WILDFIRES EASE OFF IN LA.BUT 2 PLANE CRASHES KILL 74 IN PHI AND WSH-VIRGINIA RIVER.

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)

 WILDFIRES EASE OFF IN LA.BUT 2 PLANE CRASHES KILL 74 IN PHI AND WSH-VIRGINIA RIVER.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING (BUT WILL NOT KILL EVERY BODY WITH WATER)(BUT 50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE (4 BILLION PEOPLE) FROM NUCLEAR WAR)(THE BIBLE SAYS BY FIRE OR ATOMIC BOMBS THIS TIME)
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6  I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8  All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9  I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

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.

JUDGEMENT-WE ALL(EVERYONE) STAND IN FRONT OF GOD TO GIVE ACCOUNT

JOHN 14:3
3  And if I (JESUS OUR JEWISH MESSIAH) go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

MATTHEW 24:33
33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,(IN THERE BEGGINING STAGES-NOT FINAL STAGES) know that it is near, even at the doors.

LUKE 21:32
32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
10  For we must all (MEANS EVERYONE EVER BORN ON EARTH FROM ADAM-EVE ON) appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.(THIS IS THE CHRISTIANS IN FRONT OF JESUS)

LUKEWARM CHURCHES

REVELATION 3:15-19
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I(GOD) will spue (VOMIT) thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent

EARTHQUAKES

EZEKIEL 37:7,11-14
7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.(POSSIBLE QUAKE BRINGS ISRAEL BACK TO LIFE-SO NOISE AND SHAKING-QUAKES WILL ALSO DESTROY ISRAELS ENEMIES)
11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

REVELATION 11:11-14
11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they(ELIJSH-MOSES) heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.(REV 4:1 WE KNOW IS THE RAPTURE FOR SURE) And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.(RAPTURED)
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

REVELATION 16:18-20
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
19 And the great city (JERUSALEM) was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.so was not yet deemed a threat to land.The storm was located about 580 miles (930 kilometers) west-southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), the center said.The storms churned in the Atlantic as rescuers in the U.S. Southeast searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving behind a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

REV 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.

JAMES 1:11
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

The Hebrew noun accurately translated “oven” refers to a “baking oven” as distinct from a kiln or smelting furnace—both of which burn much hotter. (The Hebrew nouns for “kiln” or for “smelting furnace” are more likely to appear in contexts of God's wrath or judgment.)
21 They have roused me to jealousy with a non-god, they have exasperated me with their idols. In my turn I shall rouse them to jealousy with a non-people, I shall exasperate them with a stupid nation.
22 Yes, a fire has blazed from my anger, it will burn right down to the depths of Sheol; it will devour the earth and all its produce, it will set fire to the footings of the mountains.
23 I shall hurl disasters on them, on them I shall use up all my arrows.

Ecclesiastes 1:6 ESV
6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

Jonah 1:4 ESV
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

Psalm 135:7 ESV
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Psalm 78:26 ESV
26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

Psalm 1:4 ESV
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Acts 27:14 ESV
14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land.

Amos 4:13 ESV
13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

ITS VERY INTERESTING THAT LAST YEAR THE WORLD AND ESPECIALLY CALIFORNIA.WERE PROTESTING HARD AGAINST ISRAEL.CLAIMING ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE WORLD WAS CAUSED BY ISRAEL.IF AN AHAB THE ARAB DROPPED AN HOT IRON ON THEIR TOE.ISRAEL DONE IT.SO THE ISRAEL HATE PROTESTS WENT ON FOR MONTHS. SO THE LIBERALS COULD SUCK UP TO THE NON EXISTANT SO CALLED PALESTINIANS.THEIR ARABS FROM JORDAN AND EGYPT.AND THEN COMES LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIAS JUDGEMENT BY WILD FIRES.AND WERE DID THE FIRES IN LA START.IN PALISADES.HMMMMM.PROTESTERS FOR PALISTINIANS.JUDGE ON THE IDOLITRY OF LOS ANGELES STARTS AT PALISADES.PALIS IN BOTH.WAS GOD GIVING A HINT WHY LOS ANGELES SHOULD NEVER HAVE PROTESTED AGAINST HIS JEWISH BRETHERN. AND SUCK HOLING UP TO SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT WORSHIPPERS.I'D SAY YESSSSSSS.

California fires updates: Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 29-The additional fatality was attributed to the Palisades Fire, officials said.New threat of mudslides for California fire zoneMelissa Adan delivers the latest from the California fire zones, including the increased risk of dangerous mudslides.ByKevin Shalvey, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Meredith Deliso, Riley Hoffman, and Julia Reinstein-Last Updated: January 27, 2025, 7:53 PM EST

At least 29 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across Southern California.Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.ABC News has kicked off "SoCal Strong" (#SoCalStrong), highlighting the impacted communities and offering fundraising opportunities for victims of the fires. The coverage will continue across multiple ABC News programs and platforms.

The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed or damaged more than 6,000 structures. It's covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 87% containment.The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged more than 10,000 structures. It's burned over 14,000 acres and is at 95% containment.Jan 27, 2025, 7:53 PM EST

Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 29.The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office reported an additional fire-related death on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 29.The additional fatality was attributed to the Palisades Fire, bringing its total to 12 deaths, while 17 people died in the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area of LA County.Jan 24, 2025, 3:49 PM EST

Border 2 Fire spreads to more than 5,300 acres-The Border 2 Fire near the San Diego-Mexico border has spread to more than 5,300 acres and is 10% contained.The Chula Vista Elementary School District said it’s closing eight schools Friday due to safety and air quality concerns.Jan 24, 2025, 1:56 PM EST

Pennsylvania sends 40 firefighters to LA-Pennsylvania is sending 40 firefighters to Los Angeles to help fight the multiple wildfires spreading across the region, Gov. Josh Shapiro said."My Administration is proud to support national wildfire response efforts with these brave and highly trained crews who are answering the call to protect lives and communities," Shapiro wrote on social media. "Pennsylvania stands ready to help any state facing these unprecedented challenges."Jan 24, 2025, 8:24 AM EST

Red flag warning will expire soon, rain coming this weekend-A red flag warning that’s been in effect across Southern California will expire at 10 a.m. local time.The gusty winds -- which contribute to the spread of wildfires -- will decrease throughout the morning and then let up in the afternoon.The Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates destroyed by the Palisades Fire is seen in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 16, 2025.Conditions will improve this weekend.Humidity will increase and rain will reach Southern California on Saturday. The scattered showers will linger through Sunday and Monday.There are no major flooding risks and an only 5% to 10% chance of significant debris in burn scars from the fires.-ABC News’ Dan Amarante

7 dead, including child, in medical jet crash near Philadelphia mall-One person died on the ground and 19 others were injured, officials said.ByMeredith Deliso, Patricio Chile, and Nadine El-Bawab-February 1, 2025, 12:00 PM

Officials provide update on deadly Philadelphia medevac plane crash-Officials provide update on deadly Philadelphia medevac plane crashA medical transport plane, carrying a child, her mother and four other people, crashed in Philadelphia Friday night near a busy mall.At least seven people were killed and 19 others injured after a medical transport plane, carrying a child, her mother and four other people, crashed in Philadelphia Friday night near a busy mall, according to city officials.Everyone aboard the flight was killed in the crash and one person was killed on the ground, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a press conference Saturday.The Learjet 55 crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in northeast Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to authorities."Many people on the ground -- in parking lots, on streets, in cars and homes in the area -- were injured," the office of Mayor Parker said Saturday. "A number of people were transported to Temple University Hospital, Jeans Campus in the Northeast."The investigation is "fluid and active" with the number of injured subject to change, the mayor said.The crash also caused at least five house fires, which have been extinguished as of Saturday morning, a Philadelphia fire official said."Right now, we're just asking for prayers," Parker told reporters Friday night. She urged residents to stay away from the scene.In a statement, Shriner's Hospital said the child had received care from the Philadelphia hospital and was being taken back to her home country of Mexico along with her mother on a contracted air ambulance when the crash happened.The flight was headed to Missouri and was only in the air for a short period of time before something went wrong, according to Parker.The company that operated the flight, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, said in a statement there were four crew members on board."At this time, we cannot confirm any survivors," the company said in the statement. "No names are being released at this time until family members have been notified. Our immediate concern is for the patient's family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground."The air ambulance was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, according to Flight Radar24 data."I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia, United States," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement Saturday. "The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families; I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.A large fire burned in the wake of the crash, prompting a significant response."We heard a loud explosion and then saw the aftermath of flames and smoke," eyewitness Jimmy Weiss told local ABC station WPVI near the scene.He added, "It felt like the ground shook .. it was a loud boom. It was startling."The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.An NTSB investigator arrived at the scene Friday night with additional team members expected to arrive Saturday.Temple University Hospital told ABC News it had received six patients hurt in the crash, although it was not clear if they were in the plane or people who were on the ground.Three of those patients were treated and released and three remain hospitalized in fair condition, the hospital said.Speaking at a follow-up press briefing Friday night, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said dozens of state troopers and other state personnel were on on hand to offer help and praised local responders and community members."We saw neighbor helping neighbor. We saw Pennsylvanians looking out for one another," he said.In a statement posted to social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all."Immediately after the crash, the FAA issued a ground stop at Northeast Philadelphia Airport due to "an aircraft incident."Philadelphia officials asked residents to avoid touching any possible evidence from the crash and report it to 911.ABC News' Ayesha Ali and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.

Investigators working to download data from helicopter, jet black boxes in crash over Potomac River-The Federal Aviation Administration has issued new flight restrictions for helicopters near Reagan National Airport.Updated Feb. 1, 2025, 9:05 PM EST By NBC News

What we know about the crash and investigation
Two black boxes from the American Eagle passenger jet and a device from the helicopter have been recovered, and the National Transportation Safety Board said data is being downloaded from the devices as it continues to discover how the crash happened.
What happened inside the Black Hawk helicopter in the moments before the fatal crash is key to unraveling the disaster, experts say.
All 67 people onboard both the passenger jet and Black Hawk military helicopter are presumed dead after the midair collision over the Potomac River. The remains of 41 people have been recovered, and officials said they expect all of the victims to be found.The  Federal Aviation Administration has issued new flight restrictions for helicopters in the Washington, D.C., area and Reagan National Airport.Figure skaters, union workers and professors were among those killed in the crash, and details are emerging about the crew on the aircraft.

16h ago / 9:05 PM EST
Military aircraft came close to another passenger jet the night before Wednesday's collision-Dennis Romero

National Transportation Safety Board investigators were considering an incident from the night before Wednesday's deadly air collision over Washington, D.C., to determine if anything can be learned from it, a federal transportation official said.On Tuesday, another military flight with a similar designation, priority air transport (PAT), and a Republic Airways passenger plane came within 1,000 feet of each other in the skies above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, NTSB member J. Todd Inman said at a news conference tonight.In that case, the passenger plane pilot, apparently aware of the proximity, "rejected the landing and did a go-around," Inman said.The Federal Aviation Administration defines a "near miss" in the skies as occurring when two aircraft come within 500 feet of each other. In this case, Inman said, "One-thousand feet is a good safety barrier."

16h ago / 9:04 PM EST
Transportation secretary bans 'identity' celebrations, says they don't keep planes in the air-Dennis Romero

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy tonight prohibited "celebrations based on immutable traits or any other identity-based observances" by his personnel on government time, saying they detract from the mission of keeping air and other travel safe.The remarks follow President Donald Trump's suggestion, without evidence, that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause of Wednesday night's deadly air collision over Washington, D.C.Duffy posted his order on X earlier tonight."These distractions do nothing to keep planes in the air, trains on the tracks, or ports and highways secure," Trump's transportation secretary wrote. "In the wake of two devastating plane crashes, my focus is singular: enforcing the highest standards of safety and accountability."

17h ago / 8:40 PM EST
Passenger jet and helicopter would not have been communicating with each other-Dennis Romero

The passenger jet carrying 64 people and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three that collided over Washington, D.C., would not have been communicating with each other before the crash, a federal transportation official said tonight.National Transportation Safety Board member J. Todd Inman said at a news conference that the aircraft communicate using different radio frequency bands, and that this is not unusual.The jet was using VHF, which stands for very high frequency, he said. A paper on military radio communications by contractor Harris RF Communications states UHF is “an ideal choice for ground-to-air communications.”Inman noted that recordings posted online of air traffic communication before the crash have not contained the helicopter’s UHF, or ultra high frequency.The helicopter and passenger jet could hear air traffic control instructions, but they would not communicate directly with each other, Inman said.“Both the airplane and the helicopter would hear any air traffic control, but they would not hear the other aircraft or helicopter, conversely, if they were transmitting out," he said.Inman discounted the lack of direct communication as an area of focus for investigators, but he said the radio traffic would be important in helping to establish a timeline. Investigators were working to sync the radio traffic involving both aircraft to put together an accurate timeline, he said.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.(IN 1 HR THE STOCK MARKETS WORLDWIDE WILL CRASH)
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

MARK OF THE BEAST (engraved microchip in your hand or forehead)

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 16:1-2
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

I KNOW THIS MARK WILL BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE. UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION 13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE), OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX, KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125 THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM 1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE; FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 - STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick; (cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.; Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian, Plutarch, Lcian, others.)

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo

THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.

LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
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:

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

AI agents usher in another emergent biometrics use case-Feb 1, 2025, 4:10 pm EST    | Chris Burt

Biometrics will be needed to backstop proof of humanity as AI agents join the online world, just as innovations in border control and payments turn familiar biometric systems to emerging applications, as seen in the top articles of the week on Biometric Update. OpenAI’s Operator AI agents will be among those people use World or Humanity Protocol to differentiate themselves from. Biometric checks at Europe’s borders will still involve technology from iProov and Inverid, but Eurostar is turning off its SmartCheck system as EES approaches a belated launch, and biometric payment card solutions, one from Idex and one from partners Infineon and Fingerprint Cards, take steps towards commercial rollouts.Top biometrics news of the week-Eurostar is shutting down its SmartCheck biometric passenger processing system in the weeks ahead in anticipation of the launch of the EU’s EES. New electronic passport gates and extra booths are opening, and the biometric identity verification provided by iProov, Entrust and Inverid for SmartCheck will be replaced by Frontex’ pre-registration app, also featuring iProov face biometrics and Inverid document scanning.OpenAI is joining the AI agent market with the launch of Operator, which it plans to integrate with ChatGPT in the future. Users could ask Operator to fill out forms on web pages or order their groceries, with relying parties using Sam Altman’s digital identity project, World, to differentiate bots from people with proof of personhood.Not to be left behind as AI agents take off, Humanity Protocol has raised $20 million at a $1.1 billion valuation and also launched an incentive program for signups to its testnet with OKX Wallet. Humanity Protocol has also partnered with blockchain education network Open Campus to offer privacy-focused verifications through its verifiable credential framework.Large language model (LLM) DeepSeek was built by a Chinese startup for a fraction of the cost and resources that American firms have poured into AI, through a combination of open-source code, vast quantities of data, innovation and possibly copyright infringement. The implications for data privacy and cybersecurity are subjects of speculation and concern.Biometric software, tracking devices and big data analytics are among the technologies the U.S. federal government has already sunk $7.8 billion into for immigration control, before the current administration’s crackdown even gets underway. Rights advocacy groups warn that everyone’s civil liberties are eroded by the use of these technologies to identify a particular group, and comprehensive guidelines and essential policies and procedures to protect society are absent.Malaysia will offer a super-app as the platform for its national digital identity ecosystem, with a proof of concept launching during the first quarter of this year. The MyDigital ID Superapp will run on blockchain and include a digital wallet, and will not store any personal data during transactions.The relationship between the banking and payments ecosystem and digital ID continues to evolve, with the promise that each can make the other easier. ConnectID has reached a customer milestone and Visa pitches a “mutually reinforcing relationship” in a white paper. Digital financial services can hinge on access to digital ID or help with it, as an alternative to combinations like ID.me’s video chat identity proofing and reusable credentials.Infineon has purchased a bulk order of sensors from Fingerprint Cards following the certification of their joint biometric payment card solution by Visa. Japan is the latest payment card market entered by Idex Biometrics, through a partnership with a qualified issuer of Visas and Mastercards. Zwipe is holding an emergency meeting after a ruling that it must pay Idex more cash than it has on hand.Facial recognition is legally equivalent to an anonymous informant in most of the world, including Cleveland, Ohio. Police there used it to secure a warrant in a recent murder investigation anyway, and despite the match documentation from Clearview AI clearly stating its legal status, with the predictable result of dismissal for their court case against the suspect.The UK’s plan for mDLs to be used for retail age assurance is being welcomed by a convenience store trade group, and a high-profile multiple murder case is serving as an example of why more age checks are needed. Yoti is early to the new use case, while UK-based ITL reports it made inroads to the North American market at NRF.BixeLab has completed onboarding as the first laboratory accredited by MOSIP for biometric device testing for certification to the MACP. BixeLab helped MOSIP develop the program, and biometric devices from IriTech and Thales were certified in one of the latter stages of that process.A legal change to make civil registration more accessible to millions of people in Cameroon is taking shape, with major legislation signed at the end of December. A woman struggling to access services, a senior lawmaker and an official with the National Civil Registration Office explain the situation and the dramatic improvement hoped for from the new law to Biometric Update.Please let us know about any interviews, blog posts or other content you think we should share with the people in biometrics and the digital identity community, with a comment below or a social media mention.

Payments and identity converging in digital wallets-Jan 31, 2025, 3:45 pm EST    | Chris Burt

Digital wallets tend to be designed primarily for digital IDs or online payments, but as the applications are related, applying wallets designed for one use to the other is a growing trend. The trend has some observers excited over the prospect that the advantages each capability provides to the other will spur the kind of adoption and scaling that digital wallet advocates have long been seeking.A white paper published by the EUDI Wallet Consortium (EWC) in late-2024 outlines the complexity of extending digital identity wallets to payments.Digital wallets can provide “a new defensive line against exploding payment fraud,” make customer authentication easier and more trusted, and enable the delegation of payments to other people, or soon, AI agents, Customer Futures argues.A blog post published by Fime shortly after the EWC’s white paper argues that in addition to the strong customer authentication benefits, the ability for people to share other attributes through digital identity wallets are a major advantage. Age assurance is one example of a process that can be carried out without requiring a dedicated step. EUDI Wallets and the digital euro could make cross-border payments more secure and efficient, Fime says.“Undoubtedly, the digital identity wallet will become a pivotal part of our daily activities, reshaping how we manage payments and interact online,” the post says. “While our exploration has focused on the European Union’s progress and regulatory framework, it serves primarily as an illustrative case. Similar digital identity advancements are unfolding across the globe.”Mattr CPO Luke McIntyre notes in an article on his company’s site that “The payments and identity sectors have long operated as critical, yet distinct, pillars of digital interactions,” but argues their shared foundations and mutual benefits could potentially unlocking trillions of dollars in value.The Identity and Payments Summit being hosted by the Secure Technology Alliance next month in San Diego will bring together stakeholders from both sides of the digital wallet ecosystem, McIntyre notes, “to deepen the dialogue” and move towards “a future where payments and identity systems work hand in hand to redefine digital trust.”Apple’s angle-Apple Pay popularized the smartphone as a secure transactional device, but Apple Wallet’s primary use case will soon be sharing Apple ID, David Birch writes in his latest newsletter.Digital wallets are already involved in nearly a third of global point-of-sale transactions, and half of those online, he says.Birch worked as a consultant on efforts by banks and telcos to create global mobile payment infrastructure, so he knew they would not be able to reach an agreement on who’s in charge, leaving the field open for Apple. Despite its gains, however, 9 in 10 iPhone users who could use Apple Pay currently do not.The proliferation of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) in the U.S. and elsewhere aligns neatly with Apple’s vision for using digital wallets beyond payments, and even patents Apple holds for keyless car unlocking.Apple’s digital wallet, therefore, may soon be more of a replacement for the ID cards held in physical wallets, and the car keys held in another pocket or a purse, than for payment cards.The EWC, meanwhile, continues to work on enabling payments with a pair of requests for comments on payment wallet attestation and payment data confirmation.

Deepfake detection platform Deduce acquired by Cheq-Jan 31, 2025, 3:27 pm EST    | Masha Borak

Deduce, a platform designed to detect AI-generated identity fraud, has been acquired by cybersecurity company Cheq as part of its strategy to strengthen its anti-fraud abilities. The company did not disclose the value of the deal.New York-headquartered Deduce is the company behind the Deduce Identity Graph for cyber risk and fraud which captures activity on more than 185 million weekly active users to assess their identity. The data is used to detect AI-generated identities at account opening and within customer databases, including synthetic personas with convincing documents, biometrics and credit histories.“By integrating trust scores with context-specific detection and defense, we are addressing the critical question: ‘Is this a real person, and are they who they claim to be?’,” says Ari Jacoby, co-founder and CEO of Deduce.The startup claims 99.5 percent accuracy in identity assessment. The firm completed its US$9 million Series B funding round led by Freestyle Capital in 2023.Tel Aviv, Israel-based Cheq plans to integrate Deduce’s technology into its own products.The Tiger Global-backed company helps businesses to prevent invalid traffic on their websites driven by malicious sources that can cause revenue losses, such as click farms, botents and fraudsters. An e-commerce site, for instance, can use its technology to exclude invalid users from their paid marketing campaigns.Cheq has been on a merger and acquisition spree which aside from Deduce includes ClickCease and Ensighten. The latest acquisition is designed to boost its capabilities in preventing emerging and sophisticated fraud.“By merging Deduce’s cutting-edge identity fraud prevention with Cheq’s context-specific go-to-market security platform, we are the only cybersecurity solution equipped to protect the entire customer journey now and through every digital evolution to come,” says Guy Tytunovich, the company’s co-founder and CEO.Cheq says its protecting the businesses of 15,000 companies and lists clients such as Angi, Zscaler, S&P Global and The George Washington University.

Clearview fights to give away 23% of facial recognition business-Jan 31, 2025, 2:26 pm EST    | Chris Burt

A U.S. district judge has heard arguments for and against approving the unusual settlement agreement struck in a biometric data privacy lawsuit between Clearview AI and plaintiffs last June. There is some doubt as to whether the settlement will be approved, MLex reports.The agreement would grant plaintiffs a 23 percent stake in Clearview, one for each attorney general from 22 states and the District of Columbia who are opposing it. The AGs are acting as Amici in the case.District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman appears inclined to agree with points made on each side, according to MLex. Johnson noted during a Thursday hearing that “There has been a lot of work and a lot of effort by a lot of people — a lot of eyes on this.” She also expressed sympathy for those arguing that Clearview’s opt-out policy, which requires users to submit a facial photo to have their images removed from Clearview’s facial recognition database, is problematic.“But you understand the concern,” she said. “They have to put their face into the system, to keep their face out of the system.”Several people from the class told Johnson they do not want to accept equity from the company, arguing that an inventive to hope the company succeeds commercially contradicts their aims. Bankrupting Clearview would be preferable, they argue.“Clearview plainly lacked and lacks sufficient funds for a meaningful settlement and was likely to be bankrupted by its costs of litigation alone,” plaintiffs wrote in filing quoted by MLex ahead of Thursday’s hearing.Clearview Representative James Thompson described the company’s finances as those of a startup with revenue, but “not enough revenue to explode yet.”A plaintiffs lawyer told Johnson that the 23 percent figure compares favorably to totals paid to settle Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) claims by Google (0.1 percent of its value) and Meta (1 percent).In contrast, 23 percent of Clearview, at an estimated $225 million valuation, would yield $31 million for the settlement class, once the attorneys and named plaintiffs have received their cut.Vermont Assistant Attorney General Sarah Aceves says that state’s unsuccessful attempt to sue Clearview might not be its last.

Border projects see criticism on data sharing transparency-Jan 31, 2025, 2:02 pm EST    | Masha Borak

While governments and the travel industry continue to introduce new biometric technologies to border crossing, the lack of regulation and transparency on data privacy could make travelers wary and usurp plans to introduce innovation.The latest examples of these issues come from Switzerland, Canada the U.S., and the European Union, showing that transparency is an issue even in countries with highly developed awareness of data privacy.Swiss airports are hoping to expand facial recognition systems beyond passport control and are pushing for legislative changes which critics say may endanger data privacy.Currently, travelers to Zurich Airport can choose an automated biometric lane for passport checks by scanning their faces at e-gates. In the future, however, Swiss airports want to systematically record passengers with cameras and identify them using facial recognition – during check-in, baggage drop-off and boarding.The federal government is currently working on revising the Aviation Act to allow the expansion of facial recognition, including their use by private companies. Critics, however, are arguing that this opens the possibility that airlines from countries with lacking data protection regimes could access sensitive biometric data from Swiss citizens, according to local news outlet Saldo.According to emails from the Zurich Airport to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the airport wants to use biometric facial recognition to “measure and analyze waiting times, passenger flows, and travel times.” Another proposal is using facial recognition for commercial services such as shops and accessing the airport’s WiFI – which Zurich Airport has denied.Aerosuisse, the umbrella organization of Swiss airports and airlines, is also hoping to “circumvent” the country’s data protection laws to process biometric data even without the travelers’ consent, per Saldo. According to Swiss legislation, capturing facial images requires consent.Canada and US expand collection of immigration data-In the U.S. and Canada, the drive to expand data collection on border checks is being driven by an increasingly rocky relationship between the two neighbors. Legal experts are criticizing a new agreement that expands the collection of travelers’ biographical and biometric data.The agreement is an update to the 2012 Beyond the Border Action Plan, which enabled automatic sharing of non-residents’ data during visa applications. In October, the Canadian government also added permanent residents to the list, allowing the sharing of information such as date of birth, immigration status and facial images. The new rule came into effect this month and According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the update was designed to reduce fraud and improve border security. However, lawyers such as Mario Bellissimo say that the agreement was made without external consultation or a privacy and algorithmic impact assessment, despite its potential to affect millions of people.“I think we can and must do much better at rolling out these technologies and legal processes in 2025. This is nowhere near international standards,” says Bellissimo, principal attorney at Bellissimo Law Group and former chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s immigration law section. The lack of assessment makes it difficult to parse which biometric and biographic data will be collected, he adds.IRCC responded that “automated immigration information sharing is undertaken in accordance with each country’s immigration and privacy laws,” adding that the agreement between Canada and the U.S. adheres to strict privacy provisions. The government agency also provided a list of data that can be shared.U.S.-based immigration lawyer Len Saunders added that the agreement has the potential to be a sovereignty issue, especially given the rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Canadian Bar Association National Magazine reports.President Trump has been threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian goods if the country does not secure borders against irregular migrants and illegal drugs. In response, Canada has promised to introduce new security measures, including more surveillance.EU’s lack of transparency draws criticism-Switzerland and North America are just the latest example of a long tradition of lacking communication between agencies in charge of border controls and travelers. Over the past years, the EU has been facing calls to release more information on Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe border security projects.One of the projects navigating concerns around transparency and governance is border security platform Odysseus. Digital rights group Algorithm Watch has reported that Odysseus has so far made only one public deliverable accessible despite the project involving potentially controversial technologies.The experimental system integrates with legacy systems like AFIS, ABIS, and EES to calculate risk scores for passengers and vehicles and detect identity fraud, smuggling and human trafficking. Its two crucial components are cargo screening technologies and smartphone-based verification.The core of the platform lies in its data collection and management – travelers send identity and other travel-relevant data before their journey, according to the Border Security Report journal.Before reaching the border, travelers download a mobile app to citizens to verify their identity through an ePassport with a high level of Assurance based on eIDAS. The app relies on Optical Character Recognition (OCR), NFC chip reading, AI liveness detection, face detection and matching. The passport is stored in the smartphone as a mobile passport alongside other certificates such as visas.After the travelers reach the border, they are scanned with thermal cameras to assess their anxiety and stress levels. High-resolution cameras perform face recognition and license plate recognition. An X-Ray scans for potential illegal goods while Faceless Person Counting solution measures the number of people in the vehicle.All of this is sent to the Odysseus platform which generates a risk score which is then used to decide whether a vehicle should be examined or not.Odysseus is currently being trialed on the Balkan peninsula. In December, participants of the Odysseus project shared the most recent news during a webinar. The initiative is currently ongoing legal analysis and risk-level categorization, they said.

EWC brings update on EUDI Wallet pilots-Jan 31, 2025, 1:51 pm EST    | Masha Borak

The European Union is currently conducting four Large-Scale Pilots (LSPs) which will lay down the foundation of the future EU Digital Identity Wallet.  The pilots are designed to test the wallet in a wide range of use cases.One of the consortiums involved in the pilots is the EU Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC). Kickstarted by Finish and Swedish government agencies, the project was assigned by the European Commission to develop use cases for travel, payments and organizational digital identity.EWC, however, has been leveraging innovation from European startups: It now gathers more than 80 participating organizations, including Visa, Digidentity, Amadeus Finnair and Yubico.“I think one of the differences with the EWC is that we very much have a public-private focus of the consortium,” says David Magård, EWC Coordinator and senior advisor to the Swedish Business Registry.The consortium has been focused on the remote use of the wallet, Magård explained during a webinar showcasing the EUDI Wallet pilots’ progress last week.One of the important aspects of the EUDI Wallet is that the regulation for it is being developed while the pilots are still running. And the regulation, standards and surrounding Europe’s goal to provide each of its residents a digital wallet by 2026 is complex.At the base of it is the eIDAS regulation but many more moving parts are involved. The Architecture Reference Framework (ARF) is the basis for the reference implementation of the project which enables the pilots. It is currently being viewed as guidance at the consortium even though it’s not mandatory.“We use it at membership levels, but the real regulation will come through the implementing Acts, where we will be guided much more clearly on what to do with the wallet,” adds Magård.The main objective of the pilots is to identify the legal, technical or user experience gaps in that complex ecosystem. This is used to provide feedback and potentially influence the implementation guidelines, the reference frameworks and the technical stacks of the EUDI Wallet, according to Laurent Loup, senior product manager at Swiss company Sicpa.The EWC consortium is divided into four units, including one dedicated to travel and payment use cases.“Payments are obviously one of the very important mechanisms for ensuring adoption,” says Loup. “So one of the first focuses was on the strong customer authentication feature on the wallets.”EWC, however, has also found that enabling the EUDI Wallet to integrate with existing payment ecosystems and deliver new payment services is more complex than it sounds.Many industries require compliance with identification and identity document verification regulations and the consortium has been trying to assess the ecosystem of identity attributes available. The EWC has been testing a travel scenario that has been divided into three phases with the first phase results already available. The second phase is about to be launched, adds Loup.Another aspect of the EUDI Wallet is organizational digital identity (ODI), sometimes called legal Person Identification Data (LPID) which simply means identity for legal entities. The consortium has been trying to define and develop LPID)attributes and other organizational credentials, notes Andriana Prentza, a professor at the Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus (UPRC).“It is important to stress here that also for organizations, from large enterprises to SMEs, the need for identity cross border is huge. Therefore we need an interoperable ecosystem,” says Prentza.To ensure interoperability, the organization has been relying on Request for Comments (RFCs), specifications that take an opinionated stand on the standards and protocols that apply to wallet providers, issuers and verifiers.Adding a digital identity layer for legal persons provides added value with services such as procurement and verification of attributes needed to conduct business. The consortium has been working with business registries, building on existing infrastructure to introduce new ways of digital authentication. One example that EWC has been piloting is public procurement, including the European single procurement document (ESPD).The second objective is to deliver credentials related to personal identification data (PID) for natural persons by member states, Prentza adds.EWC issues more RFCs-The EWC plans to hold more webinars in the future that will break down its work. Meanwhile, the consortium announced last week it has reached a critical milestone in its Large-Scale Pilot by releasing the EWC Request for Comments (RFC) version 2.2, designed to streamline payment processes.The two RFCs include Payment Wallet Attestation v1.1, i.e. enhancements to the attestation protocols that support wallet-banking integration, particularly in Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), and Payment Data Confirmation v1.0 A brand-new specification providing a standardized approach for wallets to confirm payment data with issuers and relying parties.Another RFC dedicated to document signing with the EUDI Wallet was released earlier this month.

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No longer taking phone calls? An AI assistant or liveness detection could help-Firms pursue deepfake detection, while others suggest giving AI agents robot voices-Jan 31, 2025, 1:15 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

If some among us have stopped picking up the phone because of scam calls, it’s understandable, as voice deepfakes make it increasingly hard to figure out if there’s a real person on the other end of the line.Deepfake detection is booming, but so is Gen AI-assisted fraud, and the effort to find an airtight anti-deepfake solution is ongoing. Tools like defensive AI and liveness detection can help – though some think it’s time to make robots sound more like robots to begin with.‘Managing phone calls has become increasingly challenging’: Hiya-Seattle-based voice security services provider Hiya has released Hiya AI Phone, an AI call assistant mobile app. A release says the app screens phone calls, protects users from scams, and takes notes during calls.The firm says its data shows Americans spend an average of 40 minutes each month screening 13 unwanted spam calls. It also found that in 2024, one in three Americans received at least one deepfake scam call, with 34 percent of those targeted losing an average of $7,200.Hiya AI Phone literally works like a digital secretary: it answers unknown calls, asks callers to state their name and purpose, and evaluates whether to connect them to you. Its intelligent call screening can detect synthetic voices, continuously analyzes call audio in real-time, and sends alerts if it identifies potential scams. And it transcribes calls and takes notes.“Hiya AI Phone represents a groundbreaking evolution in how people interact with their phones,” says Hiya CEO and founder Alex Algard. “For years, phone apps have stagnated, offering little innovation since their introduction on smartphones. The launch of Hiya AI Phone changes that by introducing the first call assistant purpose-built to navigate today’s challenging call landscape – dominated by robocalls, spam, deepfake scams, and other interruptions.”Last year, Hiya acquired Loccus.ai, a company specializing in deepfake voice detection systems. That acquisition enabled the rebrand to Hiya AI voice detection, and integrate the deepfake voice software into its AI app.Hiya AI Phone is free to download for Android and iPhone users.On-device deepfake detection from LG Uplus to be integrated into AI agentLG Uplus and Pindrop are among firms mustering against the audio deepfake threat. Maeil Business Newspaper reports that LG Uplus recently announced the development of a “voice anti-spoofing (fake voice discrimination)” tool that generates unique voiceprints. It is to be integrated into an AI call agent called Exio within the first half of this year.LG’s contribution to security is that the tool operates in an “on-device environment that does not separately transmit voice information to a server.” It claims LG Uplus is “the first in the world to develop and commercialize voice anti-spoofing technology with on-device technology.”Detection capabilities mean that even if a particular person speaks beyond voiceprint recognition, or the speed, accent, and tone are different, the system remains effective.“Our AI can detect fake voices even during real-time phone calls,” says Park Ji-woong, head of speech technology at LG Uplus, claiming an accuracy rate of over 95 percent.Pindrop Pulse liveness detection addresses synthetic voice problem-Pindrop, meanwhile, says the key for flagging audio deepfakes involves a layered approach that includes liveness detection.A blog post from the company says primitive types of synthetic voice techniques like generative adversarial networks (GANs) and auto-encoders can be easily recognized as unnatural, but more advanced models based on neural networks present a bigger challenge.WaveNet, a technique developed by Google DeepMind, “uses neural networks to produce high-quality speech by predicting waveforms.” Text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis “transforms written text into speech while adjusting elements like speed, pitch, and tone to make the voice sound natural.”Future-proofing against deepfake impersonation means “adopting advanced detection technologies and fostering an adaptive and layered security approach that grows alongside the threat landscape.”Audio deepfake detection tools, multi-factor authentication (MFA) for voice-based systems such as behavioral analysis or device-based authentication, and cloud-based AI systems that enable near real-time data analysis at scale can all help shore up defenses.Want to solve deepfakes? Turn AI into a paranoid android-Deepfake detection, say some, is all well and good – but what if we made it much easier, by requiring AI to sound like a droid from Forbidden Planet?IEEE Spectrum has an article on “a simple way to identify who, or what, is talking to us.” The piece argues that “AIs and robots should sound robotic.”“You can’t just label AI-generated speech,” say authors Barath Raghavan and Bruce Schneier. “It will come in many different forms. So we need a way to recognize AI that works no matter the modality. It needs to work for long or short snippets of audio, even just a second long. It needs to work for any language, and in any cultural context. At the same time, we shouldn’t constrain the underlying system’s sophistication or language complexity.”Their answer? A ring modulator – a device that takes two audio signals and processes them into one output signal to produce an oscillating sound. Before digital audio workstations, it was how sound designers made voices sound robotic. Think the Daleks from classic Doctor Who (which used 30 Hz ring modulation).Making it mandatory to apply a ring modulator to synthetic voices, they say, “is computationally simple, can be applied in real-time, does not affect the intelligibility of the voice, and – most importantly – is universally ‘robotic sounding’ because of its historical usage for depicting robots.”“Responsible AI companies that provide voice synthesis or AI voice assistants in any form should add a ring modulator of some standard frequency (say, between 30-80 Hz) and of a minimum amplitude (say, 20 percent). That’s it. People will catch on quickly.”

Anonybit brings decentralized biometric platform to NayaOne Tech Marketplace-Jan 31, 2025, 1:06 pm EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

Anonybit has joined a network of Fintech vendors to better connect with those who might want to test its decentralized biometric identity platform.NayaOne’s Tech Marketplace enables “low-risk experimentation” of Anonybit’s decentralized biometric identity platform as NayaOne’s platform helps both banks and vendors accelerate innovation and bring solutions to market more efficiently, according to the B2B enterprise technology adoption platform.“Our solution harnesses a new class of privacy-enhancing technologies to revolutionize identity management, eliminating centralized honeypots and outdated practices like passwords,” said Frances Zelazny, Anonybit co-founder and CEO. “Given its novel approach, banks often want to test the platform before committing to a full deployment.”Zelazny said NayaOne’s Sandbox Platform allows financial institutions to easily test how Anonybit can be used to prevent duplicate identities, manage blocklists, secure ACH and wire transfers, among other features.“By bringing Anonybit’s cutting-edge decentralized biometric platform into the NayaOne Tech Marketplace, we’re enabling our customers to quickly experiment with the latest capabilities around strong authentication and adopt solutions that redefine identity management across a range of enterprise use cases,” said Karan Jain, CEO of NayaOne.Last April, Zelazny along with AuthenticID founder and president Blair Cohen spoke with Biometric Update about privacy-centric biometric authentication, revealing the range of ways that decentralized data storage can work and their relative advantages and disadvantages.

Passkeys gain traction with adoptions by Naver in SK, CityUHK in Hong Kong-Rapid passkey adoption, FIDO2 standards help Bitwarden surpass 10M users-Jan 31, 2025, 11:24 am EST    | Joel R. McConvey

Passkeys continue to gain momentum in the push for mainstream adoption of passwordless technology. Cited by many as a trend to watch in 2025, passkey predictions are already bearing out with deployments in South Korea and Hong Kong.Naver offers passkey authentication with face or finger biometrics-Passkeys have arrived in South Korea in a big way, with major online platform Naver introducing a passkey login option.Korea Bizwire reports that Naver’s platform, which offers a similar suite of services as Google and has more than 42 million registered accounts, now allows users to authenticate for login using facial recognition or fingerprints instead of passwords. The biometrics are stored on a user’s device, to allow for easy repeat login that eliminates the need to enter passwords.For now, Passkey Login is only available on PC and mobile web, but Naver plans to expand the biometrics program to its mobile app in the first half of 2025.The move is reportedly driven by a desire to offer more security and convenience, and it is not Naver’s first move to address privacy concerns. The company’s Privacy Enhancement Reward (PER) program, a first-of-its-kind initiative rewards users who report vulnerabilities or privacy-related issues. In 2024, the company received 268 reports, of which 91 received rewards.CityUHK accounts linked to iAM Smart platform for passwordless login-City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is looking to transition to passwordless login. A blog notice from the institution says that as of November 2024, CityUHK users registered for an iAM Smart account – Hong Kong’s personalized digital services platform – can link it to their CityUHK accounts for more convenient login.That means CityUHK users can access a variety of government services with one biometric login.Per the blog, CityUHK is the first institution in Hong Kong to implement iAM Smart within its authentication framework. “Through the integration of iAM Smart and the CityUHK SSO platform, users can log in to systems such as AIMS, Canvas, or Microsoft 365 using their Face ID or fingerprint on their mobile phones.”Bitwarden gains 10M users as daily passkey creation grows 550%Bitwarden, a large provider of login management tools, notes in a release how trends in passwordless authentication spurred “significant growth and product innovation in 2024.”The year saw a 550 percent growth in daily passkey creation from 2023 to 2024, with nearly 1.1 million passkeys created in the final quarter alone. It also saw Bitwarden surpass 10 million users and expand its reach to over 180 countries. The company now supports over 50,000 business customers worldwide.Bitwarden credits those numbers in part to enhanced passkey capabilities and rapid passkey adoption. Users and enterprises can now create, store and manage passkeys within user vaults, enable passkey-based two-factor authentication (2FA), integrate passkeys with SSO solutions, and more.“Advancements in open standards like FIDO2 and WebAuthn have supported this growth, enabling streamlined logins and mitigating risks from phishing and password reuse,” it says. “Today, over 15 billion online platforms are passkey-enabled, double last year’s figures. Bitwarden has helped accelerate this industry shift through collaborations with the FIDO Alliance to develop passkey portability specs, and with Microsoft to integrate passkeys into Windows 11.”Microsoft leaned hard into passkeys in 2024, declaring the end of the password era. Reporting 7,000 blocked password attacks per second, the company stated its intention to transition a billion users to passkeys, saying “our ultimate goal is to remove passwords completely and have accounts that only support phishing-resistant credentials.”

Greece: digital wallet ticketing system deemed success in measure to curb violent fan behavior-Jan 31, 2025, 11:20 am EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

An initiative designed to curb violent fan behavior has been declared a success by Greek officials.The digital ID system has seen more than 1.01 million tickets identified, with nearly three-quarters in football and the rest in basketball, reports a local publication. The digital entrance system allows entry to stadiums, both in the football Super League and Basketball League, and enables the clear identification of who enters the stadia.More than 1,000,000 tickets for football and basketball games have been identified through Gov.gr Wallet, our digital wallet,” said the Digital Governance minister. “This is clear proof that citizens have fully understood how the digital stadium entry system works,” Papastergiou claimed.The measure was announced last February by Alternate Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutis and Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou. The system was implemented in April for soccer and in September for basketball last year.The use of the digital entrance system was aimed to upgrade security in stadiums and was part of measures to combat disorderly and violent fan behavior during games. In Greece, football was played without fans in stadiums for several weeks early last year due to violent crowd incidents, one of which resulted in the death of a police officer.There are other benefits to the digital system. Since last October, Greek citizens have been able to transfer soccer or basketball season tickets via the digital wallet if they’re digitally authenticated to another person. The application can also read a Greek citizen’s passport and the NFC chip it contains, which is relevant to fans who reside permanently abroad. In addition, it’s possible to change a minor’s escort within the platform.Football authorities in other European countries, such as Italy and Spain, are planning to deploy technologies like facial recognition in response to violent behavior during matches. The use of biometric authentication is a growing phenomenon in event ticketing.

Cameroon, Gabon, Uganda tackle biometric voter registers’ integrity, engagement-Jan 31, 2025, 10:15 am EST    | Ayang Macdonald

Authorities in three sub-Saharan African nations are preparing for and carrying out biometric voter registration in anticipation of elections within the next year. Cameroon’s elections authority is planning to improve the consistency of quality of the biometrics captured for the voter register through staff training, while officials in Gabon’s transition government are urging citizens to sign up for the electoral roll, and Uganda’s government says identity verification by security forces is necessary to ensure the integrity of the national voter register.Cameroon plans to train voter enrollment staff for better biometrics capture-There are reports that Cameroon’s elections management body (ELECAM) has a project in the pipeline to retrain its voter enrollment personnel to better capture the biometrics of registrants on the field.This plan was discussed during a board meeting of ELECAM last month, local news portal Stopblablacam reports.The outlet quotes unnamed internal sources at ELECAM as saying that the plan falls within the broader objective of the agency to improve voter registration figures, while also ensuring that biometrics such as fingerprints and facial images are correctly captured in order to reduce rejection rates.Cameroon launched its 2025 annual biometric voter registration cycle on January 6, with ELECAM stating that they intend to have at least eight million names in the voter register before the exercise ends in the next few months.The launch of the voter registration exercise came on the heels of accusations from opposition politician, Prof Maurice Kamto, that thousands of Cameroonians had their names expunged from the national voter register during a clean-up of the database in December as a result of rejected fingerprints.About 12,000 registered voters were said to be affected by this problem, which Kamto felt was a scheme by the government to keep out potential opposition voters. ELECAM later said it would take measures to remedy the situation.The opposition in Cameroon has always held that ELECAM doesn’t function as independently as it should.It is believed that many of the ineligible fingerprints may have been a result of poor capture, also given the ageing nature of the biometric registration gear deployed. Some of the registration kits have been around and in use by ELECAM since 2012.In 2024, Cameroon registered over 755,000 new potential voters.Gabon encourages citizens to enroll as deadline nears-In a related biometric registration development from neighbouring Gabon, the country’s transitional leader has mobilized some government ministers to support the voter registration exercise in the country.The move comes after a ministerial cabinet meeting chaired by transitional leader Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema convened the electorate of the presidential election for April 12.VOA reports that as part of efforts to get many Gabonese register for the elections, top public servants, including cabinet ministers, have been dispatched to various localities of the country to whip up interest in the exercise.Launched early this month, the biometric voter registration in Gabon is due to end on January 31.The government says it expects around 300,000 new potential voters to enroll on the electoral register before the deadline elapses.Security forces criticized for involvement in Uganda voter registration-In Uganda, there is an ongoing process to update the national biometric voter register, and security forces are reported to be significantly involved in the process.While members of the public have called out the government over the heavy presence of security forces in the exercise, the government has justified the move, The Observer reports.According to information, community security structures are playing a key role in the verification process of potential voters.Critics say the move could breed political interference, but the Chairperson to the Electoral Commission, Stephen Byabakama, holds that it is a necessary step to prevent non-citizens from enrolling on the voter register.Aliens holding Ugandan ID cards or passports is a very common phenomenon in the country.The official explained that while the security agencies play an important role in the verification process, the electoral commission is the body with the final say on all related matters.Uganda is preparing to launch a nationwide ID registration and renewal processes which target a combined 32 million people.

GenAI fueling employee impersonation with biometric spoofs and counterfeit ID fraud-Jan 30, 2025, 5:47 pm EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

A new report on the state of identity fraud has revealed the startling statistic that half of businesses in North America have reported growth in deepfake and AI-generated fraud.The annual AuthenticID report underlines the surging wave of AI-powered identity fraud, with rising biometric spoofs and counterfeit ID fraud attempts. The 2025 State of Identity Fraud Report also looks at how identity verification tactics and technology innovations are tackling the problem.“In 2024, we saw just how sophisticated fraud has now become: from deepfakes to sophisticated counterfeit IDs, generative AI has changed the identity fraud game,” said Blair Cohen, AuthenticID founder and president.“It’s clear from our data and surveys that businesses may not even know the extent of the fraud they’re allowing to pass through their systems — making both vigilance and action crucial in 2025,” he continued.AuthenticID detected 42 percent more fake IDs and suspicious biometric transactions processed through its verification system year-over-year, in 2024, whilst its annual report documents that 68 percent of businesses have encountered workforce-related fraud, with impersonation of an employee as the most common fraud type.“In 2025, businesses should embrace the mentality to ‘think like a hacker’ to combat new cyber threats,” said Chris Borkenhagen, chief digital officer and information security officer at AuthenticID. “Staying ahead of evolving strategies such as AI deepfake-generated documents and biometrics, emerging technologies, and bad actor account takeover tactics are crucial in protecting your business, safeguarding data, and building trust with customers.”Those interested can download the full report from AuthenticID here.Deepfakes hitting across the globe-Brazil’s Banco Daycoval will be facing off against the growing challenge of deepfake-based identity fraud with a new partnership.Based in the Netherlands, DuckDuckGoose has made its name in offering AI-driven deepfake detection, and its services will be employed by the Brazilian financial institution.“Banco Daycoval’s leadership and proactive approach is demonstrating exceptional vigilance in addressing today’s most sophisticated fraud threats,” commented Parya Lotfi, CEO of DuckDuckGoose.Banco Daycoval is integrating DuckDuckGoose’s DeepDetector solution into its Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, to detect deepfakes in real time and improve the efficiency of  verification. It comes as digital identity fraud is surging around the world.Face biometric verification company iProov has identified the Philippines as a particular hotspot for digital identity fraud, with corresponding need for financial institutions and consumers to be vigilant.“There is a massive increase at the moment in terms of identity fraud against systems using generative AI in particular and deepfakes,” said iProove chief technology officer Dominic Forrest.Speaking to BusinessWorld, Forrest explained that the major increase in the use of deepfakes, to attempt to “spoof the identity of customers,” occurs both at time when the account is opened and therefore when the identity is created, and also later on when attempts are made to overtake well-established accounts “where trust in the customer is high.”Forrest says the use of national identity cards in the Philippines, similar to Singapore, could protect against these kinds of attacks, while the Southeast Asian country’s central bank (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) has already implemented cybersecurity-related regulations.“The Philippines is fortunate enough to have a regulator who is very forward-thinking in the terms of the rules they’re putting in place to protect the banks and the customers, or indeed, for the banks to do this in advance of the regulator,” he said.It’s certainly a global issue as digital identity fraud trends across Africa were investigated by identity verification vendor Smile ID in a comprehensive new report.The 2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report notes that “widespread adoption of biometric verification over traditional textual methods has significantly strengthened fraud prevention, driving the overall fraud rate during KYC checks down to 25 percent in 2024.”However, the report observes the ongoing evolution of attack methods targeting biometric systems and emergence of newer techniques; these were tracked from anonymised data from over 110 million identity verification checks conducted by Smile ID across Central, East, West, and Southern Africa in 2024, which revealed “significant” regional variations in fraud methods.“The future of fraud prevention lies in adaptability,” said Mark Straub, Smile ID CEO. “While AI provides fraudsters with powerful new tools, it also helps security practitioners harness global intelligence to counter zero-day attacks and automate processes that were once manual.”

Nepal integrates national ID with digital govt app to expand public service access-Jan 30, 2025, 5:46 pm EST    | Ayang Macdonald

The Nepalese government recently integrated the national ID system with a digital government application dubbed Nagarik App to enable expanded access to government services.The move, The Rising Nepal reports, is in line with the objective of government authorities to popularize the national ID and the App which was launched in 2021. The integration happened last week.The Nagarik App is a platform designed to enable citizens access various government service in a single place.The Director General of the Department of National ID, Yubaraj Katel, is quoted as saying that integration of the national ID and the App will play a vital role in securing citizens’ electronic data.Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting last week, the Director General of the Department of Information Technology, Ramesh Sharma Paudyal, said the integration will make it easier for Nepalese citizens to apply for various government service such as biometric passports.Already, there are about 61 public services which can be accessed following the national ID integration with the app. Other services include bank account opening, pensions, and social security allowances.Officials say the integration builds on a move initiated by the government last year to make the national ID mandatory for access to certain government services.This move faced a serious pushback from various quarters, including from lawmakers who said the government needed to do more to first increase adoption of the ID card.As a way of fighting the government decision, a petition was filed against it at the country’s Supreme Court by an Advocate, Ram Bahadur Raulsome, and other legal representatives.However, this month, the Court dismissed it, allowing the government to go ahead with its decision to make the national ID mandatory for social security payments and other public services.In a recent parliamentary committee meeting, lawmakers raised concerns related to delays in the implementation of the ID project, and also sought to get assurances about the data security architecture of the ID system.

Veridos celebrates 40M digital ID issuance milestone in Iraq-Jan 30, 2025, 5:45 pm EST    | Ayang Macdonald

German secure identity solutions provider Veridos says its longstanding partnership with the Iraqi government to modernize the country’s identity infrastructure and issue digital ID to all citizens has reached a landmark moment with more that 40 million digital IDs now issued.The partnership, the companied says, started back in 2013 when both parties established a working collaboration to “create a centralized electronic national civil register,” as indicated in a Veridos LinkedIn post.Since then, they have worked together to build a robust and scalable system which includes more than 320 operational offices for citizen registration, 95 percent digitization of family books for secure and long-term archiving, and the creation of a biometric database where data is securely stored.“We’re celebrating an exciting achievement: We are approaching the milestone of equipping all Iraqi citizens with their eID cards. This is a major step in modernizing identity management and securing the future of citizen services,” Veridos wrote in its post.“After issuing the first eID in 2015, the project reached the 1 million mark just one year later. By 2020, over 18 million eIDs had been rolled out. Until today, this number has more than doubled and now surpasses 40 million.”In 2018, Veridos built an identity document factory in Baghdad with the aim of enabling the production of digital IDs by the country independently.The digital ID issuance milestone, the partners say, underscores their determination to forge collaboration in an area which is vital for Iraq’s digital transformation progress.At now over 40 million digital IDs issued, Veridos says it can only continue to work to complete the project and to keep empowering Iraqi citizens with modern solutions that will make their lives better.The digital ID database on which the digital ID is anchored is vital for several government processes including voter registration which is currently underway in the country, ahead of parliamentary elections coming up later in the year.

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.

Iran unveils new ballistic missile that can reach Israel-President Pezeshkian attends unveiling of ‘Etemad,’ which has a maximum range of 1,700 kilometers, says it ‘aims to ensure that no country dares to attack Iranian territory’ By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 1:22 pm-FEB 2,25

Iran revealed a new ballistic missile on Sunday that it said was capable of traveling 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles), unveiling it in a Tehran ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian.State television broadcast images of the missile, dubbed Etemad, or “trust” in Persian, saying it was “the most recent ballistic missile” built by the Iranian defense ministry.Western countries have grown concerned over advances in Iran’s ballistic missile program, accusing it of destabilizing the Middle East.Iran’s missiles, including this newest design, are capable of reaching Israel, which it targeted twice last year as the Gaza war, started by Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas, spilled over. Both attacks, which involved hundreds of ballistic missiles, were largely thwarted by Israel’s air defense systems in cooperation with the US and its regional allies.“The development of defense capabilities and space technologies… aims to ensure that no country dares to attack Iranian territory,” Pezeshkian said in a televised address.The ceremony took place on Iran’s national aerospace day and a few days before the 46th anniversary of the creation of the Islamic Republic on February 10, 1979.????President Pezeshkian visited the latest ballistic missile, named 'Etemad,' which has a range of 1,700 kilometers. The missile, 16 meters long and 1.25 meters in diameter, carries a guided warhead until it reaches its target. pic.twitter.com/4WtLzapgJS— Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIran_official) February 2, 2025-Since the return of US President Donald Trump — who pursued a “maximum pressure” approach to Iran in his first term — Tehran has made multiple shows of force, including large-scale military exercises and the presentation of underground military bases.At the same time, Tehran has signaled its willingness to restart negotiations over its nuclear program, which has been the subject of tensions with Western countries for decades.During his first term, Trump pulled the US out of a nuclear pact between Iran and world powers that curbed its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, saying it did not go far enough to prevent Tehran from producing a weapon. Though Iran claims its program is peaceful, it has enriched uranium to levels that the UN’s atomic watchdog says are reached by countries seeking to make a bomb. In December, the UK, France, and Germany said there is no “credible civilian justification” for Iran’s enrichment.Iran has repeatedly vowed to destroy Israel. Israel sees a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has indicated it could act alone in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities if needed.Iran, which once sourced the majority of its military equipment from its then-ally the United States, has been forced to develop its own weaponry since Washington cut off ties and imposed sanctions in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Having been under an arms embargo during a devastating war with Iraq between 1980 and 1988, Iran now has a substantial arsenal of domestically developed weapons, including missiles, air defense systems, and drones.The new ballistic missile announcement came the day after Iran showed off a new underground missile facility on the south coast and two weeks after unveiling an underground naval base.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards unveil underground missile facility for naval warfare-State TV says base holds ‘hundreds of cruise missiles,’ which IRCG chief Salami asserts can ‘create hell for enemy vessels’By AFP 1 February 2025, 10:25 pm

The naval arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unveiled a new underground missile facility on the south coast in footage aired by state television Saturday, two weeks after unveiling an underground naval base.“Hundreds of cruise missiles capable of countering enemy destroyers’ electronic warfare are stationed in these underground cities,” the station said in its report.“The systems are being kept hundreds of meters underground and can be operational in a very short time,” it said, without giving an exact location of the base.“These systems and missiles can be armed and fired from hundreds of kilometers away and can hit targets far out at sea.”IRGC chief General Hossein Salami toured the base with naval arm commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri.The report also unveiled a new model of cruise missile dubbed Ghadr-380 which Tangsiri said had “anti-jamming capabilities” and a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles).He said the new missiles could “create hell for enemy vessels.”Last month, the Guards unveiled an underground naval base for assault boats operating in Iran’s southern waters, which include the Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.In early January, Iran’s armed forces began a series of exercises, dubbed Eqtedar (Might in Farsi), which are set to continue until mid-March.The drills have included naval maneuvers that saw the unveiling of an advanced reconnaissance ship as well as exercises on safeguarding Iran’s nuclear facilities from attack by Israel or the United States.The military exercises come as Iran waits to see what policy US President Donald Trump will follow in his second term.During his first term that ended in 2021, Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, withdrawing the United States from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, and reimposing biting sanctions.

Syria’s interim president heads to Saudi Arabia on first diplomatic trip-In what is likely a signal to Iran, former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa visits Riyadh in bid to rebuild ties with Gulf giant after years of Iranian dominance in Damascus By Jon Gambrell Today, 12:23 pm-FEB 2,25

DUBAI (AP) — Syria’s interim president made his first trip abroad Sunday, traveling to Saudi Arabia in a move likely trying to signal Damascus’s shift away from Iran as its main regional ally.Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaeda, traveled to Riyadh alongside his government’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani. A photo published by the state-run SANA news agency showed the two men on a jet, likely provided by the kingdom, with a Saudi flag visible on the table behind them.Saudi state television trumpeted the fact that the first trip by al-Sharaa, first known internationally by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, would make Riyadh his first destination.Saudi Arabia had been among the Arab nations that poured money into insurgent groups that tried to topple president Bashar al-Assad after Syria’s 2011 Arab Spring protests turned into a bloody crackdown. However, its groups found themselves beaten back as Assad, supported by Iran and Russia, fought the war into a stalemate in Syria.That changed with the December lightning offensive led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The group was once affiliated with al-Qaeda but has since renounced its former ties.Al-Sharaa and HTS have carefully managed their public image in the time since, with the interim president favoring an olive-colored military look similar to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, appointing women to roles and trying to maintain ties to Syria’s Christian and Shiite Alawite populations.That also includes keeping both Iran and Russia largely at arm’s length as well. Iran has yet to reopen its embassy in Damascus, which had been a key node in running operations through its self-described “Axis of Resistance,” including Assad’s Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and other partners.Russia meanwhile would like to maintain access to air and sea bases it has in Syria, but took in Assad when he fled Syria during the advance.Those moves appear aimed at reassuring the West and trying to get crippling sanctions lifted on Syria. Rebuilding the country after over a decade of war will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars, not to mention covering the needs of Syria’s people, millions of whom remain impoverished.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus in January and said Riyadh has been “actively engaging in dialogue” to lift sanctions on Syria. Saudi Arabia, unlike Al-Sharaa’s key allies in Turkey and Qatar, restored ties with Assad in 2023 alongside most of the Arab world. Getting sanctions lifted could go a long way in cementing their relationship.Meanwhile, Syria’s interim government still faces challenges from the Islamic State group and other militants in the country. On Saturday, a car bomb exploded in Manbij, a city in Syria’s Aleppo governorate, killing four civilians and wounding nine, SANA reported, citing civil defense officials.Turkish-backed Syrian rebels had seized Manbij in December, part of a push by Ankara to secure Syrian territory close to its border for a buffer zone.

IDF carries out 3 drone strikes in Jenin area; Palestinians say 4 dead, including teen-Military says strikes targeted armed terror operatives, including cell en route to carry out attack, amid ongoing offensive in northern West Bank By Emanuel Fabian-1 February 2025, 9:01 pm.

The Israeli military on Saturday carried out three drone strikes on terror operatives in the northern West Bank, with Palestinians reporting four people killed and several others wounded.The strikes came as the Israel Defense Forces expanded an ongoing counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank, now in its 12th day.One of the strikes, in the city of Qabatiya, near Jenin, targeted a car with two gunmen in it who were en route to carrying out an “imminent” attack, the Israel Defense Forces said.According to the IDF, secondary explosions were seen following the strike, indicating the presence of bombs in the vehicle.The strike killed terror operatives Salah Zakarneh and Abd al-Hadi Kamil (also identified as Abd Issam Alawneh), the IDF said, the latter of whom was previously detained by Israel and released in the November 2023 hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas.He was the fourth Palestinian released during that weeklong truce to have since been killed by Israel.Two additional drone strikes targeted groups of armed Palestinian terror operatives in Jenin on Saturday night, the army said.The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported two dead in one of the drone strikes in Jenin, including a 14-year-old boy.Two other people were also taken to a hospital after being wounded in the Jenin attack, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.????Jenin-The first moments after the occupation aircraft targeted a group of Palestinians inside the eastern neighborhood of Jenin.pic.twitter.com/v4Zvoe8Ydo— not????ioran (@imnotcioran) February 1, 2025-The strikes came amid a major counter-terrorism operation in the northern West Bank.The ongoing IDF offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, has primarily focused on the city and refugee camp of Jenin but also expanded to Tulkarem last week and to the town of Tamun late Saturday.Troops of the Bislamach Brigade — the IDF’s School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders in peacetime — entered the town overnight, and located several weapons, the military said Sunday.Last week, a drone strike in Tamun killed 10 Palestinian terror operatives.Visiting Jenin Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed the IDF would remain in the camp even after the military operation there, “to ensure terror does not return.”The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there.Since then troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas. According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 858 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.There has also been a significant uptick in settler violence against Palestinians since the start of the war.During the same period, 46 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

IDF says drone strike hit vehicle heading to north Gaza that violated ceasefire terms-Military stresses it took measures to mitigate civilian injures; vehicle was moving along coastal road designated for pedestrian traffic only, bypassing security checks By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 5:12 pm-FEB 2,25

The IDF said it carried out a drone strike in central Gaza on Sunday, hitting a vehicle that attempted to travel to the Strip’s north without undergoing a security inspection, in violation of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.The military stressed it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including by using precision munition and aerial surveillance.“The IDF is prepared for any scenario and will continue to take any necessary actions to thwart any immediate threat to IDF soldiers,” it said, giving no details on the impact of the strike or on any casualties.The vehicle had been driving on the coastal road, which is only permitted for pedestrian traffic under the deal.Palestinian media reported that a vehicle was struck on Gaza’s coastal road, near Nuseirat. Reports said up to four people were injured.Under the ceasefire deal, vehicles are allowed to travel to northern Gaza only via the Salah a-Din road, where they undergo an inspection, and not via the coastal road.The ceasefire exempts Palestinians traveling on foot from inspections, though they are not supposed to be carrying weapons.On the Salah a-Din road, private US and Egyptian security companies are inspecting Palestinian cars heading north.Israel has repeatedly said it will determinedly enforce the terms of the ceasefire reached last month, in particular regarding the movement of traffic from south Gaza to the north.During the 15 months of fighting, Israel was wary about allowing the movement of Gazans from the south to the north fearing Hamas would use the opportunity to reposition its fighters.Last Monday the IDF used a drone strike as a warning after a vehicle attempted to travel to north Gaza via an area that is prohibited for vehicular traffic per the agreement, where inspections weren’t taking place, the military said at the time.Also, in several areas of Gaza where troops are still deployed, the military said troops also fired warning shots at suspects approaching them. In one incident in northern Gaza, the IDF said troops targeted a suspect who did not withdraw after initial warning shots were fired.Masses of Palestinians displaced by 15 months of fighting have headed from the south to the north hoping to return to their homes.Israel had ordered evacuations from the north in an effort to keep civilians out of harm’s way as it battled Hamas.The war started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led thousands of terrorists in an invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Terrorists also abducted 251 people who were taken as hostages to Gaza.Under the terms of the complex, three-stage ceasefire, Hamas is to return the hostages, not all of whom are alive, in exchange for Israel withdrawing from Gaza and releasing over 1,900 Palestinian security prisoners it has imprisoned, hundreds of whom were convicted of deadly terror attacks.

Trump launches trade war with tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China-In three executive orders, US president imposes 25% tariffs on Mexican, Canadian imports and 10% on China; Canada, Mexico announce retaliatory tariffs on US goods By David Lawder, Jarrett Renshaw and Andrea Shalal Today, 8:02 am-FEB 2,25

REUTERS — US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered sweeping tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, demanding they stanch the flow of fentanyl – and illegal immigrants in the case of Canada and Mexico – into the United States, kicking off a trade war that could dent global growth and reignite inflation.Mexico and Canada, the top two US trading partners, immediately vowed retaliatory tariffs, while China said it would challenge Trump’s move at the World Trade Organization and take other “countermeasu res.”In three executive orders, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China, starting on Tuesday.He vowed to keep the duties in place until what he described as a national emergency over fentanyl, a deadly opioid, and illegal immigration to the U.S. ends. The White House provided no other parameters for determining what might satisfy Trump’s demands.Responding to concerns raised by oil refiners and Midwestern states, Trump imposed only a 10% duty on energy products from Canada, with Mexican energy imports facing the full 25% tariff.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would respond with 25% tariffs against $155 billion of US goods, including beer, wine, lumber and appliances, beginning with $30 billion taking effect Tuesday and $125 billion 21 days later.Trudeau warned US citizens that Trump’s tariffs would raise their grocery and gasoline costs, potentially shutting down auto assembly plants and limiting supplies of goods such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel and aluminum. He urged his own citizens to forego travel to the US and to boycott US products.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a post on X, said she was instructing her economy minister to implement retaliatory tariffs but gave no details.Canada and Mexico said they were working together to face Trump’s tariffs.China’s Commerce Ministry did not specify its planned countermeasures. Its statement left open the door for talks between Washington and Beijing.“China hopes that the US will view and handle its own fentanyl and other issues in an objective and rational manner,” it said, adding that Beijing wanted to “engage in frank dialogue, strengthen cooperation and manage differences.”A White House fact sheet said the tariffs would stay in place “until the crisis alleviated,” but gave no details on what the three countries would need to do to win a reprieve.At nearly $100 billion in 2023, imports of crude oil accounted for roughly a quarter of all US imports from Canada, according to US Census Bureau data.Automakers would be particularly hard hit, with new steep tariffs on vehicles built in Canada and Mexico burdening a vast regional supply chain where parts can cross borders several times before final assembly.The tariff announcement makes good Trump’s repeated threat during the 2024 presidential campaign and since taking office, defying warnings from top economists that a new trade war with the top US trade partners would erode US and global growth, while raising prices for consumers and companies.Republicans welcomed the news, while industry groups and Democrats issued stark warnings about the impact on prices.National Foreign Trade Council President Jake Colvin said Trump’s move threatened to raise the costs of “everything from avocados to automobiles” and urged the U.S., Canada and Mexico to find a quick solution to avoid escalation.The three countries should work together to “gain a competitive advantage and facilitate American companies’ ability to export to global markets,” Colvin said in a statement.Provincial officials and business executives in Canada also reacted with outrage, calling for forceful tariffs on imports from the US.Roughly 90 minutes after Trump’s announcement, the American national anthem was booed in the nation’s capital Ottawa ahead of the opening face-off at the Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild National Hockey League game. The Senators won 6-0.US tariff collections are set to begin at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) on Tuesday, according to Trump’s written order. But imports that were loaded onto a vessel or onto their final mode of transit before entering the US before 12:01 a.m. Saturday would be exempt from the duties.Trump declared the national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act to back the tariffs, which allow the president sweeping powers to impose sanctions to address crises.Trade lawyers said Trump was once again testing the limits of US legislation and the tariffs could face legal challenges, while Democratic lawmakers Suzan DelBene and Don Beyer decried what they called “a blatant abuse of executive power.”White House officials said there would be no exclusions from the tariffs and if Canada, Mexico or China retaliated against American exports, Trump would likely increase the US duties.Nova Scotia’s Premier Tim Houston said he directed that all alcohol imported from the US be removed from the province’s store shelves.The White House officials said that Canada specifically would no longer be allowed the “de minimis” US duty exemption for shipments under $800. The officials said Canada, along with Mexico, has become a conduit for shipments of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals into the US via small packages that are not often inspected by customs agents.Long promised tariffs-Trump spoke extensively about the tariffs on Friday, acknowledging they could lead to disruptions and hardships for Americans. He said additional tariffs were planned against steel, aluminum, semiconductor chips and pharmaceuticals.The Republican president was not scheduled to speak to reporters about the tariffs after the announcement.Trump’s tariff move was led by Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a forceful hawk on illegal immigration, and Trump’s nominee to head the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, who flew to Florida with Trump on Friday, a White House official said.Less than two weeks into his second term, Trump is upending the norms of how the United States is governed and interacts with its neighbors and wider world.A model gauging the economic impact of Trump’s tariff plan from EY Chief Economist Greg Daco suggests it would reduce US growth by 1.5 percentage points this year, throw Canada and Mexico into recession and usher in “stagflation” at home.“Steep tariff increases against US trading partners could create a stagflationary shock – a negative economic hit combined with an inflationary impulse – while also triggering financial market volatility,” Daco wrote on Saturday.That volatility was evident on Friday, when the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar both slumped after Trump vowed to fulfill his threats. US stock prices also fell and Treasury bond yields rose.

Senator from Siegel's home state: 'The nightmare is over' American officials welcome release of US citizen Keith Siegel from Hamas captivity-White House, former VP Kamala Harris, and officials from Siegel’s home state of North Carolina issue statements celebrating his release, urging return of remaining hostages By Jacob Magid,Sam Sokol-and ToI Staff Today, 7:47 am-FEB 2,25

The Trump administration, along with former US vice president Kamala Harris and American officials, welcomed the return of hostage Keith Siegel, 65, a dual US-Israeli citizen who was released by the Hamas terror group on Saturday after 484 days of captivity, as part of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal.“Today, Americans celebrate the return of American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, 2023,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Saturday statement.“President [Donald] Trump and his administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages,” she added.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, “American Keith Siegel is free! Keith and his wife were cruelly taken from their home on October 7 by the terror group Hamas and thanks to [US President Donald Trump] they are now reunited. Our work continues to secure the release of all the hostages still held by Hamas.”Former US vice president Kamala Harris also posted a statement to X saying, “[My husband] Doug and I are full of joy and relief to see American Keith Siegel reunited with his family.“We join all those around the world who are celebrating his release and the release of other hostages in recent days and weeks. We continue to pray for the Americans and all of the remaining hostages held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas. We stand with them and their families. All the hostages must be brought home,” she said.Keith Siegel, an American citizen, has been brutally held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. And now, he’s finally coming home.His wife Aviva was released in 2023, and I had the honor of meeting her and their family. Aviva never rested for a moment in bravely advocating… pic.twitter.com/PZxOkLVAss— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 1, 2025-The release was also welcomed by US Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the country’s history.The Senate majority leader posted a photo of a meeting he conducted with Aviva Siegel, Keith’s wife, herself a freed hostage who, he said, “never rested for a moment in bravely advocating for Keith’s return.”“I cannot wait to see Keith home at last. I won’t stop working until all the hostages are home,” he said, attaching a yellow ribbon icon used to represent the captives’ plight.US Senator Ted Budd, who represents Siegel’s home state of North Carolina, posted a video to X celebrating the dual citizen’s return.“Every day since October 7 of 2023, I’ve had this photo on my desk. It’s of Keith Segal from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his wife, Aviva. Now, after that horrible attack on Israel, 50 days after Aviva was released, but over 480 days later, until now, Keith was captive,” he explained in the clip.“But now the nightmare is over, and Keith is free,” the senator said.The nightmare is over. Keith Siegel is free.We thank God that the prayer of millions has been answered. pic.twitter.com/OoWBSF3tQl— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) February 1, 2025-“I want to thank President Trump for his work to get these hostages released and back home to their loved ones. But there’s more work to do, and we’re going to continue that work. But right now, we thank God that the prayer of millions has been answered,” he added.Fellow North Carolina senator Thom Tillis posted: “After more than a year in the brutal captivity of Hamas, North Carolina native Keith Siegel is finally free and will soon be reunited with his family on American soil. I am grateful to President Trump and his administration for their steadfast devotion to bringing Keith and other Americans back home.”Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina, wrote on X: “Our prayers have been answered. Keith Siegel, Chapel Hill native, is finally home after 15 months being held hostage by Hamas. As we celebrate his release, we need the same for the remaining hostages and a continuing cease fire to put an end to this war.”Hamas released Siegel on Saturday to the Red Cross at the Gaza City port. The hostage was paraded on a stage overlooking the sea as he carried two of the “gift bags” forced on the hostages by the terror group.According to the Walla news site, the second bag was for his wife, Aviva, freed by Hamas in November 2023.He appeared thin and pale but was able to walk, aided by masked and armed Hamas fighters.Once delivered by the Red Cross to Israeli military forces, Siegel was returned to Israel and airlifted to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where he was reunited with his family.Hamas on Saturday also released Ofer Calderon, 54, and Yarden Bibas, 35, in a separate hand-off conducted in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the current deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip.Five Thai hostages have also been freed outside of the framework of the agreement.As those hostages are gradually released, Israel is to release some 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners, including more than 100 serving life sentences for deadly terror attacks. Ninety security prisoners were to be freed Saturday, nine of them believed to be terrorists serving life terms.The three-phase deal’s later stages are subject to negotiations with the stated goal of reaching a “sustainable calm” in the enclave, alongside the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the release of more Palestinian security prisoners and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.

Cages, starvation and fasting on Yom Kippur: More testimonies from freed hostages emerge-Report says freed soldiers worked as servants for captors, and observed Jewish holidays and even Shabbat in captivity; Ofer Calderon didn’t know his son survived Oct. 7 attacks-By ToI Staff Today, 4:19 pm-feb 2,25

As more hostages are released from over 15 months of captivity in the hands of terrorists in Gaza, testimonies of their experiences have begun to emerge, painting a picture of consistent deprivation, solitude and abuse.According to a report Sunday on the Ynet news site, the five freed IDF surveillance soldiers, Agam Berger, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, were frequently moved around the Gaza Strip from tunnels to apartments and were often separated from each other for weeks on end.The report added that Naama Levy was kept in solitary confinement for much of her time in captivity, and said that some of the surveillance soldiers were forced to work in a sort of indentured labor for the families of their captors, including cooking, cleaning and childcare.According to Ynet, despite significant deprivation of food and water, which forced them to even ration grains of rice, the hostage soldiers sought to preserve their Jewish identity and decided to fast on Yom Kippur and refrain from eating leavened bread on Passover.Agam Berger, the last of the five soldiers to be released, was reportedly strict in her observance of Shabbat.Freed hostage Daniella Gilboa wrote Sunday in her first Instagram post since she returned from Gaza eight days ago after 477 days in Hamas captivity that her “last wish before I was kidnapped” was for people to not give up on her.“What an insane year I have gone through,” Gilboa wrote at the outset of the lengthy post, thanking the public for supporting her family, praying for her, not giving up on her and not believing the “horrible rumors” spread by the Hamas terror group about her supposed death.“I didn’t want to despair and say goodbye, so instead I prayed and wholeheartedly believed that the end of me wasn’t there, in that bomb shelter,” she writes.“I prayed for all the girls with me for 30 minutes because I felt like I couldn’t do anything better at the time… I knew that the only thing that could save us was faith.”She says that on Saturday, she and the four other IDF surveillance soldiers released in recent days recited Birkat Hagomel, a Jewish blessing of gratitude said by people who have survived grave danger.“This was the moment I was waiting for since surviving October 7,” Gilboa says. “To thank God for saving me from the worst against all odds.”Former hostage Ofer Calderon, who was released Saturday from Hamas captivity after 484 days in Gaza, only found out a few weeks ago that his son Rotem survived the terror onslaught of October 7, 2023.Ofer’s cousin Eyal was quoted by Ynet as describing details the freed captive has told family members.“He was in great uncertainty in captivity, and then found out from a media interview that his son was still alive,” Eyal Calderon said. “It’s unfathomable what he went through there, but at least yesterday he was in a very positive state.“There’s a long path ahead, rehabilitation will be lengthy and will have ups and downs. It’s important for people to know that yesterday’s images are misleading and don’t reflect what Ofer has been through,” he added, referencing Calderon’s show of strength during the Hamas hostage release ceremony and his spirited greeting of friends waiting outside the hospital.“Captivity wasn’t a walk in the park,” Eyal Calderon said. “He’s gaining strength now, breathing in his children and starting to fathom what he went through in this year and a half.”Ynet also reported that Calderon and Yarden Bibas, who was also released on Saturday, were held together in cages and tunnels in Khan Younis during the early days of their captivity, and were subject to physical and psychological abuse.According to a report by the Kan broadcaster, freed Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel thought his son Shai had been killed during the October 7 attack, and did not know he was alive until he heard him speaking on the radio during the war.The report also said that Siegel, who is a vegetarian, was forced to eat meat and often went days without any food at all.The Ynet report also detailed the conditions that the five Thai hostages who were released last Thursday were subjected to in captivity.The five hostages, Pongsak Thenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnau, reportedly recounted long periods of severe hunger, difficulty breathing in underground tunnels, and being held captive in dark rooms for days on end.The five were reportedly held in two separate groups, and learned to communicate in Arabic with their captors.So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the current deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip.The five Thai hostages were freed outside of the framework of the Israel-Hamas agreement.As the 33 hostages are gradually released, Israel is to release some 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners, including more than 100 serving life sentences for deadly terror attacks. Ninety security prisoners were freed Saturday, nine of them believed to be terrorists serving life terms.

Following release, elderly Palestinian security prisoner bashes Hamas, price of Oct. 7-Citing Gaza war’s heavy Palestinian death toll, 69-year-old Mohammed al-Tous tells Arab outlets that he is warning his grandchildren against armed resistance By Charlie Summers Today, 3:00 pm-FEB 2,25

Recently released Palestinian security prisoner Mohammed al-Tous spoke out against Hamas’s October 7 massacre in two separate interviews to Arab media this past week, citing the human cost of the ensuing Gaza war.“Today, I tell my grandchildren not to go down the path of attacks and resistance,” the 69-year-old ex-detainee said in a Friday interview with the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya outlet. “We don’t want our freedom to come at the expense of our children’s’ lives.”Al-Tous is the oldest security prisoner freed so far as part of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.A member of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah movement, he was arrested in 1985 for organizing attacks on Israelis in and around Jerusalem. He went on to spend 40 years in prison.Israeli authorities deported al-Tous to Egypt upon his release in the second round of the exchange, which saw 200 security prisoners traded for four female Israeli hostages. He was one of 121 prisoners serving life sentences freed that day.He was one of the few prisoners detained before the 1993 Oslo Accords not released as part of those agreements.On Wednesday, al-Tous gave an interview to the Emirati al-Mashhad news outlet, in which he criticized Hamas leadership when asked about the October 7 attack that ultimately led to his release.“If I had known the cost of my freedom, I would have stayed in prison… A leader who is thinking of carrying out a large attack must be aware of the cost. It is unacceptable that the cost of our release from prison is a drop of blood from a Palestinian child,” he said.Al-Tous added that he encountered jailed Second Intifada leader Marwan Barghouti multiple times while in prison.“I met Marwan Barghouti more than once, the last of which was two years ago. He was in good condition,” he told the outlet.Barghouti, a top figure in Fatah serving five life sentences for planning attacks during the Second Intifada, is envisioned by many Palestinians as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.In another Friday interview with The Independent, al-Tous spoke in favor of political negotiations toward a two-state solution in order to “prevent bloodshed on both sides.”He urged unity within the Palestinian national movement, calling on Hamas to reconcile with Fatah and accept the leadership of Abbas, now 89 years old.

Daily Briefing Feb. 2: Day 485 – Pulling out of Gaza, IDF trains its sights on West Bank-Military reporter Emanuel Fabian on counter-terrorism operation in Jenin, IDF troops under fire in Syrian buffer zone, newly named IDF head Eyal Zamir, and ‘quiet’ Egyptian border-With:Amanda Borschel-Dan-Emanuel Fabian-Today, 2:24 pm-FEB 2,25

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.The Israeli military on Saturday carried out three drone strikes on terror operatives in the northern West Bank. The strikes came as the Israel Defense Forces expanded an ongoing counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank, now in its 13th day. What has been the scope of the operation so far?On Friday, IDF troops operating in a buffer zone in southern Syria came under fire in the first such incident since Israeli forces deployed to the buffer zone on the border between Israel and Syria. The IDF said soldiers returned fire toward the source of the shooting. Who was shooting at the IDF soldiers? Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, was tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday to become the next chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. We learn about a previous case in which a reserves officer was pulled back into the army to head it and what Zamir may bring to the role.The Israel-Egypt border has been largely peaceful since the two countries signed a peace agreement in 1979, Israel’s first with an Arab state. Increasingly, in addition to drug smuggling, the IDF border forces are attempting to prevent weapons smuggling as well. Fabian was there a few weeks ago and reports back.Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday threatened released Palestinian prisoner and former terror chief Zakaria Zubeidi, two days after Zubeidi was freed as part of the hostage-ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Why was this terrorist mastermind singled out?IDF carries out 3 drone strikes in Jenin area; Palestinians say 4 dead, including teen-IDF troops operating in Syria buffer zone come under fire in 1st such incident-Eyal Zamir named next IDF chief, set to take over from Herzi Halevi in March-On Egypt border, senior IDF officer warns quietest ‘front’ has potential to erupt-Defense minister warns freed terrorist Zubeidi: ‘One mistake and you’ll meet old friends’

Defense minister warns freed terrorist Zubeidi: ‘One mistake and you’ll meet old friends’Katz says ‘we will not accept support for terrorism’ after released prisoner declares ‘resistance will lead us to freedom’; PA cancels celebration for him following Israeli warnings-By Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff 1 February 2025, 11:50 pm

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday threatened the released Palestinian prisoner and former terror chief Zakaria Zubeidi, two days after Zubeidi was freed as part of the hostage-ceasefire agreement with Hamas.“Zakaria Zubeidi, you were released in an agreement for the sake of freeing Israeli hostages — one mistake and you’ll meet old friends. We will not accept support for terrorism,” Katz wrote on X.The post came as Israel released 183 more Palestinian security prisoners, 32 of whom were freed to the West Bank, after Hamas released three Israeli hostages amid the ongoing ceasefire in the Strip.Zubeidi organized dozens of attacks during the Second Intifada while heading the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the West Bank city of Jenin. In 2021, he and five other prisoners tunneled out of a maximum-security prison in northern Israel, an escape that helped solidify Zubeidi’s image among Palestinians as a folk hero. All six were recaptured days later.On Friday, following an Israeli warning, Palestinian officials canceled a large planned celebration in Ramallah for Zubeidi’s return.Officers from the Civil Administration “conveyed unequivocal messages that said the IDF will show zero tolerance toward the planned event and asserted that if there is a gathering in honor of Zubeidi, it will be dispersed quickly and aggressively,” Israeli defense sources said.When the former Jenin terror chief was released on Thursday, he was greeted in Ramallah by a jubilant crowd of hundreds of Palestinians, who hoisted him on their shoulders in celebration.In an interview with Sky News on Friday, the released prisoner said: “I believe in resistance that will lead us to freedom.”Asked whether he would do anything differently if he could live his life again, he said: “My life is worthless without freedom. The world that has denied me my freedom, particularly Britain, France, and the US, must return what they have taken from me and my children. They are the ones who need to reconsider their mistakes, not me. They are the ones who have wronged us.”On Saturday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said in a statement that with the releases of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, the military is “maintaining a high level of readiness across all fronts, with an emphasis on Judea and Samaria,” using a Biblical term for the West Bank.According to the Palestinians, 18 of the prisoners and detainees released by Israel on Saturday were serving life sentences. Over 100 were from the Gaza Strip, arrested after October 7, 2023, and being held without trial.Thirty-two of the prisoners were released to the West Bank and one was deported to Egypt, while the remaining 150 were released to Gaza.Israel released the prisoners shortly after the Hamas terror group handed over three Israeli civilians — Yarden Bibas, Ofer Calderon, and Keith Siegel — abducted on October 7, 2023, and held hostage for 484 days.The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Seventy-six of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the current deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip.Five Thai hostages have also been freed outside of the framework of the agreement.The releases on Saturday took the number of Palestinian prisoners set free under the deal so far to 583.

Wiarton Willie (WARTHOG)🌼 In 2025, Willie predicted an early spring.

About Willie-Wiarton Wille is Canada’s most famous prognosticating groundhog, from the town of Wiarton, Ontario. Willie is a white groundhog whose coming was foretold as one who would forever alter the world of weather prognostication. Every February 2nd, Willie announces his prediction in Groundhogese to The Mayor of the Land and of the Marmot, the only person who can speak Groundhogese.

Jeremiah 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Isaiah 57:21
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Ephesians 2:2
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Will be first foreign leader hosted by returned president-Netanyahu heads to Washington to meet Trump, hoping to ‘redraw’ Middle East-Immediate issue is future of hostage-release ceasefire deal in Gaza war; PM says working closely with US president, ‘we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace’By Lazar Berman,Sam Sokol and ToI Staff Today, 12:19 pm-feb 2,25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left on Sunday for Washington, where he is to meet later this week with US President Donald Trump, declaring before boarding his flight that cooperation with the new administration could redraw the Middle East.Netanyahu said his meetings in the US capital “will deal with important, critical issues facing Israel and the region — victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages, and dealing with the Iranian terror axis in all its components, an axis that threatens the peace of Israel, the Middle East, and the entire world.”Speaking in English before boarding the plane, he said that the fact that he is the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the White House since the latter’s inauguration is “a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship.”“The decisions we’ve made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu declared alongside the state’s official plane, Wing of Zion, which took him to Washington. “Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further, and for the better.”“I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace, and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength,” he said.Netanyahu was apparently referring to ties with Saudi Arabia. Israel is pushing for the establishment of a negotiating team to hold talks on official relations with the Gulf state, the Kan public broadcaster reported Saturday, adding that the Trump administration wants to achieve peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh as part of the US president’s vision for a “Golden age of peace in the Middle East.”The move would expand on the Abraham Accords, through which Israel established relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco during Trump’s first term in office. Saudi Arabia did not join the 2020 accords and has never recognized Israel.Normalization with Saudi Arabia has been all but shelved due to the war in Gaza as well as Riyadh’s demands that Israel establish a diplomatic horizon for a future Palestinian state.However, Trump said ahead of his return to the White House last month that he hoped to use the momentum of the Gaza ceasefire deal to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia.US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff has said that Qatar, which along with the US and Egypt, mediated the Gaza ceasefire, is also a candidate for normalization.Netanyahu’s visit comes at a critical moment in a complex, three-phase ceasefire with Hamas that halted the war in the Gaza Strip that the Palestinian terror group started in October 2023 and that is to see the release of all the hostages held by terror groups in the coastal enclave.The new Trump administration was involved in mediated negotiations for the ceasefire even before the president was inaugurated earlier this month, and he is eager to see the plan completed. Netanyahu, however, is facing pressure from the far-right flank of his coalition to restart the fighting after the completion of the first, six-week stage of the deal. Under the terms of the ceasefire, talks over the second stage are supposed to begin this week, but Netanyahu appears to be keeping his options open until he has met with Trump on Tuesday.As the prime minister departed to Washington, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called him to “strengthen our grip and sovereignty” over the West Bank, while describing Trump as “a lover of Israel.” The Palestinians want the West Bank, which is controlled by Israel and includes some 140 Israeli settlements, as part of a future state.“A great deal is at stake – complete victory in Gaza, the destruction of Hamas and the return of all our hostages, strengthening our security on all borders – in Syria, Lebanon, and of course against the head of the octopus, the Iranian regime and the nuclear threat. This danger must be removed,” Smotrich declared Sunday in a video message aimed at Netanyahu.“We must strengthen our grip and sovereignty over the homeland in Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank.Smotrich has threatened to bolt the government if the war is not restarted, while fellow far-right party Otzma Yehudit has already left the coalition in protest of the deal. Without Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, the government would lose its majority in the Knesset.From a position of strength, Israel is “making peace, forging alliances, and strengthening its position,” Smotrich continued.Benny Gantz, the leader of the opposition National Unity party, also wished Netanyahu success on his trip, declaring that it is critical for Israel’s future.‏”The meeting with President Trump is of paramount importance for advancing the return of all our hostages, coordinating the response to the Iranian challenge, expanding the circle of normalization, and removing Hamas rule,” Gantz tweeted.Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was accompanying Netanyahu to Washington, as was government hostage coordinator Gal Hirsch. Also on the plane was Dr. Eyal Heller, a senior cardiologist at Sheba Medical Center. Netanyahu, who has a history of heart issues, was fitted with a pacemaker at the hospital in 2023.There was no statement from Netanyahu’s office about why Heller was on the trip, but it may indicate a desire to keep a close eye on the prime minister’s health, especially after he underwent prostate surgery in late December.The day before he sits down with Trump, Netanyahu is to hold a meeting with envoy Witkoff, to initiate talks on the second stage of the hostage release deal with Hamas, which are slated to begin that day, the Prime Minister’s Office said Saturday. Witkoff was deeply involved in the ceasefire negotiations even before Trump’s January 20 inauguration.Reports have increasingly indicated, however, that Netanyahu is seriously entertaining the possibility of resuming the war after the first phase of the deal, as the far-right members of his governing coalition have demanded, rather than continuing on to the second phase.Alongside reports that Netanyahu had canceled a meeting with top Israeli negotiators, Channel 12 reported on Saturday evening that the premier was considering appointing Dermer as head of Israel’s negotiating team for the remaining hostage talks with Hamas. He would take over the role from Mossad chief Barnea.According to the report, Barnea would remain on the team alongside Bar and Alon, while Dermer would oversee the talks. The report claimed that Witkoff has expressed that he would prefer to work with Dermer and has reservations about working with the current negotiating team.The PMO denied the reports.So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip. Five Thai hostages have also been freed outside of the framework of the agreement.The three-phase deal’s later stages are subject to negotiations with the stated goal of reaching a “sustainable calm” in the enclave, alongside the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the release of more Palestinian security prisoners, and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.The hostages are among the 251 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, amid rampant acts of brutality and overt targeting of civilians.Seventy-six of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Premier to meet with Witkoff on Monday, Trump on Tuesday-Fate of ceasefire-hostage deal’s second phase in balance as Netanyahu heads to DC-PM reportedly holding off on sending negotiating team to Qatar until he returns from US, could appoint Ron Dermer to head delegation instead of Mossad chief Barnea By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 1:34 am-FEB 2,25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Washington on Monday to initiate talks on the second stage of the hostage release deal with Hamas, which are slated to begin that same day, the Prime Minister’s Office said Saturday.Netanyahu’s meeting with Witkoff will take place amid a larger diplomatic visit to Washington, which he was set to depart for at 8 a.m. on Sunday. He is slated to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.In addition to his meeting with Netanyahu, Witkoff will also speak to the prime minister of Qatar and with Egyptian officials this week, after which he and Netanyahu will discuss sending delegations to engage in further talks about moving to the second stage of the ceasefire deal.As per the terms of the ceasefire and hostage deal, negotiations for the second phase of the agreement must begin no later than the 16th day of the first phase, this coming Monday.Despite this, the Walla news site reported Saturday that Netanyahu will not send a team of negotiators to Qatar until after his meeting with Trump.According to the report, Netanyahu canceled a planned meeting at the last minute on Saturday night with Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, hostage point man Nitzan Alon and other senior negotiators.The officials were informed of the cancelation by Netanyahu’s military Roman Gofman, who told them that the premier had decided not to send the team to Qatar until after his upcoming meeting with Trump. However, delaying the negotiations until then would appear to violate the terms of the deal.Netanyahu’s decision is a “very worrying sign” about the implementation of the second phase, an anonymous Israeli source told the news outlet, expressing concern that it could also negatively impact the fulfillment of the ongoing 42-day first phase.The second phase of the deal is expected to include the return of all the remaining living hostages — including men under the age of 50 and male soldiers — held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for a yet-to-be-determined number of Palestinian security prisoners and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.Reports have increasingly indicated, however, that Netanyahu is seriously entertaining the possibility of resuming the war after the first phase of the deal, as the far-right members of his governing coalition have demanded, rather than continuing on to the second phase.Earlier on Saturday, Channel 13 reported that the premier held a meeting on Friday on the possibility of resuming the war in Gaza. The report quoted senior Israeli officials who said that the premier seems to be pushing for a resumption of the war, and has asked the IDF to present operational plans.So far, 13 Israeli hostages have been freed as part of the deal, which mandates the release of 33 so-called “humanitarian hostages” during its first 42-day phase, with fighting stopped in the Strip. Five Thai hostages have also been freed outside of the framework of the agreement.The most recent release of hostages on Saturday saw Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel, and Ofer Calderon handed over to Israel after 484 days in Hamas captivity.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt welcomed the release of the three men, saying: “Today, Americans celebrate the return of American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, 2023.”“President [Donald] Trump and his administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages,” she added.The three-phase deal’s later stages are subject to negotiations with the stated goal of reaching a “sustainable calm” in the enclave, alongside the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, the release of more Palestinian security prisoners and an Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.The hostages are among 251 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped on October 7, 2023, when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, amid rampant acts of brutality and overt targeting of civilians.Seventy-six of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Dermer in, Barnea sidelined-Alongside the reports that Netanyahu had canceled a meeting with top Israeli negotiators, Channel 12 reported on Saturday evening that the premier was considering appointing Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer head of Israel’s negotiating team for the remaining hostage talks with Hamas. He would take over the role from Mossad chief Barnea.According to the report, Barnea would remain on the team alongside Bar and Alon, while Dermer would oversee the talks.Israeli officials told the outlet that Netanyahu recognizes that the Israeli negotiators want to do everything possible to ensure that the second stage of the hostage deal with Hamas takes place, and the premier wants to keep his options open.According to Channel 12, officials on Netanyahu’s team say that since the main discussions are now taking place with the Trump administration, they should be led by someone with a diplomatic viewpoint, not a security one.The report claimed that Witkoff has expressed that he would prefer to work with Dermer and has reservations about working with the current negotiating team.The PMO said that the reports from Channel 12 and other news outlets  were “not true,” and reiterated that “decisions on the negotiations will be made only after the prime minister returns from the US.”‘Golden age of peace in the Middle East’According to the Kan public broadcaster, Netanyahu is also expected to use his visit to Washington as an opportunity to push the Trump administration for progress in normalization talks with Saudi Arabia.Israel is pushing for the establishment of a negotiating team to hold talks on official relations with the Gulf state, the report said, adding that the Trump administration wants to achieve peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh as part of the president’s vision for a “Golden age of peace in the Middle East.”The move would expand on the Abraham Accords, through which Israel established relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. Saudi Arabia did not join the 2020 accords and has never recognized Israel.Normalization has been all but shelved due to the war in Gaza as well as Saudi Arabia’s demands that Israel establish a diplomatic horizon for a future Palestinian state.However, Trump said ahead of his return to the White House last month that he hoped to use the momentum of the Gaza ceasefire deal to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia.