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)
TRUMPS MIDDLE EAST SECURITY BOARD OF PEACE SHOULD BE THE END OF THE USELESS ISRAEL HATING UNITED NATIONS.
God has always dealt with Israel in 7's, it just makes sense the last dealing with Israel and the World will be a 7 yr treaty. God rested from creation on the 7TH DAY. Every 7TH YEAR Israel is suppose to rest the land. And the 7X7=49 YRS and the jubilee is the 50TH YEAR.
Now the scriptures that a week in Israel history is 7YEARS.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
Isn"t this interesting it comes from the same Person whos name was changed to Israel,(JACOB) and Israel and Jerusalem is the places dealt with in Daniel 9:24-27.
GENESIS 32:27-28
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
1 CHRONICLES 17:6-14
6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?
7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:
8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.
9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,
10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
MATTHEW 24:32-35
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:(MAY 14,1948 ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION IN 1 DAY).
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.(all the signs happening in their begining stages)
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
LUKE 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.(JERUSALEM IN JEWSH HANDS JUNE 6-10, 1967).
DANIEL 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,(7X7=49 YRS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YRS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah (JESUS) be cut off, but not for himself:(FOR ALL ON EARTH) and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (69x7=483 YRS TO THIS POINT, THE FINAL 7 YR TREATY IS IN THE NEXT VERSE TO FULFILL THE 490 YEARS OF DANIELS PROPHECY.
9:27 And he (THE FUTURE ROMAN PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3RD TEMPLE DESECRATED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WW3)
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people(ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE WORLD).
THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 11:21-23
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
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.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
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.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
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) 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 11:36-40
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 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.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
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.
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.
I PREDICT THIS MIDEAST SECURITY BOARD OF PEACE. IS WHAT FINALLY GETS RID OF THE USELESS UNITED NATIONS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
‘I have some controversial people on it’: Trump reveals Putin will join his Board of Peace-By Jacob Magid-JAN 21,26
US President Donald Trump reveals that Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted his invitation to join the Board of Peace.“I have some controversial people on it, but these are people who get the job done. These are people who have tremendous influence,” Trump tells reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “We want all nations where people have control and power.”“If I put all babies on the board, there wouldn’t be very much. So he was invited. He’s accepted,” Trump says of Putin.The board is “going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done, and we’ll work with the United Nations,” he adds.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib: Inside the technocratic council set to rule Gaza-The head of Realign for Palestine weighs in on the announced members of the Trump Board of Peace and says, ‘Do not give in to the Qataris and Turks on Hamas’Amanda Borschel-Dan-Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib-20 January 2026, 7:27 pm
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign For Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse.This week, we dive into the 12-member National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.The technocratic council is headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy planning minister Ali Shaath. It is tasked with running daily affairs on the ground and providing services for Gazans in place of the Hamas terror group.The committee held its first meeting in Cairo on Thursday, but is currently barred by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip and its work remains in limbo as the Board of Peace begins its activities in Davos this week.We hear how the names on the technocratic council are relatively consensus figures — among Gazan Palestinians — and learn about Israel’s objections to this committee and Trump’s naming of Qatar and Turkey to the Gaza Executive Board.Alkhatib delves into the lack of popular Hamas support throughout the Strip, but points out the massive enforcement problem that the committee will face as the armed terrorist group maintains its hold.And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what matters now.What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
8 Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, accept invite to join Board of Peace-Trump acknowledges some countries may need parliamentary approval to join group; Slovenia latest country to decline to participate, while Vatican says pope received invitation-By Jacob Magid-and Reuters Today, 11:51 pm-JAN 21,26
Eight prominent Muslim countries jointly announced their decisions to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Wednesday, as Trump acknowledged some countries may have difficulties joining without parliamentary approval.Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will each appoint a representative to sit on the panel of world leaders, their foreign ministers announced in a joint statement.While Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE had already announced plans to join the Board of Peace, the other five countries had been mulling the decision. Trump badly wanted Saudi Arabia to join, publicly urging its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to do so, but Riyadh was mum until now.The Board of Peace was given a UN Security Council mandate to oversee the postwar management of Gaza until the end of 2027, though the US is aiming to use the panel for conflict resolution around the globe.The proposed board would be chaired for life by Trump, with member countries required to pay a $1 billion fee each to earn permanent membership.It is only expected to meet a handful of times each year, and the panel more involved in decision-making regarding Gaza will be the Gaza Executive Board, unveiled on Friday. That body also includes representatives from Turkey, Qatar, the UAE, and the US.In the Muslim countries’ statement announcing their decision to join the Board of Peace, they reiterated their support for “advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.”Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that some countries cannot join his Board of Peace right away, as they need parliamentary approval to join an international body that Washington appears keen on using to bypass the United Nations.“Some need parliamentary approval,” Trump said in remarks to reporters at the beginning of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.However, he insisted that many countries are interested in joining, including ones that were not invited to do so.US special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier on Wednesday that 20 to 25 leaders had already accepted invitations to join the Board of Peace, which is slated to hold a signing ceremony on Thursday in Davos.Invitations to join the board have been addressed to some 60 nations.Israel, Egypt, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam are among those who have accepted.Some Western diplomats say the board could undermine the work of the UN.This concern was shared by Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob, who said on Wednesday that his country would not accept the invitation.“The main concern is that the committee’s mandate is too broad and that it could dangerously undermine the international order based on the United Nations Charter,” the N1 news web portal quoted Golob as saying.“Although we find any initiative that can calm the situation in the Middle East to be commendable, this invitation dangerously encroaches on the broader international order and not just on pacification in Gaza,” he said.N1 cited Golob as saying he will not attend the signing of the initiative’s founding charter on Thursday, but will instead attend the meeting of the European Council leaders in Brussels.Meanwhile, the Vatican’s top diplomat revealed that Pope Leo XIV was invited to join the board, but said a final decision has not been made on his participation.“The pope has received an invitation, and we are considering what to do,” said Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “I believe it will be something that requires a bit of time for consideration before giving a response.”Sweden, Norway, and Italy have refused to join, while Spain has said European leaders were working to consolidate a common position.The board’s charter, obtained by The Times of Israel, makes no mention of Gaza and appears to take a swipe at the UN, saying that the new board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”The document was attached to invitations to join the board that were sent to dozens of world leaders on Friday.When asked by a reporter on Tuesday if the board should replace the United Nations, Trump said: “It might.”
Netanyahu accepts invite to Trump’s Board of Peace; Europe formulating common position-Egypt announces participation; Witkoff says Putin expected to join; Sweden and Norway reject invitations; Italy said to believe joining the board would violate its constitution-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 2:35 pm-JAN 21,26
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, the premier’s office announced Wednesday, as Sweden and Norway became the latest nations to say they would not be joining, and Spain said European leaders were working to consolidate a common position.The proposed board would be chaired for life by Trump and start by addressing the Gaza conflict before expanding to other wars, with member countries required to pay a $1 billion fee each to earn permanent membership.Western diplomats say the board could undermine the work of the United Nations.Netanyahu has previously criticized Washington’s decision to place senior representatives from Turkey and Qatar on the Board of Peace’s operational arm for Gaza, called the Gaza Executive Board, making it initially unclear whether he would want to legitimize that panel’s makeup by joining the Board of Peace.Egypt’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi had also accepted an invitation for the board.Egypt “announces its acceptance of the invitation and its commitment to fulfilling the relevant legal and constitutional procedures,” the statement said, praising Trump for his Middle East policies.“Egypt expresses its support for the Board of Peace’s mission for the second phase of the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza,” it added.Israel and Egypt join Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam in accepting.Invitations to join the board have been addressed to some 60 nations but just a few have so far accepted without reservations.Adding to concern among Western nations, the Kremlin said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also been invited, while Moscow’s ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has already accepted an invitation.Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was asked Wednesday if Putin was expected to join, and responded: “I think so.”Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Wednesday that European leaders were holding consultations to formulate a common position on the board.The United Kingdom has previously flagged Trump’s invitations to Putin and Lukashenko as cause for concern, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that his country “cannot accept” the offer to join “at this stage,” over concerns shared by some European governments that the Board of Peace could undermine the work of the UN, which Trump has accused of not supporting his efforts to end conflicts around the world.Meanwhile, Corriere della Sera reported that Italy won’t take part in the initiative, citing concern that joining such a group led by a single country’s leader would violate Italy’s constitution.According to Italy’s constitution, Italy may join international organizations that ensure “peace and justice among nations” only “on equal terms with other states,” a condition incompatible with US primacy on the new board, Corriere said.On Thursday, Trump is due to preside over a ceremony celebrating the new group in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum.A source told Reuters that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a rightwing leader who has had warm relations with Trump, was unlikely to go to Davos. The Italian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Norway’s government said Wednesday that it also would not join the board initiated by Trump, who has vented his frustration at the Nordic country after being snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize.“The American proposal raises a number of questions” requiring “further dialogue with the United States,” State Secretary Kristoffer Thoner said in a statement.“Norway will therefore not join the proposed arrangements for the Board of Peace, and will therefore not attend a signing ceremony in Davos,” Thoner said. Norway would continue its close cooperation with the US, he added.“For Norway, it is important how this proposal is linked to established structures as the UN, and to our international commitments,” Thoner said.The government representative noted that Norway shared Trump’s “goal of lasting peace in Ukraine, Gaza and in other situations.”Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters in Davos that his country will also not participate in the initiative with the text presented so far.The Board of Peace was initially presented as a body that would exclusively oversee the postwar management of Gaza, and, in November, the UN Security Council voted to give it a two-year mandate to do so.But its charter, obtained by The Times of Israel, makes no mention of Gaza and appears to take a swipe at the UN, saying that the new board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”The document was attached to invitations to join the board that were sent to dozens of world leaders on Friday.When asked by a reporter on Tuesday if the board should replace the United Nations, Trump said: “It might.”
Inside storyPA PM: Israel's withholding of funds hampering reform effort-Arab diplomat: Turkey, Qatar filling vacuum in Gaza created by Israel’s snub of PA-Diplomat says nations like Saudi Arabia and UAE had been open to being involved in Strip, but want PA to have a role there so the enclave and West Bank will have unified Palestinian leadership-By Jacob Magid-Today, 1:49 am-JAN 21,26
A senior Arab diplomat stated Wednesday that Israel’s refusal to let the Palestinian Authority play a role in the postwar management of Gaza is what led to Turkey and Qatar filling the vacuum.Speaking to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, the diplomat said that Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had been more open to involvement and investment in the Gaza Strip.However, they conditioned their involvement on a more prominent role for the PA, considering it essential that Ramallah gain a foothold in Gaza in order to reconnect the territory with the West Bank under a unified Palestinian leadership.Israel has rejected any role for the PA in Gaza, likening the Ramallah-based body to Hamas and insisting that it undergo significant reforms.The Arab diplomat said Arab countries also back reforming the PA and are chaperoning Ramallah through that process. However, he claimed that Israel’s demand for reform was “disingenuous” and a “guise” for Jerusalem to prevent a two-state solution.According to the diplomat, there is particular anger in Riyadh over Israel’s withholding of over $4 billion in tax revenues from the PA, as Saudi Arabia has been called on to help compensate for some of those losses.Saudi Arabia will still have a representative on US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, and the UAE will have a representative on the intermediate Gaza Executive Board — both panels involved in the oversight of the postwar Strip. However, the Arab diplomat said that the appetite in Riyadh and Abu Dhab, along with their allies in the region, for more significant involvement and financial investment in Gaza has decreased significantly.“There’s a feeling that this isn’t heading in the right direction, so the preference for some countries in the Gulf is to mostly remain on the sidelines,” the Arab diplomat said. “Turkey and Qatar have few conditions for their involvement, as they want to maintain influence and demonstrate utility to the US.”“It’s ironic to see how upset Netanyahu is about Turkey and Qatar when his policies brought us to this situation,” the Arab diplomat said.Netanyahu has vocalized a rare disagreement with the Trump administration over the latter’s decision to include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Thawadi on the Gaza Executive Board, which will be playing a key role in the oversight of Gaza.Israel is against allowing Turkey and Qatar to gain a foothold in Gaza, arguing that the countries are too close with Hamas. But the US views Ankara and Doha as critical guarantors of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, believing they were essential in finalizing an October ceasefire deal and that they will continue to be needed to ensure that Hamas falls in line.Qatar also played a key role in Gaza before the war, sending tens of millions of dollars in aid each month at Israel’s behest. Critics said the funds effectively bolstered Hamas at the PA’s expense and allowed the Islamic group to direct more of its funds toward terror.A US official told The Times of Israel that lack of enthusiasm from some countries in the region is subject to change and that those currently holding back on playing a more active role in Gaza will be more open to doing so once they see results on the ground.But Washington faces an uphill battle, as much of its plans for Gaza hinge on Hamas agreeing to disarm and Israel agreeing to further withdraw further from the Strip — something neither side has showed eagerness to do.While the Trump administration has had a mixed relationship with the PA, it was quick to welcome last week’s establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a committee of Palestinian technocrats that is tasked with replacing Hamas in running Gaza’s daily affairs.Israel succeeded in preventing NCAG from being officially connected to the PA, but several of the technocratic committee’s members are former senior Palestinian Authority officials.However, they will need civil servants and police officers in order to advance their work, and for now, Israel is barring those on the PA or Hamas’s payroll from being hired, a second Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel last week.PA’s Mustafa: West Bank ‘is barely making it’Also Wednesday, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa argued that Israeli measures against Ramallah were hampering efforts to institute long-demanded reforms.He took particular issue with the withholding of over $4 billion in clearance revenues that Israel collects on Ramallah’s behalf and has not transferred any of — as required under the Oslo Accords — since May.“As a result, our ability to govern, our ability to provide basic services to our people has been undermined,” Mustafa said, while clarifying that Ramallah is still committed to reforms demanded by the international community and is in the midst of implementing many such steps.He proceeded to lament punitive Israeli measures on the Palestinian banking system, which have caused an ongoing liquidity crisis in the West Bank. This is on top of the ban on 200,000 Palestinian workers from continuing their employment in Israel and its settlements since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which has catapulted West Bank unemployment from 15% before the war to roughly 34%. Israel says it took the step due to security concerns.Mustafa also pointed to the spike in IDF checkpoints — now roughly 1,000 throughout the West Bank, according to UN figures — that further complicates the Palestinian economy and livelihood, along with rampant settler violence and settlement growth. Israeli counter-terror operations in West Bank refugee camps have also displaced some 40,000 Palestinians, the UN has said.“It’s very sad to see the West Bank get to the point where people are barely making it,” the PA prime minister continued. “The international effort on Gaza is very important and badly needed, but we also need equal attention to what’s happening in the West Bank.”
China says will defend UN system after 'Board of Peace' invite.
Beijing, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-China said on Wednesday it would defend the international system with the United Nations "at its core", a day after announcing it had been invited to join US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace".Beijing confirmed on Tuesday that it had received a US invitation to join the board, which is aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP.China has yet to confirm whether it will accept the invitation, but foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that Beijing would support a UN-based international world order regardless of "changes"."No matter how the international situation changes, China firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core... international relations based on the objectives and principles of the UN Charter," Guo said.China, the world's second-largest economy and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, traditionally defends the UN system while calling for reforms.
In first, police let Jewish visitors take printed prayers onto Temple Mount-Police confirm change to longstanding ban on non-Muslim prayer, which comes weeks after Ben Gvir confidant appointed as Jerusalem’s top officer; Jewish activists laud policy-By Charlie Summers-Today, 4:33 pm-JAN 21,26
Police allowed Jewish worshipers to ascend the Temple Mount with printed prayer sheets Wednesday, in a further challenge to regulations barring non-Muslim prayer at the flashpoint Old City of Jerusalem site.Early Wednesday, students at the Temple Mount Yeshiva handed out liturgical material printed on flyers to Jewish visitors waiting to go up to the Temple Mount. The sheets included religious guidelines for visiting the holy site, a prayer to recite before ascending and the Amidah (standing) prayer, said thrice-daily in Jewish tradition.Police said they acceded to a request from the Temple Mount Yeshiva — which encourages Jews to ascend and pray at the site — that visitors be allowed to carry “guidance sheets” with them to the complex.“In order to maintain the existing order, it was determined that the use of these sheets would be limited solely to specific areas defined by the police,” police added.Non-Muslim prayer has until recently been forbidden forbidden atop the Temple Mount — known by Muslims as the Al-Aqsa Compound — due to a string of agreements known as the status quo between Israel and Jordan, which administers the site through the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.The hotly disputed site, the holiest site in Judaism and third-holiest in Islam, was the location of both ancient Jewish temples and, since the 7th century, has housed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine. Conflicts around the site have sparked several rounds of violence in the region.While in the past, police would eject or detain Jewish visitors caught praying on the Temple Mount, this policy has largely fallen to the wayside over the past three years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has repeatedly demanded that police allow Jews to pray there.In recent years, Jewish visitors have been permitted to pray and prostrate themselves in the eastern part of the complex, but were still barred from bringing prayer items, such as tefillin, prayer shawls and printed liturgy, to the site.Police appeared to confirm their official sanction of non-Muslim prayer in a Wednesday statement that stressed that officers work to “enable freedom of worship and visitation at the Temple Mount for all religions and communities.”Leading activists for Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount downplayed the gravity of the new policy, insisting it was merely a recognition of the current reality.“Jews have been bringing prayer pages and books onto the Temple Mount for a long time, even if the police didn’t always want to see it. What happened now is simply the police officially approving what is already happening on the ground,” said Akiva Ariel, the CEO of Beyadenu, an organization dedicated to cementing a Jewish presence at the site.“We are moving forward until prayer on the Temple Mount becomes a normal and routine reality,” he vowed.The group’s spokesman, meanwhile, stressed the significance of the shift, telling The Times of Israel that such printed material was “something that they [Israeli security] used to check for, to make sure you were not bringing” to the site.Two weeks ago, Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled, a confidant of Ben Gvir, was appointed to the sensitive position of Jerusalem District commander, replacing Deputy Commissioner Amir Arzani who went on leave. Peled formerly served as deputy police chief.Haaretz reported that Arzani departed under duress after he pushed back against the far-right minister’s attempts to further relax restrictions on the Temple Mount.According to Beyadenu, police only allowed for the flyer printed by the Temple Mount Yeshiva to be brought into the site. This provision may change in the near future, the group’s spokesman noted.
MURDER
JEREMIAH 1:5
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;(GOD ORDAINED OR LIVES BEFORE WE WERE EVEN CREATED IN A WOMANS BODY)(GOD NEVER CREATED ANYONE HOMOSEXUAL)(AND THIS TELLS US ABORTION IS MURDER) and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
GENESIS 4:8-11 (THE FIRST MURDER)
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
GENESIS 6:11-13 (EARTH DESTROYED BECAUSE OF TERRORISM,MURDERS)
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
JOHN 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
EXODUS 20:13
13 Thou shalt not kill.(Murder)(THAT INCLUDES ABORTION)
MATTHEW 18:6
6 But whoso shall offend (HURT) one of these little ones (CHILDREN) which believe in me,(JESUS) it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.(THATS THE DEATH PENALTY FOLKS)
EXODUS 21:12
12 He that smiteth (MURDER)a man,(OR BABY) so that he die, shall be surely put to death.(THATS THE DEATH PENALTY PEOPLE)
REVELATION 9:20-21
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils,(OCCULT) and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, (WEAPONS) nor of their sorceries,(DRUG ADDICTION-AND SELLING DRUGS)
IRAN STRIKE NEAR.MOVEMENT OF THE B2S AT THE INDIAN OCEAN AT DIAGO GARCIA.
-AMERICAN DRONES Q4 AND P8 LOOKING AT IRAN AND AREAS.ISR ASSETS.
-ISRAELI PLANES OVER ISRAEL,LEBANON,DAMASCUS,ALEPO AND FURTHER INTO THE MIDEAST.
-IRGC FAMILIES AND LEADERSHIP GUARDS LEAVING IRAN BY PLANES.ACTION BY IRANIAN MAHA AIR.IN THE LAST 3 DAYS.THERES BEEN THREATS AGAINST THE IRGC.
-GERMAN INTEL BALLOONS 62,700 FEET UP IN THE AIR.
-MILITARY INTEL BALLOONS UP IN THE AIR 80-90 THOUSAND FEET.THERES A LOT OF INTEL GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
-Q4 DRONES CAN LOITER UP TO 18 HOURS IN THE AIR.SMALLER LOW ALTITUDE DRONES ARE COVERING THE BELOW AREAS.NAVY P8S TAKE OFF AND GO DARK OVER THE PERSIAN GOLF AND SOUTH AS WELL.
-P8S SUB HUNTERS ARE ALSO OVER LOS ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, WASHINGTON AND SEA AREA.ALSO THINGS HAPPENING IN THE GULF OF AMERICA AND SEA COASTAL AREA.
-A FEW DANGER BOXES AROUND IRAN.SAUDIS COVERED UP.EGYPST GETTING ACTION.OFF THE COAST OF LEBANON AND TURKEY IS VERY ACTIVE.
-C17 TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE LAST 4 DAYS.IN AND OUT OF KIWAT AND ALSO GREECE.ALOT IN GREECE.QUITE A BIT GOING INTO QATAR AND UAE.MOST OF THIS IS BRINGING STUFF IN.AS WE RAMP UP FOR A LIMITED WAR WITH IRAN.
-ACTION IN AMERICA.WITH THE AIR REFULERS.MORE FLIGHTS COMING FROM THE CENTER US DOWN.MORE BOMBER ACTIVITY HEADING TO HAIWAI THEN OUT BOUND.THERE ARE A LOT OF BROKEN TRACES TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC THEN OVER TO THE INDIAN OCEAN.
-LOOK AT THE THICK TRACE LINES.ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITY OFF THE GULF AMERICA.THIS IS A GREAT INDICATOR OF FIGHTERS AND BOMBERS IN THE LAST 3 DAYS.THIS IS A GOOD INDICATER AMERICA IS SENDING OUT ALOT OF ASSETS OUT TOWARDS GUAM THEN OVER TO DIAGO GARCIA.GARCIA IS STILL A LONG WAY FROM IRAN.ITS ABOUT 3,000 MILES TO TEHRAN.
-WHY WOULD THE DEATH DORITO BE BACK IN ACTION? IF THERES PIZZA SPIKES AT THE PENTEGON, THEIR USUALLY GETTING READY TO GO AGAINST IRAN.PIZZA SPIKES ARE WHEN PENTAGON WORKERS ARE WORKING LONG HOURS AND DAYS.
-JAN 2-3,26-70% SURGE IN PIZZA BUYING WHEN MADURO WAS CAPTURED.AND JAN 5,26-1,250% SURGE IN PIZZA BUYING WAS AN ONGOING SPECULATION ABOUT THE NEXT TARGET.IRANS ABOUT TO GET POPPED.SINCE IRAN THREATENED TO KILL HIM.TRUMP WANTS NEW LEADERSHIP IN IRAN.
-US CENTRAL COMMAND HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PLANFOR ROUND THE CLOCK MILITARY ACTIONS AND SUPPORT FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
-12 F-15E STRIKE EAGLES WITH THE U.S AIR FORCES 48TH FIGHTER WING (48FW).DEPARTED TODAY JAN 18,26 FROM RAF LAKENHEATH ENGLAND BOUND FOR AN AIR BASE IN JORDAN.WITH ONE DIVERTING TO THE CHANIA AIR PORT IN THE ISLAND OF CRETE.SEVERAL KC-135T STRATOTANKERS AND C-17A GLOBMASTER IIIS SUPPORTED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE F-15S TO THE MIDEAST.AS TENSIONS RISE WITH IRAN.
-BY THE U.S SHOWING THEIR HAND WITH THESE PLANES,THEY ARE WARNING IRAN WE MEAN BUSSINESS GET READY.THIS IS A U.S LEAD WITH ALLIES AGAINST IRAN.
-THE U.S IS ALSO SENDING ONE OR 2 AIR CRAFT CARRIER GROUPS. ARRIVAL TOWARDS THE END OF JANUARY. AIR FORCE AND NAVY ARE GETTING SET UP IN THE MIDEAST.
-THE U.S MAY BE PLAYING A DEVERSION GAME BY SAYING THEY WILL PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN.THEN GO BOMB THEM INSTEAD.OR THE HEAVY COMBAT VEHICLES COULD GO TO IRAN.IF THEY GET RID OF BLACK HAT KHAMANEI AND HIS GUARDS.TO BOMB IRANS PALACES AND GET CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS IN IRAN.
-THE IRAN MAHA AIR WITH THE GUARDS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS HAVE ACTIVITY GOING TO TURKEY ISTANBUL AND ANKORA.ALSO DOWN IN THE PERSION SHIPS TAKING THEM OUT TO SOMEWHERE.AND PLANES ARE ALSO HEADING TO CHINA WITH GUARDS ESCAPING IRAN.THEY ALSO GO TO QATAR AND UAE AS WELL.
-THERES ALSO LOTS OF ACTION WITH RUSSIA GOING TO HAVANA CUBA.ALSO VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC INTO TEL AVIV. ALSO ALL KINDS OF FLIGHTS FROM RUSSIA TO CHINA.
Updated Tue, Jan 20 20264:42 PM EST-Dow slides 870 points, S&P 500 drops 2% for worst day since October on Trump tariff threat over Greenland: Live updates-Sean Conlon-Chloe Taylor-Pia Singh
NYSE-U.S. equities suffered big losses Tuesday after President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric on Greenland, threatening to impose new tariffs on countries opposing the sale of the Danish territory to the United States.U.S. Treasury yields spiked and the U.S. dollar declined as Trump’s threat caused a flight from U.S. assets. Danish pension operator AkademikerPension said Tuesday that it is exiting U.S. Treasurys because of finance concerns over U.S. debt.The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 870.74 points, or 1.76%, to end the session at 48,488.59. The S&P 500 dipped 2.06% to settle at 6,796.86. The Nasdaq Composite slid 2.39%, closing at 22,954.32. It was the worst session since October for all three major averages.The day’s losses put the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq into negative territory for 2026: The broad market index is now off 0.7%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq is down 1.2% in the period. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) — Wall Street’s “fear gauge” — spiked to a high of 20.99.Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Saturday that eight NATO members’ U.S. imports will face escalating tariffs “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” The tariffs will start at 10% on Feb. 1 and rise to 25% on June 1, Trump said.Trump then threatened to impose 200% tariffs on French wines and champagne amid reports that the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, is unwilling to join his so-called Board of Peace. Trump also hit out at the U.K., labeling the British government’s plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — one of which is the site of a U.K.-U.S. military base — to Mauritius as an “act of great stupidity.” He said the move was “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.”Brad Long, chief investment officer at Wealthspire, told CNBC that he isn’t surprised these latest developments are weighing on stocks, given that the market is “already priced for perfection” with “high” valuations and earnings expectations.“While tariffs is not new and Greenland, frankly — or the administration’s interest in Greenland — isn’t new, the weaponization of tariffs in the short term to achieve kind of a non-economic or maybe economic adjacent goal is new,” he said. “Europe walked out of 2025 largely unscathed, or at least unscathed on a relative basis for tariffs. Now, this is a direct line to some of the U.S.′ closest allies — eight nations across Europe, 10% to 25% tariffs. We’re kind of picking back up the 2025 April volatility of Trump uncertainty and shifts in policy.”European leaders have described Trump’s fresh tariff threats as “unacceptable” and are reportedly considering countermeasures — with France said to be pushing for the European Union to use its strongest economic counter-threat, known as the “Anti-Coercion Instrument.”“On the other side of trade deficits and trade wars, there are capital and capital wars,” Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “If you take the conflicts, you can’t ignore the possibility of the capital wars. In other words, maybe there’s not the same inclination to buy at U.S. debt and so on.”Trump, who is due to speak in Davos on Wednesday, said he had agreed to speak with European leaders at the conference to discuss his Greenland ambitions.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Trump’s proposed takeover of Greenland to CNBC on Tuesday, saying: “That will stop any kind of a kinetic war, so why not pre-empt the problem before it starts?”— CNBC’s Fred Imbert contributed reporting.
PM aiming to visit DC next month to meet Trump -- official-Trump: Hamas will be ‘blown away very quickly’ if it doesn’t disarm in coming weeks-‘That’s what they’ve agreed to, they’re going to do it,’ US president says at Davos forum, while claiming ’59 countries’ are looking to ‘come in and take out’ the terror group-By Lazar Berman,Jacob Magid-and ToI Staff Today, 1:04 am-JAN 21,26
If Hamas does not disarm soon, the terrorist group will be “blown away very quickly,” US President Donald Trump declared in a wide ranging speech on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.“We have peace in the Middle East,” he claimed.“There are some little situations like Hamas, and Hamas has agreed to give up their weapons,” he asserted, though the Palestinian terror organization has publicly stated it will not disarm.“They were born with a weapon in their hand, so it’s not easy to do,” Trump said.“That’s what they’ve agreed to, they’re going to do it,” the American leader promised. “And we’re going to know over the next two-three days, certainly the next three weeks, whether or not they’re going to do it.”“If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly,” he warned.Trump reiterated his claim that many of the “59 countries” interested in participating in the yet-to-be-established International Stabilization Force in Gaza “want to come in and take out Hamas. They want to do whatever they can.”“If they don’t get rid of the guns, they’ll be very unhappy people. [They’re] going to have no choice. They will be eliminated,” Trump reiterated in remarks to reporters at the beginning of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Davos.The US had struggled to convince countries to contribute troops to the peacekeeping force, amid heavy speculation that Hamas will disarm and that the IDF will withdraw further from Gaza. One of the two countries Washington had publicly touted, Azerbaijan, announced earlier this month that it would not be participating.US officials briefing reporters last week insisted that they now have enough countries offering troops and that an announcement can be expected in about two weeks.Moreover, one of the briefers appeared to confirm The Times of Israel’s reporting on the shrinking of the ISF mandate to more limited tasks such as securing borders and humanitarian aid, rather than kinetic activity to disarm Hamas.Under Trump’s Gaza peace plan, the first phase of which was signed into force in October, the ISF is tasked with providing security for the Strip, while gradually phasing out the IDF, which currently remains in control of 53% of the enclave.The ISF is supposed to come into force with the second phase of Trump’s plan, though US special envoy Steve Witkoff last week announced that phase two had begun, saying that the situation would be “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.” However, in his announcement of phase two, Witkoff made no mention of the ISF, though the White House later said the force will be headed by Central Command Special Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers.Meanwhile, amid tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the makeup of some of the various boards and committees that the US has announced for Gaza, the premier is looking to travel to Washington, DC, in February in order to meet Trump and participate in an AIPAC event, an Israeli official told TheTimes of Israel.Netanyahu has criticized Washington’s decision to place senior representatives from Turkey and Qatar on the Board of Peace’s operational arm for Gaza, called the Gaza Executive Board, and has vowed that Turkish and Qatari forces would not set foot in Gaza, and that neither will “have any authority or any influence” in the various bodies that will govern the Strip.Netanyahu’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the reported potential US trip. The premier last visited the US in late December, spending New Years Eve at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, in his fifth US visit since Trump returned to power last year.
First official death toll of recent Iran protests 3,117, state TV says-US-based activist group says it has recorded over 4,560 deaths after weeks of mass demonstrations rocked the Islamic Republic-By Jon Gambrell 21 January 2026, 11:36 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian state TV has issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed, while the foreign minister issued the most direct threat yet against the United States after Tehran’s bloody crackdown, warning the Islamic Republic will be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”State television on Wednesday night carried a statement by the Martyrs Foundation providing the toll and saying 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations that began December 28, 2025, were civilians and security forces. It did not elaborate on the rest.The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency put the death toll at 4,560. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, came as a US aircraft carrier group moved westward toward the Middle East from Asia. US fighter jets and other equipment appeared to be moving in the Mideast after a major US military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.Araghchi makes threat in column-Araghchi made the threat in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal. In it, the foreign minister contended “the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours” and sought again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence. Videos that made it out of Iran despite an internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Araghchi.“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June. “This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.”He added: “An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”Araghchi’s comments likely refer to Iran’s short- and medium-range missiles. The Islamic Republic relied on ballistic missiles to target Israel in the war and left its stockpile of the shorter-range missiles unused, something that could be fired to target US bases and interests in the Persian Gulf. Already, there have been some restrictions on US diplomats traveling to bases in Kuwait and Qatar.Mideast nations, particularly diplomats from Gulf Arab countries, had lobbied US President Donald Trump not to attack after he threatened to act in response to the killing of demonstrators. Last week, Iran shut its airspace, likely in anticipation of a strike.The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been in the South China Sea in recent days, had passed through the Strait of Malacca, a key waterway connecting the sea and the Indian Ocean, by Tuesday, ship-tracking data showed.A US Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers were heading west.While naval and other defense officials stopped short of saying the carrier strike group was headed to the Middle East, its current heading and location in the Indian Ocean mean it is only days away from moving into the region. Meanwhile, US military images released in recent days showed F-15E Strike Eagles arriving in the Mideast and forces in the region moving a HIMARS missile system, the type used with great success by Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.Protest death toll rises-The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being. Although there have been no protests for days, there are fears the death toll could increase significantly as information gradually emerges from a country still under a government-imposed shutdown of the internet since January 8.Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties.Nearly 26,500 people have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners.That and the killing of peaceful protesters have been two red lines laid down by Trump in the tensions.Kurdish exiles claim Iranian attack in Iraq-The National Army of Kurdistan, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, claimed Iran launched an attack against one of its bases near Irbil, some 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Baghdad. It said one fighter had been killed, and released mobile phone footage of a fire in the predawn darkness.Iran did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which would be the first foreign operation Tehran has launched since the protests started.A handful of Iranian Kurdish dissident or separatist groups — some with armed wings — have long found a safe haven in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, where their presence has been a point of friction between the central government in Baghdad and Tehran. The PAK has claimed it launched attacks in Iran as a crackdown on the demonstrations took place, something reported by semiofficial Iranian news agencies as well.
Wave of IDF strikes target Hezbollah arms depots, operatives in southern Lebanon-Airstrikes target border crossings with Syria used for smuggling; operative who blocked Lebanese army from dismantling weapons site last month and weapons smuggler killed-By Emanuel Fabian-and AFP 21 January 2026, 11:35 pm
A wave of Israeli strikes hit Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives throughout southern Lebanon and on the border with Syria on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.Ahead of the strikes, the military issued evacuation warnings for residents of several towns in southern Lebanon.According to the IDF, one wave of strikes targeted Hezbollah weapon depots, including one located underground.“The infrastructures that were struck were located in the heart of a civilian population. This is another example of the cynical use by the Hezbollah terror organization of Lebanese civilians as human shields and of the organization’s activity from within civilian assets,” the army said.The IDF added that Hezbollah’s activity at the sites constitutes a violation of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and poses a threat to Israel.The state-run National News Agency said Israeli warplanes launched raids on buildings in several southern Lebanese towns, including Qennarit and Kfour, after the evacuation warnings.An AFP photographer was slightly wounded along with two other journalists who were working near the site of a heavy strike in Qennarit.The air force also struck four land crossings on the Lebanese-Syrian border in Lebanon’s northern Hermel region, with the IDF saying that the routes were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons.Additionally, a Hezbollah operative who, according to the IDF, was responsible for preventing the Lebanese army from dismantling a weapons cache in southern Lebanon last month, was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier on Wednesday, the military said.Abu Ali Salameh, who the IDF said served as a Hezbollah “liaison officer” in the village of Yanouh, in the Tyre area, was targeted while driving on a road near the coastal Lebanese city.“As part of his role, the terrorist managed Hezbollah’s activities in the village of Yanouh, to enable Hezbollah to operate within the civilian area and in private properties in the village, and to embed terror infrastructure in the heart of the population through the deliberate and cynical exploitation of residents to advance Hezbollah’s terror objectives,” the military said.According to the IDF, on December 13, Israel sent a request to the Lebanese army, via the US-led ceasefire oversight mechanism, to take action against a Hezbollah weapons depot in Yanouh.“Salameh received the report from the Lebanese Armed Forces and passed it on to other Hezbollah elements. Upon the arrival of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Hezbollah terrorists prevented them from dismantling the infrastructure by creating a gathering that enabled Hezbollah to move the weapons out of the property,” the military claimed.At the time, the IDF had published an evacuation warning ahead of a planned strike on the site, before postponing it after the Lebanese army arrived in an attempt to dismantle it.The IDF said that Salameh coordinated with the Lebanese army to document the site without weapons, “thereby claiming that the site was empty.”“During the Lebanese Armed Forces’ operation, several suspicious boxes were removed from the compound through the rear door of the property,” the IDF said.The army said Salameh’s actions constitute a violation of the ceasefire.Separately, the IDF said that a strike it carried out earlier near Sidon killed a “key” Hezbollah weapons smuggler.Mohammad Awatsheh was involved in managing weapon transfers to Hezbollah, “including through a front company that transported prohibited goods from various countries, including Iraq, Syria, and Gulf states,” the military said.Additionally, the military said Awatsheh was the handler for “numerous smugglers responsible for transferring weapons from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon.”An AFP correspondent saw a charred car on a main road in the town of Zahrani, in the Sidon district, with debris strewn across the area and emergency workers in attendance.A Lebanese army statement on Wednesday decried the Israeli targeting of “civilian buildings and homes” in a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty” and the ceasefire deal.It also said such attacks “hinder the army’s efforts” to complete the disarmament plan.The US-brokered ceasefire with Hezbollah came after two months of open conflict in Lebanon, including an IDF ground operation in the country’s south in a bid to enable the safe return of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced by the terror group’s near-daily attacks. The attacks began on October 8, 2023 — a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas invaded southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza.The ceasefire required both Israel and Hezbollah to vacate southern Lebanon, to be replaced by the Lebanese armed forces. Israel has withdrawn from all but five strategic posts along the border.Since the ceasefire, the IDF said it has killed over 400 Hezbollah operatives and members of allied terror groups in strikes, hit hundreds of Hezbollah sites, and conducted over 1,200 raids and other small operations in southern Lebanon.Weakened by the war and still facing regular Israeli strikes, Hezbollah is under internal and international pressure to hand over its weapons. The Lebanese army recently said it had completed its mission to disarm the terror group south of the Litani River, in the area closest to the Israeli border. Israel responded that the news was “encouraging” but insufficient
‘They killed my child’: Bystanders slain during bloody crackdown on Iran protests-Woman says she was separated from daughter amid gunfire, only to find her in morgue days later; man says brother was shot after sheltering teen protesters in his shop-By Parisa Hafezi 21 January 2026, 6:47 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) — Art student Arash was walking home through the streets of Tehran when a shotgun blast ended his life. He had not shouted slogans, joined protesters, or raised a fist.A friend, speaking by telephone from the Iranian capital, described the moment in a voice cracking with grief: Arash fell instantly, lifeless on the pavement. He was 22.The friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear for his security, said they had paused on the sidewalk to watch a protest in nearby Vanak Square when security forces in black uniforms arrived and began firing randomly toward the demonstrators.Arash’s death on January 8 is an example of what witnesses say has been a reality of the country’s latest anti-government protests — bystanders uninvolved in the unrest caught in gunfire, or killed as they tried to flee the chaos.Reuters was unable to independently verify this account or similar witness reports of deaths during the state’s crackdown on the unrest, and could not determine how many of the thousands killed were bystanders or people merely near the protests when they were shot.But accounts from families and witnesses suggest that indiscriminate force used by security forces to crush the unrest killed many civilians who were not participating, leaving relatives to scour hospitals, morgues, and detention centers for answers.Unlawful lethal force used in Iran, Amnesty reports-Officials in Iran could not be reached for comment about the deaths described in this story as authorities began blocking telephone lines and internet connections from January 8, when protests spread nationwide. From January 13, Iranians have been able to make outgoing international phone calls, while calls into the country remain blocked.There was no immediate response to requests for comment sent to the Iranian UN missions in Geneva and New York.Authorities have blamed the unrest and deaths on “terrorists and rioters” backed by exiled opponents and foreign adversaries, the United States and Israel. State TV aired footage of burned police and government buildings, mosques, and smashed banks it said had been attacked by “terrorists and rioters.”The US-based HRANA rights group said it has so far verified 4,519 unrest-linked deaths, including 4,251 protesters, 197 security personnel, 35 people aged under 18, and 38 bystanders who it says were neither protesters nor security personnel.HRANA has 9,049 additional deaths under review. An Iranian official told Reuters the confirmed death toll until Sunday was more than 5,000, including 500 members of the security forces.The protests began on December 28 as modest demonstrations in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic hardship and quickly spread nationwide.Indiscriminate fire reported by witnesses-Within days, crowds in cities and towns were calling for an end to clerical rule, and state TV showed footage of what it called “rioters” burning images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Amnesty International said in a report it had documented security forces positioned on streets, rooftops — including those of residential buildings, mosques and police stations — repeatedly firing rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets, often aiming at unarmed individuals’ heads and torsos.It said the evidence points to a coordinated nationwide escalation in the security forces’unlawful use of lethal force against mostly peaceful protesters and bystanders since the evening of January 8.The unrest has posed one of the gravest threats to Iran’s clerical establishment in years, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed.Iran’s judiciary has indicated that the execution of those detained during the protests may go ahead.Numerous accounts from inside Iran, including from people who have since left the country, said security forces fired live ammunition indiscriminately, turning streets — particularly on January 8 and 9 — into what witnesses likened to war zones.Among the victims was Fariba, a 16-year-old girl described by her mother, Manijeh, as curious and full of life.On a night when she went with her mother to a nearby square simply to observe, security forces on motorcycles attacked the protesters.‘They killed my child,’ says mother of 16-year-oldManijeh clutched her daughter’s hand and sought shelter behind a parked car amid the gunfire. In the ensuing panic, she lost her grip, and mother and daughter became separated.“I searched street after street, screaming her name,” Manijeh recounted, sobbing over the phone. “She was gone.”That night, the family scoured police stations and hospitals. They found Fariba two days later in a black body bag inside the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Center in south Tehran, shot in the heart, her body cold.Officials told the family that “terrorists” had killed her.“No,” her mother said. “I was there that night. The security forces opened fire on people. They killed my child.”Videos on social media showed footage of families searching for their relatives among hundreds of body bags in morgues and the Kahrizak Center. Reuters verified the location of the videos as Kahrizak Center, although the identity of the people and the date when the videos were filmed could not be verified.A physician who left Iran on January 14 said hospitals were overwhelmed with gunshot victims. In Karaj, west of Tehran, a resident described security forces deploying automatic rifles against protesters and bystanders on January 8.Similar accounts emerged from the western city of Kermanshah, where Revolutionary Guards used armored vehicles and tanks to contain demonstrations.‘They smashed doors, cursing,’ says brother of missing woman-In Isfahan, the brother of a 43-year-old man recounted holding his sibling’s blood-soaked body after security forces shot him. “His only act was sheltering teenage protesters fleeing into his shop,” said Masoud, 38, by telephone.Like other Iranians interviewed for this story, Masoud asked for his full name to be withheld for fear of reprisals.In another case, the family of Nastaran, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher in Tehran, spent days searching for her after she visited a cousin on January 9 and never returned.They found her body in a warehouse near Tehran. She had been shot by security forces, said Nastaran’s father.Authorities allowed retrieval only on condition of burial in the family’s hometown in central Iran and pressured them to blame “terrorists” — a claim the relatives rejected, he said.Another family in the northern city of Rasht said security forces stormed their apartment after spotting their 33-year-old daughter, Sepideh, watching protests from a window.“They smashed doors, cursing and yelling. They detained her. We don’t know where she is,” said Morteza, her brother.“My sister’s two young children cry for her; her husband has been warned of arrest if he keeps searching for her.”
UK lowers travel advisory warning to Israel-Amid Iran tensions, IDF chief says military ready to act ‘against any enemy’Zamir visits air base that welcomed three new F-35s into IAF arsenal; at Home Front Command earlier in week, IDF chief said Israel preparing for ‘surprise war’By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and AP 21 January 2026, 5:55 pm
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday said the military was prepared to act against any enemy posing a threat to the country amid ongoing tensions with Iran.During a visit to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, Zamir told Israeli Air Force pilots and air personnel that the military “will know how to strike powerfully in any arena against any enemy that threatens the security of the State of Israel,” according to remarks provided by the military.The base is home to the IAF’s F-35I stealth fighters. This week, three new F-35s joined the IAF’s arsenal, bringing its total to 48.“The air force constitutes the IDF’s strategic arm. You have been at the forefront of the offensive and defensive effort in both near and distant arenas over the past two years of fighting,” Zamir said.Zamir told the pilots that during the 12-day war with Iran in June, “you accumulated operational experience unparalleled anywhere in the world, and we will know how to draw lessons from it and use it to ensure the security of the State of Israel at all times.”“We are prepared for various scenarios and continuously improve our capabilities in order to achieve victory in the overall campaign against our enemies. This is our responsibility and our mission,” he said.During a visit to the Home Front Command on Monday, Zamir also said the military remains prepared for defense against “multifront threats,” in an apparent reference to Iran.“In the face of the scope of the multifront threats to the State of Israel, the Home Front Command stands on defense, is competent, trained, and on high alert. The command is prepared at all times to employ a wide range of capabilities to contend with an attack on the civilian home front and to save lives,” Zamir said.“At the same time, the IDF is prepared to employ an offensive capability unprecedented in its power against any attempt to harm the State of Israel,” he continued.“We are prepared with full defense for any scenario,” Zamir said, adding that the lessons from the 12-day war against Iran in June have been implemented in the military, “and as part of this, the IDF is also preparing for the possibility of a surprise war.”The comments came a week after tensions spiked in the region, after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran if it killed anti-government protesters.While he has since appeared to back down, claiming authorities had halted plans to execute hundreds of protesters, Trump is continuing to push his aides to devise what he calls “decisive” military options against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.Tehran has said in the past that it would target Israel and US military targets in the Middle East if Trump were to order strikes.As concerns over war eased, the United Kingdom dialed down its travel warning to Israel on Wednesday, after advising last week that British citizens avoid “all but essential travel” to the region.Now, the UK’s Foreign Office lifted the warning for most of the country, with the exception of high-risk areas.It continues to advise against all travel within 500 meters of the Gaza border, within 500 meters of the buffer zone separating Israel and Syria, and within 500 meters of the Lebanon border.In the Palestinian territories, it recommends against all travel to Gaza as well as several areas in the West Bank, including Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas.Finally, it “advises against all but essential travel” to the rest of the West Bank, excluding Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jericho.The death toll from the Iranian protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being. Although there have been no protests for days, there are fears the death toll could increase significantly as information gradually emerges from a country still under a government-imposed shutdown of the internet since January 8.Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties.More than 26,300 people have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the world’s top executioners. That and the killing of peaceful protesters have been two red lines laid down by Trump in the tensions.
US to ‘wipe Iran off face of earth’ if it assassinates Trump-Trump still pushing aides to draw up ‘decisive’ military options against Iran — WSJ-Options said to include actions aimed at toppling regime; Iran says it would fight back ‘with everything we have’; Amnesty warns Iran plans to execute protester on WednesdayBy ToI Staff and Agencies 21 January 2026, 10:06 am
US President Donald Trump is continuing to push his aides to devise what he calls “decisive” military options against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, days after the American leader called off strikes against the Islamic Republic.Citing US officials, the report said Trump has repeatedly employed the word “decisive” when discussing what outcome he would want from an American attack on Iran, leading aides at the White House and Pentagon to draw up an array of options for him — among them actions that would be aimed at toppling the regime.Other options that are more limited in aim reportedly include strikes on facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Officials quoted by the US newspaper said Trump still hasn’t ruled out strikes, though it’s unclear what he may ultimately decide, with the deliberations coming as an American aircraft carrier group moved westward toward the Middle East from Asia.Meanwhile, American fighter jets and other equipment also appear to be moving to the Mideast after a major US military deployment to the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued the most direct threat yet against the US, warning the Islamic Republic would be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”Tehran has said in the past that it would target Israel and US military targets in the Middle East if Trump were to order strikes.The comments by Araghchi, who saw his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over over a brutal crackdown on recent protests in Iran, came in an opinion article also published by The Wall Street Journal.The Iranian foreign minister contended that “the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours” and sought again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence.Videos that have slipped out of Iran despite the internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Araghchi.“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June. “This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.”He added: “An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”An Iranian official in the region said this week that the authorities had verified at least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel.Activists believe the death toll to be far higher, but the numbers cannot be verified amid an ongoing internet blackout.There have been reports that the families of protesters killed have been coerced into saying their relatives were members of the security forces in an apparent attempt to inflate that toll.Speaking on Tuesday at the White House, Trump reiterated his claim that Iran halted plans to execute protesters last week after threats from Washington.“They were going to hang 837 people, and… we let them know that if that happens, that will be a very bad day for them, and they decided not to do it,” he said. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future, but supposedly they’ve taken that off the table.”The US president had threatened to strike Iran if it killed protesters, which the regime proceeded to do in the thousands.But toward the end of last week, the president indicated that he had pulled back from plans to attack due to Iran’s purported cancellation of planned hangings of protesters.The Islamic Republic has not publicly confirmed those plans.Amnesty International said Tuesday that Iranian authorities planned to execute 19-year-old Amirhossein Ghaderzadeh on Wednesday over his participation in protests in Rasht in Gilan province.Meanwhile, Iran warned Trump not to take any action against the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, days after the US president called for an end to Khamenei’s nearly 40-year reign.Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi was quoted as saying Trump already knew Tehran would not hold back if the tables were turned.“Trump knows that if a hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we will not only sever that hand, and this is not a mere slogan,” Shekarchi was quoted as telling Iranian state media. “But we will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region.”In an apparent response, Trump repeated his warning that the United States will “wipe” out Iran if Tehran were to assassinate him.“The whole country is going to get blown up,” Trump said in an interview with NewsNation. “I have very firm instructions — anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”
Sudan war blocks 8 million schoolchildren for nearly 500 days: NGO.
Port Sudan, Sudan, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-Almost three years of war in Sudan have left more than eight million children out of education for nearly 500 days, the NGO Save the Children said Thursday, highlighting one of the world's longest school closures."More than eight million children -- nearly half of the 17 million of school age -- have gone approximately 484 days without setting foot in a classroom," the children's rights organisation said in a statement.Sudan has been ravaged since April 2023 by a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).This is "one of the longest school closures in the world," the British NGO said."Many schools are closed, others have been damaged by the conflict, or are being used as shelters" for the more than seven million displaced people across the country, it added.North Darfur in western Sudan is the country's hardest-hit state: only three percent of its more than 1,100 schools are still functioning.In October the RSF seized the city of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last of Darfur's five capitals that had remained outside their control.West Darfur, West Kordofan and South Darfur follow with 27 percent, 15 percent and 13 percent of their schools operating respectively, according to the statement.The NGO added that many teachers in Sudanese schools were leaving their jobs due to unpaid salaries."We risk condemning an entire generation to a future defined by conflict," without urgent investment, said the NGO's chief executive Inger Ashing.The conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, has triggered the "world's worst humanitarian crisis", according to the UN.On Sunday, UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk condemned the increasing number of attacks against "essential civilian infrastructure" in Sudan, including hospitals, markets, and schools.He also expressed alarm at "the arming of civilians and the recruitment of children."The UN has repeatedly expressed concern about the "lost generation" in Sudan.
China says Britain had 'obligation' to approve mega embassy.
Beijing, Jan 21 (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-China said Wednesday that Britain had an "obligation" to approve its mega embassy in London, a day after the controversial plans were given the green light."Providing support and convenience for the construction of diplomatic premises is an international obligation of the host country," Guo Jiakun told a news conference.The 20,000-square-metre (235,000-square-foot) site is set to become the largest embassy complex in the UK by area, and one of the largest in the centre of a Western capital.Plans for the embassy triggered anger and protests from rights groups and activists, who fear the site could be used to spy on and harass dissidents.While British housing minister Steve Reed said the decision was final, it could still face legal challenges, with residents in London vowing to act.Ties between China and Britain plummeted under the previous Conservative government, with the new embassy appearing to be a sticking point.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour party swept to power in 2024 elections, has sought to reset ties with the economic powerhouse, and will reportedly visit China later this month.While the embassy approval could boost relations, security minister Dan Jarvis noted that China would still continue to pose national security threats to Britain.
EU says ready to sign defence and security pact with India by AFP Staff Writers.
Strasbourg, France (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-The European Union is ready to sign a defence and security pact with India, the bloc's top diplomat said Wednesday, as Brussels and New Delhi seek closer commercial and political ties.Kaja Kallas made the announcement to the European Parliament in Strasbourg ahead of an EU-India summit in Delhi next week, where the deal could be inked."Today, we agreed to move forward with the signature of a new EU-India security and defence partnership," Kallas told lawmakers.The move comes as the two geopolitical heavyweights face economic and security challenges from the world's two biggest economies, China and the United States."The EU and India are moving closer together at the time when the rules-based international order is under unprecedented pressure through wars, coercion and economic fragmentation," Kallas said."Two major democracies cannot afford to hesitate. We must become more ambitious partners."Kallas said the defence pact would deepen cooperation in areas including maritime security, cybersecurity and counter terrorism.The EU has recently signed similar deals with Canada and Britain in a push to bring defence industries closer together as the allies contend with an aggressive Russia and worries over US reliability under President Donald Trump.New Delhi, which has relied on Moscow for decades for key military hardware, has tried to cut its dependence on Russia in recent years by diversifying imports and pushing its own domestic manufacturing base.With both hit by US tariffs, India and the 27-nation EU are also working on a free trade agreement.This could be signed as soon as next week, when EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are due to travel to Delhi for the summit.Kallas said Brussels was also looking to strike a deal on mobility to facilitate movement for seasonal workers, students, researchers and highly skilled professionals.
US moving up to 7,000 alleged IS detainees from Syria to Iraq by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington, United States (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-The United States launched an operation on Wednesday that could ultimately transfer up to 7,000 detainees allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group from Syria to neighboring Iraq, the US military said.The aim of the operation -- which began with the movement of 150 alleged fighters -- is to ensure the people "remain in secure detention facilities," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X."We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government," the post quoted CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper as saying."Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security," Cooper added, using an alternate acronym for IS.In a deal reached Sunday that included a ceasefire and the integration of ethnic Kurds' administration into the state, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi agreed that the government would take over responsibility for prisoners accused of being part of IS.Thousands of detainees are held in seven prisons in northeast Syria, while tens of thousands of people thought to be their family members live in the Al-Hol and Roj camps.The United States, which heads an international coalition that backed the Kurds against IS, said this week that the purpose of its alliance with the SDF had largely ended years after they defeated the armed group.Washington now supports Syria's new Islamist political authorities -- once commanders affiliated with the Al-Qaeda armed group themselves -- who are seeking to extend their control across the country after years of civil war.wd/aha
North produces enough nuclear material a year for 10-20 weapons: S. Korea president By Kang Jin-kyu.
Seoul (AFP) Jan 21, 2026-North Korea is producing enough nuclear material a year for up to 20 weapons, the South's President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday, warning that Pyongyang's ambitions could pose a global danger.The North carried out its first atomic test in 2006 in violation of UN resolutions and is now believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads."Even now, nuclear materials sufficient to produce 10 to 20 nuclear weapons a year are still being produced" in North Korea, Lee told reporters at a New Year news conference.At the same time, the North is continuing to improve its long-range ballistic missile technology aimed at striking the US mainland, Lee added."At some point, North Korea will have secured the nuclear arsenal it believes it needs to sustain the regime, along with ICBM capabilities capable of threatening not only the United States but the wider world," he said, referring to intercontinental ballistic missiles."And once there is excess, it will go abroad -- beyond its borders. A global danger will then emerge," he said.Pyongyang has for decades justified its nuclear and missile programmes as a deterrent against alleged regime change efforts by Washington and its allies.A pragmatic attitude was needed in addressing North Korea's nuclear issue, Lee said, adding the "Trump-style approach" could help in communicating with Pyongyang."The suspension of nuclear material production and ICBM development, as well as a halt to overseas exports, would also be a gain," he said."It would be a gain for everyone," he added, noting that he had laid out the argument to both US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.Since his inauguration in June, Lee has pushed for dialogue with the North without preconditions, a stark departure from the hawkish approach of his predecessor.- 'Trump-style approach' -While Pyongyang has snubbed Seoul's dialogue offers, Lee said Trump could pave the way forward with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- with whom the US leader has expressed his affinity over the years."President Trump is a somewhat unique figure, but I think that very trait can at times be a significant asset in resolving problems on the Korean peninsula," Lee said."The Trump?style approach seems to help when it comes to talking with Kim ... I am willing to play the role of a pacemaker in that process."Trump met Kim three times during his first term in efforts to reach a denuclearisation deal.But since his second summit in Hanoi fell through over differences about what Pyongyang would get in return for giving up its nuclear weapons, no progress has been made between the two countries.Trump had expressed hopes for a meeting with Kim ahead of the APEC summit in South Korea in October, which went unanswered by the North Korean leader.Recently North Korea accused the South of flying a drone into the border city of Kaesong.Lee's office has denied it was behind the incursion but alluded it might have been carried out by civilians.One man has claimed responsibility for the breach, telling local media that he had carried it out to measure radiation levels at a North Korean uranium processing facility.
BlackSky expands Gen-3 satellite intelligence contracts worldwide by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 21, 2026-BlackSky Technology Inc. has secured multiple expansion contracts for its Gen-3 satellite constellation as early access pilot programs transition into renewal agreements across customers in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The new business reflects rising global demand for commercial, tactically responsive space-based intelligence and aligns with international trends in defense spending focused on real-time situational awareness.According to the company, the expanded Gen-3 contracts demonstrate strong retention among BlackSky's international customer base as governments and defense organizations respond to the rapid, time-dominant nature of current geopolitical tensions. BlackSky positions its AI-forward space technology as a way for customers to gain an information advantage by shortening the time between image collection, analysis and operational decision-making.BlackSky's Gen-3 constellation provides high-cadence, low-latency monitoring of areas of interest, supporting time-critical operations where rapid insight is essential. The company reports that its real-time services continue to gain traction with some of its most demanding customers, who seek to sustain continuous awareness of strategic locations and assets.The Gen-3 system enables commercial tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services designed to integrate directly into national secure workflows. BlackSky states that its agile, AI-enabled space services can autonomously detect and classify tactical targets such as vessels and aircraft in real time, while maintaining dynamic pattern-of-life monitoring over strategic borders and maritime zones.By using its Gen-3 capabilities, customers can reduce reliance on the limited availability of third-party national assets and instead access a dedicated commercial source of time-sensitive imagery and analytics. This shift supports national security doctrines that increasingly emphasize real-time decision advantages and persistent monitoring over key regions.The company highlights intensifying demand for guaranteed time-sensitive imagery and analytics as a primary driver of international defense spending in space-based intelligence capabilities. As governments modernize their defense and security frameworks, they are prioritizing responsive space services that can support rapid planning and operational execution.BlackSky's Assured services model provides guaranteed access and priority tasking capacity over a customer's national and regional areas of interest. Under this approach, customers receive defined access levels to imaging capacity, helping them secure consistent coverage of critical locations during periods of heightened activity or crisis.Enhanced image clarity from the Gen-3 satellites broadens AI-enabled detection, identification and classification performance for a wide range of vehicles, aircraft, vessels and other tactically relevant objects. These improvements support finer-grained monitoring and more detailed analysis of activity patterns on land and at sea.To meet growing global demand, BlackSky leverages a vertically integrated technology stack that spans satellite manufacturing, software and AI solutions. The company states that this end-to-end approach allows it to develop, produce and deploy space-based intellig
Muon Space joins SHIELD missile defense effort with next generation space systems role by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 21, 2026-Muon Space has been selected for the Missile Defense Agency's Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense program under an indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of 151 billion dollars. The award positions the company as a contributor to a next generation missile defense architecture focused on rapidly fielding new capabilities for operational forces.The SHIELD contract framework covers a broad range of work areas intended to speed development, integration and deployment of advanced technologies that enhance layered homeland defense. By using an IDIQ structure, the Missile Defense Agency can competitively award task orders that tap multiple industry partners for sensors, command and control, space systems and other critical components as requirements evolve.Muon Space's participation in SHIELD reflects its growing role in designing and operating space systems that support national security missions. The company develops mission optimized satellite constellations and associated software infrastructure that can host payloads, deliver resilient data services and enable real time decision support from orbit for defense customers.Founded in 2021, Muon Space has built an end to end technology stack called Halo that combines spacecraft platforms, payload integration and a software defined orchestration layer. This approach is designed to reduce time from concept to orbit while supporting high performance missions that require rapid tasking, data routing and in space processing for users such as the Missile Defense Agency.From its production facilities in Silicon Valley, Muon Space has expanded its customer base across commercial and government sectors, including programs focused on missile warning, tracking and other national security applications. The new SHIELD award is expected to leverage this heritage as the company works with the agency and other contractors to field resilient, distributed space architectures that strengthen homeland defense.
Slingshot to embed AI agent in US Space Force space warfare training by Clarence Oxford.
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 19, 2026-Slingshot Aerospace has secured a 27 million dollar contract to modernize how the US Space Force trains for conflict in orbit by embedding its TALOS AI agent into the service's Operational Test and Training Infrastructure program. The 18 month effort will integrate AI native technology into existing training capabilities so that exercises more accurately reflect the rapidly evolving orbital threat landscape and near peer adversary behavior.The company describes TALOS AI as an autonomous agent that imitates realistic satellite actions for training and simulation. Built on Slingshot's behavior cloning pipeline, the software learns and replicates real world spacecraft tactics within an ever changing orbital environment, allowing operators to rehearse against complex and adaptive scenarios instead of scripted patterns.Slingshot says the new award advances earlier SpaceWERX and Space Force investments, including a 25 million dollar STRATFI contract from 2022 that helped mature its training and simulation technologies. Under the new contract, TALOS will be used to explore how AI can act as a force multiplier in training by generating machine speed threat behaviors, enabling faster scenario development, larger scale simulations and more realistic mission profiles.Space Training and Readiness Command has already tested TALOS to assess how AI driven agents can serve as intelligent, unpredictable opponents in exercise environments. During these trials, TALOS produced adaptive behaviors representative of modern orbital maneuver tactics, giving Guardians experience against adversaries that update their strategies in real time during a scenario.Slingshot is positioning TALOS as a core element in a broader ecosystem of training systems, data sources and AI capabilities that the Space Force can draw on for future exercises. The company is designing the agent and its supporting infrastructure to integrate with complementary platforms from other industry and government partners, with an emphasis on interoperability and mission realism across the training enterprise.Open application programming interfaces and flexible integration paths are central to the approach. Slingshot says this will allow the Space Force to plug in new sensors, data systems and AI tools as they come online, while still using TALOS as a coordinating layer for threat behaviors and scenario logic.According to Slingshot chief executive Tim Solms, the contract reflects a shift toward AI native space training where human and machine intelligence work together to give mission leaders an operational edge. He said the system allows Guardians to train against adaptive, AI driven threats that behave like real adversaries rather than pre programmed scenarios, marking what the company calls the dawn of AI native space training.Slingshot Aerospace, founded in 2017, provides AI powered solutions for satellite tracking, space traffic coordination and space modeling and simulation to government and commercial customers. Its platform fuses data from the Slingshot Global Sensor Network, the Slingshot Seradata satellite and launch history database, satellite owner operators and third party providers to create a common operating picture of space for training, planning and operations.The company positions this unified view of past, present and predicted space activity as a way to enhance space situational awareness, improve operational efficiency and reduce risk for operators. Slingshot states that its mission is to help keep space safe, sustainable and secure for the growing number of actors relying on orbital infrastructure.
Military aircraft to arrive in Greenland for 'long-planned' activities: US-Canadian command by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington, United States (AFP) Jan 19, 2026-North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft will soon arrive at a US military base in Greenland for "long-planned" activities, the organization said Monday.The announcement from NORAD, a joint US-Canada military organization for aerospace monitoring and defense, came amid rising tensions over President Donald Trump's demand for US control of the autonomous Danish territory.The statement did not describe the nature of the planned activities at Pituffik Space Base, which it said were aimed at "defense cooperation."It said that the activities had been coordinated with Denmark and that Greenland had been informed.NORAD said that the arriving aircraft will operate alongside those from bases in the continental United States and Canada."They will support various long-planned NORAD activities, building on the enduring defense cooperation between the United States and Canada, as well as the Kingdom of Denmark," NORAD said.The statement added that NORAD "routinely conducts sustained, dispersed operations in the defense of North America."Trump has stoked anxiety among US transatlantic allies with threats to take over Greenland "one way or the other."Over the weekend, the US president threatened to wield new tariffs against countries which oppose his plans for the Arctic island, after several European nations sent small military delegations there for an exercise, to which the United States was also invited.Denmark has proposed that NATO start surveillance operations in Greenland to confront security concerns.
