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)
ISRAEL GETS READY TO OUT HAMAS FROM GAZA AND GET 800 THOUSAND ARABS OUT OF GAZA CITY.
WORLD TERRORISM
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.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11
And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with
child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF
THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And
he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS)
man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be
against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against
him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL
ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the
morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF
THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that
whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM
MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Surah 15:9 of the
Qur’an proclaims:We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We
will assuredly guard it (from corruption).(ISLAM IS A LYING PEDOPHILE,
SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT.)
Muslim scholars interpret this ayah
(verse) as a divine promise that the text of the Qur’an would be
preserved perfectly, down to the smallest detail. The Qur’an therefore
offers us a way to test its divine origin, based on whether Allah’s
promise in Surah 15:9 was fulfilled. In this pamphlet, we will review
the history of the Qur’an according to Muslim sources, allowing us to
see if this book has Allah’s stamp of approval.I. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
QUR’AN-The first Qur’anic revelation came to Muhammad around the year
610. Muhammad delivered many more verses to his scribes and companions
for memorization and recording over the next two decades. These verses
were written on stalks of palm leaves, bones of dead animals, flat
stones, and other materials. There was no complete manuscript of the
Qur’an during this time.Qur’anic revelation ceased when Muhammad died.
Shortly after Muhammad’s death, Caliph Abu Bakr needed to suppress a
rebellion, and he sent many huffaz (people who had memorized portions of
the Qur’an) to fight at the Battle of Yamama. Many of these huffaz
died, and Muslim sources tell us that portions of the Qur’an were
lost:Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif—Many (of the passages) of the
Qur’an that were sent down were known by those who died on the day of
Yamama . . . but they were not known (by those who) survived them, nor
were they written down, nor had Abu Bakr, Umar or Uthman (by that time)
collected the Qur’an, nor were they found with even one (person) after
them.Abu Bakr decided that it was time to gather what remained of the
Qur’an in order to prevent more from being lost, and he appointed Zaid
ibn Thabit to this task. After Zaid completed his codex around 634 AD,
it remained in Abu Bakr’s possession until his death, when it was passed
on to Caliph Umar. When Umar died, it was given to Hafsa, a widow of
Muhammad. (For a fuller account see Sahih al-Bukhari 4986.)-During
Caliph Uthman’s reign, approximately 19 years after the death of
Muhammad, disputes arose concerning the correct recitation of the
Qur’an. Uthman ordered that Hafsa’s copy of the Qur’an, along with all
known textual materials, should be gathered together so that an official
version might be compiled. Zaid ibn Thabit, Abdullah bin Az-Zubair,
Sa’id bin Al-As, and Abdur-Rahman bin Harith worked diligently to
construct a revised text of the Qur’an. When it was finished, “Uthman
sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and
ordered that all the other Qur’anic materials, whether written in
fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt” (Sahih al-Bukhari
4987). The Qur’an we have today is descended from the Uthmanic codex.II.
DISPUTES AMONG MUHAMMAD’S SCHOLARS-Not all Muslims approved of the new
Qur’an. Indeed, some of Muhammad’s top teachers rejected Zaid’s
version.Muhammad once told his followers to “Learn the recitation of the
Qur’an from four: from Abdullah bin Masud—he started with him—Salim,
the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Mu’adh bin Jabal and Ubai bin Ka’b”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 3808). Interestingly, Ibn Masud (first on Muhammad’s
list) held that the Qur’an should only have 111 chapters (today’s
version has 114 chapters), and that chapters 1, 113, and 114 shouldn’t
have been included in the Qur’an.Because of this (along with hundreds of
other textual differences), Ibn Masud went so far as to call the final
edition of the Qur’an a deception! He said, “The people have been guilty
of deceit in the reading of the Qur’an. I like it better to read
according to the recitation of him [i.e. Muhammad] whom I love more than
that of Zayd Ibn Thabit” (Ibn Sa’d, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, Vol. 2,
p. 444).Should Muslims submit to this “deceit”? Not surprisingly, Ibn
Masud advised Muslims to reject Zaid’s Qur’an and to keep their own
versions—even to hide them so that they wouldn’t be confiscated by the
government! He said:Jami at-Tirmidhi 3104—“O you Muslim people! Avoid
copying the Mushaf and recitation of this man. By Allah! When I accepted
Islam he was but in the loins of a disbelieving man”—meaning Zaid bin
Thabit—and it was regarding this that Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: “O
people of Al-Iraq! Keep the Musahif that are with you, and conceal
them.”But Ibn Masud wasn’t the only one of Muhammad’s trusted teachers
who disagreed with Zaid’s Qur’an. Ubayy ibn Ka’b was Muhammad’s best
reciter and one of the only Muslims to collect the materials of the
Qur’an during Muhammad’s lifetime. Yet Ibn Ka’b believed that Zaid’s
Qur’an was missing two chapters! Later Muslims were therefore forced to
reject some of Ibn Ka’b’s recitation:Sahih al-Bukhari 5005—Umar said,
“Ubayy was the best of us in the recitation (of the Qur’an), yet we
leave some of what he recites.” Ubayy says, “I have taken it from the
mouth of Allah’s Messenger and will not leave it for anything
whatever.”Due to these disputes among Muhammad’s hand-picked reciters,
Muslims are faced with a dilemma. If Muslims say that the Qur’an we have
today has been perfectly preserved, they must say that Muhammad was
horrible at choosing scholars, since he selected men who disagreed with
today’s text. If, on the other hand, Muslims say that their prophet
would know whom to pick regarding Islam’s holiest book, they must
conclude that the Qur’an we have today is flawed!III. MISSING
CHAPTERS-Simply knowing the facts about such disputes is enough to
dismiss the claim that the Qur’an has been perfectly preserved.
Nevertheless, we may go further by briefly considering certain other
problems.When Ibn Umar—son of the second Muslim caliph—heard people
declaring that they knew the entire Qur’an, he said to them: “Let none
of you say, ‘I have learned the whole of the Koran,’ for how does he
know what the whole of it is, when much of it has disappeared? Let him
rather say, ‘I have learned what is extant thereof’” (Abu Ubaid, Kitab
Fada’il-al-Qur’an).One of Muhammad’s companions, Abu Musa, supported
this claim when he said that the early Muslims forgot two surahs
(chapters) due to laziness:Sahih Muslim 2286—Abu Musa al-Ash’ari sent
for the reciters of Basra. They came to him and they were three hundred
in number. They recited the Qur’an and he said: You are the best among
the inhabitants of Basra, for you are the reciters among them. So
continue to recite it. (But bear in mind) that your reciting for a long
time may not harden your hearts as were hardened the hearts of those
before you. We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and
severity to (Surah) Bara’at. I have, however, forgotten it with the
exception of this which I remember out of it: “If there were two valleys
full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley,
and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust.” And we
used to recite a surah which resembled one of the surahs of Musabbihat,
and I have forgotten it . . .This shows that entire chapters of the
Qur’an were forgotten.IV. MISSING PASSAGES-We know further that large
sections of certain chapters came up missing. For instance, Muhammad’s
wife Aisha said that roughly two-thirds of Surah 33 was lost:Abu Ubaid,
Kitab Fada’il-al-Qur’an—A’isha . . . said, “Surat al-Ahzab (xxxiii) used
to be recited in the time of the Prophet with two hundred verses, but
when Uthman wrote out the codices he was unable to procure more of it
than there is in it today [i.e. 73 verses].”According to Aisha, the
collectors simply couldn’t find all of Surah 33. Why not? As we’ve seen,
many huffaz were killed at the Battle of Yamama. Apparently, no one who
knew the entire chapter survived.V. MISSING VERSES-Aisha also tells us
that individual verses of the Qur’an disappeared, sometimes in very
interesting ways:Sunan ibn Majah 1944—It was narrated that Aishah said:
“The Verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was
revealed, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger
of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, and a tame sheep came
in and ate it.”The verses on stoning and breastfeeding an adult ten
times are not in the Qur’an today. Why? Aisha’s sheep ate them.VI.
MISSING PHRASES-Since entire chapters, large portions of chapters, and
individual verses of the Qur’an were lost, it should come as no surprise
that short phrases were forgotten as well. Let’s consider two
examples.First, Surah 33:6 declares that “The Prophet is closer to the
Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.” Ubayy
ibn Ka’b and other early Muslims held that a phrase (“and he is a
father of them”) is missing from this verse. Even the great translator
Yusuf Ali admits this in his commentary. Ali writes: “In some Qira’ahs,
like that of Ubayy ibn Ka’ab, occur also the words ‘and he is a father
of them,’ which imply his spiritual relationship and connection with the
words ‘and his wives are their mothers’” (Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The
Meaning of the Holy Qur’an, Note 3674). It seems that Muslims have been
left with an incomplete verse.Second, if we open a modern edition of the
Qur’an, we find that Surah 2:238 commands Muslims to “Guard strictly
your (habit) of prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before
Allah in a devout (frame of mind).” According to Aisha, Muhammad recited
this verse as follows: “Guard strictly (the five obligatory) prayers,
and the middle Salat, and Salat Al-Asr. And stand before Allah with
obedience” (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2982). Hence, the phrase “and Salat Al-Asr”
is missing from modern editions.VII. ASSESSMENT-Obviously, the Qur’an
has changed significantly over the years. The evidence shows that entire
chapters were lost, that large sections of chapters came up missing,
that individual verses were forgotten, and that phrases have been left
out. Muhammad’s best teachers and reciters couldn’t even agree on which
chapters were supposed to be in the Qur’an.This raises an obvious
question. What’s the difference between a book that’s been perfectly
preserved, and one that hasn’t been perfectly preserved? If Muslims are
right, there’s no difference at all. The typical characteristics of a
book that hasn’t been perfectly preserved are (1) missing phrases, (2)
missing passages, (3) missing chapters, (4) disagreements about what
goes back to the original, etc. But the Qur’an has all of these
characteristics. Thus, Muslims who are aware of the evidence but who
also want to maintain the perfect perseveration of the Qur’an must say
something like this: “Yes, the Qur’an has all the characteristics of a
book that hasn’t been perfectly preserved, but it’s been perfectly
preserved anyway.” Can anyone make sense of such a claim?We must also
take note of the obvious. Anyone who has read the Muslim sources (e.g.
Hadith, Tafsir, etc.) knows that the Qur’an has not been perfectly
preserved. Muslim scholars are well aware of the fact that the Qur’an
has been changed, and yet they tell less-educated Muslims that the
Qur’an has always been exactly the same. Why are Muslim scholars and
leaders deceptive about the history of their book? Moreover, if they are
willing to deceive their fellow Muslims about the history of the
Qur’an, what else are they being deceptive about?Friends, whenever a
book is passed on and copied by human beings, mistakes are going to be
made (e.g. spelling errors, inadvertent omissions, intentional changes,
and so on). This is true of all books, including the Qur’an and the
Bible. The difference between the Qur’an and other books is that the
Qur’an promises that no changes in its text will ever occur. As we have
seen in this study, the Qur’an has not been perfectly preserved, which
means that the promise of Surah 15:9 was not kept. The Qur’an cannot
therefore be the Word of God.
Five Reasons Why Islam is a
Cult-Posted on January 21, 2014 by Baron Bodissey-Bob Smith returns with
a guest-essay about the cultic characteristics of Islam.[Jihad]-Five
Reasons Why Islam is a Cult-Unpleasant fact — worldwide consequences-by
Bob Smith
1. A Muslim who quits Islam has to worry about being
killed by another Muslim.This is the first rule of Islam. This is why so
few Muslims quit the faith. This simple fact — alone — makes Islam a
cult. It is hard to understate the significance of this cold hard fact
about Islam.This practice is widely followed today throughout the
Islamic world. The most frequently quoted Islamic theological source is
Sahih Al-Bukhari Number 6922:Allah’s apostle said, “if anyone changes
his (Islamic) religion, then kill him.”WikiIslam.net says the following:
“the rejection of faith, is a serious offense in Islam. The punishment
for apostasy as prescribed by Prophet Muhammad is death”.Don’t let any
Muslim try to deny this fact by quoting the Islamic phrase “there is no
compulsion in religion”. All Muslims know the Islamic doctrine of
“abrogation” negates this phrase. And Muslims only use this phrase when
they are trying to deceive non-Muslims.In Afghanistan, NATO had to use a
promise of asylum in Europe to get Said Musa out of prison for the
crime of converting to Christianity.The Middle East Media Research
Institute (MEMRI.org), in clip #3926, translated a broadcast from
Al-Arabiya TV on June 14, 2013, which quotes Egyptian Islamist Abu
Al-’Ela Abd Rabbo, one of the assassins of secularist Farag Foda in
1992:Interviewer: What was the religious justification for the
assassination of Farag Foda? Abu Al-’Ela Abd Rabbo: The punishment for
an apostate is death, even if he repents.Need more proof? Simply Google
“quit Islam” or, click the this link for an insightful discussion on the
issue.
2. Muslims are encouraged to commit violence in the name of
Islam.Muslim theological documents — the Koran, Hadith, and Sunna — are
filled with statements which encourage devout Muslims to commit violence
in the name of Islam.Here are just a few:Slay the unbelievers wherever
you find them(2:191) Make war on the infidels living in your
neighborhood (9:123) When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever
you catch them (9:5)Kill the Jews and the Christians if they do not
convert to Islam or refuse to pay Jizya tax (9:29) Any religion other
than Islam is not acceptable (3:85)The Jews and the Christians are
perverts; fight them (9:30) Maim and crucify the infidels if they
criticize Islam (5:33) The infidels are unclean; do not let them into a
mosque (9:28) Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron
rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies (22:19) Do not hanker
for peace with the infidels; behead them when you catch them (47:4) The
unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them (8:65) Muslims
must not take the infidels as friends (3:28) Terrorize and behead those
who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an (8:12) Muslims must
muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels-In addition to the Muslim
theological documents mentioned above, Islamic social norms encourage
violence. It is widely noted that Friday is the most likely day when
jihad attacks will occur within Muslim society. This is because the
mullahs use their Friday pulpits to encourage their flock to commit
violence in the name of Islam.In Muslim societies, even the media become
involved in the incitement to violence. MEMRI.org has translated
thousands of articles from print and electronic media. These translated
articles are filled with direct incitement to commit violence in the
name of Islam.Remarkably, some of the most glaring examples of
incitement to violence come from new “converts” to Islam. Why would a
new convert to Islam commit violence? The obvious answer is the
“theological” incitement from their new religion — Islam’s core
texts.There is an unfortunate PC effort to deny, ignore and whitewash
this Islam inspired violence. The amount of violence committed worldwide
since 9/11 is simply too high to overlook.The web site The Religion of
Peace has been collecting, counting, and publishing a list of deadly
Islamic terror attacks worldwide since 9/11/2001. As of January 1, 2014
the number was 22,178. Don’t let the PC crowd tell you it is just the
same as the Christians, Buddhists, Hindus or the Jews — make them prove
it. Only an intellectual buffoon would try to deny the relationship
between Islam and violence.
3. Islam does not allow criticism or
change.Islam considers anyone who criticizes or tries to change Islam
guilty of blasphemy. And blasphemy is an capital crime under Sharia law.
As a result any Muslim who even critiques or attempts to change Islam
has to worry about being murdered by some devout Muslim.In Denmark in
late 2013, an 18-year-old Muslim named Yahya Hassan received numerous
death threats after reading one of his Islam-critical poems on TV.It is
bad enough that Muslims can’t criticize Islam, but this rule even
applies to non-Muslims in non-Muslim societies. Just look at what
happened to Theo Van Gogh in Amsterdam. He made a short movie about
women in Islam. As Van Gogh walked to work one morning, he was murdered
by a devout Muslim named Mohammed Bouyeri. At his trial the murderer
told the court Van Gogh had insulted Islam. “What moved me to do what I
did was purely my faith,” Bouyeri went on. “I was motivated by the law
that commands me to cut off the head of anyone who insults Allah and his
prophet.”The Comedy Central series “South Park” parodied Islam in a
couple of 2010 episodes. What happened? According to the New York
Times:Mat Stone and Trey Parker the creators of South Park were
threatened by the Islamic web site RevolutionMuslim.com. It warned Mat
and Trey “what they are doing is stupid, and they will probably wind up
like Theo van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a
warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”In Seattle,
the cartoonist Molly Norris thought she could counter Islamic reality.
She declared May 20, 2010 “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”. She published a
cartoon with a number of household items (a spool of thread, a cup and
saucer, a domino…) all claiming to be Mohammed. Within a week Norris had
received numerous death threats. Eventually the Islamic cleric Anwar
al-Awlaki put a fatwa on Norris’ head. After talks with the FBI she
ultimately had to implement her own “cartoonist protection program”. She
has reportedly changed her name, left Seattle, and gone underground.To
make matters worse, Islam encourages devout believers to be
“self-initiating” in the enforcement of Sharia law. This means any
devout Muslim believer anywhere might commit violence in the blink of an
eye, if he finds you doing something he considers offensive to Islam.
4.
Muslim theology teaches hatred of non-Muslims.This practice is
widespread within Islamic society. It has been documented by numerous
authors literally thousands of time. (See a long list of articles
below.)The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI.org) has recorded
and translated hundreds of television broadcasts in which Muslim
religious leaders encourage hatred and violence against non-Muslims, and
especially the Jews.Here is a screen shot from one:[MEMRI screen cap]To
make matters worse, this Islamic hate-theology is being taught right
here in Western society right under the noses of politically correct
governments.In the United States, the Freedom House Center for Religious
Freedom published in 2005 an investigative report titled “Saudi
Publications on Hate Ideology Invade American Mosques”. This extensive
analysis states: “The Saudi Arabian publications in this study, which
espouse an ideology of hate and purport to be the authoritative
interpretation of Islam, continue to be in plentiful supply at some of
our nation’s main mosques and continue to be used as a principal
educational resource on Islam for Muslims in America”. (Is there any
wonder how the Boston Marathon bombers got their ideas?)In the UK a
Dispatches Magazine Channel 4 news undercover reporter joined mosque
“worshippers to find a message of religious bigotry and extremism being
preached. He captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers
proclaim the supremacy of Islam, preach hatred for non-Muslims.”After
this Dispatches report aired, there was a public outcry. Muslim
spokespersons said this was an aberration and that the problem had been
cured. Months later Dispatches returned, and found a continuation of
hate teaching in the mosques.
5. Islam matches the “Characteristics
Associated with Cultic Groups” according to the International Cultic
Studies Association (ICSA).Here are some of these characteristics,
according to the ICSA:The group displays excessively zealous and
unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead)
regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as
law.Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even
punished.Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking
in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are
used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its
leader(s).The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how
members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get
permission to date, change jobs, marry — or leaders prescribe what types
of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how
to discipline children, and so forth).The group is elitist, claiming a
special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for
example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an
avatar — or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save
humanity).The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may
cause conflict with the wider society.The leader is not accountable to
any authorities.The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted
ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in
members’ participating in behaviors or activities they would have
considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for
example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus
charities).The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in
order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through
peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.Subservience to the leader
or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and
radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before
joining the group.The group is preoccupied with bringing in new
members.Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the
group and group-related activities.Members are encouraged or required
to live and/or socialize only with other group members.The most loyal
members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the
context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and
often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even
consider leaving) the group.I know it is hard to imagine — 20% of
humanity is tied up in a deceptive murderous cult — but that’s exactly
what the situation is. Islam is a contagious cult that incites its
followers to commit violence. Either the non-Muslim world unites and
deals with this intellectual Islamic scourge, or Islam will continue its
expansion.
Israel enters first stage of planned assault on Gaza
City-Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a settlement project that
would effectively split the occupied West Bank in two, possibly
destroying hopes for a future Palestinian state.Aug. 20, 2025, 5:32 AM
EDT / By Paul Goldman and Chantal Da Silva
TEL AVIV — Israel on
Wednesday entered the first stages of a planned assault on Gaza City
after approving a plan to take it over that includes calling up 60,000
reservists for an expanded military operation in the besieged
Palestinian enclave."We have begun the preliminary actions and the
initial stages of the offensive on Gaza City, and already now IDF forces
are holding positions on the outskirts of Gaza City," Israeli military
spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters on Wednesday.He added: "We will
intensify the strikes on Hamas in Gaza City, the political and military
stronghold of the terror organization."Defrin also said that to
"minimize harm to civilians," the IDF will be warning citizens to allow
them to evacuate."We are continuing to allow humanitarian aid for the
residents of the Strip and are even expanding it — with additional
central aid distribution points," he said.The U.S. ally appeared to be
pushing ahead Wednesday with a new phase of its war despite
international opposition — and in the face of a renewed push for a
ceasefire with Hamas.Defense Minister Israel Katz has authorized the
plans for the major new operation, a spokesperson for the ministry
confirmed to NBC News. It will also see an additional 20,000 reservists
have their service extended, the Israeli military
said.ISRAEL-FRANCE-PALESTINIAN-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT-The assault
is expected to force thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza to the
south of the strip, which is suffering an intensifying hunger crisis
under Israel’s military offensive and aid restrictions.In a statement
Wednesday night, the prime minister's office said that "ahead of
approval of the plans for the operation in Gaza City, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the timetables — for seizing
control of the last terrorist strongholds and the defeat of Hamas — be
shortened.""The Prime Minister expresses his great appreciation for the
reservist fighters who have been mobilized and their families, and all
IDF soldiers," the statement added. "Together we will win."Hamas did not
issue an immediate response to the announcement about Israeli troops
taking up positions outside Gaza City.Scores of people in Gaza have
starved to death in recent weeks, including dozens of children,
according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave.In addition
to mounting global outrage, sweeping protests have increasingly
dominated Israel's streets, with growing numbers demanding an end to the
offensive in the enclave.Hundreds of thousands staged furious
demonstrations last weekend alongside a general strike, fueled in part
by fears that the planned Gaza City assault could endanger the lives of
remaining hostages.Israel also gave final approval for a widely
contested settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would
effectively split the territory in two. Palestinians and rights groups
have warned the move could destroy plans for a future Palestinian
state.Ceasefire talks uncertain-Katz, who replaced Yoav Gallant as
defense minister last year, was holding a discussion Tuesday to approve
"strike plans in Gaza" with the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff,
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and other senior defense officials, the defense
ministry had said.The announcement of the expanded military operation
comes after Israel appeared to shrug off news that Hamas had agreed to
the latest proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire deal in Gaza
that would free the remaining hostages.Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr
Abdelatty told NBC News on Tuesday that the deal was based on a proposal
by President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a
60-day ceasefire, during which some of the remaining 50 hostages, both
alive and dead, would be released with plans to negotiate a lasting
ceasefire and the return of the rest.“The ball is now in Israel’s
court,” Abdelatty said, adding: “We would like a positive response from
them as soon as possible in order to deal with the disastrous situation
in Gaza, especially the starvation and the killing of civilians.”Asked
about the development, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office referred NBC News to a statement the Israeli
leader made Monday suggesting he was determined to push ahead with the
plan to assume full control of Gaza City and noting that Hamas appeared
to be “under immense pressure.”Asked if they could confirm reports that
Israel would provide a response to international mediators on the
proposal by Friday, the spokesperson said “no” and did not provide
further clarification.'There is no safe place'New satellite imagery
suggests that a number of people have already begun to flee the area of
Gaza City in recent days ahead of Israel’s advance, with the country’s
plan to push civilians living in the area into the enclave’s south
condemned by rights groups.Imagery captured on Aug. 16 shows that sites
just south of Gaza City are seemingly barren, having been packed with
what appear to be tent camps just days before, on Aug. 9.Mohammed Abu
Sharia, a father of three, said he and his family had been forced to
leave their home in Gaza City again — just months after returning from
another round of displacement due to Israel’s offensive.“Thank God, we
found our house almost intact and habitable, despite the theft of all
its contents and the lack of doors or windows,” Abu Sharia, 48, who ran
an internet distribution company before Israel’s assault began, told NBC
News on Wednesday.The family was able to live in their home for the
past six months — but with Israel planning to take over Gaza City, they
were now seeking some semblance of refuge in western Gaza.“There is no
safe place, neither in the north nor the south,” Abu Sharia said. “My
concern is to save the family’s life, as we are suffering from food
shortages and the lack of any belongings with us.”“Further displacement
and an intensification in hostilities risk worsening an already
catastrophic situation,” the International Committee of the Red Cross
said in a statement.“With more than 80 percent of Gaza already impacted
by evacuation orders, it is unimaginable that civilians could be
compelled to move to an even smaller area,” it said.Israel launched its
offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, in
which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage,
marking a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict.Since then, more
than 62,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of
children, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave,
with much of the territory destroyed.State Department confirms
revocation of 6,000 student visas under Trump-While the criminal element
accounted for the lion's share, a number of high-profile cases have
involved student visa recipients expressing support for Palestine,
Hamas, or otherwise espousing anti-Israel sentiments.By Ben
Whedon-Published: August 19, 2025 11:14amThe State Department on Tuesday
confirmed that it had revoked 6,000 student visas since the start of
the second Trump administration as the agency pursues a crackdown on
immigration.The reasons for the revocations varied, with some recipients
violating the terms of the visas through overstays and other allegedly
expressing support for terrorism, Fox News reported."Every single
student visa revoked under the Trump Administration has happened because
the individual has either broken the law or expressed support for
terrorism while in the United States," a senior State Department
official told the outlet."About 4,000 visas alone have been revoked
because these visitors broke the law while visiting our country,
including records of assault and DUIs," the spokesperson added.While the
criminal element accounted for the lion's share, a number of
high-profile cases have involved student visa recipients expressing
support for Palestine, Hamas, or otherwise espousing anti-Israel
sentiments. The administration has also pursued a rigorous crackdown on
antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of Oct. 7.Ben Whedon is the
Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.
Macron:
Gaza City takeover will be 'disaster' for both sides-IDF: More than
2,100 terror operatives killed since Gaza fighting resumed in March-Army
says Hamas ‘battered and bruised’ as Israel prepares to conquer Gaza
City; aid groups say they still can’t get shelter equipment into Gaza
despite lifting of restrictions-By Emanuel Fabian,Stav Levaton and
Reuters Today, 10:14 pm-AUG 20,25
Since the end of the last
ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in March, the Israel Defense Forces has
eliminated over 2,100 terror operatives in the fighting there, including
many senior Hamas commanders and other leaders in the terror group, the
military said Wednesday.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says
10,576 Palestinians have been killed in that time, without
differentiating between combatants and civilians. Neither figure can be
independently verified.Over 10,000 terror targets have been struck by
Israeli Air Force fighter jets, helicopters and drones as well as Navy
vessels since March 18, the military said.The IDF said it currently has
“operational control” over 75 percent of the Strip’s territory, which
was achieved during the army’s latest offensive.“The operational control
in the area enabled the IDF to significantly expand its activity,
thereby dealing blows to the capabilities and terror infrastructure of
the Hamas terror organization and disrupting its chain of command,” the
military said.The most significant strike carried out since March was
the bombing that eliminated of Mohammed Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza
and brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whom Israel killed
last year; Muhammad Shabana, commander of the terror group’s Rafah
Brigade; and Mahdi Quara, commander of the South Khan Younis
Battalion.The three, along with other operatives, were killed on May 13
while hiding in a tunnel under the European Hospital in Khan Younis.The
IDF said it had also killed several Hamas government leaders, internal
security officers, six top commanders in the terror group’s naval
commando forces, and dozens of terrorists who invaded Israel during the
October 7, 2023, onslaught — in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians,
were killed, and 251 taken hostage.Fighting resumed in March after the
collapse of a 60-day ceasefire-hostage release deal.According to the
IDF, its offensive against Hamas in recent months “dealt a blow to the
combat and command capabilities of the terror organizations in the Gaza
Strip” and “created favorable operational conditions intensifying the
pressure on the Hamas terror organization and degrading its remaining
capabilities.“These achievements constitute the basis for the next moves
of the IDF in the Gaza Strip,” the military said, referring to the
upcoming planned offensive in Gaza City.The IDF has called up tens of
thousands of reservists for the major offensive, which has drawn outrage
across the international community, as well as hostage families, who
fear the operation will be a death sentence for their loved ones.IDF
Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a press conference on
Wednesday that Hamas was a “battered and bruised guerrilla organization”
following the IDF’s latest operation.“We will deepen the blows to Hamas
in Gaza City, a terror stronghold… We will deepen the blows to the
terror infrastructure above and below ground, and cut the population’s
reliance on Hamas,” he said.Defrin said the IDF “is not waiting” and has
already begun preliminary operations in Gaza City, ahead of the
offensive aimed at capturing the city.“IDF troops are already taking
control of the outskirts of Gaza City,” he said.Meanwhile, aircraft from
Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the Netherlands, France,
Singapore and Indonesia airdropped 154 pallets of humanitarian aid in
the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the IDF said.Each pallet contained several
hundred kilograms of food, according to the military.Indonesia, the
country with the largest Muslim population in the world, does not have
relations with Israel.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed
reports of starvation in Gaza as “lies” promoted by Hamas. But facing
heavy international pressure, in July the government instituted a series
of measures to alleviate hunger in the Strip, including airdrops and
10-hour “humanitarian pauses” in military operations in three population
centers to allow deliveries of aid.Earlier in August, for the first
time in nearly a year, Israel announced it would allow the entry of
goods into Gaza through the private sector, an effort aimed at
increasing the flow of essential food and hygiene items that were
previously only delivered by aid organizations.The US- and Israel-backed
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), established to provide aid via an
alternative that would keep goods out of Hamas’s hands, has been plagued
by near-daily shooting incidents, in which the UN has said seen more
than 1,000 killed as they try to reach the GHF distribution centers,
allegedly by IDF gunfire.Officials from five aid groups, including UN
agencies, told Reuters on Wednesday they have not yet been able to
deliver shelter materials to Gaza despite Israeli authorities saying
they have lifted restrictions on such supplies, and warned that further
delays could cause more Palestinian deaths.“The United Nations and our
partners have…not been able to bring in shelter materials following the
Israeli announcement,” the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson Jens Laerke said.“There’s a set
of impediments that still needs to be addressed, including Israeli
customs clearance.”CARE International, ShelterBox and the Norwegian
Refugee Council also said they had not yet received any authorization to
deliver shelter materials. Another international NGO, which declined to
be identified, said it had been unable to deliver such supplies but was
trying to get clearance.Over 1.3 million Gazans lack tents, the United
Nations said this month, and more people are expected to be displaced by
the planned operation to seize Gaza City.COGAT, the military agency
that coordinates aid, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ questions.
It has previously said it invests considerable efforts to ensure aid
reaches Gaza and has denied restricting supplies.After nearly two years
of war, many displaced Palestinians are living in the rubble of their
homes or in tents.“Life in the tent is no life at all…There’s no proper
bathroom, not even a decent place to sit. We end up sitting in the
street, suffocating in the heat,” 55-year-old Ibrahim Tabassi said in
the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.He shares his cramped tent, made
from tarpaulin sheets and scrap metal, with nine other family members.
Clothes and pots hang inside.Another Gaza resident, Sanaa Abu Jamous,
said that she, like many other Gazans, had been using the same tattered
tent throughout the war.“My tent is extremely worn out,” she said.The
Red Cross told Reuters it had received permission from COGAT to bring in
shelter materials from what is known as the Jordanian corridor to Kerem
Shalom, but that many challenges remain.The Norwegian Refugee Council, a
humanitarian organization, said it had applied for permission to
deliver 3,000 tents across Gaza, including the north, but had not yet
received a reply.Many aid groups are resisting Israeli demands — under
measures imposed in March — to register, because it means disclosing
personal information about Palestinian staff.COGAT says the mechanism is
a security screening intended to ensure aid goes directly to the
population rather than to the Hamas terror groups.ShelterBox’s regional
director, Haroon Altaf, said granting permission to only a select number
of aid groups would not meet demand for shelter materials.“If it’s only
a handful of organizations that can bring shelter aid in, it doesn’t
really change much, and it’s deeply concerning. People are going to die
because of it,” he said.French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday
that the planned military offensive in Gaza “can only lead to disaster
for both peoples” and called instead for a permanent ceasefire, a
hostage release deal, disarmament of Hamas, and an “international
stabilization mission” for the Strip.In a post on X, Macron said he had
spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and the three leaders share the conviction that
expanded Israeli action in Gaza, which is due to begin with the conquest
of Gaza City, “risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of
permanent war.”X trackers and content blocked-Your Firefox settings
blocked this content from tracking you across sites or being used for
ads.Earlier this month, Netanyahu repeated his position that Israel
cannot hand control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority after the war, a
position at odds with Macron’s call to strengthen the PA’s role in the
Strip.Macron noted that France will co-chair a conference on the
two-state solution with Saudi Arabia in New York next month, calling it
“the only credible way forward — for the families of the hostages, for
Israelis, and for Palestinians alike.”Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry
said the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000.
The unverified figure does not differentiate between civilians and
combatants. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and
stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting
from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and
mosques.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Washington
sanctions 4 more ICC officials over cases against Israel and US-Move
slammed by international court as ‘flagrant attack’ on its independence;
Netanyahu praises decision as ‘a firm step against the false smear
campaign targeting Israel’By Jacob Magid and Agencies Today, 9:21 pm-AUG
20,25
The Trump administration on Wednesday announced sanctions
against four more members of the International Criminal Court over their
efforts to prosecute Israeli and American officials.The move, announced
by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was praised by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lauded the US for working to counter
the “false smear campaign” against Jerusalem.The US designated Judge
Nicolas Yann Guillou of France for signing off last year on arrest
warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for
alleged war crimes committed in Gaza, along with deputy prosecutor
Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang of
Senegal for upholding those warrants.Judge Kimberly Prost of Canada was
also designated for a ruling that authorized the ICC’s investigation
into US personnel in Afghanistan.In response, the ICC on Wednesday
decried the sanctions as a “flagrant attack against the independence of
an impartial judicial institution that operates under the mandate from
125 states parties from all regions.”In a statement, the court said the
sanctions “constitute also an affront against the Court’s States
Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of
innocent victims across the world,” the court added. “The ICC will
continue fulfilling mandates in strict accordance with its legal
framework, without regard to any pressure or threat.”Netanyahu hailed
the announcement of the sanctions, calling them a decisive stand in
defense of Israel.“I congratulate Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State,
for deciding to impose sanctions on the judges of the International
Court in The Hague,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his
office. “This is a firm step against the false smear campaign targeting
the State of Israel and the IDF, and in favor of truth and justice.”The
four ICC officials join four others who were sanctioned by the Trump
administration in June, two of whom were also involved in the warrants
against Netanyahu and Gallant.The sanctions announced on Wednesday
freeze any US assets of the designated officials and block their entry
to the country.Israel and the US view the ICC’s efforts to prosecute
Israeli officials as illegitimate, as Jerusalem is not a signatory to
the Rome Statute that created the court and because the US doesn’t
recognize the Palestinian Authority as a sovereign state with the right
to request such action. Israel also denies the charges brought against
Netanyahu and Gallant.“The United States has been clear and steadfast in
our opposition to the ICC’s politicization, abuse of power, disregard
for our national sovereignty, and illegitimate judicial overreach,”
Rubio said in a statement announcing the latest batch of sanctions.“The
court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for
lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel,” he
added.“It remains the policy of the United States government to take
whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our troops, our
sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless
actions,” Rubio continued. “I urge countries that still support the ICC,
many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American
sacrifices, to resist the claims of this bankrupt institution.”France on
Wednesday expressed dismay at the US decision.A foreign ministry
spokesman said the sanctions, including against French jurist Guillou,
stood “in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary.”In
June, the US introduced sanctions against judges Beti Hohler of
Slovenia and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin for their part in proceedings
that led the court to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and
Gallant, and against Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru and Solomy
Balungi Bossa of Uganda, for their roles in the court proceedings that
authorized an investigation into alleged US war crimes in
Afghanistan.And in February, chief ICC prosecutor Karim Khan was placed
on Washington’s list of “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked
Persons,” barring him from doing business with Americans and placing
restrictions on his entry into the US. Khan took a leave of absence
earlier this year amid an investigation into alleged sexual
misconduct.The Trump administration’s dislike of the court goes back to
his first term. In 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on then-prosecutor
Fatou Bensouda and one of her top aides over the court’s work on
Afghanistan. Those sanctions were rescinded by president Joe Biden’s
administration in early 2021.Trump on Friday welcomed Russian President
Vladimir Putin to Alaska even though Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant, a
factor that has stopped him from traveling more widely since he ordered
the invasion of Ukraine.Stav Levaton and Times of Israel staff
contributed to this report.
Four IDF soldiers lightly wounded by
blast of old munitions in southern Syria-Army says troops taken to
hospital after grenade detonated for unclear reasons; probe of incident
underwayBy Emanuel Fabian-Today, 6:38 pm-AUG 20,25
Four soldiers
were lightly injured by a blast apparently caused by an old Syrian
grenade during operations in southern Syria on Wednesday, the Israel
Defense Forces said.The military said the troops were taken to a
hospital for treatment.According to an initial IDF probe, the soldiers
had located weapons during an overnight operation in the Mount Hermon
area. Among the weapons was an old grenade that exploded for unclear
reasons.The IDF said the operation in the area has been wrapped up, and
the blast is being investigated.Israel has been involved militarily in
Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. In
the immediate aftermath, Israel occupied Syria’s demilitarized zone and
destroyed most of the Assad military’s facilities in a widespread
bombing campaign.Since the fall of the Assad regime, the IDF has been
deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria, mostly within the
UN-patrolled buffer zone.Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported
Tuesday that Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met with
Israeli officials to discuss de-escalating tensions and restoring a 1974
ceasefire agreement.There was no immediate comment from Israel on
Tuesday’s talks, which Hebrew media outlets had reported would be
attended by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and US envoy to Syria
Tom Barrack.Israel and Syria have technically been at war since 1948.
Israel conquered around two-thirds of the Golan Heights from Syria
during the 1979 Six Day War, and annexed the territory in 1981, in a
move not recognized by much of the international community, with the
exception of the United States.A year after the Yom Kippur War of
October 1973, Israel and Syria reached an agreement on the disengagement
line that Damascus is now pushing to restore.Israeli troops have been
operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) deep into
Syria since December, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could
pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile
forces.”In recent months, the IDF said ground troops had conducted over
300 “routine operations” in southern Syria, including arresting
suspected terror operatives, preventing “enemy entrenchment” and
thwarting arms smuggling to Lebanon.In July, the IDF conducted
airstrikes on Syrian government forces to support Syrian Druze — who
have close relations with Israel’s Druze community — amid violent
clashes with regime-allied forces in the Sweida area of southern
Syria.The military has also been operating a medical facility next to
the Druze town of Hader, just across the border, to treat the Druze
residents of the town and other Syrians. The “forward mobile triage”
site was established in May.The army has been constructing a barrier,
dubbed “New East,” along the Israeli-Syrian border, which resembles a
trench, to prevent the crossing of vehicles.Agencies and Times of Israel
staff contributed to this report.
US-led coalition said to
capture senior ISIS member in northwest Syria raid-Syrian state TV
claims Iraqi man killed in early-morning operation, reported to include
landing of troops from helicopters near Turkish border By AP Today, 6:05
pm-AUG 20,25
BEIRUT — A US-led coalition captured a senior
member of the Islamic State group in northwest Syria on Wednesday, state
media and a war monitor reported. It was not immediately clear if the
man was the ISIS supreme leader.The US military did not respond to a
request for comment by The Associated Press.The operation, which
included landing troops from helicopters, occurred before dawn in Atmeh
town near the Turkish border, and an ISIS commander known as Abu Hafs
al-Qurayshi, an Iraqi citizen, was taken away while another Iraqi
citizen was killed, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights.The Observatory, an anti-Assad organization of
uncertain funding, said the man captured had a French-speaking woman
with him, and it was not immediately clear if she was taken by the US
force or by Syrian security forces who later cordoned the area.Two years
ago, ISIS announced that a man called Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi
was named as its new leader after Turkish authorities killed his
predecessor.Syrian state TV on Wednesday quoted an unnamed security
official as saying the Iraqi man targeted in the operation is known as
Ali, adding that his real name is Salah Noman. It said Noman was living
in an apartment with his wife, son and mother. It said he was killed in
the raid.There was no immediate clarification for the difference in
names and accounts reported by state media and the war monitor.ISIS
broke away from al-Qaeda more than a decade ago and attracted supporters
from around the world after it declared a so-called caliphate in 2014
in large parts of Syria and Iraq. Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017 and
in Syria two years later, ISIS terrorists still carry out deadly
attacks in both countries and elsewhere.Al-Qurayshi is not the real name
of ISIS leaders but comes from Quraysh, the name of the tribe to which
Islam’s Prophet Muhammad belonged. ISIS claims its leaders hail from the
tribe, and “al-Qurayshi” is part of their nom de guerre.Times of Israel
staff contributed to this report.
IDF searching for operatives
who fled back into tunnel-IDF says troops repelled rare large-scale
attack in south Gaza; 10 gunmen killed-At least 18 Hamas fighters try to
raid army encampment in Khan Younis; 3 soldiers hurt; military thinks
the gunmen sought to kidnap troops-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 3:21
pmUpdated at 7:46 pm-AUG 20,25
A cell of at least 18 Hamas
operatives attempted to raid an Israel Defense Forces encampment in the
Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning,
according to a military probe of the unusual incident.Three soldiers
were wounded, one of them seriously, in the attack, the IDF said.The
military assessed that the Hamas gunmen sought to kidnap
troops.According to a military probe, the attack began at around 9 a.m.,
with the operatives emerging from a tunnel in the south of Khan Younis
and opening fire with machine guns and RPGs while approaching the army
encampment.Some of the gunmen managed to breach the encampment, where
they exchanged fire with troops of the Kfir Brigade.At least ten of the
operatives were killed by the troops and in airstrikes directed by the
forces, while eight managed to flee back into the tunnel, according to
the army probe.The IDF released footage showing the airstrikes and
efforts by troops to repel the attack.“The troops identified more than
15 terrorists who emerged from a tunnel and opened fire, including RPG
fire, at the forces,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a
press conference.“In the same incident, several terrorists entered a
building where our forces were residing, and the terrorists were
eliminated. We are investigating how this occurred, and will draw the
necessary conclusions,” Defrin said.A clip circulating online showed the
bodies of two gunmen in the army encampment, and another video showed a
tank of the 74th Armored Battalion ramming into an RPG-wielding
operative amid the attack.The wounded troops served with the Kfir
Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion. One was seriously injured, and the other
two are listed in good condition, according to the military.The IDF said
it was working to track down the remaining gunmen involved in the
attack.Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, took
responsibility for the attack in a statement, claiming that its gunmen
“stormed the site” and carried out a suicide bombing.Al-Qassam claimed
to have targeted several tanks with explosive devices and RPGs, and hit
several buildings in the encampment being used by the IDF soldiers,
using RPGs and machine-gun fire.“A number of fighters stormed the houses
and finished off a number of occupation soldiers inside from
point-blank range with light weapons and hand grenades,” the terror
group claimed, despite no Israeli soldiers being reported killed in the
incident.The terror group also claimed to have carried out sniper fire
that “fatally wounded” the commander of a tank, and that it carried out
mortar shelling in the area “to secure the withdrawal of the
fighters.”“Upon the arrival of the rescue force, one of the martyrs
detonated himself among the soldiers, leaving them dead and wounded,”
Al-Qassam claimed.Hamas’s military wing said the attack “lasted for
several hours,” though according to the IDF probe, the incident was
wrapped up in under an hour.During the war, Hamas has repeatedly made
exaggerated claims regarding its operations against IDF troops in
Gaza.The incident on Wednesday marked a rare case of a relatively large
cell of operatives attempting to attack an IDF post. Last month, a cell
of at least 12 gunmen tried to attack an IDF logistics road in Khan
Younis.Wednesday’s attack came as the IDF was gearing up for a major
offensive against Hamas in Gaza City.
Belarus and Iran, both
friends of Putin, plan to strengthen military and broader
ties-Pezeshkian tells Lukashenko that he can help ‘neutralize’ the
impact of ‘illegal Western sanctions,’ citing 40 years of experience-By
Mark Trevelyan Today, 3:29 pm-AUG 20,25
REUTERS — Belarus and
Iran, two countries that have backed Russia’s war in Ukraine, plan to
deepen bilateral ties across all areas including defense, their
presidents said at talks in Minsk on Wednesday.Belarusian state news
agency Belta said presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Masoud Pezeshkian
agreed to work on a strategic partnership treaty.“In conditions of
geopolitical turbulence, Minsk and Tehran are undertaking consistent and
balanced steps to further develop cooperation, and are working hard to
turn each new challenge into a new opportunity,” it quoted Lukashenko as
saying.“We are ready to discuss any issues, we have no closed topics,”
Lukashenko said, adding that the two countries could partner across a
range of areas, including “military-technical cooperation.”Lukashenko, a
close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowed Russia to use
Belarusian territory as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion of
Ukraine, and later assented to hosting Russian tactical nuclear
missiles.Iran has supplied drones to Russia for use in the war and
Pezeshkian signed a strategic cooperation treaty with Putin in January,
although it did not include a mutual defense clause.Both Iran and
Belarus are under what Pezeshkian described as “illegal Western
sanctions.” Belta quoted him as saying Iran was ready to help Belarus
“neutralize” such measures, noting that it had more than 40 years of
experience in this area.Pezeshkian said the two countries needed to
build their economic and other ties to a level that matched the high
level of trust between them.“Of course, our common views should be
implemented in the economic and cultural spheres, in the development of
tourism between our countries, and also, as you noted, in the
development of military-technical cooperation,” Belta quoted him as
telling Lukashenko.
Pope Leo to visit Lebanon, cardinal says, in
pontiff’s likely first trip abroad-Tour expected to include Turkey, as
part of celebrations in late November for the 1,700th anniversary of a
major early Church council By Joshua McElwee Today, 3:01 pm-AUG 20,25
VATICAN
CITY (Reuters) — Pope Leo plans to visit Lebanon, the country’s senior
Catholic official announced on Wednesday, in what could be the first
visit outside Italy by the new leader of the global Church.The pope will
travel to Lebanon “by December,” Cardinal Bechara Rai told the
al-Arabiya television channel.Rai, leader of the 3.5-million-member
Maronite Catholic Church, did not give a specific date for the visit but
said “preparations are already underway.”A Lebanese official familiar
with the matter confirmed that discussions were being held about a visit
toward the end of the year, though a date had not yet been
finalized.Leo, the first US pope, was elected by the world’s Catholic
cardinals on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, who had planned to
visit Lebanon but was unable to go because of health issues.Lebanon is
home to more than two million Catholics, according to Vatican
statistics.Attendees holding the flag of Lebanon join youth and pilgrims
gathering in Rome’s eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood for a prayer
vigil led by the Pope before Sunday’s Mass as part of the Jubilee of
Youth, on August 2, 2025.A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately
respond to a request for comment about Rai’s remarks.A Vatican official,
who asked not to be named, confirmed that a trip was being planned and
said it could be part of a tour that would also include Turkey.Traveling
abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes seeking
to meet local Catholics, spread the faith, and conduct international
diplomacy. They often draw crowds in the millions.Francis made 47 visits
abroad during his 12-year papacy, travelling to 68 countries. He made a
policy of visiting countries that often did not draw international
attention as a way of highlighting problems in what he called the
“peripheries” of the world.Leo has been expected to visit Turkey in late
November as part of celebrations for the 1,700th anniversary of a major
early Church council, which took place in Nicaea, now called Iznik.In a
message to Lebanon earlier this month, Leo commemorated the fifth
anniversary of a huge chemical explosion at the Beirut port that killed
200 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.“Beloved and
suffering Lebanon remains at the center of our prayers,” said the pope.
Iran
says it has developed new, better missiles; will use them if Israel
attacks again-Tehran’s defense minister claims Israel was unprepared for
strength of counterattack during 12-day war in June, falsely says
regime only targeted military sites, not civilian areasBy ToI Staff and
AFP Today, 2:47 pm-AUG 20,25
Iran warned on Wednesday that it was
prepared for any new Israeli attack, announcing it had developed
missiles with greater capabilities than those used during the recent
war.“The missiles used in the 12-day war were manufactured… a few years
ago,” Defense Minister Aziz Nassirzadeh said, quoted by the official
IRNA news agency.“Today, we have manufactured and possess missiles with
far greater capabilities than previous missiles, and if the Zionist
enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use
them.”Nassirzadeh’s comments came after a senior official in the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Sunday that another war with Israel
or the United States could begin at any time.“We are not in a ceasefire,
we are in a stage of war,” Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior military
adviser to Iran’s Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei, told Iranian media. “I
think another war may happen, and after that, there may be no more
wars.”Nassirzadeh was speaking on Wednesday with Iranian media outlets
on the sidelines of a meeting with allied military personnel, who were
visiting the Islamic Republic ahead of the country’s National Defense
Industry Day on August 22.According to the semi-official Mehr News
Agency, Nassirzadeh spoke extensively about Iran’s “success” during its
12-day war with Israel, which opened on June 13 with a surprise Israeli
attack against Tehran’s nuclear and military capabilities.He claimed
that Israel had not expected Iran to be able to launch a counterattack
as “extensively and precisely” as it did, asserting that 90 percent of
all ballistic missiles reached their intended targets.“Unlike the
cowardly Zionist regime, which targeted military commanders, scientists,
innocent women and children, civilian infrastructure and industrial
centers, residential homes, medical centers, relief forces, prisons and
the national media, the Islamic Republic of Iran deliberately chose its
missile targets,” he proclaimed.Contrary to Nassirzadeh’s claims, Iran’s
powerful ballistic missiles not only targeted military bases and
research centers, but also damaged 2,305 homes in 240 buildings, along
with two universities and a hospital.The attacks killed 31 people and
wounded over 3,000 in Israel, according to health officials and
hospitals.Nassirzadeh said that Iran had not only achieved victory over
Israel, but also over the US — which joined Israel in striking Iranian
nuclear facilities — and any countries that offered assistance in
defending against the ballistic missile attacks.“On the other hand stood
the Islamic Republic of Iran, which, after more than 40 years of
sanctions, relied solely on the capabilities of its fully indigenous
defense industries,” Nassirzadeh bragged.He claimed that Iran had agreed
to cease its attacks on Israel not because it was backed into a corner,
but because it wanted to prevent “the expansion of crisis and war in
the region.”“However, we have no trust in the Zionist regime and its
supporter, the US, and their adherence to commitments,” he warned.
“Should the other side continue its adventurism and hostilities, this
time Iran’s response — given our knowledge of our enemy’s weaknesses —
will be deadly, surprising, painful, and beyond calculation.”Israel said
its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear
scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program was
necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic from realizing its avowed plan
to destroy the Jewish state.Iran has consistently denied seeking to
acquire nuclear weapons. However, it enriched uranium to levels that
have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from
checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile
capabilities. Israel said Iran had recently taken steps toward
weaponization.Iran retaliated to Israel’s strikes by launching over 500
ballistic missiles and around 1,100 drones at Israel.
Ship
ferrying 1,200 tons of food aid for Gaza nears Israel after departing
from Cyprus-Humanitarian assistance was screened by Israeli officials
before sailing from Limassol to Ashdod; Cypriot FM says situation in
Strip ‘beyond dire’By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 5:37 am-AUG 20,25
A
ship that set off from Cyprus loaded with 1,200 tons of food supplies
for the Gaza Strip approached the Israeli port of Ashdod on Tuesday in a
renewed effort to alleviate the worsening crisis in the Palestinian
territory, where food security experts have claimed the “worst-case
scenario of famine” is unfolding.The Panamanian-flagged vessel HENKE is
loaded with 52 containers carrying food aid such as pasta, rice, baby
food and canned goods. Israeli customs officials had screened the aid at
the Cypriot port of Limassol, from where the ship departed on
Monday.The ship was expected to dock at Ashdod late Tuesday and start
offloading the aid on Wednesday.Some 700 tons of the aid is from Cyprus,
purchased with money donated by the United Arab Emirates to the
so-called Amalthea Fund, set up last year for donors to help with
seaborne aid. The rest comes from Italy, the Maltese government, a
Catholic religious order in Malta and the Kuwaiti nongovernmental
organization Al Salam Association.“The situation is beyond dire,” Cyprus
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told The Associated Press.Cyprus
was the staging area last year for 22,000 tons of aid deliveries by ship
directly to Gaza through a pier operated by the international charity
World Central Kitchen and a US military-run docking facility known as
the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system.By late July 2024, aid groups
pulled out of the project, ending a mission plagued by repeated weather
and security problems that limited how much food and other emergency
supplies could get to those in need.Cypriot Foreign Ministry said the
aid mission is led by the United Nations but is a coordinated effort —
once offloaded at Ashdod, UN employees will arrange for the aid to be
trucked to storage areas and food stations operated by the World Central
Kitchen.The charity, which was behind the first aid shipment to Gaza
from Cyprus last year aboard a tug-towed barge, is widely trusted in the
battered territory.“The contribution of everyone involved is crucial
and their commitment incredible,” Kombos said.Shipborne deliveries can
bring much larger quantities of aid than the air drops that several
nations have recently made in Gaza.United Nations Office for Operations
Chief Jorge Moreira da Silva called Tuesday’s shipment a “crucial step
in alleviating suffering in Gaza.”“We need rapid, unhindered and safe
flow of humanitarian aid for all civilians in need,” he posted on X.The
latest shipment comes a day after Hamas said it has accepted a new
proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Israel has not approved the latest proposal so far.Israel announced
plans to conquer Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after
ceasefire talks stalled last month, raising the possibility of a
worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts claim is
sliding into famine.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed
reports of starvation in Gaza as “lies” promoted by Hamas. The UN last
week warned that starvation and malnutrition in the Palestinian
territory are at their highest levels since the war began with the
Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which the
terrorists abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly
civilians.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the Palestinian death
toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000. The unverified figure does
not differentiate between civilians or combatants. Israel has said it
seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses
Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas
including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
Medical
facilities to be expanded in south Gaza-60,000 IDF reservists to be
called up in coming days ahead of Gaza City takeover-Reserve troops will
get at least 2 weeks’ notice before reporting for duty, with some sent
to replace standing army elsewhere; Katz meets top defense officials to
approve IDF’s plans-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 4:33 amUpdated at 10:04
am-AUG 20,25
Some 60,000 Israeli reservists were set to receive
call-up orders that the military will issue starting Wednesday for an
offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, after Defense Minister Israel Katz
approved the army’s plans, according to the Israel Defense Forces and
security officials.The orders were not immediate, but rather were slated
to take place in several waves. The majority — around 40,000-50,000 —
would be ordered to show up for duty on September 2. Another wave would
take place in November-December, and a third wave in February-March
2026, the IDF said.The number of reservists being called up is in
addition to tens of thousands of reservists who are currently serving in
the reserves.The IDF said it was also extending reserve duty for some
20,000 reservists who were currently on duty by another 30-40 days. This
would bring the total number of reservists at a given time during the
offensive to around 130,000.The reservists included three brigades and
several more battalions, and many combat support soldiers, including in
intelligence and logistics.Not all of the reservists are expected to
participate in the operation to capture Gaza City, as some will instead
be replacing standing army troops on other fronts.In all, five IDF
divisions, made up of tens of thousands of troops, were set to
participate in the military’s planned offensive against Hamas in Gaza
City, according to the army.The forces included 12 brigade-level teams,
each of which has infantry, armored, artillery, and combat engineering
forces, along with combat support. In addition, the Gaza Division’s
northern and southern brigades — normally tasked with the border — are
set to participate in the offensive, bringing the total number of
brigades to 14.The reserve call-up orders were sent out after Katz met
Tuesday with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, other senior
officers, and Shin Bet representatives to approve the military’s plans
for the capture of Gaza City, his office said.The Gaza City takeover
offensive — which Katz approved — was dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots B,”
following a previous operation of the same name, which saw the IDF take
over 75% of the Strip’s territory in an attempt to pressure Hamas into a
hostage deal.A security source said Katz praised the IDF’s plan and
preparations during the meeting, which came after the government
instructed the military to capture Gaza City.The military said the
preparation phases for the offensive have already begun, with an ongoing
offensive on the outskirts of Gaza City. The Nahal Infantry Brigade and
7th Armored Brigade have been operating in the Zeitoun neighborhood,
and the Givati Infantry Brigade began a new offensive in the Kafr
Jabalia area, north of the city.In addition, the IDF said efforts to set
up humanitarian infrastructure in the Strip’s south for the estimated
one million Palestinian civilians who are set to be displaced from Gaza
City have started, including allowing tents and shelter equipment into
the Strip in recent days.Katz, during the meeting, approved
“humanitarian preparations” for the offensive, his office said.The
military said more aid distribution sites and at least two more field
hospitals are set to be established. The European Hospital in Khan
Younis, which was closed after the IDF raided a Hamas tunnel running
underneath it, was also slated to resume operations.“As part of the
preparations to move the population from Gaza City to the southern Gaza
Strip, talks have begun with international organizations to recruit them
to establish additional field hospitals in the south, and there is a
positive response to this,” a security official said Wednesday.The
official said “there are also plans to expand the existing medical
infrastructure in the south in cooperation with the organizations, and
in addition, options are being examined to open access routes to
additional medical facilities.”“The UN and the organizations have begun
formulating a plan to restart the European Hospital as an additional
medical response,” the official added.The IDF’s offensive in Gaza City
is set to be carried out in several stages, beginning with an evacuation
warning for the civilians in the area. Israeli officials have
previously said that Palestinians will have until October 7, 2025, to
evacuate Gaza City, which coincides with the second anniversary of
Hamas’s attack on Israel.The IDF will then encircle Gaza City before
pushing in deeper into the city, including reaching areas that were
previously not completely cleared of Hamas infrastructure, military
officials said.The meeting and the presentation of the army’s plans to
Katz came despite Hamas saying Monday that it had agreed to a truce
proposal. Should a hostage-ceasefire deal be reached, the plans to
capture Gaza City are likely to be called off.The plans, approved by
Katz Tuesday night, were set to be presented to Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu on Thursday.Though Netanyahu has appeared to dismiss Hamas’s
acceptance of the offer, after shifting from insisting on a phased
hostage release and ceasefire deal to the release of all the captives at
one go, sources said Tuesday that Jerusalem was reviewing the
proposal.Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 50 hostages,
including 49 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7,
2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the
well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Hamas is also
holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.Times of
Israel staff contributed to this report.
Divisive plan to mine
phosphates in populated Negev area back on government agenda-Ministers
to discuss PMO proposal to fast-track ICL company bid for new mine close
to city of Arad that would require evacuating thousands of BedouinBy
Sue Surkes-Today, 2:01 am-AUG 20,25
The ministries of
environmental protection and health were still formulating their
responses on Tuesday to a proposal by the Prime Minister’s Office, due
to be discussed on Sunday, to fast-track a bid by the powerful ICL
company to secure approval for a controversial new phosphate mine.Green
organizations and residents of the eastern Negev have struggled for a
decade to stop mining at Sadeh Barir, located around seven kilometers
(4.3 miles) from Arad, a city of over 32,000.Arad Mayor Yair Maayan, who
opposes the project, wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier
this month, saying that despite Netanyahu’s pledge to coordinate any
moves on Sadeh Barir with the city, which was made at numerous meetings
also attended by Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Environmental Protection
Minister Idit Silman, “we were surprised again to discover, without
prior notice,” that Sadir Barir was back on the government’s agenda.He
wrote that the project would affect some 100,000 area residents,
including 15,000 Bedouin citizens of Al Furah, who would have to be
evacuated from the area designated for mining, and for whom no planning
for alternative housing had been made. “We are not a Palestinian
population, without rights, living over the Green Line [in the West
Bank],” he added.Environmental organizations appealed Thursday to the
prime minister and other ministers to step back from the proposal.They
said the phosphate industry produces the most polluting type of waste —
phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphoric acid production, which contains
radioactive materials — accounting for 80 percent of all industrial
waste in Israel. The mining process itself spreads dust containing
radioactive materials in quantities that no one has tested, they added.
They also charged that the industry is the largest consumer of fresh
water, polluting streams and springs across the country.In the past, the
Health Ministry has warned that such a mine could lead to an
“unreasonable” increase in morbidity and mortality in the
area.Supporters of the project include the mayor of Dimona, Benny
Biton.In 2022, the Naftali Bennett government said that no decision on
Sadeh Barir would be made before an inter-ministerial discussion had
been held to thoroughly examine the state’s policy on phosphate mining,
including the health, environmental, and economic impacts.Seventeen
green organizations signed a letter asking to hold off on unfreezing the
plan and reversing the Bennett-era decision, saying that data provided
on phosphate reserves, economic and employment implications, and
environmental impacts all come from the industry.“This is a policy
tailored to one thing like a glove: maximizing ICL’s profits,” they
said.Reversing the Bennett government’s plan to examine phosphate mining
would “put the plan back on the fast track,” they continued, adding,
that “this is a decision that will be made under the radar while the
public is preoccupied with war matters, [and constitutes] a move that
will affect human lives, public health and the image of the Negev for
years to come.”Rotem Amfert, now called ICL Rotem, the company that
mines phosphates for the fertilizer industry, was responsible for one of
Israel’s worst environmental disasters, when, on June 23, 2017, the
wall of an evaporation pond collapsed, sending between 100,000 and
250,000 cubic meters (3.5 million to 8.8 million cubic feet) or more of
highly toxic wastewater rushing through the Ashalim stream, southwest of
the Dead Sea.At least 13 ibex — a third of those living in the area —
and numerous foxes and birds were found dead in the two weeks following
the spill, according to the Environmental Protection Ministry.ICL Rotem
is also a defendant in Israel’s biggest environmental class action suit
to date, which claims that it and another ICL company, Dead Sea
Periclase Ltd., allowed tens of millions of cubic meters of industrial
effluents — including radioactive ones — to contaminate an aquifer and
the Bokek stream near the Dead Sea, a popular tourism site.In a
statement, the Energy Ministry said the Sadeh Barir plan would be
examined in line with guidelines for an environmental impact assessment,
which would be determined by the National Planning and Building
Council. That assessment, it said, would include an “in-depth
examination of all potential impacts.”It pledged that a decision would
only be made “after a thorough and data-based examination” and that if
necessary, an updated policy on phosphate mining would also be
examined.ICL chose not to respond.
Uzbek cleric on trial for
inciting hate, after backing call for jihad against Israel-Alisher
Tursunov, widely known as Mubashshir Ahmad and boasting a million
followers online, pleads not guilty after endorsing Qatar-based fatwa;
could face 5-8 years in prison-By Reuters and ToI Staff 19 August 2025,
8:51 pm
A prominent independent Muslim Uzbek cleric went on trial
on Tuesday in Tashkent on charges of promoting extremism and inciting
hatred against Israel, in one of the highest-profile cases regarding
religious practices in recent years.Alisher Tursunov, widely known as
Mubashshir Ahmad, faces charges of inciting religious hatred,
distribution of materials that threaten public order and illegal
distribution of materials with religious content. In total, the charges
carry a penalty of five to eight years in prison.Tursunov, 51, ran a
popular religious media project, Azon.uz, which had some 1.2 million
subscribers on YouTube before he shut it down in 2023 under threat of
legal punishment. He subsequently moved to Turkey, where he was arrested
and extradited to Uzbekistan in May.The charges stem from both his work
on the Azon.uz project as well as posts the cleric made on social
media, according to his lawyer. He has pleaded not guilty to the
charges, local media reported.In a post on his Telegram channel in
April, Tursunov spoke out in favor of a religious ruling issued by the
International Union of Muslim Scholars, a Qatar-based group, advocating
for jihad against Israel over “the bloodshed in Gaza.”“I would ask our
government to listen to these calls,” Tursunov said. “We are all
Muslims, including leaders on top, and we should follow the fatwa issued
to Muslims.”The fatwa “instructs Muslim governments to support Hamas
‘militarily, economically, and politically’ and to besiege Israel by
‘land, air, and sea,'” according to a report by the Washington-based
Foundation for Defense of Democracies.Uzbekistan, a landlocked, majority
Muslim country in Central Asia, home to some 38 million people, has had
diplomatic relations with Israel since soon after the fall of the
Soviet Union.Islam Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan as president from 1991
until his death in 2016, was widely accused, including by the US
government and international human rights organizations, of cracking
down on Muslims under the pretext of fighting religious fundamentalism
and terrorism.Karimov’s successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, initially relaxed
strict religious restrictions, but in recent years has instituted curbs
on religious freedom, according to Human Rights Watch.
Kim Jong Un urges expansion of N. Korea nuclear capability-by AFP Staff Writers.
Seoul
(AFP) Aug 18, 2025-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called Tuesday for
the "rapid expansion" of the country's nuclear weapons capability,
citing ongoing US-South Korea military exercises that he said could
"ignite a war"."The US-ROK intensified military nexus and the
muscle-flexing are the most obvious manifestation of their will to
ignite a war," Kim was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA)."The prevailing situation requires us to make a
radical and swift change in the existing military theory and practice
and rapid expansion of nuclearization," he said.The comments were made
as Kim visited a naval destroyer, Choe Hyon, on Monday and received a
report about the warship's weapons systems.He expressed satisfaction
that "the major tasks for making the navy high-tech and nuclear-armed"
were "progressing as planned" ahead of an assessment target in October,
KCNA said.The United States and South Korea on Monday began annual joint
exercises aimed at preparing for potential threats from nuclear-armed
North Korea.The eleven-day exercises include "several large-scale,
live-fire training events," a US army statement said. It called the
drills "a defense oriented exercise".South Korean President Lee Jae
Myung vowed on Friday to "respect" North Korea's political system and
build "military trust", a day after Pyongyang said it had no interest in
improving relations with Seoul.Lee has pledged to pursue dialogue with
the nuclear-armed North without preconditions since his election in
June, a reversal from his hawkish predecessor.Lee's speech came a day
after North Korean leader Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the North has
"no will to improve relations" with the South.She also denied reports
that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers near the
countries' border.
India test-fires ballistic missile ahead of US tariff hike.
New
Delhi, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-India on Wednesday test-fired an
intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple
nuclear warheads, a government statement said, in an apparent show of
strength ahead of a threatened US tariff increase.The Agni-5 missile was
successfully launched in India's eastern Odisha state, with authorities
saying it "validated all operational and technical parameters."The
test-fire came a week before US tariffs are set to double from 25
percent to 50 percent, unless India meets President Donald Trump's
demand that it stop buying Russian oil.India last tested the Agni-5
missile in March 2024.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this month that,
in the face of US tariffs, India was seeking self-reliance with energy
independence and the development of its own defence systems.New Delhi
has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years,
including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and
Australia as an apparent counter to rival China.But India's relations
with China have warmed recently with several bilateral visits, and Modi
is scheduled to visit Tianjin later this month in his first visit to the
country since 2018.Agni, meaning "fire" in Sanskrit, is the name given
to a series of rockets India developed as part of a guided missile
development project launched in 1983.The Agni-5 employs technology that
enables it to carry several nuclear warheads, so they can split up and
hit different targets.
Iran says Europe has no right to extend deadline for snapback sanctions.
Tehran,
Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on
Wednesday said European powers had no right to trigger snapback
sanctions under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal or extend the October
deadline to trigger them.His remarks came after Iranian diplomats met in
July with counterparts from Germany, France, and Britain -- the first
such talks since Israel's attack on Iran the previous month.The 12-day
war between the two regional foes derailed Tehran's nuclear negotiations
with the United States and prompted Iran to suspend cooperation with
the UN nuclear watchdog.The European trio had threatened to trigger the
so-called "snapback mechanism" by the end of August, a move that would
reimpose sweeping UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 accord, unless
Tehran agreed to curb uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with
inspectors.According to the Financial Times, the European parties to the
deal also offered to extend the October snapback deadline if Iran
resumed nuclear talks with Washington and re-engaged with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).It added in its report last
week that the offer "remained unanswered by Iran".But on Wednesday,
Araghchi expressed Iran's rejection of such an extension."When we
believe that they do not have the right to implement snapback, it is
natural that they do not have the right to extend its deadline either,"
he told the state news agency IRNA."We have not yet reached a basis for
negotiations with the Europeans," he added.Iran has repeatedly called
reimposing sanctions "illegal" and warned of consequences should the
European powers opt to activate the mechanism.- 'A new form' -Araghchi
also said Iran "cannot completely cut cooperation" with the UN nuclear
watchdog, but added that the return of its inspectors was up to the
country's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council.In
July, Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA in the wake of its war
with Israel, citing the agency's failure to condemn Israeli and US
strikes on its nuclear facilities.The agency's inspectors have since
left Iran.Israel's unprecedented attack on Iran in mid-June saw it
targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, as well as residential
areas, killing over 1,000 people, including senior commanders and
nuclear scientists.Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks that
killed dozens in Israel.The United States briefly joined the conflict,
striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.A
ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.The
war took place two days before a sixth round of nuclear talks between
Tehran and Washington aimed at reaching a nuclear deal to replace the
one abandoned by President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first
term.Iran has since said cooperation with the IAEA would take "a new
form".Earlier this month the agency's deputy head visited Tehran for
talks. At the time, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran
and the agency had agreed to "continue consultations".
Iran says 'cannot completely' break with UN nuclear watchdog.
Tehran,
Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-Iran "cannot completely cut cooperation" with
the UN nuclear watchdog but the return of its inspectors is up to the
country's security chiefs, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said
Wednesday.The remarks come nearly two months after Iran suspended
cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency following its
12-day war with Israel in June.Iran has cited the IAEA's failure to
condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities as the reason
for its decision, which saw the watchdog's inspectors leave the country
following the passing of new legislation by parliament."We cannot
completely cut cooperation with the agency," Araghchi said, noting that
new fuel rods need to be installed at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant
in the coming weeks which will require the presence of IAEA
inspectors."Under the law passed by parliament, the return of inspectors
will be possible through a decision of the Supreme National Security
Council," he told the official IRNA news agency in an interview
published Wednesday, referring to Iran's top security body.In mid-June,
Israel launched an unprecedented attack targeting Iranian nuclear and
military sites, but also hitting residential areas.The United States
launched its own attacks on nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and
Natanz.The war derailed talks between Iran and the United States on a
new nuclear deal to replace the one abandoned by President Donald Trump
during his first term in 2018.Iran has since said cooperation with the
agency will take "a new form" and earlier this month the agency's deputy
head visited Tehran for talks.At the time, deputy foreign minister
Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran and the agency had agreed to "continue
consultations".In recent weeks, Britain, France and Germany have
threatened to trigger a snapback of UN sanctions lifted under the 2015
accord if Iran fails to agree a deal on uranium enrichment and
cooperation with the IAEA.
Iranians struggle with GPS disruption after Israel war-By Ramin Khanizadeh and Menna Zaki.
Tehran
(AFP) Aug 17, 2025-The streets of Tehran have become a confusing maze
for driver Farshad Fooladi amid widespread GPS disruption, still ongoing
nearly two months after the end of Iran and Israel's unprecedented
12-day war."For weeks I have been unable to work," said Fooladi, who
uses Iran's homegrown ride-hailing app Snapp to find customers. "Most of
the time was wasted wandering around aimlessly," the 35-year-old
Iranian driver added.Unprecedented disruption has plagued users of GPS,
which stands for Global Positioning System, in Iran since Israel's
surprise attack in mid-June which triggered a deadly 12-day war.Iran's
communications ministry has said the disruptions were necessary for
"security and military purposes", without giving further
explanation.Missiles, drones and rockets often use GPS or other similar
technologies, which involve triangulating signals from multiple
satellites, to find their targets.Iran has long employed GPS jamming and
spoofing around sensitive military sites but the recent disruptions
have been the most sustained and widespread.It remains unclear how long
the measures will last or how much damage they have caused to Iranian
businesses.Ride-hailing apps, delivery platforms, and even basic mapping
services like Google Maps and its Iranian equivalent Neshan have
buckled under the interference.In many areas, especially around Tehran,
users often spot themselves on the maps hundreds of kilometres away from
their actual locations."To get around, you either need a sharp memory
for routes or already know the city well," Fooladi said.But the driver,
originally from the western Lorestan province and less familiar with the
capital's winding backstreets, frequently finds himself running into
dead ends."I only pick up passengers who know the directions, " he said,
adding the strategy had severely cut his income.- 'Collateral damage'
-In early August, the chief executive of the Neshan mapping app, Javad
Amel, said in a video interview that daily disruptions through GPS
spoofing had been ongoing for years, especially in Tehran.But he
explained in recent weeks that Neshan's daily active users "had dropped
by 15 percent, while navigation activity on the app fell by 20
percent".The continued disruption has heightened fears of a deepening
economic crisis among Iranians.The Islamic republic's economy is already
struggling under the weight of decades of international sanctions and
mismanagement, compounded by the revival of US President Donald Trump's
"maximum pressure" campaign earlier this year.Nuclear talks with
Washington, which began in April, have also stalled since the United
States joined its ally Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites in
June."This war has upended our lives and frozen our future plans," said
Fooladi.In a report last week, the Khabar Online news agency warned
against the disruption of GPS, saying it caused "collateral damage" to
the digital economy and public safety, including delays to emergency
services.Former communications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi
argued the disruption was costly and would likely have limited defensive
results."Drone manufacturers and operators are not stupid either. If
the GPS is disrupted and another positioning system replaces it, they
will also use the new system," Jahromi said according to his Telegram
channel.- 'Unclear future' -With the significant impact on civilian
lives, deputy communications minister Ehsan Chitsaz suggested that Iran
could consider alternatives to GPS."Disruptions are created by domestic
systems on GPS, and this has pushed us toward alternative options such
as BeiDou," he told Iranian daily Ham Mihan in July.The Chinese
satellite system BeiDou, fully operational since 2020, is emerging as a
global rival to the US-built and operated GPS.Chitsaz said Iran was
"drafting a program" so some of the country's location-based services
for transport, agriculture could "gradually migrate from GPS to
BeiDou".He acknowledged disruptions in Iran, coupled with years-long
internet restrictions, have damaged businesses and created "social
distrust and despair".But experts say that replacing GPS would be
complex."Doing so would require extensive and costly infrastructure
changes," said Amir Rashidi of the US-based Miaan group, adding that
Iran is currently "highly vulnerable in cyberspace".Many in Iran believe
that another confrontation with Israel is on the horizon as Israel and
the United States continue to threaten attacks if Iran restarts its
nuclear programme, which has been on hold since the war."Everything is
uncertain, and we can't plan. The future is unclear," said Mohammad
Hossein Ghanbari, a 32-year-old Snapp driver."We don't know whether the
war will break out again or what will happen next."
Jihadists attack two military positions in Mali.
Bamako,
Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-Jihadists have attacked two military
installations in Mali, according to the army and other sources, with
residents telling AFP Wednesday that both areas came under serious
assault.The attacks, which took place Tuesday, were claimed by
Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and
Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM.For more than a decade Mali
has faced violence from fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic
State group, as well as from separatist movements and criminal gangs.The
latest attacks come as the country's junta, which came to power
following back-to-back military coups in 2020 and 2021, battles an acute
spike in violence.The militants claimed to have taken control of a
military camp in the central town of Farabougou on Tuesday morning."At
the moment, it's difficult to say what's going on," a resident of
Farabougou told AFP Wednesday."There are many jihadists, two-by-two on
motorcycles, but from where we are, we haven't seen any soldiers, even
though this is the main access road to the village."The militants also
attacked a military installation in the southwestern town of Kassela
later in the day Tuesday, located just dozens of kilometres from the
capital Bamako.Mali's army confirmed Tuesday's attacks, but neither it
nor the JNIM gave a death toll."The toll booth and the military
detachment were on fire last night," a resident of Kassela told AFP
Wednesday. "The area is swarming with Malian and Russian soldiers this
morning."Since seizing power Mali's military government has forged ties
with Russia, whose mercenaries from the paramilitary Wagner group and
its successor Africa Corps have helped the Malian army fight jihadists
and other internal adversaries.The junta pivoted to Russia after turning
its back on France, arguing that Mali should be free of its former
colonial ruler.Yet Mali has continued to struggle to contain the
jihadist threat, while the regular army and its Russian allies are
frequently accused of committing atrocities against civilians.Mali and
its junta-led neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, which have also broken
ties with France, have teamed up to create their own confederation, the
Alliance of Sahel States (AES).Each country in the confederation is
battling a surge in jihadist violence.sd-mk-lp-bdi-bfm/sbk
China, India pledge to resume flights as Beijing's top diplomat wraps up visit-by AFP Staff Writers.
Beijing
(AFP) Aug 20, 2025-China and India announced they would restart direct
flights in a string of diplomatic breakthroughs, state media reported
Wednesday, as Beijing's foreign minister wrapped up a visit before
heading to Pakistan.Following Wang Yi's trip to India, Beijing and New
Delhi also agreed to advance talks on their disputed border, resume
tourism visa issuance and boost trade between the neighbouring
countries.In talks on the border issue with Indian national security
adviser Ajit Doval, the two sides agreed to "explore the possibility of
advancing boundary demarcation negotiations" and vowed to reopen three
border trade markets, according to a Xinhua report Wednesday.Relations
between the world's two most populous countries soured after a deadly
border clash in 2020.But a thaw began last October when Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first
time in five years at a summit in Russia.Modi will travel to China later
in August -- his first visit since 2018.Wang is now due in Pakistan,
India's arch-rival and one of China's closest partners in the
region."Both India and Pakistan are China's important neighbours. We are
willing to enhance friendly cooperation with both countries, and hope
that differences between these two countries can be handled properly",
foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference
Tuesday.She described China and Pakistan as "ironclad friends and
all-weather strategic partners".China has poured tens of billions of
dollars into Pakistan to fund massive transport, energy and
infrastructure projects -- part of Beijing's transnational Belt and Road
scheme.Islamabad used Chinese-made military hardware, including jets,
against India during a four-day conflict in May that killed more than 70
people.The conflict was sparked by an attack on tourists by gunmen in
Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing
-- a charge it denies.Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and
Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the Muslim-majority region
since their 1947 independence from British rule.Wang said that China
supported Islamabad in defending "national sovereignty and territorial
integrity", in talks with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar
in May, days after Islamabad and New Delhi agreed a ceasefire.Wang is
due in Pakistan until Friday and will meet with Dar for the sixth round
of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, China's foreign
ministry said Tuesday.
China slams Germany for 'hyping' regional tensions in Asia-by AFP Staff Writers.
Beijing
(AFP) Aug 18, 2025-China lashed out at Germany on Monday, warning
Berlin against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" after its
foreign minister said Beijing was "increasingly aggressive" in the
Asia-Pacific region.During a visit to Japan, Johann Wadephul said China
had made repeated threats to "unilaterally change the status quo and
shift borders in its favour", citing its behaviour in the Taiwan Strait
and the East and South China Seas."Any escalation in this sensitive hub
of international trade would have serious consequences for global
security and the world economy," Wadephul said Monday after talks with
Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya.A statement issued on Sunday before
Wadephul's visit to Japan -- and later Indonesia -- said that China was
"increasingly asserting its regional supremacy and, in doing so, is also
questioning principles of international law.""China's increasingly
aggressive behaviour in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China
Seas also has implications for us in Europe: fundamental principles of
our global coexistence are at stake here," the statement quoted Wadephul
as saying.China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning hit back on
Monday, telling a regular news conference that the situation in the East
China Sea and the South China Sea "remains generally stable"."We urge
the relevant parties to respect regional countries, resolve issues
through dialogue and consultation, and safeguard the common interest of
peace and stability, instead of inciting confrontation and hyping up
tensions," she said when asked about Wadephul's comments."The Taiwan
question is China's internal affair," she added.- 'War machine' support
-In the joint press statement in Tokyo, Wadephul also criticised
"China's support for the Russian war machine" in Ukraine."Without it,
the war of aggression against Ukraine would not be possible. China is
Russia's largest supplier of dual-use goods and Russia's best oil and
gas customer," Wadephul said.He also said ahead of talks later Monday
between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky and European leaders that security guarantees for Kyiv were
"crucial".Trump's summit on Friday with Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin in Alaska "made it clear that for a just and lasting peace, Moscow
must finally act. Until that happens, pressure on Russia must be
increased, including with increased aid to Ukraine," Wadephul said.The
talks on Monday in Washington are about establishing "the elements of a
negotiated solution on the path to a just peace for Ukraine," he
said."Firm security guarantees are crucial for this. Because Ukraine
must be able to defend itself effectively even after a ceasefire and
peace agreement."burs-je/mtp
Iraq starts work on IS mass grave thought to contain thousands-by AFP Staff Writers.
Baghdad
(AFP) Aug 17, 2025-Iraqi authorities have begun excavating the site of a
mass grave believed to contain thousands of victims of the Islamic
State (IS) group near Mosul city, the project's director told AFP on
Sunday.The first phase, which was launched on August 10, includes
surface-level excavation at the Khasfa site, director Ahmed al-Assadi
said.An AFP correspondent visiting the site in northern Iraq on Sunday
said the team unearthed human skulls buried in the sand.Khasfa is
located near Mosul, where IS had established the capital of their
self-declared "caliphate" before being defeated in Iraq in late
2017.Assadi said that there were no precise figures for the numbers of
victims buried there -- one of dozens of mass graves IS left behind in
Iraq -- but a UN report from 2018 said Khasfa was likely the country's
largest.Official estimates put the number of bodies buried at the site
at at least 4,000, with the possibility of thousands more.The project
director said the victims buried there include "soldiers executed by
IS", members of the Yazidi minority and residents of Mosul.Exhuming the
bodies from Khasfa is particularly difficult, Assadi said, as
underground sulphur water makes the earth very porous.The water may have
also eroded the human remains, complicating DNA identification of
victims, he added.Assadi said further studies will be required before
his team can dig deeper and exhume bodies at the site -- a sinkhole
about 150-metre (nearly 500-foot) deep and 110-metre wide.Iraqi
authorities said it was the site of "one of the worst massacres"
committed by IS jihadists, executing 280 in a single day in 2016, many
of them interior ministry employees.In a lightning advance that began in
2014, IS had seized large swathes Iraq and neighbouring Syria,
enforcing a strict interpretation of Islamic law and committing
widespread abuses.The United Nations estimates the jihadists left behind
more than 200 mass graves which might contain as many as 12,000
bodies.In addition to IS-era mass graves, Iraqi authorities continue to
unearth such sites dating to the rule of Saddam Hussein, who was toppled
in a US-led invasion in 2003.
FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of
Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE
HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an
angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all
the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the
flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men,
and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS
TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN
FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING
BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @
39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the
earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY)
gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS)
and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U
WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS)
that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the
horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.
Zephaniah 2:1-15
1 Gather together, yes, gather,O shameless nation,
2
before the decree takes effect[a] -before the day passes away like
chaff—before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before
there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Seek the
Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;[b] seek
righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of
the anger of the Lord.
4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon
shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to you inhabitants of the
seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against
you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no
inhabitant is left.
6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows[c] for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7
The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of
Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they
shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will be mindful of
them and restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab
(JORDAN) and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my
people and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I
live,” declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become
like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles
and salt pits, and a waste forever.The remnant of my people shall
plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11
The Lord will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods
of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the
lands of the nations.
12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword.
13
And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy
Assyria,(SYRIA) and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like
the desert.
14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of
beasts;[d] even the owl and the hedgehog[e] shall lodge in her
capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the
threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the
exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and
there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild
beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.Sa'ar: No
free meals; talks possible if more hostages freed Israel halts aid into
Gaza, citing Hamas refusal to extend first phase of truce
Footnotes-a
-Zephaniah 2:2 Hebrew gives birth, b-Zephaniah 2:3 Or who carry out his
judgment, c-Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves, d-Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of
every nation, e-Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl
and hedgehog is uncertain
DANIEL 2:37-45
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and
the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made
thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after
thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third
kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And
the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh
in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the
feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom
shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron,
forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to
another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never
be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of
the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known
to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is
certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
DANIEL 7:17-26
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from
all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his
nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue
with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of
the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn
that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was
more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22
Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of
the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,
which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole
earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the
ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and
another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first,
and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words
against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High,
and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his
hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
THE WORLD IN 10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS LEAD BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THE WORLD LEADER, NOT AMERICA.I PREDICT.
THE EUROPEAN UNION AND REVIVED ROMAN WORLD GOVERNMENT
DANIEL 2:31-33,36-43, DAN 7:3-8,17
First From Daniel Chapter 2
1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (HEAD OF GOLD) DAN 2:31-32,36-38, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (CHEST & ARMS OF SILVER) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (WAIST & HIPS OF BRONZE) DAN 2:32,39, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (2 LEGS OF IRON) DAN 2:33,40, ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) (FEET IRON & CLAY) DAN 2:33,41-43,10 TOES
Now From Daniel Chapter 7
1 EGYPT
2 ASSYRIA
3 BABYLON (LION WITH EAGLES WINGS) DAN 7:4, DAN 1:1
4 MEDO-PERSIANS (BEAR ON HIND LEGS) DAN 7:5, DAN 9:1
5 GREECE (LEOPARD 4 WINGS, 4 HEADS) DAN 7:6, DAN 11:2
6 ROME (HUGE IRON TEETH) DAN 7:7 (10 HORNS), ROM 1:6
7 REVIVED ROME (EU) DAN 7:8,19-20,23-25 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS
REV
17:9,12, 10 HORNS, 10 KINGS, 7 HILLS ROME. REV 13:1 BEAST WITH 7 HEADS.
THE E.U LEADER OF WORLD GOVERNMENT DAN 2:40-45, 7:7-8,23-25,27, 8:23,
REV 13:3,7,8,12,14,16
REVELATION 17:10-12
10 And there are
seven kings (7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY) five are fallen, (EGYPT,
ASSYRIA, BABYLON,:MEDO-PERSIAN,GREECE and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS
DAY-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he
cometh,(FUTURE-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE-EUROPEAN UNION TODAY) he must
continue a short space.(7 YEARS OF WORLD DOMINATION-BUT 3 1/2 YEARS OF
NEW WORLD ORDER OR ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT)
12 And the ten horns (10
WORLD TRADE BLOCS OR REGIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast.
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (10
WORLD TRADE BLOCS-NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the
beast.
13 These have one mind,(WORLD SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
We
shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only
question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or
consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February
1950
Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in
1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a
man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection
to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten
to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept
him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.
DICK
MORRIS-This truly creates a global economic system. From now on, don’t
look to Washington for the rule making, look to Brussels.
THE CLUB OF ROME FOUNDER AURELIO PECCEI WANTS THE WORLD IN 10 REGIONAL TRADING BLOCKS.
REVELATION 16:1-2
1
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels,
Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the
earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth;
and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the
mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16
And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in
their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred
threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
I KNOW THIS MARK WILL
BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK
SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE
VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW
LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE.
UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW
AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION
13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION
AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO
IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE
SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE),
OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX,
KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125
THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR
RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM
1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE;
FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 -
STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick;
(cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.;
Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According
to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of
their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to
indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even
some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their
gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα
τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in
Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left
there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by
him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and
approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on
Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian,
Plutarch, Lcian, others.)
THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo
THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.
LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
HERES WHAT THE WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE (SINCE THERE WILL BE WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE)-UPDATED VERSION
01 CANADA, U.S.A, MEXICO
02 EUROPEAN UNION,WESTERN EUROPE
03 JAPAN
04 AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND, S AFRICA, ISRAEL AND PACIFIC ISLANDS
05 EASTERN EUROPE
06 SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICAS
07 NORTH AFRICA, AND MIDEAST (MOSLEMS)
08 CENTRAL AFRICA
09 SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
10 CENTRAL ASIA
THE
CLUB OF ROME WANTS A WORLD CHARISMATIC DICTATOR (EITHER RELIGIOUS,
POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFICAL) TO HEAD THIS WORLD GOVERNMENT. REV 13:3,7-8,
DAN 7:23-24
WORLD POWERS IN THE END TIME
NORTH - RUSSIA EZEK 38:1-2, 39:1-2
SOUTH - EGYPT DAN 11:42
EAST - CHINA DAN 11:44,REV 16:12
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION DAN 7:23-24 (NOT THE U.S.A)
http://israel7777777.blogspot.ca/2012/03/10-world-trade-blocs-one-world.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-eu-takes-world-control.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2012/05/one-world-religion-crislam.html
FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of
Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE
HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an
angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all
the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the
flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men,
and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS
TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN
FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING
BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @
39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the
earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY)
gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS)
and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U
WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS)
that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the
horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.
COUNCIL FOR EUROPE ON DEFENCE
https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6d6f889c-e58d-4caa-8f3b-8b93154fe206_en?filename=SAFE%20Regulation.pdf
KILL: UK considering 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine: minister.
London,
Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-KILL our story 'UK considering 'boots on the
ground' in Ukraine: minister' because it contains quotes from August 15
wrongly used by Press Association as quotes from today, August 20.No new
version upcoming.
NATO chiefs to discuss Ukraine security guarantees.
Brussels,
Belgium, Aug 20 (AFP) Aug 20, 2025-NATO military chiefs were set
Wednesday to discuss the details of eventual security guarantees for
Ukraine, pushing ahead the flurry of global diplomacy aiming to broker
an end to Russia's war.But even as diplomatic efforts continued
Wednesday, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and
Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Moscow's missiles.Few
details have leaked on the virtual meeting of military chiefs from
NATO's 32 member countries, which is due to start at 2:30 pm (1230
GMT).But on Tuesday evening top US officer Dan Caine, Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with European military chiefs on the
"best options for a potential Ukraine peace deal," a US defence official
told AFP.US President Donald Trump brought Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to the White House Monday, three
days after his landmark encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin
in Alaska.Trump, long a fierce critic of the billions of dollars in US
support to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022, earlier said European
nations were "willing to put people on the ground" to secure any
settlement. He ruled out sending US troops but suggested it would
provide air support instead.But while Trump said Putin had agreed to
meet Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine,
Kyiv and Western capitals have responded cautiously, as many of the
details remain vague.- Fresh Russian strikes -Russia's defence ministry
said on Telegram Wednesday that its troops had captured the villages of
Sukhetske and Pankivka in the embattled Donetsk region.They are near a
section of the front where the Russian army broke through Ukrainian
defences last week, between the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and
Kostiantynivka.In the eastern Kharkiv region, the prosecutor's office
said a Russian drone strike on a civilian vehicle had killed two people,
aged 70 and 71.Russian glide bombs hit housing in the eastern Ukrainian
town of Kostiantynivka overnight, trapping as many as four people under
rubble, said the town's military administration chief Sergiy
Gorbunov.And Russia aerial attacks on the northeastern town of Okhtyrka
in the Sumy region wounded at least 14 people, including three children,
according to regional governor Oleg Grygorov.Zelensky said these latest
strikes showed "the need to put pressure on Moscow", including through
sanctions.burs-jj/db
Trump suggests air support but no troops for Ukraine's security-by Mike Heuer.
Washington
DC (UPI) Aug 19, 2025-President Donald Trump said the United States
would provide air support for Ukraine's defense against Russian
aggression, but not U.S. troops on the ground.If the war in Ukraine ends
soon, U.S. air support would be available to help ensure its security
instead of making Ukraine a NATO member, Trump said on Monday
evening."When it comes to security, they are willing to put people on
the ground," Trump said of Ukraine's European neighbors in a Fox News
interview, as reported by The Hill."We're willing to help them with
things, especially ... by air because nobody has [the] stuff we have,"
Trump said.White House press secretary Karolin Leavitt on Tuesday
confirmed Trump "definitively" opposes deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine,
The Hill reported.Instead, Ukraine's European neighbors and others
might support peace by deploying troops there, Axios reported on
Tuesday.If so, the United States would be willing to provide air support
to help maintain the peace, Trump suggested.Potential U.S. involvement
in Ukraine's security is important for enabling a potential peace
agreement to end the war that Russia started by invading Ukraine on Feb.
24, 2022, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday.Potential
air support could be in the form of U.S. pilots engaging Russian
aircraft in defensive operations over Ukraine, intercepting missiles or
just providing air-to-air refueling.Trump and former President Joe Biden
each have said they don't want the United States involved in direct
combat with Russian forces.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the
Trump administration's lead negotiator for Ukraine security plans, which
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed during their
White House meeting on Monday.Whatever peace agreement Ukraine and
Russia might make, Trump wants Russia to return tens of thousands of
Ukrainian children whom it has abducted from Ukraine, according to
CNN.Meanwhile, officials in Switzerland have offered to host peace talks
between Russia and Ukraine."We are ready for such a meeting," Swiss
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told CNN's broadcast partner SRF on
Tuesday."We have always signaled our willingness," Cassis said, "but it,
of course, hinges on the willingness of the major powers."The
International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Putin's arrest for
alleged war crimes in Ukraine, including abducting children.Cassis said
the Swiss government would not arrest Russian President Vladimir
Putin."We can do this despite the arrest warrant against Putin because
of our special role and Geneva's role as the European headquarters of
the [United Nations]," Cassis explained.Trump talked with Putin
following his meeting with Zelensky on Monday and after hosting the
Russian president in Alaska on Friday.Trump said he is working to
arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Putin within the next two weeks.
U.S.
and allies to meet on security guarantees as Trump works on
Putin-Zelenskyy summit-Budapest and Geneva have been discussed as
potential sites for a summit between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, a
senior administration official told NBC News.Aug. 20, 2025, 4:58 AM EDT
/ Updated Aug. 20, 2025, 8:04 AM EDT By Freddie Clayton
LONDON —
United States and NATO military officials were set to meet Wednesday to
discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as the White House worked to
arrange a summit between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir
Putin.Ukraine and its European allies appeared buoyed after Trump
promised during their meeting in Washington on Monday that the U.S.
would provide security guarantees as part of any settlement with Russia —
a red-line issue for Kyiv.Trump made clear Tuesday that this would not
include U.S. “boots on the ground” but could see the U.S. provide air
support as part of such an arrangement.The Kremlin said Wednesday that
it was ready to discuss a settlement with Ukraine, including security
guarantees, but that talks without Russia were a "road to nowhere." It
also appeared in no rush to agree to a leaders' summit.Military chiefs
from NATO’s 32 member countries will meet virtually later Wednesday to
discuss the way forward. U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich will
attend, the chair of NATO’s military committee said.Their meeting comes
after Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hosted
several European Chiefs of Defense on Tuesday evening, a defense
official told NBC News.Secretary of State and national security adviser
Marco Rubio will be leading the effort to coordinate security guarantees
among allies, according to a White House official.Meanwhile, the White
House is actively looking to secure a meeting location and date for a
Putin-Zelenskyy summit to discuss an end to the Kremlin's war, according
to a senior administration official.The Hungarian capital, Budapest,
and Swiss city of Geneva have been discussed as potential sites, the
official said, adding that both Trump and Putin have a good relationship
with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.Various nations have offered to
host, including Switzerland.Any meeting would be complicated by the
arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court, and
Moscow appeared in no hurry for Putin and Zelenskyy to sit down
together.Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Putin had
proposed to continue negotiations during his phone call with Trump on
Monday, and "to consider raising the level of the heads of
delegations""We are ready for any formats," Lavrov said. "But when it
comes to meetings at the highest level, they must be prepared with the
utmost care."Lavrov also dismissed any attempt to resolve the question
of Ukraine's security without Russia as "a utopia, a road to
nowhere."Russian air strikes on Ukraine continued Tuesday night, killing
three civilians and injuring dozens more across multiple regions,
Ukrainian officials said.Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday it had
struck "pier facilities" used to supply fuel to Ukrainian
forces.Zelenskyy said on X that Russia had launched a strike "on a gas
distribution station in the Odesa region."The ongoing attacks
illustrated “the need to put pressure on Moscow,” he said, calling for
“new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy is fully effective.”Freddie
Clayton is a freelance journalist based in London.
Paris pans
'manipulation,' says charge 'won't go unanswered'Issuing ultimatum,
Netanyahu tells Macron Palestine recognition fuels antisemitism-PM
demands French leader ‘replace weakness with action’ on anti-Jewish
hatred by Rosh Hashanah next month, after also launching scathing attack
on Australian PM-By AFP and ToI Staff 19 August 2025, 10:54 pm
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upbraided French President Emmanuel Macron
on Tuesday, charging that the latter’s move to recognize a Palestinian
state fuels antisemitism, drawing a combative response from Paris.Late
last month, Macron said France would formally recognize a Palestinian
state during a UN meeting in September, drawing a swift rebuke from
Israel.By announcing the move, France was set to join a growing list of
nations to have recognized statehood for the Palestinians since the
start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago. Many Western nations have
followed in Paris’s footsteps.In the letter sent to Macron, seen by AFP,
Netanyahu said antisemitism had “surged” in France following the
announcement.“Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on this
antisemitic fire. It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement. It rewards
Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens
those who menace French Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking
your streets,” Netanyahu wrote in the letter.The premier went on to call
on Macron to confront antisemitism in France, saying he must “replace
weakness with action, appeasement with resolve, and to do so by a clear
date: the Jewish New Year, September 23,” known as Rosh Hashanah.The
Elysee Palace slammed the accusation as “abject” and “erroneous.”France
“protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens,” the Elysee said,
adding that Netanyahu’s letter “will not go unanswered.”“This is a time
for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and
manipulation,” it added.Benjamin Haddad, France’s minister for Europe,
said the country has “no lessons to learn in the fight against
antisemitism.”The issue, “which is poisoning our European societies,”
must not be “exploited,” Haddad added.France is among at least 145 of
the 193 UN members that now recognize or plan to recognize a Palestinian
state, according to an AFP tally.Australia joined the list earlier this
month, announcing its intention to recognize a Palestinian state in
September.Sky News reported earlier Tuesday that Netanyahu sent a
similar letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, indicating
that he’s sending them to the leaders of all countries that announced
plans to recognize a Palestinian state next month.Netanyahu also openly
slammed Albanese on Tuesday, labeling him a “weak politician who
betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” in an angry post on his
office’s official X account.The personal attack came amid a diplomatic
spat between the two countries after the Australian government on Monday
canceled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha
Rothman.Rothman, whose party is in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, had
been scheduled to speak at events organized by the Australian Jewish
Association.Hours after his visa was canceled, Foreign Minister Gideon
Sa’ar said he had revoked the visas of Australia’s representatives to
the Palestinian Authority.In a statement, Australian Foreign Minister
Penny Wong said revoking their visas was an “unjustified reaction” by
Israel and that Netanyahu’s government was “isolating Israel and
undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state
solution.”
Marking ‘new chapter’ in ties, Sa’ar inaugurates
Israeli embassy in Zambia-Almost 35 years after Jerusalem and Lusaka
renewed relations, foreign minister says nation is a ‘strategic partner
for Israel in the southern part of Africa’By Nava Freiberg and ToI Staff
Today, 10:14 pm-AUG 20,25
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar opened
an Israeli embassy in Zambia on Wednesday during a diplomatic visit to
the southern African country.“It is an honor and a privilege to be here
in Lusaka and open Israel’s embassy,” Sa’ar said during his speech at
the opening ceremony, alongside his Zambian counterpart, Mulambo Haimbe.
“It is a truly emotional moment to raise our flag — the Israeli flag —
and to hear HaTikvah, here in Zambia, after 52 years.”Israel and Zambia
first established diplomatic ties in 1966, two years after Zambia gained
independence from the United Kingdom. But relations were severed at the
behest of the Organization of African Unity in the wake of the 1973 Yom
Kippur War between Israel and several Arab countries, and Israel’s
diplomatic presence across Africa became greatly reduced.The two
countries re-established ties in 1991, but it wasn’t until 2015 that
Zambia opened an embassy in Tel Aviv. Until this year, Israel had
sufficed with a non-residential ambassador to Zambia, Zimbabwe and
Botswana. That ambassador, Ofra Farhi, will become the new ambassador to
Zambia and take up residence in Lusaka, while retaining her other
posts.Speaking on Wednesday, Sa’ar said that the new embassy marks “the
beginning of a new chapter between our nations.”“Relations between our
countries are not only based on common interests,” he said. “They are
also rooted in shared values. These are relations between two nations of
believers: believers in ancient traditions based on the holy Bible. It
is an alliance of believers. And I know that together we will do great
things.”Sa’ar asserted that “these days, many countries in Africa are
lining up for Israel to open an embassy in their capitals. We choose to
begin in Zambia.”Israel, he said, believes “in Zambia’s potential. We
believe that Zambia is a country of values — domestically and in its
foreign policy. We believe Zambia is a strategic partner for Israel in
the southern part of Africa.”The foreign minister pointed to a number of
projects linking the nations, including Israel establishing a trauma
and emergency unit in a hospital in the city of Livingston and hosting
hundreds of Zambian agricultural students in the Negev, as well as
holding “special courses, especially for Zambia, in water management,
food security and agriculture.”Earlier Wednesday, Sa’ar said that he and
Haimbe had signed a memorandum of understanding “on bilateral
consultations” and were enhancing their “partnership in agriculture,
health and much more.”Before his trip, the Foreign Ministry said that
the decision to open a permanent embassy in Lusaka “forms part of a
broader initiative to expand and strengthen relations with African
nations,” one of Sa’ar’s “strategic goals” for the ministry this year.In
January, Israel announced the decision to open the new embassy,
inviting Haimbe to visit Israel, which he did in June.
Poll shows
most Americans back Palestine recognition, view Israeli campaign as
excessive-Large majority believe US should play role in preventing
hunger in Gaza; Witkoff says Trump wants comprehensive deal to end war,
bring back all hostages-By Nava Freiberg-and Reuters Today, 6:41 pm-AUG
20,25
A 58-percent majority of Americans believe that every
country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation,
according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, reflecting
Israel’s increasingly precarious international position after 22 months
of a grueling and destructive war in Gaza.Some 33% of respondents did
not agree that UN members should recognize a Palestinian state and 9%
did not answer.The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, was taken
within weeks of three countries — close US allies Canada, Britain and
France — announcing they intended to recognize the State of Palestine.
This ratcheted up pressure on Israel as the UN and aid groups warned of
spreading starvation in Gaza.Britain, Canada, Australia and several of
their European allies said last week that the humanitarian crisis in the
war-torn Palestinian enclave has reached “unimaginable levels,” as aid
groups warned that Gazans were on the verge of famine.The UN human
rights office said on Tuesday that Israel was not letting enough
supplies into the Gaza Strip to avert widespread starvation.The UN last
week warned that starvation and malnutrition in the Palestinian
territory are at their highest levels since the war began with the
Hamas-led massacre on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.A larger
majority of the Reuters/Ipsos poll respondents, 65%, said the US should
take action in Gaza to help people facing starvation, with 28%
disagreeing. The number disagreeing included 41% of US President Donald
Trump’s Republicans.Trump and many of his fellow Republicans take an
“America First” approach to international relations, backing steep cuts
to the country’s international food and medical assistance programs in
the belief that US funds should assist Americans, not those outside its
borders.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports of
starvation in Gaza as “lies” promoted by Hamas. But facing heavy
international pressure, in July the government instituted a series of
measures to alleviate hunger in the Strip, including airdrops and
10-hour “humanitarian pauses” in military operations in three population
centers to allow deliveries of aid.Earlier in August, for the first
time in nearly a year, Israel announced it would allow the entry of
goods into Gaza through the private sector, an effort aimed at
increasing the flow of essential food and hygiene items that were
previously only delivered by aid organizations.The US- and Israel-backed
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), established to provide aid via an
alternative that would keep goods out of Hamas’s hands, has been plagued
by near-daily shooting incidents, in which the UN has said seen more
than 1,000 killed as they try to reach the GHF distribution centers,
allegedly by IDF gunfire.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the
Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000. The
unverified figure does not differentiate between civilians and
combatants. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and
stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting
from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.The
Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that 59% of Americans believe that
Israel’s military response in Gaza has been excessive. Thirty-three
percent of respondents disagreed.In a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll
conducted in February 2024, 53% of respondents agreed that Israel’s
response had been excessive, and 42% disagreed.The latest Reuters/Ipsos
survey, conducted online, gathered responses from 4,446 US adults
nationwide and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage
points.Meanwhile, in a Fox News interview aired Tuesday, United States
special envoy Steve Witkoff said that Trump wanted to see a
comprehensive deal to end the war and return all the hostages.Addressing
Hamas’s acceptance this week of a partial ceasefire and hostage-release
deal, Witkoff reiterated Trump’s commitment to seeing all the hostages
freed.“Now, [Trump] has been very decisive and straightforward… He wants
all the hostages back. That is the position that we have,” Witkoff
said, referencing a recent post by Trump on Truth Social saying that the
hostages will only be freed once Hamas is confronted and
destroyed.Trump appeared to align with Netanyahu, who is pressing ahead
with an expanded military campaign against Hamas and has vowed that
Israel remains committed to a comprehensive deal to free all hostages
and end the war on Israel’s terms — which would require Hamas to disarm,
allow for the demilitarization of Gaza, grant Israel overall security
control of the Strip, and hand over control to a body other than the
Palestinian Authority.Still, Netanyahu has not explicitly rejected the
proposal approved by Hamas this week, suggesting Jerusalem is keeping
its options open.Witkoff added Tuesday, “That conflict should end
immediately, 20 hostages should be returned to their families, a
commensurate amount of Palestinian prisoners to be released as well, and
just let’s end that thing – bring peace and solitude to the Gazan
people, and rebuild Gaza as it should be rebuilt as the president has
set forth.”He did not address the remaining 30 hostages in Gaza, 28 of
whom are confirmed dead, while Israeli officials have said there are
grave concerns for the well-being of two others. Earlier this year,
Trump endorsed a policy of mass emigration in Gaza and a complete
rebuilding of the Strip, though he has appeared to distance himself from
the idea in recent months.
Peace Now: Its purpose is to sabotage
a political solution-Smotrich rejoices as settlement plan that ‘erases
2-state delusion’ gets final greenlight-Minister fetes ‘historic’
approval of controversial construction scheme in West Bank’s E1 area,
upending a decades-long freeze; PA says move divides West Bank into
‘prisons’By Jeremy Sharon and Agencies Today, 4:58 pm-AUG 20,25
A
major construction project that would see some 3,400 housing units
built in the contentious E1 area in the West Bank, between Jerusalem and
the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, was given final approval
Wednesday.Announced last week by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the
controversial plan was formally greenlit by the Higher Planning
Committee of the Civil Administration, a Defense Ministry
department.Smotrich, who also holds a junior ministerial position in the
Defense Ministry that grants him wide say in settlement construction,
called the decision “historic.”He described the construction plan as a
“significant step that practically erases the two-state delusion and
consolidates the Jewish people’s hold on the heart of the Land of
Israel.”“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not by
slogans but by deeds. Every settlement, every neighborhood, every
housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea,” the
far-right minister declared.He cast the dramatic move, which will
effectively bisect the West Bank, as retaliation against Western states
that announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent
weeks.The plan received praise from Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach, who
said in a statement that he was “pleased to announce that just a short
while ago, the Civil Administration approved the planning for the
construction of the E1 neighborhood.”Meanwhile, the Palestinian
Authority slammed the approval, saying it undermines the chances of a
two-state solution.The project “fragments… geographic and demographic
unity, entrenching the division of the occupied West Bank into isolated
areas and cantons that are disconnected from one another, turning them
into something akin to real prisons,” the PA’s foreign ministry said in a
statement.If the process moves quickly, infrastructure work in E1 could
begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in
around a year, according to AP.The E1 settlement project had been frozen
for decades amid fierce opposition from the international community,
including past US administrations, which feared building a new
settlement neighborhood on the mostly empty tract of land would rule out
the establishment of a contiguous, viable Palestinian state.The
now-approved plan will connect the Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim
metropolitan areas, while seemingly scuttling the prospect of a
contiguous Palestinian presence between the population centers of
Bethlehem, East Jerusalem, and Ramallah — long considered the basis for a
Palestinian state.The Peace Now organization, which campaigns against
the settlement movement, concurred with Smotrich that the project
severely threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state, adding
that implementing the plans would move Israel toward becoming a
“binational apartheid state.”“Under the cover of war, Smotrich and his
minority of messianic friends are establishing a delusional settlement
that we will have to evacuate in any agreement,” said the organization,
adding that billions of shekels may be spent — and wasted — on the
development.“The entire purpose of the settlement in E1 is to sabotage a
political solution and rush towards a binational apartheid state,” the
group’s statement continued.Last week’s announcement of the move sparked
widespread condemnation from European and Arab countries, alongside
international organizations, with the United Nations calling on Israel
to reverse its decision.UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said to
reporters that the plan would “put an end to prospects of a two-state
solution.”The European Union similarly urged Israel to desist from its
plan, with the agency’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas saying in a statement
that the step “undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of
international law.”
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26
Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the
light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of
his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold,
the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the
burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his
tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED)
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE)
those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID
HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God,
which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him
glory.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the
stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon
shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9
I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy
destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not
known.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his
vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every
living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord,
which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6
For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion)
have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy.
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26
Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the
light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the
light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of
his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold,
the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the
burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his
tongue as a devouring fire:
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC
GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall
be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE
SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great
signs shall there be from heaven.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,
being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
LUKE 21:25-26
25
And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in
the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the
stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) 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)
Hurricane Erin surge
forecast 2-4 feet from Cape Lookout to Duck-At 5 p.m., Erin was packing
maximum sustained wind of 105 mph. The Category 2 hurricane remains on a
path to steer-By Alan Wooten | The Center Square-Published: August 19,
2025 11:00pm
(The Center Square) -Storm surge flooding and
tropical storm conditions from Hurricane Erin are forecast for the Outer
Banks of North Carolina starting Wednesday evening.At 5 p.m., Erin was
packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The Category 2 hurricane
remains on a path to steer clear of the United States mainland, though
it is already brushing in large waves and will bring beach erosion and
overwash.The storm was 615 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras and
615 miles southwest of Bermuda, moving at 10 mph. Storm surge warnings
were in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck; a tropical storm warning was
in effect from Beaufort Inlet to Duck, inclusive of the Pamlico and
Albemarle sounds; and a tropical storm watch was in effect from north of
Duck to Chincoteague, Va.Intensity of the storm is forecast to
fluctuate. Hurricane force winds, meaning 74 mph or greater, stayed
extended 80 miles from its center throughout Tuesday; tropical
storm-force winds, meaning 39 mph or greater, grew to 230 miles from the
center.Forecasters said 1-2 inches of rain are expected Wednesday night
on the Outer Banks. Swells from the Atlantic Ocean, however, are
life-threatening in the surf and rip currents. Storm surge from Cape
Lookout to Duck is forecast at 2 to 4 feet.Mandatory evacuations have
been issued for Ocracoke Island in Hyde County and Hatteras Island in
Dare County. Each county has declared an emergency.Multiple published
reports put the number of swimmers rescued between 60 and 70 at
Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington on Monday. This was due to rip
currents.N.C. 12, the famed 148-mile roadway linking the peninsulas and
islands of the Outer Banks, is likely to go underwater and parts could
wash away – as often happens with hurricanes.N.C. 12 begins at U.S. 70
at the community of Sea Level and runs to a point just north of Corolla
and south of the Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine
Research Reserve. Two ferries, Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island and
Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island, are part of the route.The storm's miss
of the state is particularly welcome in light of Hurricane Helene.
Recovery from that storm is in its 47th week. Helene killed 107 in the
state, 236 across seven states in the South, and caused an estimated $60
billion in damage to North Carolina.
Hurricane Erin prompts
tropical storm warning for North Carolina-The storm is not expected to
make landfall but could leave dangerous rip currents and flooding in its
wake.Aug. 20, 2025, 9:07 AM EDT / By Rebecca Cohen and Kathryn Prociv
A
tropical storm warning has been issued for North Carolina as Hurricane
Erin churns up the east coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm.The
National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that the storm was
about 335 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A
state of emergency has been declared for the entire state as the storm
had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and was moving north at 13 mph,
the hurricane center said in its 2 p.m. EDT update.Erin is already a
large hurricane, with winds extending outward up to 90 miles from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 265 miles
from the center. It is expected to remain a hurricane this week while
growing in size as it continues its trek across the Atlantic and
eventually turns out to sea."I want to emphasize the importance of
taking this storm seriously, because it's a serious storm and conditions
can deteriorate quickly," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said at a
Wednesday press conference.The storm is expected to take a turn
north-northeast on Wednesday and move over the western Atlantic Ocean
between the east coast of the U.S. and Bermuda, before passing south of
Atlantic Canada into the weekend, the hurricane center said.Erin will
make its closest pass to the U.S. on Thursday, when the onshore winds
will be strongest, leading to coastal flood concerns and dangerous rip
currents. The heavy rain will remain offshore so that the strong winds
will be the most noticeable impact.North Carolina is anticipating
coastal flooding from massive waves, tropical-storm-force winds and
tidal and storm surges for much of the state shoreline, especially the
Outer Banks, as well as life-threatening rip currents for most of the
week, Stein said, adding, "No one should be in the ocean."Erin could
strengthen on Wednesday and Thursday but is expected to begin weakening
by Friday, the hurricane center said."Regardless of the track of the
center of the storm, dangerous conditions can be felt far from the eye,
especially with the system as large as Erin, regardless of her track,"
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said Wednesday.The
2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center said the tropical
storm warning now covers north of the border of North Carolina and
Virginia to Chincoteague, Virginia.Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on X
that he is monitoring the storm’s "offshore track," which is "bringing
dangerous water conditions to Virginia’s coast," including "extremely
dangerous rip tides and rough surf, starting tonight," Youngkin
said."Expect tidal flooding at evening high tide, dangerous surf, and
beach erosion through Friday," the governor added.A storm surge warning
is in effect from Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina, where 2 to 4
feet of storm surge flooding is possible along the coast, according to
the hurricane center.Additionally, 1 to 2 inches of rain could hit the
Outer Banks on Wednesday and Thursday."Weather conditions expected to
deteriorate along the coast of North Carolina by this evening," the
hurricane center said. "Beachgoers are cautioned against swimming at
most U.S. East Coast beaches due to life-threatening rip currents."Video
from North Carolina shows major waves rolling onto land, flooding roads
and beachfront homes.There were 4 to 5 inches of standing water north
of Hatteras Village as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the Dare County Sheriff's
Office said in a Facebook post. Crews were working to build dunes in
the area.Swells caused by the hurricane will affect the Bahamas,
Bermuda, and the east coast of the U.S. over the next several days, with
rough oceans expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip
currents, the hurricane center said."Hurricane Erin is already creating
extremely dangerous and life threatening rip currents for all of the
North Carolina coast that will linger through the week," Ray said.
"We've seen a high number of rescues along the coast, and you should
avoid swimming anywhere on the North Carolina coast right
now."Evacuation orders have been implemented for Dare and Hyde counties
in North Carolina, with shelters and recovery centers open across the
state, Ray said. North Carolina has requested major disaster declaration
for public assistance from the federal government, which would provide
additional recovery resources to those impacted, Ray added."If you have
not evacuated, make sure you batten down the hatches," Stein said
Thursday.The National Weather Service in Jacksonville, Florida, also
warned of dangerous surf conditions and rip tides on
Wednesday."Dangerous Marine & Surf Conditions worsen today as waves
& winds increase. Deadly rip currents, high surf & minor tidal
flooding around high tide this evening at the coast," the NWS said on X.
"Stay out of the ocean!"Other states this week have similarly issued
warnings to stay out of the ocean, including in New Jersey and New York,
as beaches in North Carolina already reported several rip current
rescues on Tuesday."We are hyper, hyper concerned, first and foremost
about complacency, particularly when the weather is really good Thursday
afternoon through Sunday, in terms of people sort of thinking about
going in the water because these rip currents are brutal," New Jersey
Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "Please,
don't go into the water."New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday
prohibited swimming at Long Island beaches because of the swells that
are expected in the area. Swimming at New York City beaches is also
barred on Wednesday and Thursday.Coastal towns such as Wrightsville
Beach, North Carolina, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Wildwood, New
Jersey, have issued no-swimming advisories for the week.Rip currents
were observed on Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Wilmington
said on X. The agency warned of "dangerous rips & rough surf" that
will continue through Friday.Beach closures moved north on Wednesday,
with Nantucket Island in Massachusetts issuing a no-swim advisory. The
area is expecting surf up to 12 feet on Wednesday and 25 feet on
Thursday.Stein on Wednesday warned against getting news about Hurricane
Erin from social media as AI misinformation floods channels."It is just
too easy for salacious, really dramatic stories to take root and then
and spread like wildfire, even in a hurricane, because that's what
people click on," Stein said. "If you see something on social media that
sparks your interest, just go to a traditional website or news source
and find out whether it's true."
From drought to floods, water extremes drive displacement in Afghanistan-By Susannah Walden and Qubad Wali.
Afghanistan
(AFP) Aug 20, 2025-Next to small bundles of belongings, Maruf waited
for a car to take him and his family away from their village in northern
Afghanistan, where drought-ridden land had yielded nothing for
years."When you have children and are responsible for their needs, then
tell me, what are you still doing in this ruin?" said the
50-year-old.Many of the mud homes around him are already empty, he said,
his neighbours having abandoned the village, fleeing "thirst, hunger
and a life with no future".Successive wars displaced Afghans over 40
years, but peace has not brought reprieve, as climate change-fuelled
shocks drive people from their homes and strain livelihoods.Since the
war ended between the now-ruling Taliban and US-led forces in 2021,
floods, droughts and other climate change-driven environmental hazards
have become the main cause of displacement in the country, according to
the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM).In early 2025,
nearly five million people across the country were impacted and nearly
400,000 people were displaced, the IOM said in July, citing its Climate
Vulnerability Assessment.The majority of Afghans live in mud homes and
depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, making them particularly
exposed to environmental changes.The water cycle has been sharply
impacted, with Afghanistan again in the grip of drought for the fourth
time in five years and flash floods devastating land, homes and
livelihoods."Crop failure, dry pastures and vanishing water sources are
pushing rural communities to the edge," the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization said in July."It's getting harder for families to grow
food, earn income or stay where they are."Experts and Taliban officials
have repeatedly warned of escalating climate risks as temperatures rise,
extreme weather events intensify and precipitation patterns shift.The
country's limited infrastructure, endemic poverty and international
isolation leave Afghans with few resources to adapt and recover -- while
already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises worsened by
severe aid cuts.- Too little -Abdul Jalil Rasooli's village in the
drought-hit north has watched their way of life wither with their
crops.Drought already drove many from his village to Pakistan and Iran a
decade ago.Now they've returned, forced back over the border along with
more than four million others from the two neighbouring countries since
late 2023 -- but to work odd jobs, not the land."Everything comes down
to water," said the 64-year-old, retreating from the day's heat in the
only home in the village still shaded by leafy trees."Water scarcity
ruins everything, it destroys farming, the trees are drying up, and
there's no planting anymore," he told AFP.Rasooli holds out hope that
the nearby Qosh Tepa canal will bring irrigation from the Amu Darya
river. Diggers are carving out the last section of the waterway, but its
completion is more than a year away, officials told AFP.It's one of the
water infrastructure projects the Taliban authorities have undertaken
since ousting the foreign-backed government four years ago.But the
theocratic government, largely isolated on the global stage over its
restrictions on women, has limited resources to address a crisis long
exacerbated by poor environmental, infrastructure and resource
management during 40 years of conflict."The measures we have taken so
far are not enough," Energy and Water Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor told
journalists in July, rattling off a list of dam and canal projects in
the pipeline."There are a lot of droughts... this is Allah's will, first
we must turn to Allah."Hamayoun Amiri left for Iran when he was a young
man and drought struck his father's small plot of land in western Herat
province.Forced to return in a June deportation campaign, he found
himself back where he started 14 years ago -- with nothing to farm and
his father's well water "getting lower and lower every day".The Harirud
River was a dry bed in July as it neared the border with downstream
Iran, following a road lined with empty mud buildings pummelled back to
dust by the province's summer gales.- Too much -Taliban authorities
often hold prayers for rain, but while the lack of water has parched the
land in some parts of the country, changes in precipitation patterns
mean rains can be more of a threat than a blessing.This year, rains have
come earlier and heavier amid above-average temperatures, increasing
flood risks, the UN said.A warmer atmosphere holds more water, so rain
often comes in massive, destructive quantities."The weather has
changed," said Mohammad Qasim, a community leader of several villages in
central Maidan Wardak battered by flash floods in June."I'm around 54
years old, and we have never experienced problems like this before," he
told AFP in the riverbed full of boulders and cracked
mud.Eighteen-year-old Wahidullah's family was displaced after their home
was damaged beyond repair and all their livestock were drowned.The
family of 11 slept in or near a rudimentary tent on high ground, with no
plans or means to rebuild."We're worried that if another flood comes,
then there will be nothing left and nowhere to go."
Extreme Heat
Warnings in Effect Across the West-Millions of people across the western
parts of the United States are coping with brutal temperatures,
prompting cooling stations to pop up across the region. In Southern
California, forecasters are predicting the worst heat wave so far this
year, causing elevated fire dangers in the region. NBC’s Steve Patterson
reports and TODAY’s Dylan Dreyer tracks the forecast.
At
Europe's melting glaciers, signs of climate peril are
everywhere-Europe's glaciers are shrinking faster than anywhere else on
Earth, leaving behind unstable landscapes.Europe’s glaciers melting at
fastest pace on the planet-Aug. 19, 2025, 5:00 AM EDT-By Molly Hunter
and Sara Monetta
MORTERATSCH, Switzerland — Almost 7,000 feet
above sea level, the trail leading up to Morteratsch Glacier gets a
little longer every year.Leo Hösli has made the climb many times. Each
step sends shards of stone clattering downhill, debris once sealed
beneath glacial ice.Several months ago, Hösli, who is doing doctoral
research on Morteratsch, drilled seven stakes into the ice caves at the
base of the glacier. By early August, he couldn’t get close enough to
take measurements. The summer melt was so fierce that the caves had
become too unstable to enter. Setting up a zoom lens, he found only one
stake still in place.“They’ve melted out or collapsed under these parts
of the ice cave that have fallen down,” Hösli said. “It’s just too warm
for the glacier to exist at this state right now.”Europe’s glaciers are
shrinking faster, in every dimension, than anywhere else on Earth.A
landmark study published in the journal Nature, the largest of its kind,
using field measurements and satellite data from 35 research teams,
found glaciers in the Alps and Pyrenees have lost about 40% of their
mass since 2000. 2022 and 2023 set records for percentage loss,
coinciding with peak global temperatures.Morteratsch is one of the most
studied glaciers in the world, thanks to its accessibility and its
dramatic retreat, more than 2 miles in the last 165 years, driven by
human-induced climate change. During our hike up the glacier, Hösli
pointed to artifacts that showed just how far the glacier has
retreated.“I think walking up here and seeing the signposts, seeing
where the glacier used to be a hundred years ago, 50 years ago has more
of an effect than just seeing it in a picture,” he said.But the
soundtrack is just as striking as the view: rocks clattering down the
valley walls, the constant roar of meltwater.Glaciers are the planet’s
most visible climate indicators, but because they’re remote, their loss
can feel abstract. In Europe, glaciers support several important
industries, like agriculture and tourism. Communities depend on
meltwater for drinking and farming, as well as on the ice and snow for
winter tourism. Downstream, it feeds rivers that eventually result in
rising sea levels worldwide.The retreat of glaciers has also left behind
unstable landscapes that are rapidly shifting, causing destructive
landslides that threaten Alpine villages.Across the border in Austria,
Andrea Fischer, the vice-director of the Austrian Academy of Sciences’
Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, said these kinds of
mass alpine movements are becoming stronger and more frequent.“One-third
of Austria’s glaciers will vanish in the next five years,” Fischer
said, standing on what remains of the Stubai Glacier, about 72 miles
northeast of Morteratsch. At the top of one of Austria’s most popular
ski resorts, Stubai is projected to disappear entirely by 2033.“The end
of the Alpine glaciers is really coming very, very close. And we see it.
It’s not modeling in the computer. It’s a real fact,” Fischer added as
she navigated down a muddy track to the edge of the ice.Global
temperatures keep climbing as international efforts to curb greenhouse
gas emissions falter. Last year was the hottest on record, according to
NASA. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement significantly
undermined global climate efforts, making the already difficult goal of
limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 3 degrees Fahrenheit)
close to impossible.Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth and
Austria’s temperature has risen 3.1 degrees Celsius since 1900, more
than twice the global average. Studying glaciers, Fischer said, is
critical to understanding where the climate is headed.“Glaciers are
climate archives,” she said. Glaciers preserve records of precipitation
and atmospheric circulation stretching back centuries, data that exists
nowhere else. “I’m really hunting for every piece of cold ice containing
this archive information,” she said, before it’s all gone.For decades,
Fischer experimented with ways to slow glacier loss: snowmaking, pumping
water into snowpack, “wrapping” ice in reflective white sheets she
calls “glacier plasters,” referring to bandages. Twenty years ago, she
hoped these sheets could work on a large scale. Today, she knows they
can’t.“There is no possibility to save glaciers without saving the
climate,” she added.Living in the Alps has always been risky, Fischer
said, but today the risks are amplified by global warming-At the base of
the Stubai valley, last month, a massive landslide barreled through the
village of Neustift, ripping through farmland and damaging a bridge. No
one was injured. But Fischer ties it directly to climate change.Melting
permafrost can weaken peaks. Heavier rains trigger slides on slopes
left destabilized by retreating glaciers.Back in Switzerland, the
village of Blatten was obliterated by a glacial slide in May. Villagers
were evacuated, but the costly rebuilding will take years.“The next 20
to 50 years will bring extreme changes for us living in the mountains,
for all people living on the whole globe,” she said. “And we have to
think about the consequences.”And the solutions are within our control,
she said.She and Hösli agree that it’s not too late. There’s still a lot
worth saving.“There’s still huge amounts of ice here,” Hösli said,
scanning the top of Morteratsch. “It’s not a completely lost cause for
me. There still is hope and there’s still something we can do,” Hösli
said. “It’s too early to give up.”Molly Hunter is a London-based
correspondent for NBC News.Sara Monetta is a multimedia producer based
in London.
Dangerous heat and wildfire conditions take hold
across the West-The situation is yet another example of how extreme heat
compounds other threats, like adverse health effects and
wildfires.California Extreme Weather Heat-Aug. 20, 2025, 3:32 PM EDT-By
Denise Chow
LAS VEGAS — Intense heat will blanket much of the
West this week, with temperatures in some states expected to soar to
record-breaking highs, elevating the risk of dangerous wildfires and
heat-related illness and death.Highs on Wednesday could reach into the
triple digits in Southern California, while temperatures in parts of
Arizona and Nevada will climb over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, according to
the National Weather Service (NWS).High temperatures are not uncommon in
the summer, but climate change is making heat waves more frequent, more
intense and longer lasting. The situation in the West is yet another
example of how extreme heat compounds other threats, like adverse health
effects.This week’s heat wave will worsen already-hot conditions in the
desert Southwest and expand across most of California, exacerbating
ongoing wildfires and increasing the risk of new ones taking hold.Red
flag warnings are in effect Wednesday through Saturday evening for
Southern California because the “unseasonably hot” conditions, low
humidity and breezy winds are “capable of producing extreme fire
behavior,” according to the National Weather Service.Thunderstorms at
the tail end of the week, from Friday to Sunday, are also possible in
the region, which could trigger lightning strikes that can ignite new
fires.California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved fire engines, crews and other
firefighting resources into the region to prepare for the high-risk
conditions.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday that this week’s
heat wave could bring “potentially some of the hottest temperatures of
the summer.” Temperatures in Los Angeles could reach 94 degrees F on
Thursday and Friday.The sweltering conditions across the western U.S.
will increase the risk of heat-related illness or death. Anyone is
susceptible when temperatures spike, but lingering heat waves are
particularly dangerous for children, people with pre-existing health
conditions, older adults and individuals who work outdoors.The health
impacts of extreme heat are a significant concern of climate-fueled heat
waves.During prolonged heat waves, weather service officials said
people should stay in air conditioning, when possible, and avoid
strenuous activities. Other heat safety tips include staying hydrated,
wearing light clothing and checking in on family members and
neighbors.In the Southwest, blisteringly hot conditions will persist
over the next several days, possibly challenging some daily temperature
records.“Extreme Heat Warning in effect today with afternoon highs
within a few degrees of record territory,” the local office of the
National Weather Service in Phoenix wrote on X.Phoenix is expected to
reach 111 degrees on Wednesday and 112 degrees both Thursday and
Friday.Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Visitor’s Center could
top 120 degrees on Friday, according to the weather service, while
other spots in the Mojave Desert, including Bishop and Barstow, will see
temperatures well into the triple digits.In neighboring Nevada,
temperatures will similarly remain elevated in the coming days. Las
Vegas could hover around 109 degrees for the remainder of the week,
while cities such as Laughlin and Needles could hit 115 degrees and 117
degrees, respectively.Meanwhile, a separate heat wave will bake portions
of the northern Plains and southern Florida. Parts of Montana could
reach up to 104 degrees, while heat advisories across in North Dakota
are forecasting heat index values (a measure of what conditions "feel
like" when humidity and air temperatures are combined) in the triple
digits.In southeastern Florida, heat index values could reach up to 110
degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The muggy conditions
come as tens of thousands of acres are ablaze in the Florida
Everglades, triggering air quality alerts for Broward County.Denise Chow
is a science and space reporter for NBC News.
