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)
TRUMP COULD END UP PRESIDENT IF PINHEAD-PUSS HEAD BIDEN QUITS.
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:3,30
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 32:18-29 (NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES LAND PROMISED ISRAEL BY GOD ARE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIED)
18 “Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised! (IN HELL FIRES)
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.
21 Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’
22 Assyria (SYRIA) is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam (IRAN) is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal (RUSSIA) are there with all their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.
28 But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.
29 Edom (JORDAN) is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.THIS IS RIGHT FROM 93:
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
PSALMS 83:1-8 (GODS LAND PROMISED TO ISRAEL)
1 O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they (ARAB,MUSLIMS) conspire against your people;they plot against those you cherish.(ISRAELIS)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(TREATIES) they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom (JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites, (EGYPTIAN ARABS SO CALLED PALESTIANS) of Moab (JORDAN) and the Hagrites,(EGYPT)
7 Byblos,(HEZBOLLOH) Ammon (JORDAN) and Amalek,(SYRIAN ARABS IN THE SINAI) Philistia,(ARABS) with the people of Tyre (LEBANON).
8 Even Assyria (SYRIA) has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
THE FINANCIAL BASE OF THE DEMOLIBNUTS WANT PUSS HEAD BIDEN OUT.NO MONEY BACKING FOR PUSS HEAD BIDEN.THESE MONEY BIG WIG LIBS WANT BIDEN OUT, NOW. WITHIN THE NEXT 4 DAYS.IF THIS WOULD GO TO COURT IF BIDEN GETS THE BOOT. THE COURT COULD ALLOW TRUMP TO TAKE OVER THE PRESIDENCY. JUST THINK HOW NUTS THE LIBERAL PUSS HEADS WOULD GO THEN IF DONALD JOHN TRUMP ENDED UP BEING PRESIDENT WITHOUT AN ELECTION.
Trump calls Biden an ‘old, broken-down pile of crap,’ says VP Harris ‘so f***ing bad’Republican US presidential candidate filmed in his golf cart asserting that the incumbent president is ‘quitting the race’ following poor debate performance last week-By ToI Staff 4 July 2024, 4:14 pm
Former US president Donald Trump was seen in a candid video published on Wednesday calling US President Joe Biden an “old, broken-down pile of crap” who is on the verge of pulling out of the November elections.The video, obtained by The Daily Beast, was filmed as Trump sits in a golf cart with his youngest son, Barron. It is unclear where or when the footage was filmed or if Trump was aware that he was being recorded.In the video, the presumed Republican presidential candidate can be heard remarking on his clash with Biden at a campaign debate last week, in which the president gave a wobbly performance, sparking calls for him to step aside in favor of a different Democratic contender.The footage begins with Trump asking “How did I do with the debate the other night?” to which a person is heard saying he was “fantastic,” as the former president hands some dollars to one of a group of people talking to him.“We kicked that old, broken-down pile of crap. He just quit, you know, he’s quitting the race,” Trump says. “I got him out of it.”“And that means we have Kamala,” Trump continues, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. “I think she’s going to be bad. She’s so bad. She’s so pathetic. She’s just so fucking bad.” HIGHER QUALITY VIDEO:Trump says Joe Biden is “quitting the race" "I got him out” he’s an “old broken-down pile of crap… Now we have Kamala. She’s so f—king bad” (looks like Barron Trump in passenger seat ????????) pic.twitter.com/GXBZjxiP7p — Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) July 4, 2024-Trump then returns to discussing Biden: “Can you imagine that guy dealing with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin? And the president of China, who’s a fierce person. He’s a fierce man, a very tough guy,” Trump says before asserting “they’ve just announced he [Biden] is quitting” and then driving off in the golf cart.Biden on Wednesday vowed to stay in the race amid growing concerns he is not up to another four years in the job.“No one is pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end,” Biden said in an email blast by his campaign, urging supporters to “pitch in a few bucks” to help defeat Trump in the November 5 presidential election.Asked Wednesday if Biden was considering stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Absolutely not.”In his debate with Trump last Thursday, Biden mumbled under his breath, lost his train of thought at times and, at one point, talked of beating Medicare. The president has said that he was tired after two foreign trips and the White House has said he had a cold.But Biden is under increasing pressure, including from some of his closest allies. Some donors have called for him to step aside, and other Democrats are openly worrying that he is not equipped to beat Trump in November.There are 25 Democratic members of the House of Representatives preparing to call for Biden to step aside if he seems shaky in the coming days, according to one House Democratic aide.
Biden faces donor pressure as he digs in on re-election bid-JUL 5,24-By Nadine Yousif, BBC News-REUTERS
President Joe Biden is facing pressure from some major Democratic donors as he faces a critical few days in his campaign for re-election.A number of donors are publicly warning they will withhold funds unless Mr Biden is replaced as the party's candidate following his disastrous debate performance last week.They include Abigail Disney, an heiress to the Disney family fortune, Hollywood producer Damon Lindelof, Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, and philanthropist and entrepreneur Gideon Stein.Mr Biden is seeking to shore up his candidacy this weekend, including with a rare primetime TV interview on Friday and a rally in Wisconsin.Pressure on Mr Biden, 81, to step aside has grown following a debate marked by several instances where he lost his train of thought and was incomprehensible.While he admitted that he "screwed up" that night, he has vowed to stay on as his party's standard-bearer taking on Donald Trump in the November presidential election."I'm not going anywhere," he said on Thursday at a White House gathering marking 4 July Independence Day in the US.Ms Disney told the US business news channel CNBC that she did not believe that Mr Biden could win against Trump in November.She said her intent to pull support was rooted in “realism, not disrespect”.“Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” Ms Disney, who has supported a number of Democrats and Democratic causes over the years, said.“If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.”With her warning, she joined a handful of other wealthy donors.Mr Stein told the New York Times that his family was withholding $3.5m (£2.8m) to non-profit and political organisations active in the presidential race unless Mr Biden steps aside.Mr Lindelof, who has donated more than $100,000 to Democrats this election cycle, wrote a public essay urging other donors to withhold their funds in what he dubbed an “DEMbargo”.“When they text you asking for cash, text back that you’re not giving them a penny and you won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket,” Mr Lindelof wrote in Deadline.Mr Emanuel - the brother of Rahm Emanuel, a former Barack Obama chief of staff - told a conference in Colorado that withholding funding was the key to ensuring Mr Biden's exit from the race, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.“The lifeblood to a campaign is money, and maybe the only way . . . is if the money starts drying up,” he said, according to the newspaper.“You’ll see in the next couple weeks, if the money comes in . . . I talked to a bunch of big donors, and they’re moving all their money to Congress and the Senate.”Some other major donors have not threatened to cut funding but are putting public pressure on the president to withdraw.Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and one of the biggest donors to the Democratic Party, told US media that Mr Biden "needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous”.Others have expressed concerns about the possibility of a damaging and chaotic race to replace Mr Biden if he does leave.Who could replace Biden as Democratic nominee? Ramesh Kapur, a Massachusetts-based Indian-American industrialist, has organised fundraisers for Democrats since 1988.“I think it’s time for him to pass the torch,” Mr Kapur told the BBC this week. “I know he has the drive, but you can’t fight Mother Nature.”“What I know of him, he will decide what’s good for the country,” he added.There are some who are worried there's not enough time left for a new candidate to join the race, and they have decided to back Biden if he stays on.A mega-donor the BBC spoke to this week, who declined to be named, said he planned to go ahead with a fundraiser for the president scheduled for later this month at his Virginia home."We all want to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, and probably that will keep us together," he said.The Biden campaign has said it raised $38m from debate day through to the weekend, mainly through small donations - and a total of $127m in June alone.The Biden team and the president have conceded he had a difficult debate but have said he is ready to show the public he has the stamina for the campaign.On Friday, he is scheduled to sit down with ABC - the first television interview after the debate - to help quell concerns about his age and mental faculties.He will also travel to Madison, Wisconsin to campaign with Governor Tony Evers.But the president is facing a series of negative polls which suggest his Republican rival’s lead has widened in the wake of the Atlanta debate.A New York Times poll published on Wednesday suggested Trump was now holding his biggest lead yet at six points.And a separate poll published by the BBC’s US partner CBS News suggested a slight shift towards Trump, who had a three-point lead over Mr Biden in the crucial battleground states.Brajesh Upadhyay contributed to this report
What happens if Biden, Trump drop 2024 presidential bids? Here's how it could play out-Rachel Looker-USA TODAY
WASHINGTON − With one of the 2024 presidential candidates facing four criminal indictments and the other recently described as having "diminished capacities," voters are asking a key question as they get ready to head to the ballot box: What happens if a candidate, for whatever reason, has to drop out of the race?" A rematch between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee former President Donald Trump would be the first time in the country's history a major party's nominee was running while under indictment. Trump faces over 90 charges in four indictments from New York to Florida. The former president and his businesses also face a number of civil lawsuits.For Biden, age has been a concern among voters heading into the election, but a recent report from the Justice Department special counsel investigating his handling of classified documents thrust the issue into the spotlight after portraying Biden as an elderly man with "diminished capacities" and memory loss.If elected, each candidate would top the list for oldest-serving presidents at the end of their terms. Biden would be 86 years old at the end of his second term, while Trump would be 82.With Trump's legal proceedings as well as both candidates' ages, what would happen in a hypothetical situation where either nominee drops out of the race because they become incapacitated, convicted of charges or end up in jail?Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter GuideThe answer largely matters when."I think the unprecedented nature of this is you have a former president who's facing 91 indictments on one side and for both likely nominees, they're old," Josh Putnam, a political scientist who specializes in delegate selection rules and campaigns, told USA TODAY. "Actuarially speaking, something could happen to one or both of them and they may not be around through the whole process."Here's how things could play out if Biden or Trump drop out of the 2024 race for the White House:Former US President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan federal court to attend his defamation trial in New York on January 26, 2024.During primary season and before national conventions-Experts told USA TODAY if either candidate drops out before the national conventions − held in July for Republicans and August for Democrats − the path to finding the next nominee becomes more complicated.Why are the conventions so important?The national party conventions are held every presidential election year to officially select each party's nominee.After states hold their primaries, a certain number of delegates are allocated to a candidate based on the number of votes they received in the respective state. These delegates represent the candidate at each party's convention. The candidate must accumulate a majority of delegate votes to become the official party nominee.Each state allocates delegates differently depending on their system. In some cases, the candidate who wins the state receives all the state's delegates. In other states, delegates are split based on the percentage of votes a candidate receives.When delegates head to each party's national convention, they are generally tied to a certain candidate through the primary and caucus process in their states.Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., stands on stage in an empty Mellon Auditorium while addressing the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium on Aug. 25, 2020 in Washington, DC. The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced the Republican Party to move away from an in-person convention to a televised format, similar to the Democratic Party's convention a week earlier.But it can get more complicated.In some states, Republicans have "unbound" delegates who can cast a vote for whichever candidate they choose. Democrats have their own version − "unpledged" delegates − who can only participate in the voting process if the first round is contested, meaning no candidate received the majority of votes.In the case of a contested election, there is a second (and possibly third, fourth, fifth, etc.) round of votes − similar to the uphill battle former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faced during the 15 rounds of voting to win the speakership in January 2023.Another piece that comes into play is exactly when Biden or Trump would drop out during primary season. If a candidate drops out early on before racking up a large number of delegates, other White House hopefuls may decide they want to try to win the nomination by gaining the remaining delegates."In other words, there's more time for competition," DNC member Elaine Kamarck, who is also a founding director and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said.Former President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends a "Get Out the Vote" Rally in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024.But if they drop out toward the end of the primaries, which end in mid-June, the number of delegates a candidate will receive is mostly set in stone.While the primaries establish how many delegate slots a candidate receives, Putnam, who is also the founder of FHQ Strategies, a nonpartisan political consulting venture, emphasized that determining the number of delegate slots does not simultaneously select the actual people who will fill those slots − a process that often lags behind primary election dates.And this process is equally as important, he said, especially in a scenario where a presumptive nominee drops out."The selection of the people there matters as to who's going to be making the decision at the convention as to who the replacement would become," Putnam said.For example, Putnam said the Trump campaign is working to ensure that any delegate slots Trump is allocated will be filled by loyal supporters who would back the former president regardless of any convictions he could potentially face.In a scenario where Biden or Trump drop out before the delegate selection process concludes, Putnam said it becomes more of a "free for all" as to how state parties would fill the delegate slots. These delegates would take part in the convention and potentially nominate someone who wasn't on the ballot.During the national conventions-If a candidate drops out between the last primary and the night of their respective party's nominating convention, each party reverts back to its historic roots.Republicans would arrive in Milwaukee and Democrats in Chicago. Delegates would be "uncommitted," meaning they are not in support of a specific candidate and have to decide who the next nominee will be.In this scenario, prospective party nominees would visit each state's delegation to convince them for their support.But what about Republican candidates who ran during primaries − like former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley − and dropped out, but still accumulated a handful of delegates?The idea that Haley could emerge as the alternate at the Republican convention if Trump is toppled by his legal woes is wishful thinking, strategists told USA TODAY. In a situation where Trump is no longer in the picture, the delegates bound to the former president could decide to back someone completely different who never ran a campaign during primary season.At this point in the race, it's unlikely Haley would be able to garner more delegates than Trump, specifically after the GOP's rules changed and converted many states to a winner-take-all system for allocating delegates."I think it's going to be hard for her to accumulate any more delegates. I think it's that dire," John Fortier, a senior fellow at the center-right think tank the American Enterprise Institute, told USA TODAY.Fortier said if Trump were to drop out of the race before the convention, it is possible other GOP contenders who previously dropped out of the race would reactivate their campaigns in hopes of winning the Republican Party's nomination.President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Monday August, 24, 2020. President Trump made a surprise visit to the RNC to accept the nomination in person after the coronavirus pandemic forced the GOP to scale back their convention.After national conventions-The process varies for the Democratic and Republican national committees if their respective candidate drops out of the race after they've been officially nominated at the party's convention.Putnam said the national parties do the picking and choosing of who the replacement candidate will be."I think that's probably the least messy version of this," he said.Both committees will hold special meetings to pick their next candidate.A similar process happened during the 1972 conventions. Democratic presidential nominee and three-term Sen. George McGovern's vice presidential pick, former Sen. Tom Eagleton, D-Mo., was being treated for mental illness and forced to resign from the ticket.McGovern chose a replacement for his running mate, but it needed to be formally ratified by the DNC.In this scenario, Kamarck said the chair makes the decision as to when the special meeting is called to order. It's possible the chair will want to hold the meeting quickly to allow the new nominee to campaign against the opposite party, but may also choose to wait a few weeks to see if a different candidate enters the race.At this point, it's judgment calls per the party chair, she said."Closer to Election Day, it probably would be pretty smooth," Kamarck said. "Earlier, say the end of August, other people may decide that they want to try and run and get the nomination. ... In other words, there's more time for competition."Fortier said the timing of when a chosen party nominee drops out before Election Day could make things tricky when it comes to what name appears on the ballot. Because ballots need to be printed and in some cases sent out 45 days before Election Day, its possible the name of an ex-candidate appears on the ticket."There is a point at which the people you're replacing with could not appear on the ballot that people are actually going to see when they walk into a voting booth or get their absentee ballot," he said.Balloons drop on the Obama and Biden families at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.After Election Day-If either candidate drops out between Election Day and Inauguration Day, what happens next depends on whether the electoral college has already met to attest to the election results. These are later sent to the Senate for certification of the ballot.In some states, laws require electors to vote for the winning candidate. If the declared winner drops out before the electoral college meets, these legislatures may have to change the rules so the electors' votes bound to the winner would still count for another candidate.Fortier said both parties can urge electors to vote for a certain candidate in the case where the original winner is incapacitated. But the Supreme Court in 2020 ruled that states can require presidential electors to vote for the candidate they pledged to support. If they don't, the elector could be removed and replaced by another."You could tell those electors to vote for somebody ... but maybe that new person hasn't even really faced the American people," Fortier said.It becomes one of the most unclear scenarios if the president-elect becomes incapacitated in the weeks after the electors vote in mid-December but before Congress certifies the election results, Fortier said.The responsibility then falls to Congress to count the votes and it is unclear how Congress would handle counting votes for a certain candidate who is no longer in the picture."It's just harder to see what the outcome is. That's why I say it's a very murky and very confusing period of time for something to happen," Fortier said.During the weeks after Congress counts the votes and before Inauguration Day, a winning candidate's running mate becomes the president and will be inaugurated in the case of the president-elect becoming unable to serve.What happens if Trump is convicted?As for Trump's legal proceedings, there are no procedures or rules that would legally bar the former president from serving a second term if he is prosecuted, convicted or serving jail time.Until recently, the idea that a presidential candidate would be convicted or in prison would be disqualifying among voters, Chris Edelson, an assistant professor of government at American University, said. But regardless of the norms, there is nothing illegal about it."We're headed toward this really uncharted situation," he said.It has happened before. In 1920, socialist candidate Eugene Debs ran for president while serving a 10-year prison sentence for sedition. Debs received nearly 1 million votes.Edelson said while there is no realistic chance Trump will be in prison in 2025, he could be convicted over the course of the next year."There's plenty of time for a trial to take place," he said.If Trump is convicted, it's unclear if the delegates bound to the former president are required to vote for him if he doesn't drop out of the race, which he has repeatedly indicated he will not do.Individual states may unbind delegates from a candidate, but only if they withdraw from running, according to RNC rules."Whoever the voters choose is the appropriate nominee," RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said on CNN’s "State of the Union" in November when asked if Trump would be the appropriate nominee for the Republican party if convicted. "As party chair, I’m going to support who the voters choose. And, yes, if they choose Donald Trump."
Ezekiel 33:6: 'If the watchman sees the sword is coming...' ‘The sword is coming’: Biblical IDF email warned of Hamas plans days before Oct.7-Paraphrasing Ezekiel, NCO in Military Intelligence’s Unit 8200 said it was too late to stop attack, but urged higher-ups to make plans to minimize impact while there was still time-By ToI Staff Today, 1:46 am-JUL 4,24
A Non-Commissioned Officer in the Israel Defense Force’s Military Intelligence Unit 8200 attempted to warn her superiors in the days prior to October 7 that Hamas had a clear plan in place to attack Israel, and urged all parties to begin working to minimize the damage that the terror group would be able to cause, Hebrew media reported on Thursday.The NCO, referred to by Channel 12 only as “Vav” warned in an email sent to a number of IDF officers in the days leading up to the deadly Hamas terror assault that “the sword is coming,” and urged them to “warn the people” while there was still time.The urgent warning followed the issuance of a dossier put together by Unit 8200 on September 19 — less than three weeks before October 7 — that warned Hamas was training for a large-scale invasion of Israel.The document was said to outline Hamas’s plans for an attack on Israel. It detailed a series of exercises by Hamas’s elite forces who drilled raids on Israeli towns and military posts. The terror group’s operatives were also said to have studied how to hold soldiers and civilians hostage when back inside Gaza, and in what conditions the hostages could be killed.The plans, dubbed Jericho Wall, were first presented to intelligence officials as a 40-page report more than a year before October 7.After intelligence officials appeared not to heed the warnings presented on September 19, Vav warned in the email that “the training shows us that the ‘Jericho Wall’ plan is an operative, practiced plan, meaning that Hamas already has forces that have practiced these outlines and know how to implement when the order comes.The email, reportedly sent to the Gaza Division’s intelligence officers, among others, also warned that due to the apparent imminence of whatever Hamas was planning, Israel’s intelligence would likely not have enough time to “prevent the incident” altogether. Instead, Vav suggested that relevant parties begin “formulating plans for dealing with the incident, should it actually happen, in order to reduce the damage.“The other side is determined in its intentions to carry out its plan,” the email continued. “If the plan is implemented — painful and difficult fighting is expected.”The exercises Hamas had been observed carrying out were “very reminiscent” of the plan… to destroy the Gaza Division’s defense system. It is no longer a plan only on paper,” the NCO added.In an attempt to convey the severity of the situation, Vav ended by paraphrasing a line from Ezekiel 33:6, writing “This email constitutes a blowing of the ‘shofar,’ because the sword is coming — the hour is ripe to warn the nation.”The verse is a well-known one for those working in intelligence, as it says that “if the watchman sees the sword is coming” and fails to sound the ram-horn bugle, he will pay with blood for the bloodshed he has failed to avert.The email was dismissed by the Gaza Division’s top intelligence officers, and the Jericho Wall plan was actualized on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst through the Gaza border and carried out a deadly assault in southern Israel, slaughtering some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.The IDF struggled to respond, with bases closest to the border overrun and the chain of command seemingly broken amid the chaos.The Channel 12 report was the latest indication of the intelligence establishment’s failure to realize that Hamas was capable of mounting a large-scale attack on Israel.In response to the report, the IDF said that it was investigating the events up to and including October 7 and that the findings would be “transparently presented to the public” once the probes were complete.According to Channel 12, Vav’s email was not included among the findings that have been presented so far to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and it will instead be handled separately.The network added that “tempers are fraying” in the Military Intelligence Directorate because the officers who had failed to heed Vav’s warning had not been discharged.The government and top military leaders have contended that they had not been warned about an imminent invasion at the time. Channel 12 said that Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, then-director of military intelligence, did not receive a copy of the email. Haliva resigned in April over the failures of October 7.According to the Kan public broadcaster, the Gaza Division had never prepared for more than several dozens of terrorists breaching the border — far fewer than the estimated 3,000 who ended up storming southern Israel on October.The army announced in early June that it would investigate its own failures leading up to October 7, including the military’s conception of its own defenses and its operational plans against threats in Gaza. In tandem, the High Court ordered State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman to suspend his probe into the army’s failings, amid tensions between Englman and IDF Chief of Staff Halevi.Commanders of the much-vaunted Unit 8200 have come under fire since early in the war for dismissing, even ridiculing, lower-level officers who speculated that Hamas was plotting a large-scale attack. Other criticism has focused on its decision to eschew traditional intelligence-gathering methods in favor of technological innovation.By contrast, veteran journalist Ben Caspit reported in February that Vav had concluded Hamas was planning an attack after overhearing the terror group’s operatives use certain Quranic verses. On further analysis, Vav discovered these verses to be traditional rallying calls for war.
Israel’s chief rabbis leave their posts with no successors lined up to replace them-Interim rabbis to fulfill duties after Religious Affairs Ministry fails to set date for elections to replace outgoing rabbis, Ashkenazi David Lau and Sephardi Yitzhak Yosef-By Ben Sales Today, 4:34 am-JUL 4,24
(JTA) — Israel’s two chief rabbis stepped down from their posts this week, leaving the positions officially vacant for the first time in more than a century as the government has failed to set a date for their successors’ election.Two rabbis have stepped in to fulfill the jobs’ duties on an interim basis, but who the next Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis will be — and when they will be chosen — remains unclear. The two outgoing rabbis, Ashkenazi David Lau and Sephardi Yitzhak Yosef, were elected in 2013 to a 10-year term by a body of approximately 150 people.The chief rabbis sit atop the vast bureaucracy of the ultra-Orthodox-controlled Israeli Chief Rabbinate, which manages broad swaths of religious life in Israel including marriage, burial and conversion. The chief rabbis hold little power on their own over the day-to-day operations of the Chief Rabbinate, which is run by a council, but they traditionally command significant influence in Israeli public religious discourse.“At this hour the term of the chief rabbis is ending,” Michael Malkieli, Israel’s religious affairs minister, posted on X on Monday. “It was a term full of complex challenges, during which they led the citizens of Israel with bravery and courage.”What Malkieli’s post did not include was a date for a new election. A scheduling conflict and concerns regarding the makeup of the voting body mean that his ministry has repeatedly postponed a vote that was supposed to take place last year.First, the rabbinate election clashed with Israel’s local elections. But the date was then pushed off again because of two rulings from Israel’s Supreme Court: Both Lau and Yosef come from rabbinic dynasties and the court ruled that, because both have brothers running for their posts, the chief rabbis couldn’t have a hand in choosing members of the body that votes for their successors. The second ruling instructed them to “consider” appointing more women to the voting body.Now, multiple petitions to the Supreme Court are demanding that the court order the government to immediately schedule elections, which by law were supposed to have happened already. One petitioner is Itim, an organization that helps Israelis navigate the rabbinate’s bureaucracy and advocates for better governance in the body.“At present, the Chief Rabbinate has power and needs to be transparent,” Rabbi Seth Farber, Itim’s founder, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Right now they are violating the law by not having elections.”Using a Yiddishism meaning “craziness,” he added, “We want to stop this mishagaas once and for all. If the new rabbinate is not willing to work with us, we will work hard to limit their powers.”There have been attempts at changing the Chief Rabbinate via elections in the past. In the last election in 2013, a reformist candidate, religious Zionist Rabbi David Stav, ran a high-profile campaign but fell short. This year, relatives of Lau and Yosef, both of whose fathers also served as chief rabbis, hope to keep the positions in the families.Criticism of the Chief Rabbinate is widespread among Israeli Jews — spanning secular Jews who chafe at its religious restrictions and haredi Jews who want it to be more stringent or who blanch at its affiliation with the Israeli government.According to a survey conducted in May by the Israel Democracy Institute, just 44% of Israeli Jews say they “accept the Chief Rabbinate of Israel as a religious or spiritual authority.” That includes 66% of Haredi respondents and just 17% of secular Jews. The rabbinate’s highest rating, 78%, came from religious Zionists.
Analysis-The IED threat: Terrorism in the West Bank is fast becoming more sophisticated, deadly-2 soldiers have been killed recently by explosive devices buried under roads. Data on IED manufacture shows a fast-growing threat. The fear is that civilians will be targeted next-Amir Bar Shalom-By Amir Bar Shalom Today, 2:07 am-JUL 5,24
In barely a week, the Israel Defense Forces has lost two fighters to powerful roadside bombs in the West Bank. Cpt. Alon Sacgiu, 22, a sniper team commander in the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit, was killed in an explosion in the Jenin refugee camp on June 27; Sgt. First Class (res.) Yehuda Geto, 22, a combat driver, was killed in an explosion in the Nur Shams refugee camp on July 1.Sources at the IDF’s Central Command speak extensively about the deepening threat posed by these improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and the imperative to tackle the hostile areas where they are being planted in order to preserve the IDF’s freedom of action.In many ways, the process that the West Bank is undergoing is reminiscent of the threat that emerged in the 1990s in the Security Zone in South Lebanon. Then, too, Hezbollah identified the IDF’s movement on the roads as a vulnerability and focused on developing and refining IEDs placed along and under the roads.But unlike the situation in the Security Zone in Lebanon, in the West Bank, the IEDs are, for now, located inside Palestinian refugee camps, towns and neighborhoods.These are local initiatives, involving members of various Palestinian factions, usually joining forces in residential neighborhoods. Their goal is to create ex-territorial zones that the IDF will find difficult to access and operate in.To counter this new threat, the IDF began sending backhoes and armored D9 bulldozers into the refugee camps of northern Samaria ahead of other forces, to shave the upper layer of asphalt on the roads.But the terror groups quickly identified this method of action, and started burying the IEDs deeper, out of reach below the asphalt and soil. The 100-kilogram explosive device that killed Sacgiu and injured 15 other soldiers in a Panther armored personnel carrier, for instance, was placed at a depth of 1.5 meters.The IDF is seeing a very fast learning curve among the Palestinians, who are utilizing information on the Internet and Iranian/Lebanese guidance. All of the explosive devices detonated against Israeli targets in the West Bank over the past year were made of improvised homemade materials, and some were very high quality.As far as Israel is concerned, this is a high-priority challenge, in large part because of the ease with which explosives can be assembled locally from dual-use materials. Agricultural fertilizers, hydrogen peroxide, acetone, industrial acids and other civilian materials are transferred without supervision from Israel to the West Bank.Unlike the Gaza Strip, where Israel sought to limit the entry of dual-use materials, such oversight does not apply to the West Bank. It is thus urgent that Israel establish a mechanism to control the influx of materials, based on quantity, type and destination.The IDF is also re-examining the protection of its vehicles. In the Nur Shams refugee camp blast where Geto was killed, his Panther — which is protected at the bottom from IEDs – was severely damaged and flipped upside down. It is estimated that the explosive device buried under the road was particularly large and therefore the blast was immensely powerful. A second soldier was seriously wounded.More advanced protective solutions are being tested, similar to those used by the Armored Corps, including placing steel plates over the vehicles’ weak spots.IDF R&D is also focusing on future potential threats, notably including against RPGs.The Iranians, who have identified the Jordan Valley as an area of Israeli vulnerability to arms smuggling, are working to bring weaponry including RPGs and powerful IEDs across the porous border.The IDF has faced thousands of explosive devices on the roads in Southern Lebanon. And an M18 Claymore device containing hundreds of bullets exploded in March 2023 at the Megiddo Junction in northern Israel after it was detonated by a Palestinian terrorist sent from Lebanon by Hezbollah.In addition to improved protection, the IDF intends to bolster its intelligence activities in areas where the IEDs are being made. Military Intelligence Satellite Unit 9900 is about to begin operating in the West Bank. The unit aims to provide more accurate and better intelligence in real time thanks to advanced technology described by the IDF as “field control.” This enables continuous observation of certain areas and the use of highly advanced analysis and fusion technologies.Data regarding the IED industry in the West Bank paints a worrying picture. Since the beginning of 2024, the IDF has disarmed more than 50 production laboratories. More than 1,000 IEDs were thrown at troops. And about 150 buried IEDs were found and neutralized beneath civilian infrastructure (buildings and roads).The numbers point to a clear trend: The threat in the West Bank is in the process of transitioning from low-tech, grassroots terrorism to sophisticated and deadly organized terrorism. It is nowhere near the dimensions, quantity and quality of the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, but it is certainly a significant threat. And it is exacerbated because, unlike in Gaza, Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined in the fabric of daily life in the West Bank.To date, these particular kinds of attacks have been directed at the IDF inside the refugee camps and cities. The next stage may see it move to the roads used by Israeli citizens, where the consequences would be complex and deadly.Translated and edited from the original on the Times of Israel’s Hebrew site Zman Yisrael.
IDF soldier killed in Gaza City as troops battle Hamas throughout the Strip-Staff Sgt. Eyal Mimran, 20, killed in Shejaiya; military says it struck Hamas operatives gathered in UNRWA school in Gaza City; rockets target evacuated Kibbutz Nahal OzBy Emanuel Fabian-4 July 2024, 11:15 pm
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed during fighting on Thursday in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, where the military said troops were continuing to operate against Hamas in close-quarters combat.The IDF said troops were engaged in battling Hamas gunmen in the north, south and center of the Strip, as residents of Gaza said they were still seeking a safe place to shelter following evacuation orders distributed in Khan Younis earlier this week.The IDF identified the soldier who was killed on Thursday as Staff Sgt. Eyal Mimran, 20, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 101st Battalion, from Ness Ziona.His death brings Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip to 325.Separately, a reservist with the Alexandroni Brigade was seriously wounded in central Gaza, the IDF added.Earlier Thursday, the IDF announced the deaths of two IDF soldiers a day earlier in fighting in northern Gaza; separately a soldier was killed Thursday in a Hezbollah attack on the Golan Heights.Rocket sirens rang out twice in the evacuated border community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Thursday morning. Local authorities said two rockets were fired at the kibbutz from Gaza and fell in open areas without causing any injuries.The IDF said Thursday morning that Israeli fighter jets and drones struck more than 50 sites belonging to terror groups in the Gaza Strip over the past day.The strikes came as troops continued to operate in Gaza City’s Shejaiya, in southern Gaza’s Rafah, and in the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.In Shejaiya, the IDF said troops with the 98th Division killed dozens of gunmen in close-quarters combat, tank shelling and by calling in airstrikes. Several tunnels were also demolished in the neighborhood, according to the military.In Rafah, the IDF said troops under the 162nd Division killed several gunmen using a drone. And in central Gaza, the 99th Division called in airstrikes against terror operatives and infrastructure, the military added.The IDF also said that it struck Hamas operatives who were gathered at UN schools in Gaza City. According to the military, Hamas had established command rooms in the Al-Qahirah and Musa schools, run by UNRWA.The military said the schools were used as “hideouts for terrorists and as an active operational infrastructure of the Hamas terror organization, from which Hamas terrorists planned, directed, and carried out many terror attacks against IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip.”Attack helicopters and fighter jets struck the sites and the Hamas operatives.The IDF said it carried out several measures to “mitigate harm to civilians” in the strike, including carrying out aerial surveillance, using “precise munitions,” and employing other intelligence.“The Hamas terror organization regularly violates international law, while systematically exploiting civilian buildings and the civilian population as human shields for terror activity against the State of Israel,” the military noted.On Thursday, many Palestinians were still seeking shelter following evacuation orders issued earlier in the week by the IDF for areas of Khan Younis and Rafah. Residents said that Israeli tanks shelled several areas on the eastern side of Khan Younis, but there was no movement by the tanks further into those areas.Some residents of Khan Younis said many families slept on the road because they could not find tents. Some reacted with cautious optimism to news of progress in the latest round of hostage release-ceasefire talks.“We hope that this is the end of the war, we are exhausted and we can’t stand more setbacks and disappointments,” said Youssef, a father-of-two, now displaced in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave.“Every more hour into this war, more people die, and more houses get destroyed, so enough is enough. I say this to my leaders, to Israel and the world,” he told Reuters via a chat app.The war in Gaza was started by Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which Palestinian terrorists killed some 1,200 people and seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still believed to be held in the Strip, including 42 whose deaths have been confirmed by Israeli intelligence. Israel responded to the onslaught with a military campaign to destroy the Gaza-ruling terror group and free the hostages.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said Thursday that at least 38,011 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 15,000 combatants in battle and some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 attack.Agencies and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hezbollah vows to target sites 'enemy did not imagine' Soldier killed as Hezbollah fires 200 rockets, 20 drones in major attack on north-Assault comes after killing of top commander in terror group; IDF carries out heavy strikes in Lebanon in response-By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies 4 July 2024, 3:08 pmUpdated at 7:05 pm
An Israeli reservist officer was killed in the Golan Heights on Thursday as the Hezbollah terror group launched a major rocket and drone attack on northern Israel in response to the killing of a top commander a day earlier.The Israel Defense Forces said it was carrying out waves of airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s attack that comprised some 200 rockets and 20 explosive-laden drones.The slain soldier, who was hit by one of the rockets that struck the Golan Heights, was named as Maj. (res.) Itay Galea, 38, a deputy company commander in the Yiftah Reserve Armored Brigade’s 8679th unit, from Ramat Gan.Sirens had sounded across communities in Israel’s north throughout Thursday morning as Hezbollah launched its massive attack, one of the largest in the nine months of skirmishes.The IDF said some of the rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome, and most of the drones were intercepted by fighter jets and ground-based air defense systems.Fires were sparked as a result of some of the rocket and drone impacts, the military said. One fire was recorded at a mall in Acre, near Haifa, sparked by falling shrapnel from an interception.The Magen David Adom ambulance service said that it also treated two people who were lightly hurt by falling while running to shelters.Hezbollah said the attacks were launched as a response to the killing of its senior commander Muhammad Nasser in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday. Nasser commanded one of Hezbollah’s three regional divisions in southern Lebanon.Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, speaking at an event in Beirut commemorating Nasser, indicated his group would widen its targeting.“The series of responses continues in succession, and this series will continue to target new sites that the enemy did not imagine would be hit,” Safieddine said.In response to the attack, Israeli fighter jets struck several Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon, and additional targets in the towns of Ramyeh and Houla, the army said.The IDF published footage of some of the strikes in Lebanon and some of the drone interceptions amid the attack.It also said earlier on Thursday morning that Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including a building in Shihine and infrastructure in the Jabal Blat area, were struck by fighter jets overnight.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists.Hezbollah has named 360 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 65 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.
Israel recognizes 3 illegal West Bank outposts, advances construction of 5,295 homes-Move comes one day after government announced largest appropriation of land since Oslo Accords; five illegal outposts were recognized last week-By ToI Staff and Agencies 4 July 2024, 10:08 pm
Israel has recognized three illegal outposts in the West Bank in a move to further cement control over the disputed territory, an anti-settlement monitoring group reported Thursday.In a report, Peace Now said the Higher Planning Council recognized outposts in Mahane Gadi, Givat Han and Kedem Arava on the edge of existing settlements, the report said. It followed a cabinet vote last week to legalize five other West Bank outposts.While the international community considers all settlements illegal, Israel differentiates between settlement homes built and permitted by the Defense Ministry on land owned by the state, and illegal outposts built without the necessary permits, often on private Palestinian land. In recent years, though, the government has increasingly sought to regulate the wildcat outposts, rather than demolish them.Peace Now said the government’s Higher Planning Council also approved or advanced plans for 5,295 homes in dozens of settlements across the West Bank.Furthermore, the report noted that the legal adviser to the planning council was a civilian, a first since the founding of the Settlements Administration, an authority established by the current government and put under the control of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in his capacity as a minister in the Defense Ministry.Members of the Settlements Administration were present at the meeting when the new homes were approved, the report added.“[Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and Smotrich’s agenda became evident through the decisions of the Planning Council: approval for thousands of housing units, the establishment of three new settlements, and strategic appointments of Smotrich’s allies in key roles instead of military personnel underscore the annexation occurring in the West Bank,” Peace Now said in a statement. “Our government continues to change the rules of the game in the occupied West Bank, leading to irreversible harm.”The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the military body that oversees the planning council, referred questions to Netanyahu’s office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Israel announced on Wednesday its largest appropriation of land in the West Bank since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, designating 2,965 acres of land as state land.Declaring tracts of the West Bank as state land means they can be slated for future residential development, among other possible uses, but cannot be used to expropriate private Palestinian land that is formally registered in the land registry.The turbocharged settlement drive could further stoke tensions in the West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence since the Gaza war began on October 7, when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251.Since October 7, troops have arrested some 4,200 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,750 affiliated with Hamas.According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 540 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed during raids or terrorists carrying out attacks.During the same period, 22 Israelis, including security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another five members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
Israeli negotiator: New proposal a 'significant breakthrough'Israel sends delegation to renewed hostage-truce talks in Doha on Hamas proposal-Biden tells Netanyahu he welcomes ‘effort to close out the deal’; Mossad chief David Barnea heading up team for talks in Doha Friday; Gallant tells families deal ‘closer than ever’By Lazar Berman,ToI Staff and Jacob Magid-4 July 2024, 9:54 pmUpdated at 11:09 pm
The security cabinet convened on Thursday evening as Israel approved sending a delegation to renewed hostage release and ceasefire talks, a day after Hamas submitted its latest amendments to the current proposed deal.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu updated United States President Joe Biden about the decision to send negotiators to the talks in a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday.In a meeting with his negotiators ahead of the decision, Netanyahu “stressed again that the war will end only after achieving all of its goals, and not one moment earlier,” according to an Israeli official.In his call with Biden, Netanyahu reiterated the same commitment to Israel’s war goals, according to the Israeli readout. A readout of the conversation issued by the White House said Biden welcomed “the prime minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal.”Israel’s hostage negotiating team headed by Mossad chief David Barnea will travel to Qatar for meetings with mediators, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel.Barnea will meet Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to try and build off of the updated hostage-ceasefire deal proposal Hamas submitted Wednesday, the Israeli official said.The security cabinet meeting on Thursday evening was slated to discuss Israel’s position in the indirect negotiations. Senior Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have expressed optimism around chances for a deal over the past day.A report in the Ynet news site cited security officials suggesting that Netanyahu himself is in favor of a deal, but is concerned that the far-right elements of his government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, could attempt to torpedo any agreement.An unnamed source in the Israeli negotiating team told Reuters on Thursday evening that the latest Hamas proposal “includes a very significant breakthrough.”“It can serve to advance negotiations. There’s a deal with a real chance of implementation. Though the clauses are not easy, they shouldn’t scupper the deal,” the official said.A senior US official told reporters on a conference call on Thursday that Hamas made a pretty significant adjustment in its position, expressing hope that it would lead to a pact that would be a step to a permanent ceasefire.“We’ve had a breakthrough,” the official said, adding that there were still outstanding issues related to implementation of the agreement and that a deal was not expected to be closed in a period of days.The US official said Biden was encouraged that Netanyahu was authorizing his team to join the talks. Their call lasted 30 minutes, and the two leaders used the time to walk through the draft agreement on the table, he said.“We do believe there is a pretty significant opening here, and we welcome the prime minister’s readiness to try to seize that opening by empowering his negotiating team to engage directly” in Doha here over the coming days,” the official said.The current version of the deal in play is based on a proposal made public at the end of May in a speech by Biden, built on a three-stage long-term Israeli outline that would ultimately lead to the end of the war and the release of all the hostages.More than six months of negotiations carried out by mediators including the US, Qatar and Egypt have time and again failed to advance toward a deal that would see the release of the 116 hostages kidnapped on October 7 who are believed to remain captive in Gaza, in exchange for a truce in fighting and the release of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners.According to Channel 12 news, Gallant on Wednesday told families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza that Israel is “closer than ever” to closing a deal to secure their release.“A month ago I was pessimistic about our chances of reaching a deal anytime soon. One of my prime goals in all of my meetings in the United States was to put pressure on Hamas to come to a deal with the understanding that there’s not going to be a better deal,” Gallant was quoted as saying. “Today, and I’m saying this cautiously, we’re closer than ever.”A senior Israeli official said on Wednesday that the latest response from Hamas was positive enough to allow for the negotiations to move forward after several weeks of deadlock.According to the Israeli official, the updated Hamas offer brought the sides closer to a resolution regarding clauses 8 and 14 of the Israeli proposal. Clause 8 of the hostage-truce deal concerns the negotiations between Israel and Hamas that would be held during the six-week phase one of the deal. Clause 14 deals with the transition between stage one and stage two of the deal.Israel has sought to keep the wording in these two clauses vague enough to allow it to resume fighting against Hamas in Gaza if it chooses, while Hamas has sought to ensure that Israel will not be able to resume fighting once the sides agree to the initial six-week phase of the deal.The senior Israeli official clarified there were still significant gaps to bridge before an agreement could be reached, despite Hamas’s relatively positive response.For his part, the senior Biden administration briefing reporters on the Biden-Netanyahu call said Hamas’s latest response addressed some of the disputes between the sides regarding the transition from the phase one temporary ceasefire to the phase two permanent ceasefire.The US official acknowledged that Hamas had been seeking a one-phase ceasefire deal that would’ve left the terror group in power — something that Israel would not accept. Hamas has now moved closer to accepting the three-phase framework that the mediators have long sought to advance, the official said, indicating that the staged structure might lead to the terror group no longer retaining power in Gaza.During the first phase of the deal — a temporary six week truce — the sides will negotiate the terms of the second phase — a permanent ceasefire. These terms are expected to include the establishment of a temporary governing body in Gaza, which US has said Hamas cannot be a part of.Hamas confirmed on Wednesday evening that it had submitted its latest demands, issuing a statement that it is “eager to reach an agreement to stop the war, and our communication with the mediators continues.”“We exchanged some ideas with the mediators with the goal of stopping the war and the full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the terror group said, claiming that it is being flexible in its demands, while Israel is “trying to deceive and evade.”In a later statement, Hamas said its Qatar-based politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh had spoken with mediators in Qatar and Egypt regarding the ideas being discussed. It added that talks have also been held with Turkish officials regarding recent developments.“The movement dealt in a positive spirit with the content of the ongoing deliberations,” it said.Nevertheless, on Thursday, Hamas spokesman in Lebanon Ahmed Abdel Hadi told the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese al Mayadeen satellite news station that “Netanyahu does not want a ceasefire.”“We do not trust Netanyahu or the US administration. We trust the resistance, our people, and the support fronts,” he said, a reference to other Iran-backed terror groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon. “By monitoring Netanyahu’s statements, we can notice the contradiction, and this confirms that Netanyahu is not serious about reaching an agreement.”He said Hamas is “dealing objectively,” and vows to “continue the resistance if an agreement is not reached, and if an agreement is reached, that is excellent.”“We were told by the mediators that the atmosphere is positive and that an agreement can be reached,” he added.During its murderous October 7 onslaught, Hamas and other terrorist operatives kidnapped 251 people from Israel, including a number of dead bodies, dragging them into Gaza. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of at least 42 of the 116 believed to still be held in the Strip.Over the past nine months, 109 hostages have been released, seven have been rescued by the IDF and the bodies of 19 have been recovered by the military from Gaza, including three who were mistakenly killed by troops.The internal debate in Israel over whether to prioritize the return of the hostages or the continuation of fighting against Hamas has intensified in recent months, including increasingly fiery mass protests around the country demanding Netanyahu reach a deal.Thousands of protesters calling for a hostage release deal marched to the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday evening, holding up a large banner reading, “Netanyahu is endangering the security of Israel” and calling for an election to replace him.Agencies contributed to this report.
Group of coalition, opposition MKs aims to pass resolution against Palestinian state-61 lawmakers have reportedly already signed on to such legislation, with supporters seeking to pass it before Netanyahu’s speech to Congress later this month-By ToI Staff 4 July 2024, 4:45 pm
A group of lawmakers from both coalition and opposition parties is advancing a resolution expressing opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, which they aim to pass ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington to address a joint session of Congress later this month.The Knesset already passed a resolution opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state earlier this year, but Netanyahu was careful to ensure that the initiative specified that the opposition was only to the unilateral creation of a Palestinian state outside of negotiations with Israel, amid unconfirmed reports that the US was considering unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state.This new resolution would offer more absolute opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and would likely harm Netanyahu’s efforts to maintain some diplomatic flexibility in his dealings with the Biden administration and the international community, which largely supports a two-state solution.The resolution is being pushed by Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar and New Hope MK Ze’ev Elkin from the opposition, and Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman and Likud MK Yuli Edelstein from the coalition, Channel 12 reported this week.The network added that 61 lawmakers from both the coalition and opposition have already signed onto the resolution, which makes it possible to pass it before the end of the summer parliamentary session on July 28.Netanyahu is slated to address Congress on July 24.The resolution states that the “State of Israel strongly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan, which would pose an existential threat to Israel,” according to Channel 12.The lawmakers claim in the resolution that the establishment of a Palestinian state would only extend the conflict with the Palestinians and destabilize the region, adding that it would only be a matter of time before Hamas takes over this new Palestinian state and turns it into a base for radical Islamic terror backed by Iran.Netanyahu has in the past spoken out against the creation of a Palestinian state, and several Israeli officials have pushed back on the idea that talks on ending fighting in Gaza sparked by Hamas’s brutal October 7 rampage should be used to jumpstart long-moribund efforts to reach a two-state solution.While some international actors believe the violence only underlines the need for a peace deal, Israeli leaders argue the attack highlighted the extreme danger of an autonomous Palestinian entity posing a threat to its population centers. And amid soaring support for Hamas among Palestinians in the wake of the atrocities, there appears to be little appetite in the Israeli public for any peace efforts.Support for Palestinian statehood has gained traction in the international community, with several European countries unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state in recent months, including Ireland, Spain and Norway
US to send dozens of advanced fighter jets to Japan amid growing Asia tensions-by Darryl Coote.
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 3, 2024-The Pentagon announced Wednesday it will deploy dozens of advanced fighter jets to multiple bases in Japan as part of a modernization plan amid growing tensions with China, North Korea and Russia.The Defense Department said in a statement that 36 F-15EX Eagles will be deployed to the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan, replacing 48 F-15C/D Eagles "as part of a planned divestment and modernization."Forty-eight F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighters will also be deployed to the Misawa Air Base in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Aomori. They will be replacing 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons.Without specifying, the Pentagon added it would be altering the number of F-35B aircraft at the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in support of "the Service's force design modernization implementation."The Pentagon said the announcement was made in close coordination with Japan and is part of a modernization plan to be implemented over the next several years that reflects "over $10 billion of capability investments to enhance the U.S.-Japan alliance, bolster regional deterrence and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."The United States during the Biden administration has sought to bolster its military presence in the Indo-Pacific as well as relations with Asian allies amid growing global competition with an emboldened China and as North Korea has become even more belligerent not only in rhetoric but in action as it continues its ballistic missile launches.Meanwhile, Russia, at war with Ukraine, has grown closer to both Beijing and Pyongyang as international sanctions over its invasion have greatly isolated it from the democratic world.Last month, the two Cold War allies signed a NATO-style treaty vowing to come to the other's defense if attacked.The Pentagon on Thursday said its plan to station its most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan "demonstrates the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries' shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
Putin hails stronger-than-ever ties with China-by AFP Staff Writers.
Astana, Kazakhstan (AFP) July 3, 2024-Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday that relations between Beijing and Moscow were stronger than ever before.The pair met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana -- a regional political and economic bloc that the two leaders see as a counterweight to US "hegemony" in international affairs.Putin hailed the group as "strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order" in opening remarks of a meeting with Xi that were published on Russian state TV.Alongside Russia and China, four Central Asian states, India, Iran and Pakistan are members of the SOC.Beijing has become Moscow's key political and economic partner since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a raft of Western sanctions."Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history," Putin said.In his brief opening comments, Xi called Putin his "old friend" and said Sino-Russian relations were at a "high level.""In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come," Xi said.
Russian barrage on Ukrainian city kills five, wounds 34-by AFP Staff Writers
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) July 3, 2024-A Russian drone and missile barrage on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro Wednesday killed five people and wounded nearly three dozen more, officials said.The attack prompted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to call on its allies to help bolster its air defences and provide more long-range weapons to thwart Russian strikes."As of now, five people have been killed. My condolences to the families and friends. Thirty-four people were wounded, including a child," Zelensky said in a post on social media.Russian forces have targeted the industrial city and surrounding region persistently since their invasion two years ago.The regional governor Sergiy Lysak earlier described the attack as "vicious" and said a 14-year-old girl was among those wounded in the attack.Amateur footage of the attack published by Ukrainian media showed a huge plume of black smoke rising over the city and drivers speeding from the scene.The airforce said its air defence systems had downed six drones and five out of seven missiles that were mainly targeting Dnipro.The head of the Dnipropetrovsk said the barrage was "massive" and posted images showing buildings ripped open by the attack and shattered glass strewn across the ground."This is what one of the city's shopping centres looks like now. Cars and windows were smashed, and a petrol station was hit," Mykola Lukashuk said.Zelensky said Ukraine needed more air defence systems and long-range weapons to stop further Russian attacks."The world can protect lives, and it requires the determination of leaders, determination that can and must make it the norm to protect against terror again," he wrote on social media.Dnipro had a pre-war population of around one million people and lies about 100 kilometres from the nearest point along the southern front line.More than 40 people were killed in a Russian strike on Dnipro in January 2023, in one of the worst single aerial bombardments by Russian forces.Separately, officials in Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv said two civilians had been killed in overnight Russian attacks.
36 Chinese warplanes detected around Taiwan.
Tipei, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024-Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected 36 Chinese military aircraft around the island in the previous 24 hours.China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it would never renounce the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control.It has stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years and held war games around the island following the May 20 inauguration of new Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te, who Beijing regards as a "dangerous separatist".During those drills, Beijing sent 62 military aircraft around Taiwan -- the highest single-day total this year -- as well as 27 naval vessels, according to Taipei's defence ministry.On Friday, the ministry said it had detected 36 Chinese warplanes and six naval vessels operating around Taiwan during the 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am (2200 GMT)."35 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait," the ministry said in a statement, referring to a line bisecting the 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway that separates Taiwan from China.The ministry added that it had "monitored the situation and responded accordingly".The latest incursion came after the Chinese coast guard seized a Taiwanese boat over suspected illegal fishing off the coast of China's Quanzhou and close to Taiwan's offshore Kinmen islands.Taipei insisted that the boat was operating in a "traditional fishing ground" for both sides and demanded its immediate release.
French far right, Macron camp clash over Le Pen army warning-By Stuart Williams.
Paris (AFP) June 27, 2024-Tensions soared Thursday between supporters of Emmanuel Macron and the French far right three days ahead of legislative elections, after its longtime leader Marine Le Pen cast doubt on the president's ability to act as head of the armed forces.The far-right National Rally (RN) is tipped to win the election, potentially giving Le Pen's party the post of prime minister for the first time in its history in a tense "cohabitation" with Macron.Three days before the first round of the vote on June 30, Macron's centrist alliance is battling to make up ground. But opinion polls suggest it will come third behind the RN and a left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front (NFP).The RN party chief, Jordan Bardella, 28, would have a chance to lead a government as prime minister.But he has insisted he would do so only if his party wins an absolute majority of the 577 seats in the National Assembly after the second round of voting on July 7.Friends and foes of Macron alike are still scratching their heads over why the president dissolved the lower house of parliament and called new elections in the aftermath of his party's heavy defeat in this month's EU Parliament vote.Le Pen told the regional Telegramme daily that the president's title as commander in chief of the armed forces was "honorific, because it's the prime minister who holds the purse strings".- Le Pen's 'arrogance' -In a televised debate, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that Le Pen had sent a "clear message" by indicating that if the RN wins the election "there will be a kind of dispute between the prime minister and president over who is commander-in-chief of the army"."It is a very serious message for the security of France," he said.But Bardella said in the debate he would "not let Russian imperialism absorb an allied state like Ukraine".He said he was also opposed to sending longer range missiles to Ukraine that could hit Russian territory "and place France and the French in a situation of co-belligerence"."My compass is the interest of France and the French," said Bardella.Attending a European summit in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was confident that whatever the composition of France's next government, it would be pro-European and independent from Russian influence."We believe that the French will continue to support Ukraine regardless of the political situation," Zelensky told AFP in written comments.Macron has insisted he will serve out the remainder of his second term until it expires in 2027, no matter which party emerges on top in the coming legislative contest.Le Pen, whom opponents have long accused of having too cosy a relationship with the Kremlin, scents that this could be her best-ever chance to win the Elysee Palace after three previous attempts.- 'Wasn't going to turn around' -When he called the snap vote after a June 9 European Parliament election drubbing by the RN, Macron had hoped to present voters with a stark choice about whether to hand France to the far right.An Ipsos poll published in Le Monde predicted the RN would win 36 percent of the vote, the NFP 29 percent and Macron's alliance just 19.5 percent."It (the RN) can not only envisage a relative majority, but we cannot exclude, far from it, an absolute majority," Brice Teinturier, deputy director of Ipsos, told AFP.The televised debate, where Attal and Bardella were joined by Socialist leader Olivier Faure, was equally ill-tempered as the first such session on Tuesday."Whenever you are in difficulty you change the subject," Attal told Bardella. "He is tense this evening, is Mr Attal," said Bardella.Underscoring the stakes felt by many in France from ethnic minority backgrounds, French basketball superstar Victor Wembanyama said "for me it is important to take a distance from extremes, which are not the direction to take for a country like ours".Acclaimed black French filmmaker Alice Diop meanwhile told the Liberation newspaper that having the far right in government would be "not only a moral discomfort but a real fear".In a rare comment on domestic politics in France by its neighbour, Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner said it would be a "tragedy" for France's finances if the elections returned a government that increased the country's large debt pile.pab-tgb-sjw/yad IPSOS
Kazakhstan to hold nuclear plant referendum in autumn.
Astana, Kazakhstan, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024-Kazakhstan will hold a referendum this year on whether to build what could become Central Asia's first nuclear power plant, the country's president said Thursday.Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in Central Asia, which has a history of pollution from uranium mining and Soviet-era atomic weapons tests.Kazakhstan is the world's largest exporter of uranium but shut its only small-scale reactor that it mainly used for water desalination in 1999."Economic development is impossible without a stable energy supply. That is why I have ordered the issue of building a nuclear power plant to be studied," President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told a ceremony marking Media Workers' Day."The people will make the final decision on this issue. The referendum will be held this autumn. The government will determine the exact date," he added.The ex-Soviet republic accounts for more than 40 percent of global uranium production and supplies large quantities of it to atomic powerhouse France, which gets the majority of its energy from nuclear power.If the referendum passes, which is likely, France, China, South Korea and Russia are in the running to build the reactor.Russia is already in talks with neighbouring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan about building reactors there.Central Asia has struggled with shortages of power and water, despite enjoying significant natural resources including rare earth metals that have attracted interest from Western countries.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
July 4, 2024: The latest on Hurricane Beryl-Eric Zerkel Maureen Chowdhury-By Dalia Faheid, Mary Gilbert, Eric Zerkel and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN-Updated 6:36 PM EDT, Thu July 4, 2024
Our live coverage of Hurricane Beryl has wrapped for the day. Stay updated on the storm’s path here.Beryl moving toward the Yucatán Peninsula with 110 mph winds, hurricane center says-Beryl is heading toward Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and is roughly 215 miles east of Tulum as of 5 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory update.Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area on the peninsula Thursday night or early Friday, the center said.Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength in the region as early as Thursday evening, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous, according to the center.7 hr 19 min ago-Strong gusts and rain reported in southern Mexico, with evacuations underway and flights cancelled-From CNN’s Duarte Mendonça and Michael Rios and CNNEE’s Ivonne Valdés-Rain and strong gusts of wind are starting to be felt in parts of Mexico’s Quintana Roo state as Hurricane Beryl approaches, Gov. Mara Lezama said Thursday afternoon.About 100 flights have been canceled at the Cancun International Airport, which remained open as of 2:00 p.m., Lezama said. At least nine flights were also canceled at Tulum’s airport, where operations were suspended at 3:00 p.m., she added.The state of Quintana Roo, a popular tourist destination in the Yucatán Peninsula, is under an orange level alert, which urges residents to evacuate at-risk zones and seek refuge in temporary shelters.Preventative evacuations have been carried out in several municipalities including Holbox, Punta Allen and Mahahual, the state government said.According to the latest forecast, Beryl is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane Thursday night or early Friday between the municipalities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Lezama warned.After sweeping through Quintana Roo, the hurricane is then expected to continue toward Yucatán state in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, National Coordinator for Civil Protection Laura Velázquez said earlier.Velázquez said schools have been suspended in Quintana Roo and Yucatán states. Maritime activities have also been suspended in Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and José MarÃa Morelos in Quintana Roo as of 5 p.m., and in 24 municipalities of Yucatán from 7 p.m.9 hr 39 min ago-Beryl heads for popular resort areas on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula-From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert-Beryl will unload damaging winds, torrential rainfall and dangerous storm surge over a significant portion of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula from Thursday night through Friday, including the popular tourist destinations of Cozumel and Tulum.The hurricane is expected to make landfall late Thursday night or early Friday morning in the state of Quintana Roo. Beryl could come ashore just south of Tulum, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast track. Beryl is likely to have hurricane-force winds at landfall, meaning any location within its path could endure damaging wind gusts. These powerful gusts will also churn up nearby seas and produce up to 5 feet of storm surge on the Yucatan’s eastern shores. Western shores could encounter up to 3 feet of surge as Beryl’s winds drive into the coast as it moves over land Friday. Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 6 inches are likely over much of the Yucatan Peninsula through Friday with higher totals possible near where Beryl makes landfall. Rainfall could total 6 to 8 inches in costal areas from about Punta Allen to Puerto Aventuras including the island of Cozumel. A few double-digit rainfall totals are not out of the question for any area caught under Beryl’s heaviest rain. Damaging winds, dangerous surf and flooding rainfall will make it dangerous for anyone to be out at the beach on Friday, especially the many popular tourist destinations over the Yucatan. 8 hr 41 min ago-Beryl is no longer a major hurricane but remains dangerous as it heads for Mexico-From CNN Meteorologist Mary GilbertBeryl continues to gradually lose strength in the western Caribbean Sea and is now a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.The hurricane is located 275 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico, and is moving west-northwest at 18 mph. Beryl has moved away from the Cayman Islands and all warnings for the area were discontinued.Mexico is next up to face Beryl’s wrath as the hurricane is likely to make landfall along the country’s Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday night or early Friday morning.Beryl is no longer a major hurricane – Category 3 or stronger – but spent more than four days of its life as one. Beryl is now one of two hurricanes to ever last that long as a major hurricane in the Atlantic basin before August. Emily was the other and also spent 102 hours as a major hurricane in 2005
.'Every launch is a real threat,' says Israeli fire official-Fires have become the most visible sign of the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border-Hezbollah attacks have torched 21,500 acres in northern Israel, and IDF strikes have burned 10,000 acres in Lebanon; security concerns often hamper crucial firefighting efforts-By AP and ToI Staff 4 July 2024, 5:11 pm
SHEBAA, Lebanon — With ceasefire talks stalling in Gaza and no clear off-ramp for the conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border, the daily exchanges of strikes between the IDF and the Hezbollah terror group have sparked fires that are tearing through forests and farmland on both sides of the front line.The blazes — exacerbated by supply shortages and security concerns — have consumed thousands of hectares of land in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon, becoming one of the most visible signs of the escalating conflict.There is an increasingly real possibility of a full-scale war — one that would likely have catastrophic consequences for people on both sides of the border. Some fear the fires sparked by a larger conflict would also cause irreversible damage to the land.Burn scars in Israel-The slopes of Mount Meron, Israel’s second-highest mountain and home to an air base, were long covered in native oak trees, a dense grove providing shelter to wild pigs, gazelles and rare species of flowers and fauna.Now the green slopes are interrupted by three new burn scars — the largest a few hundred square meters — remnants of a Hezbollah explosive drone shot down a few weeks ago. Park rangers worry that devastation has just begun.“The damage this year is worse a dozen times over last year,” said Shai Koren, of the northern district for Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority. Looking over the slopes of Meron, Koren said he doesn’t expect this forest to survive the summer: “You can take a before and after picture.”Charred remains in Lebanon-In Israel, the images of fires sparked by Hezbollah’s rockets have driven public outrage and spurred far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to declare last month that it is “time for all of Lebanon to burn.”Much of it was already burning.Fires in Lebanon began in late April — earlier than the usual fire season — and have torn through the largely rural areas along the border.The Sunni town of Shebaa, tucked in the mountains on Lebanon’s southeastern edge, has little Hezbollah presence, and the town hasn’t been targeted as frequently as other border villages. But the sounds of shelling still boom regularly, and in the mountains above it, formerly oak-lined ridges are charred and bare.In a cherry orchard on the outskirts of town, clumps of fruit hang among browned leaves after a fire sparked by an Israeli strike tore through. Firefighters and local men — some using their shirts to beat out flames — stopped the blaze from reaching houses and a UN peacekeeper center nearby.“Grass will come back next year, but the trees are gone,” said Moussa Saab, whose family owns the orchard. “We’ll have to get saplings and plant them, and you need five or seven years before you can start harvesting.”Saab refuses to leave with his wife and 8-year-old daughter. They can’t afford to live elsewhere, and they fear not being able to return, as happened to his parents when they left the disputed Shebaa Farms area — captured from Syria by Israel in 1967 and claimed by Lebanon.Numbers and weapons-Since the war began, the Israel Defense Forces has tracked 5,450 launches from Lebanon toward northern Israel. According to Israeli think tank the Alma Research and Education Center, most early launches were short-range anti-tank missiles, but Hezbollah’s drone usage has increased.The border clashes began October 8, a day after the Hamas-led terror onslaught in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, sparking the war in Gaza.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in 10 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. Hezbollah has named 360 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 65 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and more than 90 civilians have been reported killed.Exchanges have intensified since early May, when Israel launched its incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. That coincided with the beginning of the hot, dry wildfire season.Since May, Hezbollah strikes have resulted in 8,700 hectares (about 21,500 acres) burned in northern Israel, according to the Nature and Parks Authority.Eli Mor, of Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services, said drones, which are much more accurate than rockets, often “come one after another, the first one with a camera and the second one will shoot.”“Every launch is a real threat,” Mor added.In southern Lebanon, about 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) have burned due to Israeli strikes, said George Mitri, of the Land and Natural Resources program at the University of Balamand. In the two years before, he said, Lebanon’s total area burned annually was 500 to 600 hectares (1,200 to 1,500 acres).Fire response-Security concerns hamper the response to a fire’s first crucial hours. Firefighting planes are largely grounded over fears they’ll be shot down. On the ground, firefighters often can’t move without army escorts.“If we lose half an hour or an hour, it might take us an extra day or two days to get the fire under control,” said Mohammad Saadeh, head of Lebanon’s Shebaa civil defense station. The station responded to 27 fires in three weeks last month — nearly as many as in a normal year.On the other side of the border, Moran Arinovsky used to be a chef and is now deputy commander of the emergency squad at Kibbutz Manara. With about 10 others, he’s fought more than 20 fires in the past two months.Mor, of Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services, said firefighters often must triage.“Sometimes we have to give up on open areas that are not endangering people or towns,” Mor said.The border areas are largely depopulated. Israel’s government evacuated a 4-kilometer strip early in the war, leaving only soldiers and emergency personnel. In Lebanon, there’s no formal evacuation order, but large swaths have become virtually uninhabitable.Some 95,000 people in Lebanon and 60,000 people in Israel have been displaced for nine months.Kibbutz Sde Nehemia didn’t evacuate, and Efrat Eldan Schechter said some days she watches helplessly as plumes of smoke grow closer to home.“There’s a psychological impact, the knowledge and feeling that we’re alone,” she said, because firefighters can’t access certain areas.Israel’s cowboys, who graze beef cattle in the Golan Heights, often band together to fight blazes when firefighters cannot arrive quickly.Schechter noted that news footage of flames tearing across hillsides has focused more attention on the conflict in her backyard, instead of solely on the Gaza war. “Only when the fires started, only then we are in the headlines in Israel,” she said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that as fighting in Gaza winds down, Israel will send more troops to its northern border in order to restore security there. That could open a new front and raise the risk of more destructive fires.On Thursday, Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service said it was tackling fires in 10 separate areas sparked by barrages of missiles fired by Hezbollah in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed one of its top commanders the day before.Koren says natural wildfires are a normal part of the forest’s lifecycle and can promote ecodiversity, but not the fires from the conflict: “The moment the fires happen over and over, that’s what creates the damage.”
