JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
Study on long COVID finds hidden lung abnormalities not detected in routine tests-Initial results suggest significantly impaired air transfer from lungs to bloodstream, linked to breathlessness, indicating possible microscopic damage to respiratory system-By TOI staffJAN 30,22-Today, 6:51 pm
Researchers have discovered abnormalities in the lungs of long COVID patients who suffered from breathlessness a long time after they were infected, which could not be detected with routine tests, according to media reports.The pilot study used xenon — an odorless, colorless, tasteless and chemically non-reactive gas — to investigate possible lung damage in patients who recovered from the disease but continued to experience shortness of breath.Initial results suggested significantly impaired gas transfer from the lungs to the bloodstream even though other tests – including CT scans – came back as normal, raising the possibility that COVID causes microscopic damage to the respiratory system.Breathlessness is a symptom in the majority of long COVID patients, but it has been unclear whether this is linked to other factors such as changes in breathing patterns, tiredness, or something more fundamental.The study’s chief investigator, Fergus Gleeson, professor of radiology at the University of Oxford and consultant radiologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We knew from our post-hospital COVID study that xenon could detect abnormalities when the CT scan and other lung function tests are normal.“What we’ve found now is that, even though their CT scans are normal, the xenon MRI scans have detected similar abnormalities in patients with long COVID. These patients have never been in hospital and did not have an acute severe illness when they had their COVID-19 infection. Some of them have been experiencing their symptoms for a year after contracting COVID-19,” he added.“There are now important questions to answer. Such as, how many patients with long COVID will have abnormal scans, the significance of the abnormality we’ve detected, the cause of the abnormality, and its longer-term consequences.“Once we understand the mechanisms driving these symptoms, we will be better placed to develop more effective treatments.”In the study, the patients were required to lie in an MRI scanner and breathe in one liter of the gas, which was tweaked so that it could be seen by the machine.Because xenon, which is safe to inhale, behaves in a very similar way to oxygen, radiologists can observe how it moves from the lungs into the bloodstream.The scans take just a few minutes and, as they do not require radiation exposure, can be repeated over time to see changes to the lungs.Dr. Emily Fraser, a respiratory consultant who leads the Oxford Post-COVID Assessment Clinic, said: “These are interesting results and may indicate that the changes observed within the lungs of some patients with long COVID contribute to breathlessness.“However, these are early findings and further work to understand the clinical significance is key,” she cautioned.Asked what people suffering from the symptom can take from the findings, she added: “I think that the message should be that we are actively researching what is driving long COVID.”But Dr. Fraser also said people should not give up on their exercises and rehab, as these are helpful.“Xenon follows the pathway of oxygen when it is taken up by the lungs and can tell us where the abnormality lies between the airways, gas exchange membranes and capillaries in the lungs,” she said.While the full study will recruit about 400 participants, the initial pilot had 36 participants making up three groups: patients diagnosed with long COVID who have normal CT scans, people who had been hospitalized with COVID more than three months previously and were not experiencing long COVID, and a healthy control group.The findings, which have not been peer-reviewed, have been posted on the bioRxiv pre-print server.
The Hill-UN ambassador says Russia would not amass troops 'if you don't have intentions to use them-Sun, January 30, 2022, 12:04 PM
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Sunday that Russia would not have amassed such a large military presence along the Ukrainian border without the intention of using it."We've seen the Russian playbook before. They are using disinformation. They're encouraging Ukrainians not to worry about an attack, but we know that the attack is possible," Thomas-Greenfield said on ABC's "This Week.""You don't amass 100,000 troops if you don't have intentions to use them," she added of the Russian troops along the border.Her remarks come as concerns about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine mount.Last week, President Biden announced that he would send a small number of U.S. troops to the eastern Europe in the 'near term'"I'll be moving troops to Eastern Europe in the NATO countries in the near term," Biden said on Friday to reporters at Joint Base Andrews. "Not too many."While the White House seems to be preparing for the strong possibility of a Russian attack in the near future, Ukraine has disagreed that an invasion is imminent and has been critical of the U.S. State Department's decision to encourage Americans and family members of embassy officials in Ukraine to leave the country.Now, the U.N. Security Council is set to have a meeting on Monday about the issue."We're going to go in the room prepared to listen to them, but we're not going to be distracted by their propaganda,"Thomas-Greenfield also said on Sunday ahead of the meeting. "And we're going to be prepared to respond to any disinformation that they attempt to spread during this meeting.""We have made clear that we're prepared to address our concerns, Ukrainian concerns, and Russian concerns at the diplomatic table. But it cannot be done on the battlefield," the ambassador added.
NATO chief says reaching out to Russia but 'prepared for worst' by AFP Staff Writers-Brussels (AFP) Jan 26, 2022
NATO on Wednesday delivered its proposals to Russia for a diplomatic solution to tensions triggered by Moscow's military build-up near Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, but remained "prepared for the worst"."We are now reaching out to Russia once again to try to pursue a path of dialogue and find a political solution," he said, after the alliance sent Moscow a written response to its security demands."But of course while we are hoping for and working for a good solution, de-escalation, we are also prepared for the worst," he said.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko confirmed to the news agency Interfax that Moscow had received the response from NATO, which was handed to Russia's envoy in Brussels.Asked how long Russia could take to study the response, he said: "We'll read it. We'll study it. Our partners had taken nearly a month and a half to study our draft."Stoltenberg said US-led NATO was ready for a "real conversation" over Russian concerns -- but rejected a key Moscow demand to close the door on Ukraine's hope of joining."We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliances and security in Europe and North America rest," he said.The alliance's proposals were handed over the same time as the United States delivered its own written response to the Kremlin.Moscow blindsided the West by publishing two draft treaties for the United States and NATO in December that would see Washington's influence rolled back in eastern Europe.The demands were made as Moscow massed some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, in a move the West warns could be the prelude to a large-scale invasion.Stoltenberg laid out a raft of areas where he said NATO thought it could engage constructively with the Kremlin, including improving communications, increasing transparency around military exercises, and arms control.NATO is hoping its offer is enough to convince Moscow to hold further talks with the alliance and de-escalate the tensions on the ground.
SUPERPOWERS-Ukraine separatists urge Russia to send modern weapons-by AFP Staff Writers-Moscow (AFP) Jan 27, 2022
A Ukrainian separatist leader on Thursday urged Russia to send modern weapons to the breakaway statelets to help them defend themselves against Western-backed Kyiv forces.Denis Pushilin spoke after Russia's ruling party urged the Kremlin to start arming the separatist-held regions with tensions soaring between Moscow and the West."First and foremost, we need to counter the Bayraktars," he told pro-Kremlin spin doctor Vladimir Solovyov in an online interview, referring to Turkish-made drones.Solovyov said Russia was capable of supplying separatists with next generation weapons instead of Kalashnikov assault rifles and Soviet-era machine guns.Pushilin said: "We need to talk about the weapons you mean."Pushilin, the self-declared leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, accused Kyiv authorities of continuing to prepare for an offensive and stocking up on ammunition and fuel.On Wednesday, a senior member of United Russia, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the governing party had asked the country's leadership to start arming Ukraine's separatist-held regions.The United States and its EU allies accuse Russia of seeking to upend European stability by threatening an invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic striving to join NATO and other Western institutions.Moscow denies plans to invade the country, where in addition to annexing Crimea, it has been backing separatist forces in the east since 2014. The conflict has already claimed more than 13,000 lives.The West and Kyiv accuse Moscow of fuelling an insurgency by sending weapons and troops across the border.Russia has always denied such claims, but Wednesday's statement could mark a change in Moscow's official stance.There was no immediate official reaction from the Kremlin.
US rejects Russia demand on Ukraine but talks see new life-By Shaun Tandon with Stuart Williams in Paris, Jonathan Brown in Moscow and Dmytro Gorshkov in Kyiv
Moscow (AFP) Jan 27, 2022 - A Ukrainian separatist leader on Thursday urged Russia to send modern weapons to the breakaway statelets to help them defend themselves against Western-backed Kyiv forces.Denis Pushilin spoke after Russia's ruling party urged the Kremlin to start arming the separatist-held regions with tensions soaring between Moscow and the West."First and foremost, we need to counter the Bayraktars," he told pro-Kremlin spin doctor Vladimir Solovyov in an online interview, referring to Turkish-made drones.Solovyov said Russia was capable of supplying separatists with next generation weapons instead of Kalashnikov assault rifles and Soviet-era machine guns.Pushilin said: "We need to talk about the weapons you mean."Pushilin, the self-declared leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, accused Kyiv authorities of continuing to prepare for an offensive and stocking up on ammunition and fuel.On Wednesday, a senior member of United Russia, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the governing party had asked the country's leadership to start arming Ukraine's separatist-held regions.The United States and its EU allies accuse Russia of seeking to upend European stability by threatening an invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic striving to join NATO and other Western institutions.Moscow denies plans to invade the country, where in addition to annexing Crimea, it has been backing separatist forces in the east since 2014. The conflict has already claimed more than 13,000 lives.The West and Kyiv accuse Moscow of fuelling an insurgency by sending weapons and troops across the border.Russia has always denied such claims, but Wednesday's statement could mark a change in Moscow's official stance.There was no immediate official reaction from the Kremlin.The United States on Wednesday rejected Russia's key demand to bar Ukraine from NATO and said it believed Moscow was ready to invade but offered what it called a new "diplomatic path" out of the crisis.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would speak again in the coming days to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as a separate initiative by France brought a promise by Moscow at least to keep talking to Ukraine's government.One month after Russia put forward sweeping security proposals, having sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine's border, the United States delivered a reply in co-ordination with NATO allies and said it was ready for any eventuality."It sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it," Blinken told reporters of the US response, which he said would remain confidential.He renewed an offer on "reciprocal" measures to address mutual security concerns, including reductions of missiles in Europe and transparency on military drills and Western aid to Ukraine.But he made clear that the United States would not budge on Russia's core demand that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO, the US-backed military alliance."From our perspective, I can't be more clear -- NATO's door is open, remains open, and that is our commitment," Blinken said.Russia, which has a fraught historical relationship with Ukraine, has fueled an insurgency in the former Soviet republic's east that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.Russia that year also seized Crimea after the overthrow of a government in Kyiv that had resisted efforts to move closer to Europe.The United States has warned of severe and swift consequences if Russia invades, including possible personal sanctions on President Vladimir Putin, and NATO has put 8,500 troops on standby."While we are hoping for and working for a good solution -- de-escalation -- we are also prepared for the worst," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.In a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Blinken on Wednesday sought to impress upon Beijing the "global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine," according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.China's foreign ministry said in a statement after the call that Wang told Blinken Russia's "reasonable security concerns should be taken seriously and resolved."Blinken's deputy Wendy Sherman, who led a previous round of talks with Russia, said Putin seemed ready to invade despite the US warnings."I have no idea whether he's made the ultimate decision, but we certainly see every indication that he is going to use military force sometime perhaps (between) now and the middle of February," Sherman told a forum.- French-led talks -In another bid to defuse tensions, senior Russian and Ukrainian officials met for eight hours in Paris with representatives of France and Germany.Dmitry Kozak, the Kremlin deputy chief of staff, said the talks were "not simple" but that another round would take place in two weeks in Berlin.France said after the so-called Normandy Format talks that the envoys committed to a fragile July 2020 ceasefire in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists."We need a supplementary pause. We hope that this process will have results in two weeks," Kozak said.An aide to French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the talks had been about resolving the separatist fighting in eastern Ukraine, not the threat of a Russian invasion.France and Germany have joined the United States in warning Russia against an invasion but have been less direct about sanctions.Germany's new coalition government has sent mixed signals on whether it would sever the soon-to-open Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, which will circumvent Ukraine to provide gas to Europe's largest economy.Amid warnings that tensions with the West could push Russia to squeeze supplies, Australian officials said Canberra stood ready to ship natural gas to Europe."We haven't received a formal request, but we are indicating that, of course, we are ready to support our friends," Resources Minister Keith Pitt told media in Sydney.US President Joe Biden, who spoke with European leaders by video-conference on Tuesday, said any Russian military attack on Ukraine would trigger "enormous consequences" and could even "change the world."Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while brushing off the impact, warned that attempts to punish Putin personally would be "destructive."- Ukraine seeks way out -The United States again encouraged its citizens to leave Ukraine, warning an invasion could be imminent.But Ukraine's government, hoping to prevent panic, has played down the dangers and sought to offer ways out.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters the Russian troops posed "a threat to Ukraine" but that the numbers deployed were "insufficient for a full-scale offensive."Andriy Yermak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky who took part in the Paris talks, wrote on Twitter that the meeting was "a strong signal of readiness for a peaceful settlement."burs-sct/ec/sw/leg/axn
US fighter jets arrive in Estonia for training-by AFP Staff Writers-Tallinn (AFP) Jan 26, 2022
Six US fighter jets arrived in Estonia on Wednesday to boost the NATO mission there, as tensions in the region rise over fears of a Russian assault on Ukraine.The F-15E jets arrived at the Amari base in northwest Estonia to take part in an exercise along with four Danish jets due to arrive in Lithuania on Thursday."The additional aircraft will work closely with the current detachments to increase our readiness, build crucial interoperability and underline the robust solidarity across the Alliance," Major General Joerg Lebert, Chief of Staff at Headquarters Allied Air Command in Germany, said in a statement.The exercise is taking place after Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called for a greater US presence in the Baltic states in order to deter Russia.Following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO set up a Baltic air policing mission and placed multinational battle groups in the three Baltic states and Poland.All four countries were once part of the Soviet bloc.Russia has demanded in recent weeks that forces from other NATO countries should be pulled back from the Western military alliance's eastern flank.
The Week-North Korea re-ignites tensions by testing longest-range missile since 2017-Grayson Quay, Weekend editor-Sun, January 30, 2022, 11:45 AM
North Korea launched a missile Sunday, ending a month that saw an unusually high number of weapons tests, NPR reported.According to The New York Times, "The tests enable the North to upgrade its missile forces while putting more pressure on the Biden administration to come to the table with more favorable terms, analysts said."Observers believe this latest launch to be the longest-range missile North Korea has tested since 2017.North Korea suspended nuclear and long-range ballistic missile testing in 2018, but this launch likely marks the end of that self-imposed moratorium."If it's an intermediate-range ballistic missile that they launched, it means that North Korea has come close to abandoning its moratorium," South Korean President Moon Jae-in told his National Security Council on Sunday. "North Korea must stop raising tensions and pressure and accept offers from South Korea and the United States to restart dialogue," he added.North Korea walked away from negotiations in 2019 after the Trump administration refused the authoritarian nation's demand for sanctions relief.The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the government of Japan joined South Korea in condemning the test.The missile was launched at 7:52 a.m. local time and did not enter the airspace of any other country.
The Hill-North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile in 7th test this month-Sat, January 29, 2022, 9:45 PM
North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Sunday, according to the South Korean military, marking potentially the seventh missile test the nation has conducted so far in 2022.The missile was launched from a northern inland area, but it was unclear exactly where it landed, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Associated Press reported.North Korea appeared to fire two missiles just three days earlier and another two the day before that. The nation also launched a tactical guided missile, two "hypersonic missiles" and a railway-borne missile system earlier in the month.North Korea has not tested long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons since 2017. But after talks with the U.S. died out under former President Donald Trump, the nation began short-range missile testing.Last week, North Korean officials said the country was considering resuming nuclear and missile tests, citing concerns about the U.S.'s "hostile policy and military threat."Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea, told the Associated Press that the shows of force could be a sign that North Korea wants recognition from other world powers."It wants to remind Washington and Seoul that trying to topple it would be too costly. By threatening stability in Asia while global resources are stretched thin elsewhere, Pyongyang is demanding the world compensate it to act like a 'responsible nuclear power,'" Easley told the news outlet.The U.S. has expressed concern about the flurry of missile launches.Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called the tests "profoundly destabilizing."And earlier in January, the U.S. sanctioned five North Koreans who the Treasury Department said were responsible for procuring goods for Pyongyang's ballistic missile program.
North Korea fires two missiles as testing blitz continues-by AFP Staff Writers-Seoul (AFP) Jan 27, 2022
North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles Thursday, Seoul said, its sixth weapons test this month in one of the most intense spates of launches on record that has delivered an emphatic rejection of Washington's offers for talks on its nuclear programme.Pyongyang has not fired this many missiles in a calendar month in decades, according to data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies -- a Washington-based think tank.The last time they came close was in 2019, after high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and then-United States president Donald Trump collapsed.With US talks stalled since then, Pyongyang has doubled down on Kim's pledges of military modernisation, embarking on a string of sanctions-busting launches this month, including hypersonic missiles.The sabre-rattling comes at a delicate time in the region, with Kim's sole major ally China hosting Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for a presidential election in March.Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected two suspected short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Hamhung city area towards the East Sea from around 8 am (2300 GMT)."The projectiles flew 190 kilometers (118 miles) at an altitude of 20km," they said.Pyongyang fired two suspected cruise missiles on Tuesday, and tested ballistic missiles on January 14 and 17. It also fired what it said were hypersonic missiles on January 5 and 11."I believe, if we include the two cruise missiles, this is now the most recorded North Korean missile launches in any month ever," analyst Ankit Panda wrote on Twitter.The barrage could be part of North Korea's regular military training, or linked to ongoing celebrations of Kim's decade in power or upcoming domestic anniversaries, he added.The country is preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Kim's father, late leader Kim Jong Il, in February, as well as the 110th birthday of the its founding leader Kim Il Sung in April.- 'New capabilities' -North Korea is reeling economically from international sanctions and a two-year-long pandemic blockade, but has managed to develop an "impressive" array of offensive weaponry.Some of the recent tests aim "to develop new capabilities, especially for evading missile defenses," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Seoul's Ewha University."Other launches are intended to demonstrate the readiness and versatility of missile forces that North Korea has already deployed.""Pyongyang is running hard in what it perceives as an arms race with Seoul," Easley added.The distances and altitude of the Thursday tests indicate the launches are part of North Korea's regular military training, said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.Such tests are "aimed at thwarting the deployment of US-South Korea strategic maritime assets such as an aircraft fleet," he said."It also reflects Pyongyang's message to the global community that such training is part of its exercise of sovereignty and that the outside world has no business talking about it," he added.Pyongyang has repeatedly defended its weapons programs as part of the "legitimate exercise of the right to self-defence".It has not tested intercontinental ballistic missiles or nukes since 2017, but last week hinted it could restart such launches, blaming US "hostile" policy for forcing its hand.The diplomatic cost to Kim of the recent tests is minimal thanks to strong backing from Beijing, which has blocked efforts to impose new sanctions over short-range missile tests.China's ambassador to South Korea, Xing Haiming, told local radio station MBC on Wednesday that North Korea felt it was not being given sufficient credit for its four-year moratorium on long-range and nuclear testing."They feel that such measures are not taken seriously and that no answers have been given" he said, speaking in Korean..
EU to fund construction of Israel, Cyprus, Greece electricity cable link-Cypriot minister says ‘Eurasia Interconnector,’ which three countries signed off on last year, could push Mediterranean island’s use of renewable energy sources above 50% by 2030-By AP-jan 27,22-Today, 2:02 pm
NICOSIA, Cyprus — The European Union has earmarked 657 million euros ($736 million) for the construction of a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable that will link the power grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece, Cypriot Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said Thursday.Pilides said the money — from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, which bankrolls infrastructure projects — will enable crews to start constructing the segment of the cable that will connect Cyprus with Crete, whose total cost is estimated at roughly 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). Negotiations to transfer the funds are expected to wrap up this summer.Pilides said beyond the project’s geopolitical weight, it will ensure Cyprus’ energy security, boost competitiveness in the power supply sector and help the island nation more easily transition to a green economy.With the cable’s completion, it’s expected that more investment will flow into renewable energy sources enhancing the energy mix of Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Pilides said a study shows that the cable in combination with power storage facilities could push Cyprus’ use of renewable energy sources above 50% by 2030.Pilides and her Greek and Israeli counterparts signed an agreement last October to speed up technical work on the cable dubbed the “Eurasia Interconnector.”The agreement aimed to expedite permits and approvals for feasibility studies and to help the three countries’ national electricity coordinators to cooperate on how best to move forward. The cable’s first phase is expected to be completed by 2025.The move toward an electricity cable link appears to have supplanted plans for a potential pipeline connection between the three countries to convey gas from existing and potential deposits off Cyprus and Egypt to Europe through Greece.Support for the so-called East Med pipeline project has waned amid questions over its feasibility as well as its adverse impact on the environment.Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said last week that studies on the pipeline’s feasibility were still ongoing, but other alternatives are open to get gas to markets.Among the more likely options is to convey Cypriot gas to Egyptian processing plants where it would be liquefied for export by ship.
Following prison siege, Syria Kurds hunt down jihadists-Syrian Democratic Forces claim to retake full control of Ghwayran prison, where six-day battle with IS fighters claimed more than 200 lives-By Gihad Darwish-jan 27,22-Today, 2:00 pm
HASAKEH, Syria (AFP) — Kurdish-led forces on Thursday found dozens of jihadists holed up in a Syrian prison as they carried out mop-up operations after recapturing the facility from Islamic State group jihadists.An IS assault on the sprawling Ghwayran prison complex near the city of Hasakeh on January 20 sparked six days of fighting, in violence that claimed more than 200 lives.It was the most high-profile attack launched by the jihadists since the loss of their “caliphate” nearly three years ago.The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said they had retaken full control of Ghwayran prison on Wednesday, ending battles that turned the largest city in northeastern Syria into a war zone.But search operations the next day found around 60-90 jihadists still holed up in one wing of the prison, the SDF said, adding that 3,500 IS inmates had so far surrendered to its forces.“Our forces have made a call for safe surrender… and in case they did not surrender, we will deal with them firmly,” it said in a statement.Hasakeh, meanwhile, entered its fourth day in lockdown with US-backed Kurdish forces blocking all entrances to the city to keep fleeing jihadists from crossing into other areas.Around 45,000 people had fled their homes in Hasakeh to escape the violence, according to the United Nations, with many taking shelter in mosques or wedding halls inside the city.‘Risked our lives’On Thursday, families gathered at a checkpoint erected at the entrance to the neighborhood of Ghwayran, pleading with security forces to let them through, according to an AFP correspondent.“We came to check on our house,” said Abu Hamza, who was waiting in the blistering cold with his five children.“But they turned us away because the situation is not good,” he added.Nearby, two women carrying plastic bags packed with bread were also hoping to gain access to the neighborhood where they said trapped civilians had been left without basic supplies for days.“People have been left without bread, without water, without anything,” one of the women told AFP.“We came, and risked our lives to buy bread for the neighborhood and we will distribute it,” she said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Kurdish forces combing areas inside the prison were proceeding with “great caution over fears of suicide bombers or landmines laid by the IS group.”The Britain-based war monitor said 156 IS jihadists, 55 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians had been killed since the start of the assault.The Kurdish authorities have insisted no inmates escaped from the compound but the Observatory, which relies on sources on the ground, has said significant numbers got away.‘Broader crisis’Ghwayran held an estimated 3,500 IS inmates, including around 700 minors, when the initial IS attack began with explosives-laden vehicles driven by suicide bombers.“The Kurdish-led forces’ recapture of the prison ends this immediate deadly ordeal, but the broader crisis involving these prisoners is far from over,” Human Rights Watch warned on Wednesday.“The US-led coalition and others involved need to quickly ensure that all prisoners, especially the wounded, ill and children, are safe and receive food, water and medical care,” it added.Prisoners who surrendered were being transferred to safer facilities as operations in Ghwayran continued, the SDF said.Kurdish authorities say more than 50 nationalities are represented in Kurdish-run prisons holding more than 12,000 IS suspects.The Kurdish administration has long warned it does not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, all the IS fighters captured in years of operations.“I think we should not have been surprised, we have been warning about this for quite some time,” UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told the Security Council Wednesday when asked about the attack.The administration’s foreign policy chief Abdulkarim Omar said it was up to the international community to put foreign jihadists on trial or repatriate them.The IS threat is “like a fireball, it gets more dangerous and complicated with time,” he told AFP on Wednesday.The self-declared IS caliphate, established in 2014, once straddled large parts of Iraq and Syria.After five years of military operations conducted by local and international forces, its last rump was eventually flushed out on the banks of the Euphrates in eastern Syria in March 2019.
Naming Raisi, ex-UN officials urge probe of Iran’s 1988 mass execution of dissidents-Former senior United Nations officials and Nobel prize winners call for investigation into killings of some 30,000 detainees, with Iranian president among alleged perpetrators-By AFP-jan 27,22-Today, 1:43 pm
LONDON — Former senior United Nations officials and Nobel prize winners on Thursday urged the UN human rights office to launch a probe into mass executions of political prisoners in Iran.An open letter made public calls for the Human Rights Council to launch an international investigation into the killings of some 30,000 detainees in 1988.It names Iran’s current President Ebrahim Raisi and the head of judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei among the alleged perpetrators, who “continue to enjoy impunity.”The letter says “thousands of political prisoners who refused to abandon their beliefs were executed. The victims were buried in mass graves scattered throughout the country.”The killings took place after Iran’s then-spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared a fatwa on prisoners who supported the People’s Mojahedin of Iran, an opposition group, which Tehran considered a terrorist organization.Those executed included Marxists and other leftists. Khomeini died in 1989.“We believe it’s long overdue for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to investigate the 1988 massacre,” the open letter reads.Ultra-conservative cleric Raisi was elected president of Iran in June last year, replacing Hassan Rouhani.For opposition and human rights groups, his name is linked to the 1988 executions when he was deputy prosecutor of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.Exiled opposition groups say he was part of a commission that sent thousands of jailed opponents to their deaths within a few months.Raisi has denied involvement in the executions.In 2019, the US placed Raisi on a sanctions list citing the executions and other alleged rights abuses.The letter was organized by a London-based association of families of victims called Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran.Signatories include ex-senior UN figures such as Joachim Rucker, a former president of the Human Rights Council, and Claude Heller, a former president of the Security Council.Others signing included the former president of Chile Ricardo Escobar, the former president of the European Commission Jacques Santer and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, as well as 18 Nobel Laureates.The National Council of Resistance of Iran, a coalition of opposition groups, last August urged police in Scotland to arrest Raisi for human rights and abuses and genocide if he attended the UN climate summit in Glasgow in November.Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both called for his indictment for human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
Snow blankets Jerusalem, transforming city into winter wonderland-Rare covering of white delights residents as schools, kindergartens stay shut; snow may not stick around for long, though, with rain falling and temperatures set to rise-By TOI staff-JAN 27,22-Today, 11:58 am
Jerusalem residents woke up Thursday to a blanket of white after a rare storm saw around 20 centimeters of snow settle on the capital overnight, delighting adults and children alike.However, it may not last for long, with rain starting on Thursday morning set to continue into the weekend in most parts of the country, along with a slight rise in temperatures.The severe weather system, dubbed Elpis, had dropped snow on the north of the county from early Wednesday morning, with the conditions spreading steadily south throughout the day.Municipal workers worked through the night to clear roads in the city, with 250 snow plows deployed and nearly 150 tons of salt spread over roads.But schools and kindergartens remained shut on Thursday, allowing the children of the city to enjoy the snow.Israel’s central hilly region, including Jerusalem, gets snowfall once every few years, though forecasts of snow often don’t pan out. The storm also brought snow to the north, and other parts of the country saw strong winds and heavy rainfall.
