Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Monday, January 29, 2024
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Monday, January 22, 2024
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Saturday, January 20, 2024
World Council of Churches (WCC) urges Davos Forum to consider longer-term good of all people
The General Secretary of the ecumenical body reminds world leaders meeting in Davos that, given the unprecedented constellation of global crises there is an urgent need for cooperation rather than division.
By Vatican News
The World Council of Churches is one of the many voices around the globe urging the the 54th World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland, to commit to the longer-term good of all people.
The annual gathering bringing together leaders from government, business and civil society to discuss and shape global, regional, and industry agenda will conclude on Friday, 19 January after four days of discussions focused on the theme “Rebuilding Trust” as the world faces multiple crises.
Without trust world cannot function
In a statement this week WCC general secretary Rev. Jerry Pillay noted that trust is the essential ingredient without which human societies—and the global community—cannot function. “However, in today’s divided and increasingly conflictual world, it is a commodity in critically short supply,” he said. “While some of those in attendance in Davos are themselves drivers of inequality, injustice, and division, we want to believe that many others are genuinely committed to exercising their considerable influence to promote a greater measure of justice and peace in the world.”
The General Secretary of WCC remarked that rebuilding trust, will be an essential precondition for progress in any of the four areas discussed during the Forum: ‘Achieving Security and Cooperation in a Fractured World’, ‘Creating Growth and Jobs for a New Era,’ ‘Artificial Intelligence as a Driving Force for the Economy and Society,’ and ‘A Long-Term Strategy for Climate, Nature, and Energy.’
Urgent need for multilateral cooperation to address current world crises
“Given the unprecedented constellation of global crises – especially of climate, conflict, and economic inequality – there is an urgent need for cooperation and action, rather than division and unconstructive competition,” he stressed.
READ ALSO
17/01/2024
Pope to Davos Economic Forum: Development needs a moral compass
Hence the urgent need for a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation to address the current epochal crises “The power of this gathering must be leveraged for rebuilding trust and the renewal of commitment to multilateral cooperation in facing these crises, not only in the short-term interests of a privileged few but for the longer-term good of all people and our common home," the WCC General Secretary said.
Pope Francis, on Wednesday, addressed a message to the world leaders in Davos along the same lines, calling on them “to be mindful of the moral responsibility that each of us has in the fight against poverty, the attainment of an integral development for all our brothers and sisters, and the quest for a peaceful coexistence among peoples.”
Pope to Davos Economic Forum: Development needs a moral compass
Hence the urgent need for a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation to address the current epochal crises “The power of this gathering must be leveraged for rebuilding trust and the renewal of commitment to multilateral cooperation in facing these crises, not only in the short-term interests of a privileged few but for the longer-term good of all people and our common home," the WCC General Secretary said.
Pope Francis, on Wednesday, addressed a message to the world leaders in Davos along the same lines, calling on them “to be mindful of the moral responsibility that each of us has in the fight against poverty, the attainment of an integral development for all our brothers and sisters, and the quest for a peaceful coexistence among peoples.”
Pope advises Davos: Development needs a moral compass
Jan 17th, 2024
Cardinal Turkson reads Pope's message
Source: AICA
In a message to the World Economic Forum in Davos 2024, Pope Francis urged businesses and world leaders to ensure that economic development benefits everyone and remains linked to solidarity.
The leaders of global business and politics are meeting this week in Davos, Switzerland, with the theme: 'Rebuilding trust.' To remind them of their duty to all humanity, Pope Francis sent a message to the World Economic Forum 2024, which was read on Tuesday by Cardinal Peter Turkson.
In his message, the pontiff stated that the greatest challenge facing humanity is to guarantee peaceful coexistence and comprehensive development for all.
"It is my hope," he said, "that the participants in this year's Forum are aware of the moral responsibility that each of us has in the fight against poverty, the achievement of comprehensive development for all our brothers and sisters, and the search for peaceful coexistence between peoples."
Pope Francis noted that the Davos Forum is taking place this year in "a very worrying climate of international instability," adding, it offers world leaders the opportunity to explore innovative ways to build a better world, and the He urged finding ways to foster "social cohesion, fraternity and reconciliation" among all people.
At the same time he lamented the protracted wars and conflicts tearing apart parts of the world, many of which are causing death and destruction among civilians.
"The peace that the people of our world long for cannot be other than the fruit of justice," he stated. "Accordingly, it demands more than simply putting aside the instruments of war; It requires addressing the injustices that are the root causes of the conflict."
Addressing the causes of the conflict, the Pope pointed to the prevalence of hunger and the exploitation of natural resources, even as some parts of the world waste food and a select few get rich from extractive industries.
It also condemned the "widespread exploitation of men, women and children forced to work for low wages and deprived of real prospects for personal development and professional growth."
"How is it possible," he asked, "that in today's world people continue to starve, be exploited, condemned to illiteracy, lack basic medical care, and be homeless?"
Globalization has a deeply moral dimension, Pope Francis said, adding that development requires a moral compass to guide discussions that shape the future of the international community.
He invited companies and states to work together to promote "forward-thinking and ethically sound models of globalization."
Development, the Pope said: "must involve subordinating the pursuit of power and individual benefit, whether political or economic, to the common good of our human family, giving priority to the poor, the needy and those in the most vulnerable situations." .
Finally, the pontiff called on business and political leaders to prioritize the equitable distribution of progress, so that economically disadvantaged people can reap the benefits of global growth.
"True development must be global, shared by all nations and in all parts of the world, or it will regress even in areas marked until now by constant progress."
Cardinal Turkson reads Pope's message
Source: AICA
In a message to the World Economic Forum in Davos 2024, Pope Francis urged businesses and world leaders to ensure that economic development benefits everyone and remains linked to solidarity.
The leaders of global business and politics are meeting this week in Davos, Switzerland, with the theme: 'Rebuilding trust.' To remind them of their duty to all humanity, Pope Francis sent a message to the World Economic Forum 2024, which was read on Tuesday by Cardinal Peter Turkson.
In his message, the pontiff stated that the greatest challenge facing humanity is to guarantee peaceful coexistence and comprehensive development for all.
"It is my hope," he said, "that the participants in this year's Forum are aware of the moral responsibility that each of us has in the fight against poverty, the achievement of comprehensive development for all our brothers and sisters, and the search for peaceful coexistence between peoples."
Pope Francis noted that the Davos Forum is taking place this year in "a very worrying climate of international instability," adding, it offers world leaders the opportunity to explore innovative ways to build a better world, and the He urged finding ways to foster "social cohesion, fraternity and reconciliation" among all people.
At the same time he lamented the protracted wars and conflicts tearing apart parts of the world, many of which are causing death and destruction among civilians.
"The peace that the people of our world long for cannot be other than the fruit of justice," he stated. "Accordingly, it demands more than simply putting aside the instruments of war; It requires addressing the injustices that are the root causes of the conflict."
Addressing the causes of the conflict, the Pope pointed to the prevalence of hunger and the exploitation of natural resources, even as some parts of the world waste food and a select few get rich from extractive industries.
It also condemned the "widespread exploitation of men, women and children forced to work for low wages and deprived of real prospects for personal development and professional growth."
"How is it possible," he asked, "that in today's world people continue to starve, be exploited, condemned to illiteracy, lack basic medical care, and be homeless?"
Globalization has a deeply moral dimension, Pope Francis said, adding that development requires a moral compass to guide discussions that shape the future of the international community.
He invited companies and states to work together to promote "forward-thinking and ethically sound models of globalization."
Development, the Pope said: "must involve subordinating the pursuit of power and individual benefit, whether political or economic, to the common good of our human family, giving priority to the poor, the needy and those in the most vulnerable situations." .
Finally, the pontiff called on business and political leaders to prioritize the equitable distribution of progress, so that economically disadvantaged people can reap the benefits of global growth.
"True development must be global, shared by all nations and in all parts of the world, or it will regress even in areas marked until now by constant progress."
Friday, January 19, 2024
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) at WEF 2024 in Davos
Summary
Special address by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland
Description
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting takes place in Davos from 15-19 January 2024. It will welcome over 100 governments from around the world, all major international organizations, the Forum's 1000 Partner companies, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth, social entrepreneurs and the media. Under the theme "Rebuilding Trust", it will seek to provide the crucial space to step back and focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.
Video: World Economic Forum (via European Broadcasting Union)
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
The Next Generation
Volume 43 Issue One January 2024
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
The Next Generation
“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
Psalm 90:1-2
If you are a Baby Boomer - born between 1946 and 1964, part of Generation X - born from 1965 to 1980, or even a Millennial - born between 1980 and 1994, you might feel far removed from the way of life embraced by the current generation of young adults known as Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2009. Although it may seem that we have barely had a chance to know Generation Z, they, too, have a new generation nipping at their heels. All children born since 2010 are part of a cohort that has come to be known as Generation Alpha. The oldest members of Generation Alpha will soon enter high school, and the very last Alpha baby will be born on December 31, 2024. In this edition of the Last Trumpet, we will take an in-depth look at what life is like now for Generation Alpha and what it might be like in the future.
Digital Natives
In 2010, just as the very first Alpha babies were being born, Apple released a new tablet computer called the iPad. (1) This would be a timely decision by the technology giant because the iPad would go on to become one of the favorite devices of children in the 2010s. According to the United States Census Bureau, a study conducted in 2021 revealed that 81 percent of American households with young children owned tablet computers. (2) The government publication also noted that a 2020 study by The National Survey of Children’s Health found that 26 percent of children spent four or more hours per day in front of a screen. (3) Furthermore, a 2020 report from Common Sense Media found that more than two-thirds of children aged five to eight have their own mobile devices. (4) Exposure to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, comes at a shockingly young age. According to a report published nearly nine years ago by Time Magazine, more than one-third of infants under one year of age have used a smartphone or tablet. (5)
Monday, January 15, 2024
What Is Disease X? How Scientists Are Preparing for the Next Pandemic
Cell nuclei being infected by SARS-CoV-
2.Photographer: Jane Barlow/PA Images
By Jason Gale
January 15, 2024 at 5:51 AM EST
It sounds like something Elon Musk might have cooked up: “Disease X.” In fact, the term was coined years ago as a way of getting scientists to work on medical countermeasures for unknown infectious threats — novel coronaviruses like the one that causes Covid-19, for example — instead of just known ones, like the Ebola virus. The idea was to encourage the development of platform technologies, including vaccines, drug therapies and diagnostic tests, that could be rapidly adapted and deployed in response to an array of future outbreaks with epidemic or pandemic potential.
1. What is ‘Disease X?’
It’s the somewhat mysterious name for an illness caused by a currently unknown, yet serious microbial threat. The World Health Organization added Disease X in 2017 to a short list of pathogens deemed a top priority for research, alongside known killers like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Ebola. The issue made it onto the agenda of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus joining other health officials to discuss it.
Covid-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, was an example of a Disease X when it touched off the pandemic at the end of 2019. The vast reservoir of viruses circulating in wildlife are seen as a likely source of more such diseases. That’s because of their potential to spill over and infect other species, including humans, giving rise to an infection against which people will have no immunity.
2. What’s the point of studying Disease X?
As the WHO puts it, it’s to “enable early cross-cutting R&D preparedness that is also relevant” for an unknown disease. The humanitarian crisis sparked by the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa was a wake up call. Despite decades of research, there were no products ready to deploy in time to save more than 11,000 lives. In response, the WHO created an R&D Blueprint to accelerate development of a range of tools for “priority diseases.”
The current list includes:
- Covid-19,
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever,
- Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease,
- Lassa fever,
- Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and SARS,
- Nipah and henipaviral diseases,
- Rift Valley fever,
- Zika,
- Disease X
3. How’s the research for the next pandemic going?
It took just 326 days from the release of the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the authorization of the first Covid vaccine, thanks in part to the work done since 2017 in preparation for Disease X. Now groups like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, are supporting rapid response vaccine platforms that could develop new immunizations within 100 days of a virus with pandemic potential emerging under a $3.5 billion plan. Other efforts underway include:
- Updating the International Health Regulations and developing a new global agreement to protect the world from future emergencies.
- A new fund, approved by the World Bank, for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
- A WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin that aims to speed access to key data, and develop analytic tools and predictive models to assess potential threats.
- The Global Virome Project that aims to discover zoonotic viral threats and stop future pandemics.
- A $5 billion US government initiative to develop next-generation vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, called Project NextGen.
- $262.5 million in funding for a US national network for detecting and responding more efficiently to public health emergencies.
- Establishment of global center for pandemic therapeutics.
Still, numerous challenges threaten to undermine these efforts, including depleted and weakened health systems, a growing anti-science movement that has increased vaccine hesitancy, and the potential for governments to eventually deprioritize funding for outbreak detection and preparedness as perceived risks dissipate.
The Reference Shelf
- QuickTakes on Covid’s aftermath, pandemic risks and the threat to humans from bird flu.
- The WHO homepage for Blueprint R&D.
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf urges “transformational change” to prepare for next pandemic.
- The International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat’s 100 Days Mission 2022 report.
- The University of Oxford asks if we’re ethically prepared for Disease X.
Bloomberg Opinion’s Lisa Jarvis talks Covid lessons with former White House adviser Anthony Fauci.
— With assistance from Marthe Fourcade
— With assistance from Marthe Fourcade
World Economic Forum 2024 kicks off in Davos with 'Rebuilding Trust' as key theme15
Jan 2024 16:00
WORLD
Against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions, evolving economic policies, and rapid technological advancements, the 54th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) kicked off Monday in Davos, Switzerland, with the theme "Rebuilding Trust," News.Az reports citing Anadolu Agency.
During the Jan. 15-19 meeting, over 2,800 participants from 120 countries, including prominent figures from the business, political, academic, and civil society realms, will gather to navigate the complex global landscape and seek solutions to pressing challenges.
WEF underscores the necessity of international collaboration in tackling humanitarian, climate, social, and economic challenges, encapsulated by this year's theme Rebuilding Trust.
Global risk analysis by WEF identifies disinformation, extreme weather events, and climate change as major threats, further complicated by mounting geopolitical crises.
Leaders will concentrate on six critical themes: Economic resilience, energy transformation, globalization, productive artificial intelligence, strengthening institutions, and women's health.
Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of WEF, emphasized the imperative to rebuild trust in a fragmented world witnessing increased social divisions.
The forum explores the impact of the technological revolution, sustainability, and the rise of populism.
Artificial intelligence (AI) takes center stage, with discussions focusing on its equitable use, regulatory frameworks balancing innovation and societal risks, and its interface with other transformative technologies.
The agenda also delves into the rise of populism, technological advancements, breakthroughs in medicine, robotics, AI, and digitalization.
Geopolitical issues, including the war in Gaza and Ukraine, feature prominently on the agenda, acknowledging the complex geopolitical landscape. Diplomatic discussions on conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Africa are anticipated.
News.Az
WORLD
Against the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions, evolving economic policies, and rapid technological advancements, the 54th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) kicked off Monday in Davos, Switzerland, with the theme "Rebuilding Trust," News.Az reports citing Anadolu Agency.
During the Jan. 15-19 meeting, over 2,800 participants from 120 countries, including prominent figures from the business, political, academic, and civil society realms, will gather to navigate the complex global landscape and seek solutions to pressing challenges.
WEF underscores the necessity of international collaboration in tackling humanitarian, climate, social, and economic challenges, encapsulated by this year's theme Rebuilding Trust.
Global risk analysis by WEF identifies disinformation, extreme weather events, and climate change as major threats, further complicated by mounting geopolitical crises.
Leaders will concentrate on six critical themes: Economic resilience, energy transformation, globalization, productive artificial intelligence, strengthening institutions, and women's health.
Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of WEF, emphasized the imperative to rebuild trust in a fragmented world witnessing increased social divisions.
The forum explores the impact of the technological revolution, sustainability, and the rise of populism.
Artificial intelligence (AI) takes center stage, with discussions focusing on its equitable use, regulatory frameworks balancing innovation and societal risks, and its interface with other transformative technologies.
The agenda also delves into the rise of populism, technological advancements, breakthroughs in medicine, robotics, AI, and digitalization.
Geopolitical issues, including the war in Gaza and Ukraine, feature prominently on the agenda, acknowledging the complex geopolitical landscape. Diplomatic discussions on conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Africa are anticipated.
News.Az
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Courage for the Conflict
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:12, 13.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” The very atmosphere is polluted with sin. Soon God's people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal. Instead of being strengthened and confirmed by opposition, threats, and abuse, they will cowardly take the side of the opposers. The promise is: “Them that honour me I will honour.” ...
Already the judgments of God are abroad in the land, as seen in storms, in floods, in tempests, in earthquakes, in peril by land and by sea. The great I AM is speaking to those who make void His law. When God's wrath is poured out upon the earth, who will then be able to stand? Now is the time for God's people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in the defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason....
The Captain of our salvation will strengthen His people for the conflict in which they must engage....
Now is the time when we should closely connect with God, that we may be hid when the fierceness of His wrath is poured upon the sons of men.27Testimonies for the Church 5:136, 137.
All who will gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their defections, and loyalty from their treason, will triumph with the third angel's message.28The Review and Herald, June 8, 1897.
Sons and Daughters of God, p.201.
Friday, January 12, 2024
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN 2024
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN 2024 01.11.2024
Today's Show: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN 2024
Chris discusses what may be the five most important issues in this new year 2024. What direction will the world take on issues such as immigration, the rise of Islam in the West, new warnings of Covid-19, the presidential election, and the possibility of World War III? We hear compelling arguments from a variety of sources, along with warnings about the days ahead. Finally, we consider the analysis of a South African minister and his observations about the United States, and how the whole world is watching our nation.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Tuesday, January 09, 2024
The History of the Counter-Reformation in a Nutshell
January 9, 2024 James Arendt
A friend asked me to write about the Counter-Reformation as succinctly as possible because he wanted to add pictures to the text. Most of the materials in this article have been compiled from other articles on this website.
Let’s start off with definitions:
A friend asked me to write about the Counter-Reformation as succinctly as possible because he wanted to add pictures to the text. Most of the materials in this article have been compiled from other articles on this website.
Let’s start off with definitions:
The Protestant Reformation
The 16th-century movement that was started by Martin Luther. Entire European nations protested against the abuses of the Roman Catholic church, endeavored to reform it, refused to continue to submit to the Pope, and sought to base their Christian beliefs and worship of God solely on what the Bible teaches, and not on Roman church traditions.
The Counter-Reformation
The Roman Catholic Church’s reaction to the Protestant Reformation and its efforts to undo it.
A brief history behind the two movements
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymn writer, professor, and Augustinian friar. He was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation.
Luther turned to the prophecies of the “little horn” of Daniel 7:8, the “man of sin” of II Thessalonians 2:3, and “the beast” of Revelation 13. He saw the truth and said to himself, “Why, these prophecies apply to the Roman Catholic Church!”
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, a statement of 95 points called the Ninety-five Theses, which protested against the sale of indulgences by the Church. According to Catholic doctrine, an “indulgence” is a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for forgiven sins. Luther wrote the sale of indulgences is an unbiblical practice that only enriches the Vatican and does nothing for the soul. Because of the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in the previous century, the Ninety-five Theses was reprinted and distributed to all the nations of Europe. The kings and princes of the nations who agreed with Luther subsequently left the Roman Catholic Church, and this resulted in a substantial loss of income for the Vatican! Catholic nations are usually poorer than Protestant ones because of the sale of indulgences and paying the Church money for other fruitless unbiblical practices such as masses for the dead.
Besides identifying the prophecies of the Antichrist as the office of the papacy, Luther also discovered that salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ and not through works or the Catholic sacraments as the Church of Rome insists. He discovered the truth of Romans 1:17 that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Monday, January 08, 2024
Pope Francis calls surrogacy “deplorable”
Revelation 13:3
Sunday, January 07, 2024
Saturday, January 06, 2024
Is not the Lord among us?
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.
Micah 3:11
Dark to Light: The Pope & His Pet Dragon
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January 3, 2024
The Dance of Life Podcast with Tudor Alexander
@danceoflifepodcast
The pope’s relationship to communist China is a fascinating topic of study for those who are aware of the truth behind end times events, and the destination that the world is headed toward rapidly where the kings of the Earth will give their power to Mystery Babylon. In this episode we will look at some key headlines in the last few years, as well as recently, and see what they have to reveal about what is to come.
Check out the full End Times Series here ad free:
https://www.danceoflife.com/p/end-times-series
Timeline
00:00 - Introduction
09:46 - Context on the Pope China Deal
17:09 - Current Events
36:12 - Communism's Relationship to Christian Nationalism
44:24 - Final Thoughts
Friday, January 05, 2024
Thursday, January 04, 2024
Wednesday, January 03, 2024
Sen. Menendez charged with receiving gifts from Qatar in new allegations in corruption scheme
Christie weighs in on new allegations in Bob Menendez corruption scheme
CNN —
Federal prosecutors allege Sen. Bob Menendez accepted race car tickets and other gifts from Qatar as part of a yearslong corruption scheme, with the Gulf nation joining Egypt as another foreign country the New Jersey Democrat is accused of helping while in office.
Prosecutors allege in the superseding indictment that Menendez’s bribery and extortion scheme continued into 2023, a year longer than initially alleged. The new indictment, made public Tuesday, amends and replaces the original indictment, listing the formal charges against a defendant.
READ: Superseding indictment in Menendez corruption case
Among the new allegations, according to the indictment, is that Menendez accepted payments from one of his co-conspirators, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes, in exchange for using his influence to help Daibes obtain millions of dollars from an investment fund tied to Qatar. The senator, prosecutors allege, additionally took steps to help Qatar.
Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, Daibes and two other New Jersey businessmen were indicted as part of a bribery scheme last year. All have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In addition to the bribery charges, Menendez is accused of acting as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt by allegedly taking steps to help the country in exchange for one of the defendants obtaining a monopoly on a Halal export business. Menendez has vigorously denied any wrongdoing.
Menendez’s attorney said in a statement Tuesday that “the government does not have the proof to back up any of the old or new allegations” but instead “a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials.”
“At all times, Senator Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with,” Attorney Adam Fee said in the statement. “Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot. This latest Indictment only exposes the lengths to which these hostile prosecutors will go to poison the public before a trial even begins. But these new allegations don’t change a thing, and their theories won’t survive the scrutiny of the court or a jury.”
The latest indictment alleges Menendez introduced Daibes, who was seeking an investment, to a member of the Qatari royal family and principal of the Qatari Investment Company. While the Qatari investment fund was weighing an investment, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar, according to the indictment.
“Menendez provided Daibes with these statements so that Daibes could share them with the Qatari Investor and a Qatari government officials associated with the Qatari Investment Company,” prosecutors allege.
VIDEO
Prosecutor shows what agents discovered in Menendez’s home (2023)
In August 2021, the senator sent a press release in which he praised the Qatari government to Daibes, texting him, “You might want to send to them. I am just about to release,” the indictment alleges. The following month, after attending a private event hosted by the Qatari government in Manhattan, Daibes texted Menendez photographs of luxury watches valued as much as $23,990, asking, “How about one of these?” Two days later, Menendez texted Daibes a link to a website tracking a Senate resolution supporting Qatar.
Months later in January 2022, Menendez texted the Qatari investor ahead of his meeting with Daibes in London to discuss the potential investment, writing, “I understand my friend is going to visit with you on the 15th of the month. I hope that this will result in the favorable and mutually beneficial agreement that you have been both engaged in discussing,” according to the indictment.
In May, at the senator’s request, the Qatari official provided tickets to the 2022 Formula One Grand Prix to a close relative of Nadine Menendez.
That same month, following a meeting between the senator, Daibes, and the two Qatari officials, the Qatari investment fund signed a letter of intent to enter into a joint venture with Daibes’ company. After, Daibes provided Menendez with a gold bar, according to the indictment.
Last year, the Qatari Investment Company made it official and invested tens of millions of dollars with Daibes. Menendez continued to receive benefits from the Qataris, including four tickets to that year’s Formula One Grand Prix race, the indictment alleges.
Prosecutors say Menendez did not note on his financial disclosure forms the gifts from Qatar and Daibes, including the gold bars and race tickets.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Tuesday, January 02, 2024
Unmasking Farmington: FTX, Fluent Finance and the Coming Digital Dollar
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS
Unmasking Farmington: FTX, Fluent Finance and the Coming Digital Dollar
A former partner of Farmington State Bank, the tiny rural bank embroiled in the FTX scandal, is now building the rails for CBDCs in the Middle East and beyond. Their recent activities may finally reveal the true motives behind Sam Bankman-Fried’s and his allies’ use of Farmington, with major implications for the coming Digital Dollar.
AND
DECEMBER 21, 2023
35 MINUTE READ
One of the oddest and most mysterious relationships that emerged out of the collapse of FTX last year was Alameda Research’s unusual relationship with Farmington State Bank, one of the smallest, rural banks in the United States that came under the control of Jean Chalopin in 2020. Chalopin is best known as the chairman of Deltec, one of the main banks for Alameda Research – FTX’s trading arm that played a central role in its collapse — and still one of the main banks for the largest fiat-backed stablecoin, Tether (USDT). Chalopin had acquired control over Farmington via FBH Corp., where Chalopin was listed as executive officer. Interestingly, Noah Perlman, a former DOJ and DEA official who is now Chief Compliance Officer at Binance and the son of Jeffrey Epstein associate and musician Itzhak Perlman, was also listed as a director of FBH Corp and has never publicly explained his connection with this Chalopin-controlled entity.
As Unlimited Hangout reported last December, soon after its acquisition by Chalopin’s FBH Corp., Farmington “pivoted to deal with cryptocurrency and international payments” after decades upon decades of serving as a single branch community bank in rural Washington. Soon after its pivot into the crypto space, Farmington struggled to move money and sought approval to become part of the Federal Reserve system. It also changed its name from Farmington State Bank to Moonstone Bank. The approval of Farmington by the Federal Reserve has been deemed highly unusual and as having “glossed over Moonstone’s for-profit foreign interests.” Late last December, Eric Kollig, spokesman for the Federal Reserve, told reporters that he could not comment “about the process that federal regulators undertook to approve Chalopin’s purchase of the charter of Farmington State Bank in 2020.”
Just days after Farmington formally changed its name to Moonstone in early March 2022, FTX-affiliated Alameda Research poured $11.5 million into the bank, which was – at the time – more than twice its entire net worth. Moonstone’s Chief Digital Officer, Jean Chalopin’s son Janvier, later stated that the funding from Alameda Research had been “seed funding … to execute our new plan of being a tech-focused bank.”
Monday, January 01, 2024
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