Thursday, June 30, 2022
Pope: Christian reconciliation a way toward peace amid 'senseless' war
Pope with delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Vatican Media)
Meeting with a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Pope Francis thanks God for ecumenical progress over the years, and stresses the need to reconcile with separated Christians, especially as the world faces a "cruel and senseless war."
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Amid "a cruel and senseless war of aggression in which many, many Christians are fighting one another," Pope Francis says "reconciliation among separated Christians as a means of contributing to peace between peoples in conflict" is very timely.
The Holy Father made that point on Thursday when meeting with a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Vatican, the day after the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
Following a long-standing tradition, the delegation is in Rome this week to help build unity between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
The visit comes as part of the “traditional exchange of delegations for the respective feasts of the Patron Saints: 29 June in Rome for the celebration of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and 30 November in Istanbul for the celebration of St. Andrew the Apostle."
The Pope welcomed them this morning, saying he was grateful for their visit, and asked them to convey his greetings to his "dear brother" Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and to the Holy Synod.
Recalling their presence at Wednesday's Eucharistic liturgy, the Pope told them their presence "was a source of great joy" for him and for all present, saying it visibly manifests "the closeness and fraternal charity of the Church of Constantinople towards the Church of Rome."
Commitment to advancement toward full communion
The Holy Father noted that the traditional exchange of delegations between the two Churches for the celebration of their respective patronal feasts "is a tangible sign that the days of distance and indifference, when our divisions were considered irreparable, is long past."
“Today, thank God, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our Churches are engaged in a fraternal and fruitful dialogue and are committed in a convinced and irreversible way to advancing towards the restoration of full communion.”
Reflecting on those who initiated this process, the Pope recalled "the unforgettable Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras," as the 50th anniversary of his death approaches, "a wise and courageous pastor who continues to be a source of inspiration for me and for many others."
"It was he, who spoke of 'Sister Churches, Brother Peoples,'” the Pope said.
Sister Churches, Brother Peoples
The Holy Father highlighted the need for Christians to reconcile amid the torment of war.
“Reconciliation among separated Christians, as a means of contributing to peace between peoples in conflict, is a most timely consideration these days, as our world is disrupted by a cruel and senseless war of aggression in which many, many Christians are fighting one another.”
Before "the scandal of war," the Pope said, our concern must not be for talking and discussing, but for weeping, for helping others and for experiencing conversion ourselves.
"We need to weep for the victims and the overwhelming bloodshed, the deaths of so many innocent people, the trauma inflicted on families, cities and an entire people."
"How much suffering," he decried, "has been endured by those who have lost their loved ones and been forced to abandon their homes and their own country!"
He said we need to help "our brothers and sisters" and "exercise that charity which, as Christians, we are obliged to show towards Jesus, present in the displaced, the poor and the wounded."
Jesus and armed conquest have nothing to do with Lord's Kingdom
“But we also need to experience conversion, and to recognize that armed conquest, expansionism and imperialism have nothing to do with the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.”
He stressed these tendencies have "nothing to do with the Risen Lord, Who in Gethsemane told His disciples to reject violence, to put the sword back in its place, since those who live by the sword will die by the sword, and Who, cutting short every objection, simply said: 'Enough!'"
Seeking Christian unity, the Pope said, "is not merely a question internal to the Churches," but rather an essential condition for the realization of an authentic universal fraternity, manifested in justice and solidarity towards all."
"It calls for serious reflection on the part of us Christians," he said.
Starting anew in Christ
Pope Francis called on those with him to reflect on several questions.
"What kind of world do we want to emerge in the wake of this terrible outbreak of hostilities and conflict? And what contribution are we prepared to make even now towards a more fraternal humanity?"
As believers, he said, "we must necessarily find the answers to these questions in the Gospel: in Jesus, who calls us to be merciful and never violent, to be perfect as the Father is perfect, and not be conformed to the world."
Pope Francis encouraged, "Let us help one another, dear brothers, not to yield to the temptation to muffle the explosive newness of the Gospel with the seductions of this world." And not to turn the Father of all, 'who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous', into the god of our own ideas and our own nations."
"Christ is our peace," the Pope said, noting that by "His Incarnation, Death and Resurrection for all; He has torn down the walls of enmity and division between people." He said let us start anew from Him.
Sign of Hope
The Pope observed as a sign of hope in the journey towards the restoration of full communion, the meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church, which, after an interruption of two years due to the pandemic, took place in May.
"It is my hope that the theological dialogue will progress by promoting a new mentality that, conscious of th Let us pray for one another, work with one another and support one another by looking to Jesus and his Gospel."
Pope Francis concluded by praying, "May the holy brothers Peter and Andrew intercede for us and obtain the blessing of God, the Good Father, upon our journey together and upon the entire world."
Pelosi Received Communion at Vatican After Meeting With Pope
The sacrament has become a political issue, with conservative American bishops like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s own priest, who has said he will deny her the sacrament until she stops publicly supporting abortion rights.
Pope Francis greeting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, before celebrating a Mass on Wednesday at the Vatican.Credit...Vatican Media, via Associated Press
By Jason Horowitz
June 29, 2022
ROME — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an avid defender of abortion rights, met privately with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received communion from a priest during a papal Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, according to an attendee.
Ms. Pelosi, who has denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to strip constitutional protections for abortion as “outrageous and heart-wrenching,” sat in a V.I.P. diplomatic section of the basilica and received a blessing from Francis in private before the morning Mass celebrating the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul. She later lined up to receive communion from a priest with the rest of the congregants.
The Vatican did not return a request for confirmation about the meeting, but released a photo of Ms. Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, greeting Francis on the side of the basilica.
Pope Francis has consistently called abortion evil and murderous, and upheld the church’s absolute opposition to it, and during the Mass on Wednesday, he said church leaders must “continue to care for human life.” But Francis has also vigorously opposed the politicization of church sacraments, and told newly consecrated archbishops upon whom he bestowed the woolen pallium stole on Wednesday to be inclusive and to not “remain pinned to some of our fruitless debates.”
He added, “So many times we become a church with open doors, but only to send people away, to condemn them.”
Earlier in the day, Francis issued a new apostolic letter about church liturgy, in which he emphasized that celebrating Mass belongs to “the totality of the faithful united in Christ.”
“The liturgy does not say ‘I’ but ‘we,’” Francis wrote, “and any limitation on the breadth of this ‘we’ is always demonic.”
Francis has said in the past that “I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone,” and has preached that communion “is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners.” The Vatican has urged conservative bishops in the United States not to reduce the sacrament to a political issue after several floated the idea last year of denying communion to President Biden and other Catholic leaders supportive of abortion rights. Ms. Pelosi’s hometown priest, the conservative Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, had said he would deny her the sacrament until she stops publicly supporting abortion rights.
The divide between such conservative American bishops and Pope Francis, who has explicitly identified the United States as the source of opposition to his pontificate, has amounted to a rare open rift in the church. Francis’ top doctrinal official, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, last year wrote a letter to the American bishops warning them that moving ahead on an effort to deny communion to Catholic supporters of abortion rights could “become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States.”
Well before Ms. Pelosi’s visit on Wednesday, Francis had made it clear through the symbolism favored by the Vatican that he prefers an inclusive approach.
In a visit to Rome in October, President Biden, the first Roman Catholic to occupy the Oval Office in 60 years, received communion at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome after announcing that Pope Francis had told him during their long private meeting at the Vatican that he should continue taking the sacrament. The Vatican declined to comment at the time.
On Tuesday night, at a reception with hot dogs and hamburgers ahead of Independence Day at the residence of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Ms. Pelosi gave the evening’s toast before a crowd of hundreds, including ambassadors and priests, and former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Callista Gingrich and her husband, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Ms. Pelosi spoke about the importance of faith and called Mr. Biden a man of deep faith.
“Faith is an important gift, not everyone has it but it is the path to so many other things,” she said.
By Jason Horowitz
June 29, 2022
ROME — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an avid defender of abortion rights, met privately with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received communion from a priest during a papal Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, according to an attendee.
Ms. Pelosi, who has denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to strip constitutional protections for abortion as “outrageous and heart-wrenching,” sat in a V.I.P. diplomatic section of the basilica and received a blessing from Francis in private before the morning Mass celebrating the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul. She later lined up to receive communion from a priest with the rest of the congregants.
The Vatican did not return a request for confirmation about the meeting, but released a photo of Ms. Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, greeting Francis on the side of the basilica.
Pope Francis has consistently called abortion evil and murderous, and upheld the church’s absolute opposition to it, and during the Mass on Wednesday, he said church leaders must “continue to care for human life.” But Francis has also vigorously opposed the politicization of church sacraments, and told newly consecrated archbishops upon whom he bestowed the woolen pallium stole on Wednesday to be inclusive and to not “remain pinned to some of our fruitless debates.”
He added, “So many times we become a church with open doors, but only to send people away, to condemn them.”
Earlier in the day, Francis issued a new apostolic letter about church liturgy, in which he emphasized that celebrating Mass belongs to “the totality of the faithful united in Christ.”
“The liturgy does not say ‘I’ but ‘we,’” Francis wrote, “and any limitation on the breadth of this ‘we’ is always demonic.”
Francis has said in the past that “I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone,” and has preached that communion “is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners.” The Vatican has urged conservative bishops in the United States not to reduce the sacrament to a political issue after several floated the idea last year of denying communion to President Biden and other Catholic leaders supportive of abortion rights. Ms. Pelosi’s hometown priest, the conservative Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, had said he would deny her the sacrament until she stops publicly supporting abortion rights.
The divide between such conservative American bishops and Pope Francis, who has explicitly identified the United States as the source of opposition to his pontificate, has amounted to a rare open rift in the church. Francis’ top doctrinal official, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, last year wrote a letter to the American bishops warning them that moving ahead on an effort to deny communion to Catholic supporters of abortion rights could “become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States.”
Well before Ms. Pelosi’s visit on Wednesday, Francis had made it clear through the symbolism favored by the Vatican that he prefers an inclusive approach.
In a visit to Rome in October, President Biden, the first Roman Catholic to occupy the Oval Office in 60 years, received communion at St. Patrick’s Church in Rome after announcing that Pope Francis had told him during their long private meeting at the Vatican that he should continue taking the sacrament. The Vatican declined to comment at the time.
On Tuesday night, at a reception with hot dogs and hamburgers ahead of Independence Day at the residence of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Ms. Pelosi gave the evening’s toast before a crowd of hundreds, including ambassadors and priests, and former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Callista Gingrich and her husband, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Ms. Pelosi spoke about the importance of faith and called Mr. Biden a man of deep faith.
“Faith is an important gift, not everyone has it but it is the path to so many other things,” she said.
On Wednesday, Ms. Pelosi, who is also visiting with Italian leaders during her time in Rome, followed the Mass with a visit to the Sant’Egidio Community, a Catholic charity that Francis admires for its work with refugees and the poor.
Ms. Pelosi met with refugees there and, at an event marking a $25,000 gift from the State Department to the charity, mentioned her attendance at the Mass with Francis and church leaders and spoke about the importance of preaching the Gospel through actions.
“We had the pleasure of attending Mass this morning with His Holiness and many, many, many leaders of the church,” Ms. Pelosi said. “In the spirit of St. Francis, which is the name of His Holiness and my city of San Francisco, I thank you for preaching the Gospel, sometimes using words.”
NATO's Stoltenberg holds press conference at key summit in Madrid
NOTE: Address starts at 44:45 Mins. of this video.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Pope Francis: ‘I have been able to walk for three days’
Somewhat reminds us of Christ's "Three Days and Nights"
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
PEDOGATE - The Deep State War - Episode 6 - PART ONE - A Film By MrTruthBomb
Warning the subject matter of this video may be disturbing.
Monday, June 27, 2022
Jerusalem Post Opinion The four horsemen of the apocalypse - opinion
By VAS SHENOY
Published: JUNE 25, 2022 15:52
Updated: JUNE 26, 2022 05:33
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
Vladimir Putin arrives at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, in February.
(photo credit: CARL COURT/REUTERS)
We are nearing the death of the old geopolitical system and of the world order that has kept repeating itself from the medieval ages.
The powerful Old Testament image of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse has been repeatedly brought back into discussion when humanity has faced peril and war. Ezekiel and Zachariah have often been interpreted as describing the four horsemen as plague, war, famine and finally death.
When I woke up this past week on the morning of 120 days of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, it struck me that we were nearing death: Death of the old geopolitical system and of the world order that has kept repeating itself from the medieval ages.
Despite much that has happened, Europe and Russia have risen as powers and then crumbled repeatedly. It seems,finally, that this cycle of plague, war and famine will be the last of Western hegemony and the birth of a new world order, a new world order which will probably bring back the balance of power to Asia and Africa, which were the centers of global wealth and power long before the industrial revolution.
Putin’s puzzle
CNN and other news outlets recently condensed Putin’s endgame in Ukraine as the re-establishment of Russia’s imperial, nationalistic identity. However, the Ukraine war seems to be a step in Putin’s plan of global dominance. Western intelligence agencies have often stated that Putin is terminally ill and has nothing to lose.
(photo credit: CARL COURT/REUTERS)
We are nearing the death of the old geopolitical system and of the world order that has kept repeating itself from the medieval ages.
The powerful Old Testament image of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse has been repeatedly brought back into discussion when humanity has faced peril and war. Ezekiel and Zachariah have often been interpreted as describing the four horsemen as plague, war, famine and finally death.
When I woke up this past week on the morning of 120 days of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, it struck me that we were nearing death: Death of the old geopolitical system and of the world order that has kept repeating itself from the medieval ages.
Despite much that has happened, Europe and Russia have risen as powers and then crumbled repeatedly. It seems,finally, that this cycle of plague, war and famine will be the last of Western hegemony and the birth of a new world order, a new world order which will probably bring back the balance of power to Asia and Africa, which were the centers of global wealth and power long before the industrial revolution.
Putin’s puzzle
CNN and other news outlets recently condensed Putin’s endgame in Ukraine as the re-establishment of Russia’s imperial, nationalistic identity. However, the Ukraine war seems to be a step in Putin’s plan of global dominance. Western intelligence agencies have often stated that Putin is terminally ill and has nothing to lose.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an 1887 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov. From left to right are Death, Famine, War, and Conquest; the Lamb is at the top. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
While war in Ukraine can be explained as a dying man’s desperate bid at carving out a legacy, the actual actions do not really marry this desperation. Despite losing men, weapons, generals and being under extreme sanctions, Putin continues to soldier on.
The question must be asked, what if Ukraine was not the endgame, what if Ukraine was a long game toward weakening the West? When we analyze biblical predictions, we should also analyze a lot of what-if’s.
Usually, what-iffery is a dangerous sport and leads you down paths that are slippery and often without fundamental logic. However, reading tarot cards or tea leaves is easier than reading the intentions of a man such as Vladimir Putin’s. This man is a veteran spy, former head of one of the world’s most determined and resourceful spy agencies, who has not only brought Russia back to power from its days under Yeltsin, but also been a field operative during the Soviet era.
Before Russia’s Ukraine invasion, Putin’s Russia had filled the gaps in conflicts worldwide and almost become a global arbiter in key geopolitical theatres where the US had lost control.
Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Mali, Chad and Libya: Putin’s Russia was counted as a voice heard on every major decision. Russia had also become the big brother and tried to play peacemaker in South Asia, between India-Pakistan and China. Weeks before the Ukraine invasion, Russia had intervened in a bizarre coup attempt in Kazakhstan and assisted the Kazakh government in pacifying a revolt.
So, what has happened in the past weeks and months that suddenly made Putin risk all that capital built up over the past 20 years to take on Ukraine. Is it national pride or is it a longer-term strategy against the West?
Dragonbear: China/Russia alliance
The dragonbear alliance, of the Chinese dragon and the Russian bear, has not always been a love affair. Historically, Russia has always supported India over China and there has been strong animosity between these neighbors, who share a 4,250 km. land border.
Henry Kissinger’s strategy of empowering China was, in fact, to weaken Russia and now it seems after 50 years, this may have created a beast: a dragonbear that the US may not be strong enough to control.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rule, the Chinese strongman and the Russian autocrat have developed a strong bond. Both China and Russia have resented the US dominance in global affairs and during former president Donald Trump’s rule, Russia celebrated the fact that China bore the brunt of the erratic president’s ire. Trump’s withdrawal from the international arena allowed Russia’s and China’s global power to grow unchecked.
Then came the first horseman, the plague. The rapid spread of COVID-19 into a global pandemic can be firmly attributed to China’s negligence, lack of transparency and will to cover up. It also brought to light China’s control of international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which were as much to blame for the cover-up and spread as the Chinese government was.
Western democracies suffered far more economically and socially than China, a single-party-controlled dictatorship. While western markets were decimated by public perception, China used this time to take firm control of Hong Kong, eliminate the one country-two systems pledge and destroy the power of billionaires who had started challenging Xi Jinping’s authority.
As the West grappled with vaccinations and tried to balance democracy and its citizens’ liberties with the need to protect the lives of their citizens, China stuck to a plan of lockdown and achieving complete political and social control of Chinese society.
What damage COVID did to China, we will never know. How many advocates of liberty disappeared, how many people really died and what really happened will probably be a mystery for generations to come.
On February 4, two men met under the umbrella of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Putin and Xi announced a no-limits friendship between their two countries. Just when Europe had achieved some sort of control on the pandemic and as inflation surged, Russian missiles rained on Kyiv.
While Mario Draghi and his colleagues in Europe had declared “whatever it takes” to save the European economy, it seems that Putin had declared “whatever it takes” to ruin it. Oil prices hit a historic high and inflation become even steeper. Stock exchanges globally, which had just started recovering to pre-pandemic levels, started crashing again. The second horseman, war, had made his mark.
Famine and death
In October 2021, with heads of states meeting in Rome, at the G20 supply chain resilience was often discussed as a key point to combat Chinese aggression. Most heads of state were worried about electronics and chips, which were China’s domain.
No one was alarmed about food, except the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme’s (WFP) often ignored warning of drought and famine in Afghanistan, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. We are almost at the third horseman, famine. The world and Europe are on the brink of probably the toughest summer they have faced in generations.
Russia won against Nazi Germany using a scorched-earth policy. It would seem Putin’s strategy to tame Europe is similar. Curiously, the Chinese have been buying grain and stockpiling food since 2021. According to the report of Al Jazeera from February 2022, Russia and Ukraine together produce over 25% of the world’s wheat. Most of the produce of last year’s wheat is either in Russian control or out of Ukraine’s ability to export. As well, China is hoarding maize, soya and other calorie crops, while the supply lines of food to Europe are limited.
Another worrying fact is that while hunger may impact Europe relatively less, due to the EU’s financial resilience, there is a large risk that hunger in Africa will force increased mass migration to Europe by sea. Whether food is available in Africa or not, rising costs will create economic or natural famines in what seems to already be a very hot summer, forcing Africans to head to Europe in unprecedented numbers.
Between China and Russia, both control African politics enough to incentivize this. African Union’s President Senegal’s Macky Sall appealed to the West after his meeting with Putin in early April, to lift sanctions to facilitate wheat and fertilizer exports.
Depending on how this summer will progress, the sanctions on Russia may have to weaken to reduce pressure on the price of oil and gas to reduce inflation and to keep southern Europe’s governments from collapsing from unchecked migration from Africa, due to hunger.
Putin may, with his friend Xi, achieve global dominance through one relatively small war in Ukraine.
Death and a new global order
Ukraine just seems to be the first chapter of the death of the old world order. Russia seems confident it will bring the West to its knees by making oil more expensive in a hot summer where heatwaves will make it impossible to keep air conditioning off. If that isn’t enough, it will by pushing Africa to act on its behalf by creating hunger. After all, if the democracies can’t check inflation and enforce border security, governments in southern Europe will collapse.
Russia is not short of political allies it has developed in European countries, who may return to power on the platform of illegal migration, unchecked price rises, security and unemployment.
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him.” While we may be prepared for death, what we now need to understand is how we deal with the hell that follows.
The writer is the president of Glocal Cities. He is a political researcher, consultant and entrepreneur, and has worked in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for two decades. He has interacted with leaders and decision-makers, and has worked closely with people from all walks of life all over the Middle East.
Source
While war in Ukraine can be explained as a dying man’s desperate bid at carving out a legacy, the actual actions do not really marry this desperation. Despite losing men, weapons, generals and being under extreme sanctions, Putin continues to soldier on.
The question must be asked, what if Ukraine was not the endgame, what if Ukraine was a long game toward weakening the West? When we analyze biblical predictions, we should also analyze a lot of what-if’s.
Usually, what-iffery is a dangerous sport and leads you down paths that are slippery and often without fundamental logic. However, reading tarot cards or tea leaves is easier than reading the intentions of a man such as Vladimir Putin’s. This man is a veteran spy, former head of one of the world’s most determined and resourceful spy agencies, who has not only brought Russia back to power from its days under Yeltsin, but also been a field operative during the Soviet era.
Before Russia’s Ukraine invasion, Putin’s Russia had filled the gaps in conflicts worldwide and almost become a global arbiter in key geopolitical theatres where the US had lost control.
Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Mali, Chad and Libya: Putin’s Russia was counted as a voice heard on every major decision. Russia had also become the big brother and tried to play peacemaker in South Asia, between India-Pakistan and China. Weeks before the Ukraine invasion, Russia had intervened in a bizarre coup attempt in Kazakhstan and assisted the Kazakh government in pacifying a revolt.
So, what has happened in the past weeks and months that suddenly made Putin risk all that capital built up over the past 20 years to take on Ukraine. Is it national pride or is it a longer-term strategy against the West?
Dragonbear: China/Russia alliance
The dragonbear alliance, of the Chinese dragon and the Russian bear, has not always been a love affair. Historically, Russia has always supported India over China and there has been strong animosity between these neighbors, who share a 4,250 km. land border.
Henry Kissinger’s strategy of empowering China was, in fact, to weaken Russia and now it seems after 50 years, this may have created a beast: a dragonbear that the US may not be strong enough to control.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rule, the Chinese strongman and the Russian autocrat have developed a strong bond. Both China and Russia have resented the US dominance in global affairs and during former president Donald Trump’s rule, Russia celebrated the fact that China bore the brunt of the erratic president’s ire. Trump’s withdrawal from the international arena allowed Russia’s and China’s global power to grow unchecked.
Then came the first horseman, the plague. The rapid spread of COVID-19 into a global pandemic can be firmly attributed to China’s negligence, lack of transparency and will to cover up. It also brought to light China’s control of international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which were as much to blame for the cover-up and spread as the Chinese government was.
Western democracies suffered far more economically and socially than China, a single-party-controlled dictatorship. While western markets were decimated by public perception, China used this time to take firm control of Hong Kong, eliminate the one country-two systems pledge and destroy the power of billionaires who had started challenging Xi Jinping’s authority.
As the West grappled with vaccinations and tried to balance democracy and its citizens’ liberties with the need to protect the lives of their citizens, China stuck to a plan of lockdown and achieving complete political and social control of Chinese society.
What damage COVID did to China, we will never know. How many advocates of liberty disappeared, how many people really died and what really happened will probably be a mystery for generations to come.
On February 4, two men met under the umbrella of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Putin and Xi announced a no-limits friendship between their two countries. Just when Europe had achieved some sort of control on the pandemic and as inflation surged, Russian missiles rained on Kyiv.
While Mario Draghi and his colleagues in Europe had declared “whatever it takes” to save the European economy, it seems that Putin had declared “whatever it takes” to ruin it. Oil prices hit a historic high and inflation become even steeper. Stock exchanges globally, which had just started recovering to pre-pandemic levels, started crashing again. The second horseman, war, had made his mark.
Famine and death
In October 2021, with heads of states meeting in Rome, at the G20 supply chain resilience was often discussed as a key point to combat Chinese aggression. Most heads of state were worried about electronics and chips, which were China’s domain.
No one was alarmed about food, except the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme’s (WFP) often ignored warning of drought and famine in Afghanistan, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. We are almost at the third horseman, famine. The world and Europe are on the brink of probably the toughest summer they have faced in generations.
Russia won against Nazi Germany using a scorched-earth policy. It would seem Putin’s strategy to tame Europe is similar. Curiously, the Chinese have been buying grain and stockpiling food since 2021. According to the report of Al Jazeera from February 2022, Russia and Ukraine together produce over 25% of the world’s wheat. Most of the produce of last year’s wheat is either in Russian control or out of Ukraine’s ability to export. As well, China is hoarding maize, soya and other calorie crops, while the supply lines of food to Europe are limited.
Another worrying fact is that while hunger may impact Europe relatively less, due to the EU’s financial resilience, there is a large risk that hunger in Africa will force increased mass migration to Europe by sea. Whether food is available in Africa or not, rising costs will create economic or natural famines in what seems to already be a very hot summer, forcing Africans to head to Europe in unprecedented numbers.
Between China and Russia, both control African politics enough to incentivize this. African Union’s President Senegal’s Macky Sall appealed to the West after his meeting with Putin in early April, to lift sanctions to facilitate wheat and fertilizer exports.
Depending on how this summer will progress, the sanctions on Russia may have to weaken to reduce pressure on the price of oil and gas to reduce inflation and to keep southern Europe’s governments from collapsing from unchecked migration from Africa, due to hunger.
Putin may, with his friend Xi, achieve global dominance through one relatively small war in Ukraine.
Death and a new global order
Ukraine just seems to be the first chapter of the death of the old world order. Russia seems confident it will bring the West to its knees by making oil more expensive in a hot summer where heatwaves will make it impossible to keep air conditioning off. If that isn’t enough, it will by pushing Africa to act on its behalf by creating hunger. After all, if the democracies can’t check inflation and enforce border security, governments in southern Europe will collapse.
Russia is not short of political allies it has developed in European countries, who may return to power on the platform of illegal migration, unchecked price rises, security and unemployment.
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him.” While we may be prepared for death, what we now need to understand is how we deal with the hell that follows.
The writer is the president of Glocal Cities. He is a political researcher, consultant and entrepreneur, and has worked in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for two decades. He has interacted with leaders and decision-makers, and has worked closely with people from all walks of life all over the Middle East.
Source
Pride March in New York Infused With New Sense of Urgen
June 26, 2022, 4:06 p.m. ET
A group marched with Planned Parenthood in the Pride Parade in Manhattan on Sunday.Credit...Caitlin Ochs for The New York Times
The festivities began on Sunday with a familiar feel: Revelers adorned in a palette of bright colors, waving rainbow flags and handmade signs, tossed confetti into the air as the roar of screams and bikers revving their motorcycle engines signaled the start of the annual New York City Pride March in Manhattan.
But there was no mistaking that this year’s event, for all its joyous celebrations, had taken on sudden urgency and heightened significance just two days after the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion and signaled that the court could reconsider other liberties, including the 2015 decision that allowed same-sex marriage.
Those thoughts were on the minds of three high school friends from New York City who arrived two hours before the parade began on Sunday to grab an upfront view at the starting point near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan.
The festivities began on Sunday with a familiar feel: Revelers adorned in a palette of bright colors, waving rainbow flags and handmade signs, tossed confetti into the air as the roar of screams and bikers revving their motorcycle engines signaled the start of the annual New York City Pride March in Manhattan.
But there was no mistaking that this year’s event, for all its joyous celebrations, had taken on sudden urgency and heightened significance just two days after the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion and signaled that the court could reconsider other liberties, including the 2015 decision that allowed same-sex marriage.
Those thoughts were on the minds of three high school friends from New York City who arrived two hours before the parade began on Sunday to grab an upfront view at the starting point near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan.
The Pride march began in the Flatiron district of Manhattan with a joyous celebration.Credit...Stephanie Keith for The New York Times
The Queer Liberation March, which kicked off at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, is rooted in the view that the main march is too corporate.Credit...Stephanie Keith for The New York Times
“Because of all the recent stuff that’s been happening, I’m glad that we have the chance to be with people we know who support us,” said Ivey Espinosa, 17, who identifies as nonbinary and attends Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. “There’s more importance, more urgency.”
Dig deeper into the moment.
“Because of all the recent stuff that’s been happening, I’m glad that we have the chance to be with people we know who support us,” said Ivey Espinosa, 17, who identifies as nonbinary and attends Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. “There’s more importance, more urgency.”
Dig deeper into the moment.
Moments later, Planned Parenthood — which event organizers decided to place at the head of the event after the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — led the way as the first groups rolled down Fifth Avenue to start the 52nd annual Pride March, the first in-person parade since 2019 because of the pandemic. In a joyous and diverse scene, people of all ages from across the country packed sidewalks, congregated on building fire escapes and climbed scaffolding to watch the march.
Amid chants of “Rise up for abortion rights,” Christian Rodriguez trailed the Planned Parenthood marchers with a homemade sign held above his head. It mentioned the Supreme Court decisions about contraception, consensual same-sex relations and same-sex marriage — all of which Justice Clarence Thomas, a member of the majority, suggested in a concurring opinion should be reconsidered by the court.
“In Clarence Thomas’s concurring opinion, he just couldn’t wait to say the quiet part out loud,” said Mr. Rodriguez, 22, who lives in New York City. “There is a very strong case to be made that women’s liberation is inextricably tied to gay liberation.”
Members of the Flaggots practice before the start of the march.Credit...Desiree Rios/The New York Times
A participant in the Pride March wearing a trans flag walks down Fifth Avenue.Credit...Desiree Rios/The New York Times
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Outrage in Chihuahua after murder of Jesuit priests by suspected gangsters
Jesuit priests Joaquín Mora, left, and Javier Campos were killed in a church in Cerocahui. SOCIAL MEDIA
Another victim was apparently being sought by a drug gang and had taken shelter in their church
Published on Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Two elderly Jesuit priests were killed in a church in southwestern Chihuahua Monday, a crime that the state governor said “shook us to the very core.”
Joaquín César Mora Salazar, 80, and Javier Campos Morales, 79, were shot dead in a church in Cerocahui, a town in the Sierra Tarahumara municipality of Urique, part of a region where opium poppies and marijuana are grown. The life of a third priest at the church was inexplicably spared.
The victims were killed apparently after a man attempting to escape a drug gang took shelter in the church. The gang caught up with the man and killed him and Mora and Campos, both of whom were ordained in the early 1970s and had served communities in the Tarahumara region for decades.
José Noriel Portillo Gil, a presumed member of Los Salazar gang – an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel – has been identified as the person responsible for the murders. Portillo, known as “El Chueco,” is also accused of the 2018 murder of United States citizen Patrick Braxton-Andrew.
Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos said the killings “shook us to the core” and promised that security forces were on the way to make the region safer.
Javier Ávila, another Jesuit priest who has worked in the Tarahumara region since the ’70s, said that one of the slain priests knew Portillo and approached him to try to calm him down after his colleague was killed. “He killed him too,” Ávila said in a radio interview.
The priest said he had heard that the aggressor was drunk and drugged when he committed the crime. The third priest in the church apparently asked Portillo to leave the bodies of Mora and Campos, but he ignored the request and loaded them into a pickup truck with the help of other presumed members of Los Salazar.
The Mexico branch of the Society of Jesus acknowledged that the bodies of the two priests were removed from the church by armed men. “We demand justice and the recovery of the bodies of our brothers,” Jesuitas México (JM) said in a statement.
Federal authorities said the killer was José Portillo — an alleged member of the Los Salazar gang known as “El Chueco.” Portillo has an outstanding warrant for the 2018 killing of U.S. citizen Patrick Braxton-Andrew.
“… Events like this are not isolated. The Tarahumara Sierra, like many other regions of the country, faces conditions of violence. … The lives of men and women are arbitrarily taken away every day like our brothers were murdered today,” JM said.
Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos said Tuesday that the investigation into the murders was advancing and pledged to hold those responsible to account. The murders of the priests caused “deep anger, indignation and pain” and “shook us to the very core,” she said
Security forces have been deployed to the region to protect citizens from violence, the National Action Party governor told a press conference.
“We’re not going to allow acts like this,” Campos declared. “To the Jesuits and all Chihuahua residents I say: you have the state government and the federal government [to protect you]. You have the force of the state that will protect you against those who disrupt our peace and take away the most precious thing we have, which is life.”![]()
Father Óscar Lomelín called the two slain men martyrs at a Mass on Tuesday in Monterrey, Nuevo León. The victims were both natives of the city.
Both slain priests grew up in Monterrey, Nuevo León, where a Mass was held in their honor Tuesday. “We ask for the violence and impunity in our country, the indifference of authorities and even our own indifference, to stop,” said Óscar Lomelín, the priest who offered the Mass. He described the two priests as martyrs who died while carrying out their religious duties.
President López Obrador on Tuesday pledged that a thorough investigation into the murders will be carried out and noted that the region where they occurred has “a significant organized crime presence.”
Seven priests, including the two most recent victims, have been murdered since López Obrador took office in December 2018, according to Mexico’s Roman Catholic Multimedia Center. At least two dozen were killed during the 2012–18 term of the government led by former president Enrique Peña Nieto.
Adrian LeBaron, an anti-violence activist who lost nine members of his extended family in an armed attack near the Sonora-Chihuahua border in November 2019, also said that the Sierra Tarahumara is overtaken by organized crime.
“The Jesuits are almost the only people who dare to enter the sierra [region] because they’re brave, dedicated people,” he said in an interview.
“… Events like this are not isolated. The Tarahumara Sierra, like many other regions of the country, faces conditions of violence. … The lives of men and women are arbitrarily taken away every day like our brothers were murdered today,” JM said.
Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos said Tuesday that the investigation into the murders was advancing and pledged to hold those responsible to account. The murders of the priests caused “deep anger, indignation and pain” and “shook us to the very core,” she said
Security forces have been deployed to the region to protect citizens from violence, the National Action Party governor told a press conference.
“We’re not going to allow acts like this,” Campos declared. “To the Jesuits and all Chihuahua residents I say: you have the state government and the federal government [to protect you]. You have the force of the state that will protect you against those who disrupt our peace and take away the most precious thing we have, which is life.”
Both slain priests grew up in Monterrey, Nuevo León, where a Mass was held in their honor Tuesday. “We ask for the violence and impunity in our country, the indifference of authorities and even our own indifference, to stop,” said Óscar Lomelín, the priest who offered the Mass. He described the two priests as martyrs who died while carrying out their religious duties.
President López Obrador on Tuesday pledged that a thorough investigation into the murders will be carried out and noted that the region where they occurred has “a significant organized crime presence.”
Seven priests, including the two most recent victims, have been murdered since López Obrador took office in December 2018, according to Mexico’s Roman Catholic Multimedia Center. At least two dozen were killed during the 2012–18 term of the government led by former president Enrique Peña Nieto.
Adrian LeBaron, an anti-violence activist who lost nine members of his extended family in an armed attack near the Sonora-Chihuahua border in November 2019, also said that the Sierra Tarahumara is overtaken by organized crime.
“The Jesuits are almost the only people who dare to enter the sierra [region] because they’re brave, dedicated people,” he said in an interview.
Death of worker at the end of General Conference confirms the absence of Power of the world leadership of the SDA
June 12, 2022
Worst of all will be Ted Wilson checking in and discovering that May Ellen Colon was fully vaccinated and her sudden death may have been a result of the Covid-19 vaccination .
A former General Conference employee and Adra, who retired last year, collapsed and died at the General Conference grounds last Saturday in St. Louis, MO, USA. According to Pastor Ted Wilson, it is Dr. May Ellen Colon. She was Director of Adventist World Community Services (ACS) for the General Conference and taught an on-site webinar in parallel programming during the meeting period.
A former General Conference employee and Adra, who retired last year, collapsed and died at the General Conference grounds last Saturday in St. Louis, MO, USA. According to Pastor Ted Wilson, it is Dr. May Ellen Colon. She was Director of Adventist World Community Services (ACS) for the General Conference and taught an on-site webinar in parallel programming during the meeting period.
GC Stewardship Ministries offered an English webinar on “Charitable Giving” with Dr. May-Ellen Colón during the 2022 GC Session. Charitable giving refers to any donations made (in cash, goods, time or services) in addition to tithes and offerings.
The sad death of Sister May-Ellen Colon during the closing meeting of the General Conference, of course, can serve as a signal to the entire leadership. If the Holy Spirit were really a person and were there in fullness, leading the work, as they say and want us to believe, this could never have happened. Ted Wilson would simply resurrect her and then, yes, we would have proof of this divine presence.
But the Spirit is a power that God bestows upon us, through His Son, to which we have not yet gained full access through our own fault, that we have not repented and forsaken all our sinful practices, consecrating ourselves wholly to God until from on high. let us be endowed with that Power.
The sad death of Sister May-Ellen Colon during the closing meeting of the General Conference, of course, can serve as a signal to the entire leadership. If the Holy Spirit were really a person and were there in fullness, leading the work, as they say and want us to believe, this could never have happened. Ted Wilson would simply resurrect her and then, yes, we would have proof of this divine presence.
But the Spirit is a power that God bestows upon us, through His Son, to which we have not yet gained full access through our own fault, that we have not repented and forsaken all our sinful practices, consecrating ourselves wholly to God until from on high. let us be endowed with that Power.
How did Paul act in a similar situation?
On the first day of the week, we gather to break bread. Paul, who intended to travel the next day, spoke to the brothers and continued the message until midnight.
There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting at a window, fast asleep during Paul's prolonged message, overcome with sleep, fell from the third floor below. When they picked him up, he was dead.
But Paul went down, bent over him, and embracing him, said: - Do not be excited, for he is alive.
Going up again, Paul broke the bread and ate. And he spoke to them still a long time until dawn. And so he left. Then they led the boy alive and were greatly comforted. —Acts 20:7-12
Comment on Telegram
I still haven't gotten the information if all those present from that week's circus needed the papal poison voucher. But I believe so. God closed the account of a participant right at the end of that abominable show, just to give a warning to the leadership and the "delegates" of what the Lord thought of everything that was done and voted on and what is to come to this institution soon .
The boat is sinking and I have no doubt that this event was to close the door of grace to the leadership and their idolatrous shepherds, and soon, with Sunday law, it will be closed to parrots.
That door began to be closed to the leadership at the beginning of the papal pandemic and the position they adopted BY FORCING YES the members and staff of the institution to take the papal poison, proof of this is the thousands of people who were sent away all over the world by refuse to take this poison.
Here comes the son with the biggest cock face and says to the world with a face of possessed that no: "Imagiiiinaaa, I didn't force anyone to take anything!"
I just keep imagining the angel wanting to cut him in half and Jesus saying: calm down, his time is coming, the operation of error and the lie needs to come to separate the wheat from the chaff...
Source: https://t.me/grandeconflito/3855
NOTE:
Originally published in Portuguese, translated by Google Translate.
Friday, June 24, 2022
Lauren Boebert Baffled by ‘Bricks’ Belonging to a Construction Site
‘CAPITOL PAVING OF DC’
Zachary Petrizzo
Media Reporter
Updated Jun. 24, 2022 11:55PM ET Published Jun. 24, 2022 11:28PM ET
Zachary Petrizzo for The Daily Beast
Right-wing media has long been convinced any pallets of bricks are solely the property of anti-fascist activists. And on Friday night, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was tripped up over the conspiracy theory. “@CapitolPolice why are there 20 pallets of bricks one block from the House Office Buildings?” Boebert tweeted, apparently alluding to the standard bricks the right believes are owned by potential antifa activists. Turns out, the bricks are part of an ongoing construction project on First Street in Washington D.C., according to signs right next to the pallets.
Zachary Petrizzo for The Daily Beast
Elsewhere near the bricks, one can clearly see that a back-alley street is being ripped up and a bulldozer is nearby. (Boebert didn’t return The Daily Beast’s text message request for comment.)
Zachary Petrizzo for The Daily Beast
.@CapitolPolice why are there 20 pallets of bricks one block from the House Office Buildings? pic.twitter.com/teI7YPJN0h— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) June 25, 2022
Thursday, June 23, 2022
NEVER BEFORE SEEN J6 FOOTAGE: ANTIFA ESCORTED IN VANS,..
NEVER BEFORE SEEN J6 FOOTAGE: ANTIFA ESCORTED IN VANS, PENCE GIVEN 3 CHOICES BY GOP, HE BETRAYED TRUMP
11 hours ago
Stan Lovins is a devout Christian who was at the Capitol building on January 6th to pray for everybody there and to pray for our country.
What he saw with his own eyes was shocking: Antifa members being escorted by the Capitol Police in three large white passenger vans to the west end, i.e. the back of the Capitol Building, where they proceeded to enact the simulated terrorist attack now being used by the Federal Government to declare a war on “domestic terrorism” against Americans who believe in the Constitution.
Lovins says, “These three vans were being escorted by the Capitol Police from the tunnels under the Mall. They came up out. I heard the sirens go off and they made a way to clear a path and then they pulled right in front of us and as they did, I looked inside the window and I saw what appeared to be Antifa.
“And so, they were being escorted by the Capitol Police. And then, they pulled down about a block and they pulled over the side of the road to let them out and as they did, there was an officer that immediately jumped out of his vehicle – and I was about a block away at this time, as you’ll see in the video – but there was people walking right past these vans and they took out their phones and they started recording and…immediately, the officer told them to put their cameras up, put their iPhones up…and making some irrational commands at this point, because they were trying to hide this.”
The west end of the building where the Capitol Police escorted out Antifa is where the breach and the violence occurred that day. At the east side, people were waved-in to the building by Capitol police, where they walked through the area reserved for tourists marked by velvet ropes inside the Rotunda and grandmas took selfies.
Stew opines that Antifa is like ISIS; they are both CIA projects.
Stew says, “They are intended to do one thing: that’s to create social unrest and uprising and upheaval and chaos and to terrorize law-abiding citizens who believe in a Democratic process in this Constitutional Republic, because if we don’t have Antifa and BLM, we have the people instructing their representatives, as our Republic is supposed to do…
“But that allows us to have to much freedom and individual liberty and too much power and control for the oligarchs that want complete control and total subservience out of me and you.
“So I think it’s important that we understand that the reason why these people were being escorted is because, sure, they’re Antifa/BLM. What does that make them? It makes them Feds. That’s what they are.
“They are Federal agents, they are provocateurs and they are terrorists, there for one purpose and that is to overthrow our form of government.”
Lovins says that after the breach and the violence began at the west end and he was starting to leave, he came upon some federal officers parked to the side, who had been told to stand down and he said to one of them, “‘Sir, you know this is led by Antifa,’ he said, ‘Absolutely.’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’ He confirmed it…”
Lovins said that he and the federal officer then prayed together.
There’s more here about a document Lovins received that was given to Mike Pence about talking points given to him on January 5th by the GOP about the vast voter fraud that occurred, which he was supposed to speak to at the Congressional proceedings on January 6th but Pence turned his back on this because Pence is a traitor.
Pope Francis says resigning 'does not cross his mind' amid health struggles
Pope Francis did acknowledge his many health challenges in the meeting, but said he planned to live the life God gave him to the end
Pope Francis put to bed any rumors of an upcoming resignation from the papacy.
In a meeting with over a dozen Catholic bishops visiting the Vatican from Brazil, Pope Francis discussed his health and plans for the future of his reign. The pope told visiting Archbishop Roque Paloschi that resigning from the Holy See "does not cross his mind," according to the Portuguese edition of the Vatican's official news service.
However, the pope did not feign great health, reportedly telling the bishops that he was facing many challenges, but that he wished to live the life God gave him until the end.
This private, seemingly off-hand comment quashes weeks of speculation that Pope Francis was considering an end to his papacy.
POPE FRANCIS PREACHES ON 'FRAILTY,' 'OLD AGE' AMID HEALTH CONCERNS
Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The rumors first began after his appointment of new cardinals amid reports of his health challenges and the cancellation of multiple apostolic engagements. Pope Francis added fuel to the rumors by announcing he would visit the central Italian city of L’Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V, one of the few pontiffs who resigned before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013.
However, close papal advisor Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga has previously dismissed the rumors as a "cheap soap opera."
Last July, the pope underwent surgery on his colon and was hospitalized for almost two weeks. Since the operation, the pontiff has regularly complained of knee pain and other side effects that make mobility and physical exertion difficult.
FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis arrives on a wheelchair to meet with participants in the plenary assembly of the International Union of Superiors General (IUSG) at the Vatican, May 5, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo (AP)
Pope Francis spoke at his General Audience on Wednesday about the effects of old age, elderly frailty and the virtue of helplessness.
The pope, 85, has revisited the topic of old age and deterioration many times in recent years. His lessons and comments on the nature of growing old — often optimistic in nature — have taken on new potency as the pontiff struggles through a series of health concerns while continuing his physically demanding work.
In his sermon, the pope told his listeners that old age was a time when Christians must learn to accept the help of others — even in the basic tasks of day to day life. He compared the helplessness of old age to the serenity of giving up control of one's life to God.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Monday, June 20, 2022
NATO says it will increase its forces on Russia’s doorstep
Emma Brazell
Thursday 16 Jun 2022 2:40 pm
The announcement was made this afternoon (Picture: Getty Images)
NATO has announced it will boost forces on its eastern flank as Vladimir Putin’s brutal war with Ukraine enters its fifth month.
For the first time since the Cold War, the alliance will have ‘pre-assigned forces to specific countries in the east, linked to our defense plans’.
This is to enable a faster response in case of a threat, following repeated Russian propagandist threats that ‘nuclear war could be coming’.
Long-term plans to help Ukraine defend itself against Moscow’s aggression have been discussed as peace talks flop once again.
The alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today: ‘We made clear that all countries have the right to choose their own path without outside interference.
‘Russia’s aggression is a game-changer. So Nato must maintain credible deterrence and strong defence.
‘Today, ministers addressed the scale of our future posture and how we can step up across all domains, with substantially strengthening our presence, capabilities and readiness.
‘This will mean more Nato forward deployed combat formations to strengthen battle groups in the eastern part of the alliance, more air, sea and cyber defences, as well as pre-position equipment and weapon stockpiles.’
It comes as Germany confirmed it will strengthen its engagement in Lithuania, while France is determined to increase its presence in Romania.
NATO has announced it will boost forces on its eastern flank as Vladimir Putin’s brutal war with Ukraine enters its fifth month.
For the first time since the Cold War, the alliance will have ‘pre-assigned forces to specific countries in the east, linked to our defense plans’.
This is to enable a faster response in case of a threat, following repeated Russian propagandist threats that ‘nuclear war could be coming’.
Long-term plans to help Ukraine defend itself against Moscow’s aggression have been discussed as peace talks flop once again.
The alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today: ‘We made clear that all countries have the right to choose their own path without outside interference.
‘Russia’s aggression is a game-changer. So Nato must maintain credible deterrence and strong defence.
‘Today, ministers addressed the scale of our future posture and how we can step up across all domains, with substantially strengthening our presence, capabilities and readiness.
‘This will mean more Nato forward deployed combat formations to strengthen battle groups in the eastern part of the alliance, more air, sea and cyber defences, as well as pre-position equipment and weapon stockpiles.’
It comes as Germany confirmed it will strengthen its engagement in Lithuania, while France is determined to increase its presence in Romania.
NATO announces further support for Ukraine, strengthening of eastern flank
A woman is emotional outside a damaged apartment building after a strike in the city of Slovyansk (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
Russian forces are pushing their offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, slowly but steadily gaining ground on the badly outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian forces, who are pleading for more arms from Western allies.
It’s hoped humanitarian corridors could soon be opened as some 500 civilians are trapped at the Severodonetsk chemical facility, with Russian troops demanding soldiers surrender.
Severodonetsk is one of the final cities in the Donbas region that Russia is yet to control.
About 20% to 30% of Russia’s armoured force has now been lost overall, General Mark Milley, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, has estimated.
Meanwhile, it’s thought Ukraine continues to report between 100 to 200 military casualties per each.
Questioned on whether the war-torn nation can continue to fight back with these losses, Mr Milley said: ‘This is an existential threat. They’re fighting for the very life of their country.
‘So, your ability to endure suffering, to endure casualties is directly proportional to the object to be attained.’
The UK unveiled its latest wave of sanctions on Russia on Thursday – targeting those said to be involved in the ‘barbaric’ treatment of children in Ukraine.
Russian forces are pushing their offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, slowly but steadily gaining ground on the badly outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian forces, who are pleading for more arms from Western allies.
It’s hoped humanitarian corridors could soon be opened as some 500 civilians are trapped at the Severodonetsk chemical facility, with Russian troops demanding soldiers surrender.
Severodonetsk is one of the final cities in the Donbas region that Russia is yet to control.
About 20% to 30% of Russia’s armoured force has now been lost overall, General Mark Milley, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, has estimated.
Meanwhile, it’s thought Ukraine continues to report between 100 to 200 military casualties per each.
Questioned on whether the war-torn nation can continue to fight back with these losses, Mr Milley said: ‘This is an existential threat. They’re fighting for the very life of their country.
‘So, your ability to endure suffering, to endure casualties is directly proportional to the object to be attained.’
The UK unveiled its latest wave of sanctions on Russia on Thursday – targeting those said to be involved in the ‘barbaric’ treatment of children in Ukraine.
The rubble of a building in the city of Mariupol (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian servicemen fire with a French self-propelled 155 mm/52-calibre gun Caesar towards Russian positions in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova is accused of ‘enabling 2,000 vulnerable children being violently taken from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and orchestrating a new policy to facilitate their forced adoptions in Russia’.
Patriarch Kirill, head of Russian Orthodox Church has also been sanctioned for his prominent support of the Kremlin’s military aggression.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: ‘Today we are targeting the enablers and perpetrators of Putin’s war who have brought untold suffering to Ukraine, including the forced transfer and adoption of children.
‘We will not tire of defending freedom and democracy, and keeping up the pressure on Putin, until Ukraine succeeds.’
Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova is accused of ‘enabling 2,000 vulnerable children being violently taken from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and orchestrating a new policy to facilitate their forced adoptions in Russia’.
Patriarch Kirill, head of Russian Orthodox Church has also been sanctioned for his prominent support of the Kremlin’s military aggression.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: ‘Today we are targeting the enablers and perpetrators of Putin’s war who have brought untold suffering to Ukraine, including the forced transfer and adoption of children.
‘We will not tire of defending freedom and democracy, and keeping up the pressure on Putin, until Ukraine succeeds.’
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Christ the Heavenly Merchantman
“Jesus is going from door to door, standing in front of every soul-temple, proclaiming, ‘I stand at the door, and knock.’ As a heavenly Merchantman, He opens His treasures, and cries, ‘Buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.’ The gold that He offers is without alloy, more precious than that of Ophir; for it is faith and love. The white raiment He invites the soul to wear is His own robe of righteousness; and the oil for anointing is the oil of His grace, which will give spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. Open your doors, says the great Merchantman, the possessor of spiritual riches, and transact your business with Me. It is I, your Redeemer, who counsels you to buy of Me.”
The Review and Herald, August 7, 1894.
Christ Our Righteousness, p.113.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Stocks in biggest weekly loss since 2020 on interest-rate worries
Koh Gui Qing
Thu, June 16, 2022, 9:59 PM·3 min read
Summary
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Stocks in biggest weekly loss since 2020 on interest-rate worriesThe German share prize index board is seen at the trading room of Frankfurt's stock exchange during afternoon trading session in Frankfurt
By Koh Gui Qing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - World stocks on Friday closed out their steepest weekly slide since the pandemic meltdown of March 2020, as investors worried that tighter monetary policy by inflation-fighting central banks could damage economic growth.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's biggest rate hike since 1994, the first such Swiss move in 15 years, a fifth rise in British rates since December and a move by the European Central Bank to bolster the indebted south all took turns roiling markets.
The Bank of Japan was the only outlier in a week where money prices rose around the world, sticking on Friday with its strategy of pinning 10-year yields near zero.
After sharp early losses, world stocks steadied somewhat to ending Friday's session down by just 0.12%. The weekly slide of 5.8% was the steepest since the week of March 20, 2020.
Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.13%, the S&P 500 added 0.22%, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.43%.
For the week, the S&P 500 dropped 5.8%, also its biggest fall since the third week of 2020.
"Inflation, the war and lockdowns in China have derailed the global recovery," economists at Bank of America said in a note to clients, adding they see a 40 percent chance of a recession in the United States next year as the Fed keeps raising rates.
"We look for GDP growth to slow to almost zero, inflation to settle at around 3% and the Fed to hike rates above 4%."
The Fed on Friday said its commitment to fight inflation is "unconditional". Fears that its rate hikes could trigger a recession supported Treasury prices and slowed the rise in yields, which fall when prices rise. Ten-year Treasury yields retreated to 3.22944% after hitting an 11-year high of 3.498% on Tuesday. [US/]
Southern European bond yields dropped sharply after reports of more detail from ECB President Christine Lagarde on the central bank's plans.
"The more aggressive line by central banks adds to headwinds for both economic growth and equities," said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management. "The risks of a recession are rising, while achieving a soft landing for the U.S. economy appears increasingly challenging.
In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell to a five-week low, dragged by selling in Australia. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.8% and headed for a weekly drop of almost 7%.
JAPANESE YEN DIVES
Bonds and currencies were jittery after a rollercoaster week.
Overnight in Asia, the yen tanked after the Bank of Japan stuck to its ultra-accomodative policy stance. The yen fell 2.2% by late Friday, bolstering the U.S. dollar, which rose 0.73% against a basket of major currencies.
Sterling fell 1% in New York as investors focused on the gap between U.S. and UK rates. The Bank of England is opting for a more moderate approach than the Fed.
"If a central bank does not move aggressively, yields and risk price in more in the way of rate hikes down the road," said NatWest Markets' strategist John Briggs.
"Markets may just be continuously adjusting to an outlook for higher global policy rates ... as global central bank policy momentum is all one way."
Slower growth could dent fuel demand, so U.S. crude fell 6.42% to $110.04 per barrel and Brent was at $113.30, down 5.43% on the day. [O/R]
Gold was off 0.8% at $1,841.13 an ounce, weighed down by a firmer dollar. [GOL/]
(Editing by Lincoln Feast, Angus MacSwan, David Evans and David Gregorio)
Source
Thu, June 16, 2022, 9:59 PM·3 min read
Summary
Stocks in biggest weekly loss since 2020 on interest-rate worriesThe German share prize index board is seen at the trading room of Frankfurt's stock exchange during afternoon trading session in Frankfurt
By Koh Gui Qing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - World stocks on Friday closed out their steepest weekly slide since the pandemic meltdown of March 2020, as investors worried that tighter monetary policy by inflation-fighting central banks could damage economic growth.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's biggest rate hike since 1994, the first such Swiss move in 15 years, a fifth rise in British rates since December and a move by the European Central Bank to bolster the indebted south all took turns roiling markets.
The Bank of Japan was the only outlier in a week where money prices rose around the world, sticking on Friday with its strategy of pinning 10-year yields near zero.
After sharp early losses, world stocks steadied somewhat to ending Friday's session down by just 0.12%. The weekly slide of 5.8% was the steepest since the week of March 20, 2020.
Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.13%, the S&P 500 added 0.22%, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.43%.
For the week, the S&P 500 dropped 5.8%, also its biggest fall since the third week of 2020.
"Inflation, the war and lockdowns in China have derailed the global recovery," economists at Bank of America said in a note to clients, adding they see a 40 percent chance of a recession in the United States next year as the Fed keeps raising rates.
"We look for GDP growth to slow to almost zero, inflation to settle at around 3% and the Fed to hike rates above 4%."
The Fed on Friday said its commitment to fight inflation is "unconditional". Fears that its rate hikes could trigger a recession supported Treasury prices and slowed the rise in yields, which fall when prices rise. Ten-year Treasury yields retreated to 3.22944% after hitting an 11-year high of 3.498% on Tuesday. [US/]
Southern European bond yields dropped sharply after reports of more detail from ECB President Christine Lagarde on the central bank's plans.
"The more aggressive line by central banks adds to headwinds for both economic growth and equities," said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management. "The risks of a recession are rising, while achieving a soft landing for the U.S. economy appears increasingly challenging.
In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell to a five-week low, dragged by selling in Australia. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.8% and headed for a weekly drop of almost 7%.
JAPANESE YEN DIVES
Bonds and currencies were jittery after a rollercoaster week.
Overnight in Asia, the yen tanked after the Bank of Japan stuck to its ultra-accomodative policy stance. The yen fell 2.2% by late Friday, bolstering the U.S. dollar, which rose 0.73% against a basket of major currencies.
Sterling fell 1% in New York as investors focused on the gap between U.S. and UK rates. The Bank of England is opting for a more moderate approach than the Fed.
"If a central bank does not move aggressively, yields and risk price in more in the way of rate hikes down the road," said NatWest Markets' strategist John Briggs.
"Markets may just be continuously adjusting to an outlook for higher global policy rates ... as global central bank policy momentum is all one way."
Slower growth could dent fuel demand, so U.S. crude fell 6.42% to $110.04 per barrel and Brent was at $113.30, down 5.43% on the day. [O/R]
Gold was off 0.8% at $1,841.13 an ounce, weighed down by a firmer dollar. [GOL/]
(Editing by Lincoln Feast, Angus MacSwan, David Evans and David Gregorio)
Source
Friday, June 17, 2022
Refusing to Be Silent in the Face of Evil
[Photo Courtesy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists]
GENERAL CONFERENCE
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Refusing to Be Silent in the Face of Evil
PARL recognizes individuals for their advocacy for religious liberty in their community
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES | ANGELICA SANCHEZ, ANNJUNE 16, 2022
“Silence in the face of evil is not neutrality, it’s complicity.”1 Proponents of human rights and justice, the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) department of the General Conference (GC) of Seventh-Day Adventists is anything but complacent. With enduring commitment, PARL works endlessly as a beacon of peace, advocating for religious liberty throughout the global community. PARL “serves as a department of foreign affairs,” said Director of PARL, Ganoune Diop. It “seeks to provide the Seventh-day Adventist church with visibility, credibility, trust, and relevance in the public space which includes people of influence, government officials, and decision makers.”
In partnership with church departments, community leaders, lawmakers, state leaders, public officials, national institutions like the United Nations, and PARL leaders in the 13 church divisions throughout the world, PARL is also an active advocate for public policy issues. Several issues include health, education, environmental conservation, women and children’s rights, the rights of prisoners, aid, and development. In addition, they focus on promoting the good reputation of the mission and identity of the Adventist church.
On Thursday afternoon, at the 61st GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri, PARL hosted a luncheon to “strengthen relationships between PARL directors and engage with public officials and key religious leaders,” said PARL Associate Director Jennifer Woods. Special guests who were present and acknowledged at the luncheon, representing some of the meaningful connections PARL has made with influential representatives across the globe were the Secretary of the Global Christian Forum Dr. Casely Essamuah, Salvation Army Representative Colonel Kenneth Johnson, Baptist World Alliance Representative Rev. Everton Jackson, Adventist Senator Damaris Moura Kuo from Brazil, Adventist member of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Zambia the Honorable Palan Mulonda, Adventist Retired Senator the Honorable Floyd Morris from Jamaica, and Adventist Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido V. Tejano.
In his opening remarks to attendees, President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Ted N.C. Wilson stated, “What a privilege for Seventh-Day Adventists and other Christians to be epistles of Christ, representatives of the highest Authority of the universe”. He later elaborated that faithful service and representation of Christ involves the constant battle for religious freedom, justice, and liberty of conscience.
Though not a simple task, many have supported PARL in this endeavor. As a result, Diop awarded several individuals for their “choice to serve in the public arena,” acknowledging their “commitment and conviction to advocating for religious liberty.”
The individuals awarded were Wilson, recently retired PARL Director for the Inter-American Division James Daniel, GC General Counsel and International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) Legal Advisor Karnik Doukmetzian, Former PARL Director for the South American Division Dr. Helio Carnassale, and GC Associate Treasurer Daisy Orion. Senator Damaris Moura Kuo was also acknowledged for her work in promoting religious liberty and her help in passing the first religious freedom legislation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
PARL is not only an advocate for human rights but is also a light in the world. Wilson reminded attendees, “As we understand the aspects of dealing with religious leaders and government officials, it is a great privilege for each of us to not only officially represent our church but in a more personal way, to actually be a living letter written by God as a commendation to all who we meet.” He added, “Each of us are ambassadors for Christ.”
PARL strives to be an active representation of the love of Christ to the world. In fact, through its collaboration with other divisions, PARL has managed to play an influential role in the liberation of imprisoned Adventists worldwide. “We strive to position the church as a credible blessing to the world. Without credibility, the world will not listen to us,” said Diop. Diop elaborated further, “We are part of a movement that is preparing the world and the church for the second coming of Christ. For this reason, showing what the church can offer the world is at the heart of my passion.”
The fight for peace, justice, and religious liberty is not meant to be fought by PARL alone, it is to be the mission of the World Church as a response to God’s command in Isaiah 58 to “shout aloud against the exploitation of the vulnerable.”2 In his concluding remarks, Diop passionately exhorted, “Wherever God places you, remember that you are connected with the One who is superior – the Creator of heaven and earth. He has placed you where you are to bless others.”
For more information on PARL, to become involved, and to learn how their work can help you, visit https://www.adventistliberty.org.
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1adventistliberty.org
2https://www.adventistliberty.org/method
March 13
March 13, 2013 Jorge Mario Bergoglio S.J. elevated to Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis I, Sovereign of Vatican City State  March 13, 2020a national emergency  |
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Monday, June 13, 2022
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response
By
The Associated Press
June 11, 2022, 12:09 PM ET
FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, lead a rally in Managua, Nicaragua. Nicaragua’s Sandinista-controlled congress has cancelled nearly 200 nongovernmental organizations this last week of May 2022, ranging from a local equestrian center to the 94-year-old Nicaraguan Academy of Letters, in what critics say is President Daniel Ortega’s attempt to eliminate the country’s civil society. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga, File)The Associated PressMEXICO CITY -- The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response.
In a decree published this week, and confirmed by Russia on Thursday, Ortega will allow Russian troops to carry out law enforcement duties, “humanitarian aid, rescue and search missions in emergencies or natural disasters.”
The Nicaraguan government also authorized the presence of small contingents of Russian troops for “exchange of experiences and training.”
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told the Russian news outlet Sputnik that the measure was “routine.”
“We are talking about a routine — twice a year — procedure for the adoption of a Nicaraguan law on the temporary admission of foreign military personnel to its territory in order to develop cooperation in various areas, including humanitarian and emergency responses, combatting organized crime and drug trafficking,” Zakharova said.
She noted the law also authorizes troops from the United States, Mexico and other Central American countries for such purposes.
Ortega has been a staunch ally of Russia since his days in the leadership of the 1979 revolution that ousted dictator Anastasio Somoza. Ortega served as president from 1985 to 1990, before being re-elected to power in 2007.
Ortega’s government arrested dozens of political opposition leaders, including most of the potential presidential candidates, in the months before his re-election to a fourth consecutive term last year. His government has shut down dozens of nongovernmental groups that he accuses of working on behalf of foreign interests to destabilize his government. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have been chased into exile.
China blasts US 'bully', says it will 'fight to the end' for Taiwan
By Brad Lendon and Heather Chen, CNN
Updated 2:55 AM ET, Sun June 12, 2022
China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12.
Singapore (CNN)Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday accused the United States of being a "bully" and "hijacking" countries around the region, during a combative speech in which he said his country would "fight to the very end" to stop Taiwanese independence.
"Taiwan is first and foremost China's Taiwan," Wei told the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defense conference, adding that China would "not hesitate" to crush any attempt by the self-governed island to "secede."
The speech -- which came just weeks after US President Joe Biden said the US would respond "militarily" if China attacked Taiwan -- capped a weekend of confrontational exchanges between the American and Chinese military chiefs.
Wei also called out US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who had told the conference a day earlier that China was engaged in coercive, aggressive and dangerous actions that threatened to "undermine security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific."
Austin had also talked about US coalition-building in the region and its joint military exercises with Japan, Australia, India and Indonesia, but Wei said this was a kind of "power politics" that China rejected.
US defense chief says China muscling neighbors, plundering resources in Pacific
"No one and no country should impose its will on others, or bully others under the guise of multilateralism," Wei said.
"We notice Secretary Austin's remarks on the US Indo-Pacific strategy. To us, the strategy is an attempt to build an exclusive, small group in the name of a free and open Indo-Pacific, to hijack countries in our region and target one specific country. It is a strategy to create conflict," Wei said.
"Fight to the very end"
But Wei -- who met Austin in a bilateral meeting on Friday afternoon -- reserved some of his harshest criticisms for Washington's stance on Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing considers its territory despite never having ruled it.
Austin had on Friday said the US would continue to support Taiwan with the means to defend itself, including arms sales which China sees as a violation of its sovereignty.
Under US policy, Washington provides Taiwan defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack -- a policy that the White House insists remains intact despite Biden's recent comments that appeared to deviate from the ambiguity. Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the self-governing island.
Wei said there would be no compromise on China's sovereignty or the question of whether Taiwan will one day be "reunited" with the mainland -- a clear goal of China's ruling Communist Party, which calls for peaceful "reunification" but has not ruled out using force.
Why Chinese warplanes are 'playing chicken' with US allies — and why they're doing it now
"China will definitely realize its reunification. ... It is a historical trend that no one, no force can stop," Wei said.
And the People's Liberation Army was prepared to spill blood to enforce that if necessary, he said.
"Let me make this clear," Wei said. "If anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, we will not hesitate to fight. We will fight at all costs. And we will fight to the very end."
The Chinese defense minister said the road the US is taking in the region is one his country would never go down.
"The order of human civilization must be based on the rule of law. Otherwise, the law of the jungle will prevail," Wei said.
"China will never seek hegemony or engage in military expansion or an arms race. We do not bully others, but we will not allow others to bully us," he said.
Wei leads China's Ministry of National Defense, but is not the top military official in the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission, which controls China's armed forces under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12.
Regional tensions
China has faced a barrage of criticism during the Shangri-La conference.
Delegates from US allies like Australia and Canada have been critical of what they see as Beijing's violation of international laws, including what they claim are dangerous intercepts of their aircraft operating in the region.
Without mentioning China by name, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that the Asian security situation is prompting Tokyo to substantially increase its defense budget and consider acquiring "counterstrike weapons," of the type not now in its arsenal.
Japanese forces and Australian forces, among other US allies and partners, have been operating in the South China Sea, almost all of which China claims as its sovereign territory.
China has militarized various man-made islands in the 1.3 million square mile waterway.
But Wei inferred that it was the US that was muscling in by sending naval ships into the waterway.
"Some big power has long practiced navigation hegemony on the pretext of freedom of navigation," Wei said.
He said the US and China are at a critical juncture in their relationship, but contended the ball is in Washington's court when it comes to diffusing tensions.
Washington must stop "smearing" Beijing and "interfering in China's internal affairs" for relations to improve, Wei said.
"It will be a historic and strategic mistake to insist on taking China as a threat and of an adversary or even an enemy," he said.
If Washington can treat Beijing with "mutual respect," there is room for both nations to prosper, Wei contended.
But he had a stern warning if the United States chose otherwise.
"If you want to cooperate, we should promote mutual benefits and win-win results. However, if you want confrontation, we will fight to the end.