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)
EUROPE NEEDS TO BOOST MILITARY CAPABILITIES.
DEUTORONOMY 18:10-12
10
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his
daughter to pass through the fire,(OCCULT SACRIFICES) or that useth
divination,(NEW AGER AND CRYSTALS ETC) divination n. The art or act of
foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of
augury or an alleged supernatural agency.) or an observer of
times,(Meaning of observer. ... for sketching it. horoscope - Comes from
Greek hora, hour, time, and skopos, observer.) or an enchanter,(The
word enchant is derived from the Latin word incantare which refers to
uttering an incantation or casting a spell). or a witch,(WITCH.
Definition: [noun] a female sorcerer (SORCERY IN THE BIBLE IS DRUGS OR
OCCULT ACTIVITY) or magician.)
11 Or a charmer,(charmer means a
dealer in spells, especially one who, by binding certain knots, was
supposed thereby to bind a curse or a blessing on its object.) or a
consulter with familiar spirits,(function as mediums or psychics) or a
wizard,(MALE WITCH)-influence; a magical spell WITH WANDS) or a
necromancer.(one seeking unto the dead.)
12 For all that do these
things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these
abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
REVELATION 9:20-21
20
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues (NUKES)
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, nor of their sorceries,(DRUG
ADDICTIONS OR SELLING DRUGS) nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE OF
MARRIAGE)(PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26
Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the
light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of
his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold,
the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the
burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his
tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED)
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE)
those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID
HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God,
which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him
glory.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the
stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon
shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9
I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy
destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not
known.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his
vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every
living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord,
which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6
For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion)
have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy.
GEN 12:2-3
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3
And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY)
him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed.
Extreme weather misinformation 'putting lives at risk,' study warns.
Washington,
July 22 (AFP) Jul 22, 2025-Major social media platforms are enabling
and profiting from misinformation around extreme weather events,
endangering lives and impeding emergency response efforts, a research
group said Tuesday.The report from the Center for Countering Digital
Hate (CCDH) -- which analyzed 100 viral posts on each of three leading
platforms during recent natural disasters including deadly Texas floods
-- highlights how their algorithms amplify conspiracy theorists while
sidelining life-saving information."The influence of high-profile
conspiracy theorists during climate disasters is drowning out emergency
response efforts," the report said, adding that the trend was "putting
lives at risk."Nearly all of the analyzed posts on Meta-owned Facebook
and Instagram lacked fact-checks or Community Notes, a crowd-sourced
verification system increasingly being adopted as an alternative to
professional fact-checkers, the report said.Elon Musk-owned X lacked
fact-checks or Community Notes on 99 percent of the posts, while
Google-owned YouTube "failed entirely," with zero fact-checks or
Community Notes, CCDH said.The report noted that well-known conspiracy
theorist Alex Jones's false claims during the LA wildfires amassed more
views on X throughout January than the combined reach of major emergency
response agencies and news outlets, including the Los Angeles
Times."The rapid spread of climate conspiracies online isn't accidental.
It's baked into a business model that profits from outrage and
division," said Imran Ahmed, CCDH's chief executive.During the
wildfires, online scammers placed social media advertisements
impersonating federal emergency aid agencies to steal victims' personal
information, Ahmed said, citing local officials."When distraught people
can't distinguish real help from online deception, platforms become
complicit in the suffering of innocent people," he said.The tech
platforms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.-
'Dangerous' falsehoods -Following natural disasters, misinformation
tends to surge across social media -- fueled by accounts from across the
political spectrum -- as many platforms scale back content moderation
and reduce reliance on human fact-checkers, often accused by
conservative advocates of a liberal bias.During Hurricane Milton, which
struck Florida last year, social media was flooded with baseless claims
that the storm had been engineered by politicians using weather
manipulation.Similarly, the LA wildfires were falsely blamed on
so-called "government lasers," a conspiracy theory amplified by viral
posts.Augustus Doricko, chief executive of cloud seeding company
Rainmaker, said he received death threats online after conspiracy
theorists blamed him for the devastating floods in Texas."I can confirm
that we have received multiple threats since the flooding event,"
Doricko told AFP, highlighting the real-life consequences of such
falsehoods.The CCDH study found that the worst offenders spreading
extreme weather misinformation were verified users with large
followings, many of whom were attempting to monetize their posts.Eighty
eight percent of misleading extreme weather posts on X came from
verified accounts, CCDH said. On YouTube, 73 percent of such posts
originated from verified users, while on Meta, the figure was 64
percent."Climate disinformation costs lives," said Sam Bright of DeSmog,
which reports on climate misinformation campaigns."As extreme weather
events become more and more frequent, these falsehoods will only get
more dangerous."
RUSSIA,GERMANY, ARAB MUSLIMS COME AGAINST ISRAEL.
EZEKIEL 38:1-23
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA)
the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy
against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against
thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and
Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into
thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with
all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6
Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of
the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and
prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto
thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be
visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is
brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against
the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of
them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a
cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with
thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall
also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy
mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt
say,(RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS) I will go up to the land of unwalled
villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely,
all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12
To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine
hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the
people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle
and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and
Dedan,(SAUDI-ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(SPAIN) with all the
young lions thereof,(ENGLAND,AND ALL ITS ASSOCIATES-CANADA,AUSTRALIA-NEW
ZEALAND, USA, AND WESTERN ENGLISH SPEAKING NATIONS) shall say unto
thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to
take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and
goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY
RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
14 Therefore, son of man,
prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my
people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And
thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many
people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a
mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel,
as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I
will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I
shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my
servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many
years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to
pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel,
saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in
my jealousy and in the fire (atomic bomb) of my wrath have I spoken,
Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the
beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth,
and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my
presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places
shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21 And I will
call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord
GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
22 And I will
plead against him with pestilence (biological,chemical,nuclear) and with
blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many
people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones,
fire, and brimstone.(NUKED,THEN MIGRATING BIRDS EAT RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS
FLESH)
23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I
will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am
the LORD.
EZEKIEL 39:1-29
1 Therefore, thou son of man,
prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech
(MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee
back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of
thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will
cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee
upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,(
ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the
ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be
devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6
And I will send a shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto
Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley
of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east
of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there
shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE)
and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300
MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13
Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it
shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified,
saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual
employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to
bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth,
to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s
bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the
buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of
Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN
THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every
feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY
SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and
come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do
sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel,
that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM
ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood
of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of
bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye (MIGRATING BIRDS
IN ISRAEL) shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be
drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for
you.(RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS)
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21
And I (GOD-JESUS) will set my glory among the heathen,(WORLD NATIONS)
and all the heathen (WORLD NATIONS) shall see my judgment that I have
executed,(AGAINST ISRAELS ENEMIES) and my (GODS) hand that I have laid
upon them.(ISRAELS HATER ENEMIES)
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
23
And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity
for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I
my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so
fell they all by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity
of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be
jealous for my holy name;
26 After that they have borne their shame,
and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when
they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27 When I
have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their
enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28
Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to
be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto
their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29
Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my
spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
CHINA AND KINGS O F THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river
Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED
UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the
beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE
POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which
go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE
FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA
ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44
But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS
WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL)
therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to
make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC
WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE
WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN
TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the
four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared
for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third
part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand
thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and
I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the
vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of
jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of
lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and
brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men
killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which
issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Iran meets European
powers for new nuclear talks amid snapback sanctions threat-German,
British and French diplomats in Istanbul to meet Iranian counterparts
for first time since war with Israel, as powers weigh reimposing UN
sanctions By AFP Today, 9:50 amUpdated at 11:28 am-JUL 25,25
Iranian
diplomats were meeting counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on
Friday for renewed nuclear talks amid warnings that the three European
powers could trigger “snapback” sanctions outlined under the
since-abandoned 2015 deal.The meeting, taking place in Istanbul, was the
first since Israel’s mid-June attack on Iran, which the Jewish state
says was carried out due to an imminent threat of Tehran obtaining
nuclear weapons. Israel’s attack, which sparked a 12-day war, targeted
key nuclear and military sites.Israel’s offensive — which killed top
commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others as residential
areas were struck as well — also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that
began in April.Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have
threatened to trigger the “snapback mechanism,” which would reinstate
United Nations sanctions on Iran by the end of August, under the
effectively moribund 2015 nuclear deal.The option to trigger the
snapback expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences
should the E3 opt to activate it.“Inaction by the E3 is not an option,” a
European source said, noting that Tehran would be reminded during the
meeting that the snapback window closes this autumn.The source said
Europeans are preparing to trigger the mechanism “in the absence of a
negotiated solution” and called on Iran to make “clear gestures”
regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the
UN nuclear watchdog.Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi,
who was attending the talks Friday, alongside senior Iranian diplomat
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, warned this week that triggering sanctions “is
completely illegal.”He also accused European powers of “halting their
commitments” to the deal after the United States unilaterally withdrew
in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s first term.“We have warned them
of the risks, but we are still seeking common ground to manage the
situation,” said Gharibabadi.Sanctions-Iranian diplomats have previously
warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear
non-proliferation treaty if UN sanctions are reimposed. Restoring
sanctions would deepen Iran’s international isolation and place further
pressure on its already strained economy.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon
Sa’ar has urged European powers to trigger the mechanism.Israel’s June
13 attack on Iran came two days before Tehran and Washington were
scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations.The US
joined the Israeli air campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military
infrastructure on June 22, striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo,
Isfahan and Natanz.Iran responded to the Israeli attacks with
near-daily barrages of missiles at cities, killing 28 people and
wounding thousands, according to health officials and hospitals. Some of
the missiles hit apartment buildings, a university and a hospital,
causing heavy damage.Before the war, Washington and Tehran were divided
over uranium enrichment, which Iran has described as a “non-negotiable”
right, while the US called it a “red line.”The International Atomic
Energy Agency says Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity — far
above the 3.67% cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade
levels.Tehran has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of
enrichment, but not the right to enrich uranium.A year after the US
withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its
commitments, which had placed restrictions on its nuclear activities in
exchange for sanctions relief.Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of
pursuing nuclear weapons — a charge Tehran has consistently denied,
though it has been enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian
application while regularly threatening to annihilate Israel.‘National
pride’Iran insists it will not abandon its nuclear program, which
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called a source of “national
pride.”“Especially after the recent war, it is important for them to
understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s position remains
unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue. We will not
give up this right of the Iranian people,” Araghchi said on the eve of
the Istanbul talks.The full extent of the damage sustained in the US
bombing remains unclear. Trump has claimed the sites were “completely
destroyed,” but US media reports have cast doubt over the scale of
destruction.Araghchi has noted that enrichment has currently “stopped”
due to “serious and severe” damage to nuclear sites caused by US and
Israeli strikes.Since the 12-day war, Iran has suspended cooperation
with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the
attacks.Inspectors have since left the country, but a technical team is
expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said future
cooperation would take a “new form.”Israel has warned it may resume
strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons
capability.Iran has pledged a “harsh response” to any future attacks.
Europe needs to boost military capabilities: EU defense chief by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington
(AFP) July 21, 2025-Europe needs to boost its defense capabilities as
the United States seeks to focus on countering China, the EU's defense
commissioner said on Monday.President Donald Trump has pushed for
increased military burden-sharing with Europe since returning to office
earlier this year, with NATO allies agreeing last month to boost their
defense spending."Europe is preparing to take responsibility for its own
defense. You asked us to do that, and finally we are moving ahead,"
Andrius Kubilius said in a speech in Washington."We are recognizing that
you, Americans, have really the right and the reason in the longer-term
perspective to start to shift more and more towards the Indo-Pacific in
order to mitigate Chinese rising military power," he said."We Europeans
need to ramp up our defense capabilities," the former Lithuanian prime
minister said, adding: "That is what we are doing."The United States has
for years identified China as its primary military rival and has sought
to shift its focus and additional military assets to Asia.But unrest in
the Middle East has repeatedly pulled American attention back to that
region, with US assets being shifted -- at least temporarily -- away
from Asia as a result.
Iran defends 'unshakable' right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks.
Tehran,
July 24 (AFP) Jul 24, 2025-Iran on Thursday reaffirmed its right to
enrich uranium, saying it was "unshakable", on the eve of key talks with
European powers threatening to reimpose nuclear sanctions.Friday's
meeting, set to take place in Istanbul, will be the first since Israel's
mid-June attack targeting key nuclear and military sites in the Islamic
republic sparked a 12-day war.The United States joined its ally Israel
in the offensive, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities overnight
between June 21 and 22."Especially after the recent war, it is important
for them to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran's position
remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue," said
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi."We will not give up this right of the
Iranian people," he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency.The hostilities
between Iran and Israel broke out just two days before Tehran and
Washington were set to resume negotiations on Iran's nuclear
programme.Britain, France and Germany -- alongside China, Russia and the
United States -- are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which
placed major restrictions on its atomic activities in return for the
gradual lifting of UN sanctions.However, in 2018, the United States
unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Donald Trump's first
term as president and reimposed its own sanctions.Britain, France and
Germany maintained their support for the 2015 accord and sought to
continue trade with Iran, meaning UN and EU sanctions were not
reinstated.But they have since accused Tehran of failing to uphold its
commitments and are threatening to reimpose sanctions under a clause in
the agreement that expires in October -- something Iran is keen to avoid
at all costs."Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source
said of the three powers, noting that Tehran would be reminded during
the meeting that the snapback window closes this autumn.The source said
Europeans were preparing to trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a
negotiated solution" and called on Iran to make "clear gestures"
regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the
UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.The IAEA
says Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country currently enriching
uranium to 60 percent -- far beyond the 3.67 percent cap set by the 2015
accord.That is a short step from the 90 percent enrichment required for
a nuclear weapon.Western powers, led by the United States and backed by
Israel, have long accused Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear
weapons.Iran has repeatedly denied this, insisting its nuclear programme
is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.Tehran and
Washington had held five rounds of nuclear talks starting in April, but a
planned meeting on June 15 was cancelled after Israel launched its
strikes on Iran.
Atomic Brussels? Support for nuclear power gains ground in EU.
Brussels,
Belgium, July 24 (AFP) Jul 24, 2025-Long a taboo, Brussels opened the
door to EU funding for nuclear power this month in a sign of the growing
support atomic energy is enjoying within the bloc.The European
Commission listed "nuclear fission energy" among the sectors eligible to
receive EU money in its 2028-2034 budget proposal unveiled last week --
reversing a previous ban.The commission declined to say if that meant
Brussels was prepared to fund the building of new nuclear reactors, with
a spokeswoman stressing that the proposal was "still to be discussed"
with member states.Nuclear's eligibility remained only potential, she
said, and fission was listed alongside other related fields such as
decommissioning nuclear facilities, management of radioactive waste and
nuclear research.But the change in tack -- given atomic energy was
explicitly excluded from funding under the current European Union budget
-- marked a victory for the pro-nuclear camp, which has been steadily
gathering steam.Europe has long been divided on nuclear.While France has
championed it, Germany has led the opposition since former chancellor
Angela Merkel accelerated a phase-out in 2011, after the meltdown at the
Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan.The two economic powerhouses even
captain rival informal clubs of countries that vie for influence in
Brussels.Paris leads the "European Nuclear Alliance" while Berlin is top
dog in the "Friends of Renewables" group.Informal breakfast talks of
the two groups are normally held ahead of meetings of EU energy
ministers, with representatives of some countries shuttling between the
two gatherings.- 'Unavoidable' topic -France's club has been gaining
members, with Belgium and Italy announcing this year they would join,
and Greece also expressing interest.This came after Rome opened the door
to a return to atomic power, and Belgium officially abandoned a
two-decades-old pledge to phase it out.Other members of the club include
Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and
Sweden.Germany's grouping includes Austria, Spain, Portugal, Ireland,
Denmark, and the Baltic states, among others."The enlargement of the
alliance makes the subject somewhat unavoidable," Neil Makaroff, a
climate transition expert at Strategic Perspectives, a think tank, said
of the pro-atomic faction.After years of EU ostracism, these countries
want to "make nuclear power politically neutral", he added.Opposition is
weaker than a couple of years ago, with more and more governments
emphasising the need for a complementary energy mix to speed-up the
electrification of the continent.France is even hoping for a more
lenient approach from Germany under new leader Friedrich Merz.In May,
the chancellor co-signed an opinion piece with French President Emmanuel
Macron backing "technological neutrality" and the "non-discriminatory
treatment of all low-carbon energies within the European Union".French
Energy Minister Marc Ferracci later said the Germans were ready to end
"the religious war over nuclear power".Yet, opinions on the matter
within Germany's ruling coalition differ and whether Berlin -- a net
contributor to the bloc's budget -- would go so far as to greenlight EU
funding for nuclear remains to be seen, said Makaroff.Tensions might
bubble up again in the coming months, as countries discuss European
rules on renewable energy -- a package France would rather be called
"decarbonised" energy and include nuclear power.Paris claimed a first
victory this month when the commission included the concept of
"technological neutrality" dear to the French in its 2040 climate target
proposal.Still, even in the most nuclear-heavy scenarios, wind and
solar power are projected to dominate the European energy mix in the
coming decades.In 2024 renewables accounted for 47 percent of
electricity production in Europe, compared with 23 percent for nuclear
energy, according to EU data agency Eurostat."In the short term, most of
the work on electrification will be done through renewables," said
Makaroff.
Anxiety and pride among Cambodia's future conscriptsBy Suy SE.
Phnom
Penh (AFP) July 22, 2025-The generation of Cambodians who may find
themselves in the firing line when the country introduces military
conscription is split between quiet pangs of anxiety and proud
proclamations of patriotism."My family is poor. If I am called in for
the service, I am worried that my family might face financial issues,"
25-year-old tuk-tuk driver Voeun Dara told AFP in Phnom Penh. "It is
worrisome for me."Citing rising tensions with Thailand, Prime Minister
Hun Manet says Cambodia will next year activate a long-dormant law
requiring citizens aged 18 to 30 to enlist in the military.Hun Manet has
proposed conscripts serve for two years to bolster the country's
200,000 personnel after a territorial dispute boiled over into a border
clash, killing one Cambodian soldier in late May.Graphic design student
Ray Kimhak's brother-in-law, a volunteer soldier, has already been
deployed to the countries' 800-kilometre-long (500-mile) border.But the
21-year-old says he would gladly join him if compelled by
conscription."He said it was a bit difficult to sleep in the jungle, and
it rains a lot. But these difficulties don't discourage me at all," Ray
Kimhak told AFP at his university in the capital."We are ready to
protect our territory because when it is gone, we would never get it
back."- 'We should be ready' -Cambodia's conscription law dates back to
2006 but has never been enforced. Hun Manet has said it will be used to
replace retiring troops, though it is unclear how many citizens are set
to be called up.The country of 17 million has a long and dark history of
forced enlistment.Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge communist regime, which ruled
from 1975 to 1979, conscripted fighting-aged men, and sometimes
children, into its ranks as it perpetrated a genocide that killed two
million.One 64-year-old who was conscripted by the Khmer Rouge at 17
told AFP he supported the government's decision, despite standing on a
landmine during his time as a soldier."I was forced to be a soldier by
Pol Pot," he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity from the Thai
border town of Sampov Lun."Being a soldier is not easy, but I support
the government's plan of military conscription in the face of a border
dispute with Thailand. We need to protect our land."Under the newly
activated conscription legislation, those who refuse to serve in wartime
would face three years in prison, while peacetime refuseniks would face
one year behind bars.Sipping green tea at a cafe, 18-year-old IT
student Oeng Sirayuth says he fully supports Hun Manet's call to
arms."We should be ready, because tension with our neighbouring country
is growing," he said. But personally he hopes for a deferral as he
finishes his studies."I am a bit reluctant because I have never thought
that I will have to join the military service," he said."I think 60
percent of young people are ready to join the military, so these people
can go first, and those who are not yet ready can enter the service
later."Under the modern-day conscription legislation, women will be
allowed to opt for volunteer work rather than military service.But
23-year-old internet provider saleswoman Leakhena said she stands ready
to serve on the frontlines.Last month her family delivered donations to
Cambodian soldiers patrolling the border, where tensions have spiked
with Thailand over a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle."We
have to do something to protect our nation," said Leakhena, speaking on
the condition that only her first name was revealed."I feel proud for
our soldiers. They are so brave," she added.- 'Trust needs to be earned'
-Cambodia allocated approximately $739 million for defence in 2025, the
largest share of the country's $9.32 billion national budget, according
to official figures.Hun Manet has pledged to "look at increasing" the
defence budget as part of reforms to beef up the military.But one young
would-be conscript urged the government to defer its plans as the
country recovers its finances from the Covid-19 pandemic."Our economy is
still struggling," said the 20-year-old fine art student, who asked not
to be named."We are in the state of developing our country, so if we
enforce the law soon we might face some problems for our
economy."Political analyst Ou Virak also said Cambodia's military faces
challenges from within as it seeks to win buy-in from a new generation
of conscripts."Military training, chain of command, and military
discipline are all issues that need to be addressed," he told AFP."For
conscription to work and be generally supported and accepted by the
people, trust needs to be earned."
Thailand, Cambodia clash with jets and rockets in deadly border rowBy Montira Rungjirajittranon with Suy Se in Phnom Penh.
Bangkok
(AFP) July 24, 2025-Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military
targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing at
least 11 civilians, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border
row between the two neighbours.The neighbours are locked in a bitter
spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of
both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient
temples.The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody
military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a
Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.The conflict blazed up on
Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into
Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air
strikes.The Thai ministry of public health said at least 11 civilians
had been killed, most of them in a rocket strike near a petrol station
in Sisaket province.Footage from the scene showed smoke pouring from the
roof of a convenience store attached to the petrol station. Provincial
officials said most of the dead were students inside the shop when the
attack happened.Six Thai air force jets were deployed from Ubon
Ratchathani province, hitting two "Cambodian military targets on the
ground", according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha
Suksuwanon.Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which
erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of
Surin and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey.Cambodian defence ministry
spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement that Thai troops launched
an "armed assault on Cambodian forces"."In response, the Cambodian armed
forces exercised their legitimate right to self-defence, in full
accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion and
protect Cambodia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," she
said.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet requested an urgent meeting of
the UN Security Council to address what his foreign ministry labelled
"unprovoked military aggression".Thailand's government spokesman,
meanwhile, accused Cambodia of being "inhumane, brutal and war-hungry",
and Bangkok's foreign ministry said all border crossings had been shut
and nearby residents evacuated.The Thai military blamed Cambodian
soldiers for firing first, and later accused them of a "targeted attack
on civilians", saying two BM-21 rockets had hit a community in Surin's
Kap Choeng district, wounding three people.According to the Thai
military, the clashes began around 7:35 am (0035 GMT) when a unit
guarding Ta Muen temple heard a Cambodian drone overhead.Later, six
armed Cambodian soldiers, including one carrying a rocket-propelled
grenade launcher, approached a barbed-wired fence in front of the Thai
post, the army said.Around 8:20 am, Cambodian forces opened fire toward
the eastern side of the temple, about 200 metres from the Thai
base.Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said "the
situation requires careful handling, and we must act in accordance with
international law"."We will do our best to protect our sovereignty," he
said.In a Facebook post, Thailand's embassy in Phnom Penh urged its
nationals to leave Cambodia "as soon as possible" unless they had urgent
reasons to remain.China, a close ally of Cambodia, said it was "deeply
concerned" about the clashes, calling for dialogue -- while also urging
its citizens in Cambodia to avoid the country's frontier with Thailand.-
Long-running row -The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the
Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy in protest after five
members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine.On Thursday
morning, Cambodia announced it was downgrading ties to "the lowest
level", pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their
Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.Recent weeks have seen a series of
tit-for-tat swipes by both sides, with Thailand restricting border
crossings and Cambodia halting certain imports.The border row also
kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where prime minister
Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics
probe over her conduct.A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun
Sen, Cambodia's former longtime ruler and father of Hun Manet, was
leaked from the Cambodian side, sparking a judicial
investigation.Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on both
sides to "stand down" and start talks.Malaysia currently chairs the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both Thailand
and Cambodia are members.burs-pdw/fox
US approves $322 mn in arms sales to Ukraine; German government moves to speed up military procurement-by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington
(AFP) July 23, 2025-The United States on Wednesday announced the
approval of $322 million in arms sales to bolster Ukraine's air defenses
and its armored combat vehicles.The announcement of the sales comes
after Washington temporarily halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine
earlier this month even as Kyiv faced heavy Russian missile and drone
attacks.The sale of HAWK air defense equipment and sustainment will cost
up to $172 million, while Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle equipment
and services will total up to $150 million, the US Defense Security
Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.The proposed HAWK equipment sale "will
improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by
further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security
missions with a more robust air defense capability," DSCA said.And the
Bradley equipment and services will help meet Ukraine's "urgent need to
strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational
rates for United States provided vehicles and weapon systems," it
said.The State Department approved the possible sales and the DSCA
provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs
to sign off on the transactions.The latest proposed military sale to
Ukraine follows another announced in early May valued at $310.5 million
for F-16 training and sustainment.Russia's President Vladimir Putin
launched the full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022 and has
shown little willingness to end the conflict despite pressure from the
United States.Under former president Joe Biden, Washington committed to
providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.But
President Donald Trump -- long skeptical of assistance for Ukraine --
has not followed suit, announcing no new military aid packages for Kyiv
since he returned to office in January.
German government moves to speed up military procurement.
Berlin
(AFP) July 23, 2025 - Germany's government on Wednesday approved a
draft bill to speed up military procurement as Berlin moves to build up
its armed forces in the face of wavering US commitment to European
security.The plans would make it easier for defence firms to receive
advance payments from the state to start production sooner, Defence
Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists.Contracts worth less than
443,000 euros ($520,000) will also be exempt from the full procurement
process, up from a current limit of 15,000 euros, Pistorius said.The
threshold will rise to one million euros for construction projects, he
added.He said the proposed bill represented a "quantum leap" for
Germany's armed forces, unblocking progress on about 12,000 procurement
processes.The changes will address the "jumble of regulations" that
hindered "quickly building up Germany's defence readiness", he
added.Presenting the bill alongside Pistorius, Economy Minister
Katherina Reiche said Germany needed to become "technologically and
industrially stronger than potential aggressors"."That is how we
preserve peace," Reiche added.Berlin has rushed to rearm itself
following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, accelerating that
process after US President Donald Trump urged Europe to take more
responsibility for its own defence.Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed
to build Europe's "strongest conventional army" to counter a perceived
threat from Moscow.That represents a radical shift in a country with
strong pacifist traditions due to its Nazi past.Spending on Germany's
armed forces is expected to reach 162 billion euros in 2029, more than
triple Germany's defence budget before the war in Ukraine.To become law,
the cabinet's draft bill still needs to be passed by Germany's
parliament.
Iran to meet European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback.
Istanbul,
July 25 (AFP) Jul 25, 2025-Iranian diplomats will meet counterparts
from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks,
amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snapback"
sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal.The meeting, set to take place in
Istanbul, will be the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran,
which sparked a 12-day war and targeted key nuclear and military
sites.Israel's offensive -- which killed top commanders, nuclear
scientists and hundreds of others as residential areas were struck as
well -- also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April.Since
then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger
the "snapback mechanism", which would reinstate United Nations sanctions
on Iran by the end of August, under the effectively moribund 2015
nuclear deal.The option to trigger the snapback expires in October, and
Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate
it."Inaction by the E3 is not an option," a European source said, noting
that Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback
window closes this autumn.The source said Europeans are preparing to
trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a negotiated solution" and
called on Iran to make "clear gestures" regarding uranium enrichment and
the resumption of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.Ahead of the
talks on Friday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said
the meeting would be a "test of realism for the Europeans and a
valuable opportunity to correct their views on Iran's nuclear issue," in
remarks to the official IRNA news agency.- Sanctions -Iran's Deputy
Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who will attend the talks Friday,
alongside senior Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, warned this week
that triggering sanctions "is completely illegal".He also accused
European powers of "halting their commitments" to the deal after the
United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 during President Donald
Trump's first term."We have warned them of the risks, but we are still
seeking common ground to manage the situation," said Gharibabadi.Iranian
diplomats have previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the
global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if UN sanctions are
reimposed.Restoring sanctions would deepen Iran's international
isolation and place further pressure on its already strained
economy.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European powers
to trigger the mechanism.Israel's June 13 attack on Iran came two days
before Tehran and Washington were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of
nuclear negotiations.On June 22, the United States itself struck
Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.Before the war,
Washington and Tehran were divided over uranium enrichment, which Iran
has described as a "non-negotiable" right, while the United States
called it a "red line".The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran
is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity -- far above the 3.67 percent
cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade levels.Tehran has
said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not
the right to enrich uranium.A year after the US withdrawal from the
nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its commitments, which had placed
restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions
relief.Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons
-- a charge Tehran has consistently denied.- 'Unshakable' -Iran insists
it will not abandon its nuclear programme, with Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi saying " Iran's position remains unshakable, and that our
uranium enrichment will continue."Araghchi has previously noted that
enrichment is currently "stopped" due to "serious and severe" damage to
nuclear sites caused by US and Israeli strikes.The full extent of the
damage sustained in the US bombing remains unclear. Trump has claimed
the sites were "completely destroyed", but US media reports have cast
doubt over the scale of destruction.Since the 12-day war, Iran has
suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to
condemn the attacks.Inspectors have since left the country, but a
technical team is expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said
future cooperation would take a "new form".Israel has warned it may
resume strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons
capability.Iran has pledged a "harsh response" to any future attacks.
US approves $4.67 bn sale of air defense system to Egypt.
Washington,
July 24 (AFP) Jul 24, 2025-The United States on Thursday announced the
approval of a $4.67 billion sale of the NASAMS air defense system and
related support to Egypt.NASAMS -- the National Advanced Surface-to-Air
Missile System -- has seen recent use on the battlefield after being
provided to Ukraine by Kyiv's supporters as part of efforts to bolster
the country's air defenses against Russian attacks."The proposed sale
will improve Egypt's capability to meet current and future threats by
improving its ability to detect various air threats," the Defense
Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.The deal also
"will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives
of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally
that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the
Middle East," DSCA said.The State Department approved the possible sale
of the system to Egypt and the DSCA provided the required notification
to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.
Space Force general to oversee U.S. 'Golden Dome' missile shield-by Jake Thomas.
Washington
DC (UPI) Jul 22, 2025-The U.S. Senate has approved Gen. Mike Guetlein
to oversee President Donald Trump's national missile defense system,
known as the Golden Dome.The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Guetlein
had cleared the final hurdle to leading the Office of Golden Dome for
America, which will work with industry, higher education, national labs
and other government agencies to develop the high-tech missile
shield.The Golden Dome is similar to Israel's "Iron Dome" and is
intended to modernize the United States' defenses from threats from
Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The missile shield will be designed
for ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other
large-scale attacks.Guetlein is currently a Space Force general who
serves as vice chief of space operations for the military service
branch.Testifying to Congress in March, Guetlein compared the complexity
of developing the Golden Dome to that of the Manhattan Project, a World
War II-era initiative that produced the world's first nuclear
weapons."It is not complex because of technology; it is complex because
of the number of organizations and agencies that need to be involved,"
he told a Senate Senate Armed Services subcommittee.Building the Golden
Dome will require cooperation between multiple government agencies, as
well as private industry, he said. Guetlein described differences in
organizational behavior and culture as the project's biggest challenges,
which he said can be overcome by having an empowered and well-resourced
agency in charge that has the support of policymakers.The Golden Dome
project is expected to cost $175 billion and Trump has previously said
it will be "fully operational" by the end of his term.The GOP-backed
major tax and spending bill recently signed by Trump includes nearly $25
billion for the Golden Dome. Defense contractors are optimistic it will
boost profits.Defense contractor Lockheed Martin on Tuesday reported
$18.2 billion in second-quarter sales and predicted more growth as the
Golden Dome Project progresses.Speaking during an earnings call Tuesday,
Jim Taiclet, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, said the company has
already developed missile defense systems that "are the exact solutions
needed to make Golden Dome for America a reality."Taiclet added that
the company's exact role in the Golden Dome project remains to be seen
because "the plan on the government side isn't laid out yet."Chris
Calio, chairman and CEO of RTX Corp., also expressed optimism that the
project would bolster the company's bottom line during an earnings call
Tuesday, saying it "is really well aligned with our core capabilities
and product portfolio."The effectiveness of Israel's Iron Dome has been
on display after it successfully shielded the country from hundreds of
missiles launched by Iran.Trump administration officials say the Golden
Dome will fulfill former President Ronald Reagan's vision of a "Star
Wars" system that was never completed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
previously said that technology has now advanced enough to build the
expansive missile shield envisioned by Reagan.The United States has
missile defense systems in place already, but they would not be able to
defend against a large-scale attack from Russia, China, Iran or North
Korea.Patrycja Bazylczyk, program manager and research associate at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project,
previously told UPI that the Golden Dome project could reorient the
United States' defense for an era of "great power competition.""Our
adversaries China and Russia have next-generation weapons that can
threaten the U.S. homeland," Bazylczyk said. "We need to prime our
defenses to defend against these next generation threats."
Syria rejects Kurd bid to keep weapons: government source.
Damascus,
July 24 (AFP) Jul 24, 2025-Syria has rejected Kurdish demands to keep
their weapons, a government source said Thursday, as a new round of
talks on the Kurds' integration into the state was set to begin.The
Kurds, who control large swathes of the north and east, are negotiating
with the central government on the integration of their civil and
military institutions into the state.Those include the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which is Kurdish-led."Talking about refusing to
hand over weapons or maintaining an autonomous military force is
completely unacceptable," the source told the state broadcaster
Al-Ikhbariya.According to the source, such a position "contradicts the
principles of unifying the national army and the agreement reached last
March between Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi".In March, Interim
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a deal
to incorporate Kurdish institutions into the Syrian state.While talks
have been held regularly since then, progress has stalled.Recent unrest
in the south, where the new authorities have attempted to subdue the
Druze minority, as well as ongoing violence targeting the Alawite
community, has deepened Kurdish concerns.According to the Kurdish news
agency Hawar, a planned meeting on Thursday in Paris between Kurdish
representatives and a Syrian government delegation was postponed.During
the recent violence in the southern Druze heartland of Sweida -- which
left nearly 1,400 dead -- a senior Syrian Kurdish official called on the
central government to urgently and comprehensively rethink its approach
to minorities.Damascus, meanwhile, insists on reunifying the country at
any cost.The government source's comments came a day after SDF
spokesperson Farhad Shami told al-Yaum TV that disarmament is a "red
line"."No one is surrendering in Syria. Those betting on our
capitulation will lose -- the tragic events have made that clear," he
added, referring to the communal violence in Sweida.Reacting to this,
the Syrian government source said: "Using the events in Sweida or along
the coast to justify refusing to return to the state fold is a
manipulation of public opinion"."A genuine national dialogue cannot
happen under the threat of weapons or with backing from foreign powers,"
the source added.On Saturday, Abdi, who is backed by Washington, met
with US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack to discuss the southern
unrest, according to the US embassy in Syria on X.
Risk highlighted as Chinese hackers hit Microsoft.
Paris,
July 25 (AFP) Jul 25, 2025-Software giant Microsoft is at the center of
cybersecurity storm after China-linked hackers exploited flaws in
SharePoint servers to target hundreds of organizations.While such
cyberattacks are not new, the scale of the onslaught and the speed with
which the hackers took advantage of freshly discovered vulnerabilities
is fueling concern.Dutch startup Eye Security warned Saturday of online
attacks targeting SharePoint file-sharing servers, with Microsoft quick
to confirm the report and release patches to protect systems.The
vulnerability allowed hackers to retrieve credentials and then access
SharePoint servers kept at users' facilities, according to
Microsoft.Cloud-based SharePoint software was safe from the problem, the
company said.- Targets -Eye Security determined that more than 400
computer systems were compromised by hackers during waves of
attacks.Targets included government organizations in Europe, the Middle
East and the United States - among them the US nuclear weapons agency,
media reports indicated."On-premises SharePoint deployments -
particularly within government, schools, healthcare and large enterprise
companies - are at immediate risk," cybersecurity firm Palo Alto
Networks warned in a note.Microsoft has not disclosed the number of
victims in the attacks.SharePoint had more than 200 million active users
as of 2020, according to the most recent figures available from
Microsoft.- Attribution? -Microsoft has attributed the cyberattacks to
groups backed by China.The culprits are believed to include Chinese
state actors known as Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon along with a
group called Storm-2603 which "is considered with moderate confidence to
be a threat actor based in China."The Typhoon groups have been active
for a decade or more, and are known for intellectual property theft as
well as espionage, according to Microsoft.Less was known about
Storm-2603 and its motives."Investigations into other actors also using
these exploits are ongoing," Microsoft said, urging users to patch
SharePoint servers to avoid becoming hacking victims.Cybersecurity
specialist Damien Bancal noted in a recent blog post that he found
"ready-to-use exploit code" for the vulnerability at a popular website.-
Why Microsoft? -The assault on SharePoint servers is the latest in a
series of sophisticated attacks carried out by state-sponsored groups
against "the Microsoft ecosystem," according to Bancal.In 2021, attacks
by a Chinese hacker group known as Silk Typhoon compromised tens of
thousands of email servers using Microsft Exchange software.Microsoft's
success at making its software commonplace in offices and homes also
makes it a prime target for hackers out to steal money or
information.Microsoft software can hold sensitive and valuable
information."It's not Microsoft that is being targeted, it's its
customers," said Shane Barney, head of information security at US-based
Keeper.Targeting Microsoft programs is a means to an end, and tomorrow
it could be software from another company, said Rodrigue Le Bayon, head
of Orange Cyberdefense computer emergency response team.- China's role?
-China is not the only nation backing hacker operations as countries
around the world hone cyber capabilities, according to Le
Bayon.Nevertheless, China is repeatedly singled out by companies and
goverments hit by hacks.Western countries have accused hacker groups
allegedly supported by China of conducting a global cyber espionage
campaign against figures critical of Beijing, democratic institutions,
and companies in various sensitive sectors.mng-juj/gc/arp/dw
Hong Kong issues bounties for 19 overseas activists on subversion charges.
Hong
Kong, July 25 (AFP) Jul 25, 2025-Hong Kong police announced bounties
Friday for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas activists,
accusing them of national security crimes.Political dissent in Hong Kong
has been quashed since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law
in 2020 after huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests the year
before.Many opposition figures have fled abroad, while others have been
arrested and sentenced to years in jail.Police said the 19 activists
were involved in what they called a "subversive organisation", Hong Kong
Parliament -- a pro-democracy NGO established in Canada.On July 1, Hong
Kong Parliament said on social media that it was holding an unofficial
poll online to form a "legislature", aimed at "opposing one-party
dictatorship and tyranny and pursuing Hong Kong people ruling Hong
Kong".In a statement on Friday, police accused the group of seeking to
"unlawfully overthrow and undermine the fundamental system" of the
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.The investigation into the
organisation is ongoing, the police said, warning that they "will offer
bounties to hunt down more suspects in the case if necessary".They also
called on the accused to "return to Hong Kong and turn themselves in,
rather than make further mistakes".A reward of HK$200,000 ($25,500) each
was offered for 15 of the activists, while the four others were already
wanted for HK$1 million, the statement said.- Symbolic bounties -The
bounties are seen as largely symbolic given that they affect people
living abroad in nations unlikely to extradite political activists to
Hong Kong or China.Friday's announcement is the fourth time the
financial hub's authorities have offered rewards for help capturing
those alleged to have violated the city's national security
laws.According to the Hong Kong police's website, as of Friday there are
now 34 people wanted for national security offences, including
secession, subversion, or foreign collusion.Previous rounds of bounties
were met with intense criticism from Western countries, with Hong Kong
and China in turn railing against foreign "interference".Hong Kong has
also previously cancelled the passports of other pro-democracy activists
on its wanted list, under its second homegrown national security law
enacted in 2024.As of July 1, authorities had arrested 333 people for
alleged national security crimes, with 165 convicted in Hong
Kong.Earlier this month, Hong Kong police arrested four people,
including a 15-year-old, who were allegedly part of a group in Taiwan
that called for the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party.This week
police said they had arrested an 18-year-old for writing "seditious
words" on a toilet wall in a commercial building.
UK, Australia back embattled submarine deal with US.
Sydney,
July 25 (AFP) Jul 25, 2025-Britain and Australia said Friday they will
sign a 50-year commitment to their nuclear-powered submarine pact with
the United States, seeking to bolster a deal that Washington has thrown
into doubt.The two countries cast their pledge as a historic treaty but
gave few details beyond saying it would help economic cooperation and
"underpin" the existing, three-nation AUKUS pact."It is a profoundly
important treaty that we will sign tomorrow," Australian Defence
Minister Richard Marles told reporters after talks in Sydney between the
two countries' defence and foreign ministers.A US defence official last
month revealed that a review of AUKUS was underway to ensure it
"aligned with the President's America First agenda" and that the US
defence industrial base was "meeting our needs".Under the 2021 AUKUS
deal, Australia would acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines
from the United States within 15 years, eventually manufacturing its own
subs.The US Navy has 24 Virginia-class vessels but American shipyards
are struggling to meet production targets set at two new boats each
year.In the United States, critics question why Washington would sell
nuclear-powered submarines to Australia without stocking its own
military first."A new government undertaking a review is the most
natural thing in the world," Marles said of the decision by US President
Donald Trump's administration.- 'Symbolism is important' -Australia had
already contributed US$1 billion this year to help boost production and
maintenance of submarines in the United States, he said."We are really
confident that the production rates will be raised in America."Under
AUKUS, Britain will eventually develop a new class of nuclear-powered
attack submarines, the SSN-AUKUS, to enter service from the late
2030s.Australia would also build the SSN-AUKUS, with delivery expected
to its navy in the early 2040s.British Defence Secretary John Healey
said London welcomed the US review."It's an opportunity for the new
administration to renew America's commitment to the deep AUKUS
partnership that our three nations have," he said.In a government
statement, Britain repeated previously released figures saying that the
AUKUS submarine programme would lead to the creation of 21,000 UK
jobs.It said the submarine programme was expected to be worth "up to" 20
billion pounds (US$27 billion) in British exports over the next 25
years.Analyst Tom Corben from the United States Studies Centre in
Australia said the new treaty between Canberra and London was an
important show of solidarity."The symbolism is important given
everything else that is happening," he said.Britain's defence and
foreign ministers were visiting Australia as their country's Carrier
Strike Group and 3,000 personnel took part in annual Talisman Sabre
military exercises across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Macron appoints military advisor as new army chief by AFP Staff Writers.
Paris
(AFP) July 23, 2025-President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his closest
military advisor, an experienced fighter pilot, as the new chief of
staff of France's armed forces, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said
Wednesday.Fabien Mandon, a 55-year-old air force general and former
Mirage fighter jet pilot, takes over from Thierry Burkhard.The
appointment of Mandon, who has extensive combat experience, comes after
Macron last week called for a boost in France's defence spending, citing
Russia as a threat for all of Europe.Macron said that "if you want be
feared you must be powerful" and urged "mobilisation" by all government
departments."I have every confidence in General Fabien Mandon," Macron
said on X, adding he would "guide our forces in the face of major
challenges".Lecornu said Mandon took on the job in the context of "an
increasingly demanding security environment".Until Russia's 2022
invasion of Ukraine, France's armed forces were mainly focused on
international missions and asymmetric warfare against non-state actors,
such as jihadist groups in Africa's Sahel.Over the past three years,
Burkhard has overseen a strategic shift to include the possibility of
high-intensity war between states.Mandon's career includes several
foreign deployments, including in the Central African Republic, Chad,
and Tajikistan, from where he flew missions in Afghanistan."I killed in
Afghanistan. And I know whom I killed: Taliban. I have the soul of a
fighter," he recently told French magazine L'Express.Mandon also served
temporarily as commander at the Avord Air Base, where nuclear-capable
fighter jets are stationed.Part of his brief at the Elysee has been to
inform Macron about nuclear deterrence questions.bur-jh/as/jj
North Korea's Kim urges troops to prepare 'for real war'by AFP Staff Writers.
Seoul
(AFP) July 24, 2025-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged his
military to be ready "for real war" as he observed a firing contest of
artillery units, Pyongyang state media said Thursday.Kim's remarks
follow the North's deployment of troops and weapons to help Russia
during its more than three-year long offensive in Ukraine.Video footage
aired by state-run Korea Central Television on Thursday showed soldiers
from artillery units firing shells towards the sea.Kim is seen looking
through binoculars at an observation post, flanked by two military
officials, but the location for Wednesday's contest was not disclosed.He
urged the soldiers to be ready "for real war" at "anytime" and be
capable of "destroying the enemy in every battle", the Korean Central
News Agency reported in an English dispatch.South Korean and Western
intelligence agencies have reported Pyongyang sent more than 10,000
soldiers to Russia's Kursk region last year, along with artillery
shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems.Around 600 North Korean
soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for
Russia, Seoul has said.Kim offered Moscow his full support for its war
in Ukraine during recent talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov, state media reported previously.The two heavily sanctioned
nations signed a military deal last year, including a mutual defence
clause, during a rare visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to
Pyongyang.
North Korea plans to build another 5,000-ton destroyer by AFP Staff Writers.
Seoul
(AFP) July 22, 2025-North Korea vowed to build an additional 5,000-ton
destroyer for its navy, state media reported Tuesday, after the
nuclear-armed country launched two similar vessels this year.Leader Kim
Jong Un has vowed to ramp up his country's naval capacities, and
presided over the April launch of the country's first 5,000-ton
destroyer-class naval ship, the Choe Hyon.South Korea's military has
said the ship could have been developed with Russian help, possibly in
exchange for deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight in
Ukraine.Kim also presided over the botched launch of the destroyer Kang
Kon in May, which was subsequently repaired and set afloat in
June.Workers at the Nampho Shipyard pledged Monday at a rally to
complete the new warship by October 10 next year, according to
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency.The date marks the
anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.The
North will now construct the "Choe Hyon-class Destroyer No. 3" which it
described as "a powerful warship of our own type".The Nampho dockyard
manager urged workers to meet the construction deadline to uphold the
party's "plan for building a powerful army" and "to firmly defend the
inviolable maritime sovereignty and national interests," KCNA said.South
Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, elected last month in a snap
election, has promised a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang,
compared with that of his hawkish impeached predecessor Yoon Suk
Yeol.The Lee administration has halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts
along the border, which Seoul began last year following a barrage of
trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang.Seemingly in
response, North Korea also ended its own propaganda broadcasts which had
relayed strange and eerie noises into the South.
Iran says confronted US destroyer in Gulf of Oman-by AFP Staff Writers.
Tehran
(AFP) July 23, 2025-Iranian forces on Wednesday warned a US destroyer
to stay out of waters claimed by Tehran, state television reported, an
interaction a US defence official said was "safe and professional" and
did not affect the ship's mission.The exchange in the Gulf of Oman
between the two rivals comes a month after the United States carried out
strikes against three key Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war
between Israel and the Islamic republic.State TV said an Iranian army
helicopter flew over the USS Fitzgerald on Wednesday morning after the
vessel "attempted to approach the waters under the supervision" of
Iran.The destroyer issued threats of its own, the broadcaster said, but
"the Iranian pilot... reiterated the warning to stay away from Iranian
waters", forcing the US vessel to "give in" and alter its course.In a
video released by Iranian state TV, a destroyer is seen from what seems
to be a helicopter window as the pilot calls on the vessel to "change
course" and avoid approaching Iranian territorial waters.A US defence
official said the American ship "had a safe and professional interaction
with an Iranian SH-3 'Sea King' helicopter while operating in
international waters"."This interaction had no impact to USS
Fitzgerald's mission and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods",
the official added.Iranian forces have a history of confronting US
forces in bodies of water off the country's southern coast.In 2023,
Tehran said it forced a US submarine to surface while crossing the
strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a claim Washington denied.
Germany approves Eurofighter jet delivery to Turkey-by AFP Staff Writers.
Berlin
(AFP) July 23, 2025-Germany said Wednesday it had approved the delivery
of Eurofighter jets to Turkey, clearing the way for a deal that had
been delayed by tensions between the two countries.Turkey had been in
talks for several years on buying 40 of the aircraft, which are
constructed by a consortium from Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.The
Typhoon jets are to be built in Britain and London is leading the
negotiations.But all members of the consortium must sign off on the sale
and Germany, which has clashed with Turkey over Israel's war on Gaza,
had objected.However, the defence ministry had now "sent a written
confirmation to the Turkish government confirming the approval of the
export", government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told journalists in
Berlin.News outlet Der Spiegel reported that Chancellor Friedrich Merz
had bowed to pressure from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as the
project is expected to support about 20,000 jobs in Britain.After
Germany gave the green light to the sale, the Turkish and British
defence ministers signed a preliminary agreement in Istanbul on
Wednesday for the delivery of the jets.The sale "will strengthen the
decades-long friendship between key NATO allies and will be an important
step towards enhancing Turkey's advanced air combat capabilities",
Turkey's defence ministry said.British Defence Secretary John Healey
said the deal would "strengthen NATO's collective defence, and boost
both our countries' industrial bases by securing thousands of skilled
jobs across the UK for years to come".Turkey's request for the planes
was submitted to the German government more than two years ago, but the
two countries have since clashed over the war in Gaza.Ankara has vocally
criticised Israel's offensive in the Palestinian territory while Berlin
has been a staunch supporter of Israel, although it has voiced some
criticism over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
