Category: Watching

G20: Finance ministers meet to discuss global tax reform

DW – July 9, 2021

The Italian city of Venice is set to host a summit of finance ministers and central bankers from the G20 countries on Friday.

Top of the agenda is implementing a  global tax reform, spearheaded by the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, that proposes a minimum corporate income tax of 15%.

Some 130 countries already backed the plan, brokered by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The minimum tax rate would bring in an estimated $150 billion (€127 billion) in additional tax revenues globally.

Who benefits most from tax reform?

The G20 members, which comprise the world’s largest economies and account for over 80% of global GDP, are expected to be the main winners from the planned tax reform.

Tax havens that slashed their corporate taxes to incentivize multinational companies to set up headquarters there would lose out the most.

Nevertheless, many, such as Panama and Bermuda, have signed up.

Countries will have until the end of 2023 to put the proposed tax reform into law. But ministers may question the ability of the US government to get such a proposal through the hotly divided US Congress where Republicans have already fought against US President Joe Biden’s domestic tax plans.

Pockets of resistance

Not all countries have agreed to the deal, however, with EU member states Ireland, Estonia and Hungary holding back.

https://www.dw.com

Will there be another EU ‘exit’ – over homosexuality?

Patrick J. Buchanan – July 1, 2021

Respect LGBT rights or get out of the EU, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte instructed Hungary’s Viktor Orban at last week’s gathering of the European Union in Brussels.

According to Reuters, attendees described it as the “most intense personal clash among the bloc’s leaders in years.”

What caused the clash?

Hungary just passed a law that bans schools from using materials seen as pro-homosexuality. According to the AP, the new law “prohibits sharing content on homosexuality or sex reassignment to people under 18 in school sex education programs, films or advertisements.”

Rutte eagerly related details of his confrontation with Orban: “It was really forceful, a deep feeling that this could not be. It was about our values; this is what we stand for.”

“I said, ‘Stop this; you must withdraw the law, and if you don’t like that and really say that the European values are not your values, then you must think about whether to remain in the European Union.'”

Orban calls himself a freedom fighter and defender of traditional Catholic values who believes in democracy but not liberalism: “The Hungarian nation is not a mere pile of individuals.”

https://www.wnd.com

Israel Begins Testing Of New World Order Centralized Digital Currency

Mac Slavo – June 22, 2021

We are down to the wire. The digital dollar is here and is now being tested in a pilot program in Israel.  If we, as a society, are not yet aware enough to reject this obvious enslavement, we are all in big trouble.

Andrew Abir, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel, has started to issue digital shekels as the first step of an internal pilot program. The idea of the digital shekel has been kicked around since 2017 but, Israel decided to put the development of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) into high gear. As reported by The Jerusalem Post and published in a report by Yahoo News, the pilot test was announced by Abir at a conference of the Fair Value Forum of IDC Herzliya.

We all know by now that a fully controlled and centralized digital dollar is one of the keys to the total enslavement of mankind.  If we want any chance at all in the future or even care about humanity, people will need to reject this as what it is: your slave marker. The central banks will essentially own you.

The digital dollar/shekel/euro etc. will be controlled by the central banks and turned off as the rulers see fit.  They will ensure that you are taxed immediately and will stop transactions on a whim.  You will be allowed to only do what you are told and obey. If you choose to dissent, you will be cut off from any of the funds that you earned. We had better start to unite and stand up for each other against this or they will continue to divide and conquer:

During his speech, Abir stated that the Bank of Israel had already run a digital currency pilot, much to the surprise of everyone in attendance. The report suggests that this was an unintentional reveal by the bank’s Deputy Governor when discussing the need for a digital shekel and its possible effects on the financial sector. –Yahoo News

This isn’t new. This is a part of the Great Reset into a totalitarian slave dystopia.

https://www.shtfplan.com

Irish couple aborts son with ‘fatal foetal abnormality,’ then finds out he was perfectly healthy

Jonathon Van Maren – June 23, 2021

June 23, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — On May 26, 2018, a crowd of supporters packed into the courtyard at Dublin Castle erupted into wild celebration at the news that the 8th Amendment had been repealed by Irish voters. Irish leaders had promised that there would be no ghoulish celebration if feticide were legalized; such promises fell by the wayside as the news arrived. People embraced; cheered; sang; sobbed. For the first time in Irish history, it would finally be legal to kill a child in the womb on Irish soil. For some, it was a joyous occasion.

Through years of dedicated activism (which I describe in my book Patriots: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Pro-Life Movement) and during the valiant Save the 8th Campaign, pro-lifers warned that abortion regimes spawn unthinkable griefs and horrors. Abortion rates always go up; children with Down syndrome are always killed because they are unwanted; barbarism is always perpetrated against pre-born babies. Abortion is a bloody business.

The pro-life movement’s prophecies are sadly coming true. The Irish abortion rate is steadily rising. Late-term babies are aborted. And of course, mistakes are made. Deadly mistakes. Forever mistakes.

The saddest example of this involves a couple that was told by doctors that their pre-born baby boy had a “fatal foetal abnormality” after discovering that they were pregnant the day before Christmas in 2018. On February 21, 2019, the couple had an ultrasound done at the private Merrion Fetal Health Clinic, where they were told to pursue another test for potential disorders such as Down syndrome or Edward’s Syndrome (also known as Trisomy 18). A week later, the parents were told that their boy had Trisomy 18. This condition is one of the key exceptions laid out in Health Minister Simon Harris’ 2018 abortion legislation for an abortion after the 12-week cut-off.

A follow-up test at the Greater Glasgow Health Board resulted in the parents being told once again that their baby had Trisomy 18, and shock set in. Doctors told them that their boy would not be viable, that he had a “fatal foetal abnormality,” and they were advised to get an abortion “in no uncertain terms.” There was another test they could get — a karyotype analysis — but the couple says they were told not to wait for the results and to go ahead with an abortion. The baby boy was killed at the National Maternity Hospital on March 14, 2019, at fifteen weeks gestation.

But after the abortion, the parents — Rebecca Price and Patrick Kiely of Dublin — discovered the results of the advanced test. Their dead boy had been “perfectly healthy.” Heartbroken, Price and Kiely brought separate lawsuits against the National Maternity Hospital and those involved in guiding them towards the decision in March of 2019. They named their son Christopher Joseph Kiely.

https://www.lifesitenews.com

Bennett sworn in as prime minister, unseating Netanyahu after 12 years in power

Raoul Wootliff – June 13, 2021

In a history-making vote, Israel’s 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, installing Yamina chair Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousting Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years of consecutive rule as premier.

MKs voted by a wafer-thin 60-59 in favor of the new government, made up of right-wing, left-wing, centrist, and Islamist parties that came together to oust Netanyahu and end two years of political deadlock.

One MK, Ra’am’s Saeed al-Harumi, abstained from the vote, in a protest centered on the demolition of Bedouin homes in the Negev. Three MKs from the predominantly Arab Joint List — Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi and Osama Saadi — stayed out of the chamber until the votes were initially counted, ready to abstain if necessary to ensure the coalition was elected, but entered to vote against once it was clear that the required simple majority was assured.

Immediately following the confidence vote, members of Netanyahu’s government vacated the seats on the government table in the Knesset plenum, with Netanyahu leaving the prime minister’s chair.

Passing Bennett, the now-former prime minister shook his successor’s hand in a symbol of the peaceful transition of power. Earlier in the session, Netanyahu had derided Bennett in a speech as a fraudster unfit for office, and Netanyahu-loyalist MKs had heckled Bennett through his address introducing his government and setting out its plans.

Following the nail-biting vote, Bennett was sworn in as prime minister, as were his new government colleagues. His election represents the first time that Israel has been led by a religiously observant, kippa-wearing prime minister. He is also the leader of the smallest faction ever to appoint a prime minister, as his Yamina has a mere seven MKs, one of whom, MK Amichai Chikli, voted against the new government.

Bennett, 49, is also Israel’s second-youngest prime minister — the record for youngest stays with Netanyahu, who was just 46 the first time he assumed the role in 1996.

https://www.timesofisrael.com

Bibi’s done? Anti-Netanyahu coalition notifies Israeli president that it has formed new government after Arab party joins

RT – June 2, 2021

Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett have put together a governing coalition to oust PM Benjamin Netanyahu, just minutes before time ran out. For the first time in history, an Arab-Israeli party will be on board.

Lapid, who leads the Yesh Atid party, informed President Reuven Rivlin shortly before midnight on Wednesday that he has “succeeded in forming a government” and that his coalition partner Bennett of Yamina “will serve as prime minister first.” Lapid will take over as PM after two years, under the terms of the agreement.

As the clock ticked closer to the statutory deadline to form a new government or face yet another general election, the tipping point seemed to be the coalition agreement with Mansour Abbas of the United Arab Party (Ra’am).

Gideon Saar’s New Hope party added their six to the coalition following the Ra’am announcement. Lapid’s party has 17 seats. It takes 61 to have a governing majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Though Ra’am has only four MKs, their support is a historic development – the first time an Arab party has come on board a ruling coalition.

Yamina’s Bennett was present for the deal, and also signed a coalition agreement with Lapid. They also secured the support of Blue and White, led by current Defense Minister Benny Gantz – his former coalition partner who had accepted a role in Netanyahu’s unity government in May 2020.

If Lapid and Bennett’s razor-thin coalition gets approved by the Knesset, it will hold off the need for yet another general election; Israel has held four over the past two years, repeatedly failing to deliver a majority government. The vote may happen as early as next week, but the current Likud speaker of the Knesset is reportedly pushing for a delay.

https://www.rt.com

Gov. Abbott signs near-complete ban on abortion in Texas

Alex Briseno – May 19, 2021

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Wednesday that abortion opponents call a milestone measure to protect life, while others decry it as one of the most extreme restrictions in the nation and vow to fight it in court.

The law, proposed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, sets a ban on abortion the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is as early as six weeks, before many are aware of their pregnancy. It goes into effect Sept. 1.

The law also allows any private citizen to file a civil lawsuit against abortion providers, and anybody who “aids or abets” the performance of a procedure in violation of the ban. The law includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies that resulted from cases of rape or incest.

One amendment prevents a person who impregnated an abortion patient through rape, incest or sexual assault from bringing a lawsuit forward under this measure.

Abbott, who made his support of the bill clear before it received final approval, signed the proposal alongside Hughes, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville, the House sponsor. They were joined by dozens of Republican lawmakers at the governor’s mansion, and Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, a longtime abortion opponent.

“Our creator endowed us with the right to life and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion,” Abbott said before signing the bill. “In Texas, we work to save those lives. That’s exactly what the Texas Legislature did this session.”

“The heartbeat bill is now law in the Lone Star State,” Abbott added.

https://www.dallasnews.com

French soldiers warn of civil war in new letter

BBC – May 10, 2021

A new open letter has been published in France warning of the threat of civil war and claiming to have more than 130,000 signatures from the public.

The message, published in a right-wing magazine, accuses the French government of granting “concessions” to Islamism.

“It is about the survival of our country,” said the text, said to be issued anonymously by soldiers and appealing for public support.

The French government condemned it, as well as a similar letter last month.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called the latest letter a “crude manoeuvre” and accused its anonymous signatories of lacking “courage”, AFP news agency reported.

The letter to the government last month came from semi-retired generals. The minister in charge of the armed forces, Florence Parly, said they would be punished for defying a law that forbids reservists or serving members of the military from expressing opinions in public on religion and politics.

However, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a candidate in next year’s presidential election, spoke out in support of the estimated 1,000 servicemen and women who backed the April letter.

The new text was published late on Sunday by Valeurs Actuelles, although the numbers and ranks of its original signatories – said to be active members of the military – remain unclear.

https://www.bbc.com

Anger boils in Northern Ireland despite attempts to end riots

Luke Butterly – April 12, 2021

Belfast, Northern Ireland – On Saturday, the 23rd anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the decades of conflict that claimed over 3,000 lives, David Devlin was on the streets trying to keep the peace.

“Anything could happen, but we are hoping for peace, hoping tonight remains calm,” they told Al Jazeera.

Video footage of young people throwing petrol bombs at one of the gates that separate these areas – on which the words “There was never a good war or a bad peace” are painted – has been watched with horror across the world.

“Things this evening appear to be quite calm, there does not appear to be any other gatherings on either side of the interface,” Devlin said as they began their shift.

“Over the past few nights, we have been out on the ground trying to talk to young people, dissuade them from any risk-taking behavior, trying to get them go, stay safe, and not engage in anything that is going to put their safety at risk.”

Northern Ireland has been rocked by sporadic rioting in loyalist working-class areas, amounting to the worst violence seen in years.Loyalists back a Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, as opposed to a united Ireland.

https://www.aljazeera.com

Biden Becomes 1st President to Omit ‘God’ from National Day of Prayer Proclamation

Michael Foust – May 6, 2021

President Biden on Wednesday issued a National Day of Prayer proclamation that touted the “power of prayer” and invited Americans to “give thanks,” although the proclamation’s absence of the word “God” sparked criticism and marked the first time that’s happened in modern history.

By a 1952 law, every U.S. president must issue a proclamation designating a National Day of Prayer. This year the day fell on May 6.

“Today, we remember and celebrate the role that the healing balm of prayer can play in our lives and in the life of our Nation,” the proclamation reads. “As we continue to confront the crises and challenges of our time – from a deadly pandemic, to the loss of lives and livelihoods in its wake, to a reckoning on racial justice, to the existential threat of climate change – Americans of faith can call upon the power of prayer to provide hope and uplift us for the work ahead.”

On the National Day of Prayer, “we unite with purpose and resolve, and recommit ourselves to the core freedoms that helped define and guide our Nation from its earliest days,” it reads.

“We celebrate our incredible good fortune that, as Americans, we can exercise our convictions freely – no matter our faith or beliefs,” it reads. “Let us find in our prayers, however they are delivered, the determination to overcome adversity, rise above our differences, and come together as one Nation to meet this moment in history.”

The proclamation, though, omits the word “God,” making Biden the first president not to include “God” in his proclamation in the modern history of National Day of Prayer proclamations. The omission is ironic, because secular groups in recent months have criticized Biden for discussing religion too much.

https://www.christianheadlines.com