DEATH OF THE QUEEN

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8^th.

If you have been watching the commentary at various times during the week, you will have noticed how religious it’s all been.  The British people are not very religious, but the Queen was.   Churches have been full.

There was some speculation about the double rainbow that appeared in the sky soon after her death.

The celebrations were the last hurrah for the country, faced with serious economic problems predicted for the next 12 months.

One scripture that comes to mind in thinking of the life of this exceptionally popular monarch is Matthew 23:11 “The greatest among you shall be your servant.” She was an exceptional head of state to all fifteen of her territories and a dedicated servant to the 56 nations of the Commonwealth.

Hopefully, the emphasis on service and duty will be followed by her successor.   It has not always been the case.

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Germany’s Scholz Invited UK’s Truss to Berlin – German Spokesperson
BERLIN (Reuters / USNews.com, 7 Sep 2022)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss by phone on Wednesday and invited her to visit Berlin soon, a German government spokesperson said. “They exchanged views on current topics. The Chancellor has invited his British counterpart to Berlin for an inaugural visit soon,” said the spokesperson in a statement, adding Scholz also conveyed his congratulations to Truss on taking office.  There were no further details.  (https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-09-07/germanys-scholz-invited-uks-truss-to-berlin-german-spokesperson)

Germany must accept leading military role, says defense minister German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has said Germany must take on a leadership role militarily, whether it wants to or not.  “Germany does not have to be afraid” of doing so, she said. (12 Sept 2022, Deutsche Welle)

“Germany’s size, its geographical situation, its economic power — in short, its clout — makes us a leading power whether or not we want to be one. Militarily as well,” she said in a keynote security address in Berlin.  Her remarks come as Europe is struggling to come to terms with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Germany rethinking its defense strategy after decades of major dependence on Washington for its security. “The war in Ukraine has shown everyone, even us Germans who are used to peace, that states need armed forces as a last resort — that is, whenever an enemy is determined to use invasion, destruction, murder and forced displacement” as means to serve its interests, she said.  . . . Lambrecht confirmed that Europe’s security was still guaranteed by its most important ally, the US.  “But this ally has been forced to shift its main focus of attention to security in the Pacific region,” she said.  This meant that Europe, and above all Germany, had to play a more important role . . . 

“Germany is ready to take the burden off America in Europe and thus make a decisive contribution to sharing the load fairly,” Lambrecht said.
(https://www.dw.com/en/germany-must-accept-leading-military-role-says-defense-minister/a-63089386)

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EU TRADE WAR

The EU may be at the threshold of its next trade war, according to remarks pertaining to today’s appointment of Liz Truss as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It is caused by the dispute between Brussels and London over the Northern Ireland protocol, which, becoming effective in the aftermath of Brexit, imposes the establishment of a customs border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, obligating London to comply with single market regulations in Northern Ireland. Given the fact that, until now, the EU has only been willing to allow minor corrections to the protocol, even though it is provoking serious tensions in Northern Ireland, the British government is preparing to institute changes unilaterally. It has been reported that Truss could suspend parts of the protocol soon after taking office. Such a move could provoke a “trade war” between the EU and Great Britain, Katarina Barley (SPD), Vice President of the EU Parliament, was quoted to have said. The damage that would ensue from that trade war, would add to the severe damage inflicted on the economies of Germany and the EU from their sanctions on Russia. In addition, because of the power struggle with Beijing, there is also a danger of a slump in business with China.   (German Foreign Policy, 9/7/2022)

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US AIR STRIKES ON SYRIA

US forces carried out airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday, targeting groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The airstrikes took place in the Euphrates River Valley, in the administrative region of Deir ez-Zor.

Washington said the strike was intended to defend US forces from recent attacks. A statement by US Central Command cited an August 15 attack on American forces as an example.

The airstrike is important because the US has rarely retaliated for dozens of attacks carried out by the IRGC and its proxies against its forces over the past several years. These attacks increased in 2019 and have resulted in harm to US personnel in Iraq. Under the Trump administration, the rising tensions led to America killing IRGC Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.  (Seth Frantzman, MEF, 8/24/2022)

GENOCIDE IN NIGERIA

• The Christians of Nigeria are, in fact, being purged in a genocide, according to several NGOs Every two hours, one Christian there is killed.
• “Heavily armed bandits, many of whom are said to be ethnic Fulanis, are waging their own form of Jihad; killing, abducting and terrorizing worship centers and educational institutions owned by churches as well as impoverished communities in the North and Middle Belt regions.” — (Vanguardngr.com. June 19, 2022, Nigeria)
• The Biden administration’s response to the jihadist onslaught against Christians in Nigeria . . . has been to remove Nigeria from the State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern: nations that engage in, or tolerate, violations of religious freedom.
• “The landlocked Sahel state [Burkina Faso], one of the world’s poorest countries, is in the grip of a nearly seven-year-old jihadist insurgency. Thousands of people have died and nearly two million have been driven from their homes.” — Guardian.ng, June 28, 2022, Burkina Faso.  (“Where is the Media?”, Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone, 8/14/2022)

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AMERICA IGNORING PROBLEMS – Too many Americans are blithely dismissing threats that could prove cataclysmic.  by Mitt Romney a Republican senator from Utah.
Illustration by Paul Spella, The Atlantic, July 4, 2022

Even as we watch the reservoirs and lakes of the West go dry, we keep watering our lawns, soaking our golf courses, and growing water-thirsty crops.

As inflation mounts and the national debt balloons, progressive politicians vote for ever more spending.  As the ice caps melt and record temperatures make the evening news, we figure that buying a Prius and recycling the boxes from our daily Amazon deliveries will suffice.  When TV news outlets broadcast video after video of people illegally crossing the nation’s southern border, many of us change the channel.

And when a renowned conservative former federal appellate judge testifies that we are already in a war for our democracy and that January 6, 2021, was a genuine constitutional crisis, MAGA loyalists snicker that he speaks slowly and celebrate that most people weren’t watching.

What accounts for the blithe dismissal of potentially cataclysmic threats? The left thinks the right is at fault for ignoring climate change and the attacks on our political system. The right thinks the left is the problem for ignoring illegal immigration and the national debt. But wishful thinking happens across the political spectrum. More and more, we are a nation in denial.  (Mitt Romney, The Atlantic, 8/15/2022)

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CHINA TO OVERTAKE US

• The [Harvard Belfer Center] report, “The Great Economic Rivalry: China Vs. the US,” predicts that at the current rate China will overtake the US economically within a decade.
• When it comes to trade, China has now displaced the US. “When this century began, China was knocking on the door of the WTO and the U.S. was the leading trading partner of most major economies. Today, China has overtaken the U.S. to become the largest trading partner for nearly every major nation . . . by 2018, 130 countries traded more with China than they did with the U.S . . .” — The Belfer Report.  (Gatestone, 8/17/2022)

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CHINA USING CHINESE IN US

Can Americans of Chinese descent be loyal to both America and China?

No. China’s Communist Party has made itself an existential threat to America and every other society. . .  The promotion of tianxia [ruling “All under Heaven”] means, among other things, that the Party views the U.S. government as illegitimate and America as nothing more than a tributary society or colony.

Although we [“Chinese-Americans”] technically do not have an obligation to prove our loyalty to America, we must, as a group, understand that a hostile power is trying to weaponize us. Xi Jinping has openly called on us to become a subversive force, to help him destroy the country we now call home.  (Gatestone, 8/23/2022)

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TO THE POINT

• Germany’s defence minister said the country must assume a leading military role in Europe. Speaking to the German Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin’s defence minister said the US would remain Europe’s main protector and there could be “no substitute for the American nuclear deterrent for the foreseeable future” but tensions between the US and China over Taiwan and Washington’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region meant “we are called on to do more than before for Europe,” adding: “Germany is prepared to make a decisive contribution to fair burden-sharing.”  (The Week, 9/13/2022)

• Aldi has surpassed Morrisons to become Britain’s fourth largest supermarket chain. The discount grocer enjoyed an 18.7% jump in sales in the 12 weeks to September 4 that boosted its share of the overall grocery market to 9.3%, according to figures released by Kantar. Lidl also experienced a surge in sales, which were up 20.9%. “Rampant inflation is prompting consumers to tighten their belts,” said The Times, and they are increasingly “turning to discounters amid soaring food prices.” (The Week, 9/14/2022) Both Aldi and Lidl are German owned.

• “Germany’s size, its geographical situation, its economic power — in short, its clout — makes us a leading power,” declared German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht. As Lambrecht affirmed yesterday in a speech to the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Germany is “a leading power … also in the military sphere.”  In the future, the Bundeswehr must play “a more important role in our political thinking and action.” In her speech Lambrecht focused on the new National Security Strategy that the government plans to adopt still this year. The strategy, being drafted under the auspices of the foreign ministry, reflects on a national level the EU’s “Strategic Compass” – a sort of military doctrine – and NATO’s new Strategic Concept. Since the Strategy’s implementation will entail considerable costs, it is necessary to win broad public acceptance – for example by introducing a “National Security Day.” The ambitious plans are in stark contrast to the failure of German military missions over the past few years.   (German Foreign Policy, 9/14/2022)

A HOUSE DIVIDED

Democrat women leaders publicly legitimizing riots and unrest.

A famous travel writer once wrote that “if you live long enough in Canada, you eventually die of boredom.”    No such fate can befall anybody who lives south of the border.

In 400 years since Jamestown, the US has had three civil wars and may be on the verge of a fourth.   (The Revolutionary War, the War between the States and the Indian Wars were all civil wars.)   Meanwhile, Canada, with basically the same ethnic mix, avoided all three.   A Canadian friend of mine called a few days ago and told me that many Canadians think we’re about to have another civil war!   Many Americans say the same. This is serious. Mark 3:25 says: that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

We have to ask ourselves why.

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“An impeachment trial of Donald Trump isn’t about removing him from the presidency – his term ends Wednesday, either way.

“It’s about preventing him from seeking the presidency again in 2024.

“Several senators, including Republicans, have noted that if they vote to convict Trump of inciting the Jan 6^th attack on Congress, they could then vote to bar him from future public office, effectively nixing another presidential campaign.”  (Lansing State Journal, 1/17/2021).

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MIDDLE EAST

IRAN WANTS SWEETER DEAL

Iran… rejoined the global financial system with full legitimacy — plus billions of dollars flowing into the treasury of the IRGC and its expanding militias across the Middle East. You would think, then, that the regime would be delighted to return to the same nuclear deal, right? Wrong. The mullahs want an even sweeter deal.

Biden already showed his cards by stating that he wants the deal. The regime now knows that Biden seems desperate for a deal, and doubtless sees this as a delectable weakness.

The ruling mullahs also most likely assume that they can extort even more concessions from a Democrat administration, particularly Biden’s, because they successfully did so in the past….  (Gatestone, 1/19/2021)

While the Western news media has us fretting over Trump supporters, it is ignoring more alarming new stories. One story the mainstream Marxist media has ignored is the discovery of a mass grave in Iraq’s Salahaddin province. The grave reportedly contained hundreds of victims, including women and children. 

Virtually all the victims were “people of color.” None will killed by so-called “White supremacists.” All were massacred by Islamic supremacists.   (Daily Ken, 1/19/2021)

Iraqi Writer Commends President Biden’s Appointment Of Muslims To Key White House Positions  (MEMRI 1/21/2021)

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS MAINLY FROM ISLAM

“More Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country.” — Open Doors, World Watch List.  (Gatestone, 1/17/2021)

The “extreme persecution” that Christians experience in 10 of the absolute 12 worst nations comes from “Islamic oppression” or is occurring in Muslim majority nations. These include:  Afghanistan (#2), Somalia (#3), Libya (#4), Pakistan (#5), Yemen (#7), Iran (#8), Nigeria (#9), Iraq (#11), and Syria (#12).  (Gatestone, 1/17/2021)

On January 13, 2021, the military commander of an Iran-backed Shi’ite militia shared a post on his Telegram channel announcing that “the advisors of the Islamic resistance” are ready to offer counsel and training to what he called “the liberation movements” within the United States.   (MEMRI, 1/17/2021)

Reversing the Muslim travel ban raises the question:  How come no Muslim country allows non-Muslim Americans to immigrate?  Maybe they are convinced the two philosophies can’t mix.   America is for freedom; Islam means submit.  They are clearly not compatible.  So why reverse the Muslim travel ban?

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Biden to end American democracy through alien amnesty

Joe Biden plans to end American democracy through providing amnesty to illegal aliens living in the USA.  Biden’s scheme will likely add 11 million new voters, nearly all of whom will align themselves with the Democratic Party. In so doing, the de facto two-party system that is the bedrock of America’s democracy will be effectively eradicated. 

A massive invasion of non-white “migrants” will likely ensue, permeating most traditionally Republican regions, making the destruction of democracy and republicanism ubiquitous. Virtually every non-white people group disproportionately supports the Democratic Party.  (Daily Ken, 1/21/2021)

US PATHWAY FOR CITIZENSHIP FOR 11 MILLION ILLEGALS

President-elect Joe Biden plans to immediately put forward legislation offering a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants.

Four people who have been briefed on the plan say Biden plans to announce the legislation on his first day in office, according to the Associated Press.

“This really does represent a historic shift from Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda that recognizes that all of the undocumented immigrants that are currently in the United States should be placed on a path to citizenship,” Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said about the plan, which she was briefed on.  (Washington Examiner, 1/18/2021)

CHURCHILL OUT OF FAVOR

Once again, a bust of Winston Churchill has been removed from the Oval Office as a new occupant moves in.   The bust was introduced by President Bush and removed by President Obama before being put back by President Trump.   Whatever they might have against Churchill, you’d think they would appreciate the fact that without his leadership in World War II, we would all be goose-stepping and speaking German!

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NEW EURO ARMY COMING TOGETHER

Less than seven years after British Eurosceptics were laughed at for expressing concerns about a coming European Union army, the bloc has revealed the official uniform of its new ‘standing corps,’ as the first of 10,000 recruits prepare to deploy to the field.

Frontex, the European Union’s combined border force and coastguard, revealed the new uniform in a social media post on Monday, showing off the navy uniform complete with EU-flag identification patches and military side cap. The force said:  “For the first time, the European Union has its own uniformed service – the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps.”  (Breitbart, 1/12/2021)

Germany’s defence minister has confirmed that “a united EU military is becoming a reality,” after her ally and Chancellor Angela Merkel backed Emmanuel Macron’s call for a “real European army.”

“Europe’s army is already taking shape,” Ursula von der Leyen wrote in an opinion piece for Handelsblatt, on Thursday. (Breitbart, 1/12/2021)

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US IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON GERMAN COMPANY

The United States is imposing, for the first time, concrete sanctions on a company, because of its participation in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. In one of its last official acts, the Trump administration announced that it would impose sanctions on the Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna.  Whereas, Moscow has declared that it will nevertheless do everything it can to complete the pipeline that will bring Russian natural gas directly to Germany, more companies from several European countries – including the German company Bilfinger – are abandoning the Nord Stream 2 project due to threats of US sanctions. The pull-out is not without its risks, because the companies are thus demonstrating their vulnerability to blackmail from the United States – a disadvantage, for instance, on the highly attractive Chinese market. Since Russia is vigorously pursuing the expansion of the natural gas pipelines to China, the EU risks losing its privileged purchasing position. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recently warned that there is “no need to talk of European sovereignty” if that means “bending to Washington’s will.”   (German Foreign Policy, 1/20/2021)

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NEO-NAZIS, WHITE SUPREMACISTS WANT WAR

Neo-Nazis And White Supremacists On Social Media In Lead-Up To Inauguration Day: Calls For War, Revolution, Threats To Politicians, Bombmaking Manuals; ‘Bullets Gonna Fly’; ‘The Black Flag Will Fly Above The Dome,’ ‘CIVIL WAR WILL START.’ (MEMRI 1/15/2021)

Founder And Former Leader Of U.S. White Supremacist Organization, Now Living In Russia, In Russian TV Interview:  I Established My Organization To Create A Network Of Support During A Civil Unrest Crisis; Hitler Was The Result Of Past Circumstances And Has Nothing To Do With Us; I Feel Like A Political Dissident; We Use Social Media To Recruit (MEMRI 1/8/2021)

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TO THE POINT

• Amazon workers have seen their pay increase by $.099-an-hour during the pandemic, while Bezos’s hourly pay increased by $11.7m.  (The Guardian, 1/15/2021)

• Armed insurrection:  Congress votes to overturn the next election (Washington Times headline, 1/15/2021)

• “There is no randomized evidence to show that mask mandates would work to slow the spread of the disease.   In fact, for influenza, the randomized studies that have been done suggest that they don’t work to slow the spread of the disease.”   (Epoch Times, 12/16/2021).

• Every evening, Governor Andrew Cuomo sends out an e-mail blast blaming the vaccine chaos in New York on inadequate supply from the federal government. It is a lie. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show New York is delivering only 37% of its vaccine supply they already have into people’s arms.  (Gatestone, 1/18/2021)

• Vaccines could see Covid spike — Government scientists have warned that people could become less aware of sticking to Covid-19 rules as more of the population is vaccinated, leading to spike in cases that outweighs the gains being made by the jab rollout. Minutes from a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) meeting say “there is a risk that changes in behaviour could offset the benefits of vaccination, particularly in the early months of vaccine rollout.”  (The Week, 1/19/2021)

• Biden to keep UK travel ban — Joe Biden’s spokesperson has said the US will maintain travel bans on the UK, much of the EU and Brazil despite an order from outgoing President Donald Trump to lift them.  Although the White House said yesterday that the ban on entry would end on 26 January, six days after Biden takes office, Jen Psaki said on Twitter that “with the pandemic worsening… this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel.”  (The Week, 1/19/2021)

• Johnson ‘glad Trump is going’ — The former head of the civil service says Boris Johnson will be glad Donald Trump has not been re-elected for a second term as US president.  Lord Sedwill said those who believed Johnson would have preferred Trump to win again were “mistaken.”  In 2015, while serving as mayor of London, Johnson accused Trump of “stupefying ignorance” over his comments about violence in the city. However, the pair became unlikely allies during Trump’s term in the White House.  (The Week, 1/19/2021)

• COVID IN UK:  One in four young people say they are unable to cope with life, according to polling conducted for The Prince’s Trust.  Half of 16- to 25-year-olds said their mental health has got worse during the pandemic.    (The Spectator, 1/1/2021)

• Biden reverses Trump policies — Joe Biden has kicked off his presidency by signing a raft of executive orders, undoing many of Donald Trump’s key policies. Biden signed 15 orders, firstly to boost the federal response to the coronavirus crisis. Other orders halted the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries, ended funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border and saw the US rejoin the Paris climate agreement. Taking his place behind the Resolute desk, Biden said: “There’s no time to start like today.” (The Week, 1/21/2021)

• UK Shop staff face anger over masks — Supermarket workers are facing “abuse, threats and violence” from customers angry over a new crackdown on face coverings and social distancing rules, the boss of Co-op Food has said. Following a 140% surge in criminal activity at the Co-op over the past year, Jo Whitfield said: “Shop workers… have been spat at and threatened just because they’ve asked customers to respect social distancing.”  (The Week, 1/21/2021)

• China sanctions Trump team — China has announced sanctions on dozens of people close to Trump, including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In a move taken minutes after President Biden was sworn into office on the steps of the Capitol, Beijing ushered in the measures to prevent the individuals and their families from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, or doing any business with China. It comes just a day after the US State Department accused China of committing genocide against its minority Uighur population.   (The Week, 1/21/2021)

• “On inauguration night, Antifa mobs attacked the Democratic Party headquarters in Portland and torched American flags in Seattle, the same kind of left-wing mobs that gave us a long hot summer of rioting, looting and arson… Has Biden ever condemned by name these mobs the way he did the mob that invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6?”  (Pat Buchanan, 1/22/2021)

Kamala harris is not the only one

Kamala Harris is likely to become the first female president of the US.   She will also be the first woman “of color.”   Perhaps more significantly, she will be the first person of Indian descent, her mother’s family having moved here from India two generations ago.

Of equal interest is that the next prime minister of the United Kingdom is expected to be ethnic Indian Rishi Sunak, currently the man in charge of the nation’s finances, the second most important governmental job in the UK.   Another Indian holds the third most important post, Priti Patel, the first female Home Secretary.  Leo Varadkar, the last prime minister of Ireland, was also of Indian descent.  Additionally, the CEOs of numerous multinationals are Indian, including Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Nokia and Pepsi-Cola.

Indians have been amongst the most successful of all immigrant groups, here in the US, in the UK and other countries.  There are currently 2.7 million Indians in the US, making them the second biggest number of immigrants, after Mexicans.   Interestingly, although India does allow people to enter the country on work visas, they cannot become citizens.   “Indian law follows jus sanguinis (citizenship by blood) as opposed to jus soli (citizenship by birth).”  (vakilsearch.com). In other words, you have to be an ethnic Indian to become a citizen.

Our “progressive” immigration policies have brought about these significant changes.   God certainly had a different perspective when He warned us that “aliens” (foreigners with different gods) would take over.   In Deuteronomy 28:43 He said that:  “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.”

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WEST LOSING OUT IN MED

The Western powers, including Germany and the EU, are in danger of losing their pre-eminence in the Mediterranean, Admiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli, former Chief of the Defense Staff of Italy declared. According to Binelli Mantelii, Russia has become “the pre-eminent naval power in the Mediterranean,” and Turkey, in particular, is rapidly gaining influence. Together, Moscow and Ankara are in the process of superseding the “traditional” Western peacekeeping powers. The statement is being published at a time when Turkey has snubbed the navy of a leading EU power, for the second time. During the night from Sunday to Monday, a German boarding team seeking to inspect a Turkish cargo vessel en route to Libya, suspecting a possible breach of the UN arms embargo, had to abandon its inspection due to Ankara’s intervention. Already in June, Turkey had averted a similar French naval operation. Unaccustomed to defiance, the EU finds itself powerless to halt the rise of its Turkish rival.  (German Foreign Policy, 11/24/2020)

The German government is pushing for a quick return to the nuclear deal with Iran once designated US President Joe Biden takes office. Already months ago, Biden had declared his willingness to do so. German companies are hoping for lucrative business opportunities, which would also help them to weather the Corona crisis. However, obstacles persist in Washington, such as the presumed continued Republican majority in the US Senate and a new wave of sanctions initiated by outgoing President Donald Trump. Thus, supplementary, coercive measures, independent of the nuclear deal, would, in fact, be imposed on Iran’s entire oil sector. Biden is raising the demand – supported also by Berlin – that Iran refrain from seeking regional influence and limit its missile program massively. Teheran is unwilling to comply and – given its experience in dealings with the West – prefers a “look east” policy.  (German Foreign Policy, 11/26/2020)

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IRAN’S TOP NUCLEAR SCIENTIST SHOT DEAD NEAR TEHRAN
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, identified by Israel as director of nuclear weapons programme, ambushed in street – The Guardian UK, 27 Nov 2020

An Iranian nuclear scientist described as the guru of Iran’s nuclear programme has been gunned down in the street in a town near Tehran.  Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was ambushed in the town of Absard, 70km east of Tehran. Four assailants opened fire after witnesses heard an explosion. Efforts to resuscitate Fakhrizadeh failed, and his bodyguard was also wounded.  An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that the country would retaliate against the perpetrators. “We will strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr and will make them regret their action,” tweeted Hossein Dehghan, a military commander.  The Iranian ministry of defence confirmed Fakhrizadeh’s death in a statement. “During the clash between his security team and the terrorists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was seriously injured and taken to hospital,” it said. “Unfortunately, the medical team did not succeed in reviving him, and a few minutes ago, this manager and scientist, after years of effort and struggle, achieved a high degree of martyrdom.” Fakhrizadeh, on a US sanctions list, was regarded as the main keeper of Iranian knowledge of its nuclear programme. A brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and a professor of physics at the Guard’s Imam Hussein University, Fakhrizadeh was a man cloaked in mystery.

(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/27/mohsen-fakhrizadeh-iranian-nuclear-scientist-reportedly-shot-dead-near-tehran)

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CHINESE ANTI-AUSSIE PROPAGANDA

On November 18, 2020, the Chinese Embassy in Australia leaked an extraordinarily blunt dossier enumerating 14 grievances that purportedly implicate Australia in “poisoning the atmosphere of bilateral relations.”  In addition to protestations against Australia’s decision to block specific Chinese investment projects and to ban Chinese telecoms from building Australia’s 5G network, the dossier scorned Australia’s current stance on issues relating to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea, deriding it as “incessant wanton interference.”  Shortly after the list became public, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded by reaffirming that “Australia can never compromise on our national interests.”  (MEMRI 11/25/2020)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an apology from the Chinese government on Monday after the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian tweeted a digitally altered image of an Australian soldier cutting the throat of an Afghan child and cited alleged war crimes, highlighting the latest escalation in deteriorating diplomatic ties between both nations.  (Forbes, 11/30/2020)

Chinese International Relations Professor: Australia is a small, boring country whose economy is in Decline; It is inconsequential when they talk about China, 5G. Australian wine becomes latest casualty in China’s trade war against Australia.” (MEMRI, 12/2)

Chinese Sociologist Dr. Li Yi:   We Are Driving America To Its Death; COVID-19 Has Been Beneficial For China, North Korea; There Will Be No U.S.-China War, But We Will Take Over Taiwan (MEMRI,12/1/2020)

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SOLUTION TO DISAPPEARING CASH

With disappearing ATMs:  How some Britons are getting cash by Kevin Peachey, Personal finance correspondent, BBC 24 Nov 2020

Purchase-free cashback at local convenience stores is being touted as one solution to the problem of disappearing access to notes and coins.

Millions of people – including the elderly, those without internet access, and some of the poorest in society – face being left behind in an increasingly cashless UK. The Covid crisis has accelerated the closure of bank branches and ATMs, especially in small, more rural or isolated communities where access to cash is getting harder.

Cashback trials are being run in Britain. One of those areas is Denny, a small town west of Falkirk.  “Denny is a town where we used to have a TSB, a Royal Bank of Scotland, a Bank of Scotland, a Clydesdale Bank. They’ve all shut,” says Imran Hamid, whose family has run a convenience store in the town for 50 years.  His is one of a small group of shops around the country trialling the no-purchase cashback scheme. Residents can come in, put their card in a PayPoint machine and request a balance or cash from Mr. Hamid’s till, without paying any charge.  The advantage to the business is that people coming into the shop to withdraw cash may also “pick up a juice, or a pack of cigarettes.” Mr. Hamid gets a small fee from the banks per withdrawal and it makes cashing up easier at the end of the day.  “We’ve also got people who are on benefits here. They want access to their cash. That’s another good thing about this – they can withdraw anything from a penny to £100.(https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55027393)

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“Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become . . . habits.  Watch your habits for they will forge your character.  Watch your character, for it will make your destiny.” – Margaret Thatcher

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POINTERS

• The 120,000 votes that mysteriously turned up – ALL for Biden. The chances of this are 1 in 2 to the power of 120,000. This is like tossing a coin 120,000 times and expecting heads each time. Only going to happen with a loaded coin. The number is the equivalent of 10 to the power of 36,000 . . .   (Politico, 11/23/2020)
• King of Spain in quarantine after Covid-19 contact
  Spain’s King Felipe VI has entered 10 days of quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19. The monarch’s wife and the couple’s two daughters are expected to continue their activities as normal.  Spain has been hard hit by the pandemic, recording nearly 1.6 million Covid-19 cases and 43,131 deaths.  (The Week, 11/24/2020)
• Joe Biden names John Kerry as his climate envoy
  John Kerry will act as climate envoy when US president-elect Joe Biden takes office. The former secretary of state joins long-term Biden aide Antony Blinken, who will be the new secretary of state, and former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen, who is expected to be chosen as treasury secretary. Biden said: “I need a team ready on day one to help me reclaim America’s seat at the head of the table.”  (The Week, 11/24/2020)
• Domestic violence victims told to take civil action in UK
  Victims of domestic abuse have been encouraged by the police to take civil action, rather than pursuing a criminal prosecution, because the system is clogged up, a new report claims. Victim Support’s study found that some victims had tried to kill themselves because of court delays, adding: “Many victims with delayed cases have already waited a long time for the court date, which has been cancelled.”   (The Week, 11/24/2020)
• UK Cabinet plans for risk of ‘systemic economic crisis’
  The UK faces an increased likelihood of “systemic economic crisis” this winter as Brexit coincides with the second wave of Covid-19, according to a secret briefing paper prepared for the cabinet. In a reasonable worse-case scenario, it says, we could see “a combination of severe flooding, pandemic influenza, a novel emerging infectious disease and coordinated industrial action, against a backdrop of the end of the transition period.” A Brexit agreement would neutralise “much of the calamitous economic fallout,” says the Daily Mail.  (The Week, 11/25/2020)
• Brutal attack leaves 110 civilians dead in Nigeria
  The UN says at least 110 civilians have been killed and many others wounded in an attack on farmers in northeast Nigeria. Armed men on motorcycles led a brutal attack on farmers harvesting rice in Koshobe, Borno state. Nobody has taken responsibility for the killings but the Islamist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa are both active in the region.  (The Week, 11/30/2020)
• Labour asks regulator to investigate Sunak shares
  The ethics watchdog has been asked to assess whether Rishi Sunak broke the ministerial code by not declaring in the register of ministerial interests a multimillion-pound portfolio of shares held by his wife and her family. Labour has written to the chair of the committee on standards in public life, to ask him to look into the “serious questions” they say the report raises “as a matter of urgency.”  (The Week, 11/30/2020)
• Murdoch gets go-ahead for new TV channel in UK
  Rupert Murdoch has got the green light from media regulator Ofcom for his television news channel. News UK TV is locked in a battle with the rival Andrew Neil-backed channel GB News to be first on air. Both outlets believe there is a gap in the market for a right-leaning television news channel.  (The Week, 12/2/2020)
• METRO headline:   “Biggest UK slump in 300 years,” since “The Great Frost of 1709.”  (11/26/2020)
• It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot