Isabella

The rebel Luhansk People's Republic – which denies registration to many religious communities including all Protestants – threatens to cut off gas, electricity and water to places of worship belonging to unrecognised communities. The rebel authorities have allowed the only Catholic priest to return to the territory, but have not said if he can remain permanently or only for three months. In 2019 the rulers of the unrecognised self-declared Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine cut off or threatened to cut off gas, electricity and water supplies to religious communities which had a recognised place of worship but which failed to gain registration under LPR laws. Gas supplies were cut off in 2019. In late 2019 the LPR authorities also threatened to cut off electricity and water supplies. "Officials argue that they cannot supply gas, electricity and water to organisations that don't officially exist, as they can't have contracts with them," Baptist Pastor Serhii Moroz told Forum 18 (see below). In December 2019 Culture, Sport and Youth Minister Dmitry Sidorov, revealed that of the 195 registered religious organisations, 188 are from the Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate. The others are Muslim, Old Believer, Jewish and Catholic. No Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, Hare Krishna or other communities are allowed to get registration No registration – no gas, electricity, water Religious communities which had a recognised place of worship but which failed to gain registration under LPR laws had their gas cut off in 2019, Baptist Pastor Serhii Moroz, who is originally from the region but now lives in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, told Forum 18 on 4 February 2020. In late 2019 came the threat that electricity and water too would be cut off. "Officials argue that they cannot supply gas, electricity and water to organisations that don't officially exist, as they can't have contracts with them," Pastor Moroz told Forum 18. Communities which met in church members' homes have not had gas, electricity and water supplies cut, Pastor Moroz added. Inna Sheryayeva, head of the Religious Organisations and Spirituality Department of the Culture, Sport and Youth Ministry in Luhansk, told Forum 18 she had not heard that gas, electricity and water supplies have been or are threatened with being cut off to places of worship that have not been able to gain registration. http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2540

A High Court judge has raised concern after hearing that ministers in a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses waited more than two and a half years before telling police that a girl had made sex abuse allegations against her father. https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/crime/jehovahs-witness-ministers-delayed-reporting-child-abuse-claims-police-1385803

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Macy’s to close 125 stores, cut 2,000 corporate jobs, in hunt for growth The department store chain announced Tuesday it plans to shut 125 stores over the next three years and slash about 2,000 corporate jobs, as it closes its Cincinnati headquarters and tech offices in San Francisco. Macy’s said it plans to exit weaker shopping malls, and instead shift its focus toward opening smaller-format stores in strip centers. Macy’s has shuttered more than 100 stores since 2015. Still, looking ahead three years from now, even with these changes, growth at Macy’s looks abysmal. With a smaller base of stores, Macy’s said net sales in fiscal 2022 are expected to be within a range of $23.2 billion to $23.9 billion, while earnings per share, on an adjusted basis, will be between $2.50 and $3.00. Same-store sales, on an owned plus licensed basis, are forecast to be down 1% to flat. Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/macys-to-close-125-stores-cut-2000-corporate-jobs-in-hunt-for-growth/ar-BBZEn4C?li=BBnbfcN

Vicious stabbing on quiet Brooklyn Heights street Tuesday morning NYPD investigating Clark Street attack A construction worker was stabbed in the chest in a shocking attack on Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights on Tuesday morning. Police from the 84th Precinct responded around 6:39 a.m. to a 911 call about a man with multiple stab wounds in front of 59 Clark Street, an empty storefront next to Hans Market deli. EMS transported the victim to New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he remains in stable condition, according to NYPD spokesperson Sergeant Jessica McRorie. Police blocked off the scene with crime tape as commuters walked to the Clark Street subway station, just feet away, and parents accompanied their children to nearby schools. Detectives from the 84th Precinct interviewed construction workers The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights, a former Jehovah’s Witnesses property at 21 Clark St. being converted into luxury senior residences. An investigator at the scene said the victim had been working at that project site, which is surrounded by scaffolding. “Our thoughts are with the victim, who is thankfully expected to make a full recovery,” Peter Wilk at Wilk Marketing Communications, the spokesperson for the 21 Clark Street redevelopment team, told the Brooklyn Eagle. Read more: https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2020/02/04/vicious-stabbing-on-quiet-brooklyn-heights-street-tuesday-morning/

More photos: https://www.6sqft.com/luxury-senior-housing-set-to-open-in-brooklyn-heights-former-leverich-towers-hotel/

Since Jehovah’s Witnesses deny blood transfusion on religious grounds and liver transplantation is historically related to potential massive perioperative blood loss, therefore, Jehovah’s Witnesses represent a great clinical challenge when indicated to this procedure, and keeping this in mind, researchers undertook this retrospective review to define a perioperative management pathway with strategies toward a transfusion-free environment, to ultimately afford not only liver transplant to selected Jehovah’s Witnesses patients but also to translate this practice to all general surgical procedures. They analyzed data for Jehovah’s Witnesses patients who had liver transplantation at their Institution. A preoperative red cell mass optimization package and the intraoperative use of normovolemic haemodilution, veno-venous bypass and low central venous pressure were included in the perioperative multimodal strategy to liver transplantation in Jehovah’s Witnesses. Among 13 Jehovah’s Witness patients who underwent liver transplantation, 4 developed acute kidney injury (one needed extracorporeal renal replacement therapy) and one required vasoactive medications to support blood pressure for the first 2 postoperative days. Re-laparotomy was performed on 2 patients. One-year follow-up revealed 12 alive recipients and the death of one because of septic complications. Experts concluded that liver transplantation, when performed at a very experienced centre and using a multidisciplinary approach, can be feasible and safe in selected Jehovah’s Witnesses patients, as confirmed by the findings. https://www.mdlinx.com/journal-summaries/liver-transplantation-jehovah-witnesses-bloodless-medicine/2020/02/04/7604698/?spec=surgery

A High Court judge has issued a warning after a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses were more concerned with the “spiritual counselling” of a sexually abusive father, than protecting his young daughter. Ministers in a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses waited more than two and a half years before telling police that the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had made sex abuse allegations against her father. Mrs Justice Lieven said there had been a "failure to take effective steps to protect a young child" which gave rise to "deep concern". https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/04/high-court-judge-jehovahs-witnesses-prioritised-spiritual-counselling/

At least 20 former Jehovah's Witnesses are suing the group over historical sexual abuse they say they suffered. The group has a policy of not punishing alleged child sex abuse unless a second person, alongside the accuser, has witnessed it - or an abuser confesses. It says its elders "comply with child-abuse reporting laws even if there is only one witness", though, and always tell police if a child is in danger. But one former elder said it had been failing to involve the authorities. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51006771

Google is temporarily shutting down all of its China offices due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company confirmed to The Verge on Wednesday. The shutdown includes all offices in mainland China, as well as Google’s offices in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Currently, the offices are closed for the extended Lunar New Year holiday, a measure the Chinese government took to help reduce the spread of the virus by encouraging residents to stay inside and avoid travel. https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/29/21113817/coronavirus-google-china-offices-temporary-closing-virus-outbreak-risk

Virus threatens U.S. companies’ supply of Chinese-made parts and materials The battle to contain the Chinese coronavirus threatens to cut off U.S. companies from parts and materials they need to produce iPhones, automobiles and appliances and drugs to treat medical conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure and malaria. Some of the United States’ best-known manufacturers such as General Electric, Caterpillar and the Big Three automakers, along with many smaller American businesses, depend on what is made in Chinese factories. Now, they confront life without those items. Major airlines in the United States and Europe are halting their cargo and passenger flights to China for up to two months. Recent visitors to the country are barred from entering the United States. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/virus-threatens-us-companies-supply-of-chinese-made-parts-and-materials/2020/02/02/6ee567f0-4478-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html Apple shuts down all stores and corporate offices in China amid the continued Wuhan coronavirus outbreak Apple announced on Saturday it was closing all of its offices and stores in China out of an "abundance of caution" amid the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. The Wuhan coronavirus has killed at least 259 and infected around 12,000, primarily in China. Apple, which earns about a quarter of its operating income in China, said it will keep its online store open during the shutdown. https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-wuhan-apple-shuts-down-stores-and-offices-in-china-2020-2 US companies suspend China operations, restrict travel as coronavirus outbreak becomes global crisis Disney, Tesla, airlines and other global companies with significant footprints in China are suspending operations as they respond to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The WHO has recommended against “measures that unnecessarily interfere with international trade or travel.” As the virus continues to spread, and institutions respond, it threatens to disrupt sectors from travel and retail to tech. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/01/coronavirus-companies-suspend-china-operations-restrict-travel.html

JW Survey has obtained documents affirming that the Jehovah’s Witness headquarters in the United Kingdom has orchestrated a systematic takeover bid of all Kingdom Hall properties located in England, Scotland and Wales. In a letter dated November 8th, 2019, the London-based Kingdom Hall Trust announced that all UK congregations will dissolve their status as individual charities and become branches of the KHT. The Kingdom Hall Trust (KHT) is a Jehovah’s Witness legal corporation established in 1939 as the London Company of Kingdom Witnesses. On June 30, 1978, it was officially registered as a charity in the UK. In 1994, the name was changed to the Kingdom Hall Trust. While the KHT was already engaged in the acquisition of property used by Jehovah’s Witness church members, the latest directive “proposes” that all UK Branch Congregations relinquish their individual charity status and operate under the blanket control of the Kingdom Hall Trust charity. Five documents were leaked, including a private letter to all elders, a separate letter to be read to congregations, and an FAQ document explaining the dissolution of congregation charities. Also included are the pre-formatted meeting minutes and congregation resolutions to be filled out, resolved, and returned to the KHT. According to the letter presented to individual congregations, the UK Charity Commission approved the merging of all UK congregations into the Kingdom Hall Trust, with the premise that all congregations in the United Kingdom agree to these changes. The language used cleverly suggests that the merger is optional: “Your charity is now being invited to take part in this process and merge with The Kingdom Hall Trust. Next week a resolution will be put to all baptized members of your congregation so that you can decide whether or not to go along with this proposal.” [bold ours] It may be of interest to the Charity Commission that congregational compliance to central directives is not optional. All resolutions placed before congregation members from the Jehovah’s Witness governing entities are passed without contest. Financial Implications While the Kingdom Hall Trust directors state that these changes are for purposes of simplification, the leaked documents suggest that permanent control of property and finances may be the true motivation. The November 2019 letter to congregation members says: “However, because elders would no longer serve as trustees, your local donations would be administered by KHT as part of its general funds. This could mean that the Trustees decide to use your donations to support the Kingdom work elsewhere in our branch territory and throughout the world to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. This is in harmony with the equalizing explained at 2 Corinthians 8:14 “… that by means of an equalizing, your surplus at the present time might offset their need, so that their surplus might also offset your deficiency, that there may be an equalizing”.” [bold ours] While Witnesses have always been able to donate funds to the “Worldwide” work, the latest directive appears to give the Kingdom Hall Trust the ability to extract funds normally marked for local use only, and allocate them for use by Jehovah’s Witness leadership anywhere in the world. Read more: https://jwsurvey.org/news/jehovahs-witness-uk-headquarters-dissolves-kingdom-hall-charities-seizes-full-control-of-property-and-finances

Perlas 03 de Febrero 2020.pdf

Several Russian citizens have sought asylum in Norway due to religious persecution. Norwegian authorities confirm that they have accepted applications from Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Yes, there have been asylum applications in 2019 from Russian nationals seeking protection for fear of persecution because of their religion, mainly Jehovah’s Witnesses,” UDI communications adviser Oda Gilleberg told Vårt Land. She says there has been a slight increase in applicants who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses from Russia in 2018 and 2019. Last year, nine Russians received protection under the asylum law. Some of these were Jehovah’s Witnesses, the UDI confirms. About 175,000 people in Russia belong to Jehovah’s Witnesses. The organization was banned by a Supreme Court ruling in 2017. The order stamped Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist organization, and the translation of the Bible, the New World, is considered extreme literature and is forbidden. The Helsinki Committee points out that members of Jehovah’s Witnesses are being persecuted in Russia and, among other things, restrictions have been placed on owning property. Last year, 18 Jehovah’s Witnesses were convicted in the country of participating in an extremist organization. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) states that Norway is concerned about the situation of the religious group. “Over time, the Foreign Ministry has had close contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses about the situation of their fellow believers in Russia. We are therefore well acquainted with the situation and are concerned about how this group is being treated,” writes State Secretary Marianne Hagen in an email to Vårt Land. https://norwaytoday.info/news/norway-grants-asylum-to-russian-jehovahs-witnesses/

The former Leverich Towers Hotel at 21 Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights has had many lives—a residential hotel for wealthy Brooklynites, a Yiddish radio station and apartments for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now it’s being renovated into a high-end senior living facility where typical rooms rent for $10,000 to $16,000 a month. https://commercialobserver.com/2020/02/former-jehovahs-witness-dorm-becomes-luxe-senior-living-facility-in-brooklyn-heights/#slide3

The company that owns the helicopter that was carrying basketball great Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others when it crashed was not licensed to fly in foggy conditions, officials say. Island Express Helicopters was limited to operating when the pilot was able to see clearly when flying. The pilot reportedly had the federal certification to fly the helicopter relying only on cockpit instruments. However he is likely to have had little experience in doing so, experts say. This was due to him being restricted by the company's licensing. The cause of the crash in foggy weather west of Los Angeles is still being investigated. Bryant was on his way to coach his daughter's basketball team in a local youth tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy. Meanwhile, on Friday the Lakers played their first game since Bryant's death, going up against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in LA. The team paid tribute to Bryant by warming up wearing his numbers - 8 and 24 - while thousands of fans chanted, "Kobe, Kobe!" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51332546

The car won't start, it's falling apart I was late for work and the boss got smart My panty line shows, got a run in my hose My hair went flat, man, I hate that Just when I thought things couldn't get worse I realized I forgot my purse With all this stress, I must confess This could be worse than PMS This job ain't worth the pay Can't wait 'til the end of the day Honey, I'm on my way Hey, hey, hey, hey Honey, I'm home and I had a hard day Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way Rub my feet, gimme something to eat Fix me up my favorite treat Honey, I'm back, my head's killing me I need to relax and watch TV Get off the phone, give the dog a bone Hey, hey, honey, I'm home I broke a nail opening the mail I cursed out loud 'cause it hurt like hell This job's a pain, it's so mundane It sure don't stimulate my brain This job ain't worth the pay Can't wait 'til the end of the day Honey, I'm on my way Hey, hey, hey, hey Honey, I'm home and I had a hard day Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way Rub my feet, gimme something to eat Fix me up my favorite treat Honey, I'm back, my head's killing me I need to relax and watch TV Get off the phone, give the dog a bone Hey, hey, honey, I'm home Oh, rub my neck will you Honey, I'm home and I had a hard day Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way Rub my feet, gimme something to eat Fix me up my favorite treat Honey, I'm back, my head's killing me I need to relax and watch TV Get off the phone, give the dog a bone Hey, hey, honey, I'm home I'm home, that feels much better Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Robert John Lange / Shania Twain Honey, I'm Home lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Every endless night has a dawning day Every darkest sky has a shining ray And it shines on you baby can't you see You're the only one who can shine for me It's a private emotion that fills you tonight And a silence falls between us As the shadows steal the light And wherever you may find it Wherever it may lead Let your private emotion come to me Come to me When your soul is tired And your heart is weak Do you think of love As a one way street Well it runs both ways, Open up your eyes Can't you see me here, How can you deny It's a private emotion that fills you tonight Every endless night has a dawning day Every darkest sky has a shining ray It takes a lot to laugh as your tears go by But you can find me here Till your tears run dry It's a private emotion that fills you tonight Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Eric Bazilian / Eric M. Bazilian / Rob Hyman / Robert Andrew Hyman Private Emotion lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Major US airlines expand flight cancellations to China and Hong Kong American Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced more flight cancellations to China on Saturday as coronavirus cases continued to rise. Delta said it will suspend flights between the United States and China starting on Sunday until at least April 30, according to a press release. That's four days earlier than it had initially planned. Delta's last China-bound flight left on Saturday, February 1, and its final returning flight from China to the United States leaves on Sunday. Delta moved the date up after the US State Department warned that people should not travel to China due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus, which was first discovered in Wuhan, Hubei province, in December. United Airlines -- which announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai from February 6 -- is also reducing flights from the US to Hong Kong. https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-02-02-20-intl-hnk/index.html

Would you dance if I asked you to dance? Or would you run and never look back? Would you cry if you saw me crying? And would you save my soul tonight? Would you tremble if I touched your lips? Or would you laugh? Oh, please tell me this Now would you die for the one you love? Oh hold me in your arms tonight I can be your hero baby I can kiss away the pain I will stand by you forever You can take my breath away Would you swear that you'll always be mine Or would you lie? Would you run and hide? Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? I don't care, you're here tonight I can be your hero baby I can kiss away the pain I will stand by you forever You can take my breath away Oh, I just hold you I just hold you, oh yeah Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind? Well, I don't care, you're here tonight I can be your hero baby I can kiss away the pain I will stand by you forever You can take my breath away I can be your hero baby I can kiss away the pain I will stand by you forever You can take my breath away You can take my breath away I can be your hero Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Enrique Iglesias / Mark Taylor / Paul Michael Barry Hero lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.