we’ll see in Washington in the next two years will be over how exactly to run up the next massive annual deficit…

“While Washington will keep up with the same disastrous policies, the real change we’ll see will be at the state level… What all this likely means is a continued divergence between places like Washington State, New York State, and California, on the one hand, and Florida, Texas, and Ohio, on the other. On matters like abortion, schools, immigration, guns, and energy policy, the differences between the two blocs will only continue to grow…

“Over time, this will continue to build a real cultural divide that will inevitably lead to de facto political division between these blocs of states… ‘National divorce’ will increasingly be evident on the horizon.”

And so, the division in the USA will continue while Washington—regardless as to who is in power— will prove as being totally incompetent and irrelevant. Out of Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, the Republicans needed at least two wins to gain the majority in the Senate.

Breitbart reported on November 11 that “the Arizona Senate race has been called for Democrat Mark Kelly, who beat his Republican challenger Blake Masters.”

NBC News reported on November 12: “The picture in the Senate became clear late Saturday after Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada narrowly defeated Republican Adam Laxalt to win re-election, putting her party over the threshold… Masto’s victory means Democrats will hold the Senate regardless of the outcome of Georgia’s Dec. 6 runoff election when Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will face each other again after neither cleared the 50% threshold required under state law.

“A Walker win would keep the Senate 50-50, where Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote for Democrats. A Warnock victory would make it 51-49, giving Democrats one extra vote…”

This would enable the Democrats to pass a few bills which require a simple majority. Most bills need 60 votes. A Democratic majority in the Senate also means that Biden can nominate federal judges and appointees to the Supreme Court, should vacancies occur.

Most news articles project or have already announced a slight win of the Republicans taking back the House. The votes of several races are still being counted. 

The Associated Press reported on November 17:

“More than a week after Election Day, Republicans secured the 218th seat needed to flip the House from Democratic control. The full scope of the party’s majority may not be clear for several more days — or weeks — as votes in competitive races are still being counted. But they are on track to cobble together what could be the party’s narrowest majority of the 21st century, rivaling 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents.”

The New York Post added on November 17:

“The narrow majority calls into question the future of promised wide-ranging, GOP-led House committee investigations into the Biden administration on topics including the botched US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the ongoing migration crisis at the US-Mexico border — and first son Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings…”

One could add to this list promised investigations into the origin of the coronavirus and Fauci’s role in the matter. 

Many blame Trump for these developments. The New York Post reported on November 11:

“President Donald Trump [made] a racially insensitive attack against Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (“his name sounds Chinese”)… [It was also reported:] ‘He was really upset about Dr. [Mehmet] Oz [losing his Senate race in Pennsylvania]. It really set him off… [It was even reported that he blamed his wife Melania for convincing him to endorse Dr. Oz.] He’s grumpy and unhappy that Ron DeSantis did so well…’ Trump went on a social media tirade against the Florida governor Thursday, saying that DeSantis should not run in 2024 and deriding him as an ‘average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations…’”

Global Implications

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“A divided government has implications for US global leadership… The midterm shift, which will not take effect until the new year, looks to be small, but potentially decisive…

“Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank, told DW: … ‘It is a good time for Europe to think about how self-sufficient it is and wants to be when it comes to its defense… I don’t know how many more warning signs from the United States are necessary to convey this message.’”

Finally, Europe, which has been called the “sleeping giant” in the past, will wake up.

USA and Canada… On Their Road to Perdition

National Post wrote on November 10:

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to draw some encouragement from Tuesday’s U.S. midterms. Despite running an unpopular government, and a weak economy, President Joe Biden’s party, which shares many views with Canada’s Liberals, out-performed all expectations and has kept the Republican ‘red tide’ at bay, at least for now.

“The message to Biden, and indirectly to Trudeau, who is similarly unpopular and also governs a country that the overwhelming majority thinks is headed in the wrong direction, that there is no need to change direction. They can both continue extreme policies on climate, control of media and protest…

“The current course both the U.S. and Canada are taking seems destined to create a recession…  if attempts to control social media and political speech did not hurt Biden with voters, the even more draconian approach being proposed by Trudeau to regulate the internet may not cause him long term damage…  the Democrats’ performance suggests that, as in Canada, our increasingly multi-racial societies will continue to be pummeled by claims of ‘systemic racism’ and demand for racial quotas and favouritism… The road to political perdition and disunion seems a bit better paved today in both countries.”

Manasseh and Ephraim’s prophesied downfall is coming.

Trump Will Run…

The New York Post wrote on November 15:

“Former President Donald Trump ended months of speculation and launched his bid to retake the White House in 2024 Tuesday, an early attempt to clear the GOP primary field… Trump brushed off the unexpectedly poor showing by Republicans in last week’s midterm elections.

“… if Trump wins the White House again in 2024, he will have pulled off one of the biggest political comebacks in US history after leaving office with the riot overshadowing his domestic and foreign policy accomplishments… Trump would be the second president elected to non-consecutive terms, after Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892. [A victory would make Trump the 45th and the 47th president, according to Fox News.]

“He would have to leave office in January 2029 because the Constitution doesn’t allow a president to be elected to three terms.”

The accuracy of the last sentence is debatable, with some legal scholars contending that the Constitution only prohibits more than two consecutive terms.

“In Regard to Donald Trump”

We are publishing the following article—not because we necessarily agree with its sentiments, but because we want to show how the overwhelming majority of Germans feel about Trump, as captured very well by the most-read mass tabloid’s article, quoted below.  

On November 11, Bild Online published the following Editorial:

“Unfortunately, it is not over after the midterm elections… he’s a narcissist. He loves himself more than America. He’s only fascinated with himself. Psychiatrists speak of personality damage in narcissism.

“According to the Roman poet Ovid, Narcis was a beautiful young man who had many admirers. But they didn’t interest him. When he saw himself reflected in a water, in a brook, he was so consumed with himself that he threw himself in the water with desire and drowned.

“Trump is such an amorous narcissist…The narcissist does not tolerate insults. He hits back with brutality. His language is like Trump’s language. Chaos, end of the world, electoral fraud… My prayer is: Lord, deliver us from Donald Trump.”

Our prayers should be: God, deliver us from all our politicians running our countries, and send back Jesus Christ to make an end to man’s mad misrule. In other words: Your Kingdom Come!

Zionists Honor Trump

JTA wrote on November 14:

“In his first public appearance after midterm elections in which his Republican Party failed to take control of the U.S. Senate, former president Donald Trump headed to a friendly audience. The Zionist Organization of America was awarding Trump a rare honor, the Theodor Herzl Medal, for his contributions on behalf of Israel… the gala landed at a precarious moment for the former president, as allies throughout the Republican Party have signaled or even said forthrightly in the last several days that they believe he should not run…

“Trump received standing ovations just about every time his name was mentioned, as multiple presenters recited the litany of achievements that they said had made him the best U.S. president ever for Israel. They include moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, brokering the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries, pulling the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and more… The group’s president, Mort Klein — in a fiery speech… made clear that his confidence in Trump was unwavering…”

Newsmax added on November 14:

“Former President Donald Trump received the Zionist Organization of America’s greatest honor for ‘being the best friend Israel ever had in the White House.’ The organization’s Theodor Herzl Medallion, awarded rarely, previously was presented to people including former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, former President Harry Truman, and former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir… [Klein said:] ‘President Trump is, in fact, so popular in Israel that, were he eligible to run, he would likely be elected prime minister. Indeed, Israel named a new town after the 45th president, ‘Trump Heights.’”

“Other Theodor Herzl Medallion winners included Lord Balfour, David Ben Gurion, Menachem Begin, and Sheldon G. Adelson.”

JNS added on November 14:

“Klein added that the Biden administration was acting hypocritically by implicitly condemning the ‘extremism’ of Religious Zionism leaders Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, yet failing to denounce Abbas’s promotion of terrorism against Israelis.”

But as the articles also point out, many Jews in America do not support Trump, and, according to Trump, they do not even support the state of Israel.

USA Would Oppose Israel’s Annexations

Israel Today wrote on November 10:

“US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides warned that Washington would oppose any Israeli steps to annex Judea and Samaria…

“The comments were the first by American officials on specific issues related to Israeli-Palestinian peace process. One of the Religious Zionism party’s demands for joining Netanyahu’s coalition is for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria to be governed by Israeli government ministries…”

America will NOT be a reliable partner and ally for Israel—and especially NOT under the Biden Administration.

Afghanistan’s Return to Its Evil Past

Daily Mail wrote on November 14:

“Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves… Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland.

“’Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists,’… Akhundzada [was quoted] as saying. ‘Those files in which all the sharia (Islamic law) conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory.’

“… Hudud refers to offences which, under Islamic law, certain types of punishment are mandated, while qisas translates as ‘retaliation in kind’ – effectively an eye for an eye. Hudud crimes include adultery – and falsely accusing someone of it – drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and highway robbery, apostasy and rebellion. Qisas covers murder and deliberate injury, among other things, but also allows for the families of victims to accept compensation in lieu of punishment…

“Women in particular have seen hard-won rights evaporate in the past 15 months, and they are increasingly being squeezed out of public life. Most female government workers have lost their jobs – or are being paid a pittance to stay at home – while women are also barred from travelling without a male relative and must cover up with a burqa or hijab when outside. In the past week, the Taliban also banned women from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.”

All of this was so predictable. The incompetence, indifference and naivety of the Biden Administration when leaving Afghanistan are next to unparalleled in recent American history.

Missile Hits Poland

Fox News reported on November 16:

“Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday that there is an ‘indication’ the missile that landed in Polish territory and killed two was an ‘air defense missile.’ ‘There is no indication that this was an intentional attack on Poland,’ he said… The missile came down Tuesday on the Polish-Ukrainian border and landed in the village of Przewodów around 3:40 p.m.

“Three anonymous U.S. officials told the Associated Press that preliminary assessments suggested the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian one… NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also confirmed Wednesday that the missile that hit Poland was likely a Ukrainian air defense missile…”

Daily Mail added on November 16:

“Hours after the incident, Volodymyr Zelensky had blamed it on ‘Russian missile terror’, and Kyiv is yet to concede its own missile was involved…

“The news came after a nervous night in which it looked like NATO and Russia could be heading for a direct confrontation that would have risked triggering World War Three, and it underlines the risk that a single mistake or miscalculation in Ukraine could yet spark such a conflict.”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote a castigating report on November 16. As it is true for all articles which we republish, we do not take sides on this issue, nor do we confirm the accuracy of what is stated, but we are just presenting it for the information of our readers:

“NATO and Russia briefly stood on the brink of World War III Tuesday evening after Ukraine accidentally bombed Poland. The incident happened as its forces were trying to intercept incoming Russian missiles during what’s been described as Moscow’s fiercest attack… thus far… Instead of shooting down the Russian missile, Kiev’s S-300 malfunctioned and ended up dropping into Poland, where it killed two people.

“The Ukrainian leadership was well aware of what happened but decided to propagate the most dangerous conspiracy theory in history in an attempt to literally spark World War III. Zelensky lied to the world by describing his forces’ accidental bombing of Poland as ‘a Russian missile strike on collective security’ and telling NATO that ‘We need to act.’ His Foreign Minister [claimed] that all allegations that his side was responsible for this incident are nothing but ‘Russian propaganda’.

“To his credit, Biden told the press in response to a question about whether Russia was responsible that ‘There is preliminary information that contests that. It is unlikely in the lines of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia, but we’ll see.’…  There’s no reason to doubt Biden’s assessment nor that of those three unnamed US officials… Quite clearly, just like with the Nord Stream terrorist attack that was in all likelihood carried out by the Anglo-American Axis… NATO doesn’t truly hold Moscow responsible…”

The article also questions the popular narrative that Ukraine is winning the war.

Mormons Support Legislation for Same-Sex Marriage

The Associated Press wrote on November 15:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it supports proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages… The 17-million member, Utah-based faith said in a statement that church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships against God’s commandments, yet would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose…

“The faith opposes same-sex marriage and sexual intimacy, but it has taken a more welcoming stance to LGBTQ people in recent years. In 2016, it declared that same-sex attraction is not a sin, while maintaining that acting on it was.”

The “Respect For [Same-Sex and Interracial] Marriage Act”

 Breitbart wrote on November 16:

“Twelve Senate Republicans voted with Democrats on Wednesday for the far-left ‘Respect for Marriage Act,’ which is reportedly designed to provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages… the bill will go back to the House before going to President Joe Biden. The White House has expressed support for the measure.

“RFMA… would require the federal government to recognize any marriage that was ‘valid in the place where entered into.’ The bill would also require every state to recognize every same-sex marriage that ‘is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into.’… So the RFMA does not force Texas to issue a marriage certificate to a same-sex couple. But it does force Texas to recognize a marriage certificate issued to a same-sex couple by New Mexico….

“… religious liberty proponents say the amendment does nothing to shield Americans who have a traditional view of marriage from being targeted under the law… RFMA is yet another instance of Senate Republicans providing the votes needed to pass overreaching Democrat legislation…”

Much of Medical Establishment Deeply Dishonest

The New York Post wrote on November 11:

“A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine purports to show that mask policies in schools work to contain COVID. But that’s not all: The authors conclude, ‘We believe that universal masking may be especially useful for mitigating effects of structural racism in schools, including potential deepening of educational inequities.’… And the next study will show masking fights climate change.

“No, what this study shows is that much of the medical establishment continues to be intensely woke — and deeply dishonest because of it. Just as the ‘experts’ told us gathering in crowds wasn’t OK in spring of 2020, but just weeks later protesting for Black Lives Matter somehow was. This dishonesty is going to hurt us all for a long time.

“As for this study specifically: It does not prove what the authors intended to. It’s just the latest in a push by agenda-driven scientists, and the media who love them, to get people back in masks… COVID rates in all the schools were higher before anyone took off their mask — but that uncomfortable fact goes unmentioned in the write-up… Which didn’t stop The New York Times’ Roni Caryn Rabin from promoting the new study as ‘a so-called natural experiment’ and breathlessly concluding, ‘The bottom line: Masking mandates were linked with significantly reduced numbers of Covid cases in schools.’

“This is full-on nonsense. The mask mandates did no such thing… It’s pathetic that in November 2022, we have to keep pointing out the obvious — and that garbage science like this destroys everyone’s confidence in the medical field…

“Not until April 25, 2021, did Dr. Anthony Fauci say, ‘It’s common sense to know that the risk when you are outdoors, which we have been saying all along, is extremely low, and if you are vaccinated it’s even lower.’ He had not, actually, been saying that all along — and those of us who had that ‘common sense’ got targeted and ridiculed for being ‘anti-science.’

“… the problem isn’t just with masking. It’s that the medical establishment has gone fully woke. Wokeness goes hand-in-hand with forced conformity. No one is allowed to step out of the woke lines — though those lines are free to shift at any time. It’s very Soviet. Under those rules, you can’t be critical of even this cockamamie study… Inside the woke echo chamber, you even have to embrace insane ideas like ‘masking fights racism.’

“No one at the Times could write an article about how a study like this is gibberish. Medical professionals and journalists who point out the obvious, that the study makes no sense, will be quickly excommunicated.

“It’s sick, and it has to stop. This isn’t science, it’s politics — and this woke cancer has to be fought until it’s defeated.”

Wow! And how true this is! Forget having trust in the medical establishment and their propaganda of falsely-called “science.” That “trust” and confidence in the “expertise” and “competence” of the likes as Fauci (or Lauterbach in Germany) has long gone.

Ongoing Harassment Until At Least January 2023

Wochenblatt wrote on November 12:

“The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended the ban on entry for [unvaccinated] non-US citizens and non-immigrants until at least January 8, 2023. The justification contradicts not only the medical facts, but also what is valid within the USA. There, people who have been [vaccinated] and those who are not vaccinated are treated equally. The reasoning of the TSA could not be more absurd: [Unvaccinated] people could bring the virus to the United States and spread it there. Even the director of the powerful US health authority CDC, Rochelle Walensky, admitted that [vaccinated] people are infectious and she is herself an example of this: vaccinated twice and boosted, she tested recently positive for corona.

“The USA is thus in the illustrious circle of countries such as Yemen, Liberia, North Korea, China and Libya. In any case, the regulation on the entry ban for non-vaccinated persons would have expired on November 8^th. By order of the Biden regime, the TSA extended it with ridiculous justifications…

“… it is clear that the vaccination does not prevent either infection or transmission of the virus, according to the Biden decree, since last June people who have been vaccinated have no longer had to submit a negative PCR test. So these passengers are free to travel into the country with the virus and spread it there if they have received a Covid-19 genetic vaccination…

“Corona is no longer about health and medical facts, but only about political tactics… One also has to ask oneself why non-Americans are not a ‘danger’ for Australia or Canada – the two extremely brutal vaccination dictatorships have already opened their borders for non-vaccinated people… With the absurd Corona foreign policy of the colorful Biden troop in the White House, they perhaps wanted  to let the aged super-adviser Anthony Fauci save face. If he had his way, the unvaccinated would still be in permanent quarantine. He announced his departure at the end of the year, but is likely to remain the gray eminence of the pandemic as long as Biden is in office. It will be interesting to see whether the USA will continue to insist on entry vaccination after January 8, 2023. Maybe something will happen in the House of Representatives, where the legislature sits and which may soon be dominated by Republicans. As is well known, they think little of Biden’s corona harassment.”

Hopefully, this ridiculous and absurd ban WILL finally cease to exist and vanish in January. “Let Freedom Ring!”

Italy Skeptical of Covid 19 Vaccines

AFP wrote on November 15:

“The deputy health minister in Italy’s new far-right government sparked controversy Tuesday after stating there was no proof that vaccines against Covid-19 actually worked… ‘But I’m not falling into the trap of taking sides for or against vaccines,’ the undersecretary told state broadcaster Rai, while denouncing the ‘ideological’ approach of the previous government of Mario Draghi towards the Covid crisis.

“As a deputy from the Brothers of Italy, the right-wing party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the pharmacist by profession opposed Italy’s so-called coronavirus Green pass, a proof of vaccination required to access most public spaces…

“Gemmato’s comments provoked calls for him to step down, including from the head of the centre-left Democratic Party, Enrico Letta. ‘A health undersecretary who doesn’t take his distance from no-vaxxers is certainly in the wrong job’ wrote the leader of the centrist party Action, Carlo Calenda, on Twitter…”

Of course, to state what the deputy health minister of Italy uttered is deeply unpopular in the so-called “scientific” establishment. And he did not even take a side on the issue, but even that is already too much for the propaganda driven by the big and rich Pharma industry and its supporters.

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Israel 365 News reported on November 13:

“In a controversial move, Canada is expanding its government-funded euthanasia program to include the mentally ill. At the same time, parliamentarians in Scotland are being petitioned to incorporate a ‘suicide pod’ that would allow people to autonomously end their lives…

“Canada’s voluntary euthanasia program called Medical Assistance in Dying… became legal in 2016. The program is part of Canada’s healthcare system. To receive euthanasia, patients experiencing intolerable suffering must sign a written request expressing their wish to end their life. In 2021, more than 10,000 people chose euthanasia, an increase of over 32% from the previous year, accounting for 3.3% of all deaths in Canada…

“The law has been amended to make the program available to people whose death is not medically foreseeable. It was also amended to include those with dementia who may not be able to understand the implications of their decision. The decision to access medically assisted suicide will also be for people whose only medical ailment is a mental issue. This amendment will go into effect next year.

“In the Netherlands, where a quarter of all deaths are now carried out by assisted suicide, euthanasia is utilized for babies under one year of age with ‘severe deformations’ and ‘very grave… medical syndromes’...

“Euthanasia, where doctors use drugs to kill patients, is legal in seven countries — Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain — plus several states in Australia. Other nations, including several U.S. states, permit assisted suicide — in which patients take the lethal drug themselves, typically in a drink prescribed by a doctor…”

For more information on this issue, please read our Q&A ,‘Should true Christians engage in mercy killing or euthanasia?”

“41% of Climate Scientists Don’t Believe in Catastrophic ‘Climate Change’”

Life Site News wrote on November 14:

“For years, the promoters of the spurious ‘settled science’ narrative have claimed that there is a 97-99% consensus among scientists about humans causing climate change…  A recently published survey of top-level climate scientists found that just over five in 10 attributed the human contribution to recent climate change to be 75% or above. Only around four in 10 scientists believed that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events had increased significantly in recent years…

“Emeritus Professor Richard Lindzen recently called the current climate narrative ‘absurd.’ Perhaps, he added, it was the trillions of dollars diverted to green projects and the relentless propaganda from grant-dependent academics and agenda-driven journalists that had persuaded people it is not absurd…

“But the new poll shows that even after 25 years of relentless propaganda, there is considerable debate over the subject in scientific circles.

“… U.S. meteorologist Anthony Watts said the poll illustrates that there is less consensus on climate change and a broader scope of differing opinions that we are led to believe…’

“H. Sterling Burnett from Heartland was intrigued that the poll showed older, more experienced scientists were more sceptical of climate disaster claims. ‘It seems, years of indoctrination have succeeded in brainwashing younger, less experienced climate scientists into believing, data to the contrary, that humans are causing a climate catastrophe,’ he concluded.”

No doubt, much political propaganda and the desire for money are involved with the common narrative of man-made climate change.

How Camilla Became Accepted

The New York Post wrote on November 12:

“Camilla Parker Bowles was, for a time, the most hated woman in Britain, only leaving her home under the cover of darkness. Yet in early May of next year, she will be crowned England’s next queen [technically: queen consort, see comments below] in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey officiated over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest ranking cleric in the land.

“… Queen Elizabeth II… gave Camilla the final stamp of approval in February, when she expressed her ‘sincere wish’ that Camilla would be crowned queen [queen consort] ‘when the day comes.’…

“In the early days, the queen was on friendly terms with Camilla and her then-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles… All that changed when Camilla was revealed as the other woman in the stormy marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Camilla became persona non grata in the mid-90s, shunned from formal royal parties and other functions…

“Things were moving along at a quicker pace, thanks to a decision by the Church of England to take a more relaxed view of divorced couples marrying in church. For years, the queen had been balancing her son’s future happiness with her role as monarch and head of the Church of England. Now she could act to end Camilla’s long wait. During an audience with Charles at Sandringham on Christmas 2004, the queen gave permission for them to marry. They married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor in April 2005. Camilla, who had become accustomed to being the butt of criticism, was delighted at the warmth of her reception by the waiting crowds.

“The queen was also relieved, as any negative publicity would have had a direct impact on the monarchy. Still, she was aware that the Camilla issue remained a touchy subject with many of her subjects. The official word from the palace was that there were no plans to make Camilla queen…

“In their different ways, both the queen and Camilla — who was conferred with the title Duchess of Cornwall after the marriage — were in it for the long game, a strategy which matched their conservative, rather cautious personalities… this past February,  the queen announced that she wished Camilla to take on the styling of queen consort when Charles ascended the throne…

“In her quiet, subtle way she tested both her son and his paramour before allowing Camilla into the royal fold. That she has been largely accepted as queen is testimony to the good sense and judgement of Elizabeth II. When Camilla walks down the aisle at Westminster Abbey in six months, husband King Charles III by her side, she will know that she has much to thank her mother-in-law for.”

Many try to emphasize that Camilla is expected to be crowned as “queen consort,” rather than as queen. But as the article implies, this distinction is rather academic in practical terms, as long as Charles III is King. While a queen consort is not the head of the British monarchy nor does she enjoy political or military powers, she will be crowned with the King in a similar but simpler ceremony, and her role involves offering her husband support and accompanying him to official engagements, at which she is addressed as “Her Royal Highness.” Everyone in the royal family is expected to bow to Camilla, including Prince William. Camilla’s title of Queen Consort will be similar to that of Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Consort, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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 Midterm Elections—No Red Wave

The Associated Press reported on November 9:

“For weeks, Republicans predicted a ‘red wave’ would carry them to power in Congress, as voters repudiated majority Democrats for failing to tame skyrocketing inflation and address worries about rising crime. The reality appeared far different early Wednesday. Rather than a wholesale rejection of President Joe Biden and his party, the results were far more mixed…

“Many Democratic incumbents proved surprisingly resilient, outperforming their party’s own expectations…

“Fetterman defeated Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz for a crucial Pennsylvania Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and former NFL star Herschel Walker, a Republican, were locked in a close contest in Georgia. The Wisconsin race between Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes was too early to call. And the outcome of the remaining two seats that will determine which party will hold a Senate majority — Arizona and Nevada — may not be known for days because both states conduct elections in part by mail ballots, which take a long time to count.”

While the careful predictions are that the Republicans will win a majority of the House, the outcome for the Senate is uncertain. It appears that there will be a runoff in Georgia’s Senate race in December. The Huffington Post added on November 9:

“Right now the House still looks likely to enter GOP control… But its majority could be small enough that GOP leader Kevin McCarthy would struggle to pass almost any legislation.”

Fox News wrote on November 9:

“Republicans aren’t parading through the streets of Rome like a conquering army, it’s important to keep perspective on what Tuesday night’s election results mean…

“President Joe Biden’s promises to unite the country are long gone. More than anything, Tuesday night proved that we are as divided as ever. There was no red wave, but more of a red ripple… Republicans will likely govern the House by a distinct margin. The Senate is still up for grabs. Aside from a few select issues, it’s unlikely much will get done in Washington…

“Tuesday night, Hispanics powered the GOP to victory in Florida. Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio blew the doors off in the Sunshine State…

“Many conservative commentators took the election results as a sign it was time for the GOP to move on from Trump. Commentators argued that Trump had endorsed outlandish candidates who turned easy victories into close races, and close races into losses.  Others compared Trump’s failure to secure wins across the country with the huge wave of support for Republicans in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Florida… Of the races that have been decided as of Wednesday morning, Trump’s endorsed candidates have won nine and lost eight…

“The poor performance of Trump’s candidates comes just as he was reportedly attempting to ward DeSantis away from making a run for president in 2024… [He] warned DeSantis that a 2024 run could hurt him ‘very badly’ on Tuesday….”

The New York Post wrote on November 9:

“Former President Donald Trump ignored Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crushing victory in the 45th president’s election night remarks — as other results spelled potential trouble for Trump’s path to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination… Trump highlighted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s similarly large margin of victory instead… DeSantis’ massive win amid an otherwise worse-than-expected night for Republicans fueled the rivalry between the men’s supporters.”

Rematch of Trump and Biden?

The Guardian wrote on November 4:

“As the midterm elections loom and Republican hopes of retaking Congress rise, it appears to be a matter of when, not if, Donald Trump will announce his third White House run… Polls show Trump is likely to win the Republican nomination but have also shown most Americans do not want him to do so…

“The poll that showed most voters do not want Trump to run also showed that more than 60% of Americans and 30% of Democrats said Biden should not run either. Nonetheless, the Washington Post this week reported that the president, who will soon turn 80, is ‘quietly’ preparing to do so. A rematch of 2020 seems likely…”

Interesting times ahead… Still, with the relatively poor performance by both Biden and Trump during the midterm election, we have to wait and see how it all plays out. But it would be certainly premature to write off Trump.

How Close Are We to Civil War?

The Guardian published on November 6 opinions by several political writers. We are bringing you a synopsis below:

“Americans are increasingly talking about civil war. In August… Twitter references to ‘civil war’ jumped 3,000%… Americans on both sides of the political divide increasingly state that violence is justified… Two years ago, no one was talking about a second American civil war. Today it is common…

“If a second civil war breaks out in the US, it will be a guerrilla war fought by multiple small militias spread around the country. Their targets will be civilians – mainly minority groups, opposition leaders and federal employees. Judges will be assassinated, Democrats and… Republicans will be jailed on bogus charges, black churches and synagogues bombed, pedestrians picked off by snipers in city streets, and federal agents threatened with death should they enforce federal law. The goal will be to reduce the strength of the federal government and those who support it, while also intimidating minority groups and political opponents into submission…

“America is rushing headlong into another civil war, and it’s a matter of when, not if… Look for the next civil war to take place after the 2024 election cycle, when the next wave of violence is likely to emerge. Similar to the original civil war, there’s too much at stake for both sides. Then, as now, the threats are existential. In the 19th century, Democrats viewed the newly established Republican party as a threat to their way of life. Republicans, for their part, saw southern intransigence on the issue of slavery as a threat to the union…”

The outbreak of a second civil war is a distinct possibility.

Doomsday Clock: 100 Seconds to Midnight

Newsweek wrote on November 4:

“The organization behind the Doomsday Clock has published a guide that details the potentially catastrophic consequences of a global nuclear war—which could kill hundreds of millions in hours—in what is a ‘wake-up call’ for people around the world…

“The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic device designed to warn the public about how close humanity is to destroying itself with ‘dangerous technologies of our own making,’ such as nuclear weapons as well as those that are contributing to climate change.

“The clock, which was created in 1947 and is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic

Scientists magazine, has been reset 24 times, most recently in 2020 when the minute hand moved from two minutes to midnight to 100 seconds to midnight. In January 2022, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin, which decides the clock’s time, announced that the minute hand was staying at 100 seconds to midnight…

“A global, all-out nuclear war…, based on a scenario involving 4,400 100-kiloton weapons, would very quickly result in a minimum of 360 million deaths around the world from the direct effects alone. Even though these figures are staggering,… these deaths would be only the beginning of a massive catastrophe that would affect… the entire world…”

Sadly, the Bible DOES predict worldwide nuclear war which would annihilate ALL LIFE on earth if it weren’t for God shortening those days and for Christ’s return to prevent this from happening.

A Blunder Will Happen…

Time wrote on November 4:

“Over the past year, global adversaries have routinely threatened to violate the decades-old taboo against the first-use of nuclear weapons. Launching a nuclear strike, once unthinkable in modern conflict, has become more and more normalized with each passing day of 2022. Meanwhile, the global revulsion against using the world’s most destructive weapons, which was borne out of the ashes of World War II, appears to have drastically abated. In its absence is emerging a dangerous and unpredictable era where threats to cross the nuclear threshold have become commonplace by world leaders…

“Down that road may lie the greatest danger of all. ‘These developments call attention to the underlying truth that is not new: Nuclear weapons are unacceptably dangerous and for most countries that have them, one person alone has the authority to launch them with few checks and balances,’ says Lynn Rusten, vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative… ‘The idea that reliance on nuclear weapons for national and global security is sustainable for the long-term is delusional. A blunder will happen sooner or later.’”

Rather sooner than later… Frightening indeed.

Rising Tensions

npr wrote on November 5:

“North Korea added to its recent barrage of weapons demonstrations by launching four ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday, as the United States sent two supersonic bombers streaking over South Korea in a dueling display of military might that underscored rising tensions in the region… The North has test-fired more than 30 missiles this week…  and flew large numbers of warplanes inside its territory in an angry reaction to a massive combined aerial exercise between the United States and South Korea… The exercise involved around 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries.

“North Korea’s Foreign Ministry late Friday described the country’s military actions this week as an appropriate response to the exercise, which it called a display of U.S. ‘military confrontation hysteria.’ It said North Korea will respond with the ‘toughest counteraction’ to any attempts by ‘hostile forces’ to infringe on its sovereignty or security interests.

“South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the participation of the B-1Bs in the joint drills demonstrated the allies’ readiness to ‘sternly respond’ to North Korean provocations and the U.S. commitment to defend its ally with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear.”

The confrontation and rising tensions between North Korea and the USA should be closely watched as well.

Lapid Concedes

JTA wrote on November 3:

“Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called his rival, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to concede this week’s election… Netanyahu… has launched the negotiating process to form the next government with the far-right Religious Zionist party and haredi Orthodox parties. With a total of 64 seats, Netanyahu’s bloc surpassed poll predictions… [amid] rumors that President Joe Biden’s administration might not engage with Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of the Religious Zionist leaders who will likely be given a cabinet position…

“Ben-Gvir — who has said he prefers to be public security minister, which controls Israel’s police — has worried U.S. leaders with his extremist rhetoric about the use of police force against Arabs and his calls to expel people who are not loyal to Israel.

“An array of international leaders began to congratulate Netanyahu on Thursday, including Viktor Orban, the far-right president of Hungary, and Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing prime minister of Italy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has criticized Israel’s unwillingness to supply Ukraine with weapons in its war with [Russia], also sent congratulations. ‘We hope to open a new page in cooperation with the new Government for & benefit!’ he wrote.”

As of November 6, Biden had not yet called Netanyahu to congratulate him, while he rushed to call Lula da Silva, the new corrupt lefty-wing President of Brazil. JTA reported on November 7 that Biden finally called Netanyahu and allegedly congratulated him during an eight-minute exchange. Not much is known about the contents of the call. The White House did not respond to questions about the call, according to JTA.

Israel 365 added on November 8: “The call from Biden came after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak congratulated Netanyahu. French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Netanyahu on Sunday.”

The Most Religious Government Ever

Haaretz wrote on November 3:

“Israel’s next government will be by far the most religious in its history… Of the four parties,  three are religious. Two of them… are ultra-Orthodox parties… The third… is on the conservative side of the religious spectrum, leaning toward ultra-Orthodoxy.

“Together, these three parties will account for more than half the seats in the coalition headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, which is expected to assume power within the next few weeks… Add to that seven lawmakers from Netanyahu’s own Likud party, and it turns out that 40 of the expected 65 members of Israel’s next coalition will be Orthodox Jews…

“To be sure, there never has been separation of religion and state in Israel. Issues of marriage and divorce, for instance, fall under the jurisdiction of religious authorities – in the case of Jews, the Orthodox-controlled Chief Rabbinate. With rare exceptions, public transportation does not run on Shabbat, and most retail businesses are closed that day.”

Will this new government fulfill important biblical prophecies? Note the next article.

Praying on the Temple Mount

Israel Today wrote on November 6:

“Among the things liberals both in Israel and abroad fear the incoming religious right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu will do is open the Temple Mount to Jewish prayer... Muslims today claim that Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is Islam’s third holiest site, though that wasn’t always the case, and some are beginning to acknowledge that the site means little, if anything to Islam. Still, the majority have bought the lie, and as a premier Islamic holy site, they cannot accept its use by any other religion.

“This prohibition against all but Islamic religious expression at the Temple Mount is what Israel calls ‘the status quo,’ a Muslim-imposed state of affairs that the Jewish state and the West dare not violate for fear of an outbreak of Muslim violence… For many Jews the issue becomes who they fear more: God, or the Arab Muslim world.”

Soon, the issue will not just be, praying on the Temple Mount, but building the Third Temple.

Jewish Prayer on Temple Mount Will Lead to War?

The Times of Israel wrote on November 5:

“Any move by the incoming government to allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount ‘will lead to war,’ Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas has said. Abbas told Channel 12 on Thursday that he was ‘worried’ about the apparent new government… ‘Let’s not be naive,’ said Abbas, whose Islamist party was a core component of the outgoing coalition…

“The presence of Jewish visitors on the Temple Mount is opposed by Palestinians, and Hamas warned of violent ‘repercussions’ over visits during the Jewish holidays… MK Ben Gvir… has often visited the Temple Mount while demanding Israel fully realize its sovereignty there. During the recent holiday period, Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman took to blowing the shofar at a Muslim cemetery near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, an action heavily criticized by police for its combustive potential but allowed by courts.

“Speaking Monday, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu — who is set to form the next government — said he would ‘maintain the status quo’ at the Temple Mount despite pressure from Ben Gvir. The Otzma Yehudit leader is seeking to be public security minister, which would make him responsible for keeping the peace at the Jerusalem holy site….”

A Catholic Priest Tells the Truth

Daily Mail wrote on November 3:

“A Catholic priest has been branded hateful over a sermon about ‘rampant’ sin, and denounced same sex marriage, abortion and the ‘lunacy’ of transgenderism… A reported 30 members of the congregation walked out of the church…

“During the sermon, Fr Sheehy said: ‘You rarely hear about sin but it’s rampant. It’s rampant… And we see it, for example in the legislation of our governments. We see it in the promotion of abortion. We see it in the example of this lunatic approach of transgenderism. We see it, for example, in the promotion of sex between two men and two women. That is sinful. That is mortal sin.’

“He added it was a ‘fact; a reality’ that these things were sinful… Asked if he planned to apologise, he said: ‘Not at all – why would I apologise for the truth?‘”

Yes, why indeed?

Russia For Traditional Values

AFP wrote on November 9:

“Russia on Wednesday vowed to defend its ‘traditional’ values against threats from the United States and ‘gay propaganda’ in a document signed by President Vladimir Putin. The presidential decree… warns that Moscow must take ‘urgent measures’ to ward off threats including terror groups, ‘certain mass media’ and ‘the United States and other unfriendly foreign countries.’

“It also lists internal threats from ‘the activities of certain organisations and people on Russian soil’. These foes risk implanting ‘alien’ ideas in Russian society and causing ‘the destruction of the traditional family unit through propaganda of nontraditional sexual relationships,’ the decree says, using a phrase referring to LGBTQ relationships.

“The Orthodox Church welcomed the document as a way to ‘preserve our people and protect our children from being defiled,’ senior cleric Fyodor Lukyanov told TASS state news agency. The mission statement comes as Russian lawmakers are pushing through amendments to toughen up a controversial 2013 law banning ‘gay propaganda’ to minors, rewriting it to include adults as well.”

Diversity of Religions Act of God?

Life Site wrote on November 7:

“Pope Francis defended his controversial Abu Dhabi document which claimed that ‘diversity of religions’ is ‘willed by God,’ saying that it was ‘something that came from God.’…

“The Abu Dhabi document has been widely criticized by faithful Catholics for putting the Catholic faith and its worship of the God of Revelation on the same plane with religions that do not worship the true God and deliberately reject Him… the dubious passage in the document was never publicly corrected or clarified by the Pope or another Vatican official.”

The EU Rejects Free Speech!

On November 4, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“We have been discussing how Democratic leaders like Hillary Clinton called on foreign companies to pass censorship laws to prevent Elon Musk from restoring free speech protections on Twitter. The EU has responded aggressively to warn Musk not to allow greater free speech or face crippling fines and even potential criminal enforcement. After years of using censorship-by-surrogates in social media companies, Democratic leaders seem to have rediscovered good old-fashioned state censorship.

“Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) declared Musk’s pledge to restore free speech values on social media as threatening Democracy itself… Former President Obama has declared ‘regulation has to be part of the answer’ to disinformation… Hillary Clinton is looking to Europe to fill the vacuum and called upon her European counterparts to pass a massive censorship law to ‘bolster global democracy before it’s too late.’

“New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently repeated this call for global censorship at the United Nations to the applause of diplomats and media alike. EU censors have assured Democratic leaders that they will not allow free speech to break out on Twitter regardless of the wishes of its owner and customers.

“One of the most anti-free speech figures in the West, EU’s Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has been raising the alarm that Twitter users might be able to read uncensored material or hear unauthorized views… Breton has made no secret that he views free speech as a danger coming from the United States that needs to be walled off from the Internet… the EU views free speech itself as an existential danger. They reject the notion of free speech…”

 It will only get worse when a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations has formed, transferring their power and authority to a dictator and autocrat, called the Beast in the Bible.

Olaf Scholz Goes to China

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 5:

“On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz went to China, despite domestic and international skepticism about his trip…

“Scholz’s 11-hour trip to China remains controversial — and not least because Germany’s current coalition government previously promised to change its approach to China, including reducing its dependency on the Asian giant. Experts say Scholz’s trip shows that Germany hasn’t really changed its policies towards China…

“‘The trip sends a message that even though Berlin should be seriously rethinking the relationship with China, they are going back to business as usual,’ said Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an assistant professor at National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan and a former political advisor to the European Parliament. ‘While I think Europe needs to find a way to constructively talk to China from a position of strength, what Berlin is doing undermines that position by pursuing its own interests at the expense of the emerging, yet fragile, European unity that we’ve seen since the Ukraine war,’ she added.

“Reinhard Bütikofer, a German politician and member of the Greens party in the European Parliament, told DW that Scholz’s trip has contradicted the German coalition government’s agreement and will also have a negative impact on the European Union… ‘Germany’s China policy can’t be developed on the basis of the Chancellor alone, who has ignored competent advice on China at least three times. When we founded the new German government, we agreed Germany’s future China policy should be strongly integrated at the European level, and it should be coordinated in the trans-Atlantic relationship. Both haven’t happened,’ Bütikofer added.

“Prior to the trip, Scholz defended a controversial deal that allowed China’s state-owned shipping company [Cosco] to buy a minority 24.9% stake in one of Hamburg’s port terminals, ignoring objections from several cabinet members… ‘This visit is a manifestation of the fragmentation, not only within the EU, but also within the German political scene,’ said Marcin Jerzewski, head of the Taiwan office of the European Values Center, a Czech think tank…

“Sari Arho Havren, China researcher and adjunct professor at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, told DW that Scholz’s trip gives Beijing a strong signal that Germany ‘would bring the EU to see Beijing again in a more pragmatic and favorable light… This would mean normalizing Beijing’s behavior, [something] which is largely seen as the problem in the EU.’

“There’s also a significant divergence in how the two leaders view the world, Havren noted. ‘Scholz emphasized the severe consequences of the Ukrainian war, but for Xi, there is much more to it than that … Beijing sees the world through the lens of the US trying to contain China,’ she told DW. Through this lens, which also includes possible reunification of China and Taiwan, an ongoing partnership with Russia is important to China, as is a Europe that is not united on these issues. ‘With increasingly deepened ties to China through its powerful companies, Germany would potentially make a common European response against China less likely, in case of needing to choose sides between Beijing and Washington,’ Havren concluded.”

Scholz’s performance as chancellor has been controversial, to say the least. Note the next article.

Criticism From All Sides

Bild Online wrote on November 6:

“First of all, before his controversial trip (Friday) to the self-crowned lifetime dictator Xi Jinping (69), foreign minister [and coalition partner] Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had told him that this trip would not work at all…

“And then on Saturday: Scholz [SPD] had just returned from his China ride (23-hour flight for four-hour talks), FDP leader [and coalition partner] Christian Linder (43) reached out and explained to the chancellor how things should actually work with China: ‘Only what is allowed for Germans in China can also be allowed for Chinese people in Germany ‘, he said… What Lindner tells the chancellor via the press: If China refuses German companies to set up their own companies, then the Chinese companies can lie down here too and at most enter into a joint venture. And: If German companies cannot participate in Chinese infrastructure, then the reverse is also not possible. This also means that if we are not allowed to buy a port in China, then the chancellor cannot push this through for the Chinese either, as has just happened in Hamburg.

“As reported, Scholz flew to Beijing with a piece of the port of Hamburg as a gift. Half of the cabinet had opposed the purchase… Scholz earned ridicule and incomprehension worldwide for a tweet after the trip to Communist dictator Xi. It sounded as if friends had met: ‘Reliability and trust – these two values ​​play an important role in German and Chinese culture. They are also the basis for diplomatic relations and political partnerships. It’s good that we spoke in person.’

“Criticism rained down from all sides. Tenor: How can you use ‘trust’ and ‘reliability’ in connection with Xi and the China dictatorship?! Like they aren’t breaking human rights and spying on our economy.”

This also shows how fragile the German government and the coalition are.

Eight Billion People!

Daily Mail wrote on November 7:

“The world’s population is set to hit eight billion next week in a key milestone for humanity… The UN Population Division said that the population will continue to grow in the decades to come, with life expectancy set to increase to an average of 77.2 years by 2050. By November 15, the number of humans on Earth will grow to eight billion, more than three times higher than the 2.5 billion global headcount in 1950.

“The increase in life expectancy, as well as the number of people of childbearing age, has meant the UN predicts the world’s population will continue growing to about 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and a peak of about 10.4 billion in the 2080s… the UN projects that more than half of the population growth by 2050 will come from just eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.”

EU’s Actions Re Coronavirus and Ukraine Cost Europeans Dearly

Euro News wrote on November 4:

“European citizens could have lost out on nearly €3,000 a year because of the austerity measures implemented by EU governments since the 2007 financial crisis, a new report has claimed… The news comes at a time when EU states are racking up levels of debt unseen during modern peacetime to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and effects of the war in Ukraine. Frank Van Lerven, programme lead of macro-economics at NEF, said austerity measures have been a failure…

“Berlin, known as one of the most frugal EU member states, was a main proponent of austerity and cutbacks at the time. It has recently been able to afford a €200 billion aid package to help German people and businesses through the current energy crisis, much to the annoyance of other member states that cannot afford to do so on such a large scale.

“Polling included in the report found that 70% of people are concerned by what might happen if austerity is reintroduced. At the same time, 70% of respondents also reported concern about rising government debt...”

Herr Lauterbach: Are You Not Ashamed?

Bild Online wrote on November 4:

“It was a really surprising appearance: Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (59, SPD) told journalists on Wednesday: ‘The daycare closures were unnecessary.’ In one sentence, he declared the years of severe government intervention in the lives of millions of families to be a mistake that shouldn’t have been made. Ironically, the man who drove the lockdown like no other, who painted the devil on the wall, who constantly insisted that daycare centers and schools remain closed, now stands up and speaks of a mistake.

“Lauterbach was referring to a recent study conducted by the German Youth Institute (DJI) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). According to this, the corona transmission rate for children under the age of 5 was 9.6 percent. The minister summed it up: ‘You could get infected much more slowly in daycare centers than within families.’ So the risk was higher at home and not the other way around.

“In June 2020, several German universities presented the preliminary results of their so-called Heidelberg study and came to the conclusion: ‘No indication of children as drivers of the infection process’. On January 22, 2021, data from a study by the Berlin Charité showed that children are not among the infection drivers in the pandemic.

“Such results were consistently ignored by the federal government. Above all by the then Chancellor Angela Merkel (68, CDU), her head of the chancellery Helge Braun (50, CDU), her health minister Jens Spahn (42, CDU) and Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (55, CSU). And also from Lauterbach, who was still a simple member of parliament at the time. On March 17, 2021, he called on all federal states to close the schools that they had cautiously opened. Again and again he warned of the danger of corona in daycare centers…

“Lauterbach tirelessly prophesied new corona catastrophes that never materialized. Just like the other politicians who closed Germany’s daycare centers and schools. One would like to ask: Aren’t you ashamed?

“Obviously not. When asked if he regretted the closure of the daycare centers, Lauterbach said coldly: ‘I don’t believe in assigning blame.’ Merkel and [Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus] Söder also showed no regrets and did not ask parents and children for forgiveness.

“Lauterbach was asked whether the closure of the schools was also unnecessary. There is no comprehensive study on this yet, he said. Why not? Family Minister Lisa Paus (54, Greens) announced on Wednesday that children and young people ‘often suffered less from the virus itself than from the consequences of the containment measures’. The psychological well-being has deteriorated in half of the students in Germany, among the socially disadvantaged even in two thirds. In 2021, 40 percent more children were hospitalized for eating disorders than in 2019.

“It is obvious that the closure of the schools was not necessary either. Millions of children and young people have been harmed senselessly. This is the balance that Lauterbach has to face.

“How does the government intend to help the harmed children and young people who have been thrown into depression by wrong political decisions? Answer us, Minister of Health. It’s your… duty.”

What was and is happening in Germany mirrors what was and is happening in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and many other English-speaking nations where equally senseless coronavirus restrictions were imposed—especially based on the wrong advice of Dr. Fauci and other “experts”—and NO apologies have been issued for the incredible harm caused for millions of citizens in those countries. But the USA is still living in a ridiculously appalling Orwellian fantasy world. Read the next article.

Injections Extended Into 2023

Life Site News wrote on November 6:

“The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended the requirement for non-U.S. citizen, non-immigrants to show proof of COVID-19 injection in order to enter the country. This makes the U.S. one of the few remaining Western countries to uphold such a mandate.

“The renewal of the U.S. border restrictions was announced November 4, and will expire on January 8, 2023. The current restrictions – which require visitors and temporary residents to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the country – were due to expire on November 8…

“Under the terms of the extended border restrictions, airline operators must ensure that passengers, prior to boarding, show paper or digital proof of having taken COVID injections, or provide documents detailing an exemption from such requirements. The requirements align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which stipulate that a passenger must have had either one injection of a single-dose vaccine, or two of a double-dose injection. The injections must be at least 14 days prior to flying. While the restrictions apply to ‘noncitizen nonimmigrants,’ they do not apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

“… the COVID19 injections do not prevent against contracting the virus… studies are now showing that the injections actually increase the chances of contracting the virus. Given the extension of the COVID-19 injection mandate for the U.S. border, this means that passengers could be allowed to fly into the country even if they have the virus, so long as they also have taken the injections. Such a policy undermines the TSA’s purported aim of limiting the transmission and spread of COVID-19.

“The U.S now also has the dubious honor of remaining one of the few countries (and the most significant) still requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for incoming passengers. Other countries include Yemen, Liberia, North Korea, China and Libya.”

What a list of dictatorial countries. The incredible shortsightedness, ignorance and incompetence of the American government and their agencies is beyond comprehension. Even Canada and the United Kingdom removed any requirements of coronavirus vaccinations for international travel.

“Fauci’s Failing to Meet His Sales Quota”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 7:

“Speaking at an awards ceremony over the weekend, retiring government bureaucrat Anthony Fauci expressed his dismay over the fact that Americans seem entirely uninterested in getting the latest Pfizer and Moderna booster shots… Fauci raged, like a pharma rep who failed to meet his sales quota…

“In total, only about 7% of all Americans have taken the new shot, according to the CDC. The boosters were only tested on mice, but approved for emergency use through the FDA’s rubber stamp partnership with Pfizer and Moderna.

“There is no evidence that the boosters do anything beneficial to help combat Covid-19…  At the event, Fauci paradoxically received a humanitarian award named after Muhammad Ali, the anti-establishment, counter culture boxing icon who was persecuted by career government bureaucrats like Fauci for his refusal to serve in Vietnam. Fauci, for his part, avoided the draft by joining the NIH.

“In his acceptance speech, the disgruntled bureaucrat expressed his disgust with Americans who refuse to follow Government Health orders… ‘What I refer to as the normalization of untruths. Put more bluntly, the normalization of lies that we see all around us. Now, helped along by social media, facts and falsehoods now coexist as sometimes equals, deliberately sowing confusion and discord, and distorting reality,’ he continued…”

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.

Election Day in Israel

Israel Today wrote on November 1:

“Today we choose our next prime minister, his government coalition, and those who we believe can meet the many challenges of the modern Jewish state… the airwaves are crammed with the dizzying spin of candidates flattering themselves as though they will somehow miraculously protect our nation from our enemies, from ourselves, and unify the country. In the next breath they gleefully point out just how horrible their opponent would be if elected…

“Politicians don’t even bother anymore to offer an honest assessment…”

Sadly, this assessment is true for politicians all over the world, and the USA is certainly no exception.

Netanyahu Is Back

JTA wrote on November 2:

“As most of the votes in Israel continue to be tallied on Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu looks assured of returning to power, as his far-right bloc of parties is predicted to win around 65 seats, well above the 61 needed in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament.

“The official final results are not expected to be finalized on Wednesday, but over 80% of the votes had been counted by the afternoon local time.

“Many of the votes that have not yet been counted are nicknamed ‘double-envelope ballots,’ cast by security officers, prisoners, diplomats abroad, residents of assisted living facilities and hospital patients and staff. These ballots have in recent years heavily favored right-wing parties.

“Netanyahu, who has only been out of the prime minister’s office for 16 months, is expected to form a coalition with multiple haredi Orthodox parties and the Religious Zionism slate of two parties, led by the far-right extremists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Ben-Gvir has worried American Jewish leaders with his anti-Arab, anti-LGBTQ and other inflammatory rhetoric…

“Current Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s party is predicted to win 24 seats, compared to 32 for Netanyahu’s Likud…

“Ben-Gvir, touted as a rising star who has electrified the conservative electorate, will likely be given a high-ranking cabinet position. He is hoping to be named security minister, which would put him in charge of the country’s police force.”

The Associated Press wrote on November 2:

“Tuesday’s election was Israel’s fifth in less than four years, with all of them focused largely on Netanyahu’s fitness to govern. On trial for a slew of corruption charges, Netanyahu, who denied wrongdoing, is seen by supporters as the victim of a witch hunt and vilified by opponents as a crook and threat to democracy…

“Netanyahu was Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, governing for 12 consecutive years – and 15 years altogether – before he was ousted last year by a diverse coalition led by the centrist Yair Lapid, the current caretaker prime minister. But the coalition that Lapid cobbled together, which included the first Arab party ever to join a government, was decimated by infighting and collapsed after just one year in power…

“The night’s strongest showing was by the Religious Zionism party, which emerged as the third-largest party. At an all-male campaign gathering in Jerusalem, religious men wearing Jewish skullcaps and waving Israeli flags danced in celebration. At the celebration, supporters of the party’s top candidate, Itamar Ben-Gvir, chanted ‘Death to terrorists.’

“Ben-Gvir is a [of] disciple Rabbi, Meir Kahane, who was banned from parliament and whose Kach party was branded a terrorist group by the United States before he was assassinated in New York in 1990…

“Such positions could put a future Netanyahu government on a collision course with the Biden administration, which supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians…”

Ultimately, America will rise up against Israel.

Terrible South Korea Stampede Causes Many Fatalities and Injuries

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 30:

“At least [151] people were killed in a stampede on Saturday night in the South Korean capital of Seoul… An additional 150 people were injured in the crush, which took place in the city’s Itaewon district, where Halloween festivities were taking place… Most of the dead are in their teens and 20s…

“Local media estimated that 100,000 people were in the streets of Itaewon on Saturday night for the Halloween parties. The festivities were the largest they had been in years after South Korea eased its coronavirus restrictions in recent months…

“EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was ‘deeply saddened… by the terrible events in central Seoul. What [was] meant to be a celebration turned into a tragedy with so many young casualties,’ he tweeted…”

The problem is, Halloween is a festival in honor of Satan and should not be celebrated by anyone. Note the next article:

Halloween—a Demonic Festival

CBN wrote on October 30:

“Millions of people will be celebrating Halloween on Monday, October 31, including many Christians. In fact, Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in America, typically grossing around $10 billion in sales… However, many do not realize there’s a darker reality to this celebration and it is steeped in paganism and witchcraft…

“CBN News’ Charlene Aaron interviewed former Satanist John Ramirez, who warned that Christians should have nothing to do with practicing pagan customs. ‘Halloween is the most diabolical demonic holiday,’ he said.”

It certainly is…

Brazil’s New (Old) Left Leader

Breitbart wrote on October 30:

“The top electoral authority in Brazil announced on Sunday evening that 77-year-old hardline socialist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, once convicted and sentenced to over two decades in prison for alleged corruption, had won this year’s presidential election against incumbent conservative Jair Bolsonaro…

“Little more than a percentage point separated Lula, who served as president previously from 2003 to 2011, from Bolsonaro… National newspaper of record O Globo described the results as the closest election since 1989, when Lula narrowly lost to Fernando Collor de Mello, who was impeached and ousted from office over corruption allegations in 1992…

“Lula’s victory is particularly momentous given that, during 2018 elections, which Bolsonaro won, he was in prison after being found guilty of buying a luxury beachfront property with bribe money. The case was part of a much larger corruption investigation… which unveiled a nationwide corruption scheme involving dozens of high-ranking politicians that operated during Lula’s presidential tenure. The government enriched itself by offering overpriced contracts for infrastructure and other public works projects to private contractors… and those private contractors would then use some of the excess money to bribe the politicians, securing future contracts.

“Last year, the nation’s top court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), let the now president-elect run for office again by overturning his conviction on the grounds that the judge initially in charge of the case, Sergio Moro, was personally biased against Lula and originally did not have jurisdiction to try the case. The reasoning did not challenge any of the evidence against Lula or the appeals that affirmed the original conviction…

“Leftist American President Joe Biden was among the first to congratulate Lula on his reported victory on Sunday. Biden, as a candidate in 2020, had vowed to destroy the Brazilian economy…  if Bolsonaro did not accept an unspecified $20-billion environmental investment, prompting Bolsonaro to later threaten to go to war with the United States. Their relationship never recovered.”

Reuters added on October 31 that “Argentine President Alberto Fernandez flew to Sao Paulo to meet the president-elect on Monday and hailed ‘a new era for the history of Latin America. A time of hope and future that begins today.’… Congratulations also poured in from other foreign leaders [besides Biden], including China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.”

An interesting list of leaders congratulating the new corrupt leader of Brazil. We do not expect that the relationship between the USA and Brazil will become or remain friendly in the long run.

America Insults Arab World?

Israel 365 wrote on October 30:

“The Saudis believe that the Biden administration’s hostility towards Saudi Arabia is the result of the influence of far-left US politicians who have infiltrated the Democratic Party.

“The Saudis, in addition, are warning that the Biden administration is acting against America’s interests in the Middle East by alienating and insulting Saudi Arabia and other traditional allies of the US in the Arab world.”

Coming–Trade War Between Europe and the USA?

Politico wrote on October 27:

“After publicly falling out, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron have found something they agree on: mounting alarm over unfair competition from the U.S. and the potential need for Europe to hit back… both leaders agreed that the EU cannot remain idle if Washington pushes ahead with its Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax cuts and energy benefits for companies investing on U.S. soil, in its current form.

“Specifically, the recently signed U.S. legislation encourages consumers to ‘Buy American’ when it comes to choosing an electric vehicle — a move particularly galling for major car industries in the likes of France and Germany… [According to Scholz and Macron,] similar incentive schemes for companies will be needed to avoid unfair competition or losing investments. That move would risk plunging transatlantic relations into a new trade war…

“In a blow to Germany’s industrial core, chemical giant BASF announced plans Wednesday to reduce its business activities and jobs in Germany, with company chief Martin Brudermüller citing heightened gas prices — which he criticized for being six times as high as in the U.S. — as well as increasing EU regulation as the reason….”

Europe Wakes Up on Defense

The Media Line wrote on November 1:

“Now that 15 European countries have joined the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, a joint defense system, the likely sale of Israel’s Arrow 3 air defense system to Germany will become the largest defense export in Israeli history, reaching a sum of 3 billion euros. Jerusalem and Berlin are waiting for Washington to approve the deal; the United States has the right to veto any sale of the Israeli defense system, since the US financed the research and development of the Arrow 3…

“Israeli defense industries have always had a market in Europe, but since the Russia-Ukraine war started, …there is that deep understanding among central, eastern and northern European countries that the threat is real, and that big wars are not over… As the threat grows… the demand for advanced and proven systems like Arrow 3 is growing as well… the Russian invasion of Ukraine served as a wake-up call for many European countries regarding… the lack of capabilities to cope with the Russian attack on their territory… the United States… is probably not enthusiastic about watching Germany’s accelerated military build-up plans over the past year…”

And so, Europe will develop a powerful Army.

Germany Warns Serbia

Insider Paper wrote on November 1:

“Germany has cautioned Serbia against cultivating deeper ties with Russia, warning that it could thwart its bid to join the European Union, a German government source said on Tuesday. Two days ahead of a Western Balkans summit in the German capital intended to bolster relations with the six countries of the region, the senior official said Belgrade needed to decide whose side it was on: Moscow’s or the EU’s… ‘Should he choose the other path, it will have ensuing consequences’ for Belgrade’s future with the EU, the official said.

“Serbia has been a candidate to join the European Union since 2012 but its prospects are seen as bleak without a normalisation of relations with Kosovo… Tensions have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, with many Serbs sympathetic to traditional ally Russia…

“Thursday’s summit in Berlin hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will bring together the heads of government of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia as well as EU leaders.”

It will be interesting to see in whose corner Serbia will end up. Serbia’s interest in Russia is well-known.

Too Much Money for Ukraine?

The Week wrote on October 18:

“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has suggested the days of Ukraine aid could come to an end should Republicans regain the lower chamber in the upcoming midterm elections… ‘I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a [free] blank check to Ukraine. They just won’t do it…’ McCarthy recently [said]. ‘And then there’s the things [the Biden administration] is not doing domestically…’

“So far, the U.S. has approved over $60 billion in support for Ukraine… with more than $18.2 billion in security assistance given since January 2021… Other Republicans, including those running for office in November have criticized the amount of money the U.S. has contributed to the war.”

Der Spiegel wrote on October 26 that not only Republicans, but also Democrats are becoming critical of Joe Biden’s actions towards and military support for Ukraine.

Russia Suspends Black Sea Grain Export Deal

Thomson/Reuters wrote on October 29:

“Russia’s suspension of a Black Sea grain export deal requires a strong international response from the United Nations and the Group of 20 major economies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday. In a video address, he accused Russia of trying to create an artificial famine in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

“U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the move as ‘purely outrageous’ and said it would increase starvation.

“Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean peninsula with 16 drones early on Saturday, and that British navy ‘specialists’ had helped coordinate the ‘terrorist’ attack.

“The suspension will cut Ukrainian grain exports from its crucial Black Sea ports… The deal allows shipments of grain from Ukraine, one of the world’s largest exporters, that the Russian invasion had halted.”

In the meantime, Russia has allegedly agreed to resume the Black Sea grain export deal.

Reuters reported on November 2:

“Russia said on Wednesday it would resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from war-torn Ukraine, reversing a move that world leaders had said threatened to exacerbate global hunger. Moscow announced the sudden reversal after Turkey and the United Nations helped keep Ukrainian grain flowing for several days without Russian participation in inspections.

“The Russian defence ministry justified the change by saying it had received guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia...”

Russia has also claimed now that British navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines on September 26. Britain strongly denied this claim. Previously, Russia had said “Washington had a motive as it wants to sell more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe” (Thomson/Reuters, October 29).

All Guilty of War Crimes

MSN wrote on October 30:

“Russian bombs and artillery have killed thousands of civilians while destroying Ukrainian schools, hospitals and apartment buildings.

“As of this week, the UN has tallied 15,908 civilian casualties, including 6,306 killed. Those numbers, which include hundreds of children, are likely low. Russia’s strike this summer on a crowded shopping mall drew the condemnation of leaders of the G7: ‘Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime,’ said the elected leaders of the largest Western democracies. ‘Russian President Putin and those responsible will be held to account.’

“But that statement, endorsed of course by President Biden, glosses over America’s own complicated legacy of bombing civilians in World War II. Throughout that war, civilians worldwide sadly bore a heavy burden. The Japanese pulverized China’s wartime capital of Chongqing, while the Germans hammered British cities in the Blitz. The British subsequently retaliated, burning Hamburg, Berlin and, of course, Dresden, a city whose name has become synonymous with the horror of air warfare…

“As head of the 21st Bomber Command on Guam, LeMay chose to abandon America’s longtime strategy of daylight high-altitude precision attacks in favor of burning Japanese cities in low-level nighttime raids. For his inaugural strike on the night of March 9, 1945, he set his sights on Tokyo. LeMay’s 12-square-mile target area, which was 87.4 percent residential, had an average population density of 103,000 people per square mile, meaning the bombs fell largely on the kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms of the Japanese capital’s working-class civilians…

“At 12:07 a.m., his first bomber unloaded on the Japanese capital. For the next 142 minutes, nearly 300 planes dropped 1,665 tons of incendiaries. These napalm-filled explosives were designed to punch through the metal and tile roofs of shops and homes, spraying flaming jellied gasoline on walls, furniture and bedding. Hundreds of blazes soon erupted, ultimately melding into a massive tidal wave of fire that rolled across the city. Temperatures amid the conflagration soared as high as 2,800°F., hot enough to melt concrete, liquefy asphalt and fuse coins together. ‘The town was a blazing hell,’ recalled survivor Sumi Ogawa, ‘lit by the swirling and roiling flames.’…

“The sun rose the next morning to reveal an apocalyptic wasteland. The attack incinerated 16 square miles of Tokyo and killed 105,000 men, women and children. Another 40,000 people suffered injuries and a million were left homeless…

“Back in Washington, officials monitored the nation’s editorial pages and radio broadcasts for evidence that the killing of civilians might spark outrage among the American public. Those fears, however, proved unfounded…

“The lack of any public outcry served as a green light for LeMay, who over the next five months proceeded to burn dozens of Japanese cities… America, in short, was waging war against Japan’s civilians… In the 177 days from his strike on Tokyo until the Japanese surrender on board the USS Missouri, LeMay torched 66 Japanese cities, leveling 178 square miles. Of all those operations, LeMay’s raid on Tokyo proved one of the deadliest, rivaled only by the fatalities caused by the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of the war.

“All told, America’s bombing campaign against the Japanese homeland killed 330,000 people, injured nearly a half million more, and left 8.5 million homeless. ‘Curtis LeMay,’ observed his biographer Warren Kozak, ‘ordered the deaths of more civilians than any other man in U.S. history. No one else comes close, not William Tecumseh Sherman, not George S. Patton — no one.’

“It is important, as we grieve the awful war crimes Russia is committing in Ukraine, that we as Americans remember our own tragic history of attacks on civilians nearly eight decades ago in our quest for total victory.”

No nation has a corner on the market when it comes to terrible war crimes and the killing of innocent civilians.

Germany Warns of Rough Years Ahead

Reuters wrote on October 28:

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has plunged Europe into an era of insecurity, Germany said on Friday a day after Vladimir Putin predicted a ‘dangerous’ decade ahead. German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the 24 February invasion had ended ‘old dreams’ of a united continent.

“‘It has plunged us into another time, into an insecurity we thought we had overcome: a time marked by war, violence and flight, by concerns about the expansion of war into a wildfire in Europe,’ said the president, who is from a wing of Germany’s Social Democrats that long argued for closer economic ties to Moscow. ‘Harder years, rough years are coming.’

“Germany, which has joined European sanctions against Russia and weapons deliveries to Ukraine, has recorded the arrival of more than a million Ukrainian refugees and warned of possible energy shortages this winter after cuts in Russian gas supplies.

“Mr Putin… accused Western leaders of inciting the war in Ukraine, which he says was justified by Kyiv’s expressed wish to join Nato. Western dominance over world affairs was coming to an end and ‘ahead is probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important decade since the end of the Second World War,’ Putin said.”

Unfortunately, Germans don’t listen anymore to Steinmeier, also because of his support of Russia and Germany’s dependence on Russian gas, as Bild Online commented on October 3:

“What a pity that the current Federal President can no longer shake anyone up, that his words simply fade away. But it is not surprising: Frank-Walter Steinmeier has lost all credibility. Hardly any other German politician has been on the wrong side of history as often as our head of state…

“A strong Federal President would never be more important than now, in times of war, energy crisis and inflation. A President who holds the country together. Unfortunately, the wrong person is sitting in Bellevue Palace.”

Wake Up, Chancellor Scholz

Focus wrote on October 30:

“‘Has Germany learned from its Russia problem? The test could come in China,’ writes the ‘New York Times’ on Sunday. The Danish newspaper Politiken has a headline: ‘Wake up Chancellor’. Who is meant is Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ‘geopolitical blindness,’ the newspaper judges. Shortly after the controversial deal for the Chinese state shipping company Cosco to enter the port of Hamburg, Scholz is preparing for his first visit to China.

“… SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and leading representatives of German business have warned against excessive Chinese influence. The pressure on the Chancellor is great these days.”

German Health Minister’s Lack of Credibility

 “Health Minister Lauterbach (59, SPD) wants to legalize cannabis, although the consumption of this drug can lead to significant health damage. This is based on the view that people act on their own responsibility, i.e. they should decide for themselves what danger they want to expose themselves to. The state should no longer make this decision for them through a ban.

“That is understandable. Why shouldn’t an informed citizen be able to decide for himself whether to consume cannabis? However, this argument contradicts everything Lauterbach thought was right in the case of Corona. No state coercive measure, no restriction of personal freedom was hard enough for him to avert damage to the health of the population. He propagated the lockdown, compulsory vaccinations, compulsory home office, bans on contact, the closure of schools, the complete standstill of cultural life, allegedly everything to protect health.

“Through this radical policy, he even made a career from a simple MP to a minister. So now the opposite…

“Lauterbach… still advocates vaccinating even young children. Children and young people were never particularly at risk from Covid-19…

“This health minister has got himself caught up in an irresolvable contradiction. Against the background of the Corona policy he is pushing, his cannabis approval just seems bigoted.”

The CDC Strikes Again

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on October 21:

“On Oct. 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handed another huge gift to Big Pharma: In a little-publicized meeting, the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend adding the Covid vaccine to the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. This makes the Covid vaccine market vast and indefinite—exposing children to unnecessary risks while shielding drug companies from liability.

“Throughout the pandemic, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration rubber-stamped every iteration of the vaccines that came through the door. So this final outcome is hardly surprising. And yet it still has the power to shock. It never should have come to this. Despite all the ‘sciencing’ that led us here, it is a completely perverse outcome. The Covid bonfire is down to its last fading embers—and now the CDC effectively decrees that every child forever should receive this novel, barely tested, potentially dangerous injection.

“The potential profits flowing from this approval are enormous. The Covid injections were all approved under emergency laws that effectively shielded the corporate developers from any liability. This temporary shield would expire in October 2024. When the CDC officially adds the shots to the childhood immunization schedule, all future liability transfers to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, or VICP. The shield extends to adult shots, as well; once the product is covered under VICP, manufacturers become immune against all consumer legal challenges, shifting damages claims to US taxpayers. Having already received FDA approval as ‘safe and effective,’ and with no concern for liability, the manufacturers are free to churn out mRNA injections as they will. Shots and boosters from birth until death, multiplied by every citizen in the nation. Childhood Covid vaccination is the 2021 windfall compounded into eternity.

“Children are at minuscule risk from the novel coronavirus and transmit it at lower rates than adults. That much we have known since the early days of the pandemic. Public-health authorities also acknowledge that the Pfizer/Moderna products don’t prevent infection or transmission of the virus, that the mRNA formulation doesn’t grant any lasting immunity, that the benefit of the shot against severe disease is only evident for older patients, and that there are risks of significant adverse events, including heart inflammation, neurological impairment, autoimmune disease, and death. There is no reason to inject children with this novel therapeutic.

“Parents have spoken with their feet; the uptake of these injections for children under 11 has been well below what officials were hoping. Despite a massive publicity campaign that likened vaccination to a ‘super-power’ and recruited Sesame Street characters to the cause, by September, only 6 percent of children under 5 had received even a single dose, and fewer than 2 percent were ‘fully vaccinated.’ Dr. Peter Hotez, CNN’s go-to vaccine advocate, thinks the reason is a failure to scare parents enough… maybe parents can see what is hiding in plain sight: Kids don’t need this shot, and the risk of harm is real.”

Let those who have ears to hear listen…

Crazy Scientific “Experiments” in England and the USA

Daily Mail wrote on October 31:

“British scientists intentionally created hybrid Covid strains in risky experiments judged to be like ‘playing with fire’, MailOnline can reveal.

“Hamsters were infected with mutant viruses, blends of the original Wuhan strain and parts of either Omicron or Delta. Critics of the research, carried out by Imperial College London, called it ‘insanity’ and warned the lab trials could, in theory, unleash a new viral threat. Twenty scientists were involved in the project, including one who sits on the Government’s advisory panel SAGE…

“Our revelation comes amid ongoing furore over similar experiments in the US, where authorities have proposed a crackdown on virus manipulation research. Earlier this month, DailyMail.com, MailOnline’s US equivalent, revealed academics at Boston University combined different parts of the Omicron and the original Wuhan Covid strains.

“Critics say this combined the higher lethality of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 version, which triggered the pandemic in early 2020, with the extreme transmissibility of the milder Omicron strain. Omicron is said to be just contagious as measles, although the claim is disputed. The hybrid virus they created killed 80 per cent of infected mice…

“A leak of such an engineered virus from the Wuhan Institute of Virology is one of the main theorised origins of the pandemic. The infamous lab carried out similar research involving coronaviruses found in bats, with some arguing this work constituted gain of function experiments, though others refute this. But others argued the Boston University research was unquestionably gain of function as it had the potential of increasing its transmissibility — even if the end result appeared to be the opposite.”

What are these crazy scientists up to? Do they want to eradicate most of mankind?

Fentanyl—a Weapon of Mass Destruction

National Interest wrote on October 27:

“Since 9/11, enterprises in China and cartels in Mexico have produced and exported thousands of pounds of a lethal chemical that has killed over 100,000 Americans. Despite this deadly assault on America, there has been no decisive whole-of-government reaction by the United States to solve this problem. In fact, there has been almost no coordinated reaction at all.

‘That lethal chemical is fentanyl, and it is high time for the Biden administration to declare it a weapon of mass destruction (WMD), treat the Mexican cartels that push it into the United States as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), identify Communist China as the source of the problem and make it pay for it, and bring order to our southern border, the main gateway for this deadly drug.

“The numbers are staggering. Fentanyl can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine, and as little as two milligrams can be fatal. Federal data indicates that of the almost 1 million drug overdose fatalities since 1999, most of which were from fentanyl. And the loss of life is growing rapidly: Fentanyl overdoses caused 57,832 deaths in 2020 and 71,238 in 2021, a 23 percent increase. Fentanyl overdoses are the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. In 2021, fentanyl killed almost twice as many Americans in this age group than the second-place killer, motor vehicle accidents.

“Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl and noted that this quantity could kill every American citizen seven times over.”

America is being destroyed from the outside and is destroying itself from the inside.

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.