We begin with–what may at first sight appear to be–a rather strange article about aliens. But it’s none other than Stephen Hawking, allegedly the most intelligent man alive–who warns of the existence of hostile aliens. He proposes that aliens might attack this planet in the future. Even though no aliens exist, Satan and his demons do.

As The Telegraph reported on April 26, “Spooky sightings of ghouls, ghosts and evil spirits are higher than they have been in the past 25 years, according to a new report on haunted Britain. There have been nearly 1,000 reports of demonic activity in the past quarter of a century… Encounters with devils, demons and evil spirits are as widespread today as they were in medieval times.”

In addition, we read in Scripture that deceived men will fight the returning Jesus Christ and His angels. Will they do so, in part, because they believe that they are encountering an alien attack?

We continue with reports on Arizona’s controversial new Immigration law that is bound to increase foreign hostility towards the USA, and quote articles about increasing hostility towards the state of Israel. While President Obama is accused of adopting a policy shifting away from Israel and towards Arab nations, we are informed that allegedly “all” Muslims believe that there never was a First or a Second Temple; and another article reports about the well-known fact of Nazi propaganda in the Arab world during World War II. 

We also quote from a Canadian article, discussing the many unanswered and troublesome questions pertaining to Barack Obama’s “eligibility” as US President under the US Constitution.

Focusing on Europe, and Germany in particular, we report on Germany’s highly unpopular war in Afghanistan; Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s suffering image; the future of Greece and the Eurozone–and the fact that the EURO IS HERE TO STAY; the political and economic situation in Great Britain; the bumpy start of Germany’s newly appointed Muslim minister; and Austria’s pitiful presidential “election.”

We continue with a series of articles on the ongoing sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church and on that Church’s high profile in Portugal, and conclude with an article claiming that Noah’s Ark has been found.

The tremendous damage and upheaval caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland is still accumulating. As AFP pointed out on April 21, “Passengers from around the world dozed on floors and huddled in blankets at London’s Heathrow airport Wednesday, still waiting to get home after days of misery even after the flight ban was lifted.” Deutsche Welle added on April 22 that “since the start of the airport closures last Thursday, three million passengers have had their flights cancelled… With airports and airlines now open for business, it is estimated it could take days, or even weeks to clear the backlog of passengers.”

Der Spiegel points out that if weather conditions had been slightly different and if the weather had not “conspired against Europe,” none of the terrible consequences would have been felt in Europe. It is truly remarkable that just at the moment the volcano began to erupt, the wind changed directions and began to blow the ash cloud towards Europe. Given the fact that according to the Bible, spiritual forces influence and control the weather, we leave it to the reader to ponder whether this was mere “coincidence.” In addition, a real danger exists that two adjacent volcanoes might erupt as well.

Israel celebrated this week its “Remembrance Day” or “Memorial Day,” as well as its “Independence Day.” Congratulations from world leaders notwithstanding, articles point out that, according to the predominant thinking in Israel, the “war against the State of Israel and the Jewish people has no borders” and that “Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Israel and that it will never be divided.”

In an interesting twist, Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi praised President Obama as a friend, stating that “regardless of his African belonging, he is of Arab Sudanese descent, of Muslim descent.” At the same time, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a House subcommittee that the U.S. Supreme Court is “evading” the issue of Barack Obama’s eligibility as President, while the Arizona House voted for a provision that would require Mr. Obama to show his birth certificate if he hopes to be on the state’s ballot when he runs for re-election.

We continue with a report on Germany’s ongoing Afghan debacle. Seven German soldiers were killed within the last two weeks, and the German public is becoming increasingly vocal against continued German participation in the war. The German media argues that the government is partly or mainly to be blamed, as it has never explained the reason for the mission which began in 2002. At the same time, it is being suggested that “a premature withdrawal” would damage Germany within the NATO alliance, and that “the warning that Germany may isolate itself must be taken very seriously.”

We report about a discussion on the future of the euro and demands for a fiscally and politically unified United States of Europe. The Bible shows indeed that such a unity of continental Europe will occur in the not-too-distant future. We conclude with German reactions to the resignation of German Bishop Mixa.

While President Obama is hosting a nuclear proliferation summit, being aware that “nuclear terrorism is an urgent threat” to U.S. and world security, and while Burma is arising as a new potential nuclear foe, the highly prestigious German paper, “Die Zeit,” warns that the US is stirring towards another recession (or to say it more accurately, that the US is actually facing a prolonged continuation of its current recession). And while the new health care bill poses more questions than it answers, concerns are raised again regarding Barack Obama’s eligibility as President, given the fact that the Kenyan Parliament and the Kenyan Ambassador to the US claim that Mr. Obama was not born in Hawaii, but in Kenya.

In addition, the relationship between President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel leaves much to be desired. Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 14: “US President Barack Obama came to power promising to unite the nation. Now he has divided it even more than his predecessor George W. Bush.”

Germany is confronted with the grim reality of having to admit its active participation in the “unjust” and highly unpopular Afghan war, which is increasingly costing lives.

Turning our attention to the tragedy involving the death of the Polish elite, commentators have a hard time agreeing on what the future will hold for the grief-stricken country of Poland. Up until now, Poland has been considered as a strong ally of the United States, Israel and Europe. With a new Polish leadership, relationships with Europe will become even stronger, but the Bible predicts that the friendship between Europe, including Poland, and the United States and Israel will soon grow cold.

While Israel mourns the death of a strong ally, preparations in Israel are ongoing for the building of the Third Temple and the beginning of weekly sacrifices. At the same time, voices are heard warning against Obama’s attacks on Israel and a dramatic shift of Obama’s policy against Israel.

Hungary is experiencing a move to the right, and as if to silence the critics and gainsayers of the euro, Europe’s currency surged to a one-month high against the U.S. dollar. At the same time, the “BRIC” nations are emerging as a new power bloc and a potential threat for Europe.

More strong earthquakes were experienced in the Solomon Islands, in Spain and in China, prompting Sky Channel to ask: “Is it almost time for the big one?… We’re wondering if these quakes will continue, and where the Earth will decide to shake next…” And the eruption of a volcano in Iceland shows how fragile our civilization is, and how natural disasters can easily paralyze our way of living.

We report about the ongoing sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church; the continuing failure of that church to effectively deal with the issue; and an announcement that atheists in England are supporting efforts to ascertain whether Pope Benedict XVI can be arrested and tried when he comes to Britain in September, for “having committed a crime against humanity” in respect to the sex abuse scandal. In this world of political intrigue, it is of course highly doubtful that a British court would allow those claims to go forward and for the pope to be prosecuted, as so far, no American court has been found which is actively pursuing to try the nagging question whether Barack Obama is even eligible to be President under the U.S. Constitution.

We conclude with reports on contaminated vaccines and poisons and heavy metals in our meat–showing how fragile and destructive our “civilization” really is.

Earthquakes this week, including those in Mexico on April 4 (7.2) and in Indonesia on April 6 (7.8), were again a sobering reminder of Christ’s words about “the beginning of sorrows.”

Adding to this President Obama’s announcement of a major shift in America’s defense policies, which will potentially weaken the US military substantially; the incredible confusion surrounding President Obama’s “one and only” supposed accomplishment so far–the new health care legislation; ongoing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan; the increasing desire to build a third temple in Jerusalem; deteriorating relationships between Israel and Turkey; Britain’s unfounded hope for a brighter future as the result of their upcoming general election in May; the celebration of the pagan Easter festival; and the ongoing discussion of the sex scandal within the Roman Catholic Church; and it should not be too difficult to decipher the “signs of the times.” We can expect further tumultuous events to occur in the near future, culminating in the RETURN of Jesus Christ.

Especially the apparent present crisis of the Catholic church is noteworthy. The Vatican and bishops and Catholic newspapers and agencies have begun to deny any culpability of the church or the pope and have instead gone on the attack against those who report the criminal activities and the cover-ups within the organization. This strategy may prove to be “successful”: Many believing Catholics may indeed be caught unawares. As the old saying goes: If one tells a lie or denies the truth long enough, many will believe it.

The U.S. House passage of sweeping health care legislation has by no means ended the political battle. Apart from the fact that some of the more critical changes won’t become effective for at least four or more years, Republicans have already announced that they will try to get the entire legislation repealed and that they are challenging major provisions in court. Der Spiegel argues that the continuing US health care debate may not be that positive for President Obama himself, and it may be very bad for the rest of the world. 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a strong warning to Israel, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out halting settlement construction in the city of Jerusalem. Israel is facing total isolation. French President Sarkozy suffered a bruising defeat in regional elections, and the political upheaval surrounding German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg continued.

Finally, the pope’s letter of apology, strictly directed to the Irish church, was deeply disappointing–and no confidence was restored in the Vatican’s willingness to really deal with the mounting problems regarding their pedophile priests. Especially in Germany and Austria, the pope’s silence on the WORLDWIDE sex scandal was highly condemned. But even the reputation of the very person of the pope is at stake. As Die Tageszeitung wrote: “…the pope shies away from any debate about sexual morality in the church. And one can only hope that his public silence about the abuse cases in Germany, is not because the pope himself was unhappily involved in such a case when he was the archbishop of Munich…”

The controversy surrounding Greece’s problems continues, and even though some critics suggest that the euro will be abandoned, we can safely say, based on biblical prophecy, that this won’t happen. Several articles, quoted below, state quite categorically that the euro is here to stay, even though they do not conceal the fact that the euro is built on lies, and that some EU countries–especially Germany–will emerge within the EU, “calling the shots as Europe’s de facto lender”… and leader. 

At the same time, we see Germany’s current government in disarray, and the popularity of Germany’s recent “rising star”–Defense Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg–is diminishing. Time magazine informs us that “Germans are disgruntled.” Nevertheless, Germany has become the world’s third largest weapons dealer.

The sex scandal of the Roman Catholic Church is continuously widening. In a feeble attempt to counteract the charges, “the Vatican has rallied around the pontiff, claiming that ‘certain elements’ had launched a targeted campaign to discredit the Catholic Church.” This reaction was undermined by the statement of the chief exorcist of the Catholic Church, claiming that “the devil is in the Vatican.”

The British Telegraph wonders whether President Obama has reached the end of his road; other articles report that US-Israeli relations are at an all-time low; an article by the Sacramento Bee magnifies the incredible incompetence of U.S. governmental agencies; The Times warns of Putin’s desire for a resurging powerful Soviet Union; and media reports suggest that the USA and/or the EU will take military action against Iran with or without U.N. approval.

This issue focuses heavily on events in Europe.

We begin this section by reporting on the collapse of the Dutch government, which was mainly caused by disagreements on how to proceed in Afghanistan. The highly unpopular Afghan war might force other individual European governments to either withdraw their troops or to risk political defeat. At the same time, the EU–as a unified entity–is getting more and more involved, politically and militarily, in countries such as Afghanistan.

Looking merely after its own economic interests, France struck a military deal with Russia, thereby antagonizing and frightening other European countries. Israel warns that Britain and the USA may be next in line to be accused of war crimes, and Europe is struggling to resolve the Greece debacle which is blamed to a large extent on secretive U.S. dealings. The German government is asking the Catholic Church to deal with its problems of sexual child abuse through deviant priests. At the same time, Germany’s female leader of the Protestant church resigned over an incident of drunk driving.

An interesting article discusses the Habsburg legacy, and we conclude with an admission of scientists that they make mistakes–showing that our trust must never be in science if it contradicts the Word of God.

We begin by reporting on remarkable events in Europe. Due to a temporary decline of the euro and a surge of the dollar, voices were heard claiming the inevitable break-up of the euro zone. These voices do not understand biblical prophecy. The euro is here to stay, and it is predestined to become the most powerful currency of the world’s most powerful political and military entity. The EU has begun to show its new-found powers, as established in the Lisbon Treaty. In a surprising move which angered the USA, the European Parliament blocked an agreement with Washington on sharing European bank data.

Turning to events in Germany, the country’s coalition government is hopelessly divided. The (correct) position of Germany’s Vice Chancellor on the welfare “reform” is being openly criticized by the Chancellor and other high-ranking officials, and of course by the opposition. Politics can again be seen at its worst.

In the middle of the political turmoil in Germany, the Roman Catholic Church is facing another sex abuse scandal of perhaps historical proportions, while trying to “deal” with the sex scandal in Ireland. 

Focusing on the USA, with much of his legislative agenda stalled in Congress, President Obama is seriously considering using his executive powers in a wide variety of issues. This brings to light the unsettling question as to when democracy ends and dictatorship begins. The U.S. Marines leading one of NATO’s biggest offensives against the Taliban in Afghanistan are facing fierce resistance, and there are different opinions on how much progress NATO has made or will make.

Finally, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister expressed doubts about the usefulness of more sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, demanding instead “a more immediate solution,” and Israel finds itself in trouble again with Britain, France, Germany and other nations.

In this edition, we focus primarily on events pertaining to and affecting Europe. We begin with an article about Britain, showing how interest groups and political maneuvering are trying to keep a party and a leadership in power which have–by all objective standards–shown themselves to be politically bankrupt.

We then address the present difficulties that European unification is facing. It is being proposed that because of European disarray, America’s President has no need to even listen to or meet with Europeans. The duplicity of European and other nations in dealing with Iran is now being matched by Iranian duplicity in its dealings with Europe and others.

Realizing the sad state of European affairs, especially German politicians are now pleading for a unifying European army–realizing that Britain will probably not have a part in such a project. At the same time, frictions between Europe and America continue.

We conclude with a lengthy report on Germany’s Catholic sexual abuse scandal, which is casting a very dark and disturbing light on the very “image and system” of the Catholic church itself.

The state of the U.S. economy appears to be hopeless. No recovery is in sight, nor should we expect any substantial improvement. Instead, we are told that the latest U.S. budget is “a recipe for financial disaster” and that America’s debt crisis can be associated with Third World countries.

The recent Afghan conference was a total and complete failure, and it is interesting how everything seems to work against the USA. Brussels is upset with Washington, and Europe is becoming painfully aware that it must do more to achieve influential and powerful unification. Tensions between the USA and Iran are heightening, in spite of empty words and “promises” from the Iranian government, and mixed signals from Washington show an ongoing policy of glaring inconsistencies and indecisiveness.

While Barack Obama’s mentor goes public with his criticism of the President’s performance, Republican challenger Scott Brown continues to make controversial remarks in an effort to distance himself from the Republican GOP, and Germans become increasingly dissatisfied with their current government.

In Haiti, survivors thank their voodoo gods and goddesses for protection, as, according to a Haitian saying, “people here are ’60 per cent Catholic, 40 per cent Protestant and 100 per cent voodoo.” At the same time, the U.S. Air Force “accommodates” cadets by setting aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers.

While the pope criticizes British equality rights laws as endorsing homosexual conduct, an ever-widening scandal in Germany and elsewhere sheds a terrible light on Jesuit priests who committed sex crimes against boys.

The government of Catholic France is refusing to grant citizenship to Muslims unwilling to cease wearing burquas, and a jury in Oregon convicts parents who believe in divine healing “of criminally negligent homicide for failing to seek medical care for their 16-year-old son.” We conclude with an excerpt from our free booklet, titled, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,” addressing parental responsibilities in cases of sick children.