TRUMP WARNS IRAN-KILL YOUR CITIZENS FOR PROTESTING AND THE LEADERS AND GUARDS WILL BE FLEEING IRAN LIKE A DOG WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

TRUMP WARNS IRAN-KILL YOUR CITIZENS FOR PROTESTING AND THE LEADERS AND GUARDS WILL BE FLEEING IRAN LIKE A DOG WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS.

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 (10 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)

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

EU should consider forming combined military force: defence chief.

Brussels, Belgium, Jan 11 (AFP) EU countries should weigh whether to set up a combined military force that could eventually replace US troops in Europe, the bloc's defence chief said Sunday.EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius floated creating a "powerful, standing 'European military force' of 100,000 troops" as a possible option to better protect the continent."How will we replace the 100,000-strong American standing military force, which is the back-bone military force in Europe?" he asked in a speech in Sweden.The suggestion comes as US President Donald Trump has heightened fears among NATO allies over Washington's reliability by insisting he wants to take over Greenland.Worries over Trump's commitment to Europe have already spurred countries to step up efforts to bolster their militaries in the face of the threat posed by Russia.Ideas about establishing a central European army have floated around for years but have largely failed to gain traction as nations are wary of relinquishing control over their militaries.The US has pushed its European allies to increasingly take over responsibility for their own security, and raised the prospect it could shift forces from Europe to focus on China."In such times, we should not run away from the most pressing questions on our institutional defence readiness," said Kubilius, a former Lithuanian prime minister.In his speech Kubilius also advocated for the creation of a "European Security Council" of key powers -- including potentially Britain -- that could help the continent take decisions over its own defence quicker."The European Security Council could be composed of key permanent members, along with several rotational members," he said."In total around 10-12 members, with the task to discuss the most important issues in defence."He said the first focus of such a body should be trying to change the dynamics in the war in Ukraine to ensure that Kyiv does not end up losing."We need to have a clear answer - how is the EU going to change that scenario?," he said."This is the reason why we need to have a European Security Council now!"

Sign of life': defence boom lifts German factory orders.by AFP Staff Writers.

Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) Factory orders in long-struggling Germany unexpectedly posted a sharp jump in November, boosted by higher demand for defence equipment as Europe rushes to rearm, official data showed Thursday.New orders increased 5.6 percent month-on-month, according to preliminary figures from statistics agency Destatis, the third straight monthly increase.Analysts surveyed by the financial data firm FactSet had expected a decline of 1.3 percent.Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted Germany and other European countries to start re-arming, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowing to unleash hundreds of billions of euros on defence.Demand for defence equipment has lifted orders in recent months, the economy ministry noted in a statement."The trend of increasing demand from Germany and the eurozone is continuing," it said.The jump in orders is some positive news for Europe's biggest economy, which is struggling through a long decline due to a manufacturing slump, high energy costs and weak demand in key export markets.LBBW bank analyst Jens-Oliver Niklasch said the higher orders overall were "a real sign of a possible turnaround in the economy".He cautioned that higher defence spending "in itself will not generate permanently higher growth potential" but said it was nevertheless important that "there is finally a sign of life from industry".November's figures were lifted by large-scale orders in the category for transport equipment including military vehicles, aircraft, ships and trains, according to Destatis.Areas outside defence also contributed, with jumps in demand for electrical and IT equipment as well as machine tools, it said.Domestic orders jumped 6.5 percent and foreign orders rose almost five percent, with demand from the euro area up more than eight percent.Despite the rosier picture, the economy ministry noted that orders from some overseas markets had been week since early 2025 due to trade and geopolitical uncertainties, and are expected to remain subdued.The US tariff blitz has been a heavy blow to German firms as the United States is the country's top export market.The government is forecasting meagre growth of 0.2 percent for 2025, before the economy is expected to pick up speed this year.

Chinese villagers struggle for heat as gas subsidies fade.

Xushui, China, Jan 11 (AFP) Jan 11, 2026-Almost a decade after China began curbing coal burning to stop thick winter smog, villagers in northern Hebei province are struggling to afford their heating bills with most gas subsidies now phased out.In 2017, Beijing mandated that dozens of northern areas wind down the use of coal-fired stoves in favour of electric and natural gas-powered systems.China's central government allocated funds to refit stoves, but subsidies faded after three years and additional aid has drastically declined, local media reported this week.In Xushui, a district in Hebei roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) outside Beijing, villagers told AFP they avoided turning on the heating because it drained their incomes."Regular folks can't afford it... Spending 1,000 yuan ($143) per month on heat -- no one can stand that," a resident in his 60s told AFP at a farmers' market."Everyone likes that (the air) is clean. There's not one person that doesn't like it," he said, asking not to be named for fear of "trouble"."But... the cost of clean (air) is high," he added.On the clear, sunny day AFP visited, the warmest temperature was just under six degrees Celsius, with lows of minus seven.Restaurant worker Yin Chunlan said that her elderly in-laws need to pay up to 7,000 yuan per year to heat their six-room village home.Yin, 48, lives in an apartment in town and says her annual bill is a third of that."But it's not the same in the village," she told AFP."They have to set their heating much higher, and the temperature still isn't as warm, so it wastes gas and wastes money."Yin's in-laws often pile on extra blankets to stay warm."When I see it, it's quite pitiful," said Yin, wiping away a tear. "Nothing can be done."In one village, a woman in her 70s wore a green padded jacket underneath an apron as she crossed her outdoor courtyard.Heating in her home is not turned on during the daytime, she said, showing AFP the system's switchboard mounted above her stove displaying "off".The woman, who did not give her name, said the dial could reach 60C. When asked if the temperature inside could feel as warm, she laughed.- Articles taken down -Reports that villagers in Hebei were layering up under quilts to avoid costly heating peppered Chinese social media in the first week of the new year.An article by Farmers' Daily reshared in state media CCTV's opinion section said in rural Hebei natural gas costs up to 3.4 yuan per cubic metre compared to 2.6 yuan in rural areas of Beijing.Villagers told AFP they felt the huge price gap was unfair.But the original article was quickly taken down, with republications, including the CCTV article, inaccessible days later.China's Ministry of Finance said in 2021 a total of 13.2 billion yuan in funds had been distributed for clean heating across Hebei.But subsidies to support the installation of new systems and for gas bills, which had lasted three years, would not be renewed, it said in a letter.The move came around the same time that international gas prices were driven up by Russia's war in Ukraine. Last year, Chinese authorities reported national gas consumption growth had slowed.The ministry, responding to a local proposal to increase financial support for provincial pollution control, said special funds would be arranged for additional subsidies in rural areas, but gave no details of the rollout.A local Xushui government platform said in 2017 that some households would be eligible to receive 300 yuan in gas subsidies.For villager Zhang Yanjun, that amount hardly made a dent in his bill of several thousand yuan per season.The 55-year-old labourer said he had already spent more than 5,000 yuan on heating his home since October."If you give 300 or 200 yuan or something, it's the same as if you gave no subsidies at all," he said.

Sweden to spend $1.6 bn to bolster air defences.

Stockholm, Jan 11 (AFP) Sweden will invest 15 billion kronor ($1.6 billion) on bolstering its air defences, notably potential civilian targets, the government said Sunday, the latest European country to beef up military spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The money will go to ground-based aerial defence systems, the government said, as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the United States' increasingly strained ties with NATO allies under US President Donald Trump prompt a European rush to rearm."Experience from Ukraine demonstrates the importance of a robust air defence," the Swedish government said.The announcement follows similar moves by countries including Germany, where parliament approved $59 billion in new defence spending in December.The initial purchases under Sweden's new plan will be made in the first quarter of 2026, the government said."With this broad investment in air defence, we are protecting the whole of society, from our military units to urban areas and critical infrastructure," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement."It is a matter of people's lives, our freedom and our ability to withstand attacks in all parts of the country."Sweden had announced in November it was spending around $366 million on IRIS-T surface-to-air short-range missiles to protect itself against missiles, drones and combat aircraft.

UK earmarks �200 mn to prepare for Ukraine deployment.

London, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026-The UK Friday earmarked pound200 million ($268 million) to prepare British troops to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a "multinational" force if a ceasefire is agreed between Moscow and Kyiv.Britain, France and Ukraine earlier this week signed a declaration of intent that sets out deploying troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire -- a plan which Moscow soundly rejected.The "UK is now accelerating pound200 million to equip UK Armed Forces with new kit to be ready to deploy as part of the Multinational Force for Ukraine," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.That would include vehicle upgrades, communication systems and counter-drone protection."We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's Armed Forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force for Ukraine," Defence Secretary John Healey said while on a visit to Kyiv.London has said its MPs will be able to debate and vote on the number of troops that would be sent if there is a ceasefire.But Moscow rejected the post-war peacekeeping plan, saying such troops would be "considered legitimate military targets".The announcement comes as UK media reported the Ministry of Defence was facing a pound28 billion shortfall over the next four years, despite government pledges to boost military spending amid rising tensions with Russia.The Times newspaper first reported that the head of Britain's armed forces Richard Knighton warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the funding blackhole last month."We recognise demands on defence are rising, with growing Russian aggression, increasing operational requirements and preparations for a Ukraine deployment," Downing Street said on Friday, without directly addressing the reports.The UK has committed to increase defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, in line with a NATO target.

AI gobbling up memory chips essential to gadget makers.

Las Vegas, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026-As devices from toys to cars get smarter at the Consumer Electronics Show, gadget makers are grappling with a shortage of memory needed for them to work.Dwindling supplies and soaring costs of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) that provides space for computers, smartphones, and game consoles to run applications or multitask was a hot topic behind the scenes at the annual gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas.Once cheap and plentiful, DRAM -- along with memory chips to simply store data -- are in short supply because of the demand spikes from AI in everything from data centers to wearable devices.Samsung Electronics on Thursday put out word that it expects sales revenue in the final quarter of last year to surge to 93 trillion Korean won as prices of memory chips surge along with demand.US-based Micron Technology, which makes advanced semiconductor memory and storage products, reported record revenue of $13.6 billion in its last fiscal quarter, compared with $8.7 billion in the same period a year earlier.The revenue surge is fueld by an unprecedented memory chip shortage which, according to market tracker IDC, could persist well into next year.The reason for the shortfall cited by experts is that DRAM and memory chip makers have shifted manufacturing capacity to cater to AI data centers.Meanwhile, AI features being added to all kinds of products have increased the need for DRAM and memory in devices from laptops to smart rings."An AI infrastructure boom has now rippled outward," IDC analysts said in a blog post."For consumers and enterprises alike, this signals the end of an era of cheap, abundant memory and storage."Costs of computers, drives and memory cards have already risen for consumers, according to Other World Computing founder and chief Larry O'Connor.- Sniff not bark -Gadget makers are adapting to the shortage by either paying premiums for DRAM and memory, redesigning their products, or foregoing some features, according to Michal Siwinski of Arteris, which specializes in providing connectivity inside chips."Maybe the (robotic) dog you'll get will sniff around and roll over, but it's not going to bark a serenade because it doesn't have enough memory," Siwinski said.The shortage is already forcing efficiencies such as engineers writing tighter code to use less memory, according to O'Connor."These aren't bad things; they should have already happened," O'Connor said."The entire industry has been built around cheap software that has become very bloated over the last 20 years."However, gadget makers must avoid their products underperforming due to memory compromises or pushing prices up too high by paying dearly for components, warned Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart."Here at CES we're still seeing the usual claims that our thing is the best and damn the cost (of memory)," Greengart said on the show floor."However, if you spend time in suites talking to (device makers), retailers and component manufacturers" it's clear features will be sacrificed to keep memory costs lower, according to Greengart.- AI silicon next? -The shortage is being watched warily by other sectors, particularly companies that rely on semiconductors needed to power AI.These powerful semiconductors have "nothing to do" with DRAM, but companies are vigilant for any spillover effects, Infineon Technologies chief executive Jochen Hanebeck told AFP.The German semiconductor titan specializes in powering AI, a market where the computing needs are expected to skyrocket."Customers are asking about capacities, and I think they have seen the lessons learned on DRAM, and that's why they are very mindful," said Hanebeck."There is a good chance for a shortage; it is a real challenge to manage that supply chain."

Macron accuses US of 'turning away' from allies, breaking rule By Delphine Touitou, Francesco Fontemaggi and Valerie Leroux.

Paris, France (AFP) Jan 8, 2026-French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday the United States was "gradually turning away" from some of its allies and "breaking free from international rules", offering some of his strongest criticism yet of Washington's policies under Donald Trump.Macron delivered his annual speech to French ambassadors as European powers were scrambling to come up with a coordinated response to Washington's capture of Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro and the US president's designs on Greenland."The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently," Macron told ambassadors at the Elysee Palace."We are living in a world of great powers with a real temptation to divide up the world," he said, rejecting what he described as a "new colonialism and new imperialism".While he criticised both China's "increasingly uninhibited commercial aggressiveness" and Russia as a "destabilising power" whose nearly four-year war in Ukraine has no end in sight, his remarks about the United States stood out the most.Macron however stopped short of calling for a break with Washington, after US envoys earlier this week took part in a key Paris summit to discuss security guarantees to uphold any potential ceasefire to end Russia's war against Ukraine.- 'Here to act' -Macron urged his diplomats not to be "spectators of things coming undone"."It's the opposite! We're not here to comment. We're here to act!" he said.Macron spoke after US special forces snatched Maduro and his wife from Venezuela on Saturday and whisked them to New York, sparking condemnation that the United States was undermining international law.Trump then set off alarm bells in Europe by repeating his insistence that he wants to take control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.The US president has repeatedly refused to rule out the use of force to seize the strategic Arctic island, prompting shock and anger from Denmark and other longstanding European allies.Copenhagen has warned that any attack would spell the end of the NATO alliance.- 'Reinvest fully in the UN' -Macron did acknowledge that "multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively".But the French leader insisted that "global governance" was key at a time when "every day people wonder whether Greenland is going to be invaded" and whether "Canada will face the threat of becoming the 51st state".He said it was the right moment to "reinvest fully in the United Nations, as we note its largest shareholder no longer believes in it".The White House on Wednesday flagged Washington's exit from 66 global organisations and treaties -- roughly half affiliated with the UN -- it identified as "contrary to the interests of the United States".Macron said Europe must protect its interests and urged the "consolidation" of European regulation of the technology sector, a source of frequent tensions between Brussels and Washington.He also stressed the importance of safeguarding academic independence and hailed "the possibility of having a controlled information space where opinions can be exchanged completely freely, but where choices are not made by the algorithms of a few".Brussels has adopted a powerful legal arsenal aimed at reining in tech giants -- namely through its Digital Markets Act (DMA), which covers competition, and the Digital Services Act (DSA) on content moderation.Washington has denounced the tech rules as an attempt to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose."The DSA and DMA are two regulations that must be defended," Macron said.vl-Dt-fff-ah/as/sbk

TFH integrates biometrics from Authsignal, Qualcomm for palm payments-Demo showcases connection between palm tech and World App crypto wallet-Jan 11, 2026, 10:01 am EST    | Joel R. McConvey

Tools for Humanity, the firm associated with Sam Altman’s World crypto and iris biometrics project, has partnered with Authsignal and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. for a demonstration of what a release calls “the world’s first palm and crypto retail payment.”The demo, unveiled at NRF Big Show 2026, showcases the integration of decentralized identity principles with palm biometric authentication technology developed by Authsignal and Qualcomm Technologies, to offer payments with palm biometrics. Authsignal brings the authentication orchestration platform, Qualcomm Technologies provides its hardware infrastructure and security framework, and Tools for Humanity supports the digital wallet technology.It includes a “Worldcoin (WLD) cryptocurrency transaction via an integration with Tools for Humanity’s World App Wallet, alongside palm authentication and identity-related capabilities developed and operated by Authsignal.”The iris is connected to the palm scan, the palm scan’s connected to the wallet“Retail is at a moment where payments need to be faster, simpler and more intuitive for both shoppers and merchants,” says Ajay Patel, head of World ID at Tools for Humanity.“This demonstration shows how palm authentication and digital assets can come together at the point of sale, and we’re excited to explore how proof of human can support seamless, trusted, privacy-preserving checkout experiences alongside Authsignal and Qualcomm.”“Digital transformation in retail continues to advance at an unprecedented pace thanks to advances in AI and digital identity technologies,” says Art Miller, global head of retail IoT at Qualcomm. “Together with Authsignal and Tools for Humanity, we’re bringing security-focused biometric verification to the physical point of sale, enabling superior crypto payments.”The firms say the integration is a natural combination of biometric payment authentication with digital identity use cases like identity and age verification.Authsignal and Qualcomm Technologies are also demonstrating “proximity authentication to create a secure connection between the payment terminal and the user’s device.”Per the release, “when a user approaches a payment terminal, the authentication request is processed locally between their device and the Qualcomm Technologies’-enabled payment terminal, reducing potential areas of attack for hackers.”

Hopae continues European expansion with Datai KYC modernization deal Jan 9, 2026, 5:48 am EST    | Masha Borak

Digital identity infrastructure company Hopae has landed a new deal as part of its strategic expansion to Europe. The South Korean firm will provide digital ID verification services to Luxembourg-based consultancy Datai, helping them modernize Know Your Customer (KYC) processes for clients in the financial industry.Hopae has been positioning itself as an intermediary platform that connects different eIDs and digital ID wallets, including the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, through a single integration. As of September last year, the integration covers more than 50 eIDs and wallets with plans to increase this figure to 100 by the second quarter of 2026.Datiai says that the solution will help its clients move onto faster and more secure KYC journeys aligned with eIDAS 2.0 regulation.“Our customers are under growing pressure to reduce onboarding friction, fight increasingly sophisticated fraud while also catering to an international client base,” says Datai CEO Christian Frantzen.Financial institutions in Luxembourg are struggling to onboard non-Luxembourg customers efficiently due to dependence on national electronic ID (eID) systems. The European state currently lacks solutions that cover both eID and KYC and fulfill all requirements, Frantzen notes.At the same time, the European shift towards digital wallets means that regulated businesses and Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) must offer EUDI Wallets in 2026.“By offering critical infrastructure through a single API, Hopae addresses customer needs without requiring multiple major transformation projects, while also preparing them for mandatory EUDI Wallet acceptance under eIDAS 2.0,” says Frantzen.Last year, Hopae signed a partnership with Luxembourg’s public trust infrastructure agency, INCERT GIE, allowing its Hopae Connect to become the first officially registered intermediary service in the EU. Aside from Luxembourg, the company has offices in Seoul, San Francisco and Paris.

EU weighs biometric data access deal with US as price of visa-free travel-New EU-US framework would authorize identity queries across databases, marking significant expansion of cross-border biometric surveillance tied to travel-Jan 9, 2026, 5:43 am EST    | Anthony Kimery

Europe is preparing to open its national biometric databases to U.S. border authorities, moving decisively toward a collective legal framework that would allow Washington to query fingerprints and identity records held by EU member states.The shift, now formalized in draft negotiating directives and internal council documents, reflects a calculation by European governments that resisting U.S. demands risks the loss of visa-free travel to America.Rather than allow each capital to strike its own bilateral deal with Washington, EU governments have agreed to pursue a single EU-U.S. framework agreement that would govern how Enhanced Border Security Partnerships (EBSP) operate across the bloc.The framework, endorsed politically in December and now backed by detailed negotiating instructions from the European Commission, is intended to provide what the documents repeatedly describe as “a legal structure for member states’ bilateral information exchange” with U.S. authorities under the Enhanced Border Security Partnership requirement.It would not itself exchange data, but it would authorize and regulate the bilateral mechanisms through which data flows would occur.The urgency behind this move lies in a U.S. demand first communicated in February 2022. According to EU Council material summarizing the U.S. position, Washington informed all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nations that continued visa-free travel would be conditioned on concluding an Enhanced Border Security Partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).According to a Council of the European Union negotiating note on EBSP, the U.S. expects these arrangements to be operational by December 31, 2026, after which DHS will assess compliance as part of ongoing VWP reviews. Countries that do not meet U.S. expectations risk suspension or limitation of their citizens’ ability to travel to the U.S. without a visa.The commission’s negotiating directives leave little ambiguity about what Washington is seeking.The framework would authorize the exchange of information on travelers crossing external borders “to support the screening and verification of identity of travelers necessary to determine if their entry or stay would pose any risk to public security or public order,” and, crucially, “to support the competent authorities in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes and terrorist offences.”Border screening and criminal enforcement are thus deliberately fused within a single legal instrument.At the core of the proposed exchange is biometric data. The European Commission’s negotiating directives annex states explicitly that information sharing “should be based on the exchange of the identity information included in the travel document, and the fingerprints of a traveler.”Where deemed relevant, and subject to safeguards, the parties would also be able to exchange “supplementary information relevant to the given individual.” This language confirms that biometric querying is not a peripheral feature of the arrangement, but its central operational mechanism.EU negotiators are acutely aware of how sweeping such access could become. The same document stresses that the framework must contain “clear and precise rules and procedures for triggering a query on a traveler, to preclude a systematic, generalized and non-targeted processing of data for all travelers.”The phrasing amounts to an acknowledgment that, without legal constraints, the system could slide toward indiscriminate biometric surveillance of everyone crossing a border.Although U.S. officials have often framed Enhanced Border Security Partnerships as focused on foreign nationals, EU documents make clear that citizens are not categorically excluded. The exchange of information “may include exchanges on citizens and their family members, as well as permanent residents,” where such transfers are deemed strictly necessary and proportionate for combating serious crime or terrorism and where reciprocity is ensured.In other words, EU citizens’ biometric data could be shared with U.S. authorities under defined circumstances, a politically sensitive point that has remained largely absent from public discussion.The framework is carefully designed to rely on national databases rather than centralized EU systems.The directives repeatedly emphasize that information exchange would concern data stored in member states’ own repositories, with each country deciding which databases and categories of data fall within scope.Access to EU-level systems such as Eurodac or the forthcoming entry/exit system is described as legally and technically infeasible in the current timeframe, though the documents leave open the possibility that future legal changes could alter that assessment.To counter anticipated legal challenges, the commission has embedded an unusually detailed catalogue of safeguards into its negotiating position.The framework would impose strict purpose limitation, storage and deletion rules, accuracy requirements, and limits on onward transfers. It would require enforceable rights for individuals, including access, rectification, and erasure, as well as judicial and administrative redress.The directives also address automation directly, stating that the agreement “should provide for safeguards in respect of automated processing of personal data, including profiling, and should prohibit decisions based solely on the automated processing of personal data without human involvement.”Perhaps most striking is the commission’s explicit acknowledgment that the framework may permit transfers of the most sensitive categories of personal data.The directives state that the transfer of data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, genetic data, and “biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person” may be allowed, but “only where strictly necessary and proportionate” and subject to additional safeguards.The inclusion of this language signals that EU negotiators are preparing a legal pathway for exceptionally intrusive data exchanges, even as they attempt to circumscribe their use.Visa-free travel functions as the enforcement mechanism underlying all of this. The framework is required to spell out “the consequences of suspension of membership from the VWP, or limitation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization validity, on information exchange.”In effect, mobility rights are being used as leverage to normalize routine, automated biometric data sharing between sovereign states.ESTA is a DHS-run pre-travel authorization system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that determines whether citizens of VWP countries are eligible to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business.Privacy regulators have warned that the implications extend far beyond travel convenience. European Data Protection Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski described the prospective agreement as “the first EU-level agreement that would allow for large-scale transfers of personal data to another country’s border authorities.”While Wiewiórowski has supported an EU-wide framework as preferable to uncoordinated bilateral deals, he has argued that data sharing should be as narrowly confined as possible and limited, in principle, to people traveling to the U.S.The negotiations are unfolding under a Trump administration that has aggressively expanded biometric screening across immigration, travel, and law enforcement systems.DHS has worked to link airline passenger data, border biometrics, asylum processing systems, and foreign government records into an increasingly interoperable architecture designed to identify, assess, and sort individuals long before they reach U.S. territory.Enhanced Border Security Partnerships extend that architecture outward, effectively integrating foreign biometric databases into U.S. screening workflows and enlarging what critics describe as a global biometric surveillance net.Read together, the EU documents show that European governments are not unaware of what they are building. They explicitly anticipate the risks of generalized data processing, acknowledge the sensitivity of the data involved, and devote pages to legal safeguards.Yet, they also accept, as a practical matter, that refusing U.S. demands could mean the suspension of visa-free travel. The result is a framework that seeks to manage, rather than halt, the expansion of cross-border biometric surveillance.As negotiations with Washington move forward, the EU-U.S. Enhanced Border Security Partnership framework is emerging as a test case for how democratic governments reconcile mobility, security, and fundamental rights.What is being constructed is not merely a technical arrangement, but a durable legal architecture that embeds biometric identity checks and data exchange at the heart of international travel, and ties participation to the ability to cross borders.

Biometrics undergoes rapid change as AI prompts races with fraud, sustainability-Jan 10, 2026, 6:17 pm EST    | Chris Burt

Biometrics are being asked to run races against AI-powered fraud, to deliver government services and reach sustainability in financial services, as illustrated in the top stories of the week on Biometric Update. Fortunately, the technology is going through a period of rapid change, and supporting fast advances in adjacent areas like identity verification and digital identity wallets.REAL ID lags universal financial inclusion-The role of biometrics in government service delivery continues to grow at pace around the world.ID.me has inked a $1 billion Blanket Purchase Agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department. Under the 5-year contract the company will provide identity verification and authentication for external users, and adds to ID.me’s impressive string of major federal government wins.The pace of public service delivery in Japan was inadequate during the pandemic, and the government’s New Year’s resolutions include continuing to speed them up through continued digital transformation. Eighty percent of Japanese now have a My Number Card, and a new app tentatively named “Myna” is expected to launch in 2026.Zambia is planning to issue digital ID cards by the end of this year under its Digital Zambia Acceleration Project. An official with Smart Zambia cited digitalized public services as evidence of the country’s digital transformation progress so far, and says the World Bank is happy with the pace.The Gates Foundation has been a pillar of the international development donor community for years, spending $150 million on financial inclusion in 2024. By 2030, sufficient progress will have been made, and enough momentum gained for sustainability, for Gates to exit the space. Some of that funding has contributed to gains in digital ID adoption, particularly in countries with developing economies.The U.S. created the REAL ID program so that states could issue identity documents that the federal government could trust. But a DHS agent told a federal court that 20 years and billions of dollars later, the Alabama man’s ID could not be trusted as proof of his citizenship.EUDI Wallets continue their long march into production with a municipality in the Netherlands testing the integration of the wallet with the Once-Only Technical System. The proof of birth credential met the technical requirements of eIDAS, and will be followed by an attribute retrieval test.Accenture and Japanese telecom NTT Docomo have formed a partnership to build Universal Wallet Infrastructure for decentralized, enterprise-grade digital trust services. FaceTec is also participating in the digital identity wallet project as a liveness detection provider, a LinkedIn post from Chief Identity Technology Strategist Jay Meier indicates.Labour MP Josh Simon gets the unenviable task of leading the development of the UK’s digital identity system as minister for digital reform. Simon has been, uh, promoted from acting parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office. He previously served as director of Labour Together, but is also the co-chair and co-founder of a pro-businesses party group.Biometric technology maturity-NEC has launched technology fusing iris and face biometrics for on-the-move authentication, with trials expected to launch this year.  The multimodal biometric matching of subjects in motion even as airports around the world catch up with e-gate deployments shows the pace of improvement in the capabilities of the software.Identity verification technology has gone through a rapid evolution both motivated and supported by AI. The altered market landscape was mapped out in an online presentation this week from Biometric Update featuring Goode Intelligence. The webinar shared insights from the “2025 Digital Identity Verification Market Report and Buyers Guide,” and representatives of Daon, Oz Forensics, Innovatrics, Authsignal and Yoti showed off their technology and discussed the emerging challenges their customers face.Social media immaturity-Roblox is expanding its use of biometric age estimation from Persona to unlock chat features globally, as the social gaming platform attempts to rebuild its reputation on the fly. Roblox’ speedy embrace of FAE notwithstanding, some in the industry were anticipating the move.France and Ireland are standing near the end of the queue of countries legislating age assurance requirements for social media. Meanwhile, the U.S. threatens to hold Australia’s eSafety Commissioner in contempt, and a corporate lobby group sues states over their social media restrictions.Please let us know about any online seminars, podcasts or other content you think we should pass along to those in biometrics and the digital identity community, either in the comments below or through social media.

Thailand suspected money-laundering scheme investigation pulls in World-Jan 9, 2026, 5:05 pm EST    | Chris Burt

The travails of World and Tools for Humanity in Thailand have taken a sinister turn, seemingly with little or no direct involvement from Sam Altman’s proof-of-humanity project.Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations (DSI) carried out search warrants at five locations in the country this week connected with TIDC, which reportedly represents Tools for Humanity Thailand.Thai outlet The Nation reports that warrants were executed at TIDC Holdings Co, TIDC Worldworks Co, TIDC Co, M Vision and a luxury home linked to a company director. Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) is also participating in the investigation, the Bangkok Post reports. Authorities seized four iris scanning devices, presumably World’s biometric Orbs, from M Vision, and will examine them to see if they store the biometric data of Thai citizens, according to MLex.In November, the Thailand National Health Security Office (NHSO) ordered TIDC Worldverse to delete 1.2 million sets of iris biometrics it had collected to issue verified World digital IDs.The relationship between all of these companies is unclear, but Thai PBS reports that TIDC Worldverse is affiliated with TIDC.TIDC also appears in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March of 2024 by Thai officials and representatives of Prime Opportunity Fund. That organization is managed by Capital Asia Investments, which Whale Hunting reports is a front company for Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as “Ben Smith,” based in Singapore. Mauerberger is described in the article as a South African money launderer who is wanted in several jurisdictions.The MoU, which was cancelled by new Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaichanok Chidchob in November, identified TDIC as the Thailand International Digital Business and Financial Centre.Now, former Permanent Secretary of the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and current Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Wisit Wisitsora-at is being questioned by DSI, along with other senior figures.The MoU describes the development of TIDC as a digital business hub, targeting economic growth in areas including digital assets, cryptocurrency and a range of other services. The latter group includes online sports gambling, which is illegal in Thailand. The MoU also enabled fast-tracked visas for 500 foreign-born IT professionals.It does not, however, mention World or TfH, or directly implicate either company in its activities.TIDC has signed multiple other agreements in Thailand, but visited on Friday, the organization’s website appeared to be offline.While World has faced scrutiny and even censure from regulators in other countries, the evidence publicly presented so far appears to show the company is an unsuspecting party to Thailand’s expanding scandal.

Thales and Ubiqu collaborate on RSE for secure EU digital ID, wallet infrastructure-Jan 9, 2026, 4:23 pm EST    | Masha Borak

Thales has partnered with digital identity technology developer Ubiqu to create a joint secure storage product for the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet.The product combines Ubiqu Remote Secure Element (RSE) with Thales’ Luna Network Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), creating a ready-to-deploy eIDAS High Remote Secure Element (RSE). It comes with post-quantum support and is built on FIPS 140-3 Level 3 and Common Criteria EAL4+ validated Thales Luna HSMs.The joint product was first introduced in October last year in an attempt to offer an easier way to build a secure and certified wallet infrastructure.Ubiqu RSEs are modified hardware security models hosted in data centers to enable secure access to devices through a PIN code.Upcoming rules related to the EUDI Wallet requires EU member states, government authorities and Qualified Trust Service Providers (QTSPs) to deploy secure wallet infrastructures. Building such an infrastructure from scratch is complex, involving years of development and certification processes, the two companies point out.“Through our collaboration with Ubiqu, we are accelerating the secure adoption of post-quantum-ready Digital ID solutions – empowering governments and service providers to comply with eIDAS 2.0 and scale confidently,” Todd Moore, vice president of Data Security Products at Thales, said at the time.The product offers cryptographic key protection, certification, sovereign control and scalability by supporting virtually unlimited verifiable credentials (VCs) per wallet. It has native iOS and Android SDKs, along with pre-integration with open-source wallets, including the EU Reference Wallet.The Thales Luna HSM is at the core of the solution, ensuring a secure execution and storage environment for the Remote Secure Element (RSE). It provides authentication and secures data, identities and transactions. Ubiqu RSE is integrated directly into the HSM, allowing all cryptographic operations to be conducted within the certified, tamper-resistant hardware boundary, the companies explain.“Remote HSMs and certified Remote Secure Elements are no longer niche technologies; they are becoming the backbone of Europe’s digital trust infrastructure,” says Boris Goranov, CEO at Ubiqu, which develops certified RSE technology.The product is compliant with eIDAS High, WSCA/WSCD and Article 30 trust list requirements.

DHS study suggests OFIQ value ‘extremely limited’ for its biometrics use cases-Jan 9, 2026, 12:48 pm EST    | Chris Burt

A study released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggests that the Open Source Face Image Quality (OFIQ) tool is not very helpful for the applications in which DHS uses face biometrics.Researchers with SAIC and the Identity and Data Sciences Laboratory at the Maryland Test Facility (MdTF) examined the potential benefits of OFIQ, which is a reference implementation in ISO/IEC 29794-5, published as an international standard last year.The facial recognition data quality assessment tool was developed by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and maintained by eu-LISA.The technical paper is titled “On the Utility of the Open Source Facial Image Quality Tool for Facial Biometric Recognition in DHS Operations.”The study was written by Yevgeniy Sirotin, Jerry Tipton and the departing John Howard from MdTF, along with Arun Vemury from DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T’s) Biometric and Identity Technology Center.They tested OFIQ with 16 different commercial facial recognition systems, and found the unified quality score it outputs “provides extremely limited utility in the DHS uses cases” they looked into. In particular, it underestimated the capability of the biometric systems, which matched faces assessed as very low quality by OFIQ at high accuracy rates.The quality filter provided by OFIQ also “did not substantially reduce error rates.”One of the potential uses of OFIQ is to inform repeat captures to improve the quality of the probe image, but the researchers found that in some cases, no significant gain in quality was made with the investment of additional time and resources to recapture facial images.Despite the limitations the researchers found for OFIQ usefulness, they suggest it could have benefits for selecting which image to use for biometric matching from multiple options.OFIQ is intended for use in processes beyond those DHS is responsible for, and a second version is already in development and slated for release in 2027.

Biometric identity verification is adapting to AI: 5 leading providers share how-Jan 9, 2026, 11:21 am EST    | Chris Burt

Businesses making decisions about what technology to use for identity verification face a set of daunting pressures, but the biometrics and digital identity technologies demonstrated in an online presentation on Thursday illustrate how the market has adapted to help address them. Keeping up with that adaptation has emerged as an important task for organizations trying to stem the tide of AI-powered fraud.“Choosing the right identity verification platform in a rapidly changing market” – the title of the webinar hosted by Biometric Update – is made challenging by the pace of new developments in both the landscape of fraud attacks and technology that protects against them. In response, developers across the industry have upgraded sophisticated liveness detection techniques, layered diverse fraud signals and created platforms to enable flexible identity workflow orchestration.The presentation started with a review of the “2025 Digital Identity Verification Market Report and Buyers Guide” from Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence, which forecasts that there will be 15 billion total identity verification checks globally by 2027.Goode Intelligence Lead Analyst Alan Goode, who co-authored the report, identified the key forces currently driving the identity verification market, and the sectors in which it is most crucial to have effective IDV in place.Identity verification technologies were demonstrated and explained by Oz Forensics Commercial Lead Ronald Molenaar, Daon Director of Product Management Eoghan Mulligan, Authsignal Director of Commercial and Growth Paul Bickley, Innovatrics Product Manager Viktor Bielko and Yoti Group Product Manager Emily Hyett each presented leading options in the IDV market.Their presentations explored the dynamics of fraud threats and attempts to defeat liveness detection, the renewed threat of fake IDs, the value of auditability and the emerging transition toward reusable digital IDs like mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs ) and eIDs.An active Q+A session proceeded in writing as the event was taking place, culminating in a discussion of points raised by attendees to conclude the presentation.

JP Morgan bullish on future of biometric payment adoption-Younger generations will drive even faster adoption-Jan 9, 2026, 11:20 am EST    | Masha Borak

JP Morgan is planning for a future with more biometric payments as its analysts say the technology has already become a part of daily life, and adoption is primed to accelerate.Thanks to their combination of security and convenience, acceptance of biometrics is growing steadily, the financial services company shared in its strategic insights on the future of payment technology earlier this week.“The ubiquity of biometrics in our phones — opening your phone with your face – has created consumer acceptance,” says Teresa Walker, managing director and head of Merchant Services Sales at J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking. “Younger generations who grew up with facial recognition will likely drive even faster adoption.”Reliance on facial and voice recognition, fingerprint and iris scans is allowing businesses to deliver a seamless customer experience. The challenge is balancing this experience with privacy and regulatory compliance, adds Walker.In the future, advances in AI and machine learning will likely further boost payment security, enabling real-time fraud detection and adaptive authentication, the U.S.-based banking giant concludes.JP Morgan’s strategic insights also covered other technologies that will affect payments in the future, including digital wallets, which are becoming “essential” for B2B and B2C payments. Other important innovations changing the industry are real-time payments (RTP) and blockchain.“As customers demand faster, more flexible payment options, businesses must integrate digital wallets into their ecosystems,” the document notes.JP Morgan backing biometric authentication in India-JP Morgan has also been investing in companies providing biometric authentication. In 2022, for instance, it invested in Indian payments fintech In-Solutions Global (ISG), which recently introduced a new passkey-based biometric verification product aimed at securing ecommerce transactions.The product, named ISG Authify, was launched in December with the help of German tech firm Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), which is providing technical support for integration.Mumbai-headquartered ISG is making the move to biometric authentication as India prepares to introduce stricter controls for authentication. As of April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will require two-factor authentication (2FA) for digital payments, moving beyond just SMS OTPs.ISG was founded in 2004 as a reconciliation service for card payments and ATM networks in India, gradually expanding into other areas such as processing payments in e-commerce.JP Morgan has a long-standing presence in India’s payment market, including real-time payment services. Customers in the country are known for relying on digital services and non-traditional payment systems, such as mobile wallets and infrastructure based on India’s Unified Payments Interface.The company employs 63,000 technologists in the country, with one-third working on products related to digital banking, cloud computing and integrating AI, chief data and analytics officer Teresa Heitsenrether told the Economic Times during her visit to the country in July 2025.JP Morgan has also been working on developing around 400 AI use cases, including in marketing, fraud and risk management. The bank has pledged to spend US$17 billion annually on technology and currently has a team of more than 2,000 AI and machine learning experts and data scientists, according to Heitsenrether.

One year in, Brazil’s online gambling regulations provide model for region-KYC friction vastly improved but black market continues to thrive-Jan 9, 2026, 5:58 am EST    | Joel R. McConvey

One of the defining features of the 2020s so far is the explosion of legal sports betting. For years, gambling meant bookies or casinos; now your phone is both, with identity verification possible through selfie biometrics and other mobile methods. Nations continue to implement regulatory schemes for online gambling, while others reflect on what’s been accomplished thus far. Whether or not the regulation and legalization of e-betting has been a net positive is up for debate – notably in Brazil, which is preparing to mark one year of regulated online betting.A piece in iGaming Business focuses on the country’s anniversary of its new gambling regulations, which require mandatory biometric verification via selfie for users of online betting, casino and cryptocurrency platforms. The regulated market, it notes, opened on January 1, 2025 with 14 operators on full licences. There are now over 80 operating in Brazil with federal authorization.The relative success of Brazil’s policy depends on who’s weighing in. Hugo Baungartner is the CBO of Esportes Gaming Brasil. He celebrates significant investment in the sector’s technology, compliance and people, and says that both identity verification and online gambling in Brazil overall is “clearly moving towards a more mature and professional phase.”Friction has eased as users come to trust verification-Not, however, without some friction. Regulated gambling comes with Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and finding the right solution for the right use case is no simple task. Baungartner says “friction was concentrated in the first two or three months.”“But that’s how any KYC system evolves. Players gradually understood that verification exists to protect them.” And the technology is refined as the sector matures: “Verification processes are getting faster, smoother and more intuitive every day.” That said, consistency remains an issue. Operators have interpreted the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets’ (SPA) requirements in different ways – some in the interest of commercial advantage.Standardization is a gradual process for any industry and technology, and Brazil’s online gambling operators are likely to converge slowly toward biometric verification products that are measurably proven in terms of compliance, user experience and the bottom line. Nearly half of Brazil’s online gambling market is still illegal operators-Meanwhile, the black market continues to be an issue. Current estimates say illegal operators hold between 41 percent and 51 percent of the total online gambling market. There is frustration among some industry players, who believe the problem should have been addressed a long time ago. “We have been talking about fighting the illegal market for years,” says Udo Seckelmann, head of gambling and crypto at the law firm Bichara e Motta Advogados. “We’re trying to run against time to combat it right now.” That raises the question of enforcement. In 2025, Brazil’s national telecommunications agency, Anatel, blocked the IPs of more than 18,000 illegal betting sites. But both Seckelmann and Baungartner think the government needs to go further in cracking down on illegal operators – specifically, enabling payment service providers (PSPs), which must be authorized by Brazil’s Central Bank, to block illegal transfers and transactions. “As long as unlicensed operators can process payments or move money, they will continue to operate,” Baungartner says. Only in working more closely with the payment and financial ecosystem will the regulatory apparatus be able to implement truly effective measures. There is acknowledgement that the goal is not perfection: even mature, long-regulated markets like the UK still sees a small percentage of illegal activity. This, Baungartner says, is the realistic goal. Moreover, Brazil will have to address the issue of deepfakes, which have exploded in the wake of Brazil’s regulated online gambling gold rush.  Come together: operators to merge as market takes shape-The Brazilian market is expected to consolidate, with some predicting around a dozen entities left standing once the dust settles. It is estimated that three brands, Betano, Superbet and Bet365, have a combined 47 percent market share. Esportes da Sorte, the flagship brand of Esportes Gaming Brasil, is also a player, named among the top five operators in the country. Baungartner says consolidation will lead to a “more professional ecosystem, better-capitalised operators and greater long-term stability.” He says that in year two of regulation, the sector should focus on tackling illegal operators and establishing a dedicated B2B regulatory framework for better oversight of suppliers. Finally, Baungarter’s take on the regulatory project is refreshingly pragmatic. “If someone considers this overregulation, I’m comfortable with that,” he says, “because strong rules are what build trust and long-term sustainability.”ANDP ramping up in preparation for online age assurance law-Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) has published new documents outlining its priorities for 2026, and an update of its regulatory agenda, as it takes on new responsibilities related to the development and implementation of the country’s incoming age verification and online safety law. The agency says it expects to pursue further regulation related to age assurance and child online safety under the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents (Digital ECA). Indeed, age verification mechanisms are a top priority in the fresh regulatory agenda, and the protection of children and adolescents in the digital environment makes the agency’s Priority Themes Map for the coming year. The Digital ECA comes into force on March 17, 2026.Buenos Aires makes face biometrics for online gambling mandatory-While Brazil has led the charge, Latin America is a hotspot for online gambling regulation in general, with Buenos Aries’ government introducing mandatory biometric identification via face biometrics for authorized gaming and sports betting platforms. The scheme is, in fact, driven by concerns about underage gambling, and as such counts as an age assurance requirement.Yogonet quotes Buenos Aires Minister of Government Carlos Bianco, who says the seven authorized online gambling platforms in Buenos Aires province “will be required to implement biometric identification systems and identity verification across all sites.”The minister has given platforms 60 days to “implement and regularize” biometric identity verification systems. 

Bahamas new biometric voter card ready next month, says official-Jan 9, 2026, 5:53 am EST    | Ayang Macdonald

The Parliamentary Commissioner of the Bahamas, Harrison Thompson, says issuance of the country’s new biometric voter card is likely to begin by mid next month.The official told Eyewitness News that efforts are far advanced on the project and the card supplier is expected in the country in the days ahead to finalize work.“We expect the vendors for the biometric card to be in town by next week to start to finalize some plans for the biometric cards,” Thompson said.“But we’ll be ready if the Prime Minister calls at any time. If the biometric card is not quite ready, we continue with the purple card.”Security printing and identity firm Canadian Bank Note (CBN) is the producer of the new biometric voter card which is a novelty in the Parliamentary Elections Bill.According to the government, the idea is to modernize voter registration by replacing the old system that was error-prone and out of touch with changing technological realities.The biometric voter card idea sparked divergent views among lawmakers and members of the general public, but Thompson says efforts will continue in terms of creating awareness on the usefulness of the card.“It’s moving progressively slow, but we expect that it will ramp up as we move into the end of January and February. We’re doing some Public Service Announcements and trying to get the public encouraged to come and sign up for the cards,” Thompson mentioned.While the government hopes for impressive adoption, the card shall not be compulsory, and those who do not have it can use any other government-issued ID on voting day.In December last year, Thompson, said they had met with CBN officials some weeks earlier and they promised to be back this month to finalize the setting up of the card production facility.“We expect no later than the middle of February. We are pushing for the end of January, but no later than the middle of February to be able to issue these cards,” he said as quoted by The Nassau Guardian.Citizens will not be required to submit new biometric data as the ParliamentaryRegistration Department (PRD) says it will rely on information used to issue biometric passports.The Minister of National Security, Wayne Munroe, who has jurisdiction over the PRD, last June, urged citizens to go for the card as snap elections could be called. He praised the quality of polycarbonate card saying it will be very easy to obtain by those who already have a passport.

Online safety legislation soldiers on in EU, despite US pushback-Expert panel to look at further measures, Ireland to push issue during EU presidency-Jan 8, 2026, 2:38 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

The legislation of age restrictions for social media platforms could be a major point of conflict in 2026. The U.S. administration has been vocal, not to say belligerent, in its opposition to regulations in Europe, the UK and Australia that affect Silicon Valley titans like Meta and X. Last week, it threatened to hold Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, U.S./Australian citizen Julie Inman Grant, in contempt of U.S. law should she fail to appear before Congress within a fortnight to answer for her alleged crimes against free speech.But lawmakers continue to consolidate regulatory efforts nonetheless, risking further ire from the Trump Administration. According to MLex, the EU is planning to form an expert advisory panel to focus on “potential additional restrictions and rules aimed at protecting minors online.” The piece quotes a European Commission spokesperson, who says the panel should begin work early in 2026.One issue on the table will be social media regulation in line with Australia’s law prohibiting kids under 16 from using select social platforms. The EU has also seen talk of a digital age of majority across the bloc, which could also land on the panel’s agenda.Ireland, too, is pushing ahead with the conversation about children’s online safety. A release from the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’ Donovan, says regulator Coimisiún na Meán has made “great progress” in implementing Ireland’s online safety framework.“Now, we must ensure that the measures that have been put in place are as effective as possible, and the key to this will be the introduction of a robust and secure age verification tool. It is a vital part of the picture in terms of providing real assurance that children are the age they claim to be and to ensure they are not exposed to harmful or illegal content.”Ireland assumes the presidency of the EU in 2026, and has promised to prioritize the issue.Is Ofcom a shark without teeth? Meanwhile in the UK, there is continued criticism of the pace at which regulator Ofcom has flexed its muscles in enforcing the Online Safety Act (OSA). Ofcom has steadily issued fines since it adopted the enforcement role; its most recent, a 1 million pound (1.3 million dollar) fine against adult content network operator AVS Group, is the largest to date.But if a fine gets thrown into a forest, is anyone forced to pay it? AVS has reportedly implemented age assurance (with improved liveness!) on most of its sites since the fine, suggesting that it is working toward compliance. For biometric services, it has enlisted AgeVerif, a Portugal-based firm certified by the UK Age Check Certification Scheme to provide “highly effective age assurance,” per Ofcom’s requirements.Some, however, believe that fines will never be enough, and that direct action is the only guaranteed route to compliance. Ofcom’s enforcement mandate includes “business disruption measures” for continued infringements, including service restrictions on payment providers, advertising networks and search engines, and restrictions on app stores. Ultimately, it can appeal to the courts to block sites, if it deemed is appropriate and proportionate for preventing significant harm to people in the UK.MLex quotes Iain Corby, executive director of the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), who is among those pushing for disruptive measures. He believes they are “the only thing that’s ever going to work.”“For a company that’s completely ignoring Ofcom, I don’t see why there’s any reason, having ticked the box to say they’ve now issued the fine, that they don’t quickly move on to blocking AVS sites,” Corby says.Ofcom, for its part, says blocking any site would be a “significant regulatory intervention, and applications would not be made routinely or lightly.”At stake is not just a few porn sites, but Ofcom’s credibility as an enforcer. The specter of U.S. influence looms, and while no one would admit to caving in the face of threats, Ofcom also does presumably not want to pick a fight with a hostile superpower.A representative tells MLex that, having received some shoddy paperwork from AVS Group, the UK regulator has “ordered reassessments.”It is, in the parlance, weak sauce – and more fuel for fears that Ofcom’s enforcement regime could end up as nothing more than a big wagging finger with no claws to speak of.

Dark web identity trading in cheap ‘full identity packs’ undermine biometric security-Jan 8, 2026, 12:47 pm EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

New analysis from AMLTRIX shows booming trade in stolen and fabricated identities on the dark web, which the anti‑money‑laundering firm believes is exposing weaknesses in biometric verification systems.Researchers examined 25 widely accessible dark web markets and forums and found that the cost of assembling a package capable of defeating standard KYC checks has fallen to as low as $30. What once required specialist skill has become a cheap, industrialized service.For the price of a takeout, criminals can now buy a high‑resolution ID scan along with a matching selfie and package of personal data designed to override first‑line checks at banks, fintechs and cryptocurrency platforms. Systems that need live video verification are now being spoofed using ever more advanced camera‑emulation tools.Gabrielius Erikas Bilkštys, co‑founder of AMLTRIX, said the illicit market has become both abundant and automated. “A full identity pack with ID scan and selfie is now cheap enough and accessible for criminals to buy in bulk,” he said.Once an identity enters the underground economy, it can be reused repeatedly to open bank accounts, payment profiles or crypto wallets, and victims unaware until debt collectors or law enforcement get in touch.Unlike stolen card details, which quickly lose value, a “Full Identity Package” can underpin mule accounts capable of laundering significant sums before detection. Prices vary by jurisdiction. U.S. profiles typically sell for $45–$100, UK identities for $30–$35, and Australian, Russian or French profiles for $20–$30. High‑priced listings for ID such as Irish or UK passports, which can exceed $2,500, are often scams targeting other criminals.A striking shift is the rising premium on pre‑verified accounts. Verified crypto accounts now sell for $200–$400, almost ten times costlier than raw identity data. The markup is indicative of the high failure rate among criminals attempting to bypass biometric verification themselves, according to AMLTRIX. In effect, criminals are forking out a $270 risk premium to outsource the difficulty of defeating live verification systems.Bilkštys cautioned that the dark‑web economy is not an isolated ecosystem but one fuelled by the same phishing attacks, data breaches and account takeovers that financial institutions face. He argues that simply collecting more documents or selfies is no longer enough.As identity fraud becomes cheaper, faster and more automated, he said, the challenge for banks and fintechs in 2025 is shifting. The task is determining whether the person behind the device is a genuine individual or a product of the dark web’s “bargain‑basement identity factories.”The AMLTRIX Framework — an open-source, community-driven resource for mapping financial crime operations — features a growingly comprehensive list of techniques and methods used by these bad actors.

Foreign Ministry confirms Samoa will open embassy in Jerusalem this year-Island nation set to become third South Pacific country to establish mission in capital; Sa’ar invites Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt to visit Israel-By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff 11 January 2026, 12:22 pm

The Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Samoa will become the third Pacific island nation to open an embassy in Jerusalem, confirming a report last week in Samoan media.Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt and invited him to Israel, according to the Israeli statement.Samoa, which has an estimated population of around 212,000 and is smaller than the US state of Rhode Island, is set to open the embassy later this year.Last week, the Samoa Observer, a local newspaper, reported that Schmidt, who was sworn in last September, announced that the country intended to open the embassy.“I [have] instruct[ed] our foreign affairs to start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year,” he was quoted as saying in an address at a Christian pro-Israel prayer service.According to the report, he noted that the step would be in the wake of the same move by neighboring Fiji.Seven countries — the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay — currently have full embassies in Jerusalem.More nations have branches in Israel’s capital, with a full embassy in Tel Aviv amid a decades-old taboo against establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.Meanwhile, Argentina has halted its plans to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, a report said Saturday, due to “tension” between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentine President Javier Milei in recent weeks.According to Channel 12 news, tensions arose due to the Israeli-owned Navitas Petroleum company’s plans to carry out offshore drilling in the Falkland Islands, expected to begin in 2028.The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory, although Argentina claims that it, not the United Kingdom, has sovereignty over the islands, which it refers to as Islas Malvinas.

INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Russia joins Chinese, Iran warships for drills off South Africa.

Simon's Town, South Africa, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026-A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels for military exercises that risk further damaging Pretoria's relations with Washington.The exercises draw together several nations feuding with the US administration and come at a time of heightened tensions following Washington's raid on Venezuela.A Chinese destroyer and replenishment ship, as well as an Iranian forward base vessel, sailed into South African waters earlier this week ahead of the week-long manoeuvres due to kick off at the weekend.AFP journalists near the Simon's Town base saw the Russian-flagged corvette vessel pull into False Bay.The China-led "Will for Peace 2026" drill involves navies from the 11-nation BRICS group of emerging nations, which US President Donald Trump has labelled "anti-American".The United Arab Emirates was also expected to send ships, South Africa's Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa told Newzroom Afrika television late Thursday.Fellow BRICS nations Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil will send observers, he said.The remaining members of the grouping are India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.The exercise will allow the navies "to exchange best practices and improve joint operational capabilities, which contributes to the safety of shipping routes and overall regional maritime stability", South Africa's defence force said.- Global tensions -Asked about the timing of the drill, Holomisa said: "This exercise was planned long before these tensions we are witnessing today."They were initially scheduled for November 2025 but postponed because they clashed with the G20 summit in Johannesburg.At odds with South Africa over a range of international issues, the United States boycotted the summit.It also expelled the South African ambassador last year and imposed 30 percent trade tariffs.Washington this week seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker it said was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran.It has threatened action against Iran should protesters be killed in mounting demonstrations sparked by anger over the rising cost of living.The joint drills have "nothing to do with Venezuela whatsoever", a South African defence ministry spokesman told AFP."Let us not press panic buttons because the USA has got a problem with countries," Holomisa said. "Those are not our enemies.""Let's focus on cooperating with the BRICS countries and make sure that our seas, especially the Indian Ocean and Atlantic, they are safe," he said.- Bad books -Priyal Singh, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told AFP that "Washington has clearly been attempting to put Pretoria in its bad book since the beginning of the current Trump administration"."The optics surrounding the upcoming naval exercise will likely be used by policymakers in Washington as another prime example of why its bilateral relations with South Africa should be reviewed," he said.A handful of Ukrainians protested as the Russian vessel arrived, criticising South Africa -- which claims to be non-aligned in Russia's war on Ukraine -- for hosting the Russian navy."They destroyed my city, Kherson, they're wiping it out," said Kateryna Fedkina."We're just asking South Africa to not cooperate militarily with Russia because Russia is an aggressive state," she said.Adding to the criticism, South Africa's Democratic Alliance party said it was misleading to claim the drills were part of BRICS cooperation as alliance heavyweights Brazil and India were absent.The government was "choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran", it said.The exercise marks BRICS's increased emphasis on security issues, said Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Programme at the US-based Quincy Institute.That the four BRICS states taking part all have "serious diplomatic or security differences with the United States" also sent a "wider geopolitical signal", he said.

South Africa defends naval drills with Iran, Russia as 'essential'

Simon's Town, South Africa, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026-South Africa on Saturday began naval drills with Russia, Iran and China, describing the manoeuvres off its coast as not merely a show of force but a vital response to rising maritime tensions.The week?long 'Will for Peace 2026' exercises come just days after the United States seized a Russian?flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying it carried crude bound for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions.The seizure followed an American raid that toppled Moscow's ally Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.The drills -- led by China -- were more than a military exercise and a statement of intent among the BRICS group of emerging nations, Captain Nndwakhulu Thomas Thamaha, South Africa's joint taskforce commander, told the opening Ceremony."It is a demonstration of our collective resolve to work together," he said.BRICS, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, more recently, Indonesia.China and Iran deployed destroyer warships, while Russia and the United Arab Emirates sent corvette vessels. Host South Africa dispatched a frigate.Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil joined as observers."In an increasingly complex maritime environment, cooperation such as this is not an option, it is essential," said Thamaha.The exercises were to "ensure the safety of shipping lanes and maritime economic activities," he said.Previously known as Exercise Mosi, the drills were initially scheduled for last November but postponed due to a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg, boycotted by the United States.Washington has accused South Africa and the BRICS bloc of 'anti?American' policies and warned members they could face an additional 10 percent tariff on top of existing duties already applied worldwide.South Africa has also drawn US criticism for its close ties with Russia and a range of other policies, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Washington ally Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war.South Africa drew criticism for hosting naval drills with Russia and China in 2023, coinciding with the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.The three nations first conducted joint naval drills in 2019.ho/cw/cw

Israel army issues evacuation warning for Lebanon village ahead of strikes.

Jerusalem, Jan 11 (AFP) The Israeli army issued an evacuation warning on Sunday for the village of Kafr Hatta in southern Lebanon ahead of air strikes on Hezbollah targets in the area."The IDF (army) will soon, and once again, strike terrorist Hezbollah military infrastructure in the village, in order to address the prohibited attempts it is making to rebuild its activities there," Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee wrote on X, posting a map of the expected target."We urge residents of the area... you are located near a compound used by Hezbollah. For your safety, you must evacuate it immediately and move at least 300 metres (980 feet) away. Remaining in the marked area puts your lives at risk," the warning said.The Lebanese army said Thursday that it had completed disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani river, the first phase of a nationwide plan. Kafr Hatta is located north of the river.Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli army announced in a statement that it had carried out strikes against what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure in other areas of south Lebanon "in response to Hezbollah's continuous violations of the ceasefire understandings."Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported "a series of violent Israeli strikes" on Jezzine, Mahmudiyeh and Al-Dimasqiyeh, as well as "more than 10 strikes" on Al-Bureij, all in southern Lebanon.Most of the targeted areas are located north of the Litani river. No casualties were reported in the strikes.Under heavy US pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming the Iran-backed militant group, which was badly weakened after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war that ended with a November 2024 ceasefire with Israel.Lebanon's army said Thursday it had "achieved the objectives of the first phase" of its plan, covering the area south of the Litani River -- around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border -- with the intention to extend it to the rest of the country.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in response that the ceasefire "states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed"."Efforts made toward this end by the Lebanese government and the Lebanese armed forces are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah's efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support," it added.Despite the truce, Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.It has also said it has struck Hamas targets in Lebanon on various occasions.

Venezuela's furious street forces ready to 'fight' after US raid.

Caracas, Jan 10 (AFP) Jan 10, 2026-When explosions boomed in the night and US warplanes roared in the sky over Caracas, Jorge Suarez and his companions rushed fearfully for their guns.For these members of the "colectivos" -- armed loyalists of the leftist leadership -- the US raid that ousted Nicolas Maduro as their president was the most dramatic challenge yet."We're not used to it -- it was like a best-seller, like something out of a movie," said Suarez, in black sunglasses and a cap bearing the slogan: "Doubt is treason.""We took to the streets, waiting for instructions from our leaders."As proud defenders of the Venezuelan leadership's socialist "Bolivarian revolution," the ousting of Maduro has left them furious and bewildered, convinced that he was betrayed by close allies."There is frustration, anger and a will to fight," said a 43-year-old member of one collective the Boina Roja -- which translates to Red Beret -- who identified himself only as Willians, in a black cap and hooded jacket."It's still not really clear what happened...What is clear is that there were many betrayals," he added -- pointing to implausible failures in Maduro's defenses."We don't understand how the anti-aircraft system failed. We don't know what happened with the rocket-launch system."- Policing the transition -Established in their current form under Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez, the colectivos are tasked with keeping social order on the streets -- but accused by opponents of beating and intimidating rivals.They have closed ranks behind Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's former deputy who took over as interim president.She has pledged to cooperate with US President Donald Trump over his demand for access to Venezuela's huge oil reserves -- but has insisted the country is not "subordinate" to Washington.Willians said the colectivos were resisting certain post-Maduro narratives, which he dismissed as mind games -- such as "that Trump might bomb again, or that Delcy Rodriguez is with the United States."They respect her ideological pedigree -- Rodriguez is the daughter of a far-left militant who died in the custody of the intelligence services in 1976."I don't think anyone would betray her father," said Alfredo Canchica, leader of another collective, the Fundacion 3 Raíces."You can betray the people, but not your father."Colectivo members declined to be drawn out on how the post-Maduro phase might play out under Trump and Rodriguez, however."We don't believe the threats that the Americans are going to come, dig in and take us out," said Canchica."They'll have to kill us first."- Maduro 'betrayed' -Feared by opponents as a rifle-wielding, motorbike-mounted shock force, the colectivos are welcomed in some neighborhoods where they are credited with preventing crime -- and where authorities hand out subsidized food parcels.Speaking at the Chato Candela baseball stadium in the working-class 23 de Enero district, Canchica rejected the negative image they have gained.When opposition demonstrators and some world powers were accusing Maduro of stealing an election in July 2014, "we stopped the shantytowns from rising up," he said.The colectivos also claim to run sports programs, coordinate with hospitals and transport networks, and visit traders to keep price speculation in check.Fiercely committed to the "Chavista" cause, they felt the sting of betrayal in Maduro's capture."The betrayal must have come from someone very close to our commander" Maduro, said Canchica."It was so perfect we didn't notice, and we still don't know who betrayed us, how they betrayed us -- it happened so fast."In his office with images of independence hero Simon Bolivar, Chavez and Maduro on the wall, and books, bullets and a sound-wave bomb on the table, Suarez bitterly recalled watching animated reconstructions of Maduro's capture published online."It makes you angry," he said."Despite all the support Commander (Vladimir) Putin, China and North Korea have given us militarily, how can we react in real time when (the US) has more advanced technology than we do?"

Arrests reported, cross removed as China crackdown on unofficial churches grows.

Yayang, China, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026-A church in east China was scaffolded and had its cross removed, AFP reporters saw Friday, with residents and rights groups saying multiple members had been arrested as a national crackdown on unofficial Christian organisations grows.Yayang church, in the Wenzhou area of Zhejiang province, is one of China's unregistered churches that emerged as an alternative to places of worship regulated and approved by Beijing.China's ruling Communist Party has historically regarded organised religion with suspicion, and under President Xi Jinping, has tightened scrutiny of unofficial groups.The events in Wenzhou come the same week an underground church in the southwestern city of Chengdu said several of its key leaders had been detained."As Beijing tightens its ideological control, unofficial churches are seen as 'disobedient' to the Communist Party ideology and, therefore, pay a heavy price," Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said.Overseas religious rights groups said the crackdown on the Protestant church in the town of Yayang began in mid-December, with reportedly around 100 members initially detained, and two dozen still in custody.AFP has been unable to verify those numbers, but two of the small town's residents confirmed people had been detained in December, though they were unable to give specifics.One local Christian said she thought around 30 people were taken away by police.AFP saw posters on walls and lampposts, dated to December 13, calling for public help in capturing two prominent church members, complete with mugshots.The notices said the two men were part of a "criminal gang", "involved in the crime of provoking trouble".AFP was also able to pinpoint the location of a video posted in mid-December, which showed black-clad police walking in formation towards the direction of the church.The Chinese foreign ministry and local authorities did not immediately respond to a request for official comment.- Cross gone -Wenzhou's significant Christian population was traditionally seen as wealthy and influential.Before Xi took power, they were able to build their own churches, "even competing with the government-sanctioned churches", said Bob Fu, founder of US-based rights group ChinaAid.Earlier this week Fu posted footage showing scaffolding going up around the church, including the large red cross on top of its main dome.ChinaAid said residents had described the streets surrounding the church as being locked down, enforced by a hefty police presence.When AFP visited on Friday, Yayang church was completely covered in blue cladding, but reporters could clearly make out the silhouette of the main dome -- now missing its cross.When reporters asked one of the dozen or so guards blocking access to the building what was happening, they declined to comment and told the journalists to move on.Despite otherwise light security, at one point 12 SWAT officers marched briefly up and down a street near the church.Two locals told AFP separately they had been told filming the scaffolding was forbidden, and that a woman had been "taken away" for doing so.In much of Yayang, residents appeared to be going about their business normally, with buildings frequently displaying posters of crosses.Near the church though, many businesses and residences with crosses on them were shuttered.- Increased crackdowns -Churches and rights groups say the campaign against underground churches stepped up last year.According to Human Rights Watch, in mid-2025, around a dozen people affiliated with northern Shanxi province's Linfen Golden Lampstand Church were convicted for fraud.Last October the United States condemned the detention of almost 30 leaders of the unregistered Zion Church across seven cities, including in Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang.Chengdu's Early Rain Covenant Church said this week on its Telegram channel that nine of its members, including senior leaders, had been detained in a "concerted operation", with two others unaccounted for.Five had now been released, it said.AFP reached out to the church but did not get a response. 

NATO chief talks Arctic security with Rubio amid US Greenland push.

Brussels, Belgium, Jan 9 (AFP) Jan 09, 2026-NATO chief Mark Rutte on Friday discussed efforts to bolster Arctic security with US top diplomat Marco Rubio, after President Donald Trump insisted he wants to take control of Greenland.The US leader has rattled allies by refusing to rule out using military force to take over the autonomous territory of fellow NATO member Denmark.Trump says controlling the mineral-rich island is crucial for US national security given the rising threat of Russia and China in the Arctic.NATO has sought to deflect Washington's interest in Greenland by emphasising steps it is taking to bolster security in the region.A NATO spokeswoman said Rutte spoke with Rubio "on the importance of the Arctic to our shared security and how NATO is working to enhance our capabilities in the High North."Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an armed US attack to take Greenland could spell the end for the 76-year-old Western military alliance.But the head of NATO's forces in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said Friday the alliance was far from being in "a crisis", following President Donald Trump's threats.

Turkey will help Syria against Kurdish fighters if asked: defence ministry by AFP Staff Writers.

Ankara (AFP) Jan 8, 2026-Turkey's military is ready to "support" Syria in its battle with Kurdish fighters in the northwestern city of Aleppo if Damascus asks for help, a defence ministry official said Thursday.And Turkey's top diplomat said Ankara had been working "intensively" with Syrian and American officials in a bid to end the unrest.Deadly clashes erupted this week between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) after the two sides failed to reach a year-end deadline to merge the Kurdish fighters into the main Damascus military.In Ankara, the defence ministry official framed the clashes as a "counter-terror operation", saying Turkey fully backed "Syria's fight against terrorist organisations"."Should Syria request assistance, Turkey will provide the necessary support," he said, echoing a long-standing offer by Ankara to extend military support to its allies in Damascus's new Islamist government.Turkey has long been hostile to the Kurdish SDF that controls swathes of northeastern Syria, seeing it as an extension of the banned Kurdish militant group PKK and a major threat along its southern border.It has repeatedly pushed for implementation of the so-called March 10 deal under which the Kurds' semi-autonomous administration and military would be integrated into the Syrian military and security apparatus.The Kurds are pushing for decentralised rule, an idea which Syria's new authorities have rejected, blocking the deal's implementation and causing building tension.- 'Uncompromising stance' -The unrest in Aleppo began on Tuesday with a string of armed attacks that claimed nine lives and prompted thousands to flee, with the two sides trading barbs over who was responsible.The toll now stands at 17 dead.Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey had been locked in talks with Damascus and Washington to resolve the deadlock which he blamed on the SDF's "uncompromising stance"."Over the past two days, we have been involved in intensive consultations with the Syrian side and the Americans. God willing, this will be resolved without further bloodshed," he said."The SDF's insistence on preserving what it controls at any cost constitutes one of the greatest obstacles to Syrian peace and stability," he said, urging the force to "abandon terrorism and separatism".Parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus also warned against Israeli involvement in the standoff after its top diplomat denounced the government operation "against the Kurdish minority in Aleppo" as "dangerous" for Syria's minorities."Let me be very clear: Israel does not love the Kurds of Syria," Kurtulmus said, warning against efforts "to turn people against each other on ethnic, religious, and sectarian grounds".

Russian strikes leave one million without water, heat in Ukraine by AFP Staff Writers.

Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) Jan 8, 2026-Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight left more than one million people in the Dnipropetrovsk region without water supplies or heating, a Ukrainian minister said Thursday, as temperatures dipped below freezing.As in previous winters, Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukraine's energy sites, leading to heating and water outages in what Kyiv and its allies call a deliberate strategy to wear down the civilian population.The large-scale Russian drone attack also knocked out power in the Zaporizhzhia region, leaving thousands without electricity or heating, the state grid operator Ukrenergo said late Wednesday."Repair work continues in Dnipropetrovsk region to restore heat and water supply for over a million subscribers," Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on social media.The Ukrainian air force said Russia attacked with 97 drones, with 70 downed by air defence system but 27 striking various locations, without elaborating.Dnipropetrovsk's critical energy infrastructure was damaged in the attack, according to its military head Vladyslav Gaivanenko."The situation is difficult. However, as soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will begin restoration work," he posted on Telegram.In Zaporizhzhia, the electricity supply was restored to "key facilities" but most consumers were still without power, according to its governor, Ivan Fedorov.Kyiv has responded to the long-running targeting of its energy grid with strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries, seeking to cut off Moscow's vital energy exports and trigger fuel shortages.burs-lb-jbr/mmp/js

timesofisrael.com-Activists say over 500 killed in crackdown on Iran protests as Trump weighs steps.

US President Donald Trump will be briefed by senior officials in his administration later this week on possible responses to the deadly violence in Iran, where hundreds of protesters have reportedly been killed and thousands more detained over the past two weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing US officials.Trump has repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Iran’s leaders if protesters are killed, and on Saturday said that the US was “ready to help” Iranians achieve freedom.The protests in Iran, now in their 15th day, began as economic demonstrations but escalated rapidly into calls for the collapse of the Islamic Republic and regime change. Tehran has responded forcefully to the demonstrations, and activists said on Sunday that at least 538 people had been killed since December 28.The US president’s meeting, planned for Tuesday, will be a discussion about possible next steps, including military strikes, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on Iran’s government and boosting anti-government sources online, the Journal reported.The New York Times and the Journal reported Saturday that Trump had been presented with military options for a strike, but hadn’t made a final decision.Even if the US does choose to proceed with military action, the UK’s Sunday Times suggested that this would not happen in the immediate future.According to the newspaper, the US military has informed Trump that it is not yet ready to launch strikes and needs more time to prepare. Officials in the Middle East have communicated that they need additional time to bolster both personnel and defenses in the region before they can proceed with strikes, the report said.The Qatari Al Araby Television Network reported, however, that Israel believes the US will strike Iran sooner rather than later.As Washington weighs its options, Tehran has continued to pin blame on Israel and the US for the unrelenting protests, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accusing the two countries of trying to “sow chaos and disorder” in the Islamic Republic.“Protesting is the people’s right,” he said in an interview with state TV on Sunday, while warning that protesters “should not be allowed to disrupt society.”“The people should believe that we (the government) want to establish justice,” he told state broadcaster IRIB. “If people have a concern we will hear them, it is our duty to hear them and solve their problems. However, our highest duty is not to allow rioters to come and disrupt society.”He accused Israel and the US of “trying to escalate this unrest with regard to the economic discussion and solutions we are working on.”“They have taken some people here inside and abroad and trained them. They brought terrorists in from abroad into the country,” he claimed.Against the backdrop of Pezeshkian’s warnings about “rioters,” the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that more than 10,600 people across Iran had been detained.It said that 490 protesters had been killed, in addition to 48 members of Iran’s security forces, and warned that the death toll was likely to continue to rise.With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult.The activist group, which relies on activists in Iran crosschecking information, has offered accurate tolls in previous rounds of unrest in the Islamic Republic.The Iranian government has not offered any overall casualty figures for the demonstrations, but has praised security forces for their actions against protesters.Iran’s parliament speaker warned Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if the US were to strike Iran. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the comments during an address in parliament, which was broadcast live on state television.Qalibaf, a hard-liner who has run for the presidency in the past, focused his speech on applauding police and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, particularly its all-volunteer Basij, for having “stood firm” during the protests.He went on to directly threaten Israel, “the occupied territory” as he referred to it, and the US military, possibly with a preemptive strike.“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”Lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!”In the wake of his comments and similar sentiments expressed by other Iranian officials, Israel was preparing for the possibility that it may be on the receiving end of Tehran’s wrath.To that end, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held situational assessments over the weekend focused on the Iranian protests, The Times of Israel has learned.Separately, Netanyahu called top advisers and ministers together for a security consultation on Sunday afternoon, the offices of two of the attendees told The Times of Israel. The full security cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday.The premier addressed the situation during the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, expressing hope that Israel and Iran could become “faithful partners” again when the regime falls.“We are sending strength to the heroic and courageous citizens of Iran — and once the regime falls, we will do good things together for the benefit of both peoples,” he said.“We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny,” Netanyahu continued. “And when that day arrives, Israel and Iran will once again become faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace.”Israel and Iran enjoyed warm ties from the time of Israel’s founding in 1948 up until the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the ousting of the Iranian shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.Pahlavi’s son, the exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, has successfully spurred on the protests in Iran from his home in the US, issuing calls for Iranians to take to the streets each night. On Sunday, he said he was prepared to return to his homeland and lead a transition to a democratic government.“I’m prepared to return to Iran at the first possible opportunity. I’m already planning on that,” Pahlavi said on Fox News show “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo.Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isn’t clear if that is in support for Pahlavi himself, or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Pahlavi’s apparent commitment to bringing democracy to his homeland, from which he has been in exile for more than 50 years, would suggest he is not interested in returning to the pre-revolution status quo, when his father ruled with an iron fist following a US-backed coup in 1953.“My job is to lead this transition to make sure that no stone is left unturned, that in full transparency, people have an opportunity to elect their leaders freely and to decide,” he said.

No word on Hamas's main source of power: its weapons-Hamas tells its Gaza agencies to prepare to cede power as part of truce plan-Terror group spokesman says it will ‘hand over all authorities’ in Gaza to an ‘independent Palestinian technocratic committee,’ whose makeup has not yet been announced By Noam Lehmann and ToI Staff Today, 1:30 am-JAN 11,26

Hamas on Sunday said it had instructed its government agencies to prepare to hand over their powers to the independent committee of Palestinian technocrats that is supposed to administer Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.The statement came as Trump is expected to announce this week the makeup of the Board of Peace that is supposed to oversee the Palestinian committee.“Based on US President Trump’s statement of his intention to form a Board of Peace for the Gaza Strip, the Hamas movement has issued directives to all government entities and agencies to prepare to hand over all authorities to this independent Palestinian technocratic committee,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a video statement.“This decision is clear and final, and there are also instructions to facilitate the success of this Palestinian [technocratic committee’s] work, in line with the higher national interest and in keeping with the plan to end the war on the Gaza Strip,” said Qassem.For much of the Gaza war, Hamas said it was prepared to give up its political control of the Strip. However, it has resisted calls to disarm, and its weapons are the main tool used to dominate the enclave.Egypt has been leading efforts to establish the Palestinian technocratic committee, while consulting with the US, Israel and the various Palestinian factions. A list of 12 names of politically unaffiliated individuals was submitted to the Shin Bet security service, which went on to approve eight of them, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel last week.While the West Bank-based PA has pushed for one of its ministers to join or even head the committee, Israel vetoed this idea outright. Instead, one member of the technocratic committee is slated to be a former PA official, according to two sources familiar with the matter.Fatah officials, including PA Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh and intelligence chief Majed Faraj, met with mediators in Egypt last week to discuss the formation of the technocratic committee, and Hamas officials are expected to hold further talks on the matter with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo this week.After his meetings in Egypt, Sheikh met in Ramallah on Friday with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who is expected to serve as a top official for Trump’s Board of Peace. The meeting came a day after Mladenov held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and met with President Isaac Herzog.The first phase of the October ceasefire halted the fighting and saw the release of the remaining living hostages held by Hamas. The deal has halted intensive military operations, but Israel has regularly been opening fire on what it says are suspects violating the ceasefire. The death toll since the truce began is over 440, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.Hamas still has not returned the remains of police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that triggered the war, or agreed to disarm, both of which Israel has insisted must occur before transitioning to the truce’s next stage.Trump told Netanyahu during their meeting last week at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that he wants to quickly advance to the second phase of the ceasefire deal, a US official has told The Times of Israel, adding that the premier raised concerns but said Israel would cooperate with the effort.Jacob Magid contributed to this report.

Banned elsewhere in the West, Israel permitting farmers to use feces as cattle feed-Animals Now launches PR campaign against practice, but Agriculture Ministry says ‘adapted feeding solutions’ required when grazing land is limited-By Sue Surkes-Today, 12:33 am-JAN 11,26

Israel still permits farmers to use poultry feces, feathers and chicken coop food scraps as cattle feed, despite the practice being banned in the European Union, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Namibia, Australia, and New Zealand.The Agriculture Ministry permits 43,000 tons of what it calls poultry manure to be fed to calves and cows each year, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by the animal rights organization, Animals Now.The progressive group launched a public education campaign against the practice on Sunday called “Eat less meat, eat less shit,” with posts on social media and posters plastered on the streets of Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Animals Now said 43,000 tons of the taboo ingredients is equivalent to over 1,400 full trucks parked bumper to bumper on the more than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) it takes to travel from Tel Aviv to Netanya.Many countries have banned the practice to stop pathogens and residues from heavy metals, pesticides and antibiotics from getting into beef.However, according to Animals Now, farms in the Israeli meat industry mix food with up to three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of poultry feces daily for beef calves. In the dairy industry, cows are fed feces for their first two years, the organization added.The mixture — which must be treated by pickling or thermal heating before use — provides cheap protein to cattle.Agriculture Ministry regulations specify that poultry manure manufacturers must test what they process every quarter and declare what antibiotics were fed to the poultry.The regulations note that Clostridium botulinum is not eliminated during the curing or thermal heating process that the manure must undergo before it is used for feed.Therefore, they instruct cattle breeders to vaccinate livestock against this toxic bacterium, although, they admit that vaccinations do not provide total protection.Feces from coops contaminated by avian flu or other diseases cannot be used.Defending the use of feces, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement, “This is a common practice that provides a source of nitrogen for the production of protein in beef cattle feed. Unlike countries with rich natural grazing conditions, which allow for the supply of protein from plant sources in extensive grazing areas, Israel operates in a desert environment with limited land and grazing resources. Under these conditions, adapted feeding solutions are required.”

This time, we have hope'Masses gather in London, Paris, Istanbul to support Iran’s anti-regime protests-‘My son is there, and I don’t know if he’s alive or not,’ says one protester in London, ‘We just want this murderous regime to leave Iran, that’s it!’By AFP 11 January 2026, 11:16 pm

LONDON — Demonstrators rallied in London, Paris and Istanbul on Sunday in support of protests in Iran that have been countered with a deadly crackdown by the country’s security forces.London demonstrations, initially in front of the Iranian embassy and later in front of the British prime minister’s residence, grew to several thousand as the day progressed.“We want revolution, change the regime,” Afsi, a 38-year-old Iranian, who declined to give her last name, told AFP at the rally in front of Downing Street.Afsi has lived in London for seven years, and has not been able to contact her family in Iran because of an internet blackout imposed by authorities since Thursday.“It’s so frustrating, but it’s not the first time,” he said. “This time, we have hope… we feel like we can do it (overthrow the government) this time.”In Paris, more than 2,000 people waving Iran’s flag from before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 demonstrated to chants of “No to the terrorist Islamic Republic.”Police did not allow them to approach the Iranian embassy.“Close the mullahs’ embassy, the terrorist factory,” some demonstrators yelled.A 20-year-old Iranian student living in Paris, who gave his first name as Arya, said: “In Iran, the people are rising up in the streets, and we Iranians outside Iran are here to show we are with them and they are not alone.”He said he was waiting to hear what the son of Iran’s last shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, “will tell us to do.”Pahlavi has emerged as a potential figurehead for government opponents.The protests, initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, have lasted two weeks and become a movement against the theocratic system in place since the 1979 revolution. Iranian authorities have called the protesters “rioters” who are backed by the United States and Israel.In Istanbul, demonstrators voicing support for the Iranian protesters gathered in steady rain.Police cordoned off the area outside the Iranian consulate and the crowd was kept away from the mission.“It’s been 72 hours since we had any news from the country, from our families. No internet or television, we can’t reach Iran anymore,” said Nina, a young Iranian living in Turkey who had the Iranian flag and red tears painted on her face.“The regime kills at random — whether families are on foot or in a car, whether there are children. It spares no one,” she added.The crackdown by Iran’s authorities has resulted in at least 490 deaths, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Sunday, adding that more than 10,600 people across the country had been detained.The leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Friday condemned the “killing of protestors” in Iran, while US President Donald Trump said Saturday his country stood “ready to help” as Iranians protest.One of the demonstrators in London, Fahimeh Moradi, 52, said she was taking part “to support the Iranian people who are killed and murdered by the Iran regime — we don’t want the Islamic Republic of Iran, we hate them!”She added: “My son is there, and I don’t know if he’s alive or not. We just want this murderous regime to leave Iran, that’s it!”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

timesofisrael.com-Israel hits Hezbollah sites in two waves of major strikes across southern Lebanon BY Stav Levaton-JAN 11,26

Israel on Sunday carried out major airstrikes against seven Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, using more than 30 munitions in two waves of strikes, the military said.The strikes came after the IDF issued several evacuation warnings in the south Lebanon towns, saying the strikes were “in response to Hezbollah’s continuous violations of the ceasefire understandings.”Under the current ceasefire, which was reached in November 2024 after over a year of daily Hezbollah rocket attacks and after a month of full-scale conflict, the Iran-backed group was to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and have its military infrastructure dismantled in the evacuated areas.The group has refused to surrender its weapons, however, and Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Hezbollah targets over the past year.The first wave of strikes on Sunday took place in the early afternoon, targeting facilities that the army said were being used to store weapons.Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported “a series of violent Israeli strikes” on Jezzine, Mahmudiyeh and Al-Dimasqiyeh, as well as “more than 10 strikes” on Al-Bureij, all in southern Lebanon.Later in the evening, the IDF struck an underground weapons storage facility in the Kfar Beit area, near Kfar Hatta in southern Lebanon — shortly after issuing an evacuation warning for the town.Lebanese state media reported that “enemy warplanes launched more than 10 raids on the threatened location” in the town of Kafr Hatta, which lies north of the Litani, noting “significant damage” to buildings there.After the strikes, the IDF said that one of the sites it targeted was also hit last week, and that it had warned the Lebanese army about Hezbollah activity at the location.According to the IDF, Lebanese soldiers visited the site but did not completely dismantle the infrastructure, leading Israel to strike the site again Sunday. The IDF said it issued an advance warning of the strike in order to reduce any harm to civilians.Just after those strikes, the military said it struck a Hezbollah operative in the area of Bint Jbeil. It did not immediately provide further details on the target or the outcome of the strike.Photos circulating on social media showed what appears to be a vehicle that was hit in the attack, with the car seen engulfed in flames.The Lebanese government claimed last week to have disarmed Hezbollah south of the Litani River — around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border — in line with the deadline it had set for itself, saying it had “achieved the objectives of the first phase” of its plan in an “effective and tangible way.”It said it has extended operational control over the south, except for the handful of areas still controlled by Israeli troops. Hezbollah, which has rejected efforts to disarm, did not immediately comment.Israel sounded a cautious note on the announcement, saying the efforts from Beirut to disarm the terror group were “encouraging” but insufficient, and adding in a second statement that “Hezbollah is rearming faster than it is being disarmed.”Since the ceasefire, the IDF has killed around 400 operatives and struck hundreds of additional Hezbollah-linked targets. The IDF has repeatedly asserted that the activity at the targeted sites constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.Israel has withdrawn from all but five strategic posts along the border as the disarmament efforts have proceeded, and conducts frequent strikes on Hezbollah forces and posts that it accuses of violating the ceasefire.

Fleeing settler violence, Palestinians leave one of few remaining Jordan Valley hamlets-Dozens of families from the Bedouin town of Ras Ein el-Auja have already left their homes, and the remaining residents are desperate. ‘Where will we go? There’s nowhere.’By Julia Frankel 11 January 2026, 7:40 pm

(AP) — Over two dozen families from one of the few remaining Palestinian Bedouin villages in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley have packed up and fled their homes in recent days, saying harassment by Israeli settlers living in unauthorized outposts nearby has grown unbearable.The village, Ras Ein el-Auja, was originally home to some 700 people from more than 100 families that have lived there for decades.Twenty-six families already left on Thursday, scattering across the territory in search of safer ground, say rights groups. Several other families were packing up and leaving on Sunday.“We have been suffering greatly from the settlers. Every day, they come on foot, or on tractors, or on horseback with their sheep into our homes. They enter people’s homes daily,” said Nayef Zayed, a resident, as neighbors took down sheep pens and tin structures.Israel’s military and the local settlement council in the area did not respond to requests for comment.Other residents pledged to stay put for the time being. That makes them some of the last Palestinians left in the area, said Sarit Michaeli, international director at B’Tselem, an Israeli rights group helping the residents.She said that mounting settler violence has already emptied neighboring Palestinian hamlets in the dusty corridor of land stretching from Ramallah in the West to Jericho, along the Jordanian border, in the east.The area is part of Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank that has remained under full Israeli control under the Oslo peace accords signed in the 1990s. Since the war in Gaza erupted with the Hamas-led terror invasion of October 7, 2023, over 2,000 Palestinians — at least 44 entire communities — have been expelled by settler violence in the West Bank area, B’Tselem says.The turning point for the village came in December, when settlers put up an outpost about 50 meters from Palestinian homes on the northwestern flank of the village, said Michaeli and Sam Stein, an activist who has been living in the village for a month.Settlers strolled easily through the village at night. Sheep and laundry went missing. International activists had to begin escorting children to school to keep them safe.“The settlers attack us day and night, they have displaced us, they harass us in every way,” said Eyad Isaac, another resident. “They intimidate the children and women.”Michaeli said she’s witnessed settlers walk around the village at night, going into homes to film women and children and tampering with the village’s electricity.The residents said they call the police frequently to ask for help — but it seldom arrives.Settlement expansion has been promoted by successive Israeli governments over nearly six decades. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, which has placed settler leaders in senior positions, has made it a top priority.That growth has been accompanied by a spike in settler violence, much of it carried out by residents of outposts that are illegal under Israeli law. These outposts often begin with small farms or shepherding that are used to seize land, say Palestinians and anti-settlement activists. United Nations officials warn the trend is changing the map of the West Bank, entrenching Israeli presence in the area.Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Six Day War. Some 500,000 Israelis have settled in the West Bank; the international community largely considers their presence illegal. The Palestinians seek all three areas for a future state.For now, displaced families of the village have dispersed between other villages near the city of Jericho and near Hebron further south, said residents. Some sold their sheep and are trying to move into the cities.Others are just dismantling their structures without knowing where to go.“Where will we go? There’s nowhere. We’re scattered,” said Zayed, the resident, “People’s situation is bad. Very bad.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Mississippi’s largest synagogue severely damaged in suspected arson attack-Suspect arrested, but authorities have yet to divulge a motive for attack on 160-year-old Beth Israel Congregation-By Zev Stub-11 January 2026, 4:32 pm

Mississippi’s largest synagogue was heavily damaged Saturday morning in a predawn fire that local authorities believe was caused by arson, though investigators did not immediately say whether they suspected it was a hate crime.The Jackson Fire Department, along with the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested a suspect who they believe caused the fire intentionally, according to local media. The suspect’s name and the allegations against them were not immediately released.Beth Israel Congregation is the only synagogue in the city of Jackson, and is believed to be the largest of the 14 or so synagogues in the southern US state. About 3,000 Jews live in Mississippi, or 0.1 percent of its 3 million residents.According to reports, firefighters received a call at about 3 a.m. Saturday morning and found flames rising from the windows upon arrival. All doors to the building were locked, and suspicions that the fire had resulted from thunderstorms the night before were ruled out.The synagogue’s library and administrative offices were destroyed in the fire, as were two Torah scrolls stored in the library. The main sanctuary was not damaged, and the Torahs there were later removed for safekeeping. A Torah rescued from the Holocaust and stored in a glass case was not damaged.In an email to the congregation following the fire, synagogue president Zach Shemper said there was “significant” soot and smoke throughout the building, but no injuries. He later said the building was “unusable” and would need extensive cleanup and repair.Prayer services have been suspended indefinitely. Worshipers who arrived Saturday morning for Shabbat services helped sort through some of the items damaged in the blaze.“We have already had outreach from other houses of worship in the Jackson area and greatly appreciate their support in this very difficult time,” Beth Israel said in a statement.The Reform temple was established in 1860 as the first in Mississippi. It was attacked in 1967 by members of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan hate group who targeted its rabbi, Perry Nussbaum, for his work supporting civil rights.Recent years have seen several hate attacks on US synagogues, including the 2018 attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, in which a gunman killed 11 people and wounded six others during Shabbat services. That shooting, the deadliest-ever antisemitic attack in the US, was carried out by a white supremacist.Other synagogue attacks have included a shooting at the Chabad of Poway in California in 2019, in which one person was killed and three were injured, and a 2022 hostage standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, where all the congregants escaped safely.More recently, as antisemitism has risen across the world since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, in Israel, synagogues across the United States have increasingly faced bomb threats, vandalism, and other attacks. In Australia, there have been several incidents of synagogue arson in recent years, including a December 2024 attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne.Following Saturday’s attack, Jackson Mayor John Horhn called on locals to unite to avoid hatred.“I would hope that all Mississippians and all Jacksonians would commit themselves toward moving beyond such behavior and activity and find a way where we can all get together and get along,” Horhn said.The state Homeland Security Office is assisting in the investigation, local media reported.

Dire’ financial crisis forces UNRWA to drop hundreds of ex-Gazan staff from payroll-UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees says it laid off 571 workers who left the enclave at the start of the war and had been on its payroll until March of last year-By AFP and ToI Staff 11 January 2026, 1:30 pm

GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN’s beleaguered agency for Palestinian refugees said that a “dire” financial crisis had forced it to remove hundreds of Gazan staff members who had left the territory from its payroll.“On Tuesday, 571 local UNRWA staff, outside Gaza, were informed that they were being separated from the agency with immediate effect,” a spokesperson told AFP in an email last week.For more than seven decades, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has provided aid and assistance to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.But the agency has seen the voluntary contributions it relies on dwindle as it has become the focus of increasingly harsh Israeli criticism over its role, causing what the spokesperson called an “unprecedented financial crisis.”Israel has alleged that more than 10 percent of UNRWA’s staff in Gaza have ties to terror groups, and that educational facilities under the organization’s auspices consistently incite hatred of Israel and glorify terror.While the work UNRWA was mandated to do cost around $880 million in 2025, the agency received only around $570 million in contributions, the spokesperson said.“As things stand, we expect a substantial shortfall in 2026,” they added.All of the staff affected by last week’s announcement had originally worked in the Gaza Strip, but had managed to leave early in the war sparked by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.Hamas on Wednesday slammed the decision as “unjust and a violation of the fundamental rights of these employees.”“We call on UNRWA… to assume its role and responsibilities towards the Palestinian people and its employees,” it added.‘Intense defamation’Most had been unable to carry out their duties remotely since leaving Gaza, but had remained on UNRWA’s payroll until last March, when they were placed on exceptional unpaid leave, the spokesperson said.“The affected staff have been without pay for over 10 months, and it is impossible to foresee when or if they could resume their duties due to circumstances entirely beyond UNRWA’s control,” the spokesperson said.“Recognizing that UNRWA’s financial situation remains dire, the agency took a decision which at least allows them to access financial resources rapidly, including separation indemnities.”The spokesperson stressed that UNRWA, which has seen more than 300 of its employees killed in Gaza since the start of the war, still had around 12,000 staff working inside the Palestinian territory.The decision was “extremely difficult and (came) as a result of an extremely challenging financial outlook, as well as intense defamation campaigns to undermine UNRWA and deter its donors”, the spokesperson said.The day after layoffs were announced, its chief Philippe Lazzarini said on a visit to the Turkish capital that UNRWA is to open an office in Ankara within weeks.“We have signed the final agreement with the government of Turkey and this time it has been also endorsed by the parliament,” he told reporters, adding that it was “a question of weeks” until it opened.Israel has barred UNRWA from operating on its soil, accusing the agency of providing cover for Hamas terrorists, and claiming that some of the agency’s employees took part in the October 7 attack that killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw hundreds abducted to Gaza as hostages.In February 2024, the IDF revealed the existence of a subterranean Hamas data center directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza Strip headquarters. The IDF has also repeatedly targeted Hamas command centers and gunmen hiding out in UNRWA schools.Freed hostage Emily Damari said after returning to Israel that she had been held in captivity in UNRWA schools and facilities, a claim the agency said it took “extremely seriously.”Israel has provided evidence that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the deadly 2023 attack and insists that other agencies can pick up the slack to provide essential services, aid and reconstruction — something the UN and many donor governments dispute.A series of non-Israeli investigations found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA, but stressed that Israel had not provided conclusive evidence for its headline allegation.Rejecting Israeli allegations, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion in October last year asserting that Israel is legally obligated to allow the agency to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, and stating that the provision of aid to the Strip during the war there has been inadequate.The UN General Assembly endorsed the court’s view last month. Israel, meanwhile, passed a law prohibiting the provision of electricity or water to facilities owned by or operated on behalf of UNRWA.The government-backed legislation requires electricity and water providers to withhold or disconnect service from UNRWA facilities, as well as block the provision of communications and banking or financial services to the agency.

Turkey said ‘very likely’ to join Saudi Arabia-Pakistan mutual defense pact-Riyadh’s deal with nuclear-armed Islamabad was signed after Israel’s botched strike on Hamas in Qatar, which sparked alarm in Gulf nations; Turkey has also hosted the terror group-By ToI Staff 11 January 2026, 1:30 pm

Turkey is in advanced talks to join the mutual defense pact that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan reached in September, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.A pact of the three US-allied Muslim nations could potentially put Ankara under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella.Saudi Arabia, which does not have nuclear weapons, signed the original agreement with Pakistan — the world’s only nuclear-armed Muslim nation — in the wake of Israel’s botched September 9 strike on Hamas’s leadership in Qatar. The strike sparked alarm and outrage among Gulf nations.Under the agreement, which did not directly address nuclear arms, an attack on one country is considered an attack against all. Turkey, which also hosts Hamas leaders, is “very likely” to join the agreement, Bloomberg said. Ankara hosts US nuclear weapons as part of its role in NATO, but does not have any of its own.The Bloomberg report also noted that Turkey and Saudi Arabia share longstanding concerns over the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran, while Pakistan’s borders with both Afghanistan and nuclear-armed India have flared up over the past year.In addition, the report said, US allies have growing questions about Washington’s reliability under US President Donald Trump.“As the US prioritizes its own interests and that of Israel in the region, changing dynamics and fallout from regional conflicts are prompting countries to develop new mechanisms to identify friends and foes,” Ankara-based analyst Nihat Ali Ozcan told Bloomberg.Despite these concerns, Trump has close ties with Erdogan and has pushed for a greater Turkish role in the region, much to Israel’s concern. He has also indicated the US could reinstate Turkey in the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet program, something Jerusalem strenuously opposes.Turkey has been one of Israel’s harshest critics due to the war in Gaza, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has likened to the Holocaust.The two countries’ relations have been further strained by developments in Syria after Turkish-backed Islamist rebels, whom Israel has remained leery of, toppled longtime Iran-backed president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Tens of thousands protest in Minneapolis after immigration officer kills woman-More than 1,000 ‘ICE Out For Good’ rallies to take place nationwide after fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, which Trump administration claims was in self-defense-By Renee Hickman and Nathan Layne 11 January 2026, 9:15 am

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (Reuters) — Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Saturday to decry the fatal shooting of a woman by a US immigration agent, part of more than 1,000 rallies planned nationwide this weekend against the federal government’s deportation drive.The massive turnout in Minneapolis despite a whipping, cold wind underscores how the fatal shooting of 37‑year‑old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday has struck a chord, fueling protests in major cities and some towns. Minnesota’s Democratic leaders and the administration of US President Donald Trump, a Republican, have offered starkly different accounts of the incident.Led by a team of Indigenous Mexican dancers, demonstrators in Minneapolis, which has a metropolitan population of 3.8 million, marched towards the residential street where Good was shot in her car.The boisterous crowd, which the Minneapolis Police Department estimated in the tens of thousands, chanted Good’s name and slogans such as “Abolish ICE” and “No justice, no peace — get ICE off our streets.”“I’m insanely angry, completely heartbroken and devastated, and then just like longing and hoping that things get better,” Ellison Montgomery, a 30-year-old protester, told Reuters.Minnesota officials have called the shooting unjustified, pointing to bystander video they say showed Good’s vehicle turning away from the agent as he fired.The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has maintained that the agent acted in self-defense because Good, a volunteer in a community network that monitors and records ICE operations in Minneapolis, drove forward in the direction of the agent who then shot her, after another agent had approached the driver’s side and told her to get out of the car.The shooting on Wednesday came soon after some 2,000 federal officers were dispatched to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in what DHS has called its largest operation ever, deepening a rift between the administration and Democratic leaders in the state.Federal-state tensions escalated further on Thursday when a US Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and wounded a man and woman in their car after an attempted vehicle stop. Using language similar to its description of the Minneapolis incident, DHS said the driver had tried to “weaponize” his vehicle and run over agents.The two DHS-related shootings prompted a coalition of progressive and civil rights groups, including Indivisible and the American Civil Liberties Union, to plan more than 1,000 events under the banner “ICE Out For Good” on Saturday and Sunday. The rallies have been scheduled to end before nightfall to minimize the potential for violence.In Philadelphia, protesters chanted “ICE has got to go” and “No fascist USA,” as they marched from City Hall to a rally outside a federal detention facility, according to the local ABC affiliate. In Manhattan, several hundred people carried anti-ICE signs as they walked past an immigration court where agents have arrested migrants following their hearings.“We demand justice for Renee, ICE out of our communities, and action from our elected leaders. Enough is enough,” said Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible.Demonstrations mostly peaceful-Minnesota became a major flashpoint in the administration’s efforts to deport millions of immigrants months before the Good shooting, with Trump criticizing its Democratic leaders amid a massive welfare fraud scandal involving some members of the large Somali-American community there.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who has been critical of immigration agents and the shooting, told a press conference earlier on Saturday that the demonstrations have remained mostly peaceful and that anyone damaging property or engaging in unlawful activity would be arrested by police.“We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos,” Frey said. “He wants us to take the bait.”More than 200 law enforcement officers were deployed Friday night to control protests that led to $6,000 in damage at the Depot Renaissance Hotel and failed attempts by some demonstrators to enter the Hilton Canopy Hotel, believed to house ICE agents, the City of Minneapolis said in a statement.Police Chief Brian O’Hara said some in the crowd scrawled graffiti and damaged windows at the Depot Renaissance Hotel. He said the gathering at the Hilton Canopy Hotel began as a “noise protest” but escalated as more than 1,000 demonstrators converged on the site, leading to 29 arrests.“We initiated a plan and took our time to de-escalate the situation, issued multiple warnings, declaring an unlawful assembly, and ultimately then began to move in and disperse the crowd,” O’Hara said.House representatives turned away from ICE facility-Three members of the US Congress from Minnesota showed up at a regional ICE headquarters near Minneapolis on Saturday morning, where protesters have clashed with federal agents this week, but were denied access. Legislators called the denial illegal.“We made it clear to ICE and DHS that they were violating federal law,” US Representative Angie Craig told reporters as she stood outside the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul with Representatives Kelly Morrison and Ilhan Omar.Federal law prohibits DHS from blocking members of Congress from entering ICE detention sites, but DHS has increasingly restricted such oversight visits, prompting confrontations with Democratic lawmakers.“It is our job as members of Congress to make sure those detained are treated with humanity, because we are the damn United States of America,” Craig said.Referencing the damage and protests at Minneapolis hotels overnight, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the congressional Democrats were denied entry to ensure “the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate.” She said DHS policies require members of Congress to notify ICE at least seven days in advance of facility visits.

Tehran medic: 'Direct shots to the heads of young people'-Death toll in Iran protest crackdown said to pass 115; Trump reportedly considering strike-Staff at hospitals overwhelmed: ‘Bodies stacked in prayer rooms’; US president given military options; internet cut for over 60 hours; foreigner detained, accused of spying for Israel-By Agencies and ToI Staff 11 January 2026, 8:35 am

Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy reached the two-week mark Sunday, as the death toll in the brutal crackdown rose to at least 116 people killed, activists said. Some Iranian opposition groups said the death toll appeared to be much higher.With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult.Monitor NetBlocks said there has been virtually no connectivity since Thursday, over 60 hours earlier. Images and footage from Saturday appeared to show that street lighting was switched off in some areas where protesters gathered.But the death toll in the deadly crackdown has grown to at least 116 and over 2,600 others detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The agency has been accurate in multiple rounds of previous unrest in Iran.Anti-regime outlet Iran International said “estimates indicate” that 2,000 people were killed in a 48-hour period. The toll was significantly higher than those reported by other groups, but other accounts also indicated that lethal force was being used against protesters at alarming rates as officials indicated they would escalate efforts to crack down on the demonstrations.Staff at three hospitals in Iran told the BBC that their medical facilities were overwhelmed with people killed or wounded during the protests.A medic at a Tehran hospital told the British broadcaster there were “direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well.”A hospital worker in Tehran said the number of protesters killed was so high that the hospitals were struggling to cope, often unable to even give CPR to the mainly young victims.“The number was so large that there wasn’t enough space in the morgue; the bodies were placed on top of one another,” she told the BBC. “After the morgue became full, they stacked them on top of one another in the prayer room.”Iranian state TV reported on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation, without discussing dead demonstrators, whom it increasingly refers to as “terrorists.”However, it also acknowledged protests went on into Sunday morning, with demonstrations in Tehran and in the holy city of Mashhad to the northeast.Crowds gathered again on Saturday in the north of the Iranian capital, setting off fireworks and banging pots as they shouted slogans in support of the ousted monarchy, according to video verified by AFP.Other videos, that AFP could not immediately verify, showed demonstrations in other parts of the capital where protesters shouted anti-government slogans.Other images disseminated on social media and by Persian-language television channels outside Iran showed similarly large protests elsewhere in the capital, as well as in the eastern city of Mashhad, Tabriz in the north and the holy city of Qom.In the western city of Hamedan, a man was shown waving a shah-era Iranian flag featuring the lion and the sun.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite US warnings.Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who “helped rioters” would face the charge.Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous US officials, said on Saturday night that Trump had been given military options for a strike on Iran, but hadn’t made a final decision.The Times said Trump was “seriously considering” authorizing a strike on Iran, and that a range of options has been presented to the US president, including strikes on non-military targets in Tehran.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone Saturday morning with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, The New York Times reported, citing three unnamed sources.The State Department separately warned: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”Foreigner accused of spying for Israel-The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guard, claimed authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as “operational terrorist teams.”It alleged those arrested had weapons including firearms, grenades and gasoline bombs.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence wing said it had arrested a foreigner suspected of spying for Israel, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.Iranian authorities accuse the US and Israel of fomenting the unrest and frequently arrest people and accuse them of spying without providing evidence.Meanwhile, concern is growing that the internet shutdown will allow Iran’s security forces to go on an even more bloody crackdown, as they have in other rounds of demonstrations.Ali Rahmani, the son of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi who is imprisoned in Iran, noted that security forces killed hundreds in a 2019 protest “so we can only fear the worst.”“They are fighting, and losing their lives, against a dictatorial regime,” Rahmani said.