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)
PUTIN RATIFIES RUSSIA-IRAN AGREEMENT TO STRENGTHEN MILITARY, DIPLOMATIC TIES.
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.
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,(LIBERAL GODLESS AIR WAVES) the spirit that now worketh
in the children of disobedience:
EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3-7
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
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.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4
3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed,(EU WORLD DICTATOR)the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so
that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is
God.
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which
thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the beast.(SOCIALISM)
13 These have one mind,(SOCIALISM) and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
REVELATION 6:1-2
1
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it
were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2
And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a
bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU)
and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)
2 THESSALONIANS 2:9-12
9 Even him,(EU WORLD DICTATOR) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,(THE
FALSE RESURRECTION BY THE WORLD DICTATOR) that they should believe a
lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
GENESIS 49:16-17-POSSIBLY A JEW FROM DAN KILLS THE DICTATOR AT MIDPOINT OF TRIB
16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
REVELATION 13:1-10
1
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of
the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten
crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS
DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the
mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and
great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw
one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly
wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after
the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4
And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the
beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is
like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE
RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him
a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto
him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to
blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and
to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of
life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth
with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and
the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH
AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON
EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD
(JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore
and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the
people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end
thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations
are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm
the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the
week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS)
and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate,
even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon
the desolate.
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.
No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she
will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age
unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of
Planetary Initiative United Nations.
THE WORLD DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it
were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2
And I saw, and behold a white horse:(EU WORLD DICTATOR) and he that sat
on him had a bow;(PEACE) and a crown was given unto him:(WORLD LEADER)
and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of
the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten
crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH
WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT
ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES
ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR,
COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3
COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT
STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR
PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A
LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like
unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth
as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat,
and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM
SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it
were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the
world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION.
JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED
AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS
IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE
EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and
to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16
And he (FALSE POPE) causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or
in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do
according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things
against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither
shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN
JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify
himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of
forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall
he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things.
39 Thus shall he (THE EU DICTATOR) do in the most strong
holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god,
whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause
them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for
gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the
south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and
the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind,
with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall
enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
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.
No
one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a
pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will
take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary
Initiative United Nations.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23
Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth
kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and
break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this
kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be
diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3
NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the
most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to
change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a
time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are
come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and
understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall
stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own
power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall
prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his
hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36
And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall
exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak
marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the
indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS
JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall
magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate
shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew
not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and
pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a
strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and
increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY
LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19
And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their
armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him
that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED
CHRISTIANS)
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when
the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of
thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw,
and behold a white horse:(EU WORLD DICTATOR) and he that sat on him had a
bow;(PEACE) and a crown was given unto him:(WORLD LEADER) and he went
forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I
stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and
upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE
IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10
HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE
BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF
THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES
RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE
EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE
7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard,
and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a
lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great
authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES
FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to
death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after
the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A
LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK
OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO
BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it
was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:
and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are
not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he
(FALSE POPE) causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in
their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do
according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things
against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither
shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN
JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify
himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of
forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall
he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant
things.
39 Thus shall he (THE EU DICTATOR) do in the most strong
holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god,
whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause
them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for
gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the
south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and
the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind,
with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall
enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
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.
No
one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a
pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will
take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary
Initiative United Nations.
Biometrics startup gets accelerator backing for Africa, Middle East expansion-Apr 23, 2025, 4:34 pm EDT | Chris Burt
Startup
Vove ID has secured funding from The Baobab Network to support an
expansion of its biometric KYC and AML services in Africa and the Middle
East region. Baobab is an African startup accelerator.Vove ID was
founded just over a year ago by three people, including CEO Khalid
Aoussar, and is based in Morocco and the United States. It verifies a
digital identity and then provides the capability to reuse it for
streamlined onboarding and regulatory compliance, under the tagline,
“Verify Once, Verify Everywhere.”The company provides technologies for
recognizing more than 2,000 different kinds of ID documents, AML
screening, KYC-compliant onboarding, selfie biometric authentication and
age verification. A social media post from Baobab Network also refers
to age estimation using biometric analysis.The company targets the
fintech, cryptocurrency, mobility, gambling and HR management
sectors.Vove ID also claims its biometric presentation attack detection
(PAD) technology has passed tests for compliance to the ISO standard
from iBeta at Level 1 and Level 2.The listing for the Vove ID app in
Apple’s App Store promotes 3D liveness, with a screenshot inviting the
user to frame their face and move closer, suggesting the PAD technology
is FaceTec’s ZoOm.The new funding will be used by Vove ID to expand its
market reach, add enhancements to its digital ID platform and hire more
staff, BitKE reports. The amount of funding secured was not disclosed,
but Crunchbase lists the funding as a seed round.Other Africa-based KYC
providers in the market include Smile ID, Dojah, VerifyMe and
IdentityPass.
Biometrics adoption strategies benefit when government direction is clear-Apr 20, 2025, 10:16 am EDT | Chris Burt
Biometrics
providers have major growth opportunities ahead where there is clarity
about their role. What part governments play in digital identity markets
is a key theme in the news reported by Biometric Update over the past
week. Government is the sole supplier in some systems, like EUDI
Wallets, and a market participant in others, like the UK’s DIATF. New
markets are emerging from regulatory changes, and the trust frameworks
enabling those markets are maturing, but too much change creates
uncertainty.Jumio is among those sounding cautions about commercial
viability in the UK, while VerifyMy and IDxLAB step up to serve a new
regulatory requirement in France.The commercial opportunity in reusable
digital ID may be less in credential issuance and storage than biometric
enrollment and orchestrating identity presentation.Top biometrics news
of the week-The UK’s digital identity and age assurance market remains
up in arms.The government’s planned expansion of Gov.uk into digital
wallets supporting private sector interactions could boost the adoption
of digital identity while hampering growth among private sector digital
ID providers, according to a new forecast from Juniper.A panel of
insiders from Jumio, NatWest and CFIT convened at Pay360 warned that the
government needs to consider commercial viability. But on the other
side is the Tony Blair Institute, advising Gov.uk One Login be used for
immigration control. Similarly, a group of 40 Labour MPs call for
digital ID adoption to tackle illegal employment and tax evasion.Part of
the problem seems to be the collision of private and public sector
interests in digital ID use cases like right-to-work checks. They would
fall outside the original conception of Gov.uk as a system exclusively
for public sector interaction, but the business benefit they provide is
strictly one of compliance.The UK government’s Office for Digital
Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), meanwhile, brought the register of
digital identity and attribute services to the public beta stage earlier
this month. The register lists services certified to the digital
identity and attributes trust framework to perform such compliance
checks, and the recent addition of Gov.uk One Login provided the spark
for the current industry conflagration.Age checks for access to online
pornography in France now require a “double-blind” architecture to
protect user privacy. The additional complexity still leaves clear
roles, however, which VerifyMy and IDxLAB have partnered to fill. Yoti
has signed up a French pay site, but at least one big international
player would rather fight the age assurance rules in court.Aviation and
border management is one area where the enforcement of regulations has
benefited from private sector innovation. Preparation for Digital Travel
Credentials is underway with Amadeus pitching its “journey pass” as a
way to use biometrics at each touchpoint as part of a reimagined
traveller experience. In the meantime, SITA, Collins and Daon are
looking to streamline different airport processes.Eurosmart is arguing
for an expert working group which could utilize industry experience to
encourage adoption of the EU Digital Travel app, and the app’s
integration with DTCs and the EU Digital Identity Wallet.India’s Digi
Yatra provides an example of a collaborative private-public initiative,
with a government ministry coordinating industry participants. CEO
Suresh Khadakbhavi tells CIO about ambitious plans to expand the “travel
stack of India” in an interview.Uganda is planning to launch five MOSIP
modules, with the role of open-source software and government workers
still leaving a clearly-delineated role in enrollment for biometrics
providers and in service delivery for digital identity
orchestrators.Germany’s new coalition government is planning to lean on
digital identity as part of its modernization of the state. There are
also expected to be opportunities in biometrics for public security.In
the U.S., a rollback of the Corporate Transparency Act shifts the
responsibility for beneficial ownership reporting from businesses to
their financial institutions. This means that in some situations, banks
will turn to biometrics to verify beneficial ownership on their own, as
part of their customer due diligence for AML compliance.A police force
in Australia has deactivated a facial recognition system supplied by
Cognitec which used a legacy algorithm out of concern for demographic
disparities in its accuracy.Congratulations to the new CEOs of Au10tix,
Veridos and Secunet.Please let us know about any videos, podcasts or
other content we should share with the people in biometrics and the
broader digital identity community in the comments below or through
social media.
NIST updates Privacy Framework to better align with
new Cybersecurity Framework-Changes reflect how privacy and security
interconnect-Apr 17, 2025, 3:55 pm EDT | Joel R. McConvey
In
biometrics and digital identity discussions, privacy and security are
often grouped together in theory – though less so in practice, wherein
silos remain a challenge. How can data be used responsibly to improve
life while truly maintaining individual digital privacy and keeping
personal data secure?The U.S. National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) says it has updated its Privacy Framework in an effort
to bring privacy and security into closer alignment. A release from
NIST says a draft of the updated Privacy Framework is “intended to
address current privacy risk management needs, maintain alignment with
NIST’s recently updated Cybersecurity Framework, and improve
usability.”Privacy risk is closely related to, and often overlaps with,
cybersecurity risk, says NIST. “Because of this, the two frameworks
have the same high-level structure to make them easy to use
together.”The Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) was updated in February
2024. That update included a feature shared with the new Privacy
Framework (PFW): tweaks to the “Core” – “an increasingly granular set of
activities and outcomes that can help organizations discuss risk
management.”New framework addresses overlap with AI, simplifies UX-The
PFW 1.1 Public Draft Core includes changes to structure and content,
partly in response to feedback gathered through public channels. A new
section on AI and privacy risk management “briefly outlines ways that AI
and privacy risks relate to one another and how PFW 1.1 can be used to
manage AI privacy risks.” And changes to use guidelines make them easier
to access and use.All of the updates aim to align the PFW more closely
with the CSF 2.0, to help organizations manage privacy risks involved in
processing personal data through complex information systems.Julie
Chua, director of NIST’s Applied Cybersecurity Division, calls it a
“modest but significant” update. “The PFW can be used on its own to
manage privacy risks, but we have also maintained its compatibility with
CSF 2.0 so that organizations can use them together to manage the full
spectrum of privacy and cybersecurity risks,” Chua says.NIST is
accepting public feedback on PFW 1.1 Initial Public Draft until June 13,
2025, via privacyframework@nist.gov. A template for submitting comments
can be found at the NIST Privacy Framework website. A final version of
the revised PFW is expected later in 2025
Infineon powers demo of edge biometrics for user onboarding-Apr 23, 2025, 3:21 pm EDT | Chris Burt
Edge
AI and embedded systems developer embedUR unveiled a pair of solutions
for computer vision and biometric onboarding made with Infineon’s PSoC
Edge platform at the recent Embedded World 2025 event in Nuremberg.One
of the applications demonstrated was a mobile facial recognition app
allowing users to upload and register their face biometrics. The PSoC
Edge platform could then be used to recognize users in real time,
according to the announcement, with local processing for AI inference.
The combined hardware and software solution provides secure, low-latency
authentication suitable for consumer and industrial systems, the
partners say.The other demo was of a wake word detection and real-time
object identification application. The Edge AI capability was activated
with a vocal command, and then scanned food items to provide a recipe
suggestion, without relying on the cloud.“Our collaboration with embedUR
systems showcases the power of PSOC Edge in enabling real-time,
power-efficient Edge AI applications,” says Omar Cruz, senior manager at
Infineon Technologies. “These demos highlight how our platform
accelerates intelligent automation for smart home, consumer, and
industrial use cases.”Infineon says its PSoC Edge family of chips
provides a Cortex-M55 core with Helium DSP support for
hardware-accelerated neural network processing and always-on AI
applications.“At embedUR, we’re focused on making Edge AI real —
delivering practical, production-ready solutions that run on today’s
silicon,” says John Marconi, VP of Technology at embedUR systems. “The
work we’ve done on Infineon platforms demonstrates how edge intelligence
can be deployed quickly and securely, whether it’s voice-activated
control or face-based access—all without relying on the cloud.”A library
of pre-trained Edge AI models is available for developers to quickly
build POCs with at ModelNova, embedUR’s AI resource hub.Infineon also
released ICs to provide biometric authentication for vehicles last
October.
Fintechs crucial to trust needed for financial
inclusion: Rwanda Stock Exchange CEO-Apr 23, 2025, 2:32 pm EDT |
Ayang Macdonald
The growing emergence of fintechs in Africa
represents major hope for the continent’s financial inclusion efforts.
However, one serious problem that these startups often face is a lack of
the investment support that is required for them to scale their
activities in line with governments’ push towards more financially
inclusive societies.How fintechs can find their way around this funding
conundrum was among the issues that animated conversations at the just
ended GITEX Africa 2025 event in Marrakech Morocco. One panel discussion
in this regard unfolded under the theme “Vision to venture – investing
in African fintech.”In an interview with Biometric Update, Pierre
Celestin Rwabukumba, CEO of the Rwanda Stock Exchange and President of
the East African Securities Exchanges Association, who took part in the
panel, spoke elaborately on this subject, examining the funding
challenges, and proposing how African fintechs can use the securities
market to get funds for scale-up. He also draws the connection between
fintechs and financial inclusion, noting that “without fintechs, we
wouldn’t have much progress on financial inclusion efforts.”“Fintechs
play a very critical role in supporting financial inclusion. They are
innovative, youthful, and dynamic. They are often led by young people
who understand the needs of tomorrow. Fintechs leverage technologies
like artificial intelligence and other tools to address gaps in the
financial system,” Rwabukumba says.He opines that because fintechs are
at the forefront of innovation in the financial sector, they should be
given “significant attention and funding to scale their impact because
“their ability to understand and meet the needs of underserved
populations makes them indispensable in the push for financial inclusion
across the continent.”In line with the Central Africa region, several
factors have been identified as hindering financial inclusion efforts
among which are a paucity of infrastructure and a weak digital identity
ecosystem.Lack of funding, a major hindrance-Rwabukumba acknowledges
that indeed, African startups face serious funding problems and he
believes several reasons account for this.“First, Africans often don’t
trust other Africans. Second, there is a lack of understanding among
Africans about their own markets and ecosystems. Additionally, many
founders have great ideas but lack managerial skills. Being a founder,
innovator, or content creator is not enough to run a successful
business; entrepreneurs need guidance, mentorship, and support to
navigate the ecosystem,” he says.“Founders must also be willing to work
collaboratively within the broader ecosystem. At the same time, the
ecosystem itself needs to understand and support early-stage companies.
If these pieces come together, I don’t believe the legal framework will
be the biggest obstacle. Investors consider many factors, including
scale, risk, and fundamentals, before committing capital,” he shares.He
states that already, governments are increasingly playing a supportive
role by creating sandboxes where startups can test their ideas before
seeking investment, which means that “if an idea is validated and the
right partners are secured, success becomes more achievable.”Making the
most from the stock market-The Rwanda Stock Exchange CEO says that the
views he shared on the panel were not specific to Rwanda alone but to
Africa in general and how stock markets on the continent can support
fintech companies in raising funds.“Stock exchanges are typically seen
as exit platforms rather than early-stage development hubs. However, we
recognize the need for stock exchanges to adapt their legal frameworks
to accommodate the realities of African fintechs and other companies
seeking to raise capital or pursue an exit strategy. Stock markets can
serve both purposes: facilitate fundraising or act purely as an exit
mechanism,” he explains.He recognizes the fact that many fintechs and
startups grow through alternative funding mechanisms but eventually seek
to scale their offering. Therefore, he thinks stock exchanges can
provide the platform for this growth.“While some companies choose to
exit through international markets like the New York Stock Exchange or
the London Stock Exchange, there is potential to create pathways for
these exits to occur within African markets as well. This requires
collaboration across borders and continents while also making the most
of existing regional and continental collaborative frameworks.”Beyond
collaboration, Rwabukumba says one other major challenge lies in
adjusting regulations to accommodate startups without compromising
investor protection standards.“For instance, we can introduce regulatory
sandboxes or create different layers within stock exchanges to cater to
startups. In Rwanda, we have what we call the Capital Market Investment
Clinic, which supports companies at various stages of development,
helping them become investor-ready,” he mentions.He says fintech and
startups must have in mind the fact that investors are looking for solid
opportunities, and must therefore ensure that they meet certain
fundamental requirements to qualify for funding.“At the same time,
entrepreneurs need guidance to attract investment while protecting
investors. As intermediaries, stock exchanges must balance both sides.
The platforms are ready, but regulatory adjustments may be needed to
ensure business flows efficiently. Policymakers and regulators play a
crucial role in this process.”“Some African fintechs, like Jumia, have
exited through international markets. However, there is potential for
African stock exchanges to collaborate and enable companies to use local
or regional capital to fund their businesses. This would strengthen the
ecosystem and promote intra-African investment.”In another session at
the GITEX Africa event, speakers highlighted the critical role of robust
connectivity in driving Africa’s digital economy.
Unexplained USCIS requests suggest DHS using AI to flag visa applicants-Apr 23, 2025, 11:21 am EDT | Anthony Kimery
In
an unexpected and deeply concerning move, the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun issuing Requests for Evidence
(RFEs) in H-1B and employment-based immigrant petitions that ask the
petitioner for biometric data and detailed residential histories.This
sudden and unprecedented procedural shift has triggered alarms
throughout the immigration law community, with attorneys warning that
these new RFEs not only deviate from longstanding procedures, but that
they also are indicative of a deeper transformation in the role and
behavior of USCIS under the Trump administration. The move does come on
the heels of an aggressive expansion of AI into high-risk areas of
federal surveillance and enforcement that lacks oversight, transparency,
and accountability, as Biometric Update reported this
week.Traditionally, RFEs in H-1B petitions serve as a targeted,
regulatory function by requesting clarification or additional
documentation related to an applicant’s eligibility, such as whether the
position qualifies as a specialty occupation, the beneficiary possesses
the requisite educational degree, or whether there is a valid
employer-employee relationship.Recent USCIS RFEs though are instead
demanding personally invasive information with no clear bearing on these
core adjudicatory standards. Immigration attorneys say USCIS has
requested for up to five years of residential address history and
documentation of physical presence such as lease agreements or utility
bills. In other cases, the RFEs appear to be seeking biometric
identifiers such as fingerprints and facial photos, despite no biometric
appointment notices having been issued through the formal USCIS
Application Support Center (ASC) process.“This is highly unusual because
biometrics are not typically required for these case types,” Vic Goel
of Goel & Anderson told Forbes. “The RFEs also fail to explain the
nature of the adverse information, leaving employers and attorneys in
the dark. It appears that [the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)]
may be using AI tools to flag individuals based on undisclosed data,
possibly from social media or other government databases,” Goel
said.More alarming to immigration experts is that these requests often
cite vague claims of “potentially adverse information” as justification
for an RFE. Yet, they fail to disclose the nature of that information or
how it relates to statutory eligibility criteria. For example, in one
such RFE, a USCIS adjudicator wrote, “We have encountered potentially
adverse information related to the beneficiary. To continue processing
your application or petition, we require an updated address for the
beneficiary so that we may collect biometric data.” However, nowhere in
the letter is the nature of the adverse information explained.This kind
of ambiguity strikes at the heart of due process. Under 8 CFR
§103.2(b)(16)(i), USCIS is required to disclose derogatory information
to a petitioner if it serves as the basis for an adverse decision. The
agency’s failure to meet that requirement has left attorneys questioning
whether USCIS is using RFEs not for adjudication, but rather for
pretextual data gathering, possibly as part of enforcement priorities
that go beyond the USCIS’s traditional benefits-focused scope.Kevin
Miner of Fragomen similarly noted that these new RFEs “do not ask
substantive questions” about the beneficiary’s qualifications or job
duties but rather focus solely on vague adverse information and
biometric collection. In his view, this is an unprecedented move away
from the well-established practice of communicating through documentary
exchange.“It’s very unusual for USCIS to use RFEs in this way, and the
agency hasn’t issued any guidance about this new process,” Miner
said.The backdrop for this procedural shift is the Trump
administration’s expansive approach to immigration surveillance. Trump
executive orders have given immigration authorities broad discretion to
use digital tools, data integration systems, and AI to identify,
monitor, and remove “inadmissible individuals,” including those who have
lawful status.Under the administration’s new policy environment, the
boundaries between USCIS’s role as a benefits adjudicator and
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) enforcement mandate appear
to be eroding. If USCIS is now acting as a data collection proxy for
ICE, it would mark a significant and troubling shift in the agency’s
function.The lack of transparency makes it difficult to gauge the full
scope of the policy change, as USCIS has not issued public notices or
updated its Policy Manual to reflect any change in biometric collection
procedures for employment-based cases. Nor has there been any
publication in the Federal Register announcing new rulemaking. This
stealth rollout has prompted some immigration attorneys to file Freedom
of Information Act requests to uncover whether internal USCIS memos or
interagency directives are behind the sudden expansion of RFEs.While not
publicly confirmed in detail, there is evidence that USCIS has explored
automated tools for fraud detection and form processing – tools that
could potentially influence RFE’s by flagging anomalies or
inconsistencies that a human adjudicator might otherwise deem
immaterial. Critics worry that overreliance on automated analysis,
especially in a legal process as nuanced as immigration adjudication,
could lead to rigid interpretations of eligibility criteria and reduce
the flexibility that immigration officers have traditionally exercised
in evaluating complex cases.The consequences of the new policy
ambiguities are severe. Without knowing the source or purpose of the new
data requests, petitioners and their attorneys are unable to mount
meaningful responses. In some cases, attorneys have advised their
clients not to comply with the RFEs until USCIS has fully explained the
basis of the adverse information. Others have opted to legally challenge
the requests, citing the agency’s obligation to disclose all material
evidence that could affect adjudication.“USCIS is openly bragging on
social media about arresting persons who came into offices for
interviews or other normally routine processes, which makes it difficult
to advocate that one unwittingly subject themselves to such action,”
Goel said.There also is growing concern that these RFEs may be driven in
part by automated flagging systems powered by AI. Goel said DHS could
be using AI to detect anomalies or draw inferences from sources like
social media or commercial data brokers without disclosing the
methodology or affording applicants an opportunity to rebut potentially
flawed or biased information. If so, this would align with a broader
trend across federal agencies to incorporate AI-enhanced surveillance
technology into immigration operations while bypassing traditional
oversight mechanisms.Biometric Update has reported that no federal
department embodies the convergence of AI, surveillance, and civil
liberties violations more clearly than DHS. A recent analysis of DHS’s
AI inventory revealed a vast and obscure digital arsenal that is hidden
in bureaucratic shadows. The report highlights nearly 200 AI
applications, many previously unknown to the public, that span visa
vetting, border enforcement, deportation logistics, and biometric
identification.These and the USCIS’s latest actions coincide with a
broader crackdown on lawful immigrants across visa categories. The Trump
administration has already drawn criticism for deporting international
students based on minor administrative issues or online political
activity.As of mid-April, more than 1,550 international students and
recent graduates had their visa statuses altered or revoked according to
reporting by Inside Higher Education. Employers and universities fear
that heightened scrutiny of H-1B applicants is part of a larger effort
to suppress legal immigration under the guise of national security and
fraud prevention.The H-1B visa program is already constrained, with only
85,000 visas available annually and tens of thousands of applicants
rejected each year. According to the National Foundation for American
Policy, only 20 percent of new H-1B applications are approved annually,
while some estimates suggest that “a European teenager is four times
more likely to get a seasonal visa to work in an amusement park than a
graduate student is to get H-1B status to work in AI.” Similarly, the
per-country limit on green cards results in decades-long wait times for
highly skilled professionals from countries like India and China.The new
wave of biometric RFEs could exacerbate these challenges by adding new
barriers to an already rigid system. The opacity and irregularity of
these requests undermine predictability, which is essential for
employers making hiring decisions and foreign professionals planning
their futures in the U.S. If companies see the U.S. immigration process
as arbitrarily punitive or functionally surveillant, they may shift
investment and talent recruitment elsewhere.Meanwhile, the legal
architecture governing RFEs is being tested. Under 8 CFR §103.2(b)(8),
USCIS is authorized to issue an RFE when initial evidence is
insufficient. However, the regulation also mandates that the RFE clearly
articulate the missing eligibility requirement and the types of
evidence that could satisfy it. That standard appears to be undermined
by the new RFEs, which lack specificity and instead raise vague
allusions to adverse information.Historically, RFEs in both the H-1B and
I-140 employment-based immigrant visa processes have been used to
verify claims related to job eligibility, academic qualifications, wage
levels, and employer credibility. During the Trump administration’s
first term, RFEs surged dramatically, with issuance rates jumping from
21.4 percent in fiscal year 2016 to nearly 60 percent in 2018.This spike
was largely driven by Trump’s April 2017 “Buy American, Hire American”
executive order and internal agency guidance that encouraged
adjudicators to deny petitions that lacked narrowly tailored evidence.
That trend was reversed under the Biden administration in January 2021
with Executive Order 14005, which sought to restore “fair and
consistent” adjudications.In June 2021, USCIS updated its RFE/Notice of
Intent to Deny (NOID) policy to reinstate a 2013 memo encouraging
immigration officers to issue RFEs or NOIDs rather than deny cases
outright – a reversal of 2018 Trump-era guidance that allowed denials
without RFEs in many circumstances.Today, however, it appears that those
gains may be unraveling. Immigration attorneys remain in a “wait and
see” posture, uncertain whether the new RFEs mark an isolated deviation
or the beginning of a broader campaign to reengineer immigration vetting
through invasive data collection and murky AI tools.Miner cautioned
that the requests are still too recent to draw firm conclusions but
agreed that the stakes are high. “We haven’t seen these progress far
enough to understand the purpose of the requests,” he said, noting,
however, that “the absence of transparency is deeply concerning.”
Somalia decries plan by autonomous region to create parallel ID system-Apr 23, 2025, 10:37 am EDT | Ayang Macdonald
The
Somali government has sharply criticized plans by Puntland, an
autonomous region in the federal country, to create its own ID card
system. Puntland is a region in Northern Somalia, which in 1998,
declared itself an autonomous state under the country’s federal
structure.Recently, the leader of the region through a decree unveiled
plans to establish its own ID card, but this move has met with firm
reprobation from Somalia’s federal government and the National
Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). They see it as a move
that “undermines national unity and violates established law and
governance structures.”“This action is not only legally invalid and
irresponsible but also sows confusion and disrupts the federal system,
offering no benefit to citizens,” they wrote in a recent press
release.They affirmed that every “Somali citizen has the right to a
legal identity, and no one may be denied or obstructed from this right,”
and that “any attempt to block or duplicate the national ID system will
be viewed as a violation of citizens’ legal rights.”The Ministry of
Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation, via the release, has
called on the leadership of Puntland to show a sense of cooperation on
the unified national ID project, which the government says it has
invested hugely and tirelessly in over the past ten years.The ministry
has urged the region’s authorities to “cooperate constructively in
implementing the national ID system and to direct resources toward other
essential public services rather than duplicating systems that weaken
national unity.”Somalia has been trying to rebuild its national ID
system in the last few years thanks to support from Pakistan’s NADRA
after a 30-year disruption provoked principally by political
instability.The government believes that cognizant of these facts and
the country’s “economic realities and vast social needs, creating
multiple ID systems is not only unsustainable but also
irresponsible.”NIRA and the federal government used the statement to
reaffirm the constitutional right of everyone to a national ID card, and
restate their commitment to ensuring that a “unified, secure, and
inclusive National Identification System” is open and accessible to all
Somali citizens in every region of the country.“The Federal Government
of Somalia reiterates that the National Identification System is a
constitutional right of every citizen, and as such, it cannot be
politicized, obstructed, or fragmented. There will be only one unified
national ID system that serves the entire country,” a part for the
government statement reads.“In line with Somalia’s constitutional
aspirations and national development goals, the Federal Government has
spent the past ten years building a reliable and secure national
identification system—an essential pillar for restoring governance and
safeguarding national security.”The government says the national ID card
is not only important in facilitating access to public services, it can
also make a key contribution to “enhancing internal mobility, fighting
terrorism, and facilitating future cross-border travel, particularly
within the East African Community, where Somalia is now a full
member.”Above all, authorities note that the national ID system aligns
with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9 which seeks to ensure
that everyone on the planet is in possession of a legal identity within
the next five years.As part of efforts to encourage adoption of the
national ID in Somalia, the government recently made it mandatory for
access to services from public and the private sector bodies.
Caution
urged as UK supermarkets check out facial recognition-Apr 23, 2025,
10:43 am EDT | Fraser Sampson-By Professor Fraser Sampson, former UK
Biometrics & Surveillance Camera Commissioner
In the same
week the UK Prime Minister said shoplifting has ‘wreaked havoc’ on
neighbourhoods for years, the first UK supermarket announced a trial of
facial recognition technology (FRT). With the government’s focus on
prevention and shoplifting stories continuing to make the front pages,
it was probably inevitable. But this is uncharted territory for the big
high street retailers who will need to tick off a few essentials before
heading to the checkout.First, they need to understand the territory.
This is not just any data processing, this is biometric processing.
Major retailers have deep and wide experience handling customer data at
macro level, but biometrics are elementally different. Using a biometric
recognition system in the UK means they are processing ‘special
category data’ and biometric data differs even from other types of
special categories. This brings a number of significant risks,
obligations and restrictions, some technological, some legal, some
societal. The opportunities for missteps are many and the consequences
profound. An early decision for the supermarket would be whether they
want to be the controller, joint controller or processor; an early
mistake would be to think it doesn’t matter.Second, the supermarkets
will have used transactional Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)
systems before but remote biometrics systems are not like other ANI
solutions such as software to transcribe their meetings or track
customer spending. Facial recognition in retail is literally
customer-facing. As such, it is part of the in-store experience and,
unlike some back-office AI solutions, the interface will be a mission
critical quality system like safety, reliability and customer
service.Third, supermarkets also have extensive experience of in-store
security, but facial recognition is not CCTV. While there are some legal
and regulatory overlaps, it is unlikely that either their pre-AI era
equipment or operating protocols will be up to the job of reliable,
responsible and compliant biometric processing. Another mistake would be
to assume that this is all just cameras.Fourth, facial recognition
technology doesn’t come as a plug-and-play purchase (if it does, you’d
better check your seller’s returns policy). You can’t just pick it off
the shelf, drop it in your trolley and head for the self-service pay
point. Selecting a biometric technology partner is not procurement, it’s
recruitment. Installing a remote AI-powered biometric system involves
both parties entering into an enduring relationship built on mutual
trust and confidence. Guidance from the UK data regulator underlines how
companies must only use providers who can give sufficient guarantees of
the measures they will use for data protection by design; it also says
that their choice of biometric recognition system can help to
demonstrate compliance with the protection by design and default
principle. A wise company will therefore treat this like a hiring issue,
requiring candidates to meet a rigorous job specification, minimum
qualification levels, relevant experience and due diligence, insisting
that both partner and FRT system meet the same consistent quality
standards demanded of all its people, products and services.Going first
is easy, going to last is harder. Current activity seems to be about
‘testing’. Developing algorithms in a sandbox environment gives the
designer control over variables and is very different from testing kit
and concept on the fly. ‘Live trials’ mean that both must prove
themselves concurrently within the same short time span before an
unfiltered audience. AI-driven biometrics are in permanent beta state
and early adopters of FRT have learned that confidence is highly
perishable: you must keep it refreshed by continual review and revision
after the technical trials. If supermarkets are in any doubt about how
demanding and dispiriting all this can be, they should call the
police.AI-enabled innovation is revolutionising many sectors. Some have
already embraced and invested in the benefits, such as healthcare
providers using AI-powered tools for diagnostics and treatment planning,
educational organisations using learning platforms and personalised
tutoring systems and general SMEs relying on new AI- tools for
transactional automation, data analytics and customer service support.
All of these are great examples of balancing innovation, efficiency and
ROI; none of them are as complex and nuanced as AI-driven biometric
comparison.Some retailers have already invested successfully in facial
recognition technology and the supermarkets would do well to learn from
them. Their fellow retailers will tell them how remote biometrics must
balance the technological (what can be done) with the legal (what
must/must not be done) and the societal (what people expect to be done).
In other words, the possible, the permissible and the acceptable must
all line up. They will tell them that the Information Commissioner
expects full and demonstrable compliance with what he describes as the
‘deliberately stringent’ conditions governing biometric
processing.Retailers already using FRT know that choosing a remote
biometric system is a brand-compatibility decision. Biometric
recognition systems are still in their technological, societal and even
legal infancy, attracting some apprehension and strident opposition.
Pioneering supermarkets will need to understand this too.Retail is a bit
like the tech world, storied with trailblazers who broke the mold and
transformed the game. Their quotes are among the most searched for
online. One such quote comes from Gap’s Mickey Drexler who warned that
in retail, consistency is everything, that ‘people want to come in and
see what you are famous for’. Venturing into facial recognition, UK
supermarkets will need to be, not just consistent but also conscientious
or they may find biometric fame for the wrong reasons.
Ashade
marks milestone for TrustPattern in trend for pattern codes and digital
identity-Apr 23, 2025, 9:42 am EDT | Lu-Hai Liang
Ashade is
marking a milestone for its registered technology TrustPattern printable
smartcard technology.The Houston, Texas-based company has rolled out
more than 120,000 digital ID cards embedded with TrustPattern
technology. It marks the successful implementation of a digital ID
system for the Malaysian Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV)
with which Ashade has been collaborating since last year.Each digital ID
features a printed TrustPattern image – like a QR code – which provides
secure, offline, and controlled access to personal information,
according to Ashade. The JHEV Digital ID card project has now been fully
integrated as an ID issuance system.“This implementation at JHEV
demonstrates TrustPattern’s real-world impact and efficiency in
delivering secure identity systems at scale,” said Dr. Lalitha
Kaleedhass, president of Ashade Tech Inc. “It showcases how government
agencies can transform traditional processes without compromising on
security or accessibility.”TrustPattern allows for information storage
on any surface using pattern recognition, while it uses both covert and
overt patterns for security, and the printable smartcard has dual
authentication functionality. Commonly available devices can read and
decode the TrustPattern and can be read online and offline. The
technology is part of a trend. A similar idea, for example, is behind
Tech5’s cryptographic digital ID cards, which can carry biometrics and
other data without a chip.FaceTec has its UR codes, which are digitally
signed biometric barcodes and which uses a standard mobile phone camera
to read them. QR codes meanwhile have been around since 1994, and
innovative uses of the technology continue today, such as Claim 169
developed by MOSIP and biometric QR codes. Claim 169 manages to compress
data, including a facial image, into just 1005 bytes, using version 20
of the QR code spec.As for TrustPattern, its readily available APIs
allowed JHEV to implement the digital ID system quickly, avoiding major
infrastructure overhauls, according to Ashade CEO Dr. Karthik
Kaleedhass. “The system is now being extended to empaneled medical
facilities, and we are working towards a closed-loop ecosystem that
supports veterans with access to essential items at discounted rates,”
he said.
FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
LUKE 21:11,25-26
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.
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)
EARTHQUAKES
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.
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.
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,(LIBERAL GODLESS AIR
WAVES) the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience:(GODLESS)
L3Harris boosts US defense with expanded satellite facility in Indiana by Clarence Oxford.
Los
Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 22, 2025-L3Harris Technologies has invested $125
million to expand its space manufacturing center in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
significantly enhancing its ability to support U.S. missile defense
initiatives. The upgraded facility will play a central role in
developing the Department of Defense's "Golden Dome" strategy, aimed at
shielding the nation from evolving missile threats.The newly expanded
site now spans 95,000 square feet and will house operations for
engineering, integration, testing, and program management tied to
advanced defense payloads. These capabilities align with a broader
national effort to strengthen homeland defense with American-made
systems.Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), who attended the
dedication ceremony, praised the project: "The new investments and
construction by L3Harris in Fort Wayne are a crucial step in making the
defensive capabilities of our country 'Made in America' again. The
incoming jobs to our community will boost our local economy to the tune
of millions of dollars. More companies should follow L3Harris' lead in
returning their operations to our shores and uplifting the communities
that made them what they are today."L3Harris executives emphasized the
urgency and scale of the mission. "Accelerating the nation's missile
warning and defense capabilities is a priority for national security as
we move forward with supporting President Trump's vision for America's
Golden Dome," stated Ed Zoiss, President of Space and Airborne Systems
at L3Harris. "With capacity to produce 48 payloads per year, we continue
to deliver at the scale and speed our defense customers require and are
successfully poised to protect against threats to our homeland."The
company currently operates five satellites in orbit and is building 34
more for key Pentagon programs, including the Space Development Agency's
Tracking Layer and the Missile Defense Agency's HBTSS system. Beyond
defense, the expanded facility will also contribute to the production of
satellites for civil weather monitoring, serving international clients
as well.
Ambitious cross-continental initiative targets breakthroughs in AI space and cyber tech-by Sophie Jenkins.
London,
UK (SPX) Apr 22, 2025-The University of Surrey and the University of
Adelaide have launched a new phase in their international research
partnership, distributing a joint seed fund to support eight pioneering
projects across artificial intelligence, sustainability, space
technology, and cybersecurity. These projects, co-led by researchers at
each university, were selected from a pool of 19 proposals in a highly
competitive process.Both institutions bring complementary expertise to
the partnership. Surrey has recently established two major
interdisciplinary centers: the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI
and the Institute for Sustainability. The university also continues to
advance its longstanding contributions to aerospace through the Surrey
Space Centre, and it hosts one of the UK's foremost cybersecurity
research hubs, the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security.Adelaide's
contributions are anchored in national research leadership, with key
facilities including the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, the
Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources, and the Environment
Institute.Commenting on the partnership, Patrick Degg, Vice-President,
Global at the University of Surrey, stated: "We now have a real chance
to shape technologies like AI so they work for people and the planet,
not just for profit. I look forward to seeing Surrey and Adelaide build
on this strong start in the years ahead."Among the joint initiatives is a
study addressing academic integrity in the era of AI-generated content,
aiming to establish methods to safeguard authentic authorship. Another
key project will examine the potential of terahertz frequencies in
space-based telecommunications, potentially enabling faster, more
efficient satellite communications.Professor Jessica Gallagher, Deputy
Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement at the University of Adelaide,
emphasized the partnership's broader significance: "We look forward to
continuing to strengthen our collaboration with the University of Surrey
to deliver innovative, interdisciplinary research that leads to a
better future for all."Established in 2022, the Surrey-Adelaide alliance
has grown through ongoing exchanges of academic leadership, joint
research forums, and collaborative program development. A recent
delegation from Surrey visited Adelaide in March 2025 to formalize the
next stage of their work, including the distribution of the new research
fund. The visit also laid the groundwork for expanded initiatives such
as international student mobility programs and the development of short
courses focused on AI, cybersecurity, and space technologies, designed
to meet emerging industry demands.
Space Systems Command and UK Space Command launch civilian exchange to boost allied space collaboration by Clarence Oxford.
Los
Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 22, 2025-The United States Space Force's Space
Systems Command (SSC) and the United Kingdom's Space Command have
initiated their first-ever civilian exchange initiative under the
Administrative and Professional Exchange Program (APEP), marking a
strategic step forward in international workforce collaboration and
allied integration.Part of the broader Defense Personnel Exchange
Program (DPEP), APEP is designed to enrich administrative and managerial
expertise through cross-border professional assignments. By embedding
participants directly into partner organizations, the program cultivates
cross-cultural insights and operational knowledge critical to building
interoperable defense frameworks."Our civilian and military Guardians
and Airmen deserve our investment in their careers," stated Lt. Gen.
Philip Garrant, Commander of SSC. "By offering opportunities to
strengthen and grow our workforce through programs such as APEP, we get
after exactly that objective. In order to develop a world-class
workforce, we must continue to partner to win."The arrangement was
formally ratified through a Supplemental Annex signed by the U.S. Deputy
Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA) on
November 18, 2024, following UK sign-off on October 28, 2024. Tara
Browne, SSC/IA's Deputy Division Chief for Strategy and Plans, was
appointed as the inaugural U.S. civilian representative and began her
assignment in the UK in April 2025."This exchange assignment represents a
significant milestone in U.S.-U.K. space collaboration and exemplifies
the [Chief of Space Operations]'s 'Partner to Win' priority in action,"
Browne remarked. "I'm looking forward to providing hands-on, tactical
level support to the U.K. in developing and integrating their Space
Enterprise architecture with U.S. and Allied Space architectures. These
ground-level efforts will strengthen our ability to collaborate and
proliferate our architecture with one of our closest allies in space. As
someone who strongly believes in the power of international
partnerships, I'm excited to be the first USSF civilian selected for
this unique role."This initiative stemmed from ongoing consultations
among SSC, SAF/IA, and UK Space Command, which identified a shared
interest in closer coordination on Space Enterprise Architecture. By
adapting existing frameworks like APEP to new strategic priorities, the
participating agencies demonstrated agility in addressing emerging
operational needs.The civilian program builds on previous successes,
notably the assignment of Air Marshal Paul Godfrey of the Royal Air
Force to the U.S. Space Force as Assistant Chief of Space Operations for
Future Concepts and Partnerships, the first such exchange at the 3-star
military level."I know first-hand the value of our exchange programs,"
commented Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command.
"They allow us to build trust, learn from each other, and enhance
cooperation. Our people, on both sides of the Atlantic, remain our
greatest asset, and this new civilian exchange program will ensure
alignment of U.S. and U.K. space architectural design."Space Systems
Command is the acquisition arm of the U.S. Space Force, managing a $15.6
billion space development budget. It delivers next-generation systems
and infrastructure to secure U.S. strategic interests in space, working
closely with domestic and allied partners to outpace evolving threats.UK
Space Command, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe, oversees British
military space activities and capabilities. Operating as a joint
command, it includes personnel from all branches of the UK Armed Forces
as well as civil service and international exchange members. Its mission
is to safeguard national and allied space interests and ensure freedom
of operation for partner forces worldwide.
HRL and Boeing advance quantum satellite communications milestone by Clarence Oxford.
Los
Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 22, 2025-HRL Laboratories, in collaboration with
Boeing, has reached a critical achievement in the Q4S satellite mission
by finalizing and validating a quantum communications payload designed
for space deployment. The mission aims to perform the first-ever
four-photon entanglement swapping demonstration in orbit, an essential
step toward secure quantum communication and future quantum networking
capabilities.This completed milestone marks the integration of a
compact, 15-kilogram space-ready subassembly. HRL successfully merged
optical, electronic, and thermal management systems into a single
flight-capable package. The subassembly has passed comprehensive
end-to-end software checks, ensuring readiness for space-based
operations."HRL has delivered an optical lab's worth of capability in a
compact, 15kg integrated space-capable assembly," stated Jay Lowell,
Chief Scientist of Boeing's Disruptive Computing, Networks and Sensors
division. He confirmed the subassembly has been space-qualified through
tests conducted at Boeing's El Segundo Space Simulation Laboratory. A
ground-based twin will now serve as a benchmark for the in-orbit
version, which is currently under production.The payload includes two
independent single-photon sources, each of which has successfully
demonstrated high-quality quantum entanglement. Performance tests
revealed fidelity levels between 0.8 and 0.9 and a photon pair detection
rate exceeding 2,500 pairs per second. These results meet the mission's
stringent requirements for quantum measurement precision."Demonstrating
entanglement swapping between these two entangled photon pairs will
enable us to entangle previously unconnected nodes," explained Jennifer
Ellis, Principal Investigator at HRL. "This is a foundational capability
for scalable, secure quantum computing and sensing architectures in
space."Environmental testing has also been completed to ensure system
resilience under the demanding conditions of space. These validations
confirm the payload's readiness for the mission's upcoming
phases."Validation and environmental testing are critical milestones on
the path to a successful space mission," commented Rob Vasquez, CEO of
HRL. "We're proud to partner with Boeing on this pioneering
demonstration and lay the groundwork for secure communications in
space."
Ambitious cross-continental initiative targets breakthroughs in AI space and cyber tech by Sophie Jenkins.
London,
UK (SPX) Apr 22, 2025-The University of Surrey and the University of
Adelaide have launched a new phase in their international research
partnership, distributing a joint seed fund to support eight pioneering
projects across artificial intelligence, sustainability, space
technology, and cybersecurity. These projects, co-led by researchers at
each university, were selected from a pool of 19 proposals in a highly
competitive process.Both institutions bring complementary expertise to
the partnership. Surrey has recently established two major
interdisciplinary centers: the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI
and the Institute for Sustainability. The university also continues to
advance its longstanding contributions to aerospace through the Surrey
Space Centre, and it hosts one of the UK's foremost cybersecurity
research hubs, the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security.Adelaide's
contributions are anchored in national research leadership, with key
facilities including the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, the
Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources, and the Environment
Institute.Commenting on the partnership, Patrick Degg, Vice-President,
Global at the University of Surrey, stated: "We now have a real chance
to shape technologies like AI so they work for people and the planet,
not just for profit. I look forward to seeing Surrey and Adelaide build
on this strong start in the years ahead."Among the joint initiatives is a
study addressing academic integrity in the era of AI-generated content,
aiming to establish methods to safeguard authentic authorship. Another
key project will examine the potential of terahertz frequencies in
space-based telecommunications, potentially enabling faster, more
efficient satellite communications.Professor Jessica Gallagher, Deputy
Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement at the University of Adelaide,
emphasized the partnership's broader significance: "We look forward to
continuing to strengthen our collaboration with the University of Surrey
to deliver innovative, interdisciplinary research that leads to a
better future for all."Established in 2022, the Surrey-Adelaide alliance
has grown through ongoing exchanges of academic leadership, joint
research forums, and collaborative program development. A recent
delegation from Surrey visited Adelaide in March 2025 to formalize the
next stage of their work, including the distribution of the new research
fund. The visit also laid the groundwork for expanded initiatives such
as international student mobility programs and the development of short
courses focused on AI, cybersecurity, and space technologies, designed
to meet emerging industry demands.
Firefighters battle Beit
Shemesh area blazes into night, as evacuees allowed to return-Three more
firefighters, policewoman hurt in blaze; efforts ongoing to control
fire west of Beit Meir; Jerusalem fire service to be reinforced by
northern personnel-By Michael Horovitz and ToI Staff 24 April 2025, 1:11
am
Firefighters on Wednesday evening said they would have to
work intensely through the night to put out a major brushfire in the
Beit Shemesh area but that it was safe enough for residents nearby to
return to their homes after they were evacuated earlier in the day.Three
firefighters and a policewoman were injured while authorities worked to
control multiple blazes that broke out during the day due to high winds
and intense heat, the Fire and Rescue Services said in a statement.
Earlier, a Fire and Rescue Authority spokesman told The Times of Israel
that nine people were lightly injured as a result of the blazes,
including seven firefighters and two civilians.After an assessment by
the Fire and Rescue Services at 10 p.m., the evacuated residents of
Eshtaol, Beit Meir, and Mesilat Zion were allowed to return home. Routes
38, 44, and 6, which were closed earlier due to the fires, were
reopened later in the evening as blazes in those areas were brought
under control.Route 1 was closed from 11 p.m. until midnight so that
firefighters could carry out measures to prevent future blazes. Earlier
footage showed a fire burning near the road.The Fire and Rescue service
said earlier that firefighters were still operating inside Mesilat Zion
and carrying out measures to protect neighboring Beit Meir. West of the
community, firefighters were working to put gain control of a major
blaze.Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services head Shmulik Friedman issued a
general call-up of firefighters earlier Wednesday. A firefighting Samson
plane was set to operate throughout the area overnight, the Fire and
Rescue services stated. Additionally, the Jerusalem-area service is set
to be reinforced by 19 firetrucks and 30 jeeps from the northern
district’s service.The fire initially broke out close to Moshav Tarum
near Beit Shemesh. Strong winds whipped up the flames as teams fought
the blaze on the ground with support from aircraft. Police asked the
public to exercise caution and stay away from the affected areas.In
addition to over one hundred firefighting squads, fire engines belonging
to the Israeli Air Force and Technological and Logistics Directorate
operated alongside the Fire and Rescue Service and Israel Police.An IAF
aircraft also assisted with building an “aerial picture” of the fire
while members of the Home Front Command were dispatched to assist with
evacuating civilians from areas under threat.The Israel Meteorological
Service had warned of “extreme” weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, with
the potential for record-breaking temperatures.The vast majority of
forest fires in Israel are caused by humans and are usually the result
of negligence.Israel experiences long, hot and dry summers, with
conditions ripe for wildfires. Large blazes broke out in 1989, 1995,
2010, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.Climate models show that such
large-scale blazes are getting more frequent and more fast-spreading, in
part due to the climate crisis, which has raised temperatures and
caused even more extreme summers with drier conditions.A scathing report
by the state comptroller in July 2024 found that the Fire and Rescue
Authority had investigated the cause of only about 9% of the fires it
handled in 2022 and 14% of those it dealt with in 2023. More than 50% of
the probes it opened between 2020 and 2022 were still open after a
year.The audit found that the authority operated without written and
approved policy documents on how to run fire investigations, and that
the existing policy was based neither on documented risk analysis nor
optimal management. The report also found that 75% of files opened by
police on suspicion of arson offenses in 2019 to 2022 were closed
without indictments. During these years, 228 files were opened on
suspicion of arson with a nationalist background, but indictments were
only filed in a third of those cases.Sue Surkes, Charlie Summers, and
Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Daily Weather Update
from FOX Weather: NJ fire burns over 8,500 acres as Plains brace for
more severe weather-Chris Oberholtz-Wed, April 23, 2025 at 6:21 a.m. EDT
Welcome
to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It’s Wednesday, April 23,
2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's
weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and
local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update
podcast.Crews are continuing their relentless assault to beat back the
flames of a massive wildfire that’s exploding in size near the New
Jersey shore. Thousands of residents have been forced to flee for safety
while thick smoke choked the region, closing a miles-long stretch of
the state’s busiest highway for hours.The Jones Road Wildfire sparked on
Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area near Barnegat
Township in Ocean County and quickly began to grow in size.As of
Wednesday, it had consumed 8,500 acres and was only 10%
contained.Continuing into Wednesday and Thursday, an active period of
weather is in store for the Plains, including Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas. The FOX Forecast Center said a chance of severe storms or flash
flooding looks very possible into the weekend.As the sun breaks through
during the afternoon on Wednesday, enough heating could occur to support
thunderstorm development. Storms that form here could bring brief
strong wind gusts and small hail, though coverage and intensity will
depend on how much sun breaks through.Isolated thunderstorms are also
possible farther south, across the southern Plains and into far west
Texas. These stronger storms may bring large hail and damaging winds.
There is a potential for tornadoes to develop, but the overall severe
weather threat will gradually decrease after sunset.When you get called
away from Easter dinner to wrangle an alligator, sometimes you need to
use the tools you have on site, which is what one Florida gator handler
did on the holiday.Mike Dragich shared a video with FOX Weather showing
the wild Sunday encounter in Jacksonville, Florida. He said a woman was
letting her dog out when she noticed the scaly tail of the 7-foot
alligator slide by her patio.National Park Week is underway, and this
year's theme is National Park Playlist, which celebrates musical
connections to national parks and the American story. Each day of
National Park Week will have suggestions for things to do designated
under a music genre.Zion National Park is one of five national parks
that are located in Utah. It’s home to the largest sandstone cliffs in
the world. Last year, FOX Weather’s Robert Ray took us on this tour.Here
are a few more stories you might find interesting.Original article
source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: NJ fire burns over 8,500
acres as Plains brace for more severe weather
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.
DR DOCTORION-ANGEL OF THE MIDEAST
"The
angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces
because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United
Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
EVERYBODY MUST WATCH THIS APR 19,25 LIFE, LIBERTY LEVIN TRUTH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDWy9K5siHo
Putin
ratifies Russia-Iran agreement to strengthen military, diplomatic
ties-The Kremlin chief signed the agreement with Iranian President
Masoud Pezeshkian in January.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 21, 2025
14:54
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying
a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, Russian state news agency RIA
reported on Monday.The agreement is expected to strengthen military and
diplomatic ties between Moscow and Tehran.As part of the agreement, the
two countries agreed not to provide military assistance to any third
party with which the other is in hot conflict, according to the Kyiv
Independent.The agreement established a framework for the development of
long-term cooperation between the two countries. Russian state media
outlet TASS reported that the agreement covers all areas of strategic
partnership, including: defense, counterterrorism, energy, finance,
transportation, industry, agriculture, culture, science, and
technology.Russia-Iran relations -The speaker of Russia's state
legislative body, Vyacheslav Volodin, noted that the agreement will
coordinate Tehran and Moscow's international actions, TASS reported.
Putin inked the 20-year strategic partnership pact with his Iranian
counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, in January. Russian state media noted
that Putin and Pezeshkian signed the deal after the perceived
international political pressure. Since the start of the Ukraine-Russia
War in 2022, Iran has given the Russian military thousands of Shahed
drones, alongside short-range ballistic missiles, the Kyiv Independent
reported. Because of the Islamic Republic's assistance, Russia has been
able to produce its own variants of Iranian drones, such as the Geran-
Arab
states' shifting views may factor into Iran's nuclear calculations -
analysis-Saudi Arabia Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman flew
to Iran and held talks with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
in Tehran on Thursday, April 17.By SETH J. FRANTZMAN-APRIL 21, 2025
12:14
Iran's calculations ahead of a possible new deal with the
United States may factor in the shifting views of the Arab states.This
is important to consider. Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister, Prince Khalid
bin Salman, flew to Iran and held talks with Iran's Supreme Leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on Thursday, April 17.Saudi Arabia is
one of the countries that opposed the 2015 Iran deal. However, Riyadh
has now reconciled with Iran over the last two years in a process backed
by China and Iraq. Riyadh is a leader of several key countries in the
region, and its stance is influential.Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the CEO of
IRNA, recently gave an interview that was printed in his news
organization, regarding how the Arab states may play into a new Iran
deal.Ansari is not only a key figure in Iranian state media. He is also a
former diplomat at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. It's worth recalling
that back in 2015, Ansari, who was then a spokesman for the foreign
ministry in Tehran, spoke out against the "pressure from the Zionist
lobby" on the US. This is his worldview. Ansari's thoughts on the
deal-What does Ansari think today about the chances for a deal? He seems
slightly optimistic. One reason for this is that he assesses that the
Arab states have chosen a different approach than in 2015.Looking back
at the 2015 deal he said, "the result was that the Arab countries, or
more precisely what I call the official Arab system, aligned themselves
with Israel, directly or indirectly, acting like two blades of scissors
in dealing with the JCPOA." He blames these countries, which he didn't
name, for trying to use their influence, "lobbying and wealth" to
prevent the deal.IRNA noted that "Hossein Jaberi Ansari explained to
IRNA 24 Program how Iran and its Arab countries are dealing with
Tehran-Washington indirect negotiations and a possible new deal in a way
different from the 2015 Iran agreement." Now he sees the same Arab
states as being more "forward-moving" in their approach.Oman positive on
talks-We know that Oman has been very positive on the talks. Oman is
mediating the talks and has hosted one round in Oman and one in Rome.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries appear more flexible as
well.He contrasted the approach with 2018, when he also said that Arab
countries worked to undermine the 2015 deal.The article about his
comments stated that "their attempt [was] facilitated during the first
term of US. President Donald Trump, who withdrew Washington from the
JCPOA in 2018."Now he said that "it seems that Iran this time is more
seriously engaged in elaborating on its policies and the realities as
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, his deputies and colleagues, as well as
Iranian ambassadors to regional countries are making close contacts to
convey developments to leaders and officials of the Arab countries in
order to prevent a reserved image from being shaped for them, Jaberi
Ansari said," IRNA noted, paraphrasing his comments.The report noted
that "Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries are also learning from
the experience of the past few years that if developments move toward
conflict, and soft confrontations turn into hard ones, Iran and the
other side to the conflict would not be the only ones to suffer, and the
entire region would definitely be harmed, he added."
UN watchdog asks Iran to clarify tunnels near nuclear site.
Washington,
April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency
called Wednesday on Iran to explain tunnels built around its Natanz
nuclear site, while voicing hope over ongoing US-Iran talks.The
Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington think
tank, released satellite imagery on Wednesday that it said showed a new,
deeply buried tunnel alongside an older one around Natanz, as well as a
new security perimeter."I've been raising this issue repeatedly, and I
will continue to do so," Rafael Grossi, director general of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters on a visit to
Washington.Grossi, who visited Tehran last week, said that all countries
need to inform the IAEA of intentions for facilities around nuclear
sites but that Iran has a stance "unique in the world" that it does not
need to inform the agency ahead of time."We're asking them, what is this
for? They are telling us, it's none of your business," Grossi
said.Grossi said it "cannot be excluded" that the tunnels would store
undeclared material but said he did not want to speculate on
intentions."Iran does not have nuclear weapons. This is very clear. We
cannot confuse people. Iran has conducted in the past certain activities
that were relevant -- could be relevant -- in the process of developing
nuclear weapons," he said.Grossi said he has heard optimism about a
deal between the United States and Iran on the nuclear program after the
arch-enemies held two rounds of talks, with technical talks expected
this weekend."I think there's a general expectation that this goes well
and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA," Grossi said.He said
that was "more or less the sense of what I'm getting when I'm talking to
leaders," mentioning specifically Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as
hopeful for a US-Iran deal.President Donald Trump in 2018 ripped up an
earlier nuclear agreement negotiated under Barack Obama.But he has
voiced hope in his second term for a new accord that would resolve the
issue diplomatically and has discouraged Israel from a military strike
on Iran.Asked about a military option, Grossi said: "I should simply
remind that attacks on nuclear facilities is something that could have
potentially very, very serious consequences."
Spain to go ahead with contested Israeli arms deal.
Madrid,
April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-Spain's interior ministry on Wednesday said
a politically embarrassing multi-million-dollar arms purchase from an
Israeli company would go ahead after state legal services advised
against its attempt to scrap the contract.Spain's Socialist-led minority
government halted weapons transactions with Israel after the outbreak
of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on
October 7, 2023, and which has devastated the Palestinian territory.In
October last year, the interior ministry said it had launched the
process to terminate a deal with an Israeli firm that would have
supplied bullets for the Civil Guard.Ministry sources told AFP on
Wednesday that the move had been abandoned following a recommendation by
the state legal services "that advised against the cancellation due to
the advanced stage of the processing of the contract"."The cancellation
would have meant paying the company without receiving the equipment,"
the sources added.According to details of the tender made public,
Israeli firm IMI Systems Ltd, represented by Guardian Homeland Security,
secured the deal worth 6.8 million euros ($7.8 million).The far-left
Sumar party, the junior partner in the ruling coalition, said the
reversal was "a blatant violation" of the government's pledge not to
trade weapons with Israel.The party demanded in a statement the
contract's "immediate cancellation" and an explanation from Interior
Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, saying the Spanish government's
commitment to the Palestinian people "must be absolute"."Both companies
clearly share and promote on their social networks their participation
in the committing of war crimes, genocide, and ethnic cleansing," Sumar
MP Enrique Santiago told reporters.The unprecedented attack Hamas
launched against Israel from Gaza in 2023 resulted in the deaths of
1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on
official Israeli figures.Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages
in their attack and 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military
says are dead.Israel's military response in Gaza has unleashed a
humanitarian crisis and killed at least 51,305 people, mainly civilians,
according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Iran top diplomat in China to discuss nuclear talks.
Beijing,
April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was
visiting China on Wednesday for consultations ahead of a new round of
nuclear talks with the United States.Iran and the United States are set
to meet in Oman on Saturday for a third set of talks on the Iranian
nuclear issue, with Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff
leading the negotiations.A technical meeting between nuclear experts
from the two countries will also be held on Saturday in the Omani
capital, Muscat."It is necessary for us to keep our friends in China
informed of developments and to consult with them," Araghchi told
Iranian state television.China was a party to the 2015 nuclear agreement
that reined in Tehran's nuclear programme, which was abandoned after US
President Donald Trump withdrew from it three years later."China has
played an important and constructive role on the nuclear issue in the
past, and the same role is certainly necessary in the future," the
Iranian minister added.The 2015 agreement provided for the lifting of
international sanctions against Iran in exchange for oversight of its
nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).According to the IAEA, Iran was complying with its commitments
until the US withdrawal, which triggered the reimposition of US
sanctions.The 2015 accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA), was also negotiated by four other permanent UN
Security Council members -- Britain, France, Russia, and the United
States -- along with Germany and the European Union.China is Iran's
largest commercial partner and the main buyer of its oil, with Tehran
still under crushing US sanctions.Around 92 percent of Iranian oil heads
towards China, according to Iranian media, and is often sold at a
considerable discount.In 2021, Tehran and Beijing signed a comprehensive
25-year strategic agreement covering energy, security, infrastructure
and communications among other areas.
UK, French troops drill for urban combat using Ukraine insights.
Sissonne,
France, April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-Members of the French Foreign
Legion and British soldiers have started a joint military exercise in
northeastern France, applying urban warfare lessons from the conflict in
Ukraine, an AFP reporter said.A French officer, perched on a British
armoured vehicle camouflaged with branches in the small town of
Jeoffrecourt, translated commands for armoured infantry troops from
Britain.The FFL and the Royal Welsh First Battalion were part of a team
trying to capture this town of 5,000 residents Tuesday during a two-week
training exercise.The exercises come as French President Emmanuel
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are spearheading European
efforts to send what they call a "reassurance force" to Ukraine after
any end to the war sparked by Russia's 2022 invasion."We look at what is
happening in theatres of operation and new modes of action to integrate
them," said Lieutenant Colonel Romain, an FFL training officer who gave
only his first name under French military policy.A member of his 13th
Demi-Brigade toggled a joystick from a basement where a video feed
showed footage from the drone he controlled as it flew above the
streets.With just four radios, four laptops and a white sheet serving as
a makeshift projection screen, the setup was spartan but for good
reason, said the brigade's commanding officer, Colonel Benjamin
Brunet."We drill to change position every six hours," Brunet said, a
lesson gleaned from Ukraine, where adversaries quickly spot the
electromagnetic radiation emitted from command posts to destroy them.For
Captain Ed, a British intelligence officer who also could give only his
first name, France and Britain have a proven track record of working
together because they "share a similar mindset and values"."Since 2018,
the French and British have been together in Estonia" as part of a
mission set up by NATO on its eastern flank, the captain said."We are
training and we are ready to go anywhere in the world," he said.
India vows 'loud and clear' response to Kashmir attack.
Pahalgam,
April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-India's defence minister vowed on Wednesday
a swift response to those who carried out and planned the Kashmir
region's worst attack on civilians in years."Those responsible and
behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear,"
Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi, a day after gunmen killed
26 men at a tourist hotspot in the contested Himalayan region."We won't
just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach
out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land."Singh
did not identify those he believes are responsible for the killings, but
said that "India's government will take every step that may be
necessary and appropriate".No group has claimed responsibility for the
attack in the Muslim-majority region where rebels have waged an
insurgency since 1989.They are seeking independence or a merger with
Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like
India, claims it in full.- 'Serious risk' -Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has pledged that those responsible for the "heinous act"
will "be brought to justice".Modi is set to hold an emergency cabinet
meeting with top security chiefs later on Wednesday."Their evil agenda
will never succeed," Modi said in a statement shortly after the attack.
"Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even
stronger."Nuclear-armed arch-rivals India and Pakistan have long accused
each other of backing forces to destabilise the other, and New Delhi
says Islamabad backs the gunmen behind the insurgency.Islamabad denies
the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir's struggle for
self-determination.Pakistan's foreign ministry on Wednesday offered its
"condolences to the near ones of the deceased".Analyst Michael Kugelman
said the attack posed a "very serious risk of a new crisis between India
and Pakistan, and probably the most serious risk of a crisis since the
brief military conflict that happened in 2019".- Blood stains -Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the attack had been "much
larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians" in recent years.A
hospital list verified by police recorded 26 men who were killed on
Tuesday afternoon when gunmen burst out of forests at a popular tourist
spot in Pahalgam and raked crowds of visitors with automatic weapons.All
those killed were listed as residents of India except one man from
Nepal.In a separate incident in Kashmir at Baramulla on Wednesday, the
army killed two people after a "heavy exchange of fire", saying the
gunmen were part of an "infiltration bid" crossing the contested
frontier from Pakistan.AFP journalists near the site of the Pahalgam
attack reported a heavy deployment of security forces. Pahalgam is
popular with tourists in summer and is about 90 kilometres (55 miles) by
road from the city of Srinagar.Smears of blood could still be seen on
the grass where the killings took place as forensic investigators
searched for evidence.A tour guide told AFP he had carried some of the
wounded away on horseback.Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw
several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested
anonymity said the attackers were "clearly sparing women".The killings
came a day after Modi met US Vice President JD Vance in New Delhi.The
deadliest previous attack on civilians was in March 2000 when 36 Indians
were killed on the eve of a visit by then-US president Bill Clinton.-
'Heinous' -US President Donald Trump called Modi to offer "full support
to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous
attack".China, which neighbours the troubled region, offered its
"sincere sympathies" to the families of those killed.India has an
estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory but
fighting has eased since Modi's government revoked Kashmir's limited
autonomy in 2019.Authorities in recent years have promoted the
mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for skiing in winter
and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.Around 3.5
million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, mostly domestic visitors.The
worst attack in recent years was in Pulwama in February 2019 when
insurgents rammed a car packed with explosives into a police convoy,
killing 40 and wounding at least 35 others.
Putin discussed Iran nuclear deal with Sultan of Oman: Russian state media.
Moscow,
April 22 (AFP) Apr 22, 2025-Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed
the Iran nuclear talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Moscow on
Tuesday, the Kremlin said."This topic was touched on... in the context
of mediation efforts by Oman," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told
reporters, including AFP, during a briefing at the Kremlin.Russia has
welcomed the surprise talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's
nuclear programme, which is being mediated by Oman."Russia is ready to
do everything that depends on it to contribute to a fruitful and active
conclusion of these talks," Peskov said, repeating Russia's oft-stated
position.Donald Trump pushed Iran to open negotiations on limiting its
nuclear weapons development programme, after he pulled out of the
landmark US-Iran nuclear deal during his first presidency.
Second Fukushima debris removal trial complete.
Tokyo,
April 23 (AFP) Apr 23, 2025-A tricky operation to remove a second
sample of radioactive debris from inside Japan's stricken Fukushima
nuclear plant has been completed, the site operator said
Wednesday.Dangerously high radiation levels mean that removing melted
fuel and other debris from the plant hit by a huge tsunami in 2011 is
seen as the most daunting challenge in the decades-long decommissioning
project.Around 880 tonnes of hazardous material are inside the power
station -- the site of one of history's worst nuclear accidents after
the tsunami, which was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake.Plant
operator TEPCO said its second trial debris removal operation, which
began just over a week ago, "has been completed" as of Wednesday
morning.The debris was "removed from a different location from the
previous sampling location" to better understand the material's
"characteristics and distribution", government spokesman Yoshimasa
Hayashi told reporters.TEPCO completed its first trial removal, using a
specially developed extendible device, in November.That first sample
weighing just under 0.7 grams (0.02 ounces) -- roughly equivalent to one
raisin -- was delivered to a research lab near Tokyo for
analysis."Detailed analysis of the debris collected in the first
sampling" will inform future decommissioning work as TEPCO studies how
to conduct a "full-scale removal", Hayashi said.US nuclear expert Lake
Barrett, a special advisor to Japan on the Fukushima clean-up, told AFP
that removing more debris would be challenging but not impossible."We're
going to find all of these complexities of almost a witch's brew down
underneath there" in the reactors, Barrett said."They've got to develop
robots we've never done before. But the fundamentals are there for the
technology to do it."Three of Fukushima's six reactors went into
meltdown in 2011 after the huge tsunami swamped the facility.In 2023,
Japan began releasing into the Pacific Ocean some of the 540 Olympic
swimming pools' worth of treated wastewater that had been collected at
the plant.The move was endorsed by the International Atomic Energy
Agency but China banned Japanese seafood imports as a result, and Russia
later followed suit.This month China said it had found no abnormalities
in seawater and marine life samples that it independently collected
near the Fukushima plant in February.But Beijing indicated more tests
would be needed before it lifts the ban.nf/kaf/mtp
Spain to hike defence spending to 2% of GDP in 2025: PM by AFP Staff Writers.
Madrid
(AFP) April 22, 2025-Spain will invest more than 10 billion euros to
increase its defence spending -- proportionally NATO's lowest -- to two
percent of annual economic output this year, Prime Minister Pedro
Sanchez said on Tuesday.The announcement accelerates a previous timeline
that set 2029 as the target year to reach the benchmark agreed by NATO
allies but deemed too low by US President Donald Trump.Russia's
three-year-old invasion of Ukraine and Trump's questioning of
decades-long US security guarantees have seen Europe scramble to design
new defence strategies with bigger budgets in the quest for greater
autonomy."It is essential that we meet the investment targets our
partners demand," Sanchez told a news conference as he announced plans
to spend 10.47 billion euros ($12 billion).The aim is to "consolidate
Spain as a central and trustworthy member of the European Union and the
Atlantic alliance in a world dominated by uncertainty", the Socialist
premier added.Spain dedicated 1.28 percent of its annual economic output
to defence last year, a lower proportion than any other member,
according to NATO figures.Sanchez's minority government relies on small
far-left groups and separatist parties traditionally hostile to NATO and
alignment with US foreign policy, complicating his efforts to hike
defence spending.Spanish media reported that the Socialists' far-left
junior coalition partner Sumar fiercely opposed the move during
Tuesday's cabinet meeting.Attempting to assuage such concerns, Sanchez
said the new cash would come "without raising taxes, without touching a
cent of investment in the welfare state and without incurring a larger
public deficit".Less than one-fifth of the new investment will go
towards "the purchase of armaments in the most traditional sense of the
term", while almost one third will be ploughed into "acquiring new
telecommunications and cybersecurity capabilities each year", he added.A
further 17 percent of the plan will "strengthen the dual capacities" of
the army to help manage emergencies and natural disasters, he
announced.It was unclear whether NATO would accept counting that money
as part of annual defence spending.Sanchez confirmed the spending plan
would not be submitted to a vote in parliament, infuriating the main
conservative opposition Popular Party, which called it "not serious or
democratic".
Any and all assistance': Huckabee offers aid as
Jerusalem fires continue-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also
instructed the IDF and Fire and Rescue Brigades to prepare reserves from
Greece and other countries abroad.By SHIR PERETS-APRIL 23, 2025 21:10
US
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee offered assistance and sent a prayer
of safety to the first responders and citizens who were evacuated due
to the fires that raged across the outskirts of Jerusalem on
Wednesday.“Terrible to see the images of big brush fires on the
outskirts of Jerusalem,” Huckabee wrote on X/Twitter. “The embassy has
offered any and all assistance we can provide to Israeli
authorities.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situational
assessment at the fire management command center with personnel from
firefighting, border police, KKL-JNF, and IDF, where he instructed to
prepare reserves from Greece and other countries abroad.“Nighttime is
the weak point because at night the embers go back to burning and the
winds take the fire. We have already been tested by this in the past,”
he stated.“If you have the possibility of using the Samson planes, so
much the better. Do so carefully, of course, but it is important.”Listen
to security forces“Sending encouragement and best wishes for success to
the firefighters, firefighters, and rescue workers who are currently
working in the field, with dedication and courage, in the face of the
severe fires in the harsh weather conditions,” President Isaac Herzog
wrote.“Take care of yourself and return home safely. I appeal to the
residents of the evacuated communities: listen to the instructions of
the security forces and avoid unnecessary risks.”Opposition leader and
Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid expressed his appreciation to the
firefighters who worked hours to extinguish the fires.“Wishing a speedy
recovery to the firefighters who were injured in the fires and hoping
that all the families who were evacuated will quickly return to their
homes without damage,” he wrote.
WATCH: Israel commemorates 80
years since the Holocaust-Herzog said that he would lead survivors,
bereaved families, and former hostages, in the March of the Living in
Auschwitz on Thursday.By MICHAEL STARR-APRIL 23, 2025 20:11
Israel
marked 80 years since the World War II genocide of the Jewish people on
Wednesday night, with the beginning of Holocaust Remembrance Day.A
siren marking the six million victims of the Holocaust is set to sound
on Thursday morning, at which point Israelis will cease all action and
hold a moment of silence until the siren’s end.The flag was lowered to
half-mast on Wednesday night at an official ceremony held at Yad Vashem,
with the year’s theme being Out of the Depth: The Anguish of
Liberation.The ceremony saw remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and President Isaac Herzog, who noted the difficult commemoration as
the country continues to fight a war and hostages are still held in
Hamas captivity.Released hostages sat in attendance at the ceremony as
Herzog prayed for the return of those still captive and for the soldiers
and their families who sacrificed in the fight on their behalf.“This
day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is not only a day for looking backward. I
speak here not only 80 years after the Holocaust but also a year and a
half after the greatest massacre our people have endured since the
Holocaust – when we are still wounded and bleeding, reeling and
anxious,” said Herzog.“I wish to lift up the sanctity of this day, even
as our nation looks forward – internalizing what I believe is the most
crucial lesson and imperative: Just as we overcame 80 years ago – so
shall we prevail again.”Herzog said he would lead survivors, bereaved
families, and former hostages in the March of the Living in Auschwitz on
Thursday. He also said that he represented Holocaust survivors in a
call for unity, hoping in the historic moment of “national
responsibility” to “mend our hearts.”“We are living through days of
fierce and painful division. And the overwhelming majority of our people
cry out with all their might: Enough! Enough with the polarization.
Enough with the hatred. History will not forgive those who act
irresponsibly and tear us apart from within.“History will not forgive
those who weaken the foundations of our wonderful country – beloved,
unique, Jewish, and democratic – born from the ashes of the terrible
Holocaust,” said Herzog.“Our shared rebuilding, after this great
fracture, is a tremendous and historic mission–not upon one person, or
one community, or one camp – but upon all of us: as a nation, as a
society, as individuals.”Netanyahu arrived late to the ceremony –
reportedly due to security issues, but top security officials were
already present at the site.The prime minister mourned the loss of the
Holocaust victims, who “bore the scars of the terrible devastation” but,
according to him, also the legacy of the Jewish nation.He said he had
been moved to tears when meeting Holocaust survivors this week and also
during a diplomatic mission in Hungary, when visiting the bank of the
Danube River, where a memorial of bronze shoes commemorating the murder
of Hungarian Jews highlighted the destruction and resurrection of the
Jewish people.Netanyahu drew a comparison between the shoes and the
memorials of yellow ribbons and stickers of fallen soldiers, praising
the heroism of those that rose up to fight in the ghettos, saying that
their spirit sparked the rebirth of the nation.“I thought to myself
about the tremendous changes that we’ve achieved over the last 80 years.
After the Holocaust, we were like dust carried away by the wind,” said
Netanyahu. “Now we have a country, we have an army, we have a security
force, [and] we have soldiers with a fierce spirit.”Netanyahu noted the
successes of the military since the October 7 massacre, crippling
Hezbollah and Hamas, and noting the fall of the Assad regime. He
threatened Iran with a similar fate if they continued down the path of
nuclear weapons.“No one will prevent us from defending ourselves,” said
Netanyahu, recalling the previous year’s commemoration when Israel was
threatened with arms embargoes. “If we need to stand alone, we shall
stand alone. If we need to fight with our fingernails, we shall fight
with our fingernails, but we will not relent.”Holocaust Remembrance Day
was a milestone in the path to destroying those that seek to eliminate
us, said Netanyahu, comparing Hamas and their actions to those of the
Nazis and the Holocaust.“They are exactly like the Nazis. Like Hitler.
Like Haman. They wish to kill and destroy all of the Jews,” said
Netanyahu. “It’s not going to happen. We are going to annihilate these
Hamas monsters.”Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber is set to recite a chapter from
Psalms, and Chief Rabbi David Yosef the mourners’ kaddish. Holocaust
survivor Yehuda Hauptman is set to recite a prayer for the souls of the
martyrs, and six other Holocaust survivors will light six torches, each
representing a million souls extinguished by the Nazis and their
collaborators.On Thursday, the public is welcome to light candles in the
Warsaw Ghetto Square in memory of those who fell victim to the Nazi
persecution and genocide.
Post' reveals: Why and how Israel
missed its chance to strike Iran's nuclear sites - exclusive-JPost
reveals for the first time the full extent of the debates between
Israel's political and security echelons over striking in Tehran.By
YONAH JEREMY BOB-APRIL 23, 2025 17:16
On April 13-14, 2024, Iran
changed the Middle East forever, ending a decades-long covert shadow war
with Israel by openly and directly attacking Israel with 180 ballistic
missiles, 170 drones, and dozens of cruise missiles.Israel responded on
April 19, 2024, by attacking one S-300 anti-aircraft defense system,
which was protecting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facility in
Isfahan.The Jewish state never seriously considered attacking Iran’s
nuclear sites in April 2024 like it did in October 2024, but that first
direct round between the sides set the stage for the more dramatic
follow-up.Although that end result is well-known, The Jerusalem Post now
reveals for the first time the full extent of the debates between Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then defense minister Yoav Gallant, and
then IDF chief Herzi Halevi, then war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and
Gadi Eisenkot, and Mossad Director David Barnea.Similar but evolved
debates came into play in October 2024 after Tehran attacked Israel
directly a second time, this time with over 200 ballistic missiles on
October 1, 2024.This time a similar cast of characters debated the
issues, but Gantz and Eisenkot were already out of the picture having
exited the government on June 9, 2024.And then there was a third round
of the least reported debates after October 26, 2024, but before Donald
Trump entered office, replacing Joe Biden as US president.Here, Gallant
was also mostly out of the picture, given that he was fired by Netanyahu
on November 5, 2024, leaving Netanyahu along with defense chiefs
Halevi, Barnea, and some of their top advisers.What was radically
different in the post-October 26 debates was that suddenly Israel knew
it could pulverize Iran’s nuclear facilities almost at will, whereas
until then there had been concerns about whether the Israeli air force
could sufficiently outplay Iran’s S-300 anti aircraft defense systems
for long enough to hit enough Iranian nuclear targets enough times to do
the job.And yet Israel held back.A limited counterstrike-Although many
of the above key decision-makers evolved in their views during the
debate about how harshly to respond, roughly speaking, in April 2024,
Eisenkot and Gantz were the most concerned about keeping Israel’s
counterstrike limited so as to avoid an escalating series of strikes and
counterstrikes.Netanyahu was concerned about overreacting as well, but
was sounding some greater readiness to take risks in counterstriking
Iran than Eisenkot and Gantz. This was a shift with Netanyahu being more
confident about using dramatic military force, given that Gantz had
been more ready to invade Gaza faster and harder in October 2023 and
Khan Yunis in December 2023 than Netanyahu.Eisenkot had been ready to
use strong military force in October 2023, but already wanted to
continue hostage exchanges in November-December 2023 without rushing
into Khan Yunis.Barnea, who is often the lead on Iran issues in the
defense establishment, was in favor of a strong counterstrike, but it
was difficult to pin down exactly as he wanted US support for Israel’s
retaliation choice and for continued broader war goals.Gallant and
Halevi were the most outspokenly aggressive about striking back.At some
point, Netanyahu joined Gallant and Halevi for striking Iran’s S-300
anti-aircraft missile system protecting its Isfahan nuclear facility,
and eventually, even Gantz supported this strike, though Eisenkot
remained opposed.After Iran’s October 1 attack, positions had already
shifted somewhat.Gallant and Halevi still wanted to be relatively
aggressive, but were much more closely aligned with the US and ready to
avoid attacking Iran’s nuclear program in order to keep Washington on
board.In contrast, Netanyahu was becoming more aggressive in his
approach to the war across the board and also more ready to defy the
Biden administration, given that election day was only a month off and
Trump was favored in the polls.Still, Netanyahu wanted the US and its
allies to help Israel defend itself from any potential additional rounds
of Iranian ballistic missile attacks, and part of that was also
expressing gratitude to America for helping protect the Jewish state
from Iran on October 1.US authorization-Also, Israel wanted US
authorization for flying over certain Middle Eastern countries on the
way to striking Iran.Barnea continued to support a somewhat aggressive
approach to the Islamic Republic, but always emphasized the need for US
buy-in as a restraining factor.This is how Israel arrived at the
decision to strike the four remaining S-300 missile defense systems in
Tehran, as well as more than a dozen other air defense and ballistic
missile production targets, as well as one nuclear-related target at
Parchin on October 26.The impact of Israel’s attack was to reduce Iran’s
ballistic missile production capacity from manufacturing 14 new
missiles per week to one per week, with a one to two-year recovery
time.In terms of the impact on Iran’s radar, tracking, and air defense
capabilities, Israel’s attack left Iran’s nuclear program completely
vulnerable compared to the air force’s capabilities.Why then didn’t
Israel immediately rush out the fateful strike on Iran’s nuclear program
on October 27, or in the limbo transition period between October 26 and
inauguration day of January 20?Especially after election day, Biden was
a lame duck who could only have penalized Israel so much for defying
his will.The answer actually lies not with Iran, but on two other
fronts: Hezbollah and Hamas.Even if Israel had taken out Iran’s best
chance of competing in a heavy exchange of fire between the countries,
the Jewish state was still under heavy fire on October 27 and after US
election day.In the North, around one-third of the country was being
rocketed by Hezbollah hundreds of times per day, with some rockets also
getting to central Israel. True, Israel was overwhelmingly “winning” the
exchange, but the country could not indefinitely sustain the level of
rocket fire that Hezbollah could keep up.In the South, Hamas no longer
had such capabilities, but still presented a threat, which made it hard
to convince southern residents to return to their homes closer to Gaza,
and the terror group still held around 100 hostages, half of whom were
still alive.Also, at the time, Israel was facing nearly daily ballistic
missiles from Yemen’s Houthis, which each time sent millions of Israelis
in the Tel Aviv and central Israel corridors into their bomb
shelters.Removing other threats-In order to be ready for a potentially
broad military campaign with Iran, which could involve multiple rounds
of exchanges of many hundreds of ballistic missiles more than before,
top Israeli officials wanted to remove other threats from the board.It
took until November 27 to get a ceasefire with Hezbollah, and even then,
significant Israeli attention was focused on keeping US support for
framing the post-war order in Lebanon. This was key to ensure that the
Lebanese army would block Hezbollah from returning to southern Lebanon
and that the IDF would be free to strike the terror group each time it
violated the ceasefire deal.A deal with Hamas for returning some
hostages and a ceasefire did not occur until January 19, the day before
Trump’s inauguration.And there was enormous pressure for another such
hostage deal after the last deal had occurred way back in November
2023.Once again, Israel needed both Biden and Trump’s support to seal
the deal, and this might not have happened if Jerusalem had gone
head-to-head with Tehran.There are also some who believe Netanyahu only
wanted the Hamas deal to happen once Trump was taking office, so that he
could frame the post-ceasefire situation in terms of dismantling Hamas -
and not a Palestinian Authority-led Gaza with Hamas still intact in the
background.In any event, the Hamas deal also took off pressure from the
Houthis, and before Israel went back to war with Hamas on March 18-19,
America was already striking the Houthis far more seriously to keep them
busy on the defensive and less on the offensive.Most top Israeli
officials believe progress on these issues could not have happened, and
also the 33 hostages who Hamas returned to Israel over January-March
could have been endangered, if Israel had launched a larger war with
Iran during the Biden-Trump transition.Also, top IDF and Mossad
officials believed that Trump would be open to a full attack on Iran’s
nuclear sites at some midpoint in 2025, such that there was not
necessarily a rush.Generally speaking, Israeli officials have felt
blindsided by Trump’s turn from calling on Israel to strike Iran’s
nuclear program in October 2024, to waving off their attack plans in
2025, and seemingly barreling forward toward a new, highly flawed
nuclear deal.Had Israeli officials realized that such a scenario was
just as likely as green-lighting an Israeli attack or coercing Iran into
a much tighter nuclear deal, some might have favored launching an
attack during the Biden-Trump transition.Yet, some, even looking back,
would say that the strategic importance of obtaining ceasefires with
Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis was worth the price of temporarily
missing the window to attack Iran.According to these sources, Israel has
prevented Iran from getting a nuclear weapon using covert means for
decades, and it can again. Further, if Iran really does try to take
advantage of a new weak deal to break out to a nuclear weapon, the air
force could still step in in time to strike.Finally, though no Israeli
officials are saying this out loud yet, even a mediocre nuclear deal
could buy Israel time by setting Iran’s nuclear progress back for the
first time since 2019, when it threw off the JCPOA restrictions.This is
far from the ideal scenario of using Iran’s relative defenselessness
post October 26 to smash its nuclear program with a giant military
strike, but it may still be a better result than any deal the Biden team
could have gotten before Israel put Iran directly in its crosshairs.
Sons
of dogs, release the hostages,' Mahmoud Abbas tells Hamas-He also
stressed that "Hamas must end its control of the Gaza Strip and hand
over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority."By JERUSALEM POST
STAFF-APRIL 23, 2025 13:05
Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas called on "sons of dogs" Hamas to "hand over the hostages"
in a televised speech at the PA's Central Council on Wednesday.Abbas
added that the "war must end," citing that hundreds are dying every day
because "[Hamas] doesn't want to hand over the American hostages. Sons
of dogs - hand over the hostages and end the matter."Abbas said the
goals are "Returning the hostages; lifting the Israeli blockade of Gaza;
stopping the displacement of our people in coordination with Arab
countries; defending the 'Palestinian cause.'"He also stressed that
"Hamas must end its control of the Gaza Strip and hand over its weapons
to the Palestinian Authority." Abbas also called on Hamas to turn itself
into a political party, saying "talk to us instead of the
Americans."'New Nakba'He also condemned Israel's actions during the war,
saying, "The coup carried out by Hamas in 2007 gave Israel a pretext to
destroy the Gaza Strip. 2,165 families were completely wiped out, and
6,664 were partially wiped out. More than two-thirds of the homes were
destroyed in the war.""We are facing serious dangers that could lead to a
'new Nakba,'" he added."Our vision for achieving peace in the Middle
East is based on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a
state."
Israeli delegation departing for more hostage
negotiations, sources tell 'Post'-Sources informed on the matter told
the Post that there has been no change in Hamas's position regarding the
deal.By AMICHAI STEIN-APRIL 23, 2025 19:31
An Israeli delegation
is expected to depart in the coming days for talks aimed at advancing a
hostage deal, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem
Post Wednesday.Sources informed on the matter told the Post that there
has been no change in Hamas's position regarding the deal.Hamas has made
it clear to mediators from Egypt and Qatar that "we will not agree to a
deal that includes a temporary ceasefire."Israel says it will only
agree to a deal in which 10-11 hostages will be released for 45 days of
ceasefire. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel will not agree to
cease the war, as Hamas demands.How hopeful is Israeli leadership?
Nevertheless, the stance of the political echelon, including the prime
minister, is that efforts to secure a deal should be exhausted while
maintaining the current combat strategy and advancing to the next phase.
This position contrasts with that of some ministers in the
Political-Security Cabinet, who demand a shift toward dismantling
Hamas.On Tuesday, Qatar's Prime Minister met in Washington with US
President Donald Trump, Special Envoy Witkoff, and several senior
administration officials. US administration officials claim a deal could
be reached soon.Trump stated last night, "We’ll see what happens with
Gaza," but added, "Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza."
China
asks Korea not to export products using rare earths to US defense
firms-The letters said Korean companies could face sanctions if they
violate the export restrictions, the report said.By REUTERS, JERUSALEM
POST STAFF-APRIL 22, 2025 13:53
Beijing recently asked South
Korean companies not to export products containing China's rare earth
minerals to US defense firms, the Korea Economic Daily reported on
Tuesday, citing government and company sources.The report said China's
commerce ministry delivered the message in letters to Korean companies
which make power transformers, batteries, displays, electric vehicles,
aerospace, and medical equipment, all of which use critical metals.At
least two transformer manufacturers received official notices from
China’s Ministry of Commerce, two sources in the Korean transformer
industry told KED.The letters said Korean companies could face sanctions
if they violate the export restrictions, the report said.Attempts to
thwart exports to US-This move could heavily impact Korea's economy,
which is reliant on exports, the report continued. The companies
allegedly fear Beijing could block sales of the metals altogether.This
also signifies the first formal attempt by China to control other
countries' exports to the US. It comes just a few weeks after China's
commerce ministry slapped restrictions on more than a dozen US defense
firms after President Donald Trump made good on his threat to impose an
additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports.South Korea's Industry Ministry
was not immediately available for comments outside business hours.
A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten
seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of
seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go
about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody,
sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall
come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit
Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with
all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE
70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE
WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND
CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET
ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR
TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-18
11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN
POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he
spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR
FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast
before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE
WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE
NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to
them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the
beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had
power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth
all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred
threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
REVELATION 17:1-18
1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:(VATICAN)
2
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN
POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with
the wine of her fornication.(THATS PEDOPHELIA-FORNICATION IS SINGLES
HAVING SEX OUT SIDE OF MARRIAGE)(AND SINCE PREISTS CAN NOT MARRY IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS FALSE CHURCH GOES AGAINST THE
BIBLE.THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BECOMES A HOMOSEXUAL HAVEN OF PEDOPHILIAS
FACTORY).
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the
woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN
COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN)
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup
in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:(THE
VATICAN GOES AGAINST A PRIEST MARRING A WOMAN-LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS-AND
WHATS AN ABOMINATION AGAINST GOD-HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDOPHILIA JUST LIKE
THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS-FORNICATION IS THE SINGLE HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVING UNMARRIED FORNICATION OR SEX WITH SINGLES-IN THIS
CASE ITS SEX WITH CHILDREN OR PEDOPHILIA)
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou
marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast
that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven
heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS
BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are
fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one
is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet
come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED
ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE
EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL
HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR
TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE
EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION
TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE
THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD
OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE
EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS
CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him
are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The
waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE
WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the
beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(GOD
HIMSELF GIVES THE OK TO NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in
their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom
unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.(VATICAN)
Israel
to snub Pope’s funeral as Jerusalem-Vatican relations hit a low amid
Gaza war-Israel to send ambassador to the service as other countries
send presidents and royalty, Netanyahu has not yet expressed a message
of condolence to Catholics-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 10:29 pm
VATICAN
CITY — Most major nations will be sending heads of state or government,
or royalty, to Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, but Israel will be
represented only by its ambassador to the Vatican.The decision to keep
the representation at the lowest level possible is a sign of how far
Israel’s relations with the Vatican have deteriorated since the start of
the war in Gaza in 2023, diplomats said.It also follows an Israeli
government decision to delete a social media post that had offered
condolences for the pope’s death.Shortly after Francis’ death was
announced on Monday, the verified @Israel account used by the government
on X published a message that read: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. May
his memory be a blessing”. It also showed an image of the pope visiting
the Western Wall in Jerusalem.The post was later deleted without
explanation. Officials at the Foreign Ministry said its publication was
an “error.”Israel sent both then-president Moshe Katsav and then-foreign
minister Silvan Shalom to the last funeral of a pope who died in
office, that of Pope John Paul II in 2005.The coffin of the late Pope
John Paul II passes in front of then-world leaders after his funeral
mass on April 8, 2005, at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square. Among the
leaders at the time who can be seen in the picture are King Abdullah II
and Queen Raina of Jordan, left, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of
Spain, center, Queen Margarethe and Prince Consort Henrik, right, US
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, second row, right,
former US President George H.W. Bush, second row center, and French
President Jacques Chirac. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)According to the
Israeli embassy to the Vatican, it will be represented at Francis’s
funeral by Yaron Sideman, who has been its ambassador since
September.“It’s a low point in a spiral,” said one diplomat, who spoke
on condition of anonymity. “I hope both sides will be able to overcome
the differences and climb out of this together.”The Israeli embassy to
the Vatican has limited its social media reaction to the pope’s death by
reposting a message of condolence to Christians in the Holy Land and
around the world by President Isaac Herzog, who described Francis as “a
man of deep faith and boundless compassion.”Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu had not commented on the pope’s death as of Wednesday
afternoon, nor had the foreign ministry issued a statement.Opposition MK
Gilad Kariv attended a mass held in Jerusalem on Wednesday for Francis,
saying he was doing so to apologize for the government.“I’m here to
express my condolences on behalf of the vast majority of Israeli
citizens to both Christian believers who live in Israel and to the
hundreds of millions of Catholic Christians around the world,” he told
The Times of Israel.Kariv harshly criticized the government for not
doing the same.“I’m ashamed by the fact that the Israeli government and
the Knesset did not release an official message of condolences,” he
said.Relations between Israel in the Vatican have soured amid the Gaza
war, which was sparked when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed
southern Israel on October 7, 2023, to kill some 1,200 people and take
251 hostages.Pope Francis, who visited Israel in 2014, called repeatedly
for the hostages’ release and met often with their family, but became
increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct as the war dragged on.In a
letter to Middle East Catholics on the first anniversary of the Hamas
onslaught, Francis did not mention the Palestinian terror group by name
or explicitly reference its atrocities.At the end of November, he went a
step further and denounced “the invader’s arrogance” in both “Ukraine”
and “Palestine,” breaking with the Holy See’s modern tradition of
neutrality. And in a book excerpt published that month, he said some
international experts had posited that “what is happening in Gaza has
the characteristics of a genocide.”In December, Francis twice slammed
Israel’s “cruelty” in Gaza, and provoked further outrage in Jerusalem by
inaugurating a nativity scene at the Vatican that featured the baby
Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, the traditional scarf used by Palestinians as
a national symbol-Israel has sparred with other Vatican officials
besides Francis during the war.Last year, after Vatican Secretary of
State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Israel’s response to the Hamas attack
had been “disproportionate,” Israel’s embassy issued a statement
calling his comments “deplorable.” The embassy later toned down its
criticism, citing a translation error, but relations remained tense.Last
June, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister,
appeared to rebuke Israel’s then-ambassador Raphael Schutz at an event
they both attended.“The Holy See does not close its doors to anyone and
strives to understand everyone’s motivations and perspectives,”
Gallagher said. “In this regard, it is very much appreciated when the
positions of one’s own authorities are timely presented through the
appropriate diplomatic forum and channels.”Schutz had lobbied the
Vatican’s Secretariat of State repeatedly in late 2023 and throughout
2024 for the pope to be more forceful in his condemnation of the Hamas
onslaught.“There is a simple distinction, one side is murdering, raping,
and does not care about those on their own side. The other side is
engaged in a war of self-defense,” Schutz said in 2023.Lazar Berman and
Rossella Tercatin contributed to this report.
Two bodies
recovered from Kenya church in case with echoes of starvation
cult-Police retrieved the two bodies from the premises of St. Joseph
Missions of Africa Church in Migori County on Monday, according to a
police report seen by Reuters.By REUTERS-APRIL 22, 2025 17:45
Kenyan
police have recovered two bodies and rescued 57 people at a church in
the country's west, according to an internal report, in a case with
echoes of the starvation of hundreds of people in a doomsday cult in
Kenya two years ago.Police retrieved the two bodies from the premises of
St. Joseph Missions of Africa Church in Migori County on Monday,
according to a police report seen by Reuters.One of them, the body of a
man, was found "lying on the floor of a prayer room within the church
compound" while "fully covered in a white robe and wrapped in a grey
sheet," the report said.The 57 people who were rescued looked weak and
frail and were taken to a nearby hospital but refused to be attended to
by medical personnel and instead "began to make noises and (sing)
religious songs," it added.A police spokesperson did not respond to a
request for comment.Exhumation of bodies-More than 400 bodies were
exhumed from the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya, nearly half of them
children, after the discovery in 2023 of bodies in one of the world's
worst cult-related disasters in recent history.Prosecutors charged Paul
Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church, and his
associates with murder, terrorism-related crimes, manslaughter and
torture for allegedly ordering his followers to starve themselves and
their children to death so that they could go to heaven before the world
ended.Mackenzie has denied the charges, and the cases are ongoing
Media hails 'groundbreaking' Pope Francis-by AFP Staff Writers.
Paris
(AFP) April 22, 2025-Pope Francis's death was front-page news around
the world on Tuesday, with many outlets highlighting the Argentine
pontiff's down-to-earth manner and notable policy changes.Here is a
selection of what Europe's press wrote.- Britain -The Guardian called
Francis a "groundbreaking head of Catholic Church" who urged his fellow
clergy leaders to show "humility"."It would be a mistake... to view
Francis's papacy as a liberal one, but in significant areas it exerted a
major progressive influence beyond the church, especially in relation
to the climate emergency and the treatment of people migrating between
countries."For The Times, Francis was "a born fighter resented by old
guard but loved by the masses," with international trips that
"reinforced the image of his papacy as a breath of fresh air".The Daily
Telegraph tabloid called him "courageous, sincere, egalitarian," adding
that his "humour and insight had sublime effect."- Spain -El Pais
lamented "The end of a social and reformist papacy" while El Mundo,
another national daily, hailed "The pope who shook up the Church and
wanted to give voice to the excluded".- Germany -"Jorge Mario Bergoglio
was an unusual pontiff, one who liked people. And people liked him,"
news magazine Der Speigel wrote, using Francis's birth name."But was
that enough to save his hard-hit church? In Germany and other Western
societies, countless believers were hoping for real reforms from their
pope," it added, such as allowing women to be ordained priests.The
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung agreed, saying that "compared to his
predecessors, Francis almost seemed like a revolutionary. From the
perspective of many Catholics in this country, however, he has changed
too little."- Poland -In Poland, Rzeczpospolita lamented the pope's
death as "one more factor that increases the instability in our world,"
citing in particular the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump's re-election
as US president.The Gazeta Wyborcza noted that, with his varied
statements on Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, "he alienated himself
from both Ukrainians and Russians, and the Vatican has no influence at
all on how this conflict will end".- Portugal -Publico titled its front
page with "Francis, the favourite pope of the people and of atheists,"
saying his 2013 election generated "a tsunami of unprecedented
enthusiasm... in both the Catholic and non-Catholic worlds".For the
Jornal de Noticias, the pope was "the seed of revolution" for the Church
and the "mentor of a spiritual transformation".
Francis, a pope for the internet age-By Marine DO-VALE.
Paris
(AFP) April 21, 2025-As an at-times unwitting star on social media,
Pope Francis knew how to exploit the internet to preach the gospel,
broadening the Church's appeal while modernising its communications.Yet
the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, who died on Monday,
likewise regularly warned against the scourge of disinformation, and in
recent years took aim at the possible perils of artificial
intelligence.It was his predecessor Benedict XVI who created the papal X
presence @pontifex in 2012, at a time when the now-Elon Musk owned site
was known as Twitter, in a bid at reaching younger people.Within months
of its creation Benedict stepped down and Francis took over,
immediately striking social media gold.The handle boasts a total of 50
million followers across its accounts in nine languages, among them
English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Polish, German and
Arabic.Even its account in long-dead Latin boasts one million
followers.Then, in March 2016, three years to the day after he became
pope, the Argentine went even further by creating an Instagram
account.Today @Franciscus has nearly 10 million followers on the
Meta-owned platform.As on X, the Vatican posts daily photos and videos,
mostly of a religious nature, as well as excerpts from the speeches,
texts and public addresses of the religious leader.His last video on
Instagram, which consisted of an extract of his speech for the Easter
Sunday mass, was liked by nearly 400,000 people.- 'Disinformation and
polarisation' -That popularity however has not prevented him from
criticising the negative effects of social media.While they serve
"better to connect us", they can "also reinforce our self-isolation", he
notably said in 2019, adding that "they also lend themselves to the
manipulation of personal data".When Musk's X was accused of spreading
false information and manipulating political debate and Europe in
January 2024, Francis condemned "disinformation and polarisation, where a
few centres of power control an unprecedented mass of data and
information".Just a few days earlier, he had already condemned an era of
"fake news" and warned against the abuse of AI to "manipulate people's
minds".Francis himself has been the subject of AI-generated images that
have gone viral on the web, showing the pontiff partying in a nightclub
or getting married.In March 2023, images of Pope Francis dressed in a
white puffer jacket from luxury label Balenciaga and a bling crucifix in
the fashion of American rappers became an internet sensation within a
few hours.That is not to say that the Catholic Church has eschewed
evangelising via AI entirely.Today, worshippers wishing to learn more
about Catholic faith, dogma and theology can do so on platforms such as
CateGPT -- a play on the name of AI market leader ChatGPT -- and
HelloBible.
Iraq's top Shiite cleric says Pope Francis sought peace.
Baghdad
(AFP) April 21, 2025 - Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shiite Islam's
highest authority in Iraq, offered his condolences on Monday for the
death of Pope Francis, praising his work promoting "peace and
tolerance".Sistani, 94, who met the late pontiff in 2021 in the
first-ever papal visit to Iraq, said in a statement issued by his office
that it was an "important milestone" in supporting interfaith dialogue
and "rejecting violence and hatred".Francis had a "special role in
serving the causes of peace and tolerance, and solidarity with the
oppressed and persecuted around the world", Sistani said.After his
historic trip to Iraq, Francis said his meeting with Sistani -- who is
extremely reclusive and rarely grants audiences -- had been "good for my
soul".The meeting marked a landmark moment in modern religious history
and for Francis's efforts to deepen interfaith dialogue. Sistani told
the pope that Iraq's Christians should live in "peace".Despite the high
risks to his personal safety, Francis visited the largely-ruined city of
Mosul that was ravaged by the Islamic State group until the jihadists'
defeat in 2017.By the time of Francis's visit, Iraq's Christian
population had shrunk during years of violence in the country to fewer
than 400,000, from around 1.5 million before the US-led invasion of
2003.Francis prayed for the victims of war outside the ruined
centuries-old Al-Tahera (Immaculate Conception) Church, where he pleaded
for Christians in Iraq and the Middle East to stay in their
homelands.On Monday, Benedictus Younan Hanno, the Archbishop of the
Syriac Catholic Church of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, home
to one of the world's oldest Christian communities, called on churches
to ring their bells for the deceased pope.Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani mourned a pope who had "a life devoted to serving
humanity.""We recall with reverence his historic visit to Iraq... an
event that laid a meaningful foundation for interfaith dialogue and
promoted fraternity and compassion among people of all faiths," he said.
Bells toll for Francis in jihadist-scarred Iraq.
Qaraqosh,
Iraq (AFP) April 21, 2025 - Church bells tolled in Mosul and nearby
towns Monday to mark the death of Pope Francis, the first pope to visit
Iraq which suffered greatly at the hands of jihadists.In the historic
Al-Tahera church in the nearby town of Qaraqosh, where the Pope prayed
in 2021, dozens of worshippers gathered for an Easter mass which also
became an occasion to pay tribute to their beloved Francis.Near the
altar stood an empty wooden chair on which the pope had sat when he
declared in a mass that he had entrusted the town's "rebirth" to the
Virgin Mary.His death "is a significant setback for Christians,
especially in the Middle East", said Kadun Yuhana as he mourned a pope
who had kept "a watchful eye on the region, much like a father to his
children".Yuhana, in his sixties, recalled with "profound love" the
pope's historic visit to Qaraqosh, where the jihadists had ransacked and
burned churches and smashed crosses."We were very happy that he visited
his children in this small village, whose population has dwindled due
to the emigration of thousands because of the injustice."In 2014, the
Islamic State group swept through Iraq's Nineveh plains, home to one of
the oldest Christian communities in the world.Within days, nearly all of
Qaraqosh's 55,000 Christian residents had fled.Boutros Mazen, a medical
assistant, praised the "fraternity and love" fostered by Pope Francis
during his visit to Iraq."He left something good to the Iraqi people:
their cohesion and unity," he said.By the time of Francis's visit,
Iraq's Christian population had shrunk during years of violence in the
country to fewer than 400,000 -- from around 1.5 million before the
US-led invasion of 2003.During his visit, the late pope met Grand
Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shiite Islam's highest authority in Iraq.It was a
landmark moment in modern religious history, and for Francis's efforts
to deepen interfaith dialogue.In Mosul, he prayed for the victims of war
and pleaded for Christians in Iraq and the Middle East to stay in their
homelands.Sanaa Abdul Karim, who had fled the jihadists' rule in Mosul
to the northern city of Dohuk, described the pope's death as a
"tragedy", praising his "humility" when he visited her hometown.It is an
"extraordinary loss... we are deeply moved by it, particularly because
he supported the return of Christians to Iraq," she said.burs-cbg/rh/srm
'The voice of god': Filipinos wrestle with death of Pope Francis.
Manila
(AFP) April 21, 2025 - Church bells rang out across the Philippines
early Monday evening as Asia's bastion of Catholicism mourned the death
of Pope Francis.Residents in the capital were still processing the news.
Some rushed to cathedrals to pray while others who spoke to AFP were
not yet aware of his passing.Outside the Baclaran Church in metro
Manila, 23-year-old Jeslie Generan said the reality of the pope's death
was only just sinking in."I was shocked because I had already read that
he was OK, he was no longer sick, that his condition improved," she told
AFP."When I opened Twitter and read it... I thought it was fake
news."Inside the soaring cathedral, a framed portrait of the pope
affectionally known as "Lolo Kiko", or "grandfather Francis", sat next
to a statue of Jesus, a candle to either side.A handful of parishioners
filed down after the sermon, kneeling and praying for Pope Francis in
front of his picture."We feel the loss because he is the face of the
church," parishioner Marlon Delgado told AFP."I heard the news of his
death on the television," said the 40-year-old, who attends mass every
week."I was at first shocked and then a feeling of sadness overwhelmed
me."During an earlier visit to the capital's Manila Cathedral, AFP
reporters found the pews in the dimly lit sanctuary largely empty and
the altar's candles unlit shortly after news of the pontiff's death
emerged.But outside the massive structure, Jhayson Banquiles, 19, said
the country's 85 million Catholics had lost the "voice of God"."The
pope's death is a big loss for Filipino Catholics. He is basically the
voice of God here. Through him, we hear the word of God."Vincent Abrena,
38, said he had learned of the death at his office."That's why after
work I rushed to the cathedral ... to pray for him."Pope Francis, who
appointed four of the 10 Filipino cardinals in Church history, visited
the archipelago nation only once, when he led a mass for survivors of
Super Typhoon Haiyan.He came just over a year after the most powerful
storm in Philippine history devastated fishing and farming towns and
left more than 6,000 people dead in November 2013.Hundreds of thousands
of people turned out for his arrival, chanting "long live the pope" as
he disembarked only to be pelted with rains and heavy winds."When I saw
in Rome that catastrophe (the typhoon), I felt I had to be here. And on
those very days, I decided to come here. I'm here to be with you," he
said as many in the crowd clutched crucifixes and wept.On Monday, a
video about his visit had garnered more than five million views within
two hours of its posting by a local news outlet.
China expresses condolences after pope death.
Beijing
(AFP) April 22, 2025 - China's foreign ministry expressed condolences
on Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis.The Vatican on Monday
announced the death of the 88-year-old pontiff, who inspired devotion
but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic
Church."In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained
constructive contact and carried out friendly exchanges," foreign
ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said."China is willing to make joint
efforts with the Vatican to promote the continued improvement of
China-Vatican relations," Guo added.In 1951, newly communist China
severed ties with the Holy See, forcing Catholics to choose between
membership in the state-run Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association or
non-sanctioned churches loyal to the pope.But under Francis, Beijing and
the Vatican inked a 2018 agreement allowing both Beijing and the Holy
See a say in appointing bishops in an attempt to close the schism in
China's 12-million-strong Catholic community.But the Vatican expressed
its "regrets" in 2022 and 2023 after the unilateral appointment of two
bishops by Beijing -- including one in Shanghai, the largest Catholic
diocese in the country -- indirectly accusing it of having violated the
2018 agreement.They agreed to extend the deal again in 2024.Pope Francis
had expressed a desire to visit China, which he called a "great
country"."I believe that China is a promise and a hope for the church,"
Francis said.
