THE EUROPEAN UNION-.U.S.A IS NOT A LEADER ANY MORE-WE NEED A NEW WESTERN COUNTRY LEADER.

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)

 THE EUROPEAN UNION-.U.S.A IS NOT A LEADER ANY MORE-WE NEED A NEW WESTERN COUNTRY LEADER.

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.

NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

Hamas releases video of hostage pleading to be freed as his brother is separated from him-Clip shows Eitan Horn expressing distress he’ll be left behind, hugging his brother Iair before the latter’s release from Gaza; PM’s office slams terror group’s ‘brutal propaganda’By Jacob Magid and Lazar Berman-Today, 8:40 pm-MAR 1,25

Hamas published a propaganda video Saturday showing Iair Horn, 46, who was released from captivity two weeks ago, saying goodbye to his younger brother Eitan, 38, who is still being held in the Gaza Strip.After approving the publication of the video, the family of the captive demanded the government continue the hostage-ceasefire deal, the first phase of which is scheduled to end at midnight Saturday. Hamas has rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase, insisting that the deal proceed to stage two, which Israel has largely refused to negotiate for the past month.The video begins with five hostages sitting on the floor — the Horn brothers, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and two more hostages whose faces Hamas blurred in the video — sitting in a room, preparing to eat. The father of hostage Nimrod Cohen later identified his son as one of the other hostages by the tattoo on his forearm.“He got the tattoo a few days before he was kidnapped,” Yehuda Cohen told the Ynet news site. “I’m disappointed that we don’t see Nimrod’s face because I haven’t seen him in a year and a half, but these are Hamas’s games.”The hostages embrace each other in the video ahead of the release of Iair and Dekel-Chen, which Eitan says in the video would be taking place the next day. Iair Horn, Dekel-Chen, and Sasha Troufanov were released on February 15 as part of the first phase of the deal.The camera then pans to the face of a distraught Eitan, seemingly overwhelmed about being left behind.“I am very happy that my brother will be released tomorrow, but it is not logical in any way that families are being separated,” Eitan says, his voice cracking.“Get everyone out and stop [separating] families, and do not destroy our lives anymore,” he adds, before crying into the shoulder of his older brother Iair.“Tell mom, dad and everyone to continue with the demonstrations [for a hostages deal], that they shouldn’t stop and that the government should sign already onto the second and third phases of the deal to return all of us home,” Eitan tells his brother Iair. “Do everything you can,”“You are now forcing me to leave my little brother here to die,” Iair says into the camera, with his arm still around Eitan’s shoulder.Eitan expresses his disbelief and disgust that Israel’s government is not interested in moving forward with the deal’s second phase. “Have you gone crazy?” he asks. “My brother is leaving, and I’m staying here.”Eitan says that sometimes he receives food and sometimes he doesn’t; sometimes he’s okay and sometimes he’s not. “But here, I’m not okay,” he says, pointing to his head, apparently referring to the psychological effects of captivity.Eitan then addresses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly and pleads with him to sign onto the second phase of the hostage deal.In their statement, the Horn family said, “Our hearts break seeing Eitan in this difficult situation being separated from his brother to continue being held in Hamas’s hell for [what now is] 512 days.”“You can see in Eitan’s eyes the despair and fear he is in.”“Since Iair returned to us, he has not stopped thinking and acting for Eitan and all hostages he met in captivity who remain in Gaza.We demand that the decision-makers look Eitan in the eye and continue the deal that has already returned dozens of hostages. They are running out of time! Bring everyone home — now — and in one fell swoop,” the family added.In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office called the video “brutal propaganda.”“The Hamas terrorist organization released another brutal propaganda video this evening, in which our hostages are forced to engage in psychological warfare,” the PMO said.Promising not to be deterred, Netanyahu’s office pledged to “work tirelessly to return all of our hostages and meet all of Israel’s war goals.”Nimrod Cohen’s father Yehuda rejected Netanyahu’s branding of the video as “psychological terror” and accused the premier of sacrificing the hostages in order to maintain his grip on power.Iair Horn was abducted from his home in Nir Oz on October 7 as Hamas terrorists swarmed through the kibbutz, killing or kidnapping a quarter of the southern community’s residents. Israel says 251 people were kidnapped and some 1,200 killed during the massive Hamas-led onslaught across southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.His brother, Eitan, who was visiting from Kfar Saba for the holiday weekend, was also kidnapped and is still held in Gaza. He was not on the list of “humanitarian” cases — women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm — slated for release in the first stage of the ceasefire.The first, 42-day phase of the agreement formally expires Saturday. Thirty-three Israeli hostages have been released — eight of them dead, along with five Thai nations. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed.Under the ceasefire outline, the remaining living hostages — believed to number 24 — are to be released during the second stage of the deal, during which the Israel Defense Forces would complete a full withdrawal from Gaza. A third stage is also planned, during which the bodies of hostages killed on October 7 or in captivity would be released, and the war would end permanently.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Hamas says it rejects Israel’s ‘formulation’ of extending first Gaza ceasefire phase-Netanyahu reportedly set to hold consultation later Saturday evening on state of ceasefire agreement, as Hamas source blames Israeli ‘procrastination’ for lack of progress in talks By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 5:17 pm-MAR 1,25

Hamas said on Saturday that it rejected Israel’s “formulation” of an extension to the first phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, under which the ceasefire would be maintained and further living hostages released in return for Palestinian terrorists and detainees.The first, 42-day phase of the agreement formally expires Saturday. Thirty-three Israeli hostages have been released — eight of them dead, along with five Thai nations. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed.Despite expectations that negotiations would resume at the weekend, the terror group’s spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, also told Al-Araby TV there were no current talks for a second ceasefire phase in the Gaza Strip.Under the ceasefire outline agreed by Israel and Hamas on January 19, the remaining living hostages — believed to number 24 — are to be released during the second stage of the deal, during which the IDF would complete a full withdrawal from Gaza. A third stage is also planned, during which the bodies of hostages killed on October 7 or in captivity would be released, and the war would end permanently.After the Hamas announcement, Hebrew media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled consultations with senior ministers and defense officials on the state of the deal at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The premier also held an extensive telephone discussion on Friday evening, which, in a rare instance, continued into Shabbat.Officials from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the United States had been involved in negotiations on the second phase in Cairo, with negotiators from Jerusalem returning home on Friday. Hamas did not attend the negotiations, but its position has been represented through Egyptian and Qatari mediators.Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told the Associated Press there had been “no progress” before Israeli negotiators left Cairo.It was unclear whether those mediators would return to Cairo to resume talks on Saturday as had been expected, and Naim said he had “no idea” when negotiations might resume.Saudi Television station Asharq cited a source close to Hamas on Saturday who blamed “Israel’s procrastination” for the lack of a deal on the second phase.The source said Jerusalem is seeking to extend the current first phase and that Hamas considers this “a violation of the agreement.” The second phase is meant to include the release of remaining hostages and steps leading to a permanent end to the war, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip.The source added that the terror group “demanded that the mediators oblige Tel Aviv to implement all the terms of the agreement, because Israel is the one that continues to violate and breach the agreement, as it is delaying entering into the second phase negotiations.”The first phase of the ceasefire was set to end on Saturday, and the warring parties have yet to clarify what would happen if no agreement was reached by then. Two Israeli government officials told Reuters on Friday that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas freeing three hostages each week in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.Meanwhile, a senior Western diplomat told The Times of Israel on Friday that Israel was gearing up to return to war with Hamas, believing the ceasefire will not last for more than several weeks.While the IDF’s tactics in such a renewed conflict would ostensibly shift from the last year of fighting, with Israeli military and political officials pledging a more intensive campaign, the Western diplomat briefed on Jerusalem’s preparations said there did not appear to be a strategic shift in Israel’s approach regarding the advancement of an alternative to Hamas.The government is still prioritizing the dismantlement of Hamas’s governing and military capabilities, believing that no alternative can be established in Gaza until the terror group has been defeated, the diplomat said. However, the diplomat argued that this approach was “misguided,” asserting that planning and implementing an alternative to Hamas must happen simultaneously with the IDF’s campaign against the terror organization.“Otherwise, what you will have is indefinite Israeli occupation and Hamas insurgency,” the diplomat said.An Israeli official sent a statement to reporters Thursday rejecting any withdrawal of IDF troops from the so-called Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, despite the deal’s requirement that it do so by the 50th day of the ceasefire.Israel contends that the border zone is a major smuggling route that will be used by Hamas to bring more weapons and fortifications into Gaza to rebuild its decimated forces unless it is policed by Israeli troops. Both Hamas and Egypt reject a continued Israeli presence there.“We will not leave the Philadelphi Corridor. We will not allow the Hamas murderers to again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rearm through smuggling,” the Israeli official said.Israel, with backing from the US, has repeatedly said it will not allow Hamas any role in the future governance of Gaza and that it is prepared to resume fighting to prevent such an outcome. Netanyahu has also refused any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

Lebanon seizes $2.5 million bound for Hezbollah, local officials say-Sources say it is the first time such a seizure is made, as cash caught on man arriving from Turkey; Beirut has also halted all flights from Iran over alleged Israeli warnings By Reuters, ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian-28 February 2025, 8:59 pm

Lebanon seized $2.5 million in cash from a man arriving from Turkey on Friday, the finance ministry said, with three sources saying the money was destined for the Hezbollah terror group.One of the sources said it was the first time such a seizure had been made. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.“The detainee and the seized funds will be handed over to the investigation division at the General Directorate of General Security,” Lebanon’s finance ministry said in a statement, without making a reference to Hezbollah.The terms of a ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hezbollah in November require the Lebanese army to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.Iran-backed Hezbollah was the most powerful force in Lebanese politics but its influence and resources took a hit during its year-long conflict with Israel.Its weakened stature has been reflected in Lebanon’s post-war politics, with the group unable to impose its will in the formation of a new government and language legitimizing its arsenal omitted from the new cabinet’s policy statement.Last month, Israel’s UN ambassador accused Hezbollah of trying “to regain strength and rearm with the assistance of Iran.” A senior Lebanese source close to Hezbollah denied the allegations.Lebanon halted flights from Iran this month indefinitely after the Israeli military accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm Hezbollah.The move prompted protests from supporters of Hezbollah. A United Nations convoy was attacked, leaving a vehicle torched and two peacekeepers wounded.Lebanese security forces said the ban came after the United States, which helped broker a November 27 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, warned that the IDF might shoot the planes down.Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem charged that the government’s decision to halt flights from Iran was “implementing an Israeli order.”Iran said in turn that it would not allow Lebanese flights to land until its flights were cleared to land in Beirut.The November 27 agreement between Israel and Hezbollah ended two months of full-scale war that followed months of lower-intensity cross-border exchanges, which the Iran-backed terror group began, unprovoked, one day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. Hezbollah said its attacks were in support of Hamas in Gaza.By the time the ceasefire came into effect, Israel had eliminated most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership. It also targeted the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial institution, which has over 30 outlets across Lebanon, which both Jerusalem and Washington say was being used by Hezbollah for money laundering and terrorism financing, assertions the group denies.On Thursday an IDF drone strike in northern Lebanon’s Hermel District killed a Hezbollah operative involved in procuring weapons for the terror group amid the ongoing ceasefire, the military said.According to the IDF, Mohammed Mahdi Ali Shaheen was “coordinating terrorist transactions for the purchase of weapons on the Syria-Lebanon border, since the understandings between Israel and Lebanon came into effect.”Shaheen was described by the IDF as a prominent member of Hezbollah’s regional division in the Beqaa Valley area, involved in smuggling weapons from Syria to Lebanon. As part of his role, Shaheen was responsible for making procurement deals with smugglers and suppliers, mediating the arrival of shipments, and distributing them to various Hezbollah units, the military said.The IDF said his actions “posed a threat to Israel and its citizens, and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”On Wednesday, a separate IDF drone strike in northeastern Lebanon killed Mahran Ali Nasser al-Din, a prominent member of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which is responsible for smuggling weapons into Lebanon.

Report: Israel lobbying US to keep Russian bases in a ‘weak’ Syria-Jerusalem said to have told Washington that Damascus’s new Islamist rulers, backed by Turkey, pose a threat to Israel’s borders-By Maya Gebeily and Humeyra Pamuk 28 February 2025, 8:19 pm

BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Israel is lobbying the United States to keep Syria weak and decentralized, including by letting Russia keep its military bases there to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the country, four sources familiar with the efforts told Reuters.Turkey’s often fraught ties with Israel have come under severe strain during the Gaza war and Israeli officials have told Washington that Syria’s new Islamist rulers, who are backed by Ankara, pose a threat to Israel’s borders, the sources said.The lobbying points to a concerted Israeli campaign to influence US policy at a critical juncture for Syria, as the Islamists who ousted Bashar al-Assad try to stabilize the fractured state and get Washington to lift punishing sanctions.Israel communicated its views to top US officials during meetings in Washington in February and subsequent meetings in Israel with US Congressional representatives, three US sources and another person familiar with the contacts said.The main points were also circulated to some senior US officials in an Israeli “white paper,” two of the sources said.All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivities.“Israel’s big fear is that Turkey comes in and protects this new Syrian Islamist order, which then ends up being a base for Hamas and other militants,” said Aron Lund, a fellow at US-based think tank Century International.The US State Department and National Security Council did not provide a response to questions for this story. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministries in Syria and Turkey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.It was not clear to what extent US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering adopting Israel’s proposals, the sources said. It has said little about Syria, leaving uncertainty over both the future of the sanctions and whether US forces deployed in the northeast will remain.Lund said Israel had a good chance of influencing US thinking, describing the new administration as wildly pro-Israeli. “Syria is barely even on Trump’s radar now. It’s low priority, and there’s a policy void to fill,” he said.Israel has publicly declared its mistrust of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist faction that led the campaign that toppled Assad and which emerged from a group that was affiliated to al-Qaeda until it cut ties in 2016.Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will not tolerate the presence in southern Syria of HTS, or any other forces affiliated with the new rulers, and demanded the territory be demilitarized.Following Assad’s ouster, Israel carried out extensive airstrikes on Syrian military bases and moved forces into a UN-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria. Earlier this week, Israel struck military sites south of Damascus.Now, Israel is deeply concerned about Turkey’s role as a close ally of Syria’s new rulers, three US sources said, describing the messages delivered by Israeli officials.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who leads the Islamist-rooted AK Party, said last year that Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel.Earlier this month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel was concerned Turkey was supporting efforts by Iran to rebuild Hezbollah and that Islamist groups in Syria were creating another front against Israel.Turkey has said it wants Syria to become stable and pose no threat to its neighbors. It has repeatedly said Israel’s actions in southern Syria were part of its expansionist and invasive policy, and showed Israel did not want regional peace.To contain Turkey, Israeli officials have sought to persuade US officials that Russia should keep its Mediterranean naval base in Syria’s Tartus province and its Hmeimim air base in Latakia province, the sources said.When Israeli officials presented Russia’s continued presence in a positive light in a meeting with US officials, some attendees were surprised, arguing that Turkey — a NATO member — would be a better guarantor of Israel’s security, two of the US sources said.Israeli officials were “adamant” that was not the case, the sources said.Syria’s new leadership is in talks with Russia over the fate of the military bases.Serious threat-Syria’s Islamist-led government has sought to reassure Western and Arab states about its intentions, promising an inclusive Syria and seeking to restore diplomatic ties with governments that shunned Assad.Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told a group of foreign journalists in December that Damascus did not want conflict with Israel or other countries.Israeli officials, however, voiced concern to US officials that the new government could pose a serious threat and that Syria’s new armed forces might one day attack, the sources said.Assad kept the frontier with Israel’s Golan Heights quiet for years despite his alliance with Israel’s arch-foe Iran, which had a dominant role in Syria until his downfall upended the Middle East’s power balance.Two sources said that in the final weeks of president Joe Biden’s term, his administration considered offering sanctions relief to Syria’s new leaders in exchange for closing Russia’s two military bases.Two former US officials under the Biden administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The sources said Biden’s team failed to secure a deal before Trump took office on January 20 and that they expected the new US president, who has drawn closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be more open to Russia staying.

Israel’s lobbying to keep Syria weak points to a starkly different approach to other US-allied states in the region, notably Saudi Arabia, which said last month it was talking to Washington and Brussels to help lift Western sanctions.A source in Erdogan’s AK party said Ankara hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday in part as a hedge against the uncertainty of the new US policy in Syria, and to balance any Israeli measures there — including with the US — that threaten Turkish interests.PM holds extensive security consultations as Hamas said refusing to extend 1st phase-Israel wants 6 more weeks of current deal, Egyptian sources say, but Hamas wants 2nd phase and end to war; Israel’s negotiating team returning from Cairo but talks to continue-By Agencies, Jacob Magid and ToI Staff 28 February 2025, 6:21 pmUpdated at 11:38 pm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations with senior ministers and defense officials Friday evening on the state of the hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza.Hebrew media reports indicated the talks were focused on Hamas’s refusal to extend the current first phase of the ceasefire, which is set to end Saturday, and its demand to advance to a second phase that would see an end to the war.The phone consultations were said to involve the heads of the defense establishment along with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Shas leader Aryeh Deri.It is rare for the premier to hold such extensive discussions on a Friday evening, the Jewish Sabbath.Two Egyptian security sources told Reuters that an Israeli delegation dispatched to Cairo on Thursday for “intensive” talks on the future of the Gaza deal aimed to negotiate an extension of the ongoing first phase by an additional 42 days.Hamas opposes the extension and insists on proceeding to the second phase of the deal as originally agreed, the sources told Reuters. The second phase is meant to include steps leading to a permanent end to the war, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip.An Israeli diplomatic source said the delegation was returning from Cairo Friday night, but that talks would resume on Saturday.The first phase of the ceasefire is set to end on Saturday, and the warring parties have yet to clarify what will happen if no agreement is reached by then. Egypt and Qatar are mediating the talks, with US support.Two Israeli government officials also told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas freeing three hostages each week in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.Meanwhile, a senior Western diplomat told The Times of Israel on Friday that Israel was gearing up to return to war with Hamas, believing the ceasefire will not last for more than several more weeks.While the IDF’s tactics in such a renewed conflict would ostensibly shift from the last year of fighting, with Israeli military and political officials pledging a more intensive campaign, the Western diplomat briefed on Jerusalem’s preparations said there did not appear to be a strategic shift in Israel’s approach regarding the advancement of an alternative to Hamas.The government is still prioritizing the dismantlement of Hamas’s governing and military capabilities, believing that no alternative can be established in Gaza until the terror group has been defeated, the diplomat said. However, the diplomat argued that this approach was “misguided,” asserting that planning and implementing an alternative to Hamas must happen simultaneously with the IDF’s fighting against the group.“Otherwise, what you will have is indefinite Israeli occupation and Hamas insurgency,” the diplomat said.In a statement on Friday, the Palestinian terror group urged the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase.Hamas said that “with the end of the first phase of the ceasefire,” the group “affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details.“We call on the international community to pressure the Zionist occupation to… immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay,” it said.Hamas sources quoted by Haaretz contended that if the terror group were to agree to extend the first phase by continuing to free batches of hostages, it would be losing the only major leverage it currently has.“If there isn’t a clear deadline for the end of the war and a full [IDF] withdrawal, the release of all the hostages can’t be expected,” an unnamed source in the group was quoted as saying.The sources floated a potential compromise that would see the return of sick or slain captives in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners serving lengthy jail terms, alongside improvements in the inmates’ conditions and more aid entering Gaza.The Prime Minister’s Office announced the renewed talks on Thursday, without specifying exactly what the sides would discuss, and with other officials indicating Jerusalem won’t agree to advance to the second stage.Israeli leaders have rejected going through with a full pullout from Gaza as long as Hamas remains in power, instead threatening to resume fighting.The decision to send the delegation came after Netanyahu held two meetings on Thursday with senior security officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, according to Channel 12.US President Donald Trump said Thursday that “nobody really knows” whether phase two will come to fruition.“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “We have some pretty good talks going on.”Hamas early Thursday returned the bodies of the last four hostages it was set to release during the first phase of the truce, while Israel released more than 600 security inmates — more than 100 of whom were serving life sentences or were convicted of murder.According to the Prime Minister’s Office, citing information from the military, hostages Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, and Itzik Elgarat were murdered in captivity. Shlomo Mantzur, the fourth hostage whose body was handed over in the exchange, was killed on October 7, during the Hamas-led invasion, hostage-taking, and massacres that sparked the war, and his body was taken to Gaza, the PMO said.Under the ceasefire outline agreed to by Israel and Hamas, Israel’s remaining living hostages — believed to include 24 people —  are to be released during the second stage of the deal. A third stage is also ostensibly planned, during which the bodies of hostages killed on October 7 or in captivity would be released, and the war would end permanently.An Israeli official sent a statement to reporters Thursday rejecting any withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces troops from the so-called Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, despite the deal’s requirement that it do so by the 50th day of the ceasefire.Israel contends that the border zone is a major smuggling route that will be used by Hamas to bring more weapons and fortifications into Gaza to rebuild its decimated forces unless it is policed by Israeli troops. Both Hamas and Egypt reject a continued Israeli presence there.“We will not leave the Philadelphi Corridor. We will not allow the Hamas murderers to again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rearm through smuggling,” the Israeli official said.Israel, with backing from the US, has repeatedly said it will not allow Hamas any role in the future governance of Gaza and that it is prepared to resume fighting to prevent such an outcome. Netanyahu has also refused any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.

Hochul orders NY college to scrap Palestinian studies ad seeking historian on ‘genocide’Governor says CUNY school must thoroughly review position to ensure ‘antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom’; no class being canceled-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 2:29 pm-MAR 1,25

New York’s governor ordered a state school to remove a job posting for a Palestinian studies teaching position this week, saying she wanted to ensure “antisemitic theories” would not be taught.The job posting at Hunter College had called for a historian “who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to settler-colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality,” according to screenshots published by the New York Post, which first reported the job announcement.Following the coverage, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, ordered the City University of New York school to remove the posting “and conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom,” her office said in a statement.The CUNY Board of Trustees agreed, and university officials have since removed the posting for a “Palestinian Studies Cluster Hire,” which was marked as expired on Friday.“We find this language divisive, polarizing and inappropriate and strongly agree with Governor Hochul’s direction to remove this posting,” Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. and Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, adding they would work “to tackle antisemitism on our campuses and combat hate in all of its forms.”The governor’s statement added that no class is being canceled.The CUNY school said it will still hire a relevant expert.“Hunter College took down the job listings following the concerns raised about the language used in the online posting. We will be reviewing the posting process and look forward to adding scholars with expertise in this subject matter to our distinguished faculty,” the college said in a statement, adding that expertise would include ”Palestinian history, culture, and society.”The Israel-Hamas war that erupted with the terror group’s onslaught on Oct. 7, 2023, has tested free speech at US colleges. Pro-Palestinian students and their allies launched protests at campuses across the country, demanding that schools divest from Israel in demonstrations that resulted in thousands of arrests. The protests, at times, featured anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric and signs. Meanwhile, some Jewish students called on administrators to rein in the protests, saying they made them feel unsafe.Campus free speech advocates criticized Hochul’s intervention, saying the move hurts academic freedom“She’s setting a terrible precedent,” Robert Shibley, special counsel for campus advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in an email. “Involving politicians directly in the process will only further politicize hiring decisions and will undermine academic freedom in public universities across the country.”Another free speech group called on CUNY officials to reverse their decision.“The posting may have been offensive to some, but it is the right and responsibility of the academic community to confront challenging areas of inquiry through independent research, teaching, and publishing,” said Kristen Shahverdian, Campus Free Speech program director at PEN America, in a statement Thursday.PEN, a literary and free expression organization, faced its own protests last year after a group of pro-Palestinian writers said it did little to “mobilize” members against the Gaza war, in contrast to forceful protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia, most Sunni Arab states start Ramadan on Saturday, Iran begins on Sunday-Riyadh declares moon sighting; observing the holy month’s fast is one of the five pillars of Islam-By AFP Today, 1:06 pm-MAR 1,25

RIYADH — For Muslims in Saudi Arabia and most Sunni-ruled Middle Eastern states Ramadan will begin on Saturday, but in Shiite-majority Iran and Iraq it will start the following day, authorities announced.The holy month, during which hundreds of millions of faithful around the world observe a daytime fast, traditionally begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, was joined by its Gulf Arab neighbors in declaring that the moon had been sighted on Friday.“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of (Ramadan),” the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X.Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Sudan and Tunisia announced they too would begin the daytime fast on Saturday.But the office of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, declared Sunday the first day of Ramadan.Only in Morocco, at the far-western edge of the Arab world, will Sunnis start observing the daytime fast on Sunday, its Islamic affairs ministry announced.In multi-confessional Lebanon, the grand mufti announced Saturday as the first day of Ramadan for Sunnis, state media reported.Observing the Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours. Observant Muslims are also encouraged to donate to the poor.

US to fast-track $3 billion arms sale to Israel, including bombs and armored bulldozers-Transaction includes D9s withheld last year over concern IDF used them to raze homes in Gaza, as Trump scraps predecessor’s order conditioning aid on commitment to human rights-By Emanuel Fabian,Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 12:37 pm-MAR 1,25

The US State Department told Congress on Friday that it plans to sell nearly $3 billion in weapons to Israel, including thousands of bombs and $295 million worth of armored bulldozers that had been held up by the previous administration over human rights concerns that US President Donald Trump has largely eschewed.The prospective weapons sales were notified to US Congress on an emergency basis, meaning they will not be subject to review by the House and Senate’s foreign relations committees. Trump’s predecessor, US President Joe Biden, also utilized the measure to approve arms sales to Israel during the war in Gaza.In a statement, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements.”The proposed arms sale “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the DSCA said.According to the State Department, three separate sales were sent to US Congress for approval.One is for $2.04 billion for 35,529 MK 84 or BLU-117 heavy bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads.While the Pentagon said that deliveries would begin in 2026, it also said “there is a possibility that a portion of this procurement will come from US stock” which could mean immediate delivery for some of the weapons.The second sale is for $675.7 million for 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs, 4,799 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bombs, and 5,000 JDAM guidance kits. Deliveries are expected in 2028.The third sale, estimated at $295 million, includes D9 Caterpillar bulldozers and related equipment. The deliveries of the bulldozers, which the Israeli military uses, are expected to begin in 2027.In November, it was reported that the Biden administration was holding up the sale of the D9 bulldozers due to the IDF’s use of them to raze homes in Gaza. The IDF has said the homes were used by Hamas and accuses the terror group of using civilians as human shields.Trump, who took office six weeks ago, has also walked back other Biden measures meant to curb arms sales to Israel.Earlier this week, US officials said Trump — who has made massive cuts to foreign aid — rescinded National Security Memorandum 20, which required recipients of US foreign aid to commit in writing that they will not use them to target civilians or restrict humanitarian aid. Biden had signed the order last year amid lobbying by progressives in his Democratic party.Trump also scrapped Biden’s order blocking a shipment to Israel of 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs, such as those included in the US State Department’s arms sale notification on Friday. The shipment of 1,800 bombs arrived in Israel last month.Biden had blocked the shipment in May, as Israel, over his opposition, launched an operation in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought shelter there amid the war, sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.

PKK declares ceasefire with Turkey after 40 years of armed struggle-Declaration by outlawed group comes after jailed leader said organization should lay down arms, disband By Fulya Ozerkan Today, 11:54 am-MAR 1,25

ISTANBUL (AFP) — Outlawed Kurdish militants on Saturday declared a ceasefire with Turkey following a landmark call by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan asking the group to disband.It was the first reaction from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) after Ocalan this week called for the dissolution of the group and asked it to lay down arms after fighting the Turkish state for over four decades.“In order to pave the way for the implementation of leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective from today,” the PKK executive committee said, referring to Ocalan and quoted by the pro-PKK ANF news agency.“We agree with the content of the call as it is and we say that we will follow and implement it,” the committee based in northern Iraq said.“None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” it added.The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency since 1984 to carve out a homeland for Kurds, who account for around 20 percent of Turkey’s 85 million people.Since Ocalan was jailed in 1999 there have been various attempts to end the bloodshed, which has cost more than 40,000 lives.After several meetings with Ocalan at his island prison, the pro-Kurdish DEM party on Thursday relayed his appeal for PKK to lay down its weapons and convene a congress to announce the organization’s dissolution.The PKK said on Saturday it was ready to convene a congress as Ocalan wanted, but “for this to happen, a suitable secure environment must be created” and Ocalan “must personally direct and lead it for the success of the congress.”Better prison conditions-The group also said Ocalan’s prison conditions must be eased, adding he “must be able to live and work in physical freedom and be able to establish unhindered relationships with anyone he wants, including his friends.”After the last round of peace talks collapsed in 2015, no further contact was made until October, when a hardline nationalist ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered a surprise peace gesture if Ocalan rejected violence.While Erdogan backed the rapprochement, his government cranked up pressure on the opposition, arresting hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists.Erdogan on Friday said Ocalan’s appeal was a “historic opportunity.”He said Turkey would “keep a close watch” to make sure the talks to end the insurgency were “brought to a successful conclusion.”“When the pressure of terrorism and arms is eliminated, the space for politics in democracy will naturally expand,” Erdogan promised.Iraq has welcomed Ocalan’s call, saying it was “a positive and important step toward achieving stability in the region.”The PKK’s presence in Iraq has been a recurrent source of tension between Baghdad and Ankara.The group holds positions in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, where Turkey also maintains military bases and often carries out ground and air operations against the Kurdish militants.

Italy breaks 'taboo' with push to revive nuclear.

Rome, Feb 28 (AFP) Feb 28, 2025-Italy's cabinet opened the door Friday to a return to nuclear power, aiming to overturn nearly 40 years of opposition -- though experts say any revival is at least a decade away.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government says nuclear could play a key role in increasing energy security, as well as slashing Italy's carbon emissions and sky-high electricity prices.Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin has set a 2026 deadline to draw up a legal framework for everything from traditional reactors to next-generation technologies."With the latest generation of nuclear power, together with renewables, we will be able to achieve the objectives of decarbonisation, guaranteeing the country's full energy security," Pichetto Fratin said on Friday.But opponents say nuclear is much more costly than other low-carbon energies, takes years to implement and gives policymakers an alibi to slow the phase-out of gas, a fossil fuel driving climate change.In neighbouring France, which boasts one of the globe's largest nuclear power programmes, the latest, new-generation plant cost four times the initial estimate and came online 12 years behind schedule.Luca Bergamaschi from Italy's ECCO climate think tank told AFP that "in the best-case scenario, Italy could not have nuclear power before 2035".- 'Taboo' -Italy used to be a pioneer in nuclear power but Italians voted overwhelmingly against it after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, triggering a phase-out.The last reactors shut in 1990 and attempts by Rome to revive the sector were stymied by another referendum in 2011 following the Fukushima accident.Nor does Italy have a national repository for nuclear waste, as over 50 proposed sites have refused to host it.Energy consultant Simona Benedettini welcomed moves to break the "taboo" around nuclear and said Italy still boasts top-class researchers in the field it can draw on.In addition to covering traditional fission reactors, the new legal framework will also cover research, development and use of fusion energy.It will also cover the dismantling of old plants, management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.Italy had four nuclear reactors, all of which have been defueled and are being decommissioned.No specific new sites or projects have been identified but the energy minister says nuclear power would also be used for hydrogen production, to help decarbonise Italy's most energy-intensive sectors, such as steel.The ministry will fund investments to the tune of 20 million euros ($21 million) a year from 2027 to 2029, Pichetto Fratin said.Talks are already underway between energy group Enel, engineering company Ansaldo and defence company Leonardo to set up state-backed company to build small modular reactors (SMRs), he said.SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have about one-third of the generating capacity of a traditional nuclear power reactor.Designed to be built in factories, they offer the promise of being cheaper to produce and quick to build, but are still experimental.- 'Geopolitical risk' -Italy is not alone in flirting with nuclear power again. Since gas prices spiked with the Ukraine war, global interest in the sector is at its highest since the oil crises in the 1970s, according to the International Energy Agency.Britain said in February it was changing laws to speed up the country's rollout of mini-nuclear reactors.But Beatrice Petrovich, senior energy analyst at climate think tank Ember, said focusing on nuclear in Italy "risks being counterproductive".New nuclear "is more expensive than wind and solar and takes longer to commission and install", while policymakers should be looking at storage and enhanced power grids for renewables instead, she said."Nuclear would also introduce an additional reliance on foreign fuel", namely uranium, "which could pose real geopolitical risk", she told AFP.Some 81 percent of Italians are still anti-nuclear, according to an Ipsos poll from November -- and critics are already mobilising support for a potential new referendum.But businesses hope it could be a way to slash electricity costs, which are much higher in Italy than some of its EU neighbours, in part due to its reliance on gas.Just over 50 percent of Italy's electricity generation mix in 2024 was fossil power, according to Ember.In a 10-year energy and climate plan published last year, Rome said it aims to install enough nuclear capacity by 2050 to generate between 11 percent and 22 percent of the power it uses.It said that could be done using mainly SMRs, but also fusion power plants -- a technology Meloni has said is a "game changer", but which is still highly experimental.- 'Greenwashing' -Emanuele Orsini, the head of Italy's business lobby Confindustria, has called for old reactors to be "reactivated".He has also suggested local communities' opposition to new sites could be bypassed by companies housing SMRs in-house.But Bergamaschi, from the ECCO think tank, said there were so many legal, technical and political hurdles to nuclear power that "it will most likely never arrive" in Italy.He said the narrative of reviving nuclear was being pushed by firms that want government support to develop and sell new technologies.The idea also benefits those who "want to slow down the deployment of cheaper renewable generation, storage and grid in the power sector, to protect the market share and profits of gas".Meloni's hard-right government has proved lukewarm on renewables, instead seeking to transform Italy into a "gas hub" for the Mediterranean.Focusing on nuclear allowed ministers to appear committed to low-carbon energy while sticking with fossil fuels, Bergamaschi argued, saying that "as far as Italy is concerned, for all practical reasons, nuclear power is greenwashing".

China manufacturing activity grows in February.

Shanghai, March 1 (AFP) Mar 01, 2025-China's manufacturing activity grew in February after a dip the previous month, official figures showed Saturday, as leaders fight an economic slump while the United States targets the country's exports with increased tariffs.The world's second-largest economy is facing sluggish internal demand and a protracted property sector crisis, as well as the possibility of a deepening trade war with the US under President Donald Trump.The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) -- a key measure of industrial output -- came in at 50.2 in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), above the 50-point mark that separates growth and contraction.February's reading was up from 49.1 in January, when factory activity shrank for the first time in four months.Production was boosted in February by the "gradual resumption of work by enterprises after the Chinese New Year," said NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe.Non-manufacturing PMI, which measures activity in the services sector, came in at 50.4 in February.Chinese President Xi Jinping has admitted the country's economy still faces "numerous difficulties".China's leadership convenes next week for the "Two Sessions" meetings, where analysts expect them to hammer out plans to shield the ailing economy from tariffs and trade threats from the Trump administration.Trump this week announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports, on top of an existing levy of the same rate imposed earlier this month.Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said it remained to be seen "how much will the US raise tariff next week, (and) how damaging will it be for China's export orders".North Korea held 'strategic cruise missile' launch drill this week: state media.Seoul, Feb 27 (AFP) Feb 27, 2025-North Korea carried out a test-launch of its strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea this week, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday, in a drill that sought to demonstrate the prowess of its "state nuclear deterrence".Leader Kim Jong Un attended the launch, which took place on Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.The agency said the drills were aimed at warning North Korea's enemies of Pyongyang's "counterattack capability in any space and the readiness of its various nuke operation means".The missiles flew for 130 minutes before they "precisely hit the targets", KCNA said.Attending the drill, Kim said it was the responsibility of North Korea's nuclear armed forces to "defend the national sovereignty and security"."Powerful striking ability", he said, served as "the most perfect deterrence and defence", KCNA said.Images in North Korean state media showed Kim, flanked by officials, sporting binoculars and watching a missile strike and destroy a small building on a nearby island.KCNA did not say where the test took place, but specialist website NK News said it likely took place near the city of Nampho, roughly 130 kilometres (80 miles) from the border with South Korea.Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions.The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950 to 1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.North Korea last conducted such a test in January, when it said it had launched sea-to-surface strategic guided cruise missiles -- Pyongyang's first since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.US and South Korean intelligence also believe that North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine and has since suffered hundreds of casualties.On Thursday, South Korean intelligence told AFP that Pyongyang had dispatched more troops to Russia, though it could not give a precise figure.It also said North Korea had redeployed soldiers to the frontline in Kursk, where Ukraine previously said they had been withdrawn following heavy losses.Neither North Korea nor Russia has officially confirmed that Pyongyang's forces are fighting for Moscow.

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

HERES WHAT THE WORLD WOULD LOOK LIKE (SINCE THERE WILL BE WORLD GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE)-UPDATED VERSION

01 CANADA, U.S.A, MEXICO
02 EUROPEAN UNION,WESTERN EUROPE
03 JAPAN
04 AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND, S AFRICA, ISRAEL AND PACIFIC ISLANDS
05 EASTERN EUROPE
06 SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICAS
07 NORTH AFRICA, AND MIDEAST (MOSLEMS)
08 CENTRAL AFRICA
09 SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
10 CENTRAL ASIA

THE CLUB OF ROME WANTS A WORLD CHARISMATIC DICTATOR (EITHER RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFICAL) TO HEAD THIS WORLD GOVERNMENT. REV 13:3,7-8, DAN 7:23-24

WORLD POWERS IN THE END TIME

NORTH - RUSSIA EZEK 38:1-2, 39:1-2
SOUTH - EGYPT DAN 11:42
EAST - CHINA DAN 11:44,REV 16:12
WEST - EUROPEAN UNION DAN 7:23-24 (NOT THE U.S.A)
http://israel7777777.blogspot.ca/2012/03/10-world-trade-blocs-one-world.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/how-eu-takes-world-control.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2012/05/one-world-religion-crislam.html

FINALLY THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TALKING ABOUT HAVING THEIR OWN ARMY.AND IT MUST HAPPEN.
REVELATION 19:16-21
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.(JESUS RETURNG TO EARTH LITERALLY ON A WHITE HORSE WITH THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS 7 YEARS EARLIER)
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.(2ND TIME GOD-JESUS TELLS THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS TO GET READY TO EAT HUMAN FLESH.THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN GOD TOLD THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS-TO EAT RUSSIA,GERMAN,ARAB, MUSLIM BODIES FOR 7 MONTHS IN EZEK 38 @ 39.
19 And I saw the beast,(E.U WORLD LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(HERE IT SAYS THE E.U WILL HAVE ITS OWN ARMY) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (JESUS) and against his army.(RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
20 And the beast (E.U WORLD LEADER) was taken, and with him the false prophet (POPE FRANCIS) that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

AFTER YESTERDAYS TRUMP - UKRAINE DISAGREEMENT. WERE ZELENSKYY GOT BOOTED FROM THE WHITEHOUSE. BIBLE PROPHECY IS HEATING UP BIG TIME. NOW THE E.U IS CALLING FOR A NEW LEADER OF THE WEST. AND I CAN GUARENTEE THE E.U WILL GET THEIR OWN ARMY TOGETHER QUICK. TO GET TROOPS IN THE UKRAINE. THE EU HAS TO CONTROL THE WORLDS ECONOMIES. SO THEY BETTER GET THEIR ARMY TOGETHER REAL QUICK.

Free world needs a new leader’: Europe defends Zelenskyy after Trump attack-France, Germany and Poland all make prompt declarations of support as Europe fears Trump’s alignment with Putin.February 28, 2025 9:45 pm CET-By Christian Oliver, Giovanna Faggionato, Victor Goury-Laffont and Max Griera    

BRUSSELS ― European leaders on Friday rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after United States President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office.European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”In what may prove a significant turning point in the tottering postwar Western alliance between Europe and the United States, the Europeans pushed back against Washington’s increasing alignment with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Trump's browbeating of Zelenskyy.“There is an aggressor, which is Russia and a people who have suffered aggression, which is Ukraine,” said French President Emmanuel Macron, hitting back at Trump’s attempts to treat the two sides evenly. “You have to respect those who have been fighting since the beginning because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, for their children, and for the security of Europe.”Macron also noted that the U.S. had not been the only country to support Kyiv, stressing that it was also backed by European countries, Canada and Japan.In the Oval Office, Trump told Zelenskyy his refusal to concede to Russia at the negotiating table was “gambling with World War III.”Later, Macron told Portuguese television: “If someone is playing World War III, his name is Vladimir Putin.”Major rift-Germany's almost-certain next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, struck a similar tone addressing a tweet directly to "Dear Volodymyr" in which he vowed to stand with Ukraine “in good and in testing times.”Over the past weeks, Europe has been steeling itself for a major rift with Washington over Trump’s hectoring treatment of Ukraine and its leader.While European leaders have been pushing for a comprehensive deal in which the U.S. would offer postwar security guarantees, Trump has resisted such suggestions and has concentrated his efforts on boasting that he can get Ukraine — rather than Russia — to repay America for aid through a deal on critical raw materials.Leaving little doubt of his preference for Putin over Zelenskyy, Trump slammed the Ukrainian leader as a “dictator” while hailing Russia's leader as trustworthy. Trump has also adopted the Kremlin’s positions that Kyiv should not join NATO and should give up invaded land.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sent a message to Zelenskyy insisting, “Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” while the office of Sweden's prime minister said: “You are not only fighting for your freedom but also for all of Europe’s.”The Czech Republic, Spain, Latvia and Lithuania all sent similar messages of support.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: “Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President@ZelenskyyUa.” In coordinated communication, the presidents of the European Council and Parliament sent out the same message.Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stressed that his country stood behind Ukraine, saying “their fight is our fight,” while Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp underlined support for Ukraine would come in the form of “whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”Italy’s hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni, a close Trump ally, called on Europeans not to allow deep divisions to open up with Washington and said Rome would, in the hours ahead, call for an EU-U.S. summit to get diplomacy back on track.“What is needed is an immediate summit between the United States, European states, and allies to talk frankly about how we intend to deal with the great challenges of today, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” she said.As it is, some European leaders will meet among themselves in London on Sunday at the invitation of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy is due to join them. A spokesperson for Starmer said he'd spoken to Zelenskyy and Trump on Friday night.Starmer “retains unwavering support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took the opposite approach, thanking Trump for standing “bravely for peace."“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orbán posted on X.Rasmus Buchsteiner, Hanne Cokelaere, Max Griera Andreu, Jan Cienski, Hans von der Burchard, Pieter Haeck and Seb Starcevic contributed reporting.

Germany's Merz: We must never confuse aggressor and victim‘Free world needs new leader’: EU backs Ukraine after Trump berates Zelensky in Oval Office-Senate Democrats accuse US president of doing ‘Putin’s dirty work’; administration officials, GOP lawmakers join Russia in praising him after open verbal assault on Ukraine leader By Agencies Today, 1:35 am-MAR 1,25

European leaders threw their support behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a raised-voice spat on Friday with Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world, casting doubts over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.The US president openly berated Zelensky for not being “thankful,” and later accused the Ukrainian leader of “not being ready for peace” and having “disrespected” the United States in the “cherished Oval Office.” He also accused Zelensky of “gambling with millions of lives” and suggested his actions could trigger World War III.In response, European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa assured Zelensky that he was “never alone.”“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” wrote the European commission and council presidents in a joint statement on social media, telling Zelensky: “We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas questioned the United States leadership of the transatlantic alliance between European powers and Washington.“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge,” she wrote on social media.French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia was the “aggressor” in the Ukraine war.“There is an aggressor which is Russia. There is an aggressed people which is Ukraine,” Macron told journalists, adding: “We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue to do so.”He later went further to say that “if anyone is playing at World War III, it’s Vladimir Putin,” referring to Trump’s accusations against Zelensky.Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz assured his support to Zelensky in a posting on X.“We must never confuse the aggressor and the victim in this terrible war,” Merz said. The outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz also voiced support for Ukraine, as did Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who added that Kyiv’s “quest for peace & security is ours.”Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of the closest partners of both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanked Trump for standing “bravely for peace.”“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orban wrote in a post on X.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for the United States, Europe and their allies to gather over the Ukraine war “without delay.”“A summit without delay is needed… to talk frankly about how we intend to tackle today’s major challenges, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” she said.Staunch Kyiv ally Poland moved to reassure Ukrainians after the dispute.“Dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X in a post addressed to Zelensky.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood with most European leaders to echo his support for Ukraine ahead of hosting Zelensky this weekend.Starmer “is doing all he can to find a path forward to a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said, adding he spoke to both leaders in the aftermath of the White House meeting.Other Ukrainian allies rallied around the country, with Canada saying Kyiv was not only fighting for its freedom but also “ours.”Denmark described its “pride” in supporting Ukraine while Sweden referred to Ukrainians as “friends.”US Democrats: Trump ‘doing Putin’s work’Senate Democrats accused Trump and his Vice President JD Vance of siding with Putin.“Trump and Vance are doing Putin’s dirty work,” Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media.GOP Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska bemoaned the meeting as “a bad day for America’s foreign policy.”“Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom,” Bacon in an emailed statement.Members of Trump’s cabinet and other Republican lawmakers however cheered on the president.“What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful and I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally who has previously been a staunch supporter of Ukraine.“He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”Russia: ‘cocaine clown’ Zelensky-Russia also cheered on Trump’s berating of Zelensky.“For the first time, Trump told the truth to the cocaine clown’s face,” said former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, referring to Zelensky.Kirill Dmitriev, one of Moscow’s negotiators in the first high-level talks between Russian and US officials since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine, branded the spat between the two leaders as “historic.”

Fri, February 28, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. EST·7 min read-Zelenskyy leaves White House without signing minerals deal after Oval Office blowup-The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia.The astonishing turn of events could scramble affairs in Europe and around the globe. During his visit with Trump, Zelenskyy was expected to sign the deal allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and hold a joint news conference, but that plan was scrapped after the heated engagement between the leaders in front of the news media.It's unclear what the blowup could mean for the deal that Trump insisted was essential to repay the U.S. for the more than $180 billion in American aid sent to Kyiv since the start of the war. And it remains to be seen what, if anything, Trump wants Zelenskyy to do to get the deal back on track.The Ukrainian leader left the White House shortly after Trump shouted at him, showing open disdain. Untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room, where the lunch between Trump and Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have taken place.The White House said the Ukrainian delegation was told to leave.“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump told Zelenskyy.The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy, who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.Zelenskyy’s main objective going into the sit-down had been to press Trump not to abandon his country and to warn against moving too closely to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead he got shouted at while Trump appeared to play up the drama for the cameras.At one point, Zelenskyy said Putin had broken “his own signature” 25 times on ceasefires and other agreements and could not be trusted. Trump responded that Putin had not broken agreements with him and mostly ducked questions about offering security guarantees to Ukraine, saying he thought the minerals deal — which is now on-hold — would effectively end the fighting.Things first got testy after Vance challenged Zelenskyy, telling him, “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.” Zelensky tried to object, prompting Trump to raise his voice and say, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.”At another point, Trump declared himself “in the middle" and not on the side of either Ukraine or Russia in the conflict. He went on to deride Zelenskyy's “hatred” for Putin as a roadblock to peace.“You see the hatred he’s got for Putin,” Trump said. “That’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate."Trump later told reporters, shortly before departing for his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend, that he wanted an “immediate ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine but expressed doubt that Zelenskyy was ready to make peace.Following the meeting, Trump posted on his social media site that he had “determined” that Zelenskyy “is not ready for Peace.”“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.Democrats immediately criticized the administration for the breakdown. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Trump and Vance “are doing Putin’s dirty work.”The testy discussion was especially surprising since it came a day after Trump struck a more conciliatory tone toward Ukraine, calling America’s support for the country against Russia’s invasion “a very worthy thing to do” and disclaiming any memory that he had called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”Trump and Zelenskyy spoke politely, even with admiration, of each another for the first half hour of the meeting. But, when the Ukrainian leader raised alarm about trusting any promises from Putin to end the fighting, Vance offered his strong rebuke for airing disagreements with Trump in public.That instantly shifted the tenor of the conversation as Zelenskyy grew defensive and Trump and his vice president blasted him as ungrateful and issued stark warnings about future American support.“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump said to Zelenskyy as the two leaders talked over each other about past international support for Ukraine.Vance then interjected, “Again, just say thank you.”Zelenskyy pushed back on Vance, telling him he's offered his appreciation “a lot of times" to the American people and the president. The Ukrainian leader after leaving the White House expressed his gratitude on social media.“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”But administration officials were not satisfied with Zelenskyy and perceived a “hostility” with him and his body language in the Oval Office, according to a White House official. Trump also objected to the Ukrainian leader bringing up the issue of security guarantees when Trump made clear he wanted to focus on the minerals deal, said the official who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.Former President Joe Biden had also grown frustrated at moments with Zelenskyy for being insufficiently grateful of American support, according to former administration officials. But unlike Trump, Biden expressed his displeasure with Zelenskyy privately.Trump also suggested that Zelenskyy should not be demanding concessions."You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelenskyy.Shortly before the meeting ended, Trump said, “This is going to be great television.”As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia’s larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have sought to ensure any potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country’s future security.Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace — especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands — would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion after current hostilities cease.Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who has advocated to keep up American support for Ukraine, told Fox News he wasn't confident that the Trump-Zelenskyy relationship could be repaired.“I don’t know if you can ever do a deal with Zelenskyy anymore,” the South Carolina Republican said.Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration.Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders — both dramatic breaks with previous U.S. policy to isolate Putin over his invasion.Trump later seemed to falsely blame Ukraine for starting the war and called Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding elections after the end of his regular term last year, though Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in place. European leaders were quick reinforce their support for Ukraine in the wake of the contentious Oval Office meeting.European leaders were quick to reiterate their support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.In a post on X, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Zelenskyy's “dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people."“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” she added. "You are never alone, dear President.”Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed “an immediate summit” between the United States and European allies “to speak frankly about how we intend to face today’s great challenges, starting with Ukraine.”“Every division of the West makes us all weaker and favors those who would like to see the decline of our civilization,” she said. “A division would not benefit anyone.”___Associated Press writers Justin Spike in Kyiv, Stephanie Dazio in Berlin, Giada Zampano in Rome, JJ Cooper in Phoenix, and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.Will Weissert, Zeke Miller And Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press.

A French-UK nuclear umbrella for Europe? Not likely, say analysts By Mathieu RABECHAULT and Jurgen HECKER with Marie HEUCLIN in London.

Paris (AFP) Feb 27, 2025-France and Britain are unlikely to include European allies in their nuclear deterrence, analysts said after future German leader Friedrich Merz called for European defence "independence" and a possible "nuclear sharing".Faced with a seismic strategy shift by the United States under Donald Trump, Europe could be facing a future without America's nuclear umbrella, which protected them throughout the Cold War and in the decades since.Germany's election winner Merz said last week he wanted a discussion on "nuclear sharing" with France and Britain, western Europe's only nuclear powers. Germany cannot acquire its own nuclear weapons without violating an international treaty on non-proliferation (NPT) of which it is a signatory.German potential access to French nuclear guarantees had already been floated in July 2022 -- months after Russia's attack on Ukraine -- by former German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. He suggested making a financial contribution to a "nuclear deterrent at the European level".On Thursday, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu rejected any such pooling of France's nuclear weapons capability."It's French, and it will remain French," he told broadcaster Franceinfo.France's nuclear doctrine says atomic weapons can be used if the country's vital interests are at stake. That is a call that the French president alone gets to make.But that prerogative does not rule out dialogue with partners, President Emmanuel Macron suggested in 2020, highlighting "an authentically European dimension" of his country's vital interests.Emmanuelle Maitre, at the French Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), said there was indeed "compatibility" between French national interests and those of the rest of western Europe because of France's long-standing membership of the European Union and NATO."Because we are a member of a highly integrated regional community and of a military alliance, our vital interest will automatically align, to a large extent, with the vital interests of our neighbours," she told AFP.There could be, however, "no assurance, no guarantee" on how a president would decide on "vital" interests if confronted with the risk of nuclear retaliation aimed at France, she cautioned.- 'Neither British nor independent' -In Britain, the prime minister alone decides on nuclear weapons use, despite the fact that the UK buys its nuclear missiles and warheads from the US.But, in contrast to France, British nuclear weapons "are already part of NATO's extended deterrence guarantee", said Marion Messmer, a senior research fellow in the International Security Programme at Chatham House. In that sense, she told AFP, Britain already provides "some" nuclear protection for the rest of Europe.Looming over the debate about any European nuclear force is the question of its credibility. The French and British arsenals are of limited size and there are doubts about first-strike capabilities.There are also questions about how independent Britain's arsenal is from that of the United States."Britain's independent nuclear deterrent is neither British nor independent," wrote Norman Dombey, an emeritus physics and astronomy professor and nuclear weapons expert. "Both its missiles and its warheads are dependent on the US and US design. Nor is it a deterrent."According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France has 290 nuclear warheads and Britain 225, compared to 3,708 American warheads.France has four nuclear submarines as well as nuclear weapons-capable fighter jets, while the UK relies exclusively on four submarines for delivery."The biggest challenge would be the psychological component, because we know that Russia takes the US very seriously as an opponent, and we also know that Russia takes European states much less seriously," Messmer said.Pending any doctrine change, France could take some limited practical steps to involve allies, such as inviting their participation in nuclear-weapons exercises with escort fighters or supply functions.France could also choose to deploy nuclear-capable aircraft in allied countries, complicating Russian strategic calculations.But French partners may not be overly interested in playing second fiddle to France's doctrine without having any say. "They can take what's on offer, but they can't make any demands whatsoever," said Maitre.

EU, India eye defence and security deal; France wants defense excluded from EU budget rules-by AFP Staff Writers.

New Delhi (AFP) Feb 28, 2025-The European Union is exploring a security and defence partnership with India, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday before meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.Von der Leyen arrived in India on Thursday for a two-day visit with her college of commissioners seeking to hedge against souring relations with its traditional ally, the United States.The delegation aims to deepen its diplomatic and trade ties with the world's fifth-largest economy after US President Donald Trump announced a slew of tariffs against both friends and foes.The EU also hopes to find common ground with India on their shared concerns over China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific, building resilient supply chains, and the governance of new technologies including artificial intelligence."I can announce that we are exploring a future Security and Defence Partnership with India in the mould of the partnerships we have with Japan and South Korea," the EU chief said in a public speech in the Indian capital on Friday."This will help us step up our work to counter common threats, whether on cross-border terrorism, maritime security threats, cyber-attacks or the new phenomenon we see: attacks on our critical infrastructure," she added.The EU is India's largest trading partner, accounting for 124 billion euros ($130 billion) worth of trade in goods in 2023 -- more than 12 percent of total Indian trade, according to Brussels.The Indian market offers many opportunities for sectors ranging from defence to agriculture, cars and clean energy. Yet, protected by high tariffs, it currently accounts for only 2.2 percent of EU trade in goods.The bloc is pushing for a trade deal that lowers entry barriers for its cars, spirits, wines and other products.New Delhi meanwhile hopes for higher EU investments in areas such as clean energy, urban infrastructure and water management.Modi has pushed for joint local ventures and a more streamlined migration policy for its skilled professionals."A free trade agreement between the EU and India would be the largest deal of this kind anywhere in the world," Von der Leyen said."It will not be easy," she added. "But I also know that timing and determination counts... This is why we have agreed with Prime Minister Modi to push to get it done during this year."The two sides are also expected to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine.Historically close to Russia, its traditional supplier of military hardware, it has resisted Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

France wants defence excluded from EU spending rules: PM.

Paris (AFP) Feb 27, 2025 - French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said Thursday he wants defence spending excluded from EU spending rules, in an interview with the daily Figaro.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month that the EU would suspend public spending rules to ramp up defence investments as the US commitment to European security has come under question.EU members are bound by spending rules obliging them to keep the public deficit below three percent of economic output and debt at 60 percent of GDP.But the EU can suspend the rules in exceptional circumstances and crises, as it did during the coronavirus pandemic when states had to prop up their embattled economies.Bayrou told the Figaro: "I share the opinion of those who say that 'in these dangerous circumstances military spending should be excluded from European deficit rules.""Our country has made efforts that others haven't in building our defence industry," said Bayrou. "That's a significant asset."Von der Leyen said earlier this month at the annual Munich Security Conference that she believes Europe was in a period of crisis that justifies suspending the deficit rule for defence spending.Since returning to the White House in January US President Donald Trump has called on NATO members to more than double their defence spending and aligned the United States with Russian rhetoric on the war in Ukraine.French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month slammed the EU's fiscal rules as "obsolete" in an interview with the Financial Times.Since the summer, France has been part of a group of eight countries facing the EU's excessive deficit procedure, with Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.France's 2024 public deficit is expected to come in around six percent of GDP and Bayrou's government aims to bring it down to 5.4 percent in 2025.

A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.

ISAIAH 23:15-17
15  And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16  Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17  And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.

REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, 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

REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:(VATICAN)
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.(THATS PEDOPHELIA-FORNICATION IS SINGLES HAVING SEX OUT SIDE OF MARRIAGE)(AND SINCE PREISTS CAN NOT MARRY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS FALSE CHURCH GOES AGAINST THE BIBLE.THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BECOMES A HOMOSEXUAL HAVEN OF PEDOPHILIAS FACTORY).  
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:(THE VATICAN GOES AGAINST A PRIEST MARRING A WOMAN-LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS-AND WHATS AN ABOMINATION AGAINST GOD-HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDOPHILIA JUST LIKE THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS-FORNICATION IS THE SINGLE HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVING UNMARRIED FORNICATION OR SEX WITH SINGLES-IN THIS CASE ITS SEX WITH CHILDREN OR PEDOPHILIA)
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns 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, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(GOD HIMSELF GIVES THE OK TO NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.(VATICAN)

OCCULT WORSHIP.
Sat, March 1, 2025 at 4:24 a.m. EST-Wrathful deities are invoked in a Tibetan Buddhist dance in a monastery in north India-Wearing colourful robes and fearsome masks, monks high stepped and spun around a sandstone courtyard to the sound of drums, cymbals and long horns.

What we know about Pope Francis' health today-The religious leader suffered a setback Friday amid his two-week hospital stay for respiratory issues.By Julia James and The Associated Press-Updated Feb. 28, 2025 at 7:10 p.m. CST

Pope Francis suffered a setback Friday in his two-week long battle against double pneumonia.Francis suffered a bronchial spasm, breathing vomit. It required non-invasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said.The afternoon episode resulted in a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture.” Doctors decided to keep his prognosis as guarded.The 88-year-old pope responded well and remained conscious and alert at all times, the Vatican said.Here’s what we know:When did the Pope start having health issues? The Pope’s current respiratory issues started about two weeks ago. Francis, who has chronic lung issues, continued to work through the first week of his bronchitis but was hospitalized Feb. 14 after his condition worsened.Doctors had previously said Francis was battling pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that would keep him hospitalized for another week before the most recent update.They had prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needed it.In past years, when Francis has battled bronchitis and influenza in winter, he has had to cut back his participation in Ash Wednesday and Holy Week events-What is the latest update to Pope Francis’ condition? For the second day in a row, doctors avoided saying Francis was in critical condition. But they said that given the complexity of his lung infection, “further days of clinical stability are needed” before they revise their prognosis and decide he is out of danger. Pope Francis was listed in critical, but stable, condition after a long asthmatic respiratory crisis — or a severe asthma attack — Saturday that required high flows of oxygen.He also received blood transfusions after a test showed a condition associated with anemia, according to the Vatican’s latest update.Late Sunday, doctors reported that blood tests showed “early, slight kidney insufficiency” that was nevertheless under control. Francis hadn’t experienced any further respiratory crises since Saturday.Has the the pope thought about resigning? Speculation about a possible resignation has swirled ever since Francis was hospitalized, but the Vatican hierarchy has tamped it down. Parolin himself told Corriere della Sera over the weekend that such speculation was “useless” and that what mattered was Francis' health.Francis has said that if he were to resign, he would live in Rome, outside the Vatican, and be called “emeritus bishop of Rome” rather than emeritus pope given the problems that occurred with Benedict’s experiment as a retired pope. Despite his best efforts, Benedict remained a point of reference for conservatives before he died in 2022, and his home inside the Vatican gardens something of a pilgrimage destination for the right.Francis has also written a letter of resignation, to be invoked if he became medically incapacitated.When do they expect Pope Francis to recover? Doctors said Francis’ recovery will take time. Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease.By now a certain rhythm appears to have emerged from the Vatican’s updates: The pope receives treatments in the morning, including respiratory physiotherapy, receives the Eucharist and resumes work in the afternoon from his hospital room.He has shown steady, albeit slight improvements this weekThe greatest threat to his health is germs from his lungs moving into his bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.Francis will also still have to live with his chronic respiratory issues if he is able to overcome this infection.

Original statue of Our Lady of Fátima headed to Rome for Jubilee of Marian Spirituality-Original statue of Our Lady of Fatima The original statue of Our Lady of Fátima during a previous jubilee year visit to the Vatican.By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú-ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 1, 2025 / 07:00 am

On the occasion of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, scheduled for Oct. 11–12, the original statue of Our Lady of Fátima will be taken to Rome.The famous image of Our Lady, known to the faithful throughout the world and a symbol of “hope that does not disappoint,” will be present among the pilgrims who participate in the Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 10:30 a.m. local time to “further enrich this moment of prayer and reflection.”This will be the fourth time the statue has left the shrine at Fátima to be taken to Rome, as it only happens at the express request of the pope. The first time was in 1984, on the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of the Redemption, when on March 25 Pope John Paul II consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.The second was during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and the third was in October 2013 on the occasion of the Year of Faith with Pope Francis.The Dicastery for Evangelization said in a statement that access to St. Peter’s Square for the Eucharistic celebration will be free and no ticket will be required. Registration to participate in the jubilee event is already open on the jubilee website and will end on Aug. 10.“The presence of the beloved original statue of Our Lady of Fátima will allow everyone to experience the closeness of the Virgin Mary,” said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.“It is one of the most significant Marian images for Christians throughout the world, who, as the Holy Father points out in the bull of indiction of the jubilee Spes Non Confundit, venerate her as ‘the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children.’ At Fátima, Our Lady told the three little shepherds the same thing that she continues to assure each of us: ‘I will never leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the path that will lead you to God,’” the prelate said.“This statue leaves the shrine at Cova da Iria in a totally exceptional manner and only at the request of the popes,” said Father Carlos Cabecinhas, the rector of Fátima shrine.“In this time of the jubilee, Our Lady of Fátima is the woman of Easter joy, even in the painful times that the world is experiencing. Once again, the ‘lady dressed in white’ will be a pilgrim of hope and, in Rome, she will be with the ‘bishop dressed in white,’ as the little shepherds of Fátima affectionately called the Holy Father,” he said.The sculpture, a work of the Portuguese artist José Ferreira Thedim, was made in 1920 and is normally located in the Chapel of the Apparitions of the Fátima Shrine.There, between May and October 1917, the Virgin appeared six times to the shepherd children Lucia dos Santos, 10, Jacinta Marto, 7, and Francisco Marto, 9.The statue is 41 inches tall and was carved from Brazilian cedar following the descriptions given by the three shepherd children. It was solemnly crowned on May 13, 1946, and the bullet that wounded St. John Paul II in the 1981 assassination attempt on his life in St. Peter’s Square was later embedded in the crown.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

GMV secures contract to provide Spanish Air and Space Force with advanced space operations simulator-by Hugo Ritmico.

Madrid, Spain (SPX) Feb 28, 2025-The Spanish Air and Space Force's Logistics Support Command (MALOG), through its Directorate-General of Procurement (DAD), has awarded GMV a contract to develop and implement a cutting-edge simulator for training personnel in orbital mechanics and space operations. As part of the agreement, GMV will also provide ongoing maintenance and user training services.Space operations have become increasingly vital for military strategies, with armed forces relying more heavily on satellite-based communication, navigation, and surveillance systems. This dependence brings rising risks and challenges, including natural threats such as space weather and asteroids, as well as human-induced dangers like space debris collisions, megaconstellation congestion, and the growing militarization of space.Spain's commitment to space defense is reflected in the 2022 renaming of its Air and Space Force and the establishment of the Space Command (MESPA) in 2023, which oversees the Space Surveillance and Operations Center (COVE). Since its inception in 2019, COVE has been progressively enhancing its capabilities in space situational awareness and surveillance, requiring a highly skilled workforce trained in astrodynamics and space domain operations.GMV has played a key role in supporting COVE since its inception, providing software tools and participating in international space defense initiatives like Global Sentinel. Under this newly secured contract, GMV will supply a simulator designed for advanced orbital mechanics training. This initiative includes educational programs and specialized training sessions for personnel stationed at COVE and other space operations units.Scheduled for deployment by late 2025, the simulator will become an integral training and operational asset for the Spanish Air and Space Force starting in 2026. Given the project timeline and performance requirements, GMV's solution will be based on Ecosstm, a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software tailored for space surveillance. Ecosstm is already in use at several operational centers, including Germany's military space surveillance system (Weltraumlagezentrum), the Greek civilian space surveillance system, and GMV's Focusoc commercial space operations center. It will also serve as the foundation for COVE's Space Situational Awareness and Control System (CCSE), set to launch in 2025.This contract solidifies GMV's leadership in European space surveillance, command, and control systems, reinforcing its commitment to delivering advanced solutions that enhance the safety and effectiveness of military space operations.

Deep Space advanced radar capability makes tremendous progress in first year-The DARC Site 1 Receive Array in Western Australia is shown in this aerial photograph. DARC is a partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, designed to create an all-weather, global system to track very small objects in Geosynchronous orbit (GEO) to protect critical U.S. and allied satellites.by Lisa Sodders for SSC News-Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 24, 2025

Just one year after signing a ground-breaking trilateral agreement, the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability partnership is completing facilities construction at the first of three sites that will host a global network of advanced ground-based sensors.DARC is a partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, designed to create an all-weather, global system to track very small objects in geosynchronous orbit to protect critical U.S. and allied satellite services. The trilateral Memorandum of Understanding was signed Sept. 27, 2023, will last 22 years, and is a practical example of what the partners can achieve when working together to enhance mutual defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.Construction of the first site, in Western Australia, was completed in December 2024, three months ahead of schedule, with mission system integration and test activities now underway."The collaboration between all parties for the DARC project has been outstanding and is an example of what can be done when we work with our partners on a common goal for the advancement of Space Domain Awareness across our three nations," said Michael Hunt, assistant secretary Space Systems Branch for the Australian Department of Defence, who also serves as the Australian representative on the DARC steering committee.Allied partnerships in space are increasingly critical given emerging threats from adversaries and pacing challengers, noted Lt. Col. Nicholas Yeung, chief of Capabilities Development for Space Systems Command's International Affairs office.DARC is just one of several key partnership efforts facilitated by SSC's IA office, and it's particularly critical as it addresses innate challenges in GEO coverage.At 22,236 miles above the Earth, an object in geosynchronous orbit takes 24 hours to orbit the planet. This keeps the satellite "parked" in the same spot, appearing stationary to ground sensors. This makes GEO important "real estate" for several satellites, but because GEO is so far above the Earth, it's more difficult to monitor space debris and/or adversarial actions that could potentially disrupt or deny space-based capabilities in that orbit.Yet another challenge is that the U.S. can only cover a limited portion of the sky based on its geography, which is one of the reasons international partnerships are so important. The DARC program demonstrates how allied partnerships can overcome both technical and geographic challenges while accelerating the delivery of advanced space technology in support of combined operations.Commodore Dave Moody, head of Space Capability for U.K. Space Command, said, "DARC leverages the geography and commitment of key partner nations to deliver persistent, comprehensive space domain awareness.""One year on, the talent harnessed between the nations has begun to field a more capable technology that will protect and defend the international ways of life," Moody said. "Alongside the United States and Australia, the United Kingdom will continue to take deliberate steps that ensure DARC enables a collective ability to operate decisively in space."DARC is a unique collaboration between the three countries to get after first-of-its-kind capability that can do something that not only is needed from an operational perspective but has never been done before.One of the main benefits of radar is that it operates 24 hours a day, in all weather and can make observations through clouds and during the daytime - something optical telescopes cannot do. An ongoing challenge of radar versus telescope, however, is that the further out your radar goes, the larger the power required to transmit and the bigger the receiver arrays must be. DARC addresses this challenge by using multiple smaller arrays that combine the signals from space to act as one large array. This ground-breaking concept was initially demonstrated by the USSF through its DARC technology demonstration at White Sands Missile Range in 2021."The completed DARC system will enhance our Space Domain Awareness enterprise architecture by adding a critical element," said Brig. Gen. Chandler Atwood, deputy commander of Space Operations Command. "DARC will ensure the U.S., its allies, and partners can effectively characterize the movement of objects traveling in, from and to space, allowing us to mitigate the risk of debris-causing events that could hold the world's space-enabled capabilities at risk. Increased Space Domain Awareness will also bolster our vital ability to attribute malign activity from irresponsible actors in the space domain when and if necessary."Construction of the first site in Exmouth in Western Australia began in October of 2023. The site infrastructure has been completed, including the radar power plant.Spectrum licenses and airspace approvals for the Australian site also have been completed, as well as the first receiver and transmitter antennas. The first open-air transmit of the first antenna was completed in September 2024 and the Australian site is expected to become fully operational in 2027.The speed at which the DARC construction and commissioning has occurred could only have been achieved through an open and collaborative relationship between the three nations and Australian industry. The construction site in Exmouth is remote and austere with difficult conditions for the workforce to operate in. Despite the challenges, the respective teams have adopted an attitude that focuses on delivery of capability at speed.SSC recently awarded Northrop Grumman a contract for the second site currently proposed to be located at a U.K. Ministry of Defense site in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Environmental assessments and town planning processes are underway for this site which are required for the final siting approval. A third site will be located in the Continental United States, at a to-be-determined location, pending the completion of environmental and air space studies. The entire DARC system is currently expected to be complete by 2032.